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retrocoder
28-08-2012, 01:53 PM
Hello,

Has anyone managed to install Delphi 7 on Windows 8? When I try the installer starts then stops saying it was interrupted, try again !

User137
28-08-2012, 04:45 PM
Did you try compatibility modes for older Windowses?

SilverWarior
28-08-2012, 07:04 PM
When instaling Delphi 7 under Windows Vista or newer you should always use compatibility mode (Windows XP compatibility mode). If that won't work try combination of compatibility mode with administrative rights.
Also do note that you will probably need to run Delphi 7 in compatibility mode all the time.

On the other hand you might wanna switch to using FPC/Lazarus instead of Delphi 7. Lazarus use quite similar interface to Delphi 7 so you probably won't have much trouble geting used to it. Lazarus also support all the newest features present in pascal (64 bit applications, multiplatform support, etc.) and is fully compatible with newer operating systems.

czar
28-08-2012, 11:41 PM
What we started doing si installing older Delphi versions into a Vm - in our case VirtualBox. It is great. Virtual box running windows XP - never will I need to set up Delphi 5,7 and 2007 again. Installing all the components etc that we use takes days. (the problem of 14 years of software development different developers etc)

User137
29-08-2012, 12:21 PM
Delphi 7 is at least running on my Windows 7. I may have installed it in XP-compatibility mode, but i don't need it for actually running Delphi.

Not sure about admin rights, cause my win-user is admin itself ::) Eases things not needing to toggle that for all little things. Not seen any virus or trojan attack me yet, even though i have no anti-virus or software firewall either.

VirtualBox sounds like a hassle. VM's sure can make life more difficult, even though it might make more things possible.

retrocoder
29-08-2012, 12:29 PM
Did you try compatibility modes for older Windowses?

I tried this and got an error saying a file was missing. I'm now thinking I have a dodgy CD. I have grabbed a new one from work and will try again tonight. Thanks for all the feedback. I'll let you know if it works. As for running it in a VM, I do this at work but didn't want to do this (if possible) on my home laptop.

SilverWarior
29-08-2012, 07:06 PM
Not sure about admin rights, cause my win-user is admin itself ::)
On WindowsXP having user account with administrative rights gave you full controll of your computer and all program started by you also had full acces.
But this is not the case on Windows Vista or newer. I to have administrative rights for my account on Windows 7 but if I wan't to run checkdisk to check for errors on system partition I need to run it through commandline which has been run with administrative privilegies. Starting command line normaly from start menu isn't godd enough.
Als when I was using Delphi XE trial I had several problems becouse for some reason Delphi always tried to write some files in the directory in which it was instaled (under program files) and Windows kept blocing it unles it was started with administrative rights. Later I did fix it by granting my user acount full acces to the directory in which Delphi XE Trial was instaled.
Luckily I'm not having this kind of problems with Delphi XE2 now.

retrocoder
30-08-2012, 07:33 AM
By using compatibility mode and a different CD, I finally managed to install Delphi 7. I have configured the shortcut to run with admin rights and it seems to be working fine. During the install I had a dialog that said there were know issues which I bypassed and the rest ran smoothly. I then ran the JEDI SDL installer which Windows 8 tried to stop as it believed it was potentially dangerous. Under Windows 7 I would normally hit the “run anyway” button but under Windows 8 they have hidden this from view so at first it looks as if you can’t run the exe. So far everything seems fine so I can get back to writing a game :)

WILL
03-09-2012, 08:24 PM
If you are a Delphi 7 fan, you might be better off with Lazarus as newer Windows has changed so much that older programs like that just aren't running on the current Windows anymore. Lazarus is free and it is as close to the older D7 IDE as you'll get these days. And Lazarus is much more capable than Delphi of yester-year, just add "Delphi Compatibility Mode" to your project's compiler settings if you want to directly port old Delphi code over.

Normally I wouldn't suggest switching over unless you want to support a different platform, but as you seem reluctant to purchase a newer Delphi, Lazarus would be your only other FREE option. And sticking to aging tools is never a good way to do software development.

retrocoder
04-09-2012, 07:25 AM
Hello, The main reason I stick with Delphi 7 is because it works well and the IDE is quick and easy to use. I have access to newer version of Delphi at work but at home I just use it to write games. As long as I can install and use the JEDI SDL library I’m happy. I spend the day writing business apps and using WPF for the GUI so the last thing I want to do when I get home is more of the same. This is why D7 works for me, I don’t really use the RAD stuff. I did try Lazarus five or six years ago and it seemed a little rough around the edges. If I get a chance I’ll give it another go but at the end of the day I just want to program and not spend ages setting up an environment.

hwnd
04-09-2012, 08:38 AM
I maybe would use also Lazarus, but last time i used it, IDE was slow and executables were too big.
So i didn't like it at all. Luckily i have no reason to install Win8, which is like Windows ME. Total trash.

User137
04-09-2012, 10:20 AM
I also used to think that Delphi is better. Some point maybe was, but now the tables have turned. I only support Delphi for my game engine because some of you guys still use it ;) You can make small executables (always could, it's in compiler settings). Lazarus starts up much faster than Delphi if you disable splash screen (launch parameter --no-splash-screen). Plus of course your apps are multiplatform, you don't need to buy it unlike Delphi, have new language features etc. Basically, i feel at home with Lazarus now, it is that good.

LP
04-09-2012, 01:11 PM
I maybe would use also Lazarus, but last time i used it, IDE was slow and executables were too big.
Latest Delphi versions such as XE 2 also have large executables due to forceful Unicode. On the other hand, Delphi 7 is 32-bit, which is a dying platform. Yes, it won't disappear quickly as it occurred with 16-bit DOS/Windows, but it is still a good idea to start porting applications to 64-bit.


Luckily i have no reason to install Win8, which is like Windows ME. Total trash.
May I ask why do you think that? (Yes, I do believe Metro UI is a regression, but that's another story)

SilverWarior
04-09-2012, 01:18 PM
I did try Lazarus five or six years ago and it seemed a little rough around the edges.

A lot have changed in this time. I also did try lazarus a few years ago and wasn't much pleased with it. But I also tried it a few months ago and I was preety impressed how it got much better in that time. So I strongly recomend you to give it a try.
And don't get me wrong I'm still a Delphi supporter and I own Delphi XE2 and will be upgrading to Delphi XE3 soon (already got upgrade codes from Embarcadero). The reson why I still stick with newer versions of Delphi is the fact that newest Delphi IDEs (Delphi XE and newer) do suport some feature that werent present in older versions of Delphi like Regions for instance. What I liked most in Delphi 7 was the help system which I can say was the best help system in any Delphi version.

WILL
05-09-2012, 06:54 PM
You'll love Lazarus then. :) They just released 1.0 not long ago and it's code editor is just like Delphi 7. Actually it's better!

You don't have to use the VCL or LCL to make your games in fact just create a new "Program" project and you are on your way. SDL links just as well to a Lazarus project as it does a Delphi one. You just have to setup your project options up to include your SDL paths, but you have to do the same in Delphi anyways. Plus later on if you wanted to share your game with your Mac or Linux friends it's as easy as giving them the source to compile for their platforms or doing it yourself.

Here is a first impressions blog from someone that tried the new Lazarus 1.0 recently: http://www.delphifeeds.com/go/s/95836

hwnd
05-09-2012, 11:46 PM
Are there also custom components available for Lazarus?
I mean like for Delphi, VCL components, free and shareware ones?
How good is Lazarus at compiling some Delphi component source?

I never tried to do that, so that's why i ask.


I will try out v1.0. Maybe it's really better now, than it was

SilverWarior
06-09-2012, 05:40 AM
As far as I know there are plenty of third party componets which work with FPC/Lazarus. Infact many Delphi third party components have been ported to FPC/Lazarus already.

marcov
01-01-2013, 07:48 PM
Older Delphi's install fine on vista+ if you don't install them to program files. (where UAC rules). IIRC you need to run setup as admin though so that the debugger registration goes fine.

But for most stuff nowadays I grab to FPC (and my private Delphi is D2009). It simply comes with more goodies ready to run.