The DeskTop Set Technical Support Index
DeskTop Set Advisor

If you are having a problem, please review the following information:

Phone Book

Calendar

Dialer

Calculator

General Problem


Common dialer problems
Common Problems with the Dialer

   - Modem doesn't work

   - The phone company requests that you dial 1 before a number

   - Can't dial international numbers

   - The dialer hangs up before the Talk button is pressed

   - The dialer won't hang up

   - The dialer won't work with COM3 or COM4

Dialer Error Messages

Dialer Files


Modem doesn't work

If Windows can dial a phone number on your system, then the DeskTop Set Dialer will be able to dial it as well.  Regardless of the problem, try to see if it can be repeated with the Windows Cardfile program.  If the problem persists in Cardfile, you should contact Microsoft Corp. or your modem manufacturer for assistance.  If there is no problem using Cardfile, then review the other common dialer problems.


Local + 1 dialing format
The phone company requests that you dial 1 before a number

First, make sure that the '1' is appended to the number you wish to dial:

1.   Open the Dialing Formats dialog box.

2.   Check the Enable Default check box and make sure that the text in the Default field reads <PBX><DEFAULT>.

3.   Open the Dialer Options dialog box and make sure that the Dial 1 check box is checked.

4.   Dial the number from the Dialer or from the Phone Book while holding the Ctrl key down.

5.   Verify that the dialing format is the Default (message box caption bar should read <PBX><DEFAULT>).  Verify that the dialing string contains "1" before the number.

6.   If the dialing format isn't the Default, and '1' is missing, edit the dialing format string to contain '1' before the number.

If everything above works, but you still get the dreaded "dial one" message, insert a ',' (comma) between the <PBX> and <DEFAULT> keywords.  This will increase the pause before the telephone number is dialed.

1.   Open the Dialing Formats dialog box .

2.   Place the cursor in the Default field between the <PBX> and <DEFAULT> entries.

3.   Insert a "," between the entries.

You may also try to set a slower dialing speed (60 or 70).  Your modem may be dialing '1' before the telephone company equipment manages to detect it.

1.   Open the Dialer Options dialog box.

2.   In the Modem section, set the Speed to 60 or 70.

Also, review the Dialing section of the Phone Book chapter about how to select and change the dialing formats.


International Number problems
Can't dial international numbers

1.   Enter all international numbers with the city code but not the country code.

2.   Enter the country code into the Country Code field in the Business dialog box.

3.   Apply the International dialing format as described in the Dialer section of the Manual.  (International numbers will not dial correctly with the default format.  You must explicitly specify the international format.)

The Dialer already contains the international access code.  Thus, when you dial a number, the Dialer will assemble a complete international phone number by combining Intl. Access Code-Country Code-Telephone Number with the city code.


Dialer hangs up
The dialer hangs up before the Talk button is pressed

Increase the value in the Time-out field of the Dialer Options dialog box.  The dialer time-out prevents the modem from seizing control of the telephone which can prevent the incoming calls from ringing.


Dialer won't hang up
The dialer won't hang up

Click the Talk button or press the Space bar several times.  If this does not help, try enabling the Problem Modem, wouldn't hang up check box in the Custom Initializers dialog box.


Problem with COM3 or COM4
The dialer won't work with COM3 or COM4

Windows 3.0 supports up to four COM ports, but you need to know some tricks to make these extra ports work in 386 enhanced mode.  This is because Windows assumes default values for COM3 & 4 which are different from the common ones.

1.   Add the following lines (one or both depending on what port configuration you have) to the section of SYSTEM.INI headed [386Enh]:

COM3Base=3E8h

COM4Base=2E8h

2.   If you have both COM1 and 3 that use IRQ lines, or a COM2 and 4 that use them, then you'll also need to add the following line:

COMIrqSharing=1


Dialer Error Messages

   - Cannot open communication device!

   - Unable to initialize modem. Etc...

   - Modem is not connected!

   - Cannot Dial!

   - Not enough memory to continue


Cannot open communications device
Cannot open communication device!

The communications port selected in the Dialer Options dialog box is not available.

1.   Try selecting a different port.

2.   Check to see if the system has a serial port installed.

3.   Check all connections.


Unable to initialize modem
Unable to initialize modem. Etc...

The dialer tries to initialize the modem when you first launch the Dialer or when you click OK after changing the Dialer Options dialog box.

1.   You may not have the modem on the communications port indicated.

2.   A cable may not be properly attached.

3.   The modem may be in need of repair.

Test the modem, computer, and connection with another program, such as Windows Cardfile, and then try to run the Dialer again.


Modem is not connected
Modem is not connected!

Reconnect the modem and try again.


Cannot dial
Cannot Dial!

Check your modem and telephone lines, as well as the number you were trying to dial, then try to use the Dialer again.


Not enough memory
Not enough memory to continue

Windows does not have enough memory to open the DeskTop Dialer program.  This rarely occurs, but it may happen due to the activity of some other Windows program.  Close another Windows application, then launch the Dialer again.


Dialer Files

The following files must reside in the DeskTop Set Dialer's program directory and are essential in order for it to operate:

DIALER.DIR	Contains the memory pad phone numbers

DIALER.OPT	Contains Dialer configuration information

DIALER.CDS	Contains the area code directory

DIALER.LOG	Contains the calls log


Generally, modems and mice use IRQ, but printers do not.


File/Setup/Dialer... command


File/Setup/Dialing Formats... command


File/Setup/Initializers... command


General DeskTop Set Problems

   - System resources are not returned

   - Not enough memory / Low system resources

   - Menu is missing

   - DeskTop Set Programs are the wrong size

   - System Locks-up Intermittently

   - Slow Performance


System resources not returned
System resources are not returned

When any one of the DeskTop Set applications is run, OKNA.DLL is loaded and uses up some of the system resources.

When the application is terminated, the resources are returned.

However, because of a bug in Windows 3.0, if more than one DeskTop Set application is loaded at one time, Windows loses count of how many applications use OKNA.DLL.

The result is that OKNA.DLL will not be released from memory, and the associated resources will not be returned.

This problem has been fixed in Windows 3.1.


Low system resources / Not enough memory
Not enough memory / Low system resources

No matter how much memory your computer has, Windows only allocates 64K for system resources.

Any Windows program with a lot of functionality uses a significant portion of this resource memory.

Each of the DeskTop Set programs (Dialer, Calendar, Phone Book, etc...) has many menus, dialog boxes and other resources which allow wide ranges of configuration and functionality.

These applications require a justifiable amount of system resource memory.

Whenever you run many applications with these requirements at one time, such as Word for Windows, Excel, DeskTop Set applications, 123 for Windows, Norton Desktop, etc, you will run low on system resources.

Additionaly, each open window on your screen uses about 3-4% of your system resources under Windows 3.0.

Windows 3.1 reduces system resource usage by about 50%.  Therefor, with Windows 3.1, you can expect to run about twice as many programs as under 3.0.


Menu is missing / Expert mode
Menu is missing

If the menus for your application are missing, you have [inadvertently] switched to expert mode.

To return to Windows mode:

1.   Click the right mouse button anywhere over the application to bring up the expert menu.

2.   Go to the application options dialog box by clicking on Setup.

3.   Change the Program mode to Windows.

4.   Restart the application.


Adjusting the Appearance of the DeskTop Set Modules
Adjusting the Screen Appearance of The DeskTop Set Modules

To modify the appearance of any module, you must update the [DeskTop Set] section in your WIN.INI file.

The appearance of each module is controlled by adding its keyword and configuration parameters.

For example, to modify the Dialer window, add the following sequence (shown here in italics) to the existing entry (shown here in bold):

[DeskTop Set]

data=c:\windows\desktop

apps=c:\windows\deskapp

Dialer=12,10,1,0,28,17

You would then save the WIN.INI file and re-start Windows.

The numeric values for each of The DeskTop set modules are explained in the following sections.

The coordinates listed are suggestions for the most common display types.

Feel free to modify the numbers to suit your needs.

In general:

   - The values for character sizes are expressed in device pixels.

   - Wether or not characters are bold is determined by using a 1 for bold or a 0 for normal.

   - Height and width values are multipliers; The actual window height and width are determined by multiplying the average character sizes by those values.

Dialer Entry

Calendar Entry (the most challenging)

Phone Book Entry

Calculator Entry


Dialer Apperance
Dialer Entry

Dialer=bs,cs,bb,cb,dw,dh

bs = button font size

cs = control font size

bb = button font bold

cb = control font bold

dw = dialer width

dh = dialer height

Default Dialer Values:

EGA	Dialer=12,8,1,0,27,16

Hercules	Dialer=18,12,1,0,27,16

VGA	Dialer=18,12,1,0,28,16

800x600	Dialer=18,12,1,0,28,16

1024x768	Dialer=24,18,1,0,29,17


Calendar Appearance
Calendar Entry

Calendar=mf,ef,yf,tf,uf,mb,eb,yb,tb,ub,cw,ch,ys

mf = mode title font

ef = entry font

yf = year font

tf = time and date font

uf = utility font

mb = mode title font bold

eb = entry font bold

yb = year font bold

tf = time and date font bold

uf = utility font bold

cw = calendar width

ch = calendar height

ys = space between columns in Year mode

Default Calendar Values

EGA	Calendar=14,8,20,20,20,1,0,0,1,1,115,34,0

Hercules	Calendar=18,12,16,28,28,1,0,0,1,1,110,34,17

VGA	Calendar=18,12,16,28,28,1,0,0,1,1,112,35,17

800x600	Calendar=18,12,16,28,28,1,0,0,1,1,112,35,17

1024x768	Calendar=24,18,18,28,28,1,1,1,1,1,93,34,24


Phone Book Appearance
Phone Book Entry

Book=pf,ef,pb,eb,pw,ph

pf = page element font

ef = entry font

pb = page element font bold

eb = entry font bold

pw = page width

ph = page height

Default Phone Book Values

EGA	Book=12,8,1,0,53,30

Hercules	Book=18,12,1,0,50,32

VGA	Book=18,12,1,0,52,32

800x600	Book=18,12,1,0,52,32

1024x768	Book=24,18,1,1,45,31


Calculator Appearance
Calculator Entry

Calculator=bf,tf,df,cf,bb,tb,db,cb,cw,ch

bf = buttons font

tf = tape font

df = display font

cf = control button font

bb = buttons bold

tb = tape bold

db = display bold

cb = control buttons bold

cw = calculator width in pixels

ch = calculator height in pixels

Default Calculator Values

EGA	Calculator=12,8,12,8,1,0,0,0,355,195

Hercules	Calculator=18,12,16,12,1,0,1,0,345,200

VGA	Calculator=18,12,16,12,1,0,1,0,360,240

800x600	Calculator=18,12,16,12,1,0,1,0,360,240

1024x768	Calculator=24,22,24,20,1,1,1,0,520,320


Intermittent System Lock-ups
System Locks-up Intermittently

Note: These solutions apply to Windows 3.0 only.

Windows 3.0 Users Guide, p. 518:

"If you are using MS-DOS 3.3 or later, your CONFIG.SYS file should contain a STACKS=0,0 command..."

What it doesn't say is that Windows 3.0 may intermittently crash without this command.

Also, some high-end 386 PCs lock-up intermittently when running The DeskTop Set programs.  This problem has been traced to Windows 3.0 and the so-called "interleaved memory".

Once the interleaved memory is disabled (always an option in the hardware [not Windows] setup section), the problem disappears.  We advised Microsoft Corp. regarding this problem.

We didn't notice any difference in Windows performance with the interleaved memory either on or off.


Slow Performance

The disk caching software provided with Windows 3.0 (SMARTDRV) performs fairly well with the Btrieve database system.  You will notice a delay when writing information (saving new or modified records), but all reading and searching operations are very fast.  The SMARTDRV.EXE disk caching software that is provided with Windows 3.1 also performs well.

In both Windows 3.0 and 3.1, you may be able to speed up performance by optimizing your SMARTDRV cache.  See the Windows documentation for details.

There are disk cache programs available that will probably improve your performance under either version of Windows.  We are investigating several brands of disk caching software, and we will give you a full report with the final release of DeskTop Set 4.0.


FYI:  PC Magazine (February 14, 1989) describes the interleaved memory as follows:  "The CPU speed is usually faster than memory speed.  Interleaved memory increases processing speed by splitting the memory into two or more portions.  ...The CPU then sends information to a section at a time, allowing one section to process while another receives data..."


A pixel is the smallest unit of your monitor resolution, one dot.


Common Calendar Problems
Common Problems with the Calendar

   - Recurring Events don't seem to work

   - No Page setup... when in year mode

   - The Windows calendar comes up instead of the DeskTop Set Calendar


Recurring events not working
Recurring Events don't seem to work

You may not have the Occurrences boxes checked properly.

Unless you only want the event to be repeated on specific occurrences of days in the month, such as the first and third Wednesday of every month, then you should check all the Occurrences boxes.

1.   Switch the Calendar to Day mode.

2.   Click on the event you want to be recurring.

3.   Bring up the recurring event options dialog box.

4.   Check the Occurrences box in the Select all section.  This automatically checks all the Occurrences boxes.

Note:  If you are specifying event dates in the Range section of the recurring event options dialog box, you must still check the appropriate boxes for Year, Month, Day and Occurrences.


No Page setup in Year mode
No Page setup... when in year mode

The Page setup... dialog box is only available from the Month or Day modes.


Windows calendar instead of DeskTop Calendar
The Windows calendar comes up instead of the DeskTop Set Calendar

In version 3.0 of DeskTop Set, the DeskTop Set Calendar and the Windows calendar both had the same executable filename.  This has been changed for DeskTop Set version 4.0.

If you are using DeskTop Set version 4.0 or later and are still experiencing this problem, check to make sure you updated the DeskTop Set programs successfully.

If you are still using the DeskTop Set 3.0 Calendar, the Windows calendar program must not be running when the DeskTop Set Calendar program is started.


Edit/Recurring... command


Common Calculator Problems
Common Problems with the Calculator

   - Can't enter digits into a comment line

   - "Unrecoverable Application Error" when loading Calculator


Can't enter digits in a comment line
Can't enter digits into a comment line

If you need to enter digits into a comment line, do so while holding

down the Ctrl key.


"Unrecoverable Application Error" in calculator
"Unrecoverable Application Error" when loading Calculator

Your last calculator tape file is most likely corrupted.

1.   Go to the Desktop directory.

2.   Delete the file LAST.TAP.

3.   Restart the Calculator.


Common Phone Book Problems
Common Problems with the Phone Book

   - Mail merge templates

   - Can't open Yellow Pages

   - Can't delete items from lists


Mail Merge Templates

The mail merge templates are pre-configured for the Epson 24 pin compatible printers.  To select your printer:

1.   Select the Letters... command from the EDIT menu;

2.   Select a letter template and click the EDIT button;

3.   Select the Page Setup... command from the FILE menu;

4.   Click the DEVICES button;

5.   Select a desired printer from the list of available printers;

6.   Select the fonts for text, header and footer. (always select header and footer fonts.)

That's it.  It may sound complex, but it isn't.  Each letter template may be configured for a different printer, hence the flexibility and the perceived complexity.


Can't Open the Yellow Pages

1.   Open the Yellow Pages using the Yellow pages command from the File menu.

2.   Click OK on any messages that come up.

3.   Open the YELLOW.ADR file from the Select file dialog box.

4.   Open the White Pages using the White pages command from the File menu.

This should successfully re-establish the link to the Yellow Pages.


Can't Delete Items from Lists
Can't Delete Items from Some Lists

Some of the newer Phone Book features, such as attach files, notes, phone log and message pad, have a safeguard feature on their list boxes.  In order to delete the highlighted item from one of these lists, you must double-click the Delete button.  Once the item is deleted, each subsequent click of the Delete button within one second of the previous click will delete the next item in the list.


File/Open... command