No there is no difference between 7 & 8 in that way. Where is Your Config.FPW?
To make sure you has the right FPW just build it into EXE.
The other way is in first row of Your main program to put _SCREEN.Visible = .f., but that just hide the main VFP screen after some blinking.
Against Stupidity the Gods themselves Contend in Vain - Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller
The only thing normal about database guys is their tables.