Composer from Communicator 4.78

[JoniM]

Communicator 4.78 has Composer in it and I've found it very useful over the years. I currently have it on an XP machine and use it daily.

I have just purchased a new machine, did a clean install of Windows 7 and tried to load Communicator 4.78 to it because I needed to be able to use Composer. Communicator 4.78 will not load to Windows 7. However, Netscape 7 does.

Is there a way to copy the files for Composer (that came with Communicator 4.78) from my XP machine to see if it will work in Windows 7 or does anyone know where I can find just Composer to download (the version that was bundled with Communicator 4.78)? I do not like the version of Composer that is in Netscape 7, but, realize that I may have to use it instead of the older version that came with 4.78.

Thanks in advance.
Joan

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[Don_HH2K]

If it works, the quickest way would be to try running the installer in Compatibility Mode for an earlier version of Windows. Right-click on the installer file and select Properties, then go to the Compatibility tab and select the option to run in compatibility mode for something from that era, like NT 4.0.

If that doesn't work, you can also copy over the Communicator 4 files from XP to Seven. By default, they're located in [tt]C:\Program Files\Netscape\Communicator[/tt]. Either copy and paste this folder to a flash drive, burn it to a CD, or share it over a home network, then copy it over to Seven and try launching [tt]netscape.exe[/tt].

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[JoniM]

**If that doesn't work, you can also copy over the Communicator 4 files from XP to Seven. By default, they're located in C:\Program Files\Netscape\Communicator. Either copy and paste this folder to a flash drive, burn it to a CD, or share it over a home network, then copy it over to Seven and try launching netscape.exe.**

-----How can I come through this screen and KISS YOU!!! It worked, not by trying an earlier compatibility mode (that did not work) but, by copying the files off my XP machine and putting them on the WIndows 7 machine. I created a folder called Netscape Communicator and pasted the files to it. I launched netscape.exe and it launched. I then clicked on the composer icon and IT LAUNCHED TOO! I cannot thank you enough.

Now all I have to do is figure out how I created a shortcut to composer on the old machine and apply it to this new machine. I knocked off two steps by not having to launch the program and then click the icon but, when I create the shortcut (following the same path as on the XP machine and finding the same file on the new machine),it only launches Netscape in full, not just composer. But, I'll take two extra steps to get there now that I have my old composer back!!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for your expert and expiedient help!!!
Joni

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[PaulD]

There are multiple ways to skin this cat. (PETA: only kidding. Of course.)
1. On your old machine, right-click on the desktop Composer shortcut, and click on Properties.

You will find that the end of the 'Target:' string is " ...\netscape.exe" -edit
Note that there is a space between the closing quotation mark and the hyphen.

Add that ( -edit) specification on the Desktop shortcut on the new system.
Other possible additions, each on its own shortcut: -browser, -mail.

2. On the old system, go to: Start > All Programs > Netscape Communicator, and look at the Properties of the three shortcuts therein.

3. "I then clicked on the composer icon"
- Just do a Copy of this shortcut to the Desktop.
- (And you can Copy the other shortcuts too, as desired.)

If you need sometimes to work with multiple Profiles, you may also find it handy to replicate the 'User Profile Manager' shortcut within the 'Utilities' folder (same path as above).

Joan / JoniM: "come through this screen and KISS YOU". Now THAT is real telecommuting! But several of the correspondents here are old married men.
Don: ???.

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[JoniM]

*****Add that ( -edit) specification on the Desktop shortcut on the new system.
Other possible additions, each on its own shortcut: -browser, -mail. *****

Mmmmwagh! (that's kiss from me!) Don't care how old anyone is, if they give me back a feature I thought I'd lost, I am a happppy happy girl and they'll get a big kiss anytime!

I hated the newer composer. It added so much trash code to the file and was driving me insane. I'm having to use the two computers to do my work though since software I have on the old XP (my Dreamweaver) is there but I cannot find my software CD to load to the new machine (can you find that for me also )

So, I'm happy, happy, happy now! Thanks so much! I only need 4.78 for composer so it's wonderful to have my quick click to it again!

Here's another kiss; mmmmmmmmmmWAGH!
Joni

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[PaulD]

(I'll let my wife respond to part of your post.)
Thanks for letting us know that Composer is now happy.

Dreamweaver: The lack of the distribution medium is difficult to get around. In principle, one could copy over all the program files, and re-jigger the Registry entries to support it. But finding ALL the Registry entries that are involved is unlikely. The easy and obvious ones are in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE. But there are too many other keys and values that a complex application inserts to make this approach practical. And, unless one is very comfortable with Regedit, this is strongly discouraged. In any case it would be tedious.

You probably should consider getting a newer / replacement version. Wikipedia lists some shortcomings of older versions. Also see the Version History at the end for version support status.

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[JerryPB]

If it works, the quickest way would be to try running the installer in Compatibility Mode for an earlier version of Windows. Right-click on the installer file and select Properties, then go to the Compatibility tab and select the option to run in compatibility mode for something from that era, like NT 4.0.

If that doesn't work, you can also copy over the Communicator 4 files from XP to Seven. By default, they're located in C:\Program Files\Netscape\Communicator. Either copy and paste this folder to a flash drive, burn it to a CD, or share it over a home network, then copy it over to Seven and try launching netscape.exe.

I could not make the install using the compatibility mode.
I have the entire netscape 4.7.9 saved on cd where exactly do I need to copy the files to on my new windows 7 computer? Thanks in advance.

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[James]

Why would you want to screw up your new OS using a program over a decade old and entirely insecure? Surely you can find something newer out there. I just cannot for the life of me understand why people insist on using outdated programs on new systems. I'm not trying to be difficult but I'm totally mystified.

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[Mandrake]

Why would you want to screw up your new OS using a program over a decade old and entirely insecure? Surely you can find something newer out there. I just cannot for the life of me understand why people insist on using outdated programs on new systems. I'm not trying to be difficult but I'm totally mystified.

It is a bit mind boggling. KompoZer is a good free standalone web authoring utility or there's the composer in the Seamonkey app-suite.

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[JerryPB]

Why would you want to screw up your new OS using a program over a decade old and entirely insecure? Surely you can find something newer out there. I just cannot for the life of me understand why people insist on using outdated programs on new systems. I'm not trying to be difficult but I'm totally mystified.

James your post has made me think and you are right. I have always maintained my website using netscape composer the early version. I do have the latest but don't really like it as much.

Mandrake how do I install KompoZer after downloading I think I will give it a try.

Thanks to both of you.

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[JerryPB]

Why would you want to screw up your new OS using a program over a decade old and entirely insecure? Surely you can find something newer out there. I just cannot for the life of me understand why people insist on using outdated programs on new systems. I'm not trying to be difficult but I'm totally mystified.

Mandrake how do I install KompoZer after downloading I think I will give it a try.

Thanks to both of you.

I have downloaded Sea Monkey and am going to give it a try.
Thanks for your sugestions.

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[Mandrake]

Mandrake how do I install KompoZer after downloading I think I will give it a try.

That's easy to do. I assume you have some sort of compression software installed like Winzip, Winrar, 7ZIP, Power Archiver etc, open that up and extract the Kompozer files to a directory on your PC. You could create a sub-directory in your C:\Program Files directory. Navigate to the extracted files and create a shortcut on the desktop/start menu/wherever to the kompozer executable and you're done.

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[Alalia83]

Hi,
If that doesn't work, you can also copy over the Communicator 4 files from XP to Seven. By default, they're located in C:\Program Files\Netscape\Communicator. Either copy and paste this folder to a flash drive, burn it to a CD, or share it over a home network, then copy it over to Seven and try launching netscape.exe.
Thanks.

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