We've recently upgraded our VFP application from version 7 to version 9. We built a new SETUP program using InstallShield v5 that was part of the VFP v9.0 package that was recently RTM'd.

The InstallShield v5 program installs the MSVCR71.dll file in the INSTALLDIR directory (in our case c:\program files\appname) which is not in the windows path. When you go to run the EXE (that's located on the network, not in the C:\Program Files\apname folder, you get an error about the system not being able to find the MSVCR71.dll file. We've worked around the problem by putting a copy of MSVCR71.dll on the network where the EXE is but I don't like this solution at all. To me ALL the required VFP runtime files should be on the workstation, not some on the workstation and some on the server. This appears to be a departure from how this has been handled in the past.

For testing purposes I've also put a copy of the MSVCR71.dll file in the C:\Windows\System32 folder and that works fine, but I'm also not comfortable with this as an approach when clearly it appears the system is designed to work differently. It appears that any program installed on your system that requires MSVCR71.dll gets its on copy in it's home directory - just like VFP v9 is doing. Perhaps everything is installed and working as intended and I just don't like it. That wouldn't be the first time.

Anyway, if anyone has any input into this I'd be most appreciative.

Regards,

Scott Finkle
DAA Northwest
Spokane, WA