How can I get Micrografx Picture Publisher to run on Windows 7?

Micrografx Picture Publisher is probably one of the best photo manipulation programs made - but is no longer produced. My old version won't run on my new Windows 7 system. I can get the installation pane to appear and most of the applications (help, Demo) run, but if I click on "install" nothing happens.

I have tried using the compatibility modes and have tried compatibility for W98, 2000 and XP - all of which used to run it. But nothing happens except I get the initial panel, from which the "install" option does nothing at all. I do sometimes get the warning about the program wishing to modify my settings, which I accept, but again I get no further than the first installation panel.

Does anyone have any ideas how I can get it to run or where I can get a version of PP that is compatible with W7? I am presently using Photoshop Essentials, about which the only good thing is that it's better than Corel Paint.

Mujer Alta2014-06-27T07:32:14Z

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Assumptions I'm making:
You're installing PP from an original installation disk.
The disk allows multiple installations (like all of the old disks did).
The Disk auto-plays and displays a splash screen when you put it in the optical drive.
You're right clicking>Properties>Compatibility tab on the disk icon in Start>Computer.

When I'm desperate to install an old program and running the installer in compatibility mode doesn't work, I put the disk in the optical drive, close the splash screen that appears, go to Start>Computer, right click>Open on the disk icon, find the setup.exe file and do a right click>Properties>Compatibility tab on it. Sometimes this gets the installation going but, if the program is really old, most of the time it doesn't do much but at least it's one more chance to install the program.

If the installation begins, you've got to look at each page of the installation dialog, especially if you get a "PP will install in the following...." kind of page. The pathway might have to be changed to what's appropriate for Windows 7 which would be C://>Program Files(x86)/.....". Old programs are difficult to install and run because the system components and pathways they require often just don't exist in our new machines:-(

You could always buy the newest version, 10 (currently $27.99 instead of $79.99).
http://micrografxstore.com/?product=micrografx-picture-publisher-professional-10

jerklin2016-12-28T23:29:05Z

Micrografx Picture Publisher

Anonymous2015-08-07T00:25:18Z

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RE:
How can I get Micrografx Picture Publisher to run on Windows 7?
Micrografx Picture Publisher is probably one of the best photo manipulation programs made - but is no longer produced. My old version won't run on my new Windows 7 system. I can get the installation pane to appear and most of the applications (help, Demo) run, but if I click on...

B K2014-06-27T08:36:59Z

I think that software was made for Windows 95 originally. It would probably run on XP, but Windows 7 has had so many changes. The software is pretty old now - and therefore it's highly unlikely that it would work properly without being buggy or being unstable, even with compatibility mode.

Get GIMP instead it's free http://www.gimp.org and runs on modern operating systems. It's the best free image editing software available today. It can do 99% of the same stuff is Adobe Photoshop.

If GIMP is too complicated, then get Paint.NET http://www.getpaint.net also free. Not as powerful as GIMP or Photoshop, but still good nonetheless.

Believe me, there is no way that software could be the best. The best image editing software is Adobe Photoshop CC which costs money. http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html

Photoshop Elements 12 is modern consumer version of Photoshop. http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-elements.html

bob2014-11-26T08:26:40Z

I too have a version of PP (3.0 I believe) that came with a scanner I bought in 1995. It wasnt for Win95 - it was for Win 3.11 (ie MS-DOS), but it has worked on 95, 98 and XP.

It has far outlasted the scanner it came with or even the replacement scanner for THAT scanner!

The software is -absolutely awesome-. It is very powerful (lots of software packages are) but it is also INTUITIVE!!!!!!!!!!! (and that makes it unique)

I dont think I have ever needed to google "how do I.." like I do every 5 minutes with GimP or Photoshop or any of the others (which is good, since it predates google). If I cant get this to run on Win7 (I have home version - no XP mode) I will keep an XP box around JUST to run this. Its a "killer app".

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