New definition for compatibility



  • Fresh from the May 2008 Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Application Compatibility update..
    ( http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947562 )

    @support.microsoft.com/kb/947562 said:


    This update improves application compatibility in Windows Vista by using the following methods:

    • The update puts a hard block on the application.  A hard block prevents an application that is incompatible with Windows Vista from running on the operating system.
    • ...

     



  •  Come on, that's not rocket science. Application A is badly written, doesn't follow the Windows API specs, and breaks -the otherwise completely perfectly working- Application B and C on newer versions of Windows. All of them are outdated, they cannot exist on the same system on the same time, the best solution is to block the culprit.

    You could suppose that, for example, Application A is a 10-years-old anti-virus software, Application B is some ancient MIDI composing tool and Application C is some Win16 stock management application. I can hardly see why is that difficult to imagine such a situation.



  • @DrJokepu said:

    Application A is baddly written, doesn't follow the Windoows API specs, and breaks -the otherwise completely perfectly working- Application B and C on newer versions of Windows.

    Interesting idea, however the whole point of Vista keeping multiple copies of the same dll's is so that applications don't step on each other. 

    Never mind trying to pick the one to actually block..  If there are two (or more) apps that can not coexist, MS is not going to block a specific vendor's product.  They'd be crucified in court.



  • @clively said:

    Interesting idea, however the whole point of Vista keeping multiple copies of the same dll's is so that applications don't step on each other. 

     

    There are eleventy billion ways how a badly written, outdated application can cause troubles on Windows. For some interesting ideas, dig through Raymond Chen's The Old New Thing.

    @clively said:

    Never mind trying to pick the one to actually block..  If there are two (or more) apps that can not coexist, MS is not going to block a specific vendor's product.  They'd be crucified in court.

    I am not a lawyer, but I am not sure that if there is a specific application known to not follow the API rules and known to cause trouble, Microsoft can be sued for blocking that. I mean what's next, adware writers going to sue anti-malware software companies? (Yes I know that this already happened)



  • @DrJokepu said:

    I am not a lawyer, but I am not sure that if there is a specific application known to not follow the API rules and known to cause trouble, Microsoft can be sued for blocking that. I mean what's next, adware writers going to sue anti-malware software companies? (Yes I know that this already happened)

    You can initiate a lawsuit over anything, but presumably a badly-written app is so old it is no longer supported so there is no issue with blocking its use.  It's not like Vendor X is going to sue M$ for making people upgrade to the newest version of their product. 



  • Guys, when your own apps stop working on Vista, you'll stop calling them "outdated and badly written."

     What gets me is the lack of detail in the Knowledgebase article:  "These fixes improve application compatibility in Windows Vista for the following applications:..."  Like, how exactly?



  • @clively said:

    If there are two (or more) apps that can not coexist, MS is not going to block a specific vendor's product.  They'd be crucified in court.

     

    If one product doesn't work at all on Vista, but causes problems for other programs when the user tries to run it, no-non will put the blame on MS for blocking that program. 



  • By this definition, my ZX Spectrum is highly compatible with the vast majority of current applications; even Sun Solaris, Mac OS X, Symbian and portable-GPS applications.



  • @Zecc said:

    By this definition, my ZX Spectrum is highly compatible with the vast majority of current applications; even Sun Solaris, Mac OS X, Symbian and portable-GPS applications.
     

    Kudos for carrying the torch throughout the decades. 



  • My favorite section from the KB article:

    @support.microsoft.com/kb/947562 said:


    • Microsoft Zune Software
    This application is hard-blocked when you upgrade from Windows XP to Windows Vista. 

    What could Zune possibly be doing in windows that warrants that to occur?  Not that I really care, since I don't own a Zune, nor even know anyone who owns one.  Since its only for upgrades, it imples that they need to use a newer version of WMP or some other piece of software that properly uses new encryption protocols in Vista.  I could understand and accept this, but without the info, it just looks like Zune isn't supported on Vista.



  • @KludgeQueen said:

    Guys, when your own apps stop working on Vista, you'll stop calling them "outdated and badly written."

     <hints id="hah_hints"></hints>
    If any of our own apps stop working on Vista, then they are in fact poorly written.  The reasons apps stop working is that they rely on undocumented and unsupported behaviour in the Windows API.  In other words, it was a fluke that they worked in the first place.


  • @Aaron said:

    @KludgeQueen said:

    Guys, when your own apps stop working on Vista, you'll stop calling them "outdated and badly written."

     
    If any of our own apps stop working on Vista, then they are in fact poorly written.  The reasons apps stop working is that they rely on undocumented and unsupported behaviour in the Windows API.  In other words, it was a fluke that they worked in the first place.
     

    Agreed. But it sounds like the software lives up to the username of 'KludgeQueen'.



  • @MasterPlanSoftware said:

    Agreed. But it sounds like the software lives up to the username of 'KludgeQueen'.

    All I want to know is does she need a KludgeKing*wink*

     

    It's really a chick this time, right?  Caz with jetcitywoman we thought so, but that turned out kind of gay.



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    Caz with jetcitywoman we thought so, but that turned out kind of gay.
    I bet you liked that, didn't you?



  • @bstorer said:

    @morbiuswilters said:
    Caz with jetcitywoman we thought so, but that turned out kind of gay.
    I bet you liked that, didn't you?
     

    Boww chikka wak wowww 



  • @skippy said:

    What could Zune possibly be doing in windows that warrants that to occur?
     

    Don't forget the new DRM crap that M$ rolled out with the Zune to screw over all the "Plays For Maybe" partners. The new stuff can't really be baked into Windows without having the DoJ tear Bill Gates a new one, so they probably hacked it in via some hidden API which breaks/doesn't exist on Vista. 


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