SPEA Hotline Information =========================================================================== Trouble Shooting Guide .......................... Windows 3.x configuration SPEA V7 series Release 0795.2 =========================================================================== Dear user, the following text contains hints, tricks and solutions for common problems and requests. Many of them came from other users in the field. We´d like to thank them for their contribution. IMPORTANT NOTE Please check also the references to driver updates and to system-configuration in the respective helpfile (A). Yours sincerely the Support-Team of SPEA SOFTWARE AG Windows-configuration =========================================================================== Questions !.Answers --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ShowTime/Mediastation: Questions/Problems? !.B25 WinWord 6.0: Protection fault when using the spellchecker? !.B23 System fails/crashes; General protection fault? !.B2.B4 (i.e. WinWord 6.0, EXCEL 5.0 etc.) .B5.B8 .B11.B12 .B17 PCI Systems - Windows: The screen becomes grey and gets diagonal lines. !.B22 The resources decrease abruptly ? Crashing? !.B17 Can I use the VideoSeven monitor-drivers specified in Windows SETUP? !.B15 Windows take very long to start. Is this delay due to the V7SETUP-Logo ? !.B1 You don´t like to see the V7 Logo when Windows starts? !.B1.B9 V7SETUP displays odd/absurd frecuencies? !.B24 V7SETUP causes a return to the DOS prompt? !.B3 The drivers in the network: How are they installed? !.B19 Deleting old drivers (files/installation) Which ones and how? !.B21 Characters are not correctly represented? !.B3.B4 !.B17 Problems when printing? !.B17 Problems when entering special characters? !.B18 The Icons and the window-image of Windows are blurred, out of focus or uncomplete? !.B3. Pixel-leftovers / lost pixels? !.B4.B3. .B11 V7-Storm Pro: DOS box/ DOS application in fullscreen/window do not start; Message: Extended Error S3 !.B12 The image flickers? !.B2 The mouse-functions, colours or icons are defective/incorrect? !.B3.B13 Mitsumi mouse driver; Windows Configuration >256 Farben; Errormessage: "Displaydriver cannot set to display mode..." !.B13 Beeptone when leaving Windows? !.B3 Memory Manager QEMM installed: Starting Windows unsuccessful; Windows can only be started in standard mode? Crashes in Windows? !.B5 The test-button in V7SETUP (BigWin) is not available? !.B6 After closing Windows the system hangs; The DOS-Prompt doesn´t turn up? !.B7 The sound is interrupted when starting Windows? !.B7 BIGWIN Installation reports: V7START.DLL not found. !.B7.B8 Message: No S3 board installed! Are you using the QEMM Memory Manager? !.B8 SPTUNE reports: fatal error - no gdc mode number available...? !.B10 Borland Turbo Pascal Debugger: Crashes in the DOS-box !.B20 Windows-configuration =========================================================================== Answers --------------------------------------------------------------------------- B1 The V7SETUP-Logo hardly affects the starting time of Windows! The SPEA logo informs you about the installed version of the driver - which is important for tech-support - and at the same time it proves that the driver has been correctly loaded! Set up a permanent SWAP-file. Defragment your hard disk regularly (e.g. with Norton SpeedDisk or DEFRAG from DOS). Remove all unnecessary entries from the WIN.INI (e.g. unused fonts). B2 Install (Superdisk) the GDC-Software (Pos.1)! Activate (in System BIOS) the SHADOW RAM for the Video BIOS. B3 -Add the following line to SYSTEM.INI under [CAR1K.DRV]: CHIPSYNC=1 -For the MIRAGE/MERCURY P64: BASEADDRESS=1 or 2 (1 for >= 32MB, 2 for >= 64MB) -Decrease the vertical frecuency with the V7SETUP or CLMODE. -For systems with AWARD BIOS 4.50: You`ll find in BIOS, under the option CHIP FAETURES,the point SNOOP AHEAD. Set it to "enabled". -AMI System Bios: disable external cache. -AWARD System BIOS: install BIOS 4.50G Update Rel. 1404.0103. Important: Before installing a Bios update please prepare a backup of the hard disk! -PCI Bios: set option "CPU to PCI byte merge" or "CPU to PCI burst write" to "disabled". -EMM386 Option delete the HIGHSCAN (CONFIG.SYS) option. Use EMM386 Version 4.49 from DOS 6.22! -Increase the "Files=" option (SYSTEM.INI). B4 Set - according to the AMI-BIOS setup in your computer - DEQUOPLE REFRESH, REFRESH=HIDDEN , REFRESH=AT-STYLE or REFRESH from "disabled" to "enabled" or vice versa. B5 If you use EMM386, QEMM, 386MAX etc. then exclude the area of the VGA-BIOS with the parameter X=C000-C7FF (X=C000-CFFF for P64 PCI boards); don´t use includes in the area A000-BFFF. B6 With the TEST-button you can only test the setting of the vertical frecuency in its actual resolution and colour depth. If you change resolution or color depth, the TEST-button will be deactivated. For V7-VEGA: There is no TEST-button available. In order to adjust the vertical frecuency, use the program CLMODE. B7 Find in the block [boot] of the file SYSTEM.INI the line DRIVERS=MMSYSTEM.DLL. Delete the entry V7START.DLL. Install the current BIGWIN driver (available in the SPEA BBS). B8 Add the following line to the CONFIG.SYS: E.g. C:\qemm386.sys R1: ST:M RAM x=C000-C7FF Use the memory exclusion X=C000-C7FF also for other cases of memory shortage (EMM386, ...). Another alternative would be EMM386. B9 Insert the following line: logooff=1 in the block [car1k.drv] of the file SYSTEM.INI. B10 The Programm EFIX can help you against this unpleasant message. (EFIX is available in the BBS) B11 Slow down the bus-clock using the system-BIOS or jumpers on the main-board. B12 Delete (but save it first!) the file IFSHLP.SYS. B13 Use COM 2 for your mouse; load the mouse driver MOUSE.COM additionally. Using the Mitsumi mouse driver 6.0 only 256 colors are available under Windows 3.1. Use the actual (Microsoft) mouse driver. B14 Remove - if it exists - the item "Double Buffer" which appears in the line SMARTDRIVE in the file CONFIG.SYS. B15 The driver VideoSeven specified in Windows SETUP cannot be used for the graphics-boards from SPEA. It only works with the VideoSeven boards (e.g. URAM11) of the american V7-series. B17 TIP: Windows uses two blocks of 64KB each for the administration of the system. These blocks can´t be accesed nor increased. Little free space in these blocks may lead to various problems in Windows. These factors cause shortage of free space in these blocks: - high resolutions combined with high colour depth - if there are many Import- and Export-filters installed - If there is a big amount of installed TrueType- oder PostScript- (Adobe) Fonts - many windows/icons in the program manager - some programs, when ended, do not release the resources they need to run. Some specific hardware configurations may happen to accentuate these problems; but an absolutely smoothly running system is also possible! According to Microsoft, the solution will come with the release of Windows 4.0 (Chicago). In the new program the resource administration will be adapted to the current hardware and software demands!. Until then we can only hope that the following tips and solutions may be of help in case of lack of resources: = Install the current Big Win Version (>= 2.1)! - Keep the resolution and the colourdepth as low as possible or change them according to the main application. The V7-BIGWIN Utility: SPEAVIEW would be helpful here. - WIN.INI Files: deactivate all unnecessary filters and fonts (e.g. add a semicolon at the beginning of the line) - Check on the use and release of resources of all Windows-applications you use. Select, if possible, a lower resolution or colour depth for the display. - Close all unnecessary windows in Programm Manager and try to avoid running any utilities when starting Windows (keep the Autostart window empty) B18 Close the program SPEAview. B19 Please notice: The single user has no longer his own system-directory. Drivers, fonts, grabbers and so on will be loaded from a directory on the server, which has been installed by the administrator of the network. Since this directory as well as the files in it contained are usually write-protected, only the network administrator can install new drivers. - Driver installation for V7-MERCURY und V7-MIRAGE: The network administrator copies (unpacks) all the files from the Installationsdiskette/s into the Network-directory from Windows: E.g. x: cd\public\windows expand a:*.drv (expand a:*.fnt) expand a:*.386 expand a:V7*.* expand a:s3vga.* copy a:V7*.* attrib +r *.* // protect files against writing It is not necessary to copy the remaining files of the installations- diskette (e.g. fonts) for they are already available in the network-directory (just like "expand.exe"). If you want to install more versions (V7-MERCURY and V7-MIRAGE), use the new files "V7*.*". (The drivers have different names, therefore they do not affect one another) You can now select the driver you desire on your Workstation. - Existing Installation (e.g. with VGA-driver): Start "WIN V7SETUP" . Since the Windows-Server-directory must be contained in the path too, the file "v7setup.exe" will be found without resorting to the installations diskette. IMPORTANT: If V7SETUP asked for the installationsdiskette, that would mean that: either not all the necessary files are in the server, or "v7setup.exe" has been found somewhere else (in this case call "win x:\public\windows\v7setup" directly). - New installation of a workstation: E.g. x: cd\public\windows setup /n Select userdefined setup . Choose the driver (Manufacturer´s diskette ). Select desired drivers. B20 For S3 cards: Get the current *.DLL files from Borland. B21 In order to deinstall the old BIGWIN driver (or to install the new one) the following files are to be deleted : V7*.* SPEA*.* S3*.* BIGW*.* SPVHOOK.DLL [CAR1K.DRV] Block in the file SYSTEM.INI First configure Windows to standard-VGA using Windows-SETUP. B22 Please make sure that the system, the system-BIOS and the graphics- board comply with the same level of PCI. The following PCI-boards support the PCI Version 2.0 : VEGA-PLUS, MIRAGE-P64 and MERCURY-P64. B23 Copy the file MSSPEL2.DLL, version from may.11.94 (available in the BBS) to the directory MSAPPS\PROOF. B24 Memory Manager 386MAX: Remove parameter VGASWAP. B25 Please notice the references in the helpfile: ShowTime --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -100795-TV-