DOS programs crash in 2004

[km]

The DOS program may not function with 2004 data or calendar dates past Dec 31, 2003. This is because the processing function was written in the late 90's and was not updated. I'll see what I can do to get the PRAT and the HTR.exe going again and upload them to Rick tonight.

[km]

I fixed the HTR.exe DOS version and dated it Jan 1, 2004 and uploaded it to Rick.

HTR2 and any other Windows versions are not affected.

HTRMODELER works fine.

This problem relates only to the older DOS applications. I'm afraid some of them may not be repairable as the source code is not available. I'm working on PRAT and IMPACT now.

[Rick]

The fix to HTR.exe is up in the library.

You can download it here http://www.homebased2.com/km/dnl/htr.exe

[Donnie]

Ken-
Will it impact the HTR4MSA? I will definitely need the "old" impact program and also the HTR4MSA. I use numbers from both of those in my rankings...hoping I won't have to re-work it! It is very appreciated!!

Thanks for everything you do for us Buddy!

[ERNIE LOGSDON]

"OH NO SAY IT AINT SO JOE"
santa promised me this day would never come.......at least I thought it was Santa !!!


Have new htr.exe v1/1/04 up and running....thanks Ken

[Rick]

The fix to PRAT.exe and IMPACT.exe are up in the library.

You can download it here http://www.homebased2.com/km/dnl/prat.exe

You can download it here http://www.homebased2.com/km/dnl/impact.exe

"I disabled the (2) option from PRAT as it is out of date and the 'sheet' users need to use FIG2 in HTR2. The other parts work. Old IMPACT is the same as before."

km

[km]

DOS versions of PRAT and IMPACT have been repaired for 2004.

Donnie, check your email for a message from me. I cannot find HTR4MSA source code and had no idea that anyone was still using it. Last update shown is March 2000. I'll make you a custom version that will match the comma-delimited or even extract the specific fields you want. As a last resort, we could zap the binary date back to 2003 within the files.

All DOS applications were written in Visual Basic for DOS, a program that was last updated in 1992. Microsoft would probably be astonished that anyone is still programming with it. It is not a platform that is easy to deal with in Windows XP.

Once again, the Windows versions of HTR (HTR2.exe, HTR2001.exe) are not affected by these problems. The exports and all other functions will work fine through 2069. This thread only deals with the older DOS applications.

[Cliff]

Ken,

I, too, am still using the old DOS Version of HTR (Sept. 5, 2000 to be exact). All my spot plays, databases, etc. are based off this and the related HTR4MSA export. For obvious reasons, I'd like to be able to continue to use it.

Please let me know what I'd need to do.

Have not tested 2004 in it yet as was planning to update my files and database with late 2003 in the next day or two.

Thanks,
Cliff

[tbrown]

I still use Impact and HTR4MSA for feeding my db.
Good things stand the test of time <G>

[Shadow]

I to still use the DOS version, it is the only one I use. I done the fix for HTR.EXE and it worked fine, however there are no race files in HTR4MSA to export, any fix for that. I am dependent on the export, without it I am at a stand still.
Thnx, Shadow

[Donnie]

<whew!> ...and here I thought I was the only one using that old HTR4MSA......

[Victor]

Add me to the list. :D

[km]

Nothing I can do about HTR4MSA - it is dead, period. Grew too old for DOS repairs.

But the file-spec is in hand and I will re-create the exact comma-delimited in HTR2 and add a new HX option so you can get that format again. Check back here tomorrow for an update.

[km]

HTR4MSA Windows version is available and has been sent to Rick for posting.

The field headers should match the DOS field names 100% with the 73-field DOS version
that was dated March 25, 2000.

Many items do not exist from the old one anymore. I made substitutions such as the GL8 rank in place of EFF (old effort rating). The POW was replaced by the Cramer PSR in standard format. Two fields, nDAY and nPOS1 were left at zero for now. Emulated the best I could on a few other items.

Good luck with it, I worked hard and did my best to help recover what is basically a lost cause.

To get the HTR4MSA emulator, download the HTR4MSA.exe and go to the Export screen. Place the program into your HTR folder. Run HTR4MSA.exe -- use the 3rd option.

Most users do not need this download.

[Rick]

KM tried to recreate HTR4MSA in Windows. This is the results. This is done within a version of HTR2 so just run HTR4MSA, click on Export, and HTR4MSA is the default exporter.

http://www.homebased2.com/HTR4MSA.EXE

"This program emulates the old DOS HTR4MSA which is no longer functional. Use the 3rd option in the Export screen". No need to download this version unless you want to use HTR4MSA."
km

[Shadow]

I tried to download the new HTR4MSA.exe to the HTR folder, as KM suggested, and got the following message C:\HTR\HTR4MSA.exe This file exists with read only attributes. Also tried HTR2, and got the same message. Don't know what to do now, need some direction as how to do this.
thnx, shadow

[Rick]

The only problem you are running into is that the file names already exist. That is OK. The old HTR4MSA is no good for data files after 2003. It is OK to replace it.

But you do not want to replace HTR2 with this file. The next time you download HTR2 you would end up overwriting this file and then you would no longer have the HTR4MSA exporter.

I don't remember exactly how the message box you are getting reads, but the jest should be that the file name aready exist. If you wish to keep your old copy of HTR4MSA, you can save this new file to a different name.

[Shadow]

Ricks, thanks for the quick response. Since the dos version of HTR4MSA.exe is no longer good for 2004, should I delete it, and save the new HTR4MSA.exe.

[Rick]

Personally, if it was up to me, I would run some of the same 2003 files thru both programs and compare the results.

I will probably do this myself but it will be this evening or this weekend at the earliest.

If you aren't going to compare, or if you already have some files exported (this should be the case for all using this program) then just overwrite the old DOS version of HTR4MSA.exe

It is not any good for 2004 files.

[Huguenot]

Besides those with the old databases, are there ANY advantages to running the old
HTR DOS program over the new HTR 2001? Are there ANY features in there the
new one doesn't have. Fig 1 and 2 have taken over for PRAT.

huguenot

[MikeDee]

IMO there are no advantqges....only disadvantages. Why not bite the bullet and start using the latest export files they have the best figs and will be kept up in the future. If you stay the the old stuff you are riding a dead horse:)

[km]

Zero advantage Hugo, stay with HTR2 for all your research. Before I upgrade any program factors I test thoroughly to make sure the newer information is superior.

example:
When the (K) rating was changed for HTR2 awhile back, some users gave me examples of races in which the old (K) rating from the DOS had a winner or two that the new one did not. But the complaints stopped in a few days as they recognized the new (K) proved stronger in terms of finding contenders and Win% and ROI overall.

Shadow, you should over-write the older HTR4MSA if you have 2004 files to process because the old one will crash anyway. If you don't know how to 'file manipulate' then it will be a pain to try and run the old and compare with the new. It doesn't really matter if there are differences in the output, of course there will be, the DOS version was written in March 2000 and the algorithms and PL methodologies, etc have improved considerably. But the point is that the DOS version can no longer be used on current races.

The advantage to having this HTR4MSA Windows version is for those that use that comma-delimited format to get spot plays. For testing and research though, HX4 is strongly recommended.

[William]

I was stll using an earlier version that featured the old Stardust Program on page 3. I found the STardust Rating feature to be very helpful to my picking contenders. Oh well, I guess all things come to an end sooner or later. After all is said and done(my old grand pappy always said more was said than done), in light of the predicated Y2K problems I should be thankful for 3 years of grace.

[Donnie]

Ken-
Being one of the handful that needed HTR4MSA, I want to thank you for taking care of this for us. I must have been using one of the first versions as I had to go into my tables and rename some of the fields, then go into my VBA and tweak some of the code in there. Spent about 2 hours last night comparing old to new, and by all appearances we are back on track! Had a moment or two of anxiety when I ran my reports and it wasn't ranking. But once it was smoothed out, I got a GREAT nights sleep!

Whatever it is you are drinking, I am buying for you in Veags!

You, my friend, are second to NONE in this business! I can't even begin to think how many others would have just said, "Deal with it! It's old and gone!"

A thousand thank you's!

[ERNIE LOGSDON]

William : Except for the comments section in the old Stardust Report # 1 & 2 the class and speed ratings are in the 2004 ver of HTR.EXE ------they are not added together but go to screen #2 bottom section or screen #4 you will find a class and per rating that are the same as cls & spd at the Stardust.( add cls-n-per = stardust rating..... stardust uses pl-5 )
Send me your email address I may have more good news than bad for you......

Donnie : I only know how much late night oil was burned around the new year because I'm in the same time zone and keep some what the same hours as Ken (Lynn manages a movie theatre and is never home before midnight to 1:30 am )
It is suprising how many people were still using the old rating numbers the htr2 figures are so much improved ( better r.o.i. and highier Avg. mutual )
I for one don't say thanks often enough........and times like the past few days are when I realize it the most......Another one who stays in the background is Ricks I have often wondered when he sleeps.......the once or so that the bbs went down he got it back up and providing a forum for guys like us to brag-n-blow steam.....Many thanks to both .....Ernie

[Donnie]

Yes, many, many thanks to Rick as well! Both those guys put in more overtime than the average working stiff. Hats off to both!

[km]

Much appreciated Donnie and Ernie; and without Rick, nothing gets done on here.

Here is a DOS update =
The following DOS programs were salvaged and will work for two more years.

HTR.exe
PRAT.exe screens (1), (3), (4); Screen (2) is available in HTR2 as FIG2
IMPACT.exe

STARDUST.exe was barely rescued thanks to a last minute lucky break and big help from Ernie. The program was sent to the hotel and they were back printing the sheets on Jan 2, after missing a day with it. William or anyone else that wants the Stardust version (prints full card only, no viewing) please email Ernie.

All these DOS programs are now defunct =

HTR4MSA (but re-written in the Windows version with the same specs)
HTRMODEL (it still functions, but cannot process 2004 data) Use the HTR2 tester instead.
TCAT & TLC (TLC for Windows is available in HTR2). Tomcat specials.
MPH download versions. Manual program still works!

[Cliff]

Ya'll,

What was is it about the date 1/1/04 that made everything DOS quit working? What is it about the date 1/1/06 that will make it quit working again?

Did we (I know I didn't) not know that 1/1/04 was a crucial date? I know Ken had been encouraging everyone to go Windows but I didn't realize we were that close to doomsday.

Thanks to Ken, Ernie, and Ricks for getting things running smoother. How much is a current DB with HX3, HX4, and HX5 with 2 years worth of data selling for on the black market? :D

Cliff (who has lots of DB work to do)

[tbrown]

Will the old programs work if I chang ethe date on my computer to last year?

BTW, my original MPH program with BRIS downloads works fine-just tested it out.
Ver 1.2 1994!
I still remember when this bad boy came out...state-of-the-art!
Even then, Ken was helpful-I called him with a problem and he walked me through it over the phone. Tom Brohammer told me Ken was a good guy and would help out.
Heh, heh, who'da thunk it, 10 years later.....still fixing DOS problems!:p

[km]

Cliff: Visual Basic for DOS, the platform used to program all DOS HTR applications, actual went dead on Dec 31, 1999. The 2 digit date method used was not compatible with Y2K. "04" means 1904 to VBDOS. Microsoft stopped supporting the platform a decade ago. With the release of WindowsXP, VBDOS platform for making software won't run properly on any computer. That means I can't program with it anymore. Fixes were made to some DOS programs in a text editor and some brute force code that would make Bill Gate wince. But that was not possible with all of the other DOS software such as HTR4MSA, as the source code was in the original binary format and no longer possible to work with and in most cases was too complicated to update anyway.

Tbrown: thank you for the nice compliment, sure I remember the mighty "bulldog" from 1994.
You and Tomcat were probably the last guys to post messages on the old BRIS bbs!

Changing the date in the computer back to 2003 will not help because the daily racefiles are still coded with "04" for the year and that is recognized by VBDOS apps as 1904.

That is amazing that the MPH on-line still works with the BRIS DRF files. They never revised that file since 1994? Unbelievable. The MPH programs did not use the computer system date for processing, just the text date, so the year 2000 situation did not render the program inoperable. Bring that with you if you come to the seminar for our 10th anniversary, Ernie may still have a copy as well and we can share some nostalgia!

[ERNIE LOGSDON]

Plan to have that program disk and booklet that went with it......at the next seminar
Have the first page that TomB gave you to emulate and some of the first print outs from MPH.exe.......Still have one of our first t-shirts ( nope its to small for me to wear !!!!)

[Shadow]

In the new update for 2004 for HTR.EXE on the screen where it shows the horses names, mlo, lay, ev, lv, and so on, what do the numbers represent next to the horses name. Don't remember seeing that in the old version.
Thnx, Shadow

[km]

Shadow, re: that number
I think that was inserted for one a custom jobs a long time ago, it is the Cramer Projected speed rating in 'sheet' format (lowest is best). That rating is now found in HTR2 in the FIG2 screen with much better context above the graph.

[Shadow]

In HTR2 in the export options, should there be an export option for HTR4MSA ??? Also do I need to delete any fields in my db that the emulator is not using compared to the dos version? Has anyone been able to use the fix ??
thnx, John aka Shadow

[ERNIE LOGSDON]

Shadow : The fix is not in the htr2 program.........look at(aprox) msg #15 above ...Rick has a link to download the htr4msa.exe (emulator ) then in the export button you will find an htr4msa that will read 2004 racefiles.....
as far as the file spec..... no one has posted what was in the old compared with what is in the new......we will all be glad to know as soon as you tell us (trying to put a big smile icon here but it won't let me)
I don't use it in a DB format so comparing wasn't on my list.......I did compare the data in the export to same data in htr2.exe ....could not find any mistakes.... only found one item duplicated....( nFR1 is there twice "if I remember right")
KM or someone will have a better explaination than this, thought I would chime in here knowing that KM won't be on line until late.........

I do think that you should be rebuilding databases with the newer improve ratings and figures in the windows version ( htr2 )
my win %--avg mutual of winners and r.o.i. has improved once I moved into windows version
can't wait until Ken gets the new workout ratings in the export to add to my spot selections.
Do I sound like a TV commercial yet ??? or should I include claims of weight loss and reversal of hair loss ???? (still won't let put a smiley face here )

( %*&%*#$%^ ) was clicking on wrong Icon--- :confused:

[tomcat]

Speaking of comparing, does or should the $ in tlc compare with the nlong in the export hx4? Is there a relationship?

[km]

Tomcat, yes = the $ and the nLONG are the same thing.

[Shadow]

KM, Do you have any plans to put the nday field back in, I have a table that uses the nday field to put the approximate post times for each race on my printed report. Also was the finish position exluded in the HTR4MSA fix???

Thanks for the fix, it is greatly appreciated.