32-bit Application compatibility Issues resulting from macOS updates
Issues have started to appear using existing and older software applications on Apple Macintosh computers with the transition from 32-bit to 64-bit operating systems, commencing with macOS High Sierra 10.13.4, and it’s set to get a whole lot worse!
Current Difficulties
Noticeable problems with applications have surfaced with the update to macOS Mojave.
Strange and unwanted things have crept in. For example:
opening a new Finder window causes a new tab to open instead. It’s like the wrong option has been selected – now opening a tab or a window are incorrectly identical. If you want a new Finder window, you need to then select ‘move this tab to a new window’. So suddenly this is a two-stage process
Trying to print from Microsoft Word causes the application to ‘crash’. The work-around for this is its still possible to print by using the toolbar button, instead of selecting ‘print’ from the drop-down menu. But then this doesn’t allow for changing print settings etc.
Promise of worse compatibility problems
This is just the ‘tip of the iceberg’. A whole range of software applications which currently run happily on the Apple Mac are set to become unusable in the next update to macOS. We’re talking about mainstream applications such as Microsoft Office as well as ‘niche’ applications that you may utilise. This appears to represent the biggest shift in software compatibility since the change from Mac ‘Classic’ (OS 9 and before) to Mac OSX, more than 10 years ago.
The official Apple advice is to ‘contact the application developer’. For the average user, that’s unlikely to achieve anything, particularly for mature applications that perhaps are no longer available or don’t have ongoing development. With something like Microsoft Word, then it should be possible to obtain the latest version, but naturally that will require a new purchase and/or an annual subscription.
Maintenance Decisions
The standard maintenance advice for computers is to upgrade to the latest available version of operating software; that way, security patches are up-to-date, keeping the system secure, with new functionality as well as bug fixes provided, and support for the latest applications.
On this occasion however, it is worth taking a long considered look at the benefits of upgrading verses sticking with your current macOS release. If you haven’t yet moved to macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 or macOS Mojave 10.14 then you may wish to stay where you are for now, particularly if you’re happy with your current applications and functionality, such as Microsoft Word 2008. If you’re contemplating upgrading, either because you ‘must’ for security purposes or need to support a new generation application, then it will be worth taking the time now to review all of your existing software and work out what the upgrade path will be, or find out what the alternatives you could migrate to e.g. Apple’s ‘Pages’ to replace Microsoft Word, etc.
In such circumstances of uncertain application support, backups are as always essential; ideally you should be in a position to ‘roll-back’, dual-boot and/or run virtual machines to maintain previous applications and functionality.
Consideration should also be given to maintaining a dedicated computer at the existing macOS version, and over time, migrating day-to-day applications (where they can be) to a new computer, keeping the old machine for ‘legacy support’.
Further Assistance
Take a look at the full Apple announcement about the transition to 64-bit technology and how it affects 32-bit apps.
@YellowsBestLtd satisfies new and ‘legacy’ requirements for the maintenance of systems and networks by providing services, such as technical assistance and hardware repairs, and solutions, including the supply of spare part items and software support.
We would be keen to hear from you regarding your operational needs, please get in touch.
The UMUX platform provides carrier-grade reliable multi-service multiplexing and aggregation functions over copper and fibre networks. A variety of voice (POTS, FSX, FSO, ISDN) and data (e.g. G.703, V.11, V,24, V,35) interfaces, SHDSL and Ethernet (including PoE+ and EoS) services are available.
The modular and flexible housing provided by the UMUX 1500 (8U, 21-slot) and UMUX 1200 (4U, 8-slot) 19” subracks provide the perfect solution for all applications and locations, offering redundant controller and power supplies.
‘Legacy’ telecoms history
The UMUX SDH product portfolio was originally launched 1991 by Ascom, which subsequently became Keymile.
In 2003, by when 70,000 units had been deployed worldwide, the ‘enhanced’ UMUX multiservice access platform was introduced, offering the delivery of ATM, TDM and IP based services from the same platform, with support for IP/Ethernet, ADSL, VoDSL and G.SHDL.
Keymile was sold to ABB in 2017 when the UMUX range was discontinued, and then was acquired in 2019 by DZS.
Continuing to provide operational service
The UMUX, together with the UNEM network management system and ‘sister’ LINERUNNER and MILEGATE products, continues to provide operational service with various global Operator, Utilities and Transport companies.
@YellowsBestLtd supports requirements to maintain these networks by supplying various spare part items from refurbished and surplus stocks in perfect working order.
There follows a list of the main elements that are typically provided, though other items can be provided. Please let us know of any specific requirements you may have. We look forward to being of assistance.
As a result of a PC replacement and upgrade project for Action for Asperger’s, we were presented with a seemingly serviceable Dell Optiplex 755 machine but suffering from a critical failure on power-up, meaning that the computer was unable to boot into windows, preventing use and severely limiting the diagnostics and configuration options.
PC restart
The first step following a reboot was an automatic ‘startup repair’, however, this didn’t result in a fix:
Startup Repair
Rebooting again and selecting F2 during the initial boot-up screen:
Boot Up
enabled a look at the system information, which indicated that the PC hardware was fine.
System infoProcessor infoMemory info
As an extra measure, the internals of the computer were briefly examined, ‘reseating’ components including the video board, memory chips and hard disk and then the system test run to verify all was well.
InternalTest
It was concluded therefore that the PC hardware was not the cause of the difficulties, and that the Windows installation was severely compromised.
From the bootup, troubleshooting was selected
Choose an option
From the ‘advanced options’, the Command Prompt was accessed.
Advanced options
Using these commands:
DISKPART
SEL DISK 0
LIST VOL
It was possible to view and confirm the drives and their assigned letters.
Diskpart
Extra information was provided using this command:
wmic logicaldisk list brief
Progress was further hampered by the internal DVD/CD drive not being recognised on boot-up, in its place an external DVD drive was connected.
Rebooting and pressing F12 on power up enabled the adjustment of the Boot priority, selecting the DVD drive first.
A copy of the Boot Repair Tool by yannubuntu was next downloaded and a boot-repair-disk created
This was run from boot and gave encouraging results:
Boot Repair Disk
Alas, these steps hadn’t cured the problems, now a further critical error message was displayed:
Recovery
Consequently, using the Microsoft USB/DVD Download Tool, a Windows 10 install disk was created (confusingly the site specifies Windows 7, but it works fine for Windows 10)
This was booted and the appropriate selections made for a fresh installation of Windows 10:
Windows Setup Windows Install nowWindows type of installationWindows operating system selectionActivate WindowsApplicable notices and licence termsPartition choice
At this point, it was found necessary to delete the old windows partition, extend a different partition and create a new partition in order to be able to commence the windows installation.
Partition selection
It did however then allow the installation of Windows onto the other partition, meaning that two bootable volumes were created. Might be useful for future upgrades or troubleshooting.
Choose OS
Just the straightforward matter left of completing the user configuration of the operating system ready for use.
Choose region
All done, pleasing to conclude that the critical issues with this PC could be resolved through software corrections alone!
@YellowsBestLtd provides professional Management Services for Business Development activities and Enterprise Support of Infrastructure. We source Solutions for Sustainable Systems maintenance, equipment Technologies and telecoms and other Products to enhance operations.
We’re always keen provide whatever is needed, so please let us know anything you require.
Together with our broad range of new and ‘legacy’ equipment Technologies, we have now launched a portfolio of telecoms Products, enabling Customers to do more whilst reaping cost-benefits.
Below is listed the Market Sectors of our Customers, together with the equipment Technologies and telecoms Products we can supply.
We’re always keen to expand our portfolio, so please let us know anything you require as we can usually provide whatever is needed.
Market Sectors
Maintenance Companies
Private Networks & SMEs
Public Safety (Police, Fire, Ambulance)
Systems Integrators
Telecoms (Carriers, Operators)
Transport (Rail, Metros, Underground, Highways, Aerospace)
@YellowsBestLtd we would like to thank our Customers for your enquiries and orders throughout this year, as well as our Suppliers for your support.
We’re pleased to have been of assistance providing services and solutions. Now into our fourth year of trading, we appreciate your continued interest and support, and look forward to continuing our business relationship in the New Year ahead.
The Nokia ‘Dynanet’ family of PDH Transmission telecoms products has served customers well for the last 20+ years, and indeed some networks continue providing good operational service.
Dynanet Subtrack
@YellowsBestLtd has supported requirements to maintain these networks by supplying various spare part items from refurbished and surplus stocks in perfectly working order.
However, demand has recently reduced and warehouse space is needed, so now the time has come to recycle / dispose of a large proportion of the remaining equipment. Consequently, there remains a short-term opportunity to obtain any items still required to maintain existing deployed infrastructure, before the products are gone.
Here is a stock list of the main items currently available, though there may be a few additional parts that can be supplied. Hence, please check and if you do have any requirements, please let us know – before it’s too late! We look forward to hearing from you.
Part Number
Description
24204
TPSO H/W Module
CC 24002
DB2 Branching Unit, B2 2×2 Mb/s 75 ohm
CC 24011
DB2 2 Mb/s Switching Unit, X2 75 ohm
CC 24101
DN2 Interface Unit (IU2) 2×2 Mb/s 75 ohm
CC 24111
DN2 Control Unit (CU) 75 ohm
CF 24186
DN2 19″ Subrack
CF 24186.09
DN2 Subrack 19″, grey-L91 EMC
CG 24170
DN2 Bus Power Unit (BPU)
CG 24171
Extended DN2 Bus Power Unit (EBPU)
CU 24013
Data Interface Unit (DIU) 2M, nx64k: G.703/704, 75 ohm
T30506.09
17-slot DYNANET Subrack
T30851.02
Subrack Power Adapter (SPA)
T37870.01
NDM ACM2 19in 17-slot subrack
T37871.01
NDM DN2 19″ 17-Slot Subrack
T37882.01
NDM DC Unit (NDUe)
T37882.02
NDM DC Unit (NDUe)
T37885.01
NDM Ring Generator
T37889.01
NDM Backup Unit (NBU)
T65520.01
ACL2 RM DC Power Gen
T65580.01
ACL2i PF GEN Line Terminal Card
TA 21513
Optical Line Terminal Repeater 2-8 M, 1300 nm LED MM/SM
TA 21516
Optical Line Terminal Repeater 2-8 M, 1300 nm LASER SM
TC 21101
DM34 Mux Card
TC 21301
DM8 Multiplex Equipment, 75 ohm
TC 21705
Supervisory Substation
TC 21710.01
TMS Adapter
TG 21261
Ring Generator 25HZ 15W
TU 21122.5
Data Interface Unit (DIU) 48..64k V.11 10ch
TU 21124
Data Interface Unit (DIU) NX64k V.11/V.35/X.21 2CH
@YellowsBestLtd has now reached the significant milestone of completing three years of trading; something often useful to be able to state when qualifying for opportunities and registering with business customers.
Our aim continues to be “Keeping Customers Operational”; understanding requirements and fulfilling them by providing a range of management services and solutions, including:
consultancy, such as business development planning
technical support, e.g. day-rate engineering, NMS assistance
systems supply, including legacy IT servers / workstations
spares for infrastructure, in particular telecoms and CCTV cameras
repairs at module and component level, e.g. LED displayboards
value recovery through reverse logistics, resale and recycling
As we move forward in year four, we’d very much like to discover what else to provide to our existing Customers, as well as what would be of interest to potential clients. We’re always keen to enhance our range of #business services, increase the #enterprise infrastructure we support and expand our mix of #sustainable solutions we offer for supply and maintenance of new and legacy #technologies and products.
Please get in touch to discuss your challenges; whether you’re implementing new systems or maintaining existing infrastructure to serve your operational business needs. We look forward to hearing from you.
The aim of this ‘off-grid’ solar energy project was to build a charger for an eBike so that its battery could be charged (when not in use) from power collected from the sun via a ‘fixed’ off-grid installation, rather than relying on mains energy. This can also be used for other battery charging and small backup supply purposes.
Four main elements were put together to create the solar charging ‘system’:
Solar Panel
This fundamental part performs the key task of converting sunlight into electrical energy. There is a wide range of panel types to choose between. Firstly, sizes include the very small, through 50W, 60W, 80W and up to 100W. Thereafter, systems are typically built from connecting multiple panels together.
50W Mono Flexi Solar Panel
Then, there are four main types of solar array:
a) Poly Crystalline – cheaper to manufacture, sensitive to high temperature, less efficient with a shorter lifespan
b) Mono Crystalline – more expensive, more efficient, with a longer lifespanc)
c) Thin-Film Amorphous (A-Si) – flexible, lower cost – easier to produce, shorter lifespan, lower power
d) Concentrated PV Cell (CVP) – very high performance, solar tracking and cooling required, very expensive.
Finally, there is the choice of construction type:
i) Rigid – cheapest and most solid, heavy and longest lasting
ii) Flexible – PET – light-weight and bendy, ideal for vehicles and temporary installations
iii) Flexible – ETFE – longer lasting, marine grade, can be walked on.
For this project, the aim was to use something lightweight that could be easily attached to an existing small building structure by means of the re-enforced ringlets in its corners (not all panels have these, so choosing had to be careful), rather than a permanent roof-top installation, and so the Flexible PET type was indicated.
After some consideration of likely ‘sun-hours’ – estimates tend to indicate an average of 2-3, depending on the season and weather – and also cost, a 50W 12V Mono Crystalline Flexible PET panel was selected. This size could prove to be an under-estimation for the task, but this can be supplemented later as necessary since its possible to join panels in parallel to increase current (or series, to increase voltage). That will require ‘T’ or ‘Y’ joining pieces for the MC-4 solar cable connectors, and potentially in-line fuses to protect separate ‘strings’ of connected panels (on their own they don’t need the fuses since their short-circuit current rating is sufficient).
If a panel becomes partly shaded, its whole output diminishes. Hence the advantage of having separate panels is that they may contribute more energy individually that using one large single panel. Another aspect is that it is likely that the cost of solar panels will reduce over time, and so adding to the system over time makes sense, rather than trying to ‘future proof’ the power requirement.
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Charge Controller
The task performed by this element is to ‘condition’ the output of the solar capture, converting an unregulated supply of around 18V (for a single panel) to a more stable 12V, the energy from which can be directly used or stored in the battery. The use of a controller avoids the risk of over-charging of the battery or issues with varying power, and will shut off its output to the loads when the supply is diminished and the battery is discharged. There are many models, which vary in power rating and functionality, some with simple LED displays and others showing a range of information, and may include sense terminals for long cable runs, temperature measurement for adjustment due to the weather and equalisation functionality for spreading charge across multi-battery systems.
PWM Charge Controller
The controllers fall into two main types:
a) PWM – Pulse Width Modulation
b) MPPT – Maximum Power Point Tracking
The latter of these is much more efficient, likely to convert more of the captured solar energy into stored power. However, these tend to be at least 3 times more expensive, often much more.
A modestly–priced (reasonably-functioned) PWM unit was selected for this system, with a 20A rating (more than enough for the initial project requirements). The reasoning for this product selection is this: with a small system, should the captured energy be not enough, then purchasing additional panel(s) to increased the wattage is more cost-effective in terms of energy produced, compared with the gain from the more efficient controller. It only becomes worth purchasing the MPPT version when much more energy is being generated (and therefore ’lost’ with a less efficient charge controller).The controller model selected is capable of both 12V and 24V operation, which allows for the increase the voltage rating of the system if desired in the future.
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Battery
The traditional choice for this type of storage application is the ‘Lead-Acid Cell’, though it needs to be of a Deep-Cycle ‘Leisure’ variety, which is intended to be frequently discharged and recharged, rather than the ‘starting’ classification which is used in a vehicle for short-bursts of energy to get a motor running, after which its mainly in stand-by and therefore expected to be 100% charged most of the time.
AGM Battery
Apart from this distinction, there are two main types of product:
a) ‘Flooded’ Wet-Cell or Valve Regulated Lead-Acid (VRLA)
b) Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) or Gelled Electrolyte (Gel)
Of these, the Wet-Cell traditionally required periodic ‘maintenance’, topping up with fluid, though VRLA sealed versions are now available, and tend to ‘vent’ gas and can’t be tipped over due to the fluid inside. The AGM and Gel types however are available maintenance-free, don’t ‘vent’ gases and don’t have fluid that can spill out.
The AGM-type was selected for this project as, whilst being a bit more expensive, offered the convenience of a product shouldn’t require special attention; these are less sensitive to over-charging and can stand for 30 days totally discharged without harm.
There are a number of measurements of the capacity and capability of batteries:
Reserve Capacity (RC) is how long the battery can deliver a constant current of 25A at 80F
AmpHour (AH / C20) represents how much charge is stored. It is the energy delivered continuously in 20 hours at 80F without falling below 10.5V
Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) is a measure of the ability to start an engine cold. It is the number of Amps delivered at 0F for 30sec by a 12V battery whilst maintaining at least 7.2 Volts
A capacity of 110AmH was chosen for this project. Whilst ‘the more the merrier’ in terms of storage is certainly the case, this capacity should be sufficient for the basic storage needs. It is advisable however to allow for discharge of only 50% of the stated rating, whilst also bearing in mind the possibility of a few days without sun.
It is possible to add batteries in Parallel to create more storage, or in Series to increase the voltage of the system. For a modest system set-up, 12V is sufficient and convenient for the purpose. Adding another battery to double the system voltage to 24V would have a side-benefit of requiring lower gauge of wiring.
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Inverter
In order to convert the 12V DC power generated from the Solar Panel and stored in the battery, to the 240V AC required by the Load, the Li-Ion battery charger adapter, an inverter is needed. This wouldn’t be the case if a suitable 12V charger-adapter could be sourced, which would avoid the inefficient ‘double-conversion’ of 12V DC into 240V AC and back into 42V DC again. The inverter does however provide the flexibility for powering other equipment requiring an AC ‘mains’ supply and therefore is ideal for a range of charging and backup tasks.
PSW Inverter
Apart from the selecting the correct voltage, which is normally either 12V or 24V (12V required to fit with this system set-up), there are two main choices:
a) Modified Sine-Wave
b) Pure Sine-Wave
The first type is the low-cost product, and available in a wide range of power-ratings, so if high-power is required then that tends to be the preferred choice. The draw-back is that it is less-efficient, creating a ‘blocky’ AC waveform which can upset sensitive equipment. The second type produces a smooth sinusoidal AC waveform equivalent to the standard AC ‘mains’ supply, and therefore is suitable for all equipment types, though at higher cost and usually lower-power rating.
Given the performance uncertainty and potential for harm to some equipment that the MSW product might bring, and the modest power needed, it seemed sensible to select the PSW variant. A 300W product was chosen, partly limited by cost, but also since it is recommended to ‘match’ the power rating to the consumption requirements; in practice the inverter size should be around 3-7 times the power needed by the load appliance. A much higher-than needed inverter is ultimately less efficient for smaller loads, consuming more power than necessary.
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Additional parts required were cabling and mounting accessories, plus some optional ‘add-ons’ in the form of other battery chargers and lights to make full use of the generated power:
An extension cable to connect the solar panel to the solar controller. The panel itself comes with about 1m of ‘tails’, fitted with MC-4 connectors which are standard for solar equipment. A ‘male’ connector provides the positive supply, and a ‘female’ connector offers the return negative connection. Two cables are therefore required, with the appropriate MC-4 connectors at one end, and unterminated at the other to connect to the solar controller. A ‘top tip’ is to obtain a single fully-terminated extension cable of twice the required length, and cut the cable half-way. For this project, a 25m extension cable was sourced, which provided 12.5m as a sufficient length for both positive and negative connections once cut in half. Thickness of the cable is an important consideration, so that the rating is sufficient for the power of the system and the loss due to the length of the connection. For this installation, a 4mm2 (12AWG) cable was selected, suitable for up to around 15m and 23A, meeting the needs.
Battery terminal leads
Midi and Blade Fuses and holders for fusing of the output from the battery supply (40A) and protecting the input to the charger controller (15A). The inverter came with a 35A mini-blade input fuse.
Lugs and wire for the Solar supply and DC power connections
Fixing screws for the solar panel, and cable clips
12V Lamp with remote and motion sensor, providing a light powered by the solar energy for the indoor work area
AA / AAA / C / D / PP3 battery charger, for supplementary battery charging requirements, fed from the 12V output from the charge controller (avoiding unnecessary 240V conversion)
The resultant assembly captures energy from the sun via the solar panel, ‘conditioned’ by the controller (to avoid over-charging or issues with varying power) and stored in the battery. Naturally, this can take place throughout the day when the sun shines, without the need for a load to be present. Then when required, the load can be supplied from the stored energy.
The inverter is utilised to supply a replacement AC feed to the specialised Li-ion charger required for the load battery, which can therefore be used as an ‘off-grid’ power source for other uses in place of a regular ‘mains’ supply.
Charging additional Li-ion or Ni-Cad batteries for other equipment can be also be facilitated using the 12V output to supply an appropriate battery charger, and as well as powering 12V LED lights for illumination of the work space.
Hopefully this project is of interest and of use to anyone contemplating establishing a solar energy system, with the aim of harvesting energy from the sun, a ‘free’ resource available to us all!
@YellowsBestLtd our mission is in “Keeping Customers Operational”. We’re always keen to enhance our range of #business services, widen our #enterprise infrastructure support and expand our mix of #sustainable solutions we offer for supply and maintenance of new and legacy #technologies and products for our customers.
Please help us understand what would be of interest to you by getting in touch to discuss your management services or solutions requirements, whether you’re implementing new systems or maintaining existing infrastructure to serve your operational business needs. We look forward to hearing from you.
DOS Beginnings – the early days of ‘personal computing’
The ‘Personal Computer’ (PC) launched by IBM in 1981 was a breakthrough that revolutionised the workplace, though the early ones were quite limited especially in terms of how to use them and what they displayed. Not only did they have no ‘touch screens’ for ‘swiping’ and ‘apps’ as we know them now, but there was no ‘graphical user interface’ either. Rather than a ‘desktop’ with icons and a mouse pointer, there was just a black screen with text and a flashing cursor.
DOS
This was Microsoft DOS (Disk Operating System), which seemed to be the ‘proper’ way to use computers for at least a decade.
GEM – Atari ST
Indeed, some PC users were initially ‘suspicious’ of icons and windows which had appeared on the Apple Mac as well as other alternatives in use like GEM on the Atari ST.
People had become so used to typing commands, and knew all the ‘switches’ and other modifiers e.g. DIR /W to display a list of the files across the screen rather than in a column. And ‘WP’ was all you needed to get ‘Word Perfect’ to launch – the then favoured Word Processor, which gave rise to some still familiar short-cuts like ‘Control-C’ to copy.
Desktop computing takes-off and ‘Windows’ takes-over
Windows 3.1
Windows 3.1 showed PC users something different from around 1992, when 386 and 486 PCs powerful enough to run it well became available.
mouse tutorial
It even came with a tutorial to show users how to use a mouse!
Windows 3.1 floppy disks
No-one enjoyed having to install it using 7 floppy disks though.
And at first it seemed somewhat unnecessary to run existing applications.
Windows 95 – DOS prompt
Indeed, there was a bit of an ‘outcry’ that Windows 95 and later variants didn’t first boot into DOS!
But then it was realised there were some key benefits. Now you could delete a whole directory in one go without having to clear out each ‘level’ – not always the safest feature! Email really became more useable when you didn’t have to log in specifically to check to see if you had messages; now it could be running all the time in its own window.
The rise of the Internet – and security issues
Windows 98 ‘desktop’
With each variant of ‘Windows’ came more sophistication, and suddenly a whole world of connected information could be accessed with Netscape and then Internet Explorer, which then meant Windows really became a ‘must have’.
Internet Explorer – Windows XP
Certain difficulties were experienced getting old and new applications to behave themselves in the Windows environment; stability and also backwards compatibility started to become issues. Users now had to deal with ‘blue screen’ crashes of Windows, and then a variety of increasing security threats and viruses requiring ever-more enhanced anti-malware protection applications and mandatory backups.
The continuing need for ‘Legacy’ support
Although the majority of modern offices, educational establishments and homes now use the latest PC hardware as well as phone and tablet computing devices running the newest generation of operating software and applications, some industrial workplaces have professional implementations of systems that still make use of early computing platforms (ranging from desktop PCs to OSS servers), where the basic requirements are unchanged, and particularly in stand-alone use where security threats aren’t an issue. And some people still have old PC games to play!
Drive Setup
It can however be quite a task to restore the operation of legacy systems, particularly if backups are missing or incomplete.
FDISK for partitioning
Associated issues include obtaining the appropriate hardware replacement parts such as disks (modern versions can be too high capacity to work well with old systems) requiring the right settings of cylinders, heads and sectors, and preparation using FDISK and FORMAT commands.
Floppy Disk
Software ‘patching’ of configurations may be needed, hunting out correct versions of driver files and specifying the right parameters. Creating a floppy disk with ‘boot’ files can also be a helpful tool!
Emulation and Virtualisation
There’s still a way today to run legacy software even without the old PC hardware, and that’s via the ‘joy’ of emulation and virtualisation. Even using an Apple Mac or Linux computer, it’s possible to run various flavours of Windows legacy software.
Particularly useful applications to enable this include:
DOSbox
DOSBox – a handy emulator tool which enables the running of old DOS based applications in an application window. Relatively straight-forward to setup, with the ability to ‘mount’ folders so that files can be imported.
VirtualBox-Windows95
VirtualBox – a fully featured virtualisation tool that allows the creation of ‘virtual machines’ into which can be installed a full operating system, such as Windows 3.1, Windows 95 or Windows XP. The tool also emulates CD and Floppy drives for loading disk images and running legacy applications.
CPU fix for Win95
Takes a bit of work to set up, preparing a virtual ‘hard disk’, and then installing the operating system. There’s a ‘work-around’ needed to take account of modern processors being ‘too fast’ for the old operating software! Also, to set the display to the necessary resolution and get sound working, special video and audio drivers may need to be installed.
@YellowsBestLtd we can assist with support services for both legacy and new software and hardware solutions, so please get in touch if you have any requirements you’d like to discuss; we look forward to hearing from you.