1I found these instructions for opening the PE using MS Access Runtime. Runtime installed properly as far as I can tell. But it will not open pfbuild2005.mdb. I get an error box saying:

 

"can't be started.

 

was unable to initialize the Windows Registry.

 

Rerun MS Access or MS Office Setup to reinstall."

 

 

 

There is a note about problems running the PE under Vista, but I didn't find posted details about what that problem is and what the fix is. I don't have Vista, but I do have Windows 7.

 

Any solution?

Which version runtime did you try?

I had problems opening the db (not sure if it was the same error) with Access 2010 runtime,

but it works ok with the Access 2007 runtime.

download link: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=4438

This is on Vista.

 

On Windows7 I have an Office 2007 installed, the Access of that also opens the db without problems.

 

PE Guide from Tony:

http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?/topic/1330-platform-editor-users-guide/

I used what was distributed with the game -- "Harpoon Classic Access 97 Runtime". While I have 2010 Word and Excel, I don't have Access.

Now I learned something, thanks! I was looking high and low for the runtime in HUCE, for some reason I was convinced that the hce_art.exe must be a component of the DigMilArt features and never started it. So this is the Access 97 runtime installer actually ... you live and learn.

 

Anyway, back to you, so until someone tells you how to remedy the error you get, you might try the 2007 runtime from MS.

This would be a read-only workaround.

Read-only because the 2007 runtime converts the database to the Access 2007 format, probably not useable for Harpoon then on.

Do make a copy of the db files before opening it first with 2007, the format will be modified already when opening, even if you don't change data in it. I had to rerun the installer to get back an original format copy of the files.