Night Owl 6/Night Owl's Shareware - PDSI-006 - Night Owl Corp (1990).iso/015a/dv_faq.zip/DESQVIEW.FAQ

Internet Message Format | 1992-02-04 | 44KB

Path: nlbbs!nstar!samsung!think.com!paperboy.osf.org!hsdndev!wupost!zazen!psl.wisc.edu!sol!bodoh
From: [e-mail] (Daniel J. Bodoh)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.desqview
Subject: Frequently Asked Questions v92.01.29: READ BEFORE POSTING
Summary: Q&A for the new DV/QEMM user or c.o.m.d reader
Keywords: FAQ DESQVIEW QEMM
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 31 Jan 92 18:17:46 GMT
Expires: 1 Mar 92 23:59:00 GMT
Sender: [e-mail] (The News)
Organization: Center for X-ray Lithography, UW-Madison
Lines: 875


               FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS IN COMP.OS.MSDOS.DESQVIEW
                                 Version 92.01.29

                          Last updated: January 29, 1992

      Send error corrections, suggestions, etc. to <[e-mail]>
                        Posted on the first of every month


WHAT IS THIS ARTICLE?
---------------------
     This article is a regularly posted compendium of topics that have been
     discussed in comp.os.msdos.desqview since its birth.  Although many of
     the questions are truly "Frequently Asked", others are questions that
     experienced DESQview users recognize as questions a beginner might ask.
     If you are new to DESQview or this group, please read this FAQ before
     posting your question.  Even if your question isn't answered here,
     you'll probably learn something new about DESQview.

     Although I edit this FAQ, a majority of the information contained in it
     was contributed by other comp.os.msdos.desqview readers.  The many
     contributors are listed at the end of the document.

FORMAT OF FAQ
-------------
     Questions are listed in the first section, and are labelled Q1 through
     Q25.  Answers, labelled A1 through A25 are given with the labelled
     question in the next section.  Finally, the contributors are credited.
     Cross references are made, for example, with "(see Q2)".

QUESTIONS
---------

Q1:  What is DESQview?
Q2:  Besides DESQview, what other products does Quarterdeck sell, and what
     are the current versions?
Q3:  What types of programs can DESQview run?
Q4:  What type of computer is required for DESQview?
Q5:  How can I upgrade my 80286 for best DESQview performance?
Q6:  Does DESQview support Super VGA?
Q7:  Where can I get freeware and shareware DESQview programs?
Q8:  I want to write software for DESQview.  Where can I get the API?
Q9:  I've heard that DESQview does preemptive multitasking.  What does that
     mean?
Q10: Why do the other windows slow to a virtual halt when one window accesses
     the floppy disk?
Q11: Can Windows run under DESQview?
Q12: Can I make something like AUTOEXEC.BAT for DESQview, so that certain
     windows open every time I run DESQview?
Q13: Can text and graphics be displayed at the same time with Hercules?
Q14: How do I use two monitors under DESQview?
Q15: What are Exceptions 12 and 13?
Q16: What determines the amount of conventional memory that DESQview claims
     for itself and takes away from programs?
Q17: What are some programs that are incompatible with DESQview?
Q18: I'm having a problem {configuring DESQview, running a program, etc.}.
     How do I fix it?
Q19: How can I contact Quarterdeck?
Q20: What books are available on DESQview?
Q21: What are the command-line switches for DESQview/QEMM/QRAM?
Q22: How can I configure DESQview for maximum window memory under DOS 5?
Q23: What is NOFF.SHP?
Q24: How can I increase DESQview's performance?
Q25: My {9600 or greater} BPS modem drops characters under DESQview.  Is high
     speed communication possible under DESQview?

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
---------------------
Q1:  What is DESQview?

A1:  DESQview is a program written by Quarterdeck Office Systems of Santa
     Monica, California, USA.  It allows true preemptive multitasking (see
     Q9) on 8088, 8086, 80286, 80386, 80486, V20 and V30 machines running
     MS-DOS (see Q4). While MS-DOS is still considered the PC's operating
     system, DESQview provides services similar to more advanced multitasking
     operating systems.

Q2:  Besides DESQview, what other products does Quarterdeck sell, and what
     are the current versions?

A2:  [Versions are the latest known as of the date of the FAQ.  If you know
     of a newer version, please let me know.  Note that there really isn't
     much difference between, say 2.41 and 2.42, except for a few bug fixes]

     DESQview            2.42
     An excellent DOS multitasker.

     QEMM-386            6.02
     A memory manager for 80386+ machines.  QEMM will convert extended memory
     to XMS memory (replacing HIMEM.SYS) and LIM EMS 4.0 memory.  With the
     associated utilities, you can load TSRs, device drivers, and DOS data
     structures into high memory in order to gain conventional memory for
     large programs. Manifest is provided with QEMM.  Note that QEMM is a
     VCPI server, and not a DPMI server so it is not compatible with programs
     that require DPMI.

     QEMM-50/60          ???
     Similar to QEMM-386, but specifically for PS/2 models 50 and 60 which
     are 80286-based machines.

     DESQview/386        2.42
     Actually DESQview/386 is a copy of DESQview and QEMM in the same
     package.  If you already have DESQview, purchasing QEMM will give you
     DESQview/386.

     QRAM                2.0
     A memory manager for 8088 through 80286 machines.  QRAM will provide
     UMBs (Upper Memory Blocks, memory greater than 640K but less than
     1024K). To do this requires either LIM EMS 4.0, EEMS, a memory
     management chip or a 286 motherboard with C&T's NEAT, LEAP or SCAT chip
     set.  The UMBs can be used to load TSRs, device drivers, and DOS data
     structures into high memory in order to gain conventional memory for
     large programs. Manifest is provided with QRAM.

     MANIFEST            1.12
     Manifest is a "system information" utility.  It displays hardware
     information, memory usage, internal DOS structures and much more.

     DESQview Companions 1.1
     A set of utility programs, including a calculator, datebook, notepad,
     and terminal emulator.

     DESQview/X       (not yet released)
     DESQview/X is a program that Quarterdeck announced in 1990.  Currently,
     its rumored release date is March 1992, but don't count on it.
     Quarterdeck first announced its availability in October 1990, but
     October 1990 came and went with no sign of DESQview/X.

     DESQview/X will be DESQview in an X-windows environment. Remote X
     clients running on Unix or other DESQview/X machines will be able to
     display their output on the local machine.  Local DOS applications will
     display in X Windows and remote X Servers will be able to display
     character-based DOS applications running on a DESQview/X PC.

Q3:  What types of programs can DESQview run?

A3:  There are three types of DESQview programs: DESQview-oblivious programs,
     DESQview-aware programs, and DESQview-specific programs.

     According to the DESQview manual, DESQview-oblivious programs are those
     which are "written without any consideration for DESQview."  These
     include standard DOS programs like word processors and spreadsheets.

     Some standard DOS programs have the ability to detect the presence of
     DESQview.  These programs are considered DESQview-aware.  The advantage
     of DESQview-aware programs is better system performance, because
     DESQview does not have to make conservative assumptions about the
     program.  A DESQview-aware program gives up the CPU when it doesn't need
     it, and if it writes directly to the screen it instead writes to a
     DESQview-provided video buffer so it can run in a small window (see
     Q23).  If you'd like to make your program DESQview-aware, there is code
     provided at the end of the DESQview manual.

     DESQview-specific programs can only be run while DESQview is active.
     These programs use the window management, interprocess communication and
     other services that are built into DESQview.

     DESQview will multitask all programs, regardless of type.

Q4:  What type of computer is required for DESQview?

A4:  DESQview can multitask programs on an 8088, 8086, 80286, 80386sx,
     80386dx, 80486sx, 80486dx, V20 or V30.  However, there are some
     limitations.

     8088/8086/80286/V20/V30: DESQview will run in one of three ways one
     these machines.  For additional information, get the file DV286.ZIP from
     SIMTEL20 (see Q7).

     1) If you have true hardware compatible LIM EMS 4.0 (or EEMS) memory
     board and are able to disable some conventional memory, DESQview will
     remap expanded memory to conventional memory addresses to multitask
     "well-behaved" programs in.

     2) If you use a plug-in memory management chip such as a All-Charge Card
     or a SOTA POP card, it will provide the memory mapping needed to allow
     DESQview to multitask programs beyond 640K.

     3) If you have neither a LIM EMS 4.0 memory card or a memory management
     chip, DESQview will still multitask as many programs as possible in the
     available conventional memory (see Q5).

     Besides the memory problem, on a machine less than an 80386 DESQview
     will not be able to run programs in a small window or in the background
     if the program writes directly to video memory.  If the program has a
     switch to allow BIOS screen output, use it, or convince the programmer
     to make it DESQview-aware (see Q3).

     80386sx/80386dx/80486sx/80486dx: DESQview/386 or the combination of
     DESQview and QEMM (see Q2) will multitask programs in all of the
     available extended memory.

     Although DESQview can multitask on any machine, the minimum suggested
     configuration is an 80386sx with 2 megabytes of memory.  For breathing
     room, at least 4 megabytes of memory is suggested.


Q5:  How can I upgrade my 80286 for best DESQview performance?

A5:  A 80286 can be upgraded with LIM EMS 4.0 expanded memory, a memory
     management chip, a plug-in 386 adapter, or a new 386 motherboard.  The
     cost of all these "upgrades" is about the same. All of them have some
     negatives as well.

     1) If you are unsure how much of your 286 conventional memory can
     disabled, getting LIM EMS 4.0 memory can be pointless. For the
     record the listed 286 motherboards can be set to the minimum
     conventional memory as follows:
          AST Premium 286   0K
          IBM AT (6 Mhz)   256K
          COMPAQ 286       256K

     Most AT clones have a minimum of 512K (eighteen 256Kx1 DRAMs).  The
     motherboard can only be disabled to 256K or lower if it supports 64K
     DRAMs, or if the system setup allows you to specify a value less than
     the actual amount of memory installed.

     If you have information on the minimum conventional memory of any other
     286 motherboard, please forward it to <[e-mail]>

     2) If you get a memory management chip, an All-Charge Card or a SOTA
     POP, you will still not get the memory protection available with the
     80386 (see Q4).

     3) If you get a 386 Adapter to replace the 286 CPU chip, there has been
     "some reported" compatibility problems and besides, it will not run as
     fast the corresponding 386 motherboard of the same speed.

     4) If you get a new 386 (or 386SX) motherboard, there is some hassle to
     get it installed and working but probably no more than with the 386
     Adapter kits.

Q6:  Does DESQview support Super VGA?

A6:  Yes and no.  When DESQview is placing windows on the screen, it cannot
     use any of the 132 column modes provided by Super VGA cards.  The
     smallest text font that DESQview provides to VGA+ users is 60 rows by 80
     columns.  Since video support is hardcoded into DESQview, there is no
     way to write a video driver for Super VGA cards.  DESQview/X will
     support some Super VGA cards (see Q2).

     Inside a window, any resolution can be used.  The problem occurs when
     you switch away from the window and come back.  DESQview will corrupt
     the window unless it has a resolution of 800x600x16 or less.  Except in
     rare cases, DESQview cannot handle 256 colors at more than 320x200.  A
     few cards will reportedly work at 1024x768x16 as well.  Note that at
     these higher resolutions,  "Graphics Pages" in Change A Program must be
     set to 4.

     The Quarterdeck White Pages, available on SIMTEL20 and DVNet (see Q7)
     discusses this problem in detail.

Q7:  Where can I get freeware and shareware DESQview programs?

A7:  There are quite a few DESQview repositories available, depending on what
     network access you have.

     BBS
          The official Quarterdeck BBS can be reached at [phone].  It
          supports 1200/2400 baud, 8 data bits, no parity.

     Fidonet
          Many Fidonet nodes belong to DVNet, the DESQview File Distribution
          Network. It is coordinated by Peter Stern at 1:17/38.

     Internet (via anonymous ftp)
          WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL [192.88.110.20]
          The directory PD1:<MSDOS.DESQVIEW> contains many DESQview programs.
          The file 00-index.txt in that directory is a list of all the
          programs available.

          OAK.OAKLAND.EDU [141.210.10.117]
          A SIMTEL20 mirror.  The DESQview directory is /pub/msdos/desqview.
          This is the most up-to-date mirror of SIMTEL20.

          WUARCHIVE.WUSTL.EDU  [128.252.135.4]
          Another SIMTEL20 mirror.  The DESQview directory is
          /mirrors/msdos/desqview.

          NIC.FUNET.FI [128.214.6.100], SRC.DOC.IC.AC.UK [146.169.3.7], &
          RANA.CC.DEAKIN.OZ.AU [128.184.1.4]
          SIMTEL20 mirrors for non-North Americans

          HAYES.IMS.ALASKA.EDU [137.229.40.200]
          Contains some of the programs available on DVNet in the directory
          /dvnet. The file prog.dvn is a list of all the programs available
          on DVNet.

     Email-only (UUCP, etc.)
          A mail server exists for SIMTEL20 files.  A regular post on
          comp.binaries.ibm.pc.archive explains how to use the mail
          server.

Q8:  I want to write software for DESQview.  Where can I get the API?

A8:  There are multiple sources, ranging in cost from free to hundreds of
     dollars.  For free, there are DVINT, a DESQview/QEMM-specific excerpt of
     the MSDOS interrupt list, which lists the API calls; and DVGLUE, a
     somewhat dated (August 1988) freeware library for Turbo C which
     implements almost all of the DESQview 2.01 API (the then-current
     version).  Both are available on DVNet and other repositories of
     DESQview-specific programs (see Q7).

     Quarterdeck sells a number of products for programming the DESQview API,
     such as an API reference manual (~$60) and various language-specific
     libraries (C, Pascal, Dbase, etc., ~$200 each including the reference
     manual).  In addition, Quarterdeck also sells a panel designer,
     debugger, and other tools (see Q19).

Q9:  I've heard that DESQview does preemptive multitasking.  What does that
     mean?

A9:  Let's say you have one toy (the 80x86 processor in our case) and 5
     children (5 programs that you want to run under DESQview
     simultaneously).  There are two ways that Dad (DESQview) can let each
     child play with the toy.

     1) Dad gives the toy to one of the children, who plays with it until she
     gets bored.  Then she returns the toy to Dad, who gives it to one of the
     other children.  This repeats until all the children have played with
     the toy, and then Dad starts over with the first child.

     2) Dad gives the toy to one of the children, and starts a timer.  If the
     child gets bored with the toy before the timer expires, she gives it
     back to Dad.  However, if she still holds the toy when the timer
     expires, Dad reminds her that good children must share, and takes it
     away from her.  He then gives it to the next child and restarts the
     timer.  When all the children have played with the toy, Dad returns it
     to the first child. She continues playing with it where she left off.

     Sometimes one of the children may want to take the toy apart. Since none
     of the other children wants to play with a disassembled toy, the child
     will request that Dad not take away the toy until the child says he can.
     In that way, the child can re-assemble the toy before any other child
     gets it.

     The first method is called "non-preemptive" and conversely, the second
     is called "preemptive".  It is generally agreed that preemptive
     multitasking is much better because one program cannot accidently "hog"
     the CPU.  One of the major technical differences between DESQview and
     Windows is that DESQview preemptively multitasks all programs, while
     Windows does non-preemptive multitasking of Windows applications.

     When a program running under DESQview calls a DOS or BIOS function, it
     effectively "disassembled the toy".  DESQview recognizes this and
     temporarily suspends any other program that attempts to make a DOS or
     BIOS call until the current DOS or BIOS call ends (see Q10).

     DESQview-oblivious programs (see Q3) can act like selfish children when
     they are waiting for keyboard entry.  Even though they aren't playing
     with the toy, they keep hold of it.  Shareware and freeware programs are
     available for forcing these programs to share the toy (see Q24).

Q10: Why do the other windows slow to a virtual halt when one window
     accesses the floppy disk?

A10: Both DOS and the BIOS disk access functions are non-reentrant, i.e. they
     may not be called again while one call is in progress.  DESQview thus
     handles both as "serially reusable resources", and suspends a window
     making such a call until any current call completes.

     Since programs make many DOS calls other than disk I/O, they can become
     blocked while another window is accessing the disk even when they
     themselves are not trying to access the disk.  The same suspension
     occurs when a program accesses the disk via BIOS calls, but only when
     some other window is also accessing the disk; thus, a non-disk DOS call
     can execute at the same time as a disk-related BIOS call.

     When the disk being accessed is a hard disk, the call completes so
     quickly that there is no obvious degradation in the performance of other
     windows.  When accessing a floppy disk, however, the call can take
     multiple seconds to complete, during which time it is highly likely that
     other windows will be suspended for a noticeable length of time.

     To minimize the impact of copying or formatting, try using shareware
     programs such as DVCOPY, LTFORMAT and FTFORMAT (see Q7).

Q11: Can Windows run under DESQview?

A11: Yes, Windows can run under DESQview, but only in Real and Standard
     mode. Windows in Enhanced mode becomes an 80386 "control program" and
     there can only be one such "control program" at a time (see Q17).

Q12: Can I make something like AUTOEXEC.BAT for DESQview, so that certain
     windows open every time I run DESQview?

A12: Yes you can.  In DESQview terminology, it's called a Startup Script.
     Look up "Script, startup" in the DESQview manual index for more
     information.

Q13: Can text and graphics be displayed at the same time with Hercules?

A13: Yes, as long as 90x43 mode display mode is used.  If the graphics bleeds
     through from the background, you can switch to 80x25 mode.

     However, there is no way to detect whether or not the Hercules card is
     currently in text or in graphics mode if a program switches between
     these two modes by manipulating the registers of the card. In this case
     DESQview will not notice that the graphics mode has changed. Quarterdeck
     has put a utility DVHERC on the distribution disk that is intended to
     help users switch to the correct mode in such events. DVHERC is a TSR
     program.  However DESQview can sometimes be very stubborn and will not
     recognize this change.  In such cases it will again switch to the wrong
     mode as soon as one switches to a different window.

Q14: How do I use two monitors under DESQview?

A14: DESQview will only control one of your monitors, and by default all
     programs will use the monitor that DESQview controls.  There are a
     number of ways to make programs start up on the "other" monitor.  Since
     you will usually want DESQview to control the color monitor (except
     perhaps in the case of a CGA), the following discussion assumes that
     DESQview is controlling the color monitor and not the monochrome
     monitor.

     First, you can use a batch file and include a "MODE MONO" statement to
     switch the program to the monochrome monitor.  Second, you can use the
     "initial mode" field to specify the monitor on which the program will
     start (however, this setting is ignored unless you also set "writes
     directly to screen" to Y and "virtualize" to N).  By setting the initial
     mode to 7, you force the program to use the monochrome monitor until it
     explicitly switches monitors.  Note that DESQview tends to stop updating
     the monochrome screen while the program is in the background if the
     program ever switches to the color display (including starting on the
     color display with the first method above).

     The initial mode can also be set to 21 or 22 for Hercules Graphics mode.
     These modes only allow one page of mono graphics (see Q13).  Mode 21 is
     Page 0 at address B000h, and Mode 22 is Page 1 at address B800h.  Hence,
     Mode 22 is not available with two monitors (it conflicts with color
     video).

Q15: What are Exceptions 12 and 13?

A15: An exception 13 (or 12) is caused by the program you are running doing
     something that it is not allowed to do on a 80386 while in Virtual 8086
     (V86) mode. Since QEMM is the 386 "control program", it can only report
     the error caused by the user program. The main cause is operand wrapping
     past the last address in segment, 65,535 (FFFF in hex)

     Note that exceptions are only reported by QEMM, and are not caused by
     either QEMM or DESQview.  They are caused by old programs that assume
     they are running on an 80286 or less; or by a program that "crashed".

     From the INTEL "80386 Programmer's Reference Manual",
          PART III - COMPATIBILITY
               chapter 15, VIRTUAL 8086 MODE
                    Section 15.6 DIFFERENCES FROM 8086
                         Stated "reasons" 6, 7 & 8
                              (pages 15-10 & 15-11)

     Quoting from the INTEL manual:
          15.6 DIFFERENCES FROM 8086
          In general, V86 mode will correctly execute software designed for
          the 8086, 8088, 80186 and 80188. Following is a list of the minor
          differences between 8086 execution on the 80386 and on an 8086.

               ... (only those causing exception 12 or 13 are listed)

          6. Redundant prefixes.
          The 80386 sets a limit of 15 bytes on instruction length. The
          only way to violate this limit is by putting redundant prefixes
          before an instruction.  Exception 13 occurs if the limit on
          instruction length is violated. The 8086/8088 has no instruction
          limit.

          7. Operand crossing offset 0 or 65,535.
          On the 8086, an attempt to access a memory operand that crosses
          offset 65,535 (e.g., MOV a word to offset 65,535) or offset 0
          (e.g., PUSH a word when SP = 1) causes the offset to wrap around
          modulo 65,535. The 80386 raises an exception in these cases -
          exception 13 if the data segment (i.e., if CS, DS, ES, FS, or GS
          is being used to address the segment), exception 12 if the
          segment is a stack segment (i.e., if SS is being used.)

          8. Sequential execution across offset 65,535.
          On the 8086, if sequence execution of instructions proceeds past
          offset 65,535, the processor fetches the next instruction byte
          from offset 0 of the same segment. On the 80386, the processor
          raises exception 13 in such a case.

     In order to fix an Exception 13, you can try to load the program causing
     it into a different area of memory.  To do this, try increasing your
     FILES or BUFFERS, or loading some TSRs low rather than high, etc.
     However, the best solution is to contact the programmer.  Another
     possible solution is to increase the amount of memory specified in
     Change A Program.

Q16: What determines the amount of conventional memory that DESQview claims
     for itself and takes away from programs?

A16: Using XDV.COM, DESQview can load most of itself into upper and high
     memory so conventional memory is preserved.  However, loading many TSRs
     or DOS high (see Q22) will reduce the amount of DESQview that can be
     loaded high (i.e. in the XMA - the first 64K of extended memory).

     DESQview also sets aside a portion of conventional memory and calls it
     "Common Memory".  The amount that DESQview allocates can be decreased in
     DVSETUP, but the minimum is about 14K.  Certain programs such as DVSI (a
     set of freeware utilities by Daniel Bodoh) require the amount of Common
     Memory to be larger than the minimum.  A large Open Window menu or many
     "shared programs" will also increase the required amount of Common
     Memory.

     Each window has an area of memory called "System Memory".  The amount of
     System Memory available to a program is controlled by three separate
     entries on the Change A Program screen.  First, since DESQview stores
     the window image in System Memory, decreasing the number of text pages
     and maximum window size decreases System Memory usage.  Second, since
     most programs do not explicitly use System Memory, the System Memory
     field can be set to 1K or 0K.

     The pool of System Memory only reduces the maximum window memory for
     that particular window, and does not affect the other windows.  You can
     see this using the Memory Status program.  It will report, say, 592K of
     conventional memory available, but part of that is used for System
     Memory so the actual amount available is less.

Q17: What are some programs that are incompatible with DESQview?

A17: [Please forward any other known incompatibilities to
     <[e-mail]>].

     Any "386 Control Program" that is not VCPI compliant (see Q15).

     BitFax

     Borland C++ 3.0

     ConFormat

     Diagnostic programs that try to go into protected mode to tested
     extended memory will fail under QEMM.  These include QAPLUS and RAMTEST.
     Diagnostic programs should be run from a boot floppy.

     DJGPP/DJGPP-compiled programs
     Patch level 5 works with QEMM, but reportedly crashes in a DESQview
     window.

     DR DOS 6.0 history feature
     DR DOS works great with DESQview, except for the history feature.

     Games that use digitized sound without extra sound hardware.  Digitized
     sound requires that the timer interrupt be sped up to 8000 or more
     interrupts per second, which DESQview can't deal with.  The only
     workaround is to turn off the sound or buy extra sound hardware.

     Mountain FileSafe 4000 Tape Backup Software

     MS-Kermit 3.11
     Try setting Optimize Communications in DVSETUP to No.  If that doesn't
     work, use the Kermit SET COM command to set the exact interrupt request
     and I/O port used.  The problem will be fixed in 3.12.

     Norton Change Directory 6.0
     [Can someone verify?]

     QA Plus (see above note on Diagnostic programs)

     Quattro Pro 1.0
     Some people have reported lockup problems, but others have not had any
     problems.

     RAMTEST (see above note on Diagnostic programs)

     Soundblaster
     Games that use Soundblaster require "Share CPU" be set to "N" or the
     music will be choppy.

     Windows Enhanced Mode
     (see Q11)

Q18: I'm having a problem {configuring DESQview, running a program, etc.}.
     How do I fix it?

A18: Program dies as soon as it is started
          Allocate more memory to the program.

     Text characters display outside the window
          Set "Writes Text Directly to Screen" to Y and "Virtualize
          Text/Graphics" to T or Y.  If you are using a 286, Quarterdeck has
          supplied "loaders" for several programs including AUTOCAD,
          LOTUS 123, MULTIMATE, and FRAMEWORK II which allow them to run in
          the background.

     Graphics bleed through from window in the background
          Set "Virtualize Text/Graphics" to Y.

     DESQview locks up on a 286 when using QEXT.SYS and RAMDRIVE (or any
     other program which uses extended memory)
          Since QEXT.SYS uses the first 64K of Extended memory, you can only
          use extended memory programs that use memory from the top.  Use
          VDISK rather than RAMDRIVE in DOS 3.3, and set it to use all but
          64K of extended memory.

     [Anyone have any more?]

Q19: How can I contact Quarterdeck?

A19: Quarterdeck Office Systems
     150 Pico Boulevard
     Santa Monica, CA, USA 90405

     Technical Support:
          Phone:    [phone]
          Fax:      [phone]
     Sales:
          Phone:    [phone]
          Fax:      [phone]

     QOS BBS:  [phone] (24 hours/day, 1200/2400, 8 bits, No parity)

     E-mail (for Tech Support):
          Internet/Usenet/UUCP:
                              [e-mail]
          Quarterdeck BBS:    Sysop
          CompuServe:         76004,2310
          BIX:                QOS.REP2
          MCI Mail            QUARTERDECK
          FidoNet             Quarterdeck Tech @ 1:105/6
          Sound of Music BBS - [phone] (2400-8-N-1)
                              Quarterdeck Tech

     Public Message forums for Quarterdeck Tech support:
          QOS BBS:       <T>echnical Support Message System
          CompuServe:    "GO PCVENB"
          BIX:           "JOIN DESQVIEW"
          SmartNet:      DESQview Conference
          FidoNet:       DESQview Echo

     Quarterdeck International Ltd.
     B.I.M. House, Crofton Terrace
     Dun Laoghaire, Co.
     Dublin, Ireland
     Phone:    [phone]
     Fax:      [phone]

     Quarterdeck UK
     The Widford Old Rectory
     London Road
     Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 BTE
     Phone:    [phone]
     Fax:      [phone]

     Quarterdeck Office Systems Canada
     70 York St., Suite 1220
     Toronto, Ontario M5J 1S9
     Phone:    [phone]
     Fax:      [phone]
     Upgrades: [phone]

     [I'm always looking for more international addresses.  If you have one,
     please send it to me.]

Q20: What books are available on DESQview?

A20: "DESQview - A Guide to Programming the DESQview Multitasking
          Environment", by Stephen R. Davis, M&T Books Publishing, 501
          Galveston Drive, Redwood City, CA 94063. 346 pages. 1st Edition,
          1989.
     A very good source on programming using the DESQview API.  This
     is a tutorial book with lots of examples.  Would be useful to
     programmers who find the QOS API manuals somewhat daunting.  All
     examples are in "C", however there is lots of general information  which
     would be useful for developers programming in any language.   Available
     direct from M&T and bookstores which specialize in
     technical works.  Can be ordered from Quarterdeck order line at
     [phone] for $24.95 ($39.95 with disk - 5 1/4 inch only).

     "The Official DESQview Sourcebook", Larry Joel Goldstein, Bantam
          Computer Books, 666 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10103. 351 pages.
          1st edition - Sept. '89, price $22.95 ($27.95 Canada).
     A comprehensive guide to the use of DESQview, QEMM and the
     DESQview Companions.  Contains a section on the DESQview API that  may
     serve as an introduction, but this is not a programmer's
     book.  A useful adjunct to the Quarterdeck manuals when you want
     similar information "from another view".

     "MS-DOS Beyond 640K, Working With Extended and Expanded Memory",  James
          Forney, Windcrest Books, Division of TAB Books Inc., Blue
          Ridge Summit, PA 17294-0850. 1st Edition 1989.  235 pages.  Price
          $19.95.
     Not a DESQview/QEMM book specifically, but an excellent book on
     the subject of memory, with many references to DESQview and QEMM.
     Highly recommended to users who really want to understand the use  of
     memory in their PC's.

     "The Best Book of DESQview", Jack Nimersheim, Howard W. Sams &
          Company,  11711 North College, Suite 141, Carmel, IN 46032.  1st
          Edition 1990, 396 pages.  Price $24.95
     A user-friendly guide to DESQview, the Companions, QEMM and
     Manifest.  Contains many tips and a good discussion of the
     DESQview Learn feature.

     "Mastering DESQview", Jonathan Kamin,  Scott, Foresman IBM
          Computer Books,  1900 E. Lake Avenue, Glenview, IL 60025.  1st
          Edition 1990, 387 pages.  Price $24.95.
     A comprehensive guide to the use of DESQview, with emphasis on
     hints and techniques which enhance the use of DESQview.  Special
     emphasis on creative use of DESQview's Learn (macro) facility.

     "DESQview Instant Reference", Paul Perry, Sybex.  Price $9.95.

     [If you know of any more, please let me know]

Q21: What are the command-line switches for DESQview/QEMM/QRAM?

A21: The file QOSSWIT1.ZIP from SIMTEL20 (see Q7) in the PD1:<MSDOS.INFO>
     directory contains a list of the documented and undocumented switches
     for Quarterdeck's products.

Q22: How can I configure DESQview for maximum window memory under DOS 5?

A22: The answer to this question is very system dependent.  However, you
     should use QEMM rather than EMM386 and HIMEM.SYS (on a 386), because
     QEMM is smaller and will provide the same services.  Also, without QEMM
     screen virtualization is not possible.  Loading DOS high will not
     necessarily help, because that reduces the amount of DESQview kernel
     that can be loaded high (see Q16).

     Experiment.  Use Manifest to judge the results.  If your high memory is
     very fragmented (i.e. many small contiguous blocks rather than a few
     large blocks), keeping DOS and TSRs low and putting DESQview high might
     work better.

     Do not set up your path and environment variables until all the TSRs
     have been loaded.  A copy of the environment is made for every TSR, and
     if the TSR does not give this area of memory back to DOS, it is wasted.


Q23: What is NOFF.SHP?

A23: DESQview is the child of an older IBM program called TopView.  Because
     Quarterdeck wanted DESQview to run all the old TopView programs, they
     made DESQview compatible to TopView, in much the same way you can run
     programs written for DOS 3.3 in DOS 4.0.

     If a program writes directly to the video memory, TopView (and DESQview)
     cannot run it in a small window.  So IBM allowed programs to be TopView-
     aware (similar to DESQview-aware (see Q3)) by giving them "virtual"
     video memory on request.  This memory looks like video memory, but
     characters written into it do not get displayed on the screen.

     Since DESQview is a much smarter program that TopView ever was, DESQview
     can automatically update the window from the virtual video memory.  But
     TopView did not have that ability.  The TopView-aware program had to
     make another call which would manually update the window from the video
     memory.

     Quarterdeck wanted to make DESQview look as much like TopView as
     possible, so they decided that if a TopView-aware program makes this
     call to update the window, then the automatic updating of DESQview would
     be turned off.

     DESQview can do a better job of updating the window from the virtual
     video buffer than *some* programs. So the purpose of NOFF.SHP is to
     capture the TopView update call before it gets to DESQview and not let
     DESQview see the call.  That way, DESQview never turns off the automatic
     updating, and your window output is less jerky.

     Whether or not you should use NOFF.SHP depends on how the TopView-aware
     program updates its screen.  If it changes only small parts of the
     screen at a time but requests that the entire screen be updated, use
     NOFF.SHP.  But if the program tells TopView (DESQview) exactly which
     part of the screen changed, output may look smoother without NOFF.SHP
     because an automatic update doesn't take place until the end of each
     program's time slice (see Q9).

Q24: How can I increase DESQview's performance?

A24: DESQview's performance depends on many different factors.  Performance
     is especially degraded by DESQview-oblivious programs (see Q3), because
     they do not give up the CPU when they are not doing useful work (see
     Q9).

     Some programs, while waiting for keyboard input, continuously ask if a
     keystroke is available instead of giving up the CPU.  Quarterdeck
     provides a way to force programs to give up the CPU after a specified
     number of keystroke queries.  One of the bytes in the DVP file (the file
     edited by Change A Program) specifies the number of keyboard polls
     before the CPU is taken away.

     Unfortunately, Quarterdeck has never put a field on the Change A Program
     screens to change this number.  DvpEdit, a freeware replacement for
     Change A Program, is available on SIMTEL20 (see Q7) and allows you to
     change this "Max Keypolls" value.

     Another well-known program is TAME.  TAME does much more than watch for
     keyboard polling; and can do a good job of increasing performance.

     Since disk access can slow down the system significantly (see Q10) using
     a disk cache can also increase performance.  HyperDisk, available on
     SIMTEL20 (see Q7), is especially popular among DESQview users.

     With the "Tune Performance" menu you can set the ratio of foreground to
     background time.  Experiment, but common settings for today's fast
     machines is 1:1 or 2:2.  Some programs, like communication programs, may
     require more of the CPU.

     System performance can be measured with the PS utility available in the
     DVSI package (also on SIMTEL20 and DVNet).  Using PS, an offending
     program can be quickly identified.

Q25: My {9600 or greater} BPS modem drops characters under DESQview.  Is high
     speed communication possible under DESQview?

     Yes, high speed communication is possible.  First, you must go into the
     DESQview setup program and set "Optimize Communications" to "Y".  If you
     still lose characters, you may have to get a new serial board.  The
     characters are coming in too fast for DESQview to process them.

     The 8550 serial chip can only buffer one character at a time.  If
     another character comes in before the buffered character is read, you
     lose the first one.

     The solution is to get a board with the 16550A chip.  This chip buffers
     more than one character, so character loss is less likely to occur.  If
     you are the handy type, you can even swap your 8550 for the 16550A
     yourself, for the chips are pin-compatible.

CONTRIBUTORS
------------
     The following people have sent suggestions for entries in the FAQ.  On
     behalf of all the readers of comp.os.msdos.desqview, I thank you.  If
     the person is credited with a "Q", he/she suggested a question.  If part
     of an answer was contributed, the contributor is credited with an "A".
     An asterisk indicates that the contributor wrote a significant portion
     of the answer.

     If you see a mistake in the credits, let me know.  A deleted a few of
     your messages before recording which question/answer you suggested, so I
     may have guessed wrong when recording the Q's and A's.

     If you see your name here and you didn't actually send me something, I
     probably stole a posting of yours for the FAQ.

     ----
     The electronic contacts in A19 are from the Quarterdeck note
     "CONTACT.TXT"

     Most of A20 was copied from Quarterdeck's tech note "DVBOOK.TEC"

     [e-mail] (Greg Alheid)              A2*,A4*,A5*,A11,A13*,
                                                       A15*,A17,A20
     anasaz![e-mail] (Jerry Crow)       A2,A21
     [e-mail] (Andrew A. Reilly)         Q22
     [e-mail] (Charlie Kestner)           Q4,Q17,Q19,Q20
     [e-mail] (Ellen C. Siever)           A20
     [e-mail] (Klaus Hartnegg) A13
     [e-mail] (Jim Orr)              A20
     [e-mail] (Jay Maynard)        A17
     [e-mail] (Jim Knepley)      A2,A4,Q8,Q17,Q18
     lsuc!ontmoh![e-mail] (Russell Herman)   A19
     [e-mail]                                Q2,Q12,Q13
     [e-mail] (Rick Sladkey)                A4
     [e-mail] (Nick Watkins)            A2,A6,A17
     [e-mail] (Kyle ?)                    A13
     [e-mail] (Paul ?)                   A19
     [e-mail] (Ralf Brown)                      A2,A6,A7*,A8*,Q9,A10*,
                                                       A13,A14*,A7,A21*
     [e-mail] (James J. Reisert)      A25
     [e-mail] (Richard Reiner)           A2,A17
     [e-mail] (Yaniv Golan)    A17
     [e-mail] (Stephen Smith) A13
     [e-mail] (Pete Stern)          Q25
     [e-mail] (Steve Gabrilowitz)            Q8,Q15
     [e-mail] (George A. Theall)   A2,A4,A19,A20,Q22,A24
     [e-mail] (Doug Dougherty)       A2,A4,A10,Q11,Q14,
                                                       Q16,A17,A25
     [e-mail] (Keith Peterson)     A7
--
Daniel J. Bodoh                       | [e-mail]
Electrical and Computer Engineering   | [e-mail]
UW-Madison grad student               | [e-mail]