Professional Soft Collection 1.02/Professional Soft Collection 1.02.iso/qemm.80c/technote.qip/TROUBLE.TEC

Text File | 1995-11-04 | 18KB | 357 lines

                  QEMM General Troubleshooting

 Quarterdeck Technical Note #241              Filename: TROUBLE.TEC
 by Michael Bolton                          CompuServe: TROUBL.TEC
 Last revised:  3/15/93                       Category: QEMM

 Subject: A step-by-step guide for troubleshooting conflicts
          related to QEMM, providing reliable troubleshooting
          techniques and references to more specific technical
          notes.

 This is a very general guide to troubleshooting QEMM Version 7.5,
 and provides either quick fixes or references for additional
 information. It does not provide the detail available in the QEMM
 manual, which you should also consult.  The troubleshooting
 section in Appendix A has many quick fixes for common problems.

 As you proceed through this guide, please record carefully the
 results of each step. This is important; Quarterdeck Technical
 Support may need this information, and if you can provide a record
 of it, we can address your problem much more efficiently.  In any
 case, you will find that this saves you time and trouble in
 further troubleshooting.

 If your problem is related to...       ...you may also wish to
                                            consult the Technote

 Product-specific conflicts                  PRODUCTS.TEC
 Exception #6, #12, #13                      EXCEPT13.TEC
                                             EX13FLOW.TEC
 StealthROM                                  STLTECH.TEC
                                             STEALTH.TEC
 Microsoft Windows                           WINFLOW.TEC
 Stacker                                     STACKER.TEC
 SuperStor                                   SSTOR.TEC
 MS-DOS 5                                    DOS5.TEC
 MS-DOS 6                                    MSDOS6.TEC
 DR-DOS or Novell DOS                        NW&DRDOS.TEC
 High RAM Conflicts                          EXCLUDE.TEC
 "Cannot find ROM Handler for INT ??"        XSTI.TEC
 Bus-mastering devices or SCSI hard drives   BUS-MAST.TEC
 Getting more memory                         MAXMEM.TEC
 Parity Errors                               PARITY.TEC


 Processor Exceptions occur due to a wide variety of causes, almost
 all of which are treated here.  If you wish to learn more about
 what the Exception reports mean, refer to the technote "EXCEPTION
 REPORTS EXPLAINED" (EXCEPT13.TEC).

 Consult the note CONTACT.TEC or the Passport Support Brochure that
 accompanies your copy of QEMM for more information on contacting
 Quarterdeck.

 If your system will not boot normally after installing QEMM, begin
 with Section A below.  If your system does boot normally, but you
 experience problems later on, begin with Section B below.

 For the purposes of this troubleshooting guide, QEMM is comprised
 of the QEMM386.SYS driver (which provides EMS, XMS, VCPI memory
 management, High RAM, and miscellaneous other services) and three
 other significant features, installed as separate drivers. These
 are:

 Feature                        Driver

 DOS-Up                         DOSDATA.SYS, DOS-UP.SYS
 QDPMI Host                     QDPMI.SYS
 Stealth DoubleSpace            ST-DSPC.SYS (ST-DBL.SYS in v7.0)

 QSETUP and Manifest should be very helpful as you troubleshoot any
 problems that you may have with the QEMM package.  Manifest
 provides detailed reporting on various aspects of your system's
 configuration, and, on its Hints / Overview and Hint / Detail
 screens, suggestions for improving your system's use of memory.
 You may use QSETUP to review or change QEMM parameters, to enable
 or disable the other drivers that come with the QEMM package,
 and/or to edit CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT.  We will use QSETUP in
 many of the steps below.  To run QSETUP, simply change to the QEMM
 directory, and type QSETUP at the DOS command prompt. Though
 QSETUP runs as a Windows program, you may find it quicker to run
 QSETUP from the DOS prompt.

 OPTIMIZE's /RESTORE parameter will allow you to restore past
 configurations quickly and easily.  See the QEMM manual for more
 details on OPTIMIZE /RESTORE.


 Section A  -- Recovering Easily from a System Failure

 If your machine fails to boot properly after QEMM has been
 installed, you may recover easily.

 1) Reboot your machine.  Use the power switch if necessary.

 2) Wait until you hear a beep; then hold down the Alt key until
    the boot sequence stops.  If your system does not beep on
    bootup, hold down the Alt key after you hear the floppy drive
    being accessed.   When the boot sequence stops, you will see a
    message from DOSDATA or from QEMM.  If the message is from
    QEMM, proceed directly to item (4) below.  If the message is
    from DOSDATA, proceed to item (3).

 3) If the message is from DOSDATA, prepare to hold down the Alt
    key again. Tap the Escape key to unload DOSDATA, and
    immediately hold down the Alt key again.

 4) You will see the following message "QEMM: Press Esc to disable
    QEMM or any other key to continue with QEMM."  Press the Escape
    key.  Your system should then proceed with the boot sequence.
    QEMM will not be loaded, and no programs will be loaded into
    High RAM.  You will likely see messages noting that there is
    not enough room to load your programs high; these messages are
    expected and no harm should result to your system as a
    consequence.  Proceed to Section B.

 Section B -- Determining if QEMM is the Problem

 The first thing to determine is whether your difficulty is
 associated with the QEMM package at all.  There are two lines in
 your CONFIG.SYS that read:

 DEVICE=C:\QEMM\DOSDATA.SYS
 DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS [parameters]

 Using QSETUP, Manifest, or a text editor, disable QEMM entirely by
 placing the word "REM" before the word "DEVICE" on each line;
 reboot your system and try to reproduce the problem.

 If the problem persists in exactly the same way as it always has,
 you can be reasonably sure that neither QEMM nor its associated
 drivers are the cause (since neither QEMM nor its drivers are
 active at this point).  Make a note of this, and contact the
 vendor of the faulting application for assistance.

 If this does relieve the problem, note that the problem does not
 persist when QEMM is inactive, and proceed to section C.

 Section C -- Conflicts with DOS-Up, QDPMI, and Stealth D*Space

 1) Disable the DOS-Up, QDPMI, and Stealth DoubleSpace features if
    any of them are active.  Do this by running QSETUP, going to
    the main menu, and selecting each feature in turn.  Answer "No"
    when you are asked if you would like to enable each one.  Note
    that you should choose "No", and not "Partial" in response to
    the DOS-Up option.  Note also that if you are not using DOS 6's
    DoubleSpace, the option to enable or disable Stealth
    DoubleSpace will not appear.  Return to QSETUP's main menu, and
    select S for Save Configuration and Quit.  If you are offered
    the opportunity to run OPTIMIZE, do NOT do so at this time.
    Reboot your machine without running OPTIMIZE.

 2) If your problem is now solved, one of the QEMM features you
    have just disabled is likely in conflict with some other aspect
    of your system. Re-enable each feature, one at a time, and
    write down which feature you are enabling.  It is likely that
    your system will fail before you re-enable the last feature.
    Write down the one that appeared to cause the failure; it is
    likely that this feature is the cause of the conflict.  To be
    sure of this, re-eanble all features except the one that seems
    to be causing the conflict.  Write down the results of this
    testing, and then proceed to section E below.

 3) If your problem persists, but was solved by disabling QEMM in
    Section A above, the problem is likely related to the
    QEMM386.SYS driver. Write this down, and proceed to Section D
    below.

 Section D -- Troubleshooting with the QEMM386.SYS Driver

 Again, in your CONFIG.SYS file, there is a line that reads:

 DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS [parameters]

 Steps 1-5 in this section involve editing the [parameters] on this
 line, and nothing else.  You may use a text editor such as DOS'
 EDIT, or the CONFIG.SYS editor in Manifest or QSETUP to make these
 changes.  Every time you change the parameters on this line, you
 must reboot your computer for them to take effect.  Write down the
 results of each step.

 1)  If there is a Stealth parameter ("ST:M" or "ST:F"), remove it
     and reboot. If this solves your problem, refer to the QEMM
     parameter STEALTHROM for an explanation of the parameter, and
     then refer to the technote "STEALTH TROUBLESHOOTING" (under
     the filename STEALTH.TEC) and follow its instructions.  If
     removing the Stealth parameter fails, note the failure and
     proceed to Step 2.

 2)  Add the parameter "DB=2" to this line and reboot.  If this
     solves your problem, refer to the QEMM parameter DISKBUF, and
     to the technote "BUS-MASTERING DEVICES AND QEMM" (under the
     filename BUS-MAST.TEC) for an explanation.  If adding the DB=2
     parameter fails, note the failure and proceed to Step 3.

 3)  Add the parameter "X=A000-FFFF" to this line and reboot.  If
     this solves your problem, it is likely tha there is a conflict
     between QEMM's placement of High RAM and some piece of
     hardware on your system.  To resolve the problem, refer to the
     QEMM Analysis Procedure (page xxx), or refer to the technote
     QEMM ANALYSIS PROCEDURE FOR SOLVING MEMORY CONFLICTS
     ("EXCLUDE.TEC" and follow the instructions for the Analysis
     procedure.  If this EXCLUDE parameter fails, note the failure
     and proceed to Step 4.

 4)  Remove all the parameters on the QEMM386.SYS line and add:

     APM:N BE:N BOOTKEY:Y CF:N DB=2 DM=128 FILL:N IOTRAP=64 LD MR:N
     P:VME:N RH:N SH:N TM:N TR:N VDS:N WC:N XBDA:N ON

     then reboot.  (Note that all of these parameters should be on
     the same line, the QEMM386.SYS line.)  If this does not solve
     your problem, go to Step 5.

     If this does solve your problem, it is probable that one (and
     only one) of the parameters above is required.  All of these
     parameters, even taken together, do not seriously handicap the
     usefulness of QEMM.  All together, they cause QEMM to use only
     2K more conventional memory, 116K more extended memory, and
     will not cause QEMM to be any slower, except on a Pentium. You
     can find the one(s) you need by eliminating some and retaining
     others, noting the changes that you make each time. An
     efficient way of doing this is to remove half the list,
     writing down the parameters that you have removed.  If the
     problem returns, one of the parameters that you have removed
     is the likely solution.  If the problem does not return, one
     of the parameters still on the line.  Continue to remove and
     restore parameters in this manner until you find the one that
     is required to solve your problem.  When you are finished, you
     may consult the parameters section of the QEMM manual for an
     explanation.

 5)  If your system is still not working properly, add the
     parameter "NOEMS" and reboot.  If this does not solve your
     problem, proceed directly to Step 7.  If this solves your
     problem, some program that uses expanded memory is probably
     misbehaving, since this parameter causes QEMM to cease
     providing expanded memory.  Write this information down, and
     go to Step 6.

 6)  In order to verify that the problem is with a program that is
     abusing expanded memory in general, try to reproduce the
     problem with DOS' memory managers.  Add REM to the beginning
     of the QEMM386.SYS line in CONFIG.SYS, and add the following
     three lines immediately beneath the QEMM line:

     DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
     DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM ON 1024
     DOS=UMB

     Reboot your system, and try to reproduce the problem.  If the
     problem recurs, the problem is unrelated to QEMM, but instead
     is caused by some program that is mishandling expanded memory
     in some way.  Note this important information, and contact the
     vendor of the faulting application.

 7)  Rename your AUTOEXEC.BAT to TEST.BAT, and copy your CONFIG.SYS
     file to another called C.SYS.  Edit your new CONFIG.SYS with
     just the QEMM386.SYS line and "FILES=40", then reboot and
     attempt to reproduce the problem.  If this solves the problem,
     run TEST.BAT. If the problem recurs, there was a conflict with
     something in your old AUTOEXEC.BAT.  If the problem does not
     recur after you run TEST.BAT, there was likely a conflict with
     something in your old CONFIG.SYS.  Restore all of the file
     that WASN'T a party to the conflict, and then restore, one
     line at a time, the lines in the file that WAS a party to the
     conflict, rebooting and testing after adding each line.  You
     should be able to determine quickly which line was causing the
     problem.

     It is possible that in this section, various elements of your
     system may not work properly, since there may be drivers in
     both CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT that are essential for the
     operation of a given device.  In this case, restore the lines
     necessary for the device in both CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT.

     In any case, if you have not found a solution to the problem,
     check Step 8, and then proceed to Section E.

 8)  It is possible that you have more than one problem, and that
     consequently you may need more than one of these solutions.
     When you have solved one problem, and are still having others,
     keep that solution and start over.

 Section E -- If You Have Not Yet Resolved the Problem

 Quarterdeck Technical Support is willing and ready to assist you
 with any compatibility problems that you might experience.
 However, you can help us to help you better by making sure that
 you have clear notes on all of the steps you have taken above.
 Even if these steps did not solve the problem for you, a record of
 your troubleshooting will put you in a much better position to get
 help, and will save you time.

 If you are calling from the United States and you have a touchtone
 phone, we suggest you try 1-800-ROBOTECH, Quarterdeck's toll-free,
 automated technical support hotline. 1-800-ROBOTECH can assist
 with the most common technical questions and offer a variety of
 solutions. Navigation through 1-800-ROBOTECH is accomplished by
 pressing numbers on your phone's keypad to jump directly to the
 topic that you are interested in hearing about.  The system will
 instruct you every step of the way. Call 1-800-ROBOTECH
 (1-800-762-6832),  toll free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
 including Holidays.

 If you contact us by mail, fax or on one of our BBS systems,
 please include the following information:

 Your Quarterdeck customer VIP number which you receive when you
 register your copy of QEMM with Quarterdeck.

 The version number and serial number of QEMM. To find these out,
 type QEMM /REG at the DOS prompt.

 If you are contacting us by mail or fax include a printout from
 Quarterdeck's Manifest. If you are using the DOS version of
 Manifest, press F2 to print, and select "All Manifest" from the
 "What to Print" portion of Manifest's print menu. If you are using
 the Windows version, select Print from the File menu, then select
 All Manifest. If you have other important hardware in the system,
 or if Manifest's list is incomplete, please include any additional
 information you think may help us diagnose your problem.

 If you cannot run Manifest, print out your CONFIG.SYS and
 AUTOEXEC.BAT files, and write down what hardware (include the make
 and model)  and software (include the version) you are using.

 Give a precise description of the problem that is occurring, and
 the exact text of any error messages. Describe in detail the
 results of your troubleshooting efforts.

 Please tell us how to respond to you via mail, fax or one of the
 other methods we support. See your Quarterdeck Passport booklet
 for information on contacting Quarterdeck Technical Support.

 If you are contacting a technical support representative by
 telephone:

 - Be at your computer.

 - Please gather the information listed above.

 - When you contact our technical support representative, you need
   only give your customer VIP number or product serial number and
   a brief description of your hardware, software and the problem
   you are encountering. If the support technician requires
   additional information, he or she will ask for specific details.

 ******************************************************************
 *      Trademarks are property of their respective owners.       *
 *   This and other technical notes may be available in updated   *
 *     forms through Quarterdeck's standard support channels.     *
 *          Copyright (C) 1995 Quarterdeck Corporation            *
 ******************** E N D   O F   F I L E ***********************