Legacy application migration
Moving programs from the Windows XP, 2000 and 7 era onto Windows 11. We first see whether they can run without changing a single line, keeping the original screens, settings and data.
Many factories and offices depend on a program someone wrote fifteen or twenty years ago. It is used every day, yet it only runs on one ageing computer. It will not install on a new PC, the original developer cannot be reached, and the source code is incomplete. The real risk is not the program itself but the day that old computer fails and cannot be rebuilt.
This does not always call for a rewrite. We first break down what the program depends on, including operating system components, the database engine, 32-bit drivers, serial ports and equipment communication, and then rebuild that environment on the new computer so the original program runs as it did. Only when a component is truly unobtainable do we deal with that small part separately.
Common needs
Old Windows programs running on Windows 11
Programs from the Windows XP, 2000 and 7 era, with the system components, paths and permissions they need rebuilt so they run directly on a new PC.
Delphi, VB6 and .NET Framework applications
For example, Delphi programs that rely on older database engines such as BDE, or applications written in VB6 or early .NET Framework. We first identify their dependencies, then plan the migration.
32-bit drivers, COM components and serial devices
PLCs, scales and barcode printers connected through serial ports or older drivers are checked on the new system. If the new PC has no serial port, a serial-to-network device can take its place.
Screens, settings and data kept intact
Features are not dropped just because they look unused. Parameters, user permissions and history all move to the new computer.
Rebuilding only the small part that must change
When a feature depends on a component that can no longer be installed, only that part becomes a new tool; everything else stays as it was, and the way people work changes as little as possible.
Moving the data on cutover day
The latest data and settings on the old computer are brought across in full on the day of the switch, so the last records before the move are not lost.
Migrating a manufacturer's recipe system
We support a manufacturer in moving a recipe dosing and monitoring program, written in Delphi 5 and used for many years on Windows 2000, so that it runs natively on Windows 11. The client did not want a virtual machine, and only fragments of the source code remain, so the program cannot be recompiled.
That makes this an environment rebuild: not a single line of the program changes. Instead we rebuild what it needs on the new computer, including the database engine, the PLC communication software, drive paths and language settings, and connect it to the line's PLCs through serial-to-network devices. Acceptance testing compares photos of each screen on the old computer with the values on the new one, field by field.
Several of the query programs depended on components that can no longer be installed, so we built a separate query tool that reads the original data files directly, keeping every title and field exactly as the original so operators have nothing new to learn.
How we work
Assess the risks before choosing an approach
We list the components the program depends on, hard-coded paths and any functions that write to equipment, rank the risks, and handle the read-only parts first.
Keep the original or rewrite
If it can run unchanged, we do not rewrite it. Only when a component is truly unobtainable do we handle that part separately, and we agree it with you first.
Rebuild the environment on the new PC
The new computer is set up to match the old one's drive paths, language settings, permissions and equipment connections, captured in a checklist that can be repeated and verified step by step.
Side-by-side acceptance
The same screens are compared value by value before and after the switch, to confirm the new computer reads the right equipment data before it takes over.
A way back
The original data and the old computer stay untouched until acceptance is complete, so work can switch back to the old machine if the new one has a problem.
Documentation the site can use
Operating and troubleshooting guides are delivered as offline web pages that open on an industrial PC with no internet access.
When it fits
- A key program only runs on one old computer that could fail at any time
- It will not install on a new PC, or shows garbled text or database errors
- The source code is incomplete and the original developer cannot be reached
- You would rather not use a virtual machine and want it running directly on current Windows
You might also need
Common scenarios for this service. These are examples, not completed client projects.
from Windows XP to Windows 11
The PC beside the production line still runs Windows XP, it's the only machine that opens the recipe program, and the original developer can no longer be reached. We start by checking whether the program can run on Windows 11 without changing a line, keeping its screens, settings and data as they are.
an Access or VB6 program rebuilt for the web
A long-serving Access or VB6 inventory program opens on only one PC, so colleagues take turns to look things up. We first map its tables and everyday workflows, then rebuild it to run in a browser, bring all the old data across and keep the screens as familiar as possible.
getting everything out of an old system
The old system still opens, but its data can only be viewed on screen, with no clear way to export it or move it elsewhere. We first work out how the old system stores its data, then export years of transactions and customer records to Excel or a new database, checking record counts and totals so nothing is lost.
a full copy and a tested restore
If the hard drive fails on the old PC that drives the measuring instruments, the whole line stops. The machine's system and settings are backed up in full, restored and tested on a spare PC, and written up as step-by-step instructions anyone can follow to get back up and running.
Questions
Does it have to be rewritten?
Not necessarily. We first assess whether the program can run unchanged in a new environment. If it can, the way people use it stays the same and the whole system does not need re-validating. We only consider rebuilding a part when a component is truly unobtainable.
Can you do this without the source code?
Yes. Rebuilding the environment does not involve changing the program. We work out which components and settings it needs at runtime and put them in place on the new computer.
Why not use a virtual machine?
A virtual machine is one option and we can weigh it up together. Some sites prefer the program to run directly on the new computer for easier maintenance and equipment connections, and then we start by rebuilding the environment.
Will the switch disrupt production?
We finish setting up and testing on the new computer first, pick a suitable time for the switch with you, and keep the old computer as a fallback, to keep downtime as short as possible.
Would you like to talk through your situation?
No specification needed. Tell us which part of your work takes the most time, and we will look at the right approach together.