Problem with working vb app not install on user pc

I am a profession (retired) visual basic programm and have devleoped an stock market application, which work just fine
on my pc. Basicall, it reads file for yahoo and creates local file, and analyses the data and rearranges the data in 20 difference way
to help user decide how to invest. I have used 2 different installers

My problem is that the application does not install , and the users cannot explain (clearly) why.

If someone one could help me, it would be appliciated!

I coud supply (1) Setup.exe (from Installers i used), (2) copy of the .exe, and (3) copy of souce code.

I have spend the last 10 years of my retirement writting this code, and now it cannot run on users machine.

Please help me!
Thanks,
Ralph Garner

[rproffitt]

Is this Visual Basic 6 or something else?

I have dire news about VB6 at our office. Some time in 2021 we stopped offering any work on our old VB6 apps. The reasons were many so I won't get into that. Let's hope you moved away from VB6 long ago.

Also, yes, I've seen this more and more as Microsoft issues security patches. Very upsetting to those that want to keep going with VB6.

[Schol-R-LEA]

If you don't mind me asking, do you have a publicly accessible version-control repository for your code? It would make it much easier for us to review the program, if necessary.

However, I suspect that the problem isn't with the program itself, but rather with the installer - especially if it is in VB6, rather than VB.Net. Maintaining VB6 has become more and more difficult as support for it has dropped away, and Microsoft themselves have been pushing users to migrate to VB.Net for almost 20 years now (.NET Framework being introduced in early 2002). While Windows 10 generally doesn't have a problem with 32-bit programs, Windows 11 support for older programs seems less certain.

What can you tell us about the failure mode? Do they get any error messages?

Have you tested the installer yourself on one or more different machines other than your development platform?

What version of Windows are you developing on, and what versions of Windows are your clients running it on? I am specifically wondering if any of them are running Windows 11.

Also, are any of the clients reporting a problem using new Intel CPUs (the ones with separate performance and efficiency cores)? Some older programs are having problems with the big.LITTLE architecture - especially ones which rely on 32-bit support, as would be necessary for VB6 - and your installer could be as well. I assume that this is unlikely, given how new those systems are, but I thought I would bring it up.

The program was witten in Visual Basic using Visual Studio 2019. When tested and compiled on my machine it worked fine!. I have used two different installers to generate installs, one that i paid for, and one that was free. I created a disk file with the setup, and ran the setup on my pc and it worked perfectly. Users of each of the installs reported "it did not work" (whatever that means). This did not provide details. Since i do not have a separate pc for testin, i am at a loss.

I sugguest trying the .exe and a different machine and see if if works. My guess is that it is not the insaller, but I am only guessing. I would like to send the .exe to someone to test. As retired programmer, I do not, unforately, know any one who can test this for me.

I am open to any recommenations!

Thanks
Ralph Garner

[rproffitt]

I feel for you here. There is a way to test install without a second PC. I use Virtual Box as a disposable PC. There are plenty of tutorials about running Windows in Virtual Box and I'll check in a second, maybe a ready to run appliance version. I'll add that this is ZERO COST except for our time.

Microsoft -> https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/virtual-machines/

This way you get to start with a clean Windows and not change or pollute your PC.

[pritaeas]

Are you perhaps using some third-party tools, and forgot to include those assemblies in your setup?

If you create a WeTransfer link containing your setup, I can have a look. Send me the link as a PM here. Note that I won't be able to look before monday.

[Schol-R-LEA]

If you have version control set up, is there any way to send the users an earlier build to see if that version installs?

I don't know what a "transfer link" is. Please let me know (in detail) exactly how i can provide you with any or all of the followg. Where to i send them, and how do i do it?

Willing to send:

1. The setup exe generated by the install software
2. The .exe generated by the Visual Studio 2019 compiler
3. The source code written in VS 2019. There are no data files needed to run this software.

I have been extremely careful in the coding of this software, so my best guess of why this is not working, is that
there is something i don't know--such as security programs when installing the software, permission to wirte to the c;\temp file, etc.

I have worked very extensively with vb apps for myselft and user companies, but only on user's machines--never software for distribution.
So there is clearlly something (hopefully simple) that I am not aware of!!

Any help with be much appreciated!!
Ralph Garner

[Schol-R-LEA]

I believe Pritaeas was referring to using https://wetransfer.com, a website that allows secure anonymous transfers of files - sort of similar to Google Drive, except designed specifically so you can hand a link to someone to access it, rather than you having to set their account's permissions.

[pritaeas]

@Schol-R-LEA Indeed, that's what I was referring to.

@RalphGarner Items 1 and 2 will do for now.