ob721RC.exe gives "not a valid win32-application" error in XP SP2 and SP3

[Legacy User]

When we use ob721RC.exe to call plex 7.2.1. dll's from Excel, we get the error: "ob721rc.exe is not a valid win32-application" on all Windows XP SP2 and SP3 machines.

However, when we try to run an application for the same dll through a by Plex generated .exe, all works fine on the same machines. How is this possible?

It must be that through plex generated .exe files are being built with different settings than ob721rc.exe has been built with, making them compatible with windows XP.

Unfortunately we are not able to rebuild ob721rc.exe with the suitable settings I guess?

Therefore, would it be possible to release a new ob721rc.exe that is XP-compatible?

 

Thanks very much in advance,

Paul

[Andy Hebert]

Please review the Plex Compatibility Matrix at https://support.ca.com/phpdocs/7/258/258_CompMatrix_SuppRel.pdf.  In order to keep in sync with Microsoft, Windows XP was left off the matrix.

 

Please note the following from Microsoft.

After 12 years, support for Windows XP ended April 8, 2014. There will be no more security updates or technical support for the Windows XP operating system. It is very important that customers and partners migrate to a modern operating system such as Windows 10. Customers moving to a modern operating system will benefit from dramatically enhanced security, broad device choice for a mobile workforce, higher user productivity, and a lower total cost of ownership through improved management capabilities.

[Legacy User]

Andy,

 

I'm quite disappointed with your answer.

1) The link you're providing in your reply gives me "You are not authorized to view this content.", even when I'm logged in.

2) You do not address my basic question "why there is this inconsistency between a by-Plex  generated .exe and OB721RC.exe in compatibility with Windows XP.

3) Your answer "In order to keep in sync with Microsoft, Windows XP was left off the matrix." is too easy. I suspect there's no technical reason at all for this. It's nothing more or less than a version number that is used for compilation.

 

Apparently when compiling an .exe, Plex is using parameters giving us:

5.01 operating system version
5.01 subsystem version

Therefore making it Windows XP compatible!

 

OB721RC.exe (which should be practically the same object) however, seems to have been compiled in a way giving us:

6.00 operating system version
6.00 subsystem version

Making it Windows XP incompatible (only because of these versionnumbers?!)

 

For developers out there experiencing this same problem: You may be able to change the "Subsystem version" (which is causing this) of OB721RC.exe using editbin.exe which is provided in VS2013. See also: stackoverflow.com