Migrating Crystal 8.5 reports to a 64 bit environment

[Former Member]

Hi,

We have been running a VB6 application that uses Crystal reports 8.5 for quite a few years on an old Terminal Server wich is 32 bit. The report connects to an Oracle database via OLEDB. We have recently created a new test server which is 64 bit and I have installed Crystal 8.5 etc on it. However the application opens ok but at the point it connects to the DB I get a 20599 error. We traced the error to the sql that exists in the crystal report however when I open the report in crystal reports designer and try to look at the database settings it gives me a 'class not registered error' which only goes away when I unregister p2soeldb.dll.

I have copied all the crystal dlls to the c:\windows\syswow64 directory and registered them all but I still get the error. When I un register p2soeldb.dll it gets a bit further but gives an error saying the physical database cannot be opened.

All of our other major apps are running fine on the new machine but the project may need to be abandoned as although old the little vb app is critcal.

Any ideas ?

Regards

Karen

[former_member183750 · Accepted solution]

Hello Karen

You will not like the answer. Ready?

You do not mention what OS you are using, but I assume WIN 2003 or WIn 2008(?). CR 8.5 came out, oh - 5 years before WIN 2003. E.g.; not supported. No way I can see this ever working. There is more bad news for you coming though.

Say you decide to upgrade CR, the app, the whole thing. Since your app was built in VB 6, it is using either the Report Designer Component SDK, or the OCX SDK, or the Print Engine SDK. All of these have been retired. OCX in CR 9, Report Designer Component in CR 11.5 and Print Engine SDK in version 10. Of all of those, only CR 11.5 would work on a "modern" OS (e.g.; WIN 2003, Win 2008).

Your options;

1. Upgrade to CR 2008 and use VS .NET 2008. Port (e.g.; rewrite) the app to use the CR assemblies for .NET.
2. Upgrade to CR 2011, download Crystal Reports for Visual Studio 2010 and use it with VS2010. Port (e.g.; rewrite) the app to use the CR assemblies for .NET.

More info:

Crystal Reports Legacy SDKs Upgrade Options

Report Designer Component - Past, Present & Future

RDC statement of direction

- Ludek

Follow us on Twitter

Got Enhancement ideas? Try the SAP Idea Place

Share Your Knowledge in SCN Topic Spaces

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Thanks Ludec, we are using Win 2003 at the moment. This is not good news. I had hoped since I could open the report and do quite a few functions that I was just missing a DLL somewhere.

Is there a easy upgrade path for the crystal reports ? We have no crystal developement capability so having to re-write the reports is  not something I'm keen on.

Regards

Karen

[former_member183750 · Accepted solution]

Without "development capability", there is probably not much you can do. Even if we'd assume that the upgrade as described below goes without a problem.

So. The easiest way to proceed:

1) Obtain CR XI R2A (11.5) by contacting sales; 866-681-3435

2) Install CRXI R2A

3) Open your VB 6 project

4) Delete the CR viewer from the project

5) Remove references to craxdrt.dll and crviewer.dll of version 8.5 from your project

6) Add the references to  craxdrt.dll and crviewer.dll version 11.5 to your project

7) Add the CR viewer to your project

😎 Save

9) Compile

10) Deploy the project and the CR runtime using the CR runtime MSM for RDC (you will need to cerate a setup project using InstallShield or the like (The VB deployment and packaging wizard will not work for you with CR XI R2A).

The above is the simplest way to upgrade to CR XI R2A. I also realize that this is not trivial if you do not have programming experience. It is the my best recollection on how we used to do this (CR XI being out of support for over a year now, I have have not had VB 6 on any image for a long time now). And finally, all of the above may be for naught, if  you run into any glitch as this will require even more expertise to solve.

Oh and you can not go to the currently supported CR 2008 or CR 2011 or Crystal Reports for Visual Studio 2010 as these do not have the RDC anymore.

Not a shred of good news in this I know. But with CR 8.5 your organization essentially stayed in the stone ages of the computer industry .

- Ludek