Well...

After upgrading to 2.5, and successfully ghosting it (see my other post), I started to use programs that I created, using version 2.1 and have been using everyday, for just over 5 months, WITH NO PROBLEMS. With 2.5, and the programs crashed, hung up, and gave BSODs what I NEVER, I repeat NEVER got before. So after this post, I'm reverting back to 2.1. Because of the way I do this... install, ghost, install the next major group of programs, ghost, etc, the process will take me 4-6 hours to complete. I don't just uninstall/reinstall... I want a pristine ghost image (see my comment at the bottom).

I even recreated the databases/tables in 2.5, and tried it again, to no avail! It sure seems that there is a problem in the 2.5 engine. REMEMBER, with 2.1, I never had a problem with these programs, since they were written in Jan 2011, plus even older ones, that still use 2.1, although not used everyday. My wife uses about 40% of the programs I've used and written in the past 5 months, with no problems. I have friends (who are IT professionals) that also use them without a problem in 2.1, and also I have users around the USA and world that haven't had a problem with the programs that use 2.1. But as soon as I upgrade to 2.5, BOOM!

My friend tried one of the programs in a virtual environment, and it also blew, under 2.5 (embedded and full install). He installed the program with the embedded version, it blew, then deleted the embedded version, installed the full version, and had the same results. I know it isn't my program, because it uses SIMPLE APPEND, DELETE and EDIT commands through the compiler, like this:

IBTable1->Append();
<take the values and assign them to the DB fields>
IBTable1->Post();

IBTable1->Edit();
<change the values>
IBTable1->Post();

<confirm the use wants to delete>
IBTable1->Delete();

I've used this same process, ever since I started to use FB, in two different compiler versions, with no problems, until I started using 2.5. No other programs have given me the BSOD on my computer, and neither did the programs I wrote... until FB 2.5 was installed.

There are only two times I use SQL in the program, and that is when I merge two tables into one, because it is quicker than using the native calls, and when the program creates a new database/tables. Both of these routines have been used for years, with no problems, under 2.1. The merging has been used since 2006, and the creation of database/tables since in 2002, when I was using an earlier version of the compiler. So, everything is pointing to FB 2.5 as the "guilty party".

As for my "requirement" of not just unstalling/reinstalling FB 2.1, other programs, etc, but rebuilding the computer, starting at point "X", doing "Y", ghost, doing "Z", then ghost, etc is explained here.

By doing it the way I do it, it insures that each step has no bogus or left over registry entries, program files, etc that could possibly mess up things later. I believe, with my experience, that 90% of the people that have problems with their computers are due to malware, viruses, etc, as well as installing/uninstalling programs that will mess things up. So by building my computer the way I do... install certain programs, ghost, install others, ghost, etc... if something happens, I can "step back" to point "X", and my computer is guaranteed to be clean.

I've been using this ghost method since 2002/2003, and because that, and my aggressive approach to maintaining my system, and my wife's, we have NEVER been infected. For me, since around 1996, and my wife, since we got back together in 2000. During all this time I had firewalls, antivirus, etc programs installed.

So, I have no doubts that the problem is with 2.5. Why?

1. I never, except for FB 2.5, install a program on our computers, until I thoroughly test it in a virtual environment.

2. Even after #1, it is installed at the end of the build, until I can use it for 3-6 months. Every month, at the minimum, I backup my computer (using WINZIP), reapply the last, final ghost image, and restore my computer. During this restore process, I reinstall the "test" program again. If, I find out that this program is bad, or it doesn't work as claimed, I then just don't install it again. If after 3-6 months, it proves to be AOK, then I will eventually roll it into my permanent configuration.

So, as said earlier, bye bye 2.5!