MLS 2.9 Vista Compatibility

[aebrown]

Please note that MLS should be used at a home computer for training purposes only. Ward and Stake computers are not on Vista yet, so most clerks would not need to make MLS Vista compatible.

If you read the whole thread, you will note that we are only talking about MLS with the test data, which is indeed permitted.

Also, although I would indeed love to get MLS 2.9 working under Vista, my larger point was that MLS seems to be moving away from, not towards platform-independence.

[aebrown]

Having installed MLS on a Vista machine before, I have noticed that MLS's directory structure and databases are not installed very effectively for Vista. Essentially, if MLS is installed on Vista, each user account on the machine would have their own copy of the database, which could cause major problems if any syncing of the database were done with Church Headquarters. Also, it is unknown how well the Afaria client (used for that communication) would actually work with Windows Vista. I suspect that Vista operation has been disabled temporarily while these logistical issues are dealt with, but, given the speed with which Microsoft is phasing out Windows XP, I would expect to see them dealt with in a near future version of MLS.

Thanks for the post, but note that I am only talking about the test data. Thus the Afaria client is not ever invoked, since there is no actual communication, and thus there is no syncing of the database, for the same reason.

And although I appreciate the attempts to help, remember that MLS 2.8.3 and several earlier versions worked fine under Vista, so whatever changed to make it not work is not related to MLS storing data under Program Files. It must be something new to MLS 2.9.

[russellhltn]

Ward and Stake computers are not on Vista yet, so most clerks would not need to make MLS Vista compatible.

That's true as shipped. However they are currently shipping with a license and the disks to go to Vista.

As of now, after January 31, 2009, Dell won't be able to ship with XP on the hard drive. At that point the clerk is going to have to either reformat the machine or get MLS to run in Vista.

[rpyne]

That's true as shipped. However they are currently shipping with a license and the disks to go to Vista.

As of now, after January 31, 2009, Dell won't be able to ship with XP on the hard drive. At that point the clerk is going to have to either reformat the machine or get MLS to run in Vista.

This makes a good argument for holding on to the Desktop 5.5 CDs.

[russellhltn]

This makes a good argument for holding on to the Desktop 5.5 CDs.

Indeed! I was glad I was able to find my set. I hear they are not distributing them anymore. That's got to hurt a new STS that didn't everything from the prior one.

I had a closer look at the CD set and noticed that they appear to be stamped rather then burned. Perhaps they only had a limited run and are now "out of stock".

[aebrown]

Another new undocumented feature of MLS 2.9: It refuses to run under Vista. If you try to run it under Vista, it displays a dialog box saying that it requires Windows XP.

Okay, that's easily fixed, I think. I just create a shortcut for MLS that runs MLS in Compatibility Mode for Windows XP (SP2). Nice try, but no such luck. It runs, sort of, but it won't do any backup, restore, or import procedures. Trying to do any of those gives a wonderfully helpful error message that says (in its entirety): "An error has occurred." If you ever touch any financial info in the test data you are required to make a backup, so this makes MLS useless.

A happy little update : I persisted in my attempts to make MLS 2.9 run under Vista, and my persistence was rewarded.

I initially tried Compatibility Mode for Windows XP (SP2), which didn't work as I described above. But then on a whim I decided to try Compatibility Mode for Windows 2000. Eureka! For some reason, MLS 2.9 works just fine with the test data on my home machine as long as I am in Windows 2000 Compatibility Mode.

So although I still think it would be wise for the MLS developers to eventually make sure that MLS runs under Vista without requiring a special Compatibility Mode, this gives us a way to operate a test installation under Vista until MLS is fully compatible.

[Mikerowaved]

Nice find Alan. I'll be testing it under Vista in the coming weeks also. This will help a lot.

[dwterry-p40]

Operationally, nothing has changed in MLS 2.9 as far as Vista compatibility is concerned.

The problems associated with backing up and restoring the MLS database are severe enough that the OS-check was put into MLS 2.9 to prevent its use under Vista until such time as true Vista compatibility can be ensured. That day will come. It just won't be in version 2.9.

[aebrown]

Operationally, nothing has changed in MLS 2.9 as far as Vista compatibility is concerned.

The problems associated with backing up and restoring the MLS database are severe enough that the OS-check was put into MLS 2.9 to prevent its use under Vista until such time as true Vista compatibility can be ensured. That day will come. It just won't be in version 2.9.

Hmm. That doesn't fit my experience. I ran MLS 2.8.3 just fine for a couple of months under Vista, at least making backups. I never had any cause to restore a backup of test unit data. But as soon as I moved to 2.9 under Vista, I couldn't get it to make any backups, until I discovered the Windows 2000 Compatibility Mode workaround.

So there may not have been any intentional change (aside from the OS check), but something did change in MLS 2.9 that caused MLS to cease working in native Vista mode (at least for me). But with the Compatability Mode fix, I am happy for now. I only mention this in case someone is assuming that your first statement is true in all cases.

[dwterry-p40]

The problem is the location of MLS's database within the Program Files structure. Vista doesn't allow that and it creates problems for MLS. That location has not changed (either before or after the OS-check flag was added). It's still a problem. And that's why I say that operationally nothing has changed in MLS to affect Vista compatibility. All that was added as an OS-check to prevent unwary users from getting into a situation that will be difficult to fix.