Re: "compatibility" in Win7 and/or Win10?

On 11/25/2021 7:58 PM, Robert Baer wrote:
> Paul wrote:
>> On 11/23/2021 4:11 AM, Robert Baer wrote:
>>>    I have this program that was made for Win95 and never "upgraded" for the tape printer it was made for.
>>>    It installs and runs without any special additions whatsoever in all OSes from Win95 thru and including XP.
>>>
>>>    However, using Administrator mode and compatibility attempts, i get the following puzzling error message "There is not enough memory to execute that command".
>>>
>>>    One of the compatibility mode choices is XP SP3, and i have used the program in XPSP3 for many years without any fuss, special additions whatsoever.
>>>
>>>    The only thing i can think of, is the fact that the program uses COM1: for communication to the printer.
>>>
>>>    For Win7, i use the same physical machine as for XPSP3.
>>>    For Win10 i can only use the Lenovo.  No DVD came with it and the DVD i got from the vendor after complaint, was a Dell with following text on it:
>>> "Operating System" , "Already installed on your computer" , "Use this disc only to reinstall the operating system on a Dell computer", "This disc is not for reinstallation of programs or drivers".
>>>
>>>    I tried to use it to install on a blank HD; nogo.
>>>
>>>    So, after this mind-numbing passel of info, do you have any suggestions to get it working in Win7?
>>>
>>>
>>>      Thanks.
>>>
>>
>> For the Win10 case, run "Winver" and verify the OS install version.
>>
>> https://www.thewindowsclub.com/not-enough-memory-resources-are-available-to-process-this-command
>>
>>     a bug in Windows 10 v1803   == 17134.xxx
>>
>> *******
>>
>> You don't need Administrator, to work with COM1.
>> That's not it. I tested it with MODE commands
>> and echo > COM1 commands.
>>
>> *******
>>
>> If the message was being honestly delivered and at face
>> value, it means the 640K area does not have sufficient
>> memory to complete the command. This might be a reasonable
>> response if booting an older MSDOS diskette or something.
>>
>> The executable probably wants at a minimum, Win7 32-bit
>> or Win10 32-bit. There are error messages for mis-application
>> of OS version. Running 16-bit programs in 64-bit OSes,
>> fairly appropriate messages come back as a hint.
>>
>> But really, this message is not expected most of the time,
>> from 32-bit W7 or W10. It should not happen. Or at least
>> Google, like most of the last day or so, simply isn't coughing
>> up anything useful. I got the same sort of bland output
>> from Bing not that long ago.
>>
>> It wouldn't hurt to post the executable name, the folder name,
>> which would serve to give some "flavoring" to a Google search.
>> Or maybe the label maker, make and model number.
>> If the output of a search is bland, it means you just aren't
>> pushing the right SEO button to get into that section of
>> the archive. Some keyword is missing.
>>
>> Windows 10 complained about Programs and Features : Windows Features,
>> not having NTVDM enabled. But the notification for that, you
>> can't miss it.
>>
>>     Paul
>>
>    Program name: EZ-LABEL PRINTER COMPUTER LINK for Windows.
>    By Casio, supports my KL-8100 via program set FA-930C. Run splash.exe to go.   NOT Tharo.
> 
>    "Best" reference i could find:
>   https://support.casio.com/en/support/information.php?cid=005&pid=27
>    Another, not so good reference:
> https://www.casio.com/products/archive/label-printers/label-printers/kl-8100#support
> 
>    Maybe one could find the software online 10 years ago (at best time-wise).

You can upload "splash.exe" to virustotal.com and have it scanned.

One of the tabs in the returned result, is an analysis of the code.
That is about the only thing I know of, which will come remotely
close to an analysis. It's a poor tool, and "grasping at straws".

Programs like file.exe which rely on /etc/magic type files,
can only report things like "PE32" or "PE32+" and lack the
ability to tell us more about program composition.

As for solving the problem, you can install an ancient OS
in a virtual machine, and use serial port passthru to reach
the *physical* device. VirtualBox does have some nice features
that way.

https://www.howtogeek.com/329301/how-to-install-windows-95-in-a-virtual-machine/

VirtualBox and other similar tools,
give access to COM1 and COM2 and so on. It helps if your
machine has a SuperIO COM port for this purpose. Both my
primary machines today (one machine only two months old),
have a primary serial port. But, the user is made to
grovel, via the fact that the serial port is not on the
back of the computer, but is a 2x5 pin header. I made an
adapter for the other computer, by repurposing an adapter
plate that came with an old computer. But I might not have
sufficient materials to make another that way. It required
custom soldering a DB-9 onto the end of the scavenged
ribbon cable. You can buy those plates online, or at least
you used to be able to a long time ago.

In VirtualBox, you can map COM1 to COM1, and then the cable
coming off the computer, gets its IO from Windows 95 and
your installed CASIO software. You just start the VM, any time
you want to make a label.

The oldest VM I have here is Win98, and I haven't moved it
to Windows 7 yet from the broken machine. Much of my legacy
stuff is now broken, now that the machine it was sitting
on, is trash.

    Paul