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16 bit application crashing Windows 2003 server.

Hi I am running a Dell PowerEdge 2800 with Windows 2003 Service pack 2 and security packs to date and 4 Gigs of RAM. The system has Citrix Presentation Server Version 4.

All is working including a copy of Office 2003 that has been set up for the remote Citrix users. However, when I try and run an old (16 bit) application called Cardbox the server freezes. There is nothing logged in any of the logs other than the system re-boot was unexpected after the server power is re-set to get it going again.

The same 16 bit application has run happily on a similar system running Windows 2000 for over 5 years.

I have run Cardbox locally i.e. not through Citrix and it still freezes so Im fairly sure it is not a Citrix or Terminal services issue.  
Does any know what the problem could be?
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Scott Anderson
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Hmmm... possible the old app is having some compatiblity issues... could try running it in "Isolation environment" where citrix virutualizes the workspace for the app and separate the .dll's and such from the OS.  Take a look here for description and config for Isolation Environments:   http://support.citrix.com/kb/entry.jspa?externalID=CTX106868
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Lee W, MVP
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we run across the same problems, had to implement this

http://www.tamedos.com/downloads/downloads.htm
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JPFN

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Hi ScooterAnderson and Jay_Jay70
Unfortunately it is presentation server 4 standard edition which does not include the isolation environment option.
With the Tamedos option it says something about copying a missing default.tam file over the top of the KRNL386.EXE.tam file. However, it does not seem to work with the default settings was there any thing special that has to be set?
Thanks again
JPFN

PS4.0 should have this functionality...
1.  Open Presentation Server Console
2.  In the Left Pane, rt-click on "Isolation Environments"
3.  Select "New isolation environment", type the new name and click OK.
4.  Rt-click on the newly created Isolation Environment and select Properties.
5.  Select applications
6.  Click Add
7.  Select the problem application and click OK. & OK to save.
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ASKER

Hi ScooterAnderson
Thanks for the update but I have no "Isolation Environments" listed in the left pane of the Presentation server console.

Also the following document shows that it is only included in the Enterprise edition.
http://support.citrix.com/servlet/KbServlet/download/6643-102-13576/CPS4%20Feature%20Matrix.pdf
JPFN
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Thank you Leew
Unfortunately, I need Citrix to be on the 2003 server and the 16 bit app has a second program that manages and resets the databases.
If it was just a single program I could have  run the old Citrix system in a windows 2000 virtual server and just link the app not the whole app. Unfortunately, the two apps have to work along side each other.

General update and thank you all for our input so far.

After patching the BIOS on the system is looks like the problem is with CPU affinity etc for the NTVDM process when using this app but no adjustment I make seems to make any difference and Tame DOS does is the same.
JPFN
As far as tame goes...I am not sure what config had to be done, as i took over the environment after implementation, i have reccomended it and seen it fix most issues though in other environments
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Hi Leew
Sorry for taking long time on this and I have to admit setting up a virtual environment was the last thing I wanted to do in this instance. However, after spending a considerable amount of time with Microsoft PPS and the application developer this was  the only option that worked. I had to run a copy of Windows 2000 server std edition to host the Citrix server and so far it has not crashed once.
-JPFN