FAQ: Visual SourceSafe Installation and Setup Issues

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The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Visual SourceSafe for Windows, version 4.0
• Microsoft Visual SourceSafe for Windows NT, version 4.0
• Microsoft Visual SourceSafe for Macintosh, version 4.0
• Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Edition, version 4.0
• Standard, Professional, and Enterprise Editions of Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows, 16-bit and 32-bit, version 4.0

SUMMARY

This article covers some of the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Visual SourceSafe 4.0 setup.

1. Q. What is Visual SourceSafe?

   A. Visual SourceSafe is a project-oriented version control system.
      It enables team development through integrated version control and
      project-oriented features that make it easier to manage large
      projects and reuse code. Visual SourceSafe can store text or binary
      files, but features integration with Visual Basic 4.0 and Visual C++
      4.0.

2. Q. Which installation do I want to run (Client, Server, or Custom in
      Setup.exe or Network Setup in Netsetup.exe)?

   A. When running Visual SourceSafe Setup.exe for the first time, you will
      be given three options:

       - Server
       - Custom
       - Client

      The Server installation, under normal circumstances, is performed by
      a system administrator on a network server once. Then everyone,
      including the administrator, would install either the client version
      or its equivalent on their local computer. The Server installation
      does not provide the registry hooks needed to support integration
      with Visual Basic or Visual C++.

      Once the Server installation is complete, the Visual SourceSafe
      database has been automatically created, so your administrator can
      add users through the Visual SourceSafe Administrator application.
      Now, you can install Visual SourceSafe locally on each user's
      computer. To do this, start Visual SourceSafe's NETSETUP.EXE program
      found in the directory where the Server install was performed. In
      other words, if your system administrator installed to the following
      UNC path:

         \\<server>\<sourcesafe server>

      Then you would run:

         \\<server>\<sourcesafe server>\netsetup.exe

      NETSETUP.EXE is identical to the Client installation found on the
      Visual SourceSafe installation disks or CD-ROM disc except that
      it already knows where the Visual SourceSafe database is located.
      You could, on each user's machine, run the SETUP.EXE found on the
      installation disk or CD-ROM, select Client Install, and get the same
      result. However, you will be prompted for the location of the Visual
      SourceSafe database.

      The Custom installation in Setup.exe allows you to choose which
      options you wish to install. It has a check box for adding the
      Visual Basic or Visual C++ registry hooks (Visual Basic and Visual
      C++ Registration). If that check box is selected, the hooks will
      be installed. By default, both the SETUP.EXE and NETSETUP.EXE install
      these hooks.

3. Q. After installing Visual SourceSafe, I received an "Incompatible
      Database" Error. Why am I getting this error, and how do I fix it?

   A. There are several things that can cause this error to occur. They are
      discussed in the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

         ARTICLE-ID: Q123468
         TITLE     : PRB: How to Handle the "incompatible database" Error

4. Q. Why can't I install Visual SourceSafe on Windows NT version 3.5?

   A. For Visual SourceSafe to be Windows 95 compliant, it must use the
      Windows 95 Setup program (ACME) for its 32-bit installations. The
      ACME setup program can not install on Windows NT version 3.5. It can
      install on Windows NT 3.51 and Windows 95. Visual SourceSafe is
      installed in 16-bit environments such as Windows version 3.1 and
      Windows for Workgroups via a different setup process, which is
      invisible to the user doing the installation.


5. Q. I wish to integrate Visual SourceSafe with either Visual Basic or
      Visual C++. Where can I get more information?

   A. Please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

         ARTICLE-ID: Q136019
         TITLE     : FAQ: Visual SourceSafe Integration with Visual C++ 4.0

         ARTICLE-ID: Q135995
         TITLE     : Visual SourceSafe Integration with Visual Basic 4.0

6. Q. Where can I find additional information about Visual SourceSafe?

   A. The following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base includes
      information on how to obtain further help:

         ARTICLE-ID: Q134369
         TITLE     : Microsoft SourceSafe Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

7. Q. How do I send suggestions for product features or improvements to
      Microsoft?

   A. Contact the Microsoft Wish Line at (206) 936-WISH [936-9474]. If it
      takes more than two minutes to describe, you can:

       - Fax it to us at 206-936-7329
       - Write to us at:

         Attn: Microsoft Wish
         One Microsoft Way
         Redmond WA, 98052

      You can also access the following URL on the Web to send feedback
      for Visual SourceSafe:

          http://www.microsoft.com/ssafe

      Then, click the Submit Feedback button.