Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article – 203

“NOT A VALID WIN32 APPLICATION” ERROR

ISSUE

Attempting to install (or run) a new Windows 95/NT-required version of our software (e.g. TheSky, CCDSoft) on a system which was upgraded from Windows 3.1x, results in error message:

“(filename) is not a valid Win32 application.”

RESOLUTION

Obtain UPDATE32.EXE (from web site or mail), which will automatically remove related old files in preparation for a clean install under the new Windows.
-Or-
The user may manually remove related old files as detailed here:

(The following information is included in the v4.00.050 and later README.TXT)

If Win32s, and the Win32s versions of Software Bisque applications, are not uninstalled before upgrading to Windows 95/NT, running the application(s) will give an error message:

“This copy of (filename) is designed to run on WIN32S only.
Please obtain the correct (filename).”

This may be followed by several other system initialization error messages.

Use the following procedure to correct this problem:

1. Delete the following files from the /WINDOWS/SYSTEM folder:
(Note: By default, Explorer hides DLL files. To see DLL files, choose the View, Options command, then select the Show All Files option.)
ACCUGNT5.DLL
DSS_DLL.DLL
MNCP32.DLL
MSVCRT40.DLL
OTHERSS.DLL
SS32.DLL
TTY.DLL (see note about this file below)
TTY32.DLL
NOTE: If you have a 16-bit version of TheSky for Windows (version 2.xx or earlier), or SkyPro (version 2.xx or earlier) installed on your system, you should NOT delete the TTY.DLL file.

The above dynamic-link libraries (DLLs) are shared files and therefore cannot be removed by the uninstall program under Windows 3.1x. Also, these DLLs are different from those of the same name used under Windows 95 or NT.

2. Remove each of the offending applications’ folders (and subfolders) from your hard drive. If you have any personal files you don’t want to lose, copy or move them to a temporary folder outside of the application folder(s) before deleting them.

3. Remove Win32s from your system (see “Removing Win32s” in the “Attention Windows 3.1x Users” document included with the application).

4. Re-install the application(s). The install program will automatically configure the application(s) for the correct Windows platform.

5. Move any personal files copied from step 2 into the new application folder(s).

6. If you still have a shortcut defined for an application’s old location, remove it. A new shortcut will have been created during the above install process.

APPLIES TO

Installation

KEYWORDS

SBKB

This article was formerly published under the identifier Q408KB in Software Bisque’s prior knowledge base.

Last Reviewed: 11/24/2004