Windows XP Specific Applications?

[moore1rj]

Hi,

Our company has just started to work with ThinApp as a solution for our one off applications where our clients require us to use this older software. I've got a variety of hydrology software that will not run specifically on Windows 7 x64 bit but will run fine on Windows XP (32 bit and 64 bit) after being ThinApp'd.

I am having issues making it run on Windows 7 successfully, it seems that the software itself is running an operating system check and I was wondering if there are any tips and tricks that I can try to make this software work correctly on Windows 7.

I've tried using this blog post (http://blogs.vmware.com/thinapp/2011/04/making-windows-xp-only-apps-run-on-windows-7.html) as a go to but still have had no luck.

Thanks.

[Lakshman]

In general, ThinApp does not change the application behaviour. I guess the native application is not supported on Windows 7 64.

If the application itself is checking for the OS, then it is difficult for the ThinApp to work on Win7 64.

[Cievo]

I thinapped one application that shouldn't work on W7 64b and worked only on Windows XP 32b. In my case installation scripts were checking somehow if OS is WXP 32b. When I thinapped this application and ran on W764 it worked perfectly.

But your case can be different.

Solutions

• There is 60 days evaluation period for ThinApp, so you can try to ThinApp this application. Or I can thinapp it for you and test it on W7 64b if you provide me installation media.
  
• Do you know how application is checking OS version? Is it via registry? If so, that can be changes very easy. What does it say when you run it on W7 64b?
  

Have a nice day,

[moore1rj]

I honestly have no idea where the check is coming from but there is obviously a hard check somewhere in the program, I've search and run various reg compares but I cannot figure it out.

I can send you the installation media as well if you want to take a crack at it 😉

[Cievo]

Sure. Upload installation media somewhere, give me some installation procedure if there is any. I will look at it.

You can send it via private message not to explose it to the Internet.

Have a nice day,

[Cievo]

Hello dude

Application doesn't check any registry key nor file to find out what OS it is running on. It uses some native system calls to deterine OS version. When you run application on Windows 7 following line is written to log file:

07/03/12 08:32:49 PM >> StormCAD 05.06.012.00 'C:\StormCAD\' 'stmcSYS.exe' 'C:\' Windows NT 6.1

IMHO there is not way to overwrite native system calls.

I'm sorry I couldn't help ya out.

[moore1rj]

Thank you for your assistance.

I appreciate your efforts.