Dr. Windows/1993_Aces_Research_Dr._Windows_UPC_765872322017_shareware.iso/misc/winfreq.ask

Internet Message Format | 1991-10-05 | 33KB

From comp.windows.ms Thu Sep  5 13:23:47 1991
From: [e-mail] (Tom Haapanen)
Date: 5 Sep 91 11:19:42 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms,bit.listserv.win3-l
Subject: Frequently Asked Questions, comp.windows.ms edition


TABLE OF CONTENTS

>>  1.  Windows newsgroups
    2.  Free Windows applications
    3.  Getting Windows video drivers
    4.  Using a mail server instead of ftp

    5.  Windows memory requirements
    6.  Standard mode vs. 386 enhanced mode
    7.  Running Windows 2.x applications
    8.  DOS in a window
    9.  Environment space in DOS sessions
    10. Lotus 1-2-3 under Windows
    11. QEMM/386 with Windows
    12. Protected-mode software vs. Windows
    13. Windows, MKS Korn shell and switchar

    14. Windows network compatability
    15. Using COM3 or COM4 from Windows
    16. Accessing the mouse in DOS sessions
    17. Using TSRs for DOS sessions
    18. 256 colors in Windows
    19. Windows communications programs

    20. Changing an application's icon
    21. Creating new icons
    22. Icon and bitmap directories
    23. Installing new fonts
    24. FaceLift, ATM and TrueType
    25. Converting a GIF or MS-Paint file to a bitmap
    26. Using a bitmap as wallpaper

    27. Permanent swapfiles and using SUBST
    28. Installation problems with SHARE
    29. Windows and large hard disks
    30. Using Windows as "runtime" only
    31. Windows Terminal and using the keypad
    32. Date/time in Notepad
    33. Using x87 math coprocessors with Windows
    34. Starting up Windows applications in a different directory
    35. Free system resources
    36. Automatically opening applications on Windows startup
    37. Windows opening logo
    38. Using a mouse with DOS applications
    39. Why does Windows start up VERY slowly?
    40. Formatting floppies from the File Manager
    41. Using MS-SH with Windows
    42. Strange floppy problems in DOS sessions
    43. Windows and DOS session performance problems

    44. Major Windows applications available

    *** A companion posting can be found in comp.windows.ms.programmer ***

----------------------------------------------------------------------


1.  Why are there two newsgroups for windows?

>>  comp.windows.ms.programmer is for discussion about developing
    Windows software.  It is not intended for discussions about
    Windows software or for questions about the Foobar SVGA drivers.
    comp.windows.ms is for any Windows discussions that do not concern
    development of Windows software.


2.  Are there free Windows applications available?  How can I get them?

>>  Yes, there are quite a few.  Of course, there is always CompuServe
    (which has a LOT of them) and your local BBS, but for us net.junkies
    the Windows Heaven is located at cica.cica.indiana.edu, and is
    accessed using a program called "ftp".  This program is accessible
    from most Internet sites, but is not usable through uucp links.  If
    you do have ftp available to you, follow the instructions below to
    connect to cica; do not type in the // comments!

    $ ftp cica.cica.indiana.edu        // make connection
    Connected to ... blah blah blah        // cica responds
    Userid (user@cica): ftp            // enter "ftp" as userid
    Password: real_userid@site        // enter your own userid
    ftp> tenex                // for binary transfers
    ftp> cd /pub/pc/win3            // where the goodies are
    ftp> get ls-ltR                // get the current index
    ftp> quit                // we're done
    $ _

    Of course, you can get multiple files at a time -- read the ftp man
    page for more information.  Please do not access cica.cica.indiana.edu
    between 8am and 6pm EST to prevent overloading the system.  If your
    ftp program complains about an unknown site, you can substitute the
    numeric address, 129.79.20.22, for cica.cica.indiana.edu in the ftp
    command.

    Remember that shareware is not free: register the software you use to
    encourage the development of more low-cost software.


3.  Are there Windows drivers available for my Frobozz Super VGA Turbo X
    clone display card?

>>  First, unless the card is one of the major brands (ATI, Orchid, Paradise,
    Video-7) find out which chipset the card has, either by looking at the
    manual or the card itself.  Then check the /pub/pc/win3/video directory
    at cica for the appropriate driver.  The generic SVGA driver will let
    you use 800x600x16 on just about any SVGA card as long as you can find
    out the appropriate video mode number.  Finally, if you get desperate,
    you could call up your video card manufacturer/vendor and ask them why
    the drivers were not included with the card, and to send them to you.


4.  Is it possible to use a mail server instead of ftp?

    There are a number of sites that archive the Usenet sources newsgroups
    and make them available via an email query system.  You send a message
    to an automated server saying something like "send comp.sources.unix/fbm",
    and a few hours or days later you get the file in the mail.

>>  There are several sites that will perform general FTP retrievals for
    you in response to a similar mail query.  For information on using one
    of them, send a message like this to [e-mail] :

    request: info
    topic: help-ftp
    request: end

    (NOTE: this server is currently "down for repairs".  No estimate on when
    or if it will return.)

    And for info on another one, send this message to [e-mail] :

    help

    Apparently the bitftp server is no longer available to non-bitnet sites,
    though.  One final choice is to use the garbo server, which lets you
    access the garbo archive (which contains most of the cica files).  Send
    a mail message with "Subject: garbo-request" and a single line of text
    "send help" to [e-mail].

    Please be considerate, and don't over-use these services.  If people
    start using them to retrieve hundreds of megabytes of GIF files, they
    will probably disappear.


    --------------------


5.  How much memory do I need to run Windows?

>>  The more the better!  You can run in real mode with 640K (assuming you
    don't have a lot of device drivers or TSRs), but many large applications
    will run *very* slowly.  Standard mode requires 1 MB, but 2 MB is much
    better.  For 386 enhanced mode, you need a minimum of 2 MB.  However, you
    should really have 3-4 MB available for good 386 enhanced mode performance,
    especially if you wish to run several DOS sessions.  In addition to the
    memory above, you might wish to have a disk cache (such as SmartDrive,
    included with Windows) to improve Windows performance.  Some applications
    (such as WingZ, Excel or Word for Windows) are either impossible or
    impractical to run in real mode due to lack of memory.


6.  Is there any advantage to running in standard mode instead of 386
    enhanced mode?

>>  Yes -- speed.  Windows run substantially faster in standard mode than
    in 386 enhanced mode.  You lose virtual memory, but if you have suf-
    ficient physical memory and don't have a need to run DOS applications,
    you may be happier in standard mode.  Do remember, though, that some
    applications require 386 enhanced mode (wdeb386 is one example).


7.  Can I run Windows 2.x applications in 3.0?

>>  Yes.  If you run in real mode, the applications behave just like in
    2.x, but have somewhat less memory available to them.  If the
    applications are "well-behaved", they will also run in standard and
    386 enhanced modes, but Windows will first warn you with a "nag"
    message that the application wasn't written for Windows 3.0.  If you
    run a ill-behaned application in standard or 386 enhanced mode, the
    application will likely crash with Unrecoverable Application Error.

    If you have a 2.x application that runs well in all modes, you can
    mark it Windows 3.0-compatible using either the mark3.exe (?) or
    the nonag.exe utility.  Both are available freely by ftp.


8.  Can I run DOS in a window?

>>  Strictly speaking, you're running DOS even when you're in Windows.
    However, you can run a command.com session from Windows.  In real mode,
    you are limited to a single session.  In standard mode, you can have
    multiple sessions, but they must still run full-screen.  In 386 enhan-
    ced mode, you can have multiple sessions, and they can run in a window.

    You can control the starting up in a window vs. full-screen by setting
    up a .pif file for the program (command.com or otherwise).  You can also
    switch the state by pressing Alt-Enter.


9.  Why do I run out of environment space when I run a batch file in a DOS
    session?

>>  When Windows starts up a DOS session, it by default gives it an environ-
    ment of 224 bytes, or the space required to hold your current environment,
    whichever is larger.  If you need more space, there are two methods of
    circumventing this.  In order of desirability:

    1.    Use a .pif file for each DOS application you run.  In this you can
        specify the environment size by using the /e:nnn option (see your DOS
    manual).  You will need a separate DOS file for each program.  (You
    can, however, just create a command.pif with a suitable /e:nnn, and
    then specify in the win.ini a line such as
        [Extensions]
        bat=command.pif ^.bat        // for DOS users
        ksh=sh.exe ^.ksh            // for MKS users
    With this, you can create batch file icons freely, and still get the
    options specified in command.pif.

    2.  Specify a dummy variable such as DUMMY1=xxxxx....  before starting
        up Windows.  Then, as the first thing in each DOS session, do
        set DUMMY1=
    to reclaim the space used by DUMMY1 for other environment variables.


10. Does Lotus 1-2-3 work under Windows?

>>  Versions 1.x, 2.x and 3.1 run in all modes, but do not support any of
    the features of the Windows environment.  For all intents and purposes,
    version 3.0 doesn't run under Windows. [Buy Excel or WingZ instead! --ed.]


11. Can I use DesqView/386 or QEMM/386 with Windows?

>>  You can use versions 5.0 of QEMM/386 and below with real-mode Windows
    only.  QEMM/386 version 5.1 provides XMS services for Windows, thus
    allowing Windows to run in all modes under QEMM/386, plus providing
    compatability with VCPI applications (see below).  Windows will run
    in standard and real modes as a DesqView/386 task.


12. Why won't my protected-mode software run under Windows?

>>  Most protected-mode applications currently on the market use an
    extended-memory interface called VCPI (Virtual Control Program
    Interface), which is incompatible with Windows' DPMI (DOS Protected
    Mode Interface (?)).  Microsoft went against an established standard
    in choosing DPMI, but there are valid technical reasons why VCPI was
    not chosen for Windows.  At this point, you have three choices:

    1.    Run your protected-mode software under DOS.  This means that
        you must NOT use Windows or SmartDrive before running your VCPI
    software, and may require you to have two different config.sys
    files.

    2.    Plead with your software developer to develop a Windows-compatible
        version.  They should already be working on it anyway, given the
    momentum that Windows 3.0 has.

    3.    Buy QEMM/386, which provides VCPI.  You'll be able to run your
    protected-mode software as well as Windows 3.0.


13. Why can't I use Windows from the MKS Korn shell?

>>  There are two possible problems.  First, with versions up to and inclu-
    ding 3.1c of the MKS Toolkit, the use of login.exe precludes the use of
    Windows 3.0 in any but the real mode.  To avoid this, have your machine
    boot directly into the Korn shell or command.com.

    Second, somebody at Microsoft had a brain fade, and Windows gets confused
    if it is started with a forward slash path.  Thus, if you simply type
    "win" in Korn shell, the shell invokes Windows with something like
    "c:/usr/windows/win.com"
    and Windows doesn't know where to find itself!  To cure this, specify an
    alias for Windows: I use
    alias -x win='c:\\usr\\windows\\win.com'
    Note that the double backslashes are necessary for the Korn shell, even
    inside the single quotes.

    The newer versions of MKS Toolkit allow (standard and 386 enhanced mode)
    Windows to run directly from the login: prompt; but they still won't let
    you run standard/386 enhanced Windows from the shell (if you used login).
    An updated version of init.exe is available from MKS for users of older
    versions of the MKS Toolkit.


    --------------------


14. Which networks are compatible with Windows 3.0?

>>  The follwoing are known to work; see also networks.txt in your Windows
    directory
    Network        earliest version
    --------------    ----------------
    3Com 3 Plus    1.0
    3Com 3+Open    1.0
    Banyan Vines     4.0
    BW NFS        ?.?
    DEC PathWorks    4.0
    IBM PC LAN     1.1    [except server]
    LAN Manager    1.0
    LANtastic    4.0
    Novell Netware     2.15    [shell & utilities must be version 3.01]
    Sun PC-NFS    3.5    [real/standard mode only]

15. How can I use COM3 or COM4 from Windows?

>>  This is a generally a problem only in 386 enhanced mode.  To use these
    ports, you will need to tell Windows where they are located; the
    instructions for doing this can be found in the Windows readme file
    sysini2.txt, which should be located in your Windows directory.  In
    summary, what you need to do is tell Windows what memory addresses and
    interrupts (IRQs) your COM3 and COM4 ports use.  This should work, but
    is not guaranteed to: COM3 and Com4 are not standardized, and this is
    one of the most difficult things to get working with Windows.  If
    possible, move your devices to COM1 or COM2.

    If the port still does not work after specifying the correct IRQ and
    memory address for the port, there is another possibile solution:
    Assuming the ports work OK from plain DOS, try setting up COM3.OS2
    (or COM4.OS2) instead of the usual COM3 or COM4.  The manual says
    this is just for OS/2 machines, but it seems to work for many clones.


16. Why doesn't my mouse work in a DOS window?

>>  If you are running a DOS application in a window, Windows will retain
    control of the mouse for cutting and pasting.  You can use a mouse in
    a full-screen DOS session if you install a mouse driver by running
    mouse.com (either before starting Windows, or inside the DOS session),
    or by including 'device=mouse.sys' in your config.sys file.

    If you're running WordPerfect 5.1 inside Windows, WordPerfect must be
    *started* full-screen in order to detect the mouse.  Once it has started,
    you can use Alt-Enter to run in a window, if you wish.


17. Why don't my TSRs work in DOS sessions?

>>  Some TSR programs will not work if you install them before running
    Windows.  Some of them will not work if you install them inside a
    DOS session.  Generally the best idea is to avoid TSRs completely
    unless you really need them.  See also the description of winstart.bat
    in the Windows .txt files.


18. Can I use 256 colors in Windows?

>>  Yes, given two caveats:  First, your display card and its driver must
    support 256 colors.  Second, your application must know about 256
    colors, as this requires palette switching and some additional
    programming.  Most applications currently on the market only support
    16 colors.  In order to get 256 colors, your video card will need at
    least 320K (for 640x480), 512K (for 800x600) or 768K (for 1024x768) of
    RAM.  256-color drivers are also much slower than 16-color drivers.


19. Are there any good communication programs for Windows?

>>  Well, maybe.  There is not yet a consensus about any of the current
    products.  There are a number of free or shareware ones: Terminal
    (included with Windows), WinQVT, Unicom and WinKermit, but all have
    their problems and lack in some features.  All of them are also
    available on cica.  Commercial packages include DynaComm ("big brother"
    of Terminal), MicroPhone, CrossTalk for Windows and Wincomm.  Again,
    none of them stands out as the perfect choice, although several have
    shown promise.

    A number of DOS-based communication packages, such a ProComm and Telix,
    will also happily function in the background in a DOS session.


    --------------------


20. How do I change the icon for a program?

>>  Choose the item in Program Manager, and then select File Properties.
    Click on "Icon...", and then enter the name of the file containing the
    new icon.  If the icon file is a DLL or EXE containing multiple icons,
    you can cycle through the icons by clicking "Next Icon".  Click
    "OK", and then "OK" again.  You can also use icons from other programs
    by the same method: just specify the name of the .exe file instead of
    an icon or DLL file.

    The icon that is displayed by the application when it is minimized
    is controlled by the application.  It is not normally possible to
    change that; however, several workarounds exist.  First, you can use
    the iinject or puticon utility to replace the standard DOS icon, which
    is contained in winoa286.mod and/or winoa386.mod.  Alternatively, the
    IconFixer utility monitors your DOS applications, and updates their
    icons as you minimize them, allowing you to have different icons for
    different DOS applications.  All three utilities are available from
    cica.cica.indiana.edu.


21. Can I create my own icons?

>>  Yes.  You can use either IconDraw (shareware) or SDKPaint (a part of
    the Windows SDK).  Simply draw your icon, and save it as an ".ico" file.


22. Do I have to keep my icons and wallpaper bitmaps in the Windows directory?

>>  Wallpaper bitmaps have to be kept in the Windows directory (unless you
    use a utility such as PaperBoy for changing the wallpaper, or do all
    your wallpaper changes by manually editing the win.ini file).  Icons may
    be kept anywhere; it may be convenient to create an ICON subdirectory
    under the Windows directory.


23. I installed some more fonts using Control Panel.  Why can't I access
    them in Word for Windows (or another application)?

>>  Word for Windows shows in its font menu the fonts currently available
    for the selected *output* device, not the *display* device.  You can
    still use, say, vector fonts that you installed, by typing the name
    of the font in the edit box.  Windows will draw vector fonts on the
    output device without problems -- you may or may not like the results.
    Screen fonts are also used for printing on dot-matrix printers.

    In some cases, you may also need to force the application to refresh
    its output device font list.  The easiest way to do this is to do File
    Printer Setup, click Setup, then click OK, and finally OK again.


24. Do Bitstream FaceLift, Adobe Type Manager (ATM) and TrueType really
    work?  Are they worth the money?

>>  Yes, they work -- except for TrueType, which is not yet available.  Both
    ATM and FaceLift also have some problems with Ami Professional, which
    does strange things with its screen fonts.  On the whole, FaceLift
    will support more applications and output devices than ATM, but the
    difference may not be significant.  FaceLift also lets you generate
    soft fonts for the LaserJet series (for faster printing); ATM does
    not give you that option (although it will let you use existing soft
    fonts).  Finally, FaceLift is somewhat more flexible than ATM, and
    uses less memory.  However, ATM can use the numerous free Adobe Type 1
    fonts available free from places like cica.cica.indiana.edu.  Both
    provide high-quality fonts and much better WYSIWYG at the cost of
    somewhat slower screen updates and slightly slower printing.

    And at street prices not much above $50, yes, both of them are worth
    the money you'll pay for them.  They are compatible, so you can run
    both of them on the same system.


25. How can I convert a GIF or MS-Paint file to a .bmp to use it as a
    wallpaper in Windows?

>>  You can save a .msp file as a .bmp from Windows Paint.  You can convert
    a .gif file to a .bmp using the gif2bmp utility from cica.  wingif
    will also do a good conversion, including dithering 256-color images to
    16 colors (rescale before dithering!).


26. Why won't my .bmp wallpaper display correctly?

>>  Well, it could be a number of reasons.  The most likely are:
    1.  Your .bmp file is corrupted.  Try reading it into Paintbrush
        to verify that it is readable.
    2.  You are trying to display 256 colors with a 16-color video driver.
    3.  You have insufficient memory to display the bitmap.  A 800x600x16
        bitmap requires 256K of memory; 1024x768x256 would require 768K!
    For 256-to-16 color dithering, you may wish to try using PicLab 1.82
    with the help of wincnv.zip (available from cica).


27. I can't create a permanent swapfile.  What could be the cause?

>>  First of all, you must be running in real mode to be able to create a
    permanent swapfile.  Second, You must not have any SUBSTed drives or
    Windows won't create the swapfile.  Once the swapfile has been created,
    you can re-SUBST your drives.

    You also can't create a permanent swapfile on a drive partitioned with
    third-party software such as SpeedStor (see question 30).  If you are
    installing on a Novell client, you must first disable the "receive
    network messages" feature (using the network icon in the Control Panel)
    and reboot.  Once you have installed the swapfile, turn messages back
    on again.


28. Why do I get floppy drive errors installing Windows or Windows apps?

>>  If you have SHARE installed, you must rename share.exe (to, something
    like noshare.exe) and reboot.  Once you have completed the installation,
    you can rename share.exe back to its original name.


29.  Are there problems with using Windows 3.0 on large hard disks?

>>  Yes, but only in rare cases.  Your system is at risk IF:
    - You are using third-party partitioning software, such as:
        - Disk Manager (dmdrv.bin)
        - InnerSpace (edvr.sys)
        - SpeedStor (sstor.sys or hardrive.sys)
        - Vfeatures Deluxe (fixt_drv.sys)
    - *AND* you are using SmartDrive (smartdrv.sys) as your disk cache
    - *AND* your hard disk has more than 1023 cylinders
    If your hard disk has fewer than 1024 cylinders, you may still be at risk
    if the first two conditions hold true, you are using DOS 3.30 or later,
    *AND* your hard disk is not supported by your BIOS.

    To avoid problems, you can either stop using SmartDrive, or reformat
    your disk using the DOS FDISK utility.

    Note that in 386 enhanced mode, Windows 3.0 supports only ST-506, ESDI
    and IDE disk controllers.  If you have a SCSI controller, you need to
    load SmartDrive in order to allow Windows to recognize your hard disk.
    As an alternative, you may insert the following line in your system.ini
    file, in the [386ENH] section:
    VirtualHDIRQ=off
    Do not disable double buffering in a SCSI drive.  Also, some people
    report having problems with permanent swapfiles on SCSI drives.

    If you are still having problems, call Microsoft Tech Support at
    [phone].

    There are no problems with large partitions created by the FDISK program
    included with MS-DOS 4.0 and some versions of MS-DOS 3.3.


30. How can I make Windows 3.0 act like the runtime versions of 2.x, which
    exit Windows when you exit your application?

>>  You can do this as follows (the example is for Excel; others are similar):

    1. Create a new directory called c:\excel (it doesn't have to be distinct;
       it could be your normal Excel directory, as long as it's not the main
       Windows 3 directory).

    2. Copy the following to the new directory from the Windows directory:
    win.com
    win.ini
    system.ini

    3. In the new directory modify the [boot] section of 'system.ini' by
       changing the shell= line to point to the one-and-only program you
       want to run.  The original line should read:
       shell=progman.exe
       and the modified line should be something like:
       shell=c:\excel\excel.exe
       Remember to type the complete fileid of the program to be executed,
       including the '.exe' suffix.

    4. To execute the dedicated Windows session just put the new directory
       ahead of the normal Windows directory in your path and issue the 'win'
       command, or start Windows with the command 'c:\excel\win'.

    What we're doing here is making Windows think it's running on a network
    where the actual executable files etc. are on a network server, and
    only the basic control files (and win.com) are on the user's local disk.

    Note that this technique isolates any changes in WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI
    made in the dedicated task from any changes made in normal Windows; this
    may or may not be desirable.  If you need to keep the two flavors of
    Windows in sync you'll have to provide an outboard copy function to
    refresh the files.


31. How do I use the keypad in Windows Terminal?

>>  Press ScrollLock to toggle the keypad between local and remote mode.
    Default is local mode.


32. Why does F5 in Notepad insert only a date and not the time as well?

>>  It's a bug.  Maybe Windows 3.1 will fix it...


33. Does Windows take advantage of an 80x87 math coprocessor?  And what is
    this WIN87EM.DLL file in my Windows directory?

>>  Windows itself does not take advantage of a math chip.  Windows apps, on
    the other hand, may or may not, depending on the application: Excel will,
    Word for Windows won't.  In general, an 80x87 gives the greates speedup
    for trig/log type of calculations, and does not improve graphics speed
    in most cases.

    The WIN87EM.DLL is a dynamic link library which provides floating-point
    emulation for Windows applications.  Any application which is capable of
    using an 80x87 will need this library on a machine without an 80x87.


34. How do I start up Excel or Word for Windows in a different directory?

>>  To start up a Windows application in a default directory other than the
    Windows directory, you have two choices:
    i)  Create a auto-execute macro for that application, which will change
    your directory upon startup.
    ii) Specify your application's path in Program Manager as something
    like "d:\u\personal\letters\winword.exe".  As long as the application
    is on your path, it will be started as usual, but with the default
    directory being the one you specified in Program Manager.


35. What are "free system resources"?  How do they differ from free memory?

>>  Free system resources are things such as window handles and global memory
    block handles.  You can't increase them by just adding more memory; the
    only real solution is to close some applications if you are running low.

    Windows 3.1 is reputed to have higher limits, and a later version will
    do away with the limits altogether.


36. How can I automatically open applications when I start up Windows, with
    predefined window sizes and positions?

>>  You can load applications automatically in two ways:
    i.  By specifying them on the load= line in win.ini.  This will
        load the specified applications as icons.
    ii. By specifying them on the run= line in win.ini.  This will
        load the applications with their default window sizes.
    If you need specific window sizes or positions, you will need to use
    another utility, either shareware (such as Layout, Command Post or Aporia)
    or commercial (Batchworks, Bridge or NewWave).


37. How do I get rid of the Windows opening logo?  Or change it?

>>  Start Windows with the command line such as "win : ".  Be warned, however,
    that some people have had problems with this.

    To change the logo to something else, you need to first create a .RLE
    file (using a graphics utility package), with no more than 16 colours,
    and not exceeding the VGA 640x480 screen resolution, and no more than
    64K in size.  Once you have this file, say mylogo.rle, enter the
    following command in your system subdirectory:
    copy win.cnf /B + vgalogo.lgo /B + mylogo.rle /B win.com
    If you use CGA or EGA, limit the .RLE file to the appropriate resolution,
    and replace the "vgalogo" above with "cgalogo" or "egalogo".


38. Why doesn't my mouse work when I run WordPerfect (or another application)
    inside Windows?

>>  To use a mouse with a DOS application, you need to install a mouse driver
    (such as mouse.sys or mouse.com).  Further, the mouse will not work if you
    are running the DOS application in a window, as Windows will retain the
    control of the mouse.  Finally, some applications (such as WordPerfect)
    will only detect the mouse if the application starts in full-screen mode.


39. What could cause Windows to start up VERY slowly (over a minute)?

>>  One possible reason is the use of a serial mouse on COM2 instead of
    COM1.  If you have a serial mouse, Windows will first attempt to find
    it (with great persistence) on COM1, before it looks on COM2.  If your
    mouse is on COM2, move it to COM1.

    Using a temporary swapfile instead of a permanent one for 386 enhanced
    mode also slows down the startup process, but not to even nearly the
    same extent as the serial mouse problem.


40. How can get File Manager to format floppies?

>>  If you are having trouble formatting floppies from the file manager,
    try adding one or more
    DEVICE=DRIVER.SYS /D:# /F:#
    lines to your CONFIG.SYS.


41. What do I need to do to get MS-SH to work with Windows?

>>  The basic problem is the MS-SH 'swap' setting.  In real mode, you
    will need to use 'swap disk'.  In Standard mode, you can also use
    'swap extend', but you will have to specify at least 200K of XMS memory
    in the MS-SH .PIF file.  Alternatively, if you are using Standard or
    386 Enhanced mode, you can use 'swap ems', but again you need to
    specify at least 200K of EMS memory in your .PIF file.  Also, a bug
    in the current version of MS-SH prevents 'swap extend' from working
    in 386 enhanced mode; MS-SH will always crash with a panic error.


42. What can cause strange problems with 0xff being written to every other
    byte when copying files to a floppy within a DOS session?

>>  This is most likely caused by an expansion board using the same memory
    area also used by Windows for EMM.  You should check that you EMMExclude
    all areas used by your cards.

    The Video-7 1024 SVGA board needs a more radical measure: you need to
    change a jumper to do all ROM decoding in C000-C7FF, and change a DIP
    switch to force 8-bit ROM access.


43. What could be the cause of serious performance deterioration in a
    DOS session in 386 Enhanced mode?

>>  The most likely cause is slow memory.  If your onboard memory is
    accessed with basically no wait states, but you have a slower memory
    expansion card, your machine will run slower whenever it is using
    those higher memory addresses.  This will generally happen when you
    start a DOS session, and often result in 30-50% performance reductions
    using various benchmarks.  The performance is actually also reduced
    within Windows, but it's difficult to notice this due to the lack of
    a suitable benchmark.

    The proper cure for this problem is to either upgrade your memory
    expansion card, or to correct whatever problem is causing your machine
    to access extended memory with such poor problem.


    --------------------


44. What major applications are available for Windows?

>>  Word processing:
    Ami
    Ami Professional
    JustWrite
    Professional Write for Windows
    Microsoft Word for Windows
    WordPerfect for Windows        [announced, not shipping]
    WordStar Legacy
    Spreadsheets:
    Informix WingZ
    Lotus 1-2-3 for Windows        [announced, not shipping]
    Microsoft Excel for Windows
    Desktop publishing:
    Aldus PageMaker for Windows
    Xerox Ventura Publisher for Windows
    Drawing/Graphic arts:
    Corel Draw!
    Micrografx Designer
    Micrografx Draw Plus
    Presentation graphics:
    Harvard Graphics for Windows    [announced, not shipping]
    IBM Hollywood
    Microsoft Powerpoint:
    Project management:
    Microsoft Project for Windows
    OnTarget
    Scitor Project Scheduler

    See the companion posting in comp.windows.ms.programmer for a
    description of available development tools.


    --------------------

[ \tom haapanen --- university of waterloo --- [e-mail] ]
[ "i don't even know what street canada is on"               -- al capone ]