Is there an easy explanation as to why a program works in 10.6 but not 10.7?

[GhostMac24]

Sorry if this has been explained before so feel free to direct me to those threads.


Question if using 10.6:

If a program runs in 10.6 is there a way to tell if it will run in 10.7 before upgrading?


Question if using 10.7:
If a software package doesn't run in 10.7 is there a way tell why?


Reason I ask is that my iMac is running 10.6 and the software works fine on my computer but doesn't on my wife's running 10.7

The software is for a medical practice (so it's not market saturated like Office, etc). The software doesn't say "compatible with 10.X and newer, rather it just says compatible with OSX. Their tech support isn't any help so I am trying to get smart on this.

Thanks for any replies in advance!

 

[maflynn]

APIs change. Apple makes changes to the internals of the OS that could affect a programs ability to function. This is primarily why apple releases the beta of OSX to developers. They can test and update their apps so that it does not cause problems

 

[MacDawg]

Could be it runs under Rosetta I suppose

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Sorry if this has been explained before so feel free to direct me to those threads.


Question if using 10.6:

If a program runs in 10.6 is there a way to tell if it will run in 10.7 before upgrading?


Question if using 10.7:
If a software package doesn't run in 10.7 is there a way tell why?


Reason I ask is that my iMac is running 10.6 and the software works fine on my computer but doesn't on my wife's running 10.7

The software is for a medical practice (so it's not market saturated like Office, etc). The software doesn't say "compatible with 10.X and newer, rather it just says compatible with OSX. Their tech support isn't any help so I am trying to get smart on this.

Thanks for any replies in advance!

The simplest way to verify compatibility with 10.7 is to check for all the common causes of incompatible applications due to Lion changes. These are:

• Does the application run Intel-native? You can check this in the Get Info dialog for the applicaton in question - look at the Kind. If it says Kind: Intel or Kind: Intel (64-bit) you are good to go.
• Does the application use QuickDraw? This can be checked too, but it's a little harder to verify. Launch the application, then open Console. If you see the line "Warning once: This application, or a library it depends on, is using NSQuickDrawView, which has been deprecated. Applications should cease use of QuickDraw and move to Quartz." then your application uses QuickDraw.
• Does the application depend on services present in previous Mac OS X versions that are no longer present or needed in Lion? Example: iSync.

 

[MisterMe]

...
Question if using 10.6:

If a program runs in 10.6 is there a way to tell if it will run in 10.7 before upgrading?


Question if using 10.7:
If a software package doesn't run in 10.7 is there a way tell why?


Reason I ask is that my iMac is running 10.6 and the software works fine on my computer but doesn't on my wife's running 10.7

The software is for a medical practice (so it's not market saturated like Office, etc). ...

When asking for help with software [or anything, for that matter], name it. Terms like a program, a software package, and the software are not useful. The best that you can hope for is a generic answer. You have received generic answers that are absolutely correct in many cases. However, you have a specific problem. The problem may indeed fall under the categories alluded to by the answers given, but you never know. Sometimes software breaks because it is badly written. On the other hand, well-written Mac software may last decades.

There is a simple test for Intel-compatibility. On Intel-based Macs, PPC-only Mac applications have a dimmed-out icon with a slash-inscribed circle over them. You instantly recognize that the application will not run.

The bottomline is that there is a lot of knowledge on this forum. Members will give you their collective best advice. However, we need your best information. As Tom Cruise said: "Help me help you."

 

[GhostMac24]

Thanks all for the input. The problem is that the software package is probably not even used by anybody here so specifying it won't do any good (FYI....it's called NueMD). It's new, a small segment of the population, and occupation specific. Here is a screen shot of their software download page. We called and they said, "sure it works with 10.7, that's OSX, right?" And these are the tech support people! Argh.

The problem is I can't even install the program on my 10.7 machine but it installs and runs flawlessly on my 10.6 machines. I have also attached the error I get when we try to install it. You can see the folder it created (doesn't do that on the 10.6 machine) but then it gets a red circle with a line through it and when we click it is when you get the error message.

FYI...when we install it on the 10.6 machine, the folder doesn't even get created, it creates an icon after you click the install package and it's ready to run.

Thanks again for all the help!

 

[MisterMe]

Thanks all for the input. The problem is that the software package is probably not even used by anybody here so specifying it won't do any good (FYI....it's called NueMD). It's new, a small segment of the population, and occupation specific. Here is a screen shot of their software download page. We called and they said, "sure it works with 10.7, that's OSX, right?" And these are the tech support people! Argh.

The problem is I can't even install the program on my 10.7 machine but it installs and runs flawlessly on my 10.6 machines. I have also attached the error I get when we try to install it. You can see the folder it created (doesn't do that on the 10.6 machine) but then it gets a red circle with a line through it and when we click it is when you get the error message.

FYI...when we install it on the 10.6 machine, the folder doesn't even get created, it creates an icon after you click the install package and it's ready to run.

Thanks again for all the help!

You are correct that giving the name of the application may not get you the help you need. However, not giving the name of the application is guaranteed not to give you the help you need. Also guaranteed not to get you the help that you need is making excuses for not giving the name.

Not having proper permissions? That begs the question: Is NueMD properly installed. Perhaps, you screwed-up the installation when you upgraded to Lion.

That said, NueMD is the type of vertical market application that raises my blood pressure. It doesn't help that its homepage is copyrighted 2008. As for the applicaiton, it looks very much like a straight port of a badly written Windows application. The videos on the NueMD website clearly show Windows XP-themed dialog boxes/sub-windows. This means that the developers did not use proper Windows APIs. Instead, they rolled their own. This means that the port carried-over the Windows theme and did not adopt the MacOS X Aqua look-and-feel.

The bottomline is that it is not surprising that NueMD does not run under Lion. However, this does not mean that it is definitely incompatible with Apple's latest version of MacOS X. You first must ensure that the application is properly installed under Lion.

 

[GhostMac24]

Trust me, I am not making excuses. I just assumed it wasn't needed. I am very wet behind the ears when it comes to the software side of the house. So I do greatly appreciate your input and patience

What I am trying to understand is exactly how I could screw up the installation.

Here is what happens on the 10.7 MBP when we attempt to install it.

1. Download the app from the company website
2. Once complete there is a "disk" on the desktop
3. Click on the disk icon labeled NueMD and it "unzips" (proper terminology?) a folder onto the desktop with the .pkg file
4. Click on the .pkg file to install the software.
5. Once clicked it dumps a folder onto the desktop with a red dot and line through it.
6. Click on that folder to see what it is and get that error message about permissions.

On the 10.6 iMac (brand new as of Aug) when we click the drive on the desktop, it installs and puts an icon on the desktop and it runs like it should.

Any idea?

Thanks again for all your help!

 

[old-wiz]

The red dot and line usually means it is a PPC application, which will not run in 10.7, but will run in 10.6.

 

[MacTech68]

Looking at the screen shot of the error, the red dot with the line is showing that you don't have permissions to open that folder. However, that's not all. The little black arrow on the left side of the folder shows this to be an alias (ie, a small file that "points" to the original item).

It's possible that on the 10.7 Mac that you are not logged in with an administrator account (usually the first user that is created when the machine is new out of the box).

If there is another User you've created on that 10.7 Mac (the first account created), try logging in as that user, re-download and install the Application.

 

[GhostMac24]

The red dot and line usually means it is a PPC application, which will not run in 10.7, but will run in 10.6.

PPC as in PowerPC? Interesting since this is the first pass they have taken making this software. But the again, I don't understand the architecture of software so maybe their developers found it easier to write the software that way.

Looking at the screen shot of the error, the red dot with the line is showing that you don't have permissions to open that folder. However, that's not all. The little black arrow on the left side of the folder shows this to be an alias (ie, a small file that "points" to the original item).

It's possible that on the 10.7 Mac that you are not logged in with an administrator account (usually the first user that is created when the machine is new out of the box).

If there is another User you've created on that 10.7 Mac (the first account created), try logging in as that user, re-download and install the Application.

That can't be it. The only login on that computer is the main account (i.e., administrator).

 

[MacTech68]

It's definitely looks like a permissions problem, though why it's occurred is somewhat of a mystery.

"Get Info" on the icon on the desktop and change the owner to your username, and set read-write.

See the sections headed "Change an item’s owner" and "Apply permissions to all items in a folder or a disk" here:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.7/en/mchlp1203.html

NOTE: since the icon looks like an alias, you may need to perform these actions on the "Original". Click ONCE on the icon on the desktop, and from the "File" menu, select "Show Original". For more info about alias creation and use see:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.7/en/mchlp1046.html

EDIT: You might want to look in your Applications folder, and see if there is an Application of the name "NUEMD EHR". Whilst applications are actually a folder, it shouldn't have a folder icon which the alias to it does.

 

[GhostMac24]

Very good info, thanks! I'll definitely look into that when I swing by the office later today. Much appreciated. I'll post back my results.

 

[GhostMac24]

Looks like somehow the manufacturer created the permissions restriction for their side of the house. Not sure why but they do not want the end user getting into it. I had to do some searching and found an alias icon hiding in a folder that wasn't in the application folder (which I couldn't get into). I just dragged out that alias icon to the dock and not can connect to the software.

I have it working now on 10.7 but it was a pain in the butt.

Getting smart on permissions, aliases, and software writers intent, helped me solve this riddle. Thanks to all for the input as it truly helped me get to the end!

Have a great rest of the weekend all.

Cheers.