Developing with FM10 under WIN7.

[Oldfogey]

Does anyone know if there is a problem using FM10 Advanced to develop solutions while runnning WIN 7?

I've been retired for a few years and supported one (ex)-customer using WIN 7 with no problems making minor mods. 

 

Recently, I got a request from my son to write a fairly trivial DB for his business.  I've had funny glitches like a double-click on a button not letting me edit the button's text;  closed the DB and re-opened it - no worries!  Today I nearly went insane trying to get 'Constrain Found Set' to behave!  On top of that, my memory isn't what it used to be, so when things do not behave as I think they should, I wonder is it me or the FMP/WIN7 combination or all three.  Any clues?

 

(To answer the obvious question, I cannot justify an upgrade to V12, especially as I'd have to pay full price.)

[OlgerDiekstra]

You could use Windows 7's compatibility mode for FM10. Right click on the executable, select properties and then Compatibility tab. You can force Windows 7 to present a Windows XP environment to FM that way. That would eliminate any FM10/Win7 issues.

[Oldfogey]

Thanks for the suggestion, Olger.  Does that mean you know that there is a problem?  If so, my son would almost certainly have trouble with a runtime solution!

[OlgerDiekstra]

Hi Paul,

No idea if there is a problem. I have only ever worked with FM13 (OK, so I did tinker a bit with FM12 but then FM13 came out and I upgraded everyone here and haven't had to look back).

I only suggested to use compatibility mode because it's possible FM10 might not work entirely right on Windows 7 as it wasn't developed for Windows 7 (there probably was no Windows 7 yet when FM10 was released).

I am by no means as skilled in FM as others like Comment, Wim, Lee etc on this forum. But like many others, I ask what I need to know and learn. I read other posts and try to contribute with what I do know.

I've got plenty of experience using Windows though. MS developed compatibility mode to ensure applications that are not running so well in Windwos 7 natively, can run as if running on older Windows versions.

 

I would suggest (if compatibility mode works for you) that your son also use comp mode if he runs Windows 7. 

[LaRetta]

Hi Paul, nice to see you around again!!

 

You might wish to research Knowledge Base for issues specific to FM10 and Win7.  This can get you started to know the issues you might encounter:

 

http://help.filemaker.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/7454/kw/Windows%207

 

But for specific oddities, you might ask directly of FMI here:  http://forums.filemaker.com/hives/1eea103f05/summary

 

Many times they can reference a post about that incompatibility or make suggestions on other approaches.  And if you give us a specific example, we can tell you how it should work for you ... then you'll know whether it is a bug or a 'memory refresh' issue.  I have those too.  :-)

[brian rich]

FWIW, I have an FMP10 database which manages a Club directory which I am presently running and maintaining on Win 8.1 as a single user solution - it started out on a Mac 6 years ago and has been through Win XP, Win 7 and Win 8 largely unscathed. I also have a stripped down version of this database which I distribute as a run-time version to a number of editors who use it on various flavours of Windows (Win XP, 7 and 8). This allows them to collate and update data which is then exported to update the data in my main FMP10 database. Everything appears to work as you would expect, and I have just 'published' the latest 72 page directory successfully last month from this database.

I've not experienced any issues (such as those you mention) with this database. I assume that you have checked the integrity of the database using the recover option?

if the database is fairly trivial as you say, then I think you can proceed with a reasonable degree of confidence as long as nothing changes. However operating systems have a habit of getting updates applied, so I would not look on FMP10 as a long-term solution. As it happens, in my case the FMP10 database will get deprecated this year because I'm handing over the directory publishing to someone else who wants to do it differently, so long life is not an issue.

HTH

Brian