by Kellemora » 19 Sep 2014, 14:34
Hi Yogi
I have an OLD, and I mean OLD, program that holds my families genealogy files.
I have over 120,000 individuals in this program, all linked together where they belong, along with much data about them, as you would find in a genealogy program.
It is Family Tree Maker! I started with the original DOS version and upgraded to 3.11 and later to XP.
This is the problem. I have not upgraded the program since XP, and their newer versions, even if I bought one, cannot read the original updated files started on DOS, upgraded to 3.11, then upgraded to XP.
The original files were FTM. The upgraded files are all second generation FTW now.
I installed Windows XP from an original install disk on the Dell OptiPlex745 I just bought used. But do not have any drivers yet to connect to the internet, provide sound, and am using generic VGA graphics driver.
I was thinking of just cloning a working copy of Windows XP with all the drivers and upgrades intact, then adding the necessary drivers. Even so, it will not run on the brand new machine I have back in the shop for a different motherboard.
The other problem: ALL of my OLD accounting records are in QuickBooksPro for XP, never upgraded.
Or should I say, I've upgraded QuickBooks Pro a few times, but all of my older records which are archived cannot be read on the new version either. This is why I always kept an old computer with XP not connected to the internet, and not upgraded. Everything on it worked just fine without doing so. So I left it alone.
Using these old IDE drives, I've never had a problem pulling one off the shelf and booting it in a newer computer. Trouble is, ALL of the computers I could do this with were fried by the lightning.
Since XP did install on the Dell, as I have time, I will try to get new drivers, however, now it need registered within 30 days, and all the upgrades downloaded before they expire in April.
I figured it would be easier just to clone an existing copy over to the new hard drive, and not go through all that.
I've already partitioned, added XP First on SBA1 where it likes to reside, then installed three Linux Distro's to try out. Debian worked great, as expected, Linux Mint installed and the tools work as expected. Ubuntu 14.4 is installed, then changed to flashback mode, installed Synaptic Package Manager since it was not a part of the new OS, added my two panels, but cannot find any way to add things to the desktop, like computer icon, network icon, I already have Trash on the lower Panel where I like it, but cannot find a way to put it on the desktop either. Not that I want it, but I thought if I could figure out how to do that, I could do the other things I want there too. Not that I will be using Ubuntu, I just thought I would give it a fair chance again. But it is so bad, and I've lost way to many valuable hours trying to figure it out, I think I'll just delete it. It's gone steadily downhill since version 8.04...
By the way, the Dell OptiPlex 745 does not have PS2 ports or IDE slots, which was surprising for such an old machine. I've been to several stores trying to find PS2 female to USB adapters. Nobody has them! I have dozens of USB to PS2 male adapters, because they come free with keyboards and meeces.
ALL of my KVM switches use PS2 for the keyboard and mouse connectors. So I need PS2 female to USB adapters to use them. Guess I'll check Tiger Direct and a few on-line places for them. Even Radio Shack does not stock anything over two years old. Funny though, this is the first time I've ever encountered a computer without PS2 connectors built in.
I did pick up a 2-port KVM switch with USB on the output side and PS2 on the input side, since I have enough of those adapters to make it work. One other thing. A serial port mouse adapter does not work on the Dell either. I checked it on my other computers, PS2 to Serial port and it works fine with that old mouse. Strange. My new thumball meeces all have USB connectors, so I'm OK there.
OK, don't want to waste any more of your time. Just trying to get away from installing Windows XP, although I already have. It doesn't have a simple /home file I can copy from another computer and save all the Registry stuff, hi hi... Linux is so much easier. Install, copy /home and hit update/upgrade, and you're good to go.
TTUL
Gary