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Microcat on Modern Operating Systems


Retroanaconda

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Okay, so some people have found out recently that unfortunately as technology moves on...some software doesn't. I guess that because the market doesn't require it (most garages are still running XP or earlier), the people who make Microcat don't upgrade the basic under-system that means it won't work on modern operating systems.

Now, I don't know if it's the new operating systems, Vista and 7, that just cause Microcat to not work or not. It may well work on 32-bit versions, but as I upgraded to 64-bit when Vista came out in January 2007 and have been x64 ever since, I've never been able to test that. The solution below will work for either anyhow.

This is how I get around it. First, one has to obtain a copy of Microsoft Virtual XP from here:

Windows Vista

http://www.microsoft...&displaylang=en

Windows 7

http://www.microsoft...09-2545b08e11dd

Now, I tried using the 'Virtual XP Mode' feature of Win 7, but it didn't like Microcat for some reason. I found it easier to just download Virtual PC on it's own, and set up an XP install on it myself. It's also worth noting that I'm installing this on Win 7 64-bit, the process might be slightly different on other platforms. Should be able to follow along though :)

You will need a (preferably legit) copy of Windows XP. Any unused one from an old PC will do, so long as you have the license key. If it's an old copy then it doesn't really matter, you can let it update itself with Windows Update from within the virtual PC if you wish.

Install Virtual PC as per any other program. On Windows 7 at least it counts as a Windows Update.

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Next you need to create a new virtual machine. The default options are fine for what we need, although I upped the RAM to 1,024MB:

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Once you have the virtual machine set up, select it in the Virtual Machines window and click Settings. Select DVD drive on the left. What you choose on the right now option-wise depends on how you will be installing your copy of XP. If you have a physical disc then choose 'access a physical drive' and select your optical drive (usually D:), if you are loading it from an ISO disc image then choose that option and browse to find the ISO file itself. If you don't know what an ISO file is then you probably won't be doing that option! :P

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Now, close the settings window (OK) and then double-click your virtual machine in the Virtual Machines window. It should start 'loading up' as it were, and you should be able to install Windows XP as if you were installing it on a real machine. I can't really provide specific instructions for this bit as everyone's system may differ, but if you have any problems we should be able to help you out if you tell us what's happening.

When it is done you should have a 'new' Windows XP install like this:

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I should take the opportunity to explain to those not in the know what emulation and Virtual PC really is. Basically, it allows you to have a completely self-contained computer system running within your own system, virtually on the CPU without any hardware. It uses some hardware components of your PC, such as the network (which is bridged across by default to allow the virtual machine to access the internet etc.) and input devices (keyboard, mouse) etc, and emulates the rest. This means the graphics and sound processing 'hardware' on the virtual machine is actually just software, so it's not really up to a huge amount of 3D graphics/sound work like games etc. It also means that the speed of the virtual machine is dependant on the speedo of your real machine, the faster your CPU is and the more RAM you have in the real PC, the better the emulation will work. For 'usual' PC use it is fine, and Microcat is well within the limits of the system.

Okay, now you're up and running with Windows, install Microcat as you normally would. If you are installing from a disc (or pair of discs), either genuine or burned from the images I or others have uploaded, then you will hopefully have the virtual PC still set up to just use your CD drive, so just stick in your Microcat CDs and install that way.

If you aren't installing from a CD, and have the ISO images downloaded to your PC, then if you click Tools, and then Settings again, you can select the option to load an ISO image and browse to find the file. When asked for the second disc, just repeat the process for the second CD.

After all this you should have a fully working Microcat system as per the old days. You may need to use the Microlaunch app to get it to work if the version you have is more than 60 days old, but this is covered elsewhere:

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Hope that is of help to some peeps. Any questions, well you know how to reach me, or post it in here and we'll all try and help out.

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Excellent write up James. ;)

I just installed Microcat on Windows 7 x86. The one thing that I did notice even using a current version of Microcat, I still had to use the mg16.dll file to get pass the dongle. Over writing the mg16.dll as per the instructions found on the internet, is all that was needed to get it working on my computer (new install Windows 7 x86).

Wasn't difficult to install, actually it was no different than on Windows XP Pro.

Todd.

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Thanks for this there are loads of guys on here that can give you step for step info on how to fix anything on a Land Rover, software to most of us in still Black Magic, thanks for helping to upgrade essentially what is another tool in the toolchest

K

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Excellent write up James. wink.gif

I just installed Microcat on Windows 7 x86. The one thing that I did notice even using a current version of Microcat, I still had to use the mg16.dll file to get pass the dongle. Over writing the mg16.dll as per the instructions found on the internet, is all that was needed to get it working on my computer (new install Windows 7 x86).

Wasn't difficult to install, actually it was no different than on Windows XP Pro.

Todd.

That's good news. Seems that the problem is the 64-bit side of things then, rather than the later versions of Windows :)

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That's good news. Seems that the problem is the 64-bit side of things then, rather than the later versions of Windows :)

Hi James,

Great stuff thanks for sharing.

However I have just tried the Microlaunch.exe thing on XP and it comes back with Not a Valid Win32 Application.

Do you have any ideas on this one?

Cheers Marc.

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On XP that would suggest either a corrupt download, or a missing DLL/library.

Might be worth checking the distributor/writer of microlaunch (iirc its someone on here that wrote it?) to find out which DLL/librarys it needs, and to ensure you have them all installed?

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Hi James,

Great stuff thanks for sharing.

However I have just tried the Microlaunch.exe thing on XP and it comes back with Not a Valid Win32 Application.

Do you have any ideas on this one?

Cheers Marc.

Microlaunch works if you follow the instructions to the letter. My suggestion is to do a clean install of everything (microcat & launcher) but have the microcatlauncher instructions open at the same time following them step for step. Assuming or missing a step during the install of the launcher will give you the above fault.

Todd.

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Microlaunch works if you follow the instructions to the letter. My suggestion is to do a clean install of everything (microcat & launcher) but have the microcatlauncher instructions open at the same time following them step for step. Assuming or missing a step during the install of the launcher will give you the above fault.

Todd.

OK Cheers,

Marc.

Ah ha, recopied Micro launch, Success.

The first version had no Icon the new version had an "ABC" Icon and worked fine.

Cheers.

Edited by missingsid
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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I'm having a issue with the date.

My laptop keeps reverting back to Nov 09 which wouldn't normally be a programe but swmbo runs an accounting program which runs in line with the date on the laptop.

Also this throws my anti virus software which thinks the date is wrong when i change it to the correct date.

Any ideas?

:huh:

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I'm having a issue with the date.

My laptop keeps reverting back to Nov 09 which wouldn't normally be a problem, but swmbo runs an accounting program which runs in line with the date on the laptop.

Also this throws my anti virus software which thinks the date is wrong when I change it to the correct date.

Any ideas?

In Microlaunch, change the Termination method from the default 'Look for main Microcat window' to 'Time out'. Set the time to 30 seconds, or possibly 60 seconds.

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Careful with VirtualPC - your machine might not be able to run it:

Processor: Intel®, AMD®, VIA® processors capable of hardware-assisted virtualization, with the setting turned on in the BIOS.

Some older systems don't have hardware virtualization, and thus the Virtual PC as posted above won't work. In which case, use this instead: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/support/virtual-pc-2007.aspx

Also, the reason MicroLaunch won't work on 64-bit Vista/Win7 is because they have no 16-bit subsystem and - I'm guessing - perhaps MicroLaunch is a 16-bit app. In which case, you must go the virtualization route with a copy of XP.

And of course, VirtualBox is an excellent alternative :)

edit: if you're wondering if your chip has hardware virtualization support, use this wee tool: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/support/configure-bios.aspx

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As long as you bought Professional or Ultimate Windows 7 it's very unlikely you'll have any compatability issues with anything as they come with all the virtual XP yadda yadda and compatability modes. As stated above, the right click and choose compatability sutff...

And there's no reason why 32-bit can't run on 64-bit, its just the other way round that don't work. Windows 7 64 bit installs 32 bit progs and 64 bit progs in seperate palces and runs them accordingly..

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

I have a genuine licensed June 2010 version of Microcat along with the dongle and I still cant get the bloody thing to work.

I have had to install VMWare on a windows 7 machine to run XP SP3, which took hours of messing around, because the Toshiba laptop (which is new) wont support the emulation mode or run Virtual PC because the processor is incompatible. Even then it will still only start 50% of the time and that is only if I have one of the CD's in the drive and the dongle plugged in. Bloody ridiculous bit of kit!

I'm going to have to find a working 'cracked' copy to get this to work - how daft is that?

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  • 4 months later...

For a screen dump, just use Irfanview installed in the host operating system, not the virtual machine, then crop to suit, which you would probably do anyways.

As for printing, do you have a printer installed on the virtual PC? If  not you should be able to share the printer from your host PC and then connect to it by browsing the 'Network' in the virtual PC....

Simples..... init?

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