Windows 95 client

[marchem]

Is anyone backing up a Windows 95 client using client software > 6.5.136 on the W95 machine and Server 7.5 on the Server?

 

I need to upgrade becasue the 6.5.136 client does not work with Server 7.5 (which I have to use because of Vista). Just for fun I installed the Server 7.5 on an XP box, and it also did not work with the W95 client (I get a "Client Speed test failed, error -1 unknown" error when refreshing the client).

 

If I try to do a fresh install of either the 6.5.140 or 7.0.112 clients I get an error message when I try to enter a password "The password you entered is less than 4 characters. Please try again.", no matter how many characters I use.

 

If I fresh install 7.5.xxx I get an error message when I reboot "The RETROCLIENT.exe file is linked to missing export ADVAPI32.dll:SetNamedSecurity InfoW." and the client does not run.

 

If I try to upgrade from 6.5.136 to 6.5.140 or 7.0.112 I get an error message at the end of the installation "The Retrospect client is already running" and the client is not upgraded.

 

I opened a service ticket with EMC, but they have been unable to help so far.

 

This makes me think that either my W95 machines are real oddballs, or the clients were never tested with W95, and no one else has tried this yet. Very odd.

 

The W95 machines have all the required TCP patches, BTW.

 

Rob

[Mayoff]

I can say that 7.5 has not been tested with Windows 95 systems but this does not explain why the 6.5 client (which you have used in the past) does not install correctly. Your Windows 95 systems may be the first we have seen in TS since 7.5 was released well over a year ago.

 

My gut feeling is that a problem exists on the 95 system that is preventing the older 6.5 client from installing.

 

Are you seeing all of the same issues on multiple Windows 95 computers?

[marchem]

Yes, both of them are doing it. I may try to find an old machine and do a fresh W95 installation and see if it also has a problem.

[marchem]

I installed a fresh version of W95 on an old machine I've got and I see the same behavior, so it's not some other software on the W95 machine.

 

At this point I don't know if the W95 machines were running 6.5.136 or 6.5.140 client software. Given that I can't now install 6.5.140 I'm inclined to think it mush have been 6.5.136.

 

So I'm also thinking that the 6.5.140, 7.0, and 7.5 clients were never tested on W95.

 

I guess EMS should stop saying their 7.5 server software supports W95 :teeth:

[Mayoff]

The 6.5.140 was specifically released to fix a buffer overflow attack vulnerability Reported by a end user. I suspect that this update was not tested under Windows 95.

 

7.0.112 also contains the same buffer overflow fix. If you use an older 7.0 client, it will probably work better for you.

 

7.5.140 and 7.0.112 got released on the same day and I expect that Windows 95 was not included in the testing matrix.

[marchem]

I found a copy of the 7.0.107 client. It does install without the password error, but I still get "Client failed speed test error -1 (unknown)" when I refresh from the server. Interestingly, the server does see the client, and lets me add it to the client database.

 

I also installed the 7.0.107 client on an XP machine and it works fine.

 

So maybe the problem is with the 7.5 server and W95. I guess we'll see if it gets fixed, or W95 support gets dropped (it's only 13 years old).

 

Thanks, Rob

[Mayoff]

I can say that Windows 95 support will be dropped going forward.

[marchem]

That's a bummer for those of us who still have to use W95, but I understand completely.

 

I guess I can do a file backup by sharing the W95 drive with another client and getting a backup that way. No disaster recovery, however.

 

At least they're refunding my money for the service incident