Installation failure with Ayrshire census CDs

Carole · Post by **Carole** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 2:23 pm

My (very) old laptop has eventually bitten the dust and I have just replaced it with a shiny new desktop running Windows XP. I am now in the process of loading on all my information and have hit a problem with the 1851 and 1861 Ayrshire census index CDs. I get a message saying “The Office system pack cannot be installed on this system because it requires Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6 or later”.

I have emailed East Ayrshire FHS for advice and await their response. In the meantime, has anyone else hit the same problem and can suggest a solution? Incidentally, I also have the Lanarkshire 1851 census index CD and it installs and runs fine.

Many thanks,

Carole

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 3:55 am

Hello Carole

My only suggestion is that you download the Windows XP service pack. I have been using XP for quite sometime and unfortunately it was necessary for me to download the Service Pack. As you appear to have just loaded Windows XP it would seem that you do not have the SP.
Unfortunately it is quite a large file, but because XP was found to have some serious security issues, the SP became a necessary inclusion.

I would suggest? that after you download the SP you should find no problems in loading your Ayrshire file.

Ah! Windows I wont say any more about that here

Even though I find it ok to use.

Carole · Post by **Carole** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:36 am

Hi Stewie,

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately it doesn't work

The thing that really puzzles me is that the error message refers to an NT service pack and not an XP one

Thanks again,

Carole

mesklin · Post by **mesklin** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:46 am

Carole

I can only guess when the CDs were created, but it seems to me that the format they are in is somewhat outdated. NT4 sp5 predates Windows 2000, never mind XP and it looks like the data is incapable of recognising XP as a later system. This occurs over the years due to simplistic programming not following guidlines.

All very well, but is there an answer? Short of the creator giving you updated disks (unlikely), then your only answer seems to be loading the files into a suitable program, then saving them as new file types.

Mesklin

If somebody knows a better way, go to it!

Carole · Post by **Carole** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 3:12 pm

Hi Mesklin,

The CDs aren't that old. They're dated 2003 and state that they're compatible with Windows 98, 2000 and XP. No mention of NT.

Carole

mesklin · Post by **mesklin** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 7:19 pm

Carole

The CDs might not be that old, but if you can, look at some of the file dates on them. You may be surprised.

Win2000 and XP are developments of NT4 (in effect, later versions)

Mesklin

Carole · Post by **Carole** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 10:05 am

Mesklin,

The dates of all the files on the 1851 CD are June 2003, but I expect that's just when they were copied.

As another twist, I've just successfully installed this CD on my work laptop (naughty I know, but all in the pursuit of knowledge

). The only difference I can see is that it is running XP Professional rather than XP Home Edition.

Carole

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 10:36 am

Hello Carole

I must apologise to you. I didnt think to ask what version of XP you were using, as I wrongly assumed it was XP Professional, the one I use

Carole · Post by **Carole** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 12:43 pm

Hi Stewie,

No need to apologise. It didn't dawn on me either that it would be that difference that was the problem. I only loaded it on my work PC because that was the one at hand to check the file dates.

Carole

bobj-kirk · Post by **bobj-kirk** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 10:50 pm

Carole,

First I will try my luck at solving your problem, then I have some questions about your CDS.

The problem sounds like it has to do with MS Office rather than with the version of Windows XP. I have a census CD for Lanarkshire and it uses a component of MS Office called "MS Access". This is a database package that is used to search and display the census information. I am assuming that the CD installs on your work laptop because MS Office is already installed there and it is not on your home laptop. I am also assuming that the CD install program includes a very old version of MS Access that won't work on XP, but that it only tries to install if Office is not already present.

I suggest you install MS Office on your home laptop and then try to install the CD. If you don't have your own copy of Office, you should check at work, often the MS license will allow a user who is licensed at work to install Office on the home machine at no additional cost, and your sysadmin may be willing to install it for you.

I may want to get a copy of these CDs myself. However, the EAFHS site doesn't seem to give any info as to what's on them unless I missed it. Can you tell me if they include all parishes, or if not, what parishes are included? Can you tell me what information is included in the index: Name, Age, Profession, Birthplace, Relation to Head, Parish, Enumeration District, Page, Line? Do the CDs seem to be complete, not missing known people? Are you happy with them?

-Bob