Runtime Solution to CD-ROM !?!?!?!?!?!!?!!??!?!

[Sofia]

Hi- I am in desperate need of some help. I have a database that needs to be burned onto a CD and distributed to a variety of schools. How can I do this right. I followed the directions in the manual but for some reason many of the schools cannot open the runtime solution. There should be a third icon (there was when we did this last year) but it doesn't seem to be one and I have a feeling that this icon is what is holding the schools back- as they can open the CD on computers that had the program in 2001-2002. Any help would be great. I am supposed to figure this out soon. [color:"black"]

[DykstrL]

You have not provided enough information to figure out the problem.

What Platform?

Are you using a different version of Developer/FileMaker?

Are you using the same binding key?

Are you changing the file extension?

Does the data in the old files need to be preserved?

Are you running an install such as Winzip or StuffIt?

Just off the top, I can think of several things:

The 'icon' you are talking about sounds like it is a shortcut or alias pointing to the original runtime. You would need to create and include a new shortcut/alias pointing to the new runtime.

If you are using the same file extension, on Windows, that file extension is still registered with the old runtime executable. For both platforms, once the files are copied/installed onto the local machine, the runtime executable needs to be run to register the file type to that runtime solution.

The easiest way to update a runtime solution is to use the same binding version, use the same binding key, file extension, file names, and folder structure. Then provide instructions to the user to copy the files from the CD to the same folder(s), replacing the old files - that is If you do not need to preserve the data in the old files - that gets more complicated.

If you are working with both Windows and Macs, you must run the binder on both platforms and include all of the additional files created during the binding process. I would also recommend making a separate install/copy folders for both platforms.

If you are using a different version of Developer from the last one, I recommend using a different file extension for the new solution.

Good luck

[Sofia]

Let me start by saying I am not very quick about this..... duh.

I am trying to create these CDs on a Mac OS 9.1

I am using 5.5 for both. I have been using the Developer Tool to make my runtime solutions.

The binding key is the one that is given by FM. I don't change it, and didn't from last years.

In terms of the file extension- I am definitely not sure what this would refer to (see above note).

The data in the old files does not need to be preserved. It is outdated, and these new disks contain the updated info.

With WinZip or StuffIt, I think Winzip- that is how one contact "unstuffed" the program. But then couldn't open it.

Again, some of my contacts have been able to open it on computers which didn't have the program last year and others have not.

Thank you so much for your help, you don't know how much I appreciate this!

-Sofia

[Ocean West]

Sofia

For your cross platform solution you need to do the following.

On the Mac

Gather your files and bind them using the key you wish, designate a 3 character extension. This will replace the ".fp5" to what you want.

On the PC (or Virtual PC)

On a zip or removeable media bring over the original FileMaker Files.

Gather the orignal files you had and bind them using the PC version of the Developer tool. Again using the key and extension you wish to use.

Using Winzip compress the new solution. Put your files on a zip or some removable media that you can take back to the Mac. (Or via Network/Shared Folder)

Back on the Mac

Take the Mac Version of the Solution and Stuffit Using Stuffit

Find the zipped PC Version of your solution.

Create a Folder for MAC and PC and place the files accordingly

Using "TOAST" create an ISO9660 CD, You might instruct your users to copy the file to the local desktop before uncompressing the files.

I hope this helps.

[Libby]

Hi I have a problem similar to this: my solutions on a cd open as read only files when copied to the C: drive of the users computer. This happens if the computer has windows 98 but not if it has XP. So how do I avoid making the user deselect the read only in properties for 98?

Answering your cd dilemma there are two additional windows files that must be present on the users system apart form the dlls your solution creates :Shfolder.dll and Comctl32.dll. These are automatically installed in Windows NT service pack 3 or Internet Explorer 3

[alcam]

The only way I got round the "Read Only" properties problem in Win 98 (following excellent advice from this forum) was to use Stuffit to make a self-extracting archive of my entire solution folder. Launching this from the CD forces the user to unstuff the folder to their hard drive (anywhere they choose). The result is that the properties of all files within the folder are intact (i.e. NOT Read Only).

On the Mac side, it's amazing how many people try to run the solution directly from the CD, completely ignoring instructions telling them not to. So it's probably advisable to use Stuffit for the Mac as well, thereby forcing users to copy the files to their hard drive before they can use the solution.

[danjacoby]

1) Solutions created on a Mac will not run on Windows, and vice versa. For a solution to run on Windows, it must be created in Windows.

2) Anything copied to CD and downloaded to Windows will be read-only. You have to do one of two things. Either go into the properties for every file (after downloading) and uncheck the read-only box, or use some sort of installer before burning the CD.

3) When distributing the solution, there are a lot of other files that need to be in the folder along with the solution; consult the manual for details.

[fabravo]

I want to create a PC version of my runtime. I have the Mac developer... how do I get the PC tool? Do I need to buy the whole thing?

[cjaeger]

I want to create a PC version of my runtime. I have the Mac developer... how do I get the PC tool? Do I need to buy the whole thing?

Simply insert the developer install CD in a PC!

[Fitch]

As mentioned above, you can also use Virtual PC on a Mac. I.e., you install VPC, then you install the PC version of FMDev (it comes on the same CD, but you won't see it on a Mac). Then you copy your master files over to VPC and bind them with the PC developer tool.

[Terrible Toll]

I have built an application that I wish to distribute on CD. I have saved the runtime files in PC and Mac format, but I would like to tuck all the files away in a folder and have the programs triggered from a Mac Alias or a PC ShortCut. This all works fine on the CD disk image before burning, but after you burn the disk, the aliases for both the Mac and the PC are both looking for the files on my hard disk, rather than the CD.

Does anyone know if there is a simple way of making a Mac alias and a PC shortcut to be addressed relatively, so that they are unaffected by being moved around from disk to disk?

may thanks

Anatole