Crystal Reports XI R2 SP6 - Product Key?

[former_member722498]

I have inherited a legacy ASP.NET 1.1 project developed in Visual Studio 2003 and deployed to the (external) end user on a Windows 2000 server.

The project makes use of Crystal Reports 9.1.5000 which must be bundled with Visual Studio 2003 somehow, since it all compiled and worked on the dev system (Windows XP) without my having to install any developer version of CR.  There are about 25 reports (rendered on Web pages) which I believe were built using Report Designer.

Since Windows 2000 is no longer supported by Microsoft, the customer's IT service provider is insisting that the app be migrated to Windows 2008 R2.  I have got it running on that platform except for the CR screens, which crash on trying to load a CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine.ReportDocument.  (CR 9.1 is not supported on this OS, I find).

I have tried migrating the app to Visual Studio 2010 and using the latest CR, but javascript incompatibilities I have run into mean this would be a major undertaking (there are hundreds of pages and popups to test/fix and I just don't have time, although clearly I will have to bite this bullet eventually).  Therefore I need to be able to build in VS2003 but deploy on Windows 2008.

Looking at this forum my only chance seems to be to install CR XI R2 SP6 on the dev system and deploy the corresponding msms on the target system.  There may still be problems as it is not officially supported on Win2008 (only Win7), but they can maybe be fixed.  I can't use 10.5 (which is supported on Win2008) as it doesn't support VS2003, according to https://wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/display/BOBJ/Which+Crystal+Reports+assembly+versions+are+supported+in...

I tried to install CR XI R2 SP6 on my dev system but was asked for a product key which I don't have.  My company does not have any support arrangement with SAP so I cannot apply for a key, which was not required with the previous CR version.  (Oddly, when I installed the latest developer CR 13 as noted above, I was not asked for a product key either, so I don't understand this requirement.  Is upgrade to XI R2 not free?  Did I download the wrong installer?)

What options do I have?

Desperately yours,

Jeremy Tinkler

[former_member183750 · Accepted solution]

Hi Jeremy

I really appreciate all the research you have put into the issue. Excellent job.

Now, for some help.

XI R2 is certainly a possibility as is CR 2008, both of which support WIN 2008 (you are right that CR XI R2 is kinda yes, but CR 2008 is a firm yes). I do not know where you obtained CR XI R2, but a keycode for it can only be issued by sales. Sales ph: 866-681-3435 or 1-800-677-7271

Worldwide Office Locations | SAP

Failing that, you could do an upgrade to CR 2008 (cheaper than buying new). And if you actually have to dish out $$, might as well go for CR 2008 (CR XI R2 is out of support, CR 2008 has a bit of life in it - until December of this year I believe). If you do go for CR 2008, make sure it is on SP 7 ( e.g.; I am not sure what SP actually installs when you buy it). To check the SP go to Help About. It should show something like 12.7.0.x. SPs can be downloaded from the Downloads Portal:

https://websmp130.sap-ag.de/sap%28bD1lbiZjPTAwMQ==%29/bc/bsp/spn/patch_download/main_public.htm

What else...

Oh, re:.

Oddly, when I installed the latest developer CR 13 as noted above, I was not asked for a product key

That version of CR is actually free, so no keycode. Runtime is free for WIN apps. Also it is free for web apps internal to your org. Web apps external to your org need extra licensing (contact sales on this if need be). The product is free because essentially it is the SDK for CR 2011 / 2013 which do not install any SDKs. I wrote a small blog on this here:

Hope I did not confuse things too much, but if I did, do ask

- Ludek

Senior Support Engineer AGS Product Support, Global Support Center Canada

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