Helios and Windows XP ?

[Marty & Carol]

We do not use Helios, but if you have a program that contains code that needs "shared" files that program will load the proper files needed in the windows/shared/files.

so the fact that it may or may not work with XP home vs Pro does not make sense to me.

[Chippp]

Ladybug

are you using xp pro with helios NOW?

[Chippp]

Ladybug

are you using xp pro with helios NOW?

[jcole]

Here are some preliminary results from my testing.

Windows XP Home edition:
You need to launch the setup.exe from the compatiblity wizard (Start->All Programs->Accesories->Program Compatiblity Wizard). I chose to run the setup as a Windows 98 machines. This avoided the dll error during the installation, but I still got an error right after the marx.reg installation (this is for the dongel). I loaded 9.1.2, 9.2.5, and 9.4 and all loaded, ran and found thier dongle. None of these were in a production enviroment, and you should not assume that every aspect of the program operates normally.
Note that I did not run Helios itself under compatiblity, only the installation. I'll try and get one of the Sandollar stores running XP next week, so we can put it through it's paces.
If you choose to try XP, make sure you have another machine ready just in case. I check the Helios website for supported systems, and the only ones listed are Windows 98SE and Windows 2000. When in doubt, trust the manufacture and assume that those are the only two systems supported.
I'll do the XP Pro testing next week, but I expect the same results. Remember, XP Home and XP Pro differ only if a few small areas, mainly dealing with NT Domain support, file encryption, and internet services. You can see for yourself here: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/choosing2.asp
Certainly there is nothing missing from XP Home that used to be in Windows 9X, which is supported by Helios. The closest microsoft cousin to XP Home is Windows 2000 Pro, also supported by Helios.


_________________
John Cole [ This Message was edited by: jcole on 2001-12-22 10:09 ]

[Chippp]

just installed helios on my xp pro system,
installed with 2-3 error windows popping up, but it installed and I ran it.
It looked ok, seemed to work.
Xp pro would not allow helios to write to the registry during install { I hate programs messing with windows reg}
will try with dongle tommorow and if it works I will do a restore of data and see how that goes.
I am working this on a machine at home not the store machine.
I ran in the xp pro mode as well as the windows 98 compatibility mode , didn't seem to make any differance.
Will let you know how it goes.
HELIOS GET YOU ACT TOGETHER AND COME OUT WITH THE XP PRO VERSION!
AND PLEASE DON'T MESS WITH WINDOWS OPERATING and reg FILES. It makes the whole system screwy. Nice software keeps it's hands to its self!

[jcole]

Chippp,
Just about every piece of software has to fiddle with the registry (thats why it's there). Building installations for software is quite difficult, since you can literaly destroy the OS if you do it wrong.

At Solarsoft, we test each installation on every platform we support (98, ME, 2K, XP) BEFORE we send any software out the door. This is the only way to insure that your installation (not just your software) play's nice with those systems.

Helios uses the system registry to store local information as well as telling windows about DLL's it is installing (this is required by windows). You can't blame Helios about registry problems, this goes squarly on Microsoft.

[Ladybug]

Yes I am and have been running Helios 9.4 on XP Professional.

And almost ALL programs you run or install on your computer have something to do with the Windows Registry. That is the registry's soul prupose for being there.

And yes there can be and obvisiously are differences between Home and PRO, to find out what they are exactly you would have to ask Microsoft.

Obivisouly there are difference otherwise there wouldn't be a specific version for Home users and one for Professioanl Business users.

[Chippp]

NOT ALL programs you run or install on your computer have something to do with the Windows Registry or system files.
Some programs even mention this as a reason to pick them over others.
To scatter file into windows system and over write windows .dll's and other files leads to operating system coruption and system failure.
We have had enough of that over the years.
Can't we hope for change?
Open your mind, any thing is possible.

[Chippp]

I have and tried helios 9.2 and it installed wih error messages popping up.. it ran but could not fine the dongle....so it only ran in demo mode.....this is on xp pro. new computer new xp pro.

[Ladybug]

XP Pro won't work with Helios 9.2 only 9.4