SmartPropo on Windows ME?

[jstanley]

I'm a newbie trying to get SmartPropo to work on my Windows ME machine (I know its old, but its the only windows machine in the house, the rest are Macs).

I downloaded the "Original SmartPropo" files from the SmartPropoPlus site , and put what I believe is the correct one (JrPPM.zip, but I tried the others too) in the FMS folder, but it doesn't seem to load, because nothing happens when I move the joysticks in "Mapping/Calibration" mode, and when I push the "Ressources" button in the "Control" menu, it doesn't show any joystick.

Based on the suggestion here I ran Dependency Walker (I don't really know how to use it, but I think I did it right) and it only showed the system winmm.dll for FMS, not the local one (but it did show one of the other dll's in the FMS directory).

I assume that the hardware is OK because the PPM Thermometer works beautifully with my transmitter hooked up to the mic-in port of my computer (otherwise I would have given up a long time ago). I guess I should mention that I am using a (pretty old) Toshiba Satellite 2805-S301 laptop, if that is of any help.

From reading other posts it sounds like this should work, but its not! I'd appreciate any help because I can't think of anything else to try! Thanks!!


Stanley

[shaul_eiz]

You seem to have done it correctly.
I think you should double-check that you planted file WINMM.DLL in the FMS folder you actually use.
As for the Dependency Walker: Start it, drop FMS.EXE (The one you use) into it and verify the exact files it loads.

You can then start profiling (in the Profile menu option) and let FMS start. Stop profiling, and you will see that the SmartPropo WINMM.DLL called the system WINMM.DLL file.
If this does not help, you can use the Options->Configure Module Search order - it will tell you the exact order in which your machine looks for a DLL.

[phildc]

Hi,
Happy that the thermometer showed you a good signal. Did you press the icon with several small windows? it's new in V 3. You will see a moving model...

I am not a smartpropo specialist, and Shaul Eiz.. is the good person to help you. So I don't know if there are problems with ME.
Did you choose the 'smartpropo plus FOR FMS ?' When FMS starts, it should find the winmm.dll in its directory and use it instead of the system one. Just try to open the joystick interface in the menu, and do the calibration.

Hope this helps,
Phil.

[phildc]

Hi Shaul, you've been faster!
Phil.

[shaul_eiz]

Hi Phil,
Your thermometer is invaluable.
I think we are dealing here with SmartPropo Not SPP.

Shaul

[jstanley]

Phil -
I agree, the thermometer is really cool. I like the moving model! Seeing the thermometer (and the moving model) respond to me moving the joysticks gave me hope that, even after several failed attempts, I still might be able to get FMS to work with my transmitter. Thanks.

Shaul is right, I'm trying to get SmartPropo to work, because as far as I could tell, SPP won't work with my old Windows ME machine.

Thanks for your response.

Stanley

[jstanley]

Shaul -

Thanks for your advice. I double checked that winmm.dll is in the right folder (just to be sure, I've been running FMS by clicking on the icon in the folder, not the desktop or menu shortcuts, and I can see the winmm.dll right there).

I tried running Dependency Walker as you recommended, but it doesn't load the winmm.dll from the FMS directory.

I'm including the beginning (I can post the whole thing if that would help) of the Dependency Walker log below in case that is informative (I couldn't remember how to do a screen capture in windows). I noticed that it loaded COLDET.DLL from the FMS directory, so at least it is seeing the FMS directory.

I also looked at "Options->Configure Module Search Order". It shows 'The system's "KnownDLLs" list' first. Next it shows "The application directory" (which it lists as "C:\Program Files\FMS2_a8.5\"). There are a few more directories listed after that.

I tried moving "The application directory" to the top of the search order list. When I went back to the main window, it shows "c:\program files\fms2_a8.5\WINMM.DLL" instead of "c:\windows\system\WINMM.DLL" (when I first drag FMS to the window it shows the system winmm.dll). But when I "Start Profiling" again, it changes the listing to "c:\windows\system\WINMM.DLL"

Does this give you any ideas? Thank you for your help!!

Stanley



Here's the beginning of the Dependency Walker log:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting profile on 7/25/2007 at 12:21:26 AM

Operating System: Microsoft Windows Me (32-bit), version 4.90.3000 (Gold)
Program Executable: c:\program files\fms2_a8.5\FMS.EXE
Program Arguments:
Starting Directory: C:\Program Files\FMS2_a8.5\
Search Path: C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND;C:\PROGRA~1\SSHCOM~1\SSHSEC~1;C:\PROGRA~1\SSHCOM~1\SSHSEC~1

Options Selected:
Log DllMain calls for process attach and process detach messages.
Hook the process to gather more detailed dependency information.
Log LoadLibrary function calls.
Log GetProcAddress function calls.
Log debug output messages.
Use full paths when logging file names.
Automatically open and profile child processes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Started "c:\program files\fms2_a8.5\FMS.EXE" (process 0xFFF71DE7) at address 0x00400000. Successfully hooked module.
Loaded "c:\program files\fms2_a8.5\COLDET.DLL" at address 0x005E0000. Successfully hooked module.
Loaded "c:\windows\system\WINMM.DLL" at address 0xBFDD0000. Shared module not hooked.
Loaded "c:\windows\system\MSVCRT.DLL" at address 0x78000000. Successfully hooked module.
Loaded "c:\windows\system\SHELL32.DLL" at address 0x7FBD0000. Successfully hooked module.
Loaded "c:\windows\system\SHLWAPI.DLL" at address 0x63180000. Successfully hooked module.
Loaded "c:\windows\system\COMDLG32.DLL" at address 0x7FE00000. Successfully hooked module.
Loaded "c:\windows\system\COMCTL32.DLL" at address 0xBFE80000. Shared module not hooked.
Loaded "c:\windows\system\OLE32.DLL" at address 0x7FF20000. Successfully hooked module.
Loaded "c:\windows\system\OLEAUT32.DLL" at address 0x7FE80000. Successfully hooked module.
Loaded "c:\windows\system\ADVAPI32.DLL" at address 0xBFE60000. Shared module not hooked.
Loaded "c:\windows\system\GDI32.DLL" at address 0xBFF10000. Shared module not hooked.
Loaded "c:\windows\system\USER32.DLL" at address 0xBFF40000. Shared module not hooked.
Loaded "c:\windows\system\KERNEL32.DLL" at address 0xBFF60000. Shared module not hooked.

[shaul_eiz]

Hi Stanley,
You have done a remarkable search job.
It seems that in Windows ME the winmm.dll is placed in the "Known DLLs" registry entry.
In more recent systems it is not. I see no harm in removing it from there, if you know how to make changes in the registry.
If you have never opened the registry - don't do it!
This registry entry is:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\KnownDLLs


Hope that helps
Shaul

[jstanley]

[shaul_eiz]

Stanley,
Please note that FMS.exe should call winmm.dll from the 'current directory'. Then this DLL should call the original winmm.dll from the system directory.
Are you sure that the profiling does not do that?
Here is how it should look like (this is on XP not ME):


Shaul

[jstanley]

I just checked - the only winmm.dll listed (after starting profiling) is the one in c:\windows\system\. For comparison I can see that COLDET.DLL is loaded from c:\program files\fms2_a8.5\WINMM.DLL.

I also checked in the "Ressources" window for the "Joystick interface"
it still says "Not Available" for both Joystick 1 and Joystick 2.

Any other ideas for what I can try?

I'm sorry to be so much trouble!


Stanley

[shaul_eiz]

Not really. I don't have the code for FMS. I wish I had.
It now seems that somehow it fails to load the SmartPropo file so it loads the original one.
I f only I had access to the code...

[jstanley]

Oh well. Thanks so much for your help.

Maybe I'll look into installing windows XP on this computer, it might be able to handle it.

Stanley