Microsoft Home Operating Systems and Business Applications
The WinRater Rating Suite is designed as a business application to run on Microsoft Windows Operating Systems. With the release of Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft introduced different editions of their Operating Systems. These editions were a way to help differentiate Home users from Business users of their programs.
The Microsoft Windows Home Operating Systems offer a more limited version of the Operating System. Networking (connecting to other computers or a domain) are not supported by Microsoft. Microsoft also put restrictions in place on important folders like the C:\Program Files\ folders. The Home editions of the Operating Systems have these limitations in place to protect your average family of users. These limitations mean that businesses are forced to have to upgrade to the Professional or Business editions of the Operating System to run business applications.
The WinRater Rating Suite is a robust business application that has certain requirements. We require:
- Full Read/Write access to the WinRater folders and files
- Full Read/Write access to the C:\BSRate folder and files
- Full Read/Write access to .Ini and .Dll files in the C:\Windows folder
How do I know what Operating System I am using?
To determine your current Operating System:
- Right-Click on your My Computer icon (either on your Desktop or Start menu)
- Click on Properties
- Your Operating System will be listed under System.
I am unable to upgrade my Operating System at this time, I understand the risks and would like to go against Boston Software recommendations and install on my Home Operating System.
If you choose to run WinRater on a computer with a Home Operating System, you will need to take certain measures. These measures on not a failsafe as Microsoft releases new updates to their Operating Systems, more restrictions can be introduced.
To run WinRater on a Microsoft Home Operating System:
- You must understand and agree to the conditions that this is not recommended by Boston Software.
- WinRater cannot be run from the C:\Program Files\ folder. You can move the entire Boston Software program to the C:\ drive by right-clicking on the folder C:\Program Files\Boston Software\ and choosing COPY. Then, Browse to the C:\ Drive and paste. Open the C:\Boston Software\ folder and run wksetup.exe. Click here for instructions on how to Copy/Paste the WinRater folder.
- The WinRater automatic backups of the saved quotes will not run in the Home Operating System. You should make sure you perform nightly backups of your data to avoid data lose. Click here for some suggestions for backup programs.
- To run WinRater's SoftSync updates, you must be logged on as the Administrator and not as an account with Administrative Privileges.
- You may want to run the WinRater program in XP compatibility mode or run as Administrator