Lotus Approach 3.02 with WIN 2K problem...

[leoblob]

I'm starting to look at migrating from WIN98SE to WIN 2K. Main concern is compatibility with my legacy programs... in particular, Lotus Approach 3.02.

I've tried to get it to run under WIN 2K, but I'm having the following problem... when I try to open, import, export, or "save as" a file, the dialog box comes up OK, but the space for "Drives" is completely blank... no drive letters are shown... it won't let me save/open etc. The computer is stand-alone (no network).

Only time it comes close to working OK is the VERY FIRST time I open Approach after booting the O/S... in this one situation, when I attempt to open a file, the dialog box DOES show a drive letter, and I can open a file... but I still cannot save it, import, export, or open a second file. If I close Approach and re-start it, once again I don't get any drive letters.

Oddly enough, I can open any file from the "recently used file" list any time. (of course, the only file names that make it here are the ones I opened when I first started Approach in a previous Windows session)

I have a significant amount of time, effort and money invested in the database programming as well as the data itself. Any help/ideas/etc GREATLY appreciated!

Bob

[GomJabbar]

I am not sure if this applies to Windows 2000 or not, but in Windows XP you can right click on the executable program file (usually found in the 'Program Files' directory), chose Properties, then the Compatibility tab, and there you can chose to make the program to run in Compatibility mode.

[leoblob]

I checked, and you're right... no such option in WIN 2K.

As I was comparing Approach on WIN98SE vs. on WIN 2K, I noticed a difference in the "Open file" dialog box which may point to the problem... In WIN 2K, there's a button for "network." In WIN98SE, there's no such button. Do you think Approach is somehow looking for a network drive when run in WIN 2K? I clicked on the network button, and I got a list of all the drive letters from A - Z, with the exception of the drive letters I'm actually using (A, C, D, and H).

Am I on to anything here...??

[GomJabbar]

See the following article for how to enable compatibility mode in Windows 2000. On another Microsoft page I read that this information applies to SP4 as well as SP2 and SP3. The link:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/279792

[GomJabbar]

I ran across this following link as well. You can take it for what it's worth.

http://jabrown.customer.netspace.net.au ... 00005.html

[leoblob]

Thank you for the excellent links! I went onto Microsoft's site and I now have compatability mode enabled. It helped some... I don't need to reboot the computer each time to open the first file--I just close and re-start Approach--but I still can't save, import, export, etc, since there's no drive letter.

I suspect that the answer is reflected in your second link... that Approach 3.02 is simply not likely to work under WIN 2K. I'm going to try a few other things, and if I can get it to work, I will post again.

If there are any other suggestions out there, I would very much appreciate hearing them.

[leoblob]

Last night I loaded Approach 3.02 on my buddy's computer which has XP. Ran perfectly!

I'm going to try a clean install of 2000 on my computer and see if that makes a difference. (I had installed it on top of WIN98SE)

[leoblob]

Problem solved!

The clean install of WIN 2K did the trick. I believe that the problem was, with WIN 2K on top of WIN98SE, that some "old" Windows directories are still there, and some of the Lotus shared files were put into these directories.

With the clean O/S install, those "old" directories aren't there, so when Approach is installed, it has no choice but to put the Lotus shared files in the right directories.... ??

Anyway, it works!