Greetings

Can someone explain what I am suppose to make of the paragraph below?

<<RH seems to think I have somehow installed his E&S programs incorrectly – I didn’t install them… they were already on the windows 7 serverpc which I cloned the disk to a new virtual hard drive in a Hyper-v virtual PC then upgraded to windows 10 then windows 11. I am surmising that during one of these intermediate upgrade processes, windows settings were changed because some of the ways windows stores programs and program data have changed – like junction points and security related to these changes by Microsoft.>>

This is all very bewildering.

Thank you.

Greetings Fernando

<<On a side note, I have just updated today a client machine from Win 10 to 11 and the ElevateDB applications just started normally with no changes or adjustments, and about a month ago I've updated a client from WinXP to Win 11 without problems.>>

Do you have a website?

Richard

Richard,

I do, It's www.easygate.pt, but I believe it's useless for you because it's all in Portuguese and anyway it's just commercial boilerplate, no tech info - and a client private area for my clients to download updates.

--
Fernando Dias
[Team Elevate]

Richard,

I don't know what that exactly means, windows stores programs the same way it used to.
It's just files somewhere, and as long as applications can find them it's always the same. Some default paths might have changed if the OS migrated from 32 to 64 bits, or for some reason the applications were using junctions or links that have changed... can't think of anything else...

--
Fernando Dias
[Team Elevate]

Richard

I tend to agree with Fernando. I don't know what it means either, however, I am getting confused. You posted earlier

<<The client and developer do not understand that hey have a problem. They believe that everything is working fine.>>

What is actually going wrong?

Roy Lambert

Hello Roy

I am not interested in fixing any of their problems.

I do not know what the state of their system is such as what EWB2, EWB3 or EDB services are running.

It is not a concern to them that I cannot compile the EWB2 project on their system that they have been using for a number of years and is essential for their business because "it does not need changing".

There is a development system installed on an ACCOUNTS PC and a production system on the SERVERPC which reside in separate partitions on the one PC. Prior to the upgrade the two PCs were different PCs but as a cost saving measure it was stored on one PC.

It is not a concern to them that the database schema cannot be modified for the same reason.

There is a refusal to use the Elevate Software administrative tools to perform backups and restores and everything else.

I have provided a reduced functionality EDB Database Manager that allows clients to perform database backups, restores and the manipulation of stores which does not appear to be working.

Richard

<<Richard Harding wrote:

Greetings

Can someone explain what I am suppose to make of the paragraph below?

<<RH seems to think I have somehow installed his E&S programs incorrectly – I didn’t install them… they were already on the windows 7 serverpc which I cloned the disk to a new virtual hard drive in a Hyper-v virtual PC then upgraded to windows 10 then windows 11. I am surmising that during one of these intermediate upgrade processes, windows settings were changed because some of the ways windows stores programs and program data have changed – like junction points and security related to these changes by Microsoft.>>

>>



He basically did the following:

1. he cloned the hard drive into a virtual machine (Hyper V in this case) - this is normal way to migrate PC to a virtualized environment. From OS perspective it looks like one took the hard drive and installed it in a new computer

2. once this worked as Windows 7 he did a an in-place upgrade to windows 10

3. then in-place upgrade to windows 11


I'm going to assume that You're not using junction points and such and just have Your software installed on the local folder (C: drive or D: drive or such).

hence the main changes to look out for

1. I assume drive letter stayed same but just in case confirm that old pats are still valid

2. Windows 11 will enforce permissions on "\program files" folders and such so if you are installed there then You might need to change folder permissions to have write access (Win 7 i think did as well)

3. Also confirm any temp paths used by EDB or You are still valid and writable

4. Win 11 is likely enforcing firewall rules so make sure if You're using client server port is accessible

5. Windows 11 is more stringent about running unsigned EXE's - if Your app is unsigned make sure it can run. One can always enable the "run in compatibility mode" as last resort but it should not be needed.

6. Not enough info but ask if PC/IP changed - if You have anything that relies on this (could be default somewhere referring to old PC name or IP like serveraddress or similar) it would need to be updated

7. Finally, the hardware (now virtual) as well as OS (now Win11) changed underneath so if Your app checks for anything like this You need to update. Pretty sure EDB does not care about those.

Raul

Thank you for everyone who has helped me understand what is happening.

I am not interested in fixing the problems at the client site.

The system was upgraded by the new support person without my involvement. I do not have access to the system and I am not involved in any way with the current installation.

I have no intention of having any further involvement with the company.

The consultant's comment below relating to Elevate Software's applications is obviously wrong.

<<I've been involved in many operating system upgrades that have resulted in incompatible software having to be updated or replaced as they simply cannot work with modern software systems... this may simply be one of those cases.>>

I wrote a 30 page document outling an incomplete list of concerns. This document was dismissed by the client and the consultant. Actually it was disparaged.

The consultant does not have a website so it is not possible to get an idea of his background.

When a system is upgraded, I expected the management of the system to remain the same which was the experience of Steve and Fernando when they updated their systems recently. However, the consultant implemented his management methodoloy and password protected access to the system. Since he is a sole trader, access to support depends upon his availability. Being a sole-trader, my support for Elevate Software systems had the same limitation.

The owner of the business stated:
   • It did not matter the EWB2 Stock Database Application could not be updated (compiled) because it did not need changing. It is working perfectly as it is.
   • It did not matter that the database schema could not be changed for the same reason. It working perfectly well as it is.

The consultant manages the system including the Elevate products by "tweaking" registry and INI file settings.

As Fernando shows with his experience with Elevate Software products are certainly capable of supporting critical systems. Bruno Larochelle worked for Environment and Climate Change Canada at Edmonton, Alberta for decades and Walter Matte has developed a comprehesive system for University of British Columbia with over 1000 users in two locations which would not be possible if the Elevate Software was as incompetent as claimed.

A very simple example amongst many.

According to the consultant,

<<The database is also backed up in an image file, which can be restored as part of a full system restore. this is a snapshot of a running system, with all the programs including the database just as it was at the time the snapshot was taken.>>

Repeatedly the company has been informed that a database must be backed up and restored as a single entity. Such a backup is NOT a snapshot of the database.

I also suggested that it is imperative that any backup and restore procedures be tested which has not been considered necessary.

The Elevate DB Manager does not appear to be operational. I also wrote an application unimaginatively called "EDB Backup Manager" which is a simplified and reduced functionality version of the Elevate DB Manaager that allows clients to backup and restore databases and manage stores. This does not appear to be working either. The application also allows quick access to my INI file locations (C:\Users\Public\Documents\Windella Computer Knowhow and C:\ProgramData\Windella Computer Knowhow). The documentation contained within the application gives a reasonable description of the control files required for the implementation of Elevate Database systems so it can be used by any anyone without my involvement.

The consultant manages the system including the Elevate products by "tweaking" registry and INI file settings.

Another comment from the consultant states:

<<RH seems to think I have somehow installed his E&S programs incorrectly – I didn’t install them… they were already on the windows 7 serverpc which I cloned the disk to a new virtual hard drive in a Hyper-v virtual PC then upgraded to windows 10 then windows 11. I am surmising that during one of these intermediate upgrade processes, windows settings were changed because some of the ways windows stores programs and program data have changed – like junction points and security related to these changes by Microsoft.>>

I do not understand why junctions points are in any way related to the installation of the new hardware and Windows Operating System. I doubt if there is any "intermediate upgrade processes" involved in the updating of the hardware or the OS. I have never been involved with junction points.

The business purchased licences for the Elevate software products (Elevate DB, EWB2, EWB3). The original system had 4 PCs. The ACCOUNTS PC had the development system installed and the SERVERPC PC contained the production environment. Both of these PCs had Elevate Servers installed.

As a cost-measure, it was decided to install these PCs on separate partitions on the one PC as "the SERVERPC was acting only as a file server". As well as having the Elevate Software servers installed, it also had a number of Print Servers installed. I am not sure if that was such a good idea.

I doubt if the implications of having a development system on ACCOUNTS and the production system on SERVERPC is understood. Fernando points out in his detailed critique, the steps that should have been considered. I not know if these issues were considered. The consultant did not document the steps he took.

The client does not understand that they have a problem. They believe that as long as the owner can access and update the stock inventory using his EWB2 application then everything is working OK. He cannot run his business without it and is in use from the time he starts work until he leaves in the evening. It has been used constantly since it was implemented some 6 years ago.

All the peripheral administration of the Elevate Software products is irrelevant as far as the company is concerned.

Thank you for everyone who has assisted in helping me understand what has happened at the client's site.

Richard