Power CD-ROM!! 8/Power CD-ROM 8.iso/docs/dvfaq23.txt

Text File | 1994-12-11 | 87KB | 1,775 lines

                   DESQview/QEMM Frequently Asked Questions
                                  Release 23
                        Last update: December 1, 1994

                          Edited by Andrew Langmead
                  Posted on the first of every month
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 0. FAQ Facts - An overview of this FAQ list

Q001: What is this article?
Q002: How is the FAQ arranged?
Q003: Where can I get the FAQ List?
Q004: To whom can I complain if I find an error?
Q005: What if I can't find it in the FAQ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q001: What is this article?

A001: This article is a regularly posted compendium of topics that have been
     discussed in the Usenet newsgroup 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 ("Frequently Asked Questions"), 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.

Q002: How is the FAQ arranged?

A002: The FAQ consists of seven sections in the following order:
          (0) FAQ FACTS is an overview of the FAQ itself.  You are reading
              it right now.
          (1) QUARTERDECK AND ITS PRODUCTS briefly describes the products
              and support services that Quarterdeck offers.
          (2) THE DESQVIEW PRODUCTS answers questions common to all the
              DESQview products: DESQview, DESQview-386 and DESQview/X.
          (3) DESQVIEW CLASSIC is specific to the DESQview and DESQview-386
              products.
          (4) DESQVIEW/X answers questions specific to DESQview/X.
          (5) QEMM answers questions related to Quarterdeck's memory
              manager QEMM-386.
          (6) CONTRIBUTORS lists the major contributors to this document.

     Each section is preceded by a list of the questions in that section.
     Because DESQview and DESQview/X are close cousins, many of the
     questions are common to both and are answered in section 2.

     Because Quarterdeck sells a variety of DESQview products, the term
     "DESQview" can be vague.  In this FAQ list, "DESQview" refers to any of
     the DESQview packages that Quarterdeck sells.  References to specific
     packages will be made with either the package name or with a shorthand
     notation:
          DVC     refers to the original DESQview package, now informally
                  called ``DESQview Classic''.
          DV386   refers to DESQview/386 or the DESQview Classic and QEMM-386
                  combination (see Q101).
          DVX386  refers to DESQview/X-386.
          DVX286  refers to DESQview/X-286.
          DVX     refers to both DESQview/X-286 and DESQview/X-386.
     At the end of some of the questions, there may be a note of the form
     ``QW:216:QRAM.TEC''.  This is a cross reference to the Quarterdeck White
     Papers, which are published by Quarterdeck.  QW:216:QRAM.TEC refers to
     Quarterdeck White Paper #216, file name QRAM.TEC.  The White Pages are
     available on Quarterdeck's BBS and on SimTel (see Q203).

Q003: Where can I get the FAQ List?

A003: This FAQ list is published in a number of places.  In file archives, it
     is named DVFAQx.ZIP, where ``x'' is the release number.
          (1) its birthplace, the Usenet newsgroup COMP.OS.MSDOS.DESQVIEW as
              NEWS.ANSWERS with the subject line ``DESQview/QEMM Frequently
              Asked Questions: READ BEFORE POSTING'';
          (2) all NEWS.ANSWERS archives, as ``desqview-faq'' (the only
              exception to the naming rule); and
          (3) SimTel and mirrors (see Q203) in the desqview directory.

Q004: To whom can I complain if I find an error?

A004: To me, at
          [e-mail]

     Please send me any and all suggestions, errors or criticisms.

Q005: What if I can't find it in the FAQ?

A005: First of all, take a look at the manual.  This may seem obvious, but
     you'd be surprised at the number of people that post problems which they
     could have solved themselves by glancing at the manual.

     If you still can't figure it out, post a complete description of your
     problem.  Don't just say, for example, ``foo.exe doesn't run''.  Be
     specific.  Post the Change A Program screens, or portions of
     AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS if relevant.  But use some restraint.  Don't
     post 18 pages of system configuration information just because you can't
     get foo.exe to print ``Hello, world''.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 1.  Quarterdeck and its Products - What Quarterdeck sells and how
            to contact the company.

Q101: What products does Quarterdeck sell, and what are the current
      versions?
Q102: How can I contact Quarterdeck?
Q103: What third-party books are available on Quarterdeck's products?
Q104: What are the command-line switches for Quarterdeck's products?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q101: What products does Quarterdeck sell, and what are the current
      versions?

A101: [Versions are the latest known as of the date of the FAQ.  If you see a
     newer version, please let me know.]

     Quarterdeck has two types of ``upgrades'': major upgrades and
     compatibility updates. The former involves a changing of the digit
     before or immediately after the decimal point and represents significant
     enhancements to the product's performance. The latter reflect minor
     changes generally of interest to a small number of users.

     DESQview (DVC)        2.63
          An excellent DOS multitasker.  If you are wondering why it has such
          a funny name, here's the official explanation from Quarterdeck: the
          original product was called DESQ (the Q was from Quarterdeck). When
          Quarterdeck made it TopView-compatible (see Q305) the "view" was
          added.

     QEMM-386              7.5
          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.  QEMM is a VCPI server and can also be a DPMI host with the
          QDPMI product (see below).  If you plan to use DESQview on a 386,
          you should choose QEMM over other memory managers.  It is smaller
          and faster than other memory managers, can give you more upper
          memory, and certain functions in DESQview will only work if QEMM is
          the memory manager.  It is also the only memory manager that allows
          you to run Windows in Standard mode inside or outside of DESQview.

     QDPMI                 1.0
          In conjunction with QEMM, QDPMI acts as a DPMI host for programs
          that require DPMI.  QDMPI is available to registered QEMM users
          free of charge from the Quarterdeck BBS (see Q203) or for a nominal
          price with documentation from Quarterdeck.  QDMPI is now shipped
          with QEMM-386.

     QEMM-50/60            6.0 (not sure about minor version number)
          Similar to QEMM-386, but specifically for PS/2 models 50 and 60
          which are 80286-based machines.  It will only work with certain
          memory expansion boards and requires disabling of motherboard
          memory.  For more details, get the QOS tech note QEMM5060.TEC,
          available from SimTel and other sites (see Q203).

     DESQview/386 (DV386)  2.63
          Actually DESQview/386 is a copy of DESQview and QEMM in the same
          package.  If you already have DESQview, purchasing QEMM will give
          you DV386.

     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.  BTW, QRAM is pronounced like ``cram'' (I always called it
          ``kee-u-ram'').

     MANIFEST              3.0
          Manifest is a ``system information'' utility.  It displays hardware
          information, memory usage, internal DOS structures and much more.
          The current version runs as either a DOS or a Windows application,
          depending on which environment it it running.

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

     DESQview/X-386 (DVX386)  2.0
          DESQview/X-386 is DV386 with an industry-standard graphical user
          interface.  It contains an X-windows server, which allows you to
          interact with X-windows programs running on Unix machines, or DOS
          text and X clients running on other DESQview/X machines (see Q405).
          Using the fonts provided, you can make use of your SVGA to have
          many small 80x25 windows open on the screen simultaneously.

          The DVX386 package contains DESQview/386 2.52, QEMM-386 6.03 and
          Manifest 1.14.  These versions are not available separately. It
          also contains 4 DESQview/X Companions: an Application Manager (like
          Window's Program Manager), a File Manager, the Adobe Type Manager
          and an Icon Editor.

     DESQview/X-286 (DVX286)  (Rumored)
          This will be DESQview/X for the 286.  DVX286 will actually DVX386
          packaged with QRAM.  Quarterdeck hasn't released because of memory
          difficulties.

     OSF/Motif Window Manager 1.0
          Replaces the native DESQview/X window manager for a different look
          and feel.

     OPEN LOOK Window Manager 1.0
          Replaces the native DESQview/X window manager for a different look
          and feel.

     DESQview and DESQview/X programming tools
          See Q204, Q404.

     Sidebar 1.0
          A Windows shell that replaces the Program Manager.

     CleanSweep 1.0
          Searches for unneeded or unused files from Windows applications.
          These files can either be archived or deleted.

     QW:186:QEMM5060.TEC, QW:216:QRAM.TEC, QW:266:DV&DVX.TEC

Q102: How can I contact Quarterdeck?

A102: Quarterdeck Office Systems
     150 Pico Boulevard
     Santa Monica, CA, USA 90405

     Technical Support:
          Phone:    [phone]
          Fax:      [phone]
     Sales:
          Phone:    [phone]
          Fax:      [phone]
     Customer Service or Orders:
          Phone:    [phone]

     QOS BBS:  [phone] (24 hours/day, 300-14400 BPS, 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
          Smartnet:           DESQview Conference - Quarterdeck USA

     Public Message forums for Quarterdeck Tech support:
          QOS BBS:       <T>echnical Support Message System
          CompuServe:    ``GO QUARTERDECK''
          BIX:           ``JOIN DESQVIEW''
          SmartNet:      DESQview Conference
          FidoNet:       DESQview Echo (currently no QOS support online)
          RelayNet:      DESQVIEW - Quarterdeck USA or Quarterdeck Canada
          ILINK:         Multitaskers
          Usenet:        comp.os.msdos.desqview - QOS techs are active

     Ireland
     -------
     European Headquarters
     Quarterdeck International Ltd.
     B.I.M. House, Crofton Terrace
     Dun Laoghaire, Co.
     Dublin, Ireland
     Phone:    [phone]
     Fax:      [phone]
     BBS:      [phone]
     QFAX:     [phone]
     Product Information/Registration Cards:
     Phone:    [phone]
     Fax:      [phone]

     United Kingdom
     --------------
     Quarterdeck Office Systems UK Ltd.
     Widford Hall, Widford Hall Lane,
     Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 8TD, United Kingdom
     Technical Support
     Phone:    + 01245 494940
     Fax:      + 01245 496941
     QFAX      + 01245 496931
     Product Information/Upgrade/Registration Cards:
     Phone:    + 44 245 496699
     Fax:      + 44 245 495284
     BBS:      + 44 245 263898

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

     Germany
     -------
     Quarterdeck Office Systems GmbH
     Willstaetter Strasse 15
     D-4000 Duesseldorf 11
     Germany
     Technical support:
     Phone:    +49 211 / 59790-40
     Fax:      +49 211 / 59790-60
     QFAX      +49 211 / 59790-65
     Product info, upgrades:
     Phone:    +49 211 / 59790-0
     Fax:      +49 211 / 594126

     France
     ------
     Quarterdeck Office Systems S.A.R.L.,
     4, Rue de General Lanrezac, 75017 Paris, France.
     Technical Support
     Phone:  Int + 33 146-97-16-17
     Fax:      + 33 146-97-14-73
     BBS:      + 33 146-97-14-74
     QFAX:     + 33 144-09-00-81
     Product Information/Upgrade/Registration Cards
     Phone:    + 33 144-09-03-91
     Fax:      + 33 144-09-03-47

     Cyprus / Eastern Mediterranean
     ------------------------------
     Quarterdeck Office Systems Middle East Ltd.
     1 Souliou Street, Suite 103, Strovolos,
     Nicosia, Cyprus.
     Product Information/Upgrade/Registration Cards/Support
     Phone:    + 357 2311-630
     Fax:      + 357 2311-560

     Spain
     -----
     Quarterdeck Office Systems S.A.,
     Gran Via de les Courts, Catlanes, 617, 10-3A
     08007 Barcelona, Spain.
     Product Information/Upgrade/Registration Cards/Support
     Phone:    + 343-412-29-45

     Australia
     ---------

     Quarterdeck Office Systems Australia
     500 Oxford Street, Plaza II
     Bondi Junction, New South Wales 2022
     Australia
     Product Information/Upgrade/Registration Cards/Support
     Phone:   + 61-2-369-2711
     Fax      + 61-2-369-1912

Q103: What third-party books are available on Quarterdeck's products?

A103: ``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.
     [This is a review from Quarterdeck.  I've heard from others that this
     books is really not that good and doesn't have many examples.  Look it
     over well before you spend any money.] A very good source on programming
     in C 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.

     ``DOS Beyond 640K'', Second Ed. James Forney, Windcrest Books, Division
          of TAB Books Inc., Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17294-0850. 1989.  235
          ISBN 0-8306-9717-9, ISBN 0-8306-3744-3 pbk. 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 PCs.

     ``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.

     ``Extending DOS,'' Ray Duncan, Charles Petzold, M. Steven Baker, Andrew
          Schulman, Stephen R. Davis, Ross P. Nelson, Robert Moote,
          Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Second edition, 1992.
     An excellent work on DOS memory usage and some of the options for
     extending DOS.  For advanced users and programmers.  Quite a bit of
     example source code included.  Covers IBM PC Programming Architecture,
     EMS, XMS, DOS Extenders, Windows, DESQview, VCPI, DPMI and Multitasking.

     ``DESQview Instant Reference,'' Paul J. Perry, 1991, Sybex, 166 Pages.
          Price $9.95
     This is a basic, short reference guide to DESQview, QEMM-386, and
     Manifest. It covers up to versions 2.3 of DESQview and version 5.1 of
     QEMM-386.  It describes the use of all the DESQview functions, QEMM-386
     switches, and switches for LOADHI, QEMM.COM, VIDRAM.  All the
     information provided is in the Quarterdeck manuals.

     ``Understanding DESQview,'' Richard Altman, 1991, Sybex, 307 pages.
          Price $24.95

     ``DESQview Revealed'', Dave Williams, SAMS. $29.95, ISBN 0672300281.
     Uses information from this FAQ.  I've got a copy but I haven't
     taken the time to review it yet...

     ``Memory Management for All of Us'', by John M. Goodman, Ph.D.  SAMS,
          1992. ISBN 0-672-27366-7. Price $29.95.
     Discusses virtually all aspects of PC memory and memory management,
     including how DESQview uses memory.

     ``XView Programming Manual,'' Dan Heller, etal., O'Reilly & Assoc. 586
          pages. Price:  $34.95

     ``X Window System Programming,'' Naba Barkakati, 1991, Howard W. Sams &
          Co.  600 pages.  Price:  $29.95
     Good introduction to X programming, with many helpful example programs.
     Covers xlib, xt Intrinsics, and some discussion of OSF/Motif widgets is
     provided.

     ``Introduction to the X Window System,'' O. Jones, 1989, P-H.  Price:
          $38.00

     ``The X Window System in a Nutshell'', 1990, O'Reilly & Assoc.  Price:
          $24.95

     "USING DESQview/X", Kevin Reichard, 1993, MIS Press. Written by the
     co-author of "USING X"

     "Total Recall", G. Saxer & E. Sander, 1993, Osborne Press
     Memory Management from a Quarterdeck perspective, written by
     Quarterdeck VP Gary Saxer and Quarterdeck senior tech writer Ellen
     Sander.

     ``DESQview: Everything You Need to Know'', Kamin, $22.95.
     ISBN 1559582383

     ``Power of... DESQview/X'', Reichard, MIS Press. $27.95, ISBN 1558282572

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

     QW:132:BOOKS.TEC

Q104: What are the command-line switches for Quarterdeck's products?

A104: The file qosswit3.zip from SimTel (see Q203) in the SimTel/msdos/qtrdeck/
     directory contains a list of the documented and undocumented switches
     for Quarterdeck's products.

     QW:178:ALL-HELP.TEC

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 2.  The DESQview Products - Questions and answers common to
            DESQview and DESQview/X

Q201:  What are the DESQview products?
Q202:  What types of programs can the DESQview products run?
Q203: Where can I get freeware and shareware programs for the DESQview
     products?
Q204: I want to write software for the DESQview products. Where can I get
      the API?
Q205: Can Windows run under the DESQview products?
Q206: When running Windows under DESQview, I get an ``Incorrect DOS Version''
     message.  How do I fix this?
Q207: How do I run a program every time DESQview is started?
Q208: I've heard that DESQview does preemptive multitasking.  What does that
      mean?
Q209: How can I increase the speed and performance of the DESQview
     products?
Q210: Why do the other windows slow to a virtual halt when one window
     accesses the floppy disk?
Q211: How can I upgrade my 80286 for best DESQview performance?
Q212: How can I increase the maximum available memory to programs running
     in the DESQview products?
Q213: My {9600 or greater} BPS modem drops characters under DESQview.  Is high
     speed communication possible under DESQview?
Q214: What does ``Optimize Communications'' in DESQview's setup program do?
Q215: Why doesn't ANSI.SYS work in DESQview?
Q216: What do each of the four Protection Levels mean?
Q217: How can I load two or more shared programs in a window?
Q218: Why does my remote control program's screen mess up when I
      switch windows?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q201:  What are the DESQview products?

A201:  The DESQview products, specifically DESQview and DESQview/X, are
     DOS-based multitaskers written by Quarterdeck Office Systems of Santa
     Monica, California, USA.  They allows true preemptive multitasking (see
     Q9) on 8088, 8086, 80286, 80386, 80486, Pentium, V20 and V30 machines
     running MS-DOS (see Q301, Q401). While MS-DOS is still considered the PC's
     operating system, DESQview provides services similar to more advanced
     multitasking operating systems.

     QW:195:286.TEC, QW:266:DV&DVX.TEC

Q202:  What types of programs can the DESQview products run?

A202:  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 Q305).  If you'd like to make your program DESQview-aware,
     there is code provided in Appendix J 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 (called the DESQview
     Applications Program Interface (API)).

     DESQview will multitask all programs, regardless of type, with the
     following exceptions: DOS Graphics programs which use protected mode
     are suspended when placed in the "background" under DESQview, and all
     DOS graphics programs are suspended when in the "background" under
     DESQview/X.

Q203: Where can I get freeware and shareware programs for the DESQview
     products?

A203: 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 1200-9600 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 1:355/38.  A monthly
          posting to the DESQview echo on Fidonet lists the nodes
          participating in DVNet.

     Internet (via anonymous ftp)
          QDECK.COM [149.17.8.10]
          QDECK.COM is the official Quarterdeck FTP site.

          The Simtel Software Repository
          For security reasons, the SimTel Software Repository is located on
          a host that is not accessible by anonymous ftp users, however, its
          files are available by anonymous ftp in directory /SimTel/msdos from
          the primary the primary mirror site OAK.Oakland.Edu [141.210.10.117]

          Three directories are of interest to DV/QEMM users:
               /SimTel/msdos/desqview
                    Many DESQview programs, .DVPs, etc.
               /SimTel/msdos/dv-x
                    DVX-specific programs, icons, etc.
               /SimTel/msdos/qemm
                    QEMM programs, information
               /SimTel/msdos/qtrdeck
                    Information relating to all Quarterdeck products.  The
                    Quarterdeck White Pages are stored here as qw-sep92.zip.
                    They are very useful for solving problems.
               /SimTel/msdos/djgpp
                    A freely distributable 32 bit compiler which Quarterdeck
                    has donated DESQview/X libraries.

               Other directories may contain DESQview-aware (see Q202)
               programs. In each of the three directories, the file
               00_index.txt contains a list of all the files available in
               that directory.

               Other SimTel mirrors include
               St. Louis, MO:  wuarchive.wustl.edu (128.252.135.4)
               Corvallis, OR:  archive.orst.edu (128.193.2.13)
                   Australia:  archie.au (139.130.4.6)
                     England:  src.doc.ic.ac.uk (146.169.2.10)
                     Finland:  ftp.funet.fi (128.214.248.6)
                      France:  ftp.ibp.fr (132.227.60.2)
                     Germany:  ftp.uni-paderborn.de (131.234.2.32)
                   Hong Kong:  ftp.cs.cuhk.hk (137.189.4.57)
                      Israel:  ftp.technion.ac.il (132.68.1.10)
                      Poland:  ftp.cyf-kr.edu.pl (149.156.1.8)
                      Sweden:  ftp.sunet.se (130.238.127.3)
                 Switzerland:  ftp.switch.ch (130.59.1.40)
                      Taiwan:  NCTUCCCA.edu.tw (140.111.1.10)
                    Thailand:  ftp.nectec.or.th (192.150.251.33)

               Gopher users can access the collection through
               Gopher.Oakland.Edu.  World Wide Web (WWW) and Mosaic
               users can connect to the URL http://www.acs.oakland.edu
               to access the files on OAK.Oakland.Edu.

               Information distributed via Fidonet's DVNet is
               available for anonymous FTP for 7 days from ftp.fidonet.org
               under pub/fidonet in directories:
                   dvn-admn
                   dvn-apps
                   dvn-dev
                   dvn-dvp
                   dvn-tech
                   dvn-xapp
                   dvn-xdev
                   dvn-xdvp
                   dvn-xtec

     Email-only
          SimTel files may obtained by e-mail from various ftp-mail servers
          or through the BITNET/EARN file servers.  For details see file
          /SimTel/msdos/filedocs/mailserv.inf or Keith Petersen's periodic
          information postings to comp.archives.msdos.announce.

Q204: I want to write software for the DESQview products. Where can I get
      the API?

A204: Programming under the DESQview API allows you to use all the
     multitasking features of DVC and DVX - process and task creation,
     interprocess communication and character window output.

     The DESQview API is built into every copy of DESQview and DESQview/X as
     INT 15h calls.  A list of the documented and undocumented INT 15h calls
     is available for free in DVINT, a DESQview/QEMM-specific excerpt of the
     Interrupt List maintained by Ralf Brown.

     Also for free is DVGLUE, a DESQview 2.01 API for Turbo C.  DVGLUE and
     DVINT make a good combination for freeware and shareware programmers who
     want to get into DESQview programming at a small cost.

     Recently, Quarterdeck has significantly reduced the prices for their API
     and associated tools.  The tools include the API reference manual ($25),
     various language-specific libraries (C, Pascal, Dbase, etc., $100 each
     including the API manual), a panel designer for screen layout, and other
     tools (see Q102).  Third party reference books are also available (see
     Q20).

     The prices above are Quarterdeck prices; the price on the street is
     usually a lot better.  One source of API tools is the Programmer's
     Connection, at
          Programmer's Connection, Inc.
          7249 Whipple Ave. NW
          North Canton, OH  44720-7143
          1-800-336-1166 (US and Canada)
          [phone] (International)
          [phone] (FAX)

     QW:211:APIBRO.TEC

Q205: Can Windows run under the DESQview products?

A205: Yes, Windows can run under DESQview, but only in Real and Standard
     mode. Windows in Enhanced mode becomes an 80386 DPMI control program
     and there can only be one such control program at a time.

     Under DESQview/X, Windows can be run in a small window, because
     DESQview/X can convert the Windows output into X requests.  Page 143 of
     the DVX manual discusses how to run Windows under DVX.

     DESQview 2.6 now supports MS Windows in higher resolutions through the
     use of DVWINMON.EXE (as does DESQview/X through XWINMON.EXE) This
     driver is placed in the WIN.INI file, thusly:
     WIN.INI  contents extract:
     [windows] ; load=C:\DVX\xwinmon.exe  (commented version of DVX driver)
     load=c:\dv\dvwinmon.exe    ; DV 2.6 driver

     This driver has been successfully tested with many drivers
     including Trident, STB and Winspeed drivers at resolutions up to
     1024x768x256

     QW:170:WIN3.TEC, QW:242:WIN31.TEC

Q206: When running Windows under DESQview, I get an ``Incorrect DOS Version''
     message.  How do I fix this?

A206: Rather than using LOADHI FILES in AUTOEXEC.BAT, you must set FILES=15 or
     so in CONFIG.SYS.  Windows requires that some FILES be loaded low.
     QEMM 7.0x (packaged with DVX 1.1 and DV386 2.6) contains a fix for
     this Windows problem.

Q207: How do I run a program every time DESQview is started?

A207: Yes.  There are basically two methods:
          (1) Use the ! method in the script language.
          (2) Use a batch file in the first (BD) window.

     Method (1) is more useful in turnkey applications - method (2) is better
     (i.e., more flexible) for general use.

     To use method 1, do something like this:

     copy con foo.dvt
     {Learn {F12} "!Startup"}
     ...
     {Finish}
     ^Z
     convscr t foo.dvt desqview.dvs

     (``...'' are your DV script commands to do what you want to do)

     To use Method 2, get hold of one of the many ``start a window from the
     command line'' utilities.  One of these is RUN, part of the DVSI package
     available on SimTel and mirrors (see Q203).

     Then write a batch file that uses RUN to create the windows you need,
     and put that batch file in the Program field of BD-PIF.DVP.  Then you
     can start up the windows just by hitting return twice when DV starts up
     (assuming BD is the first program on your open menu).  This is what I
     do. Or, for total automation, you can make a startup script as above,
     consisting of OBD.

     Under DESQview/X, there is a third possible method.  Edit the file
     ``DVX.CFG'' which is in the \DVX directory.  Add the name of the DVP
     (without the .DVP extension) to the CLIENT line.  Or, use the SETUP
     program which will edit DVX.CFG for you. DESQview/X assumes that the
     DVP you specify in the CLIENT line is in the directory \DVX\DVPS.

     QW:153:AUTOSCRI.TEC

Q208: I've heard that DESQview does preemptive multitasking.  What does that
      mean?

A208: 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 Q210).

     DESQview-oblivious programs (see Q202) 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 Q209).

     QW:152:MULTI-T.TEC

Q209: How can I increase the speed and performance of the DESQview
     products?

A209: DESQview's performance depends on many different factors.  We will try
     to highlight some of the important areas here.

     DESQVIEW-OBLIVIOUS PROGRAMS
          Performance is especially degraded by DESQview-oblivious programs
          (see Q202), because they do not give up the CPU when they are not
          doing useful work (see Q208).

          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 SimTel (see Q203)
          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.

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

     DISK ACCESS
          Since disk access can slow down the system significantly (see Q210)
          using a disk cache can also increase performance.  HyperDisk,
          available on SimTel (see Q203), is especially popular among
          DESQview users.

     FOREGROUND/BACKGROUND TICKS
          With the ``Tune Performance'' menu you can set the number of
          foreground and background ticks.  These numbers indicate how much
          time DESQview is to allocate to a given task before moving on to
          the next in a round-robin fashion. The default setting is 9:3,
          which means DESQview gives the foreground task 9 ``ticks'', or
          roughly half a second, of CPU time, then gives each of the
          background tasks 3 ticks. A more common setting with today's
          hardware is 1:1 or 2:2 -- each task gets 1 (or 2) ticks.

          There's no single, optimal setting. Smaller numbers generally
          provide smoother performance, but may overwhelm the CPU on less
          powerful systems. In addition, time-sensitive applications like
          communications programs may need to be serviced frequently by the
          CPU. In short, experiment.

          Setting 0 background ticks will cause background windows to never
          run.  Setting 0 foreground ticks will cause background windows to
          run only if the foreground window explicitly gives up its
          timeslice, or if it blocks (i.e. waits for a keystroke or other
          event).

     SCREEN DISPLAY
          There are three primary reasons why your screen may appear jerky.
          First, you may be virtualizing the window. While this prevents
          bleed-thru (when used in conjunction with QEMM-386), it does
          increase the workload on DESQview, and the screen output only
          occurs at the end of the program's timeslice. If this is a problem
          for you then configure your application to use BIOS screen writes
          and turn virtualization off. Second, you may need to adjust your
          tick settings. DESQview updates the screen display at the end of a
          task's CPU allocation. Thus, a setting of, say, 99:99 will result
          in extremely jerky screen updates compared with 2:2 or so.  Third,
          you may be unnecessarily using NOFF.SHP (see Q305).

          DESQview/X is a GUI and therefore screen output is much slower.
          This is due to the poor design of the PC's video.  In order to get
          better display performance, you may want to purchase a graphics
          accelerator or coprocessor board.

Q210: Why do the other windows slow to a virtual halt when one window
     accesses the floppy disk?

A210: 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 FDFORMAT (see Q203).

     QW:230:DVFLOPPY.TEC

Q211: How can I upgrade my 80286 for best DESQview performance?

A211: 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 may not help you. 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 the editor (see above).

     (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 Q301, Q401).

     (3) If you get a 386 Adapter to replace the 286 CPU chip, there has been
     ``some reported'' compatibility problems.  Also, it will not run as fast
     the corresponding 386 motherboard of the same clock 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.

     QW:195:286.TEC

Q212: How can I increase the maximum available memory to programs running
     in the DESQview products?

A212: There are three easy steps:  Free up conventional memory, steal the
     video graphics area and trim DESQview's usage of memory.

     FREE UP CONVENTIONAL MEMORY
     ---------------------------
     The first step is to free up as much of the lower 640K as possible.
     If you have a 386 or better, this is possible.  Purchase QEMM if you
     do not already have it; QEMM is smaller and much more effective than
     DOS's EMM386 or other memory manager products.  Also, QEMM is required
     in order to do screen virtualization.

     QEMM 7 has the ability to load DOS high; use QEMM's DOS-UP rather than
     DOS's DOS=HIGH because QEMM can do a better job.  If you do not use
     DOS-UP, do not load DOS into the HMA.  DESQview can make better use of
     the HMA itself.   If you load DOS high, add I=0800-0FFF to your QEMM
     line in CONFIG.SYS.

     Also, if you don't need graphics, you can use the VREMS parameter on the
     QEMM line, and add VIDRAM ON to the DV.BAT file. This will give you
     about 64k more for each window. DV.BAT should actually have a VIDRAM ON
     before calling DV, and VIDRAM OFF after DV.

     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.

     Using QEMM's STEALTH feature (ST:M is preferred) will buy you much
     more memory, and is pretty much required for DVX.

     Here's a neat trick to save memory under DVX.  This is from David
     Granz:

       In order to use DV/X on a TCP/IP network, the FTP software TCP/IP
       drivers must be loaded.  Unfortunately, these TSRs can take up over
       100K of precious DOS memory space.  In addition a mouse driver is
       needed (another 12-16K of memory used up).  And then, DV/X itself
       chews up a significant amount of DOS memory. Even with the new QEMM
       stealth features that allow most of the upper memory space to be
       used to LOADHI these TSRs, the memory actually left for a program
       (or DOS window) under DV/X can end up being quite small.  In my
       particular setup, the best I was able to get was a 320K DOS window.

       After much experimenting and some suggestions from Quarterdeck, I
       have come up with the following procedures that allow you get very
       close to a full 640K of program space in a DOS window (somewhat less
       if you don't have a 8514 video card).  Note that although this
       method seems to work fine (for me at least), it is not in anyway a
       supported method.  Please DO NOT call Quarterdeck for help with this
       setup, they are not supporting this technique at this time.  If you
       have problems with things crashing, put things back the way they
       were before, and see if the problems go away.  Then, if the crash
       still occurs, you have a valid reason to call Quarterdeck.

       Before doing any of the following modifications, make a safe copy of
       \DVX\STARTUP.DVP and \DVX\DVPS\PCTCP.DVP.  These copies can be used
       to restore the system in case you have problems.

       Step 1, Saving the space occupied by the MOUSE driver:
          Create a file called \DVX\SERVER.BAT that contains the following
          lines:

               MOUSE   (or whatever is needed to run your mouse)
               SERVER

          Then with the DVPMAN program (under DV/X), modify the file
          \DVX\STARTUP.DVP. Change the reference to SERVER.EXE to SERVER.BAT.
          Also increase the memory size by enough to cover the added size of
          the mouse driver (about 30k should be plenty).

          Modify your CONFIG.SYS and/or AUTOEXEC.BAT to not load the mouse
          driver when you boot your computer.

          Restart the computer, and then DV/X...  The mouse driver should now
          load in the process space of the server.

          A 'mem/c' command in a DOS window, should show more memory
          available and no copy of the mouse driver.

       Step 2, Saving the space occupied by the TCP drivers:
          In a manner similar to the above mouse modifications, you need to
          create a batch file:  \DVX\NETWORK\NETWORK.BAT.  This batch file
          should contain all the drivers and network programs needed to
          support TCP/IP.  The last step should be to run the 'nsftp'
          program.

          For example, my NETWORK.BAT looks like this:
               c:\dvx\device c:\ftp\ifcust.sys
               c:\dvx\device c:\ftp\ipcust.sys
               c:\ncsa\drivers\wd8003e -w 0x62 7 0x280 0xD000
               c:\ftp\ethdrv -t 20 -p 26 -u 2
               nsftp

          Using DVPMAN, modify the \DVX\DVPS\PCTCP.DVP parameters to run
          NETWORK.BAT rather than NSFTP.EXE.  You should add enough memory
          allocation to allow for the extra memory of the network drivers.
          In my case a 350K allocation seems to work fine but you may need
          more.

          Remove all the network drivers and TSRs from your CONFIG.SYS and
          AUTOEXEC.BAT, and reboot DOS and DV/X.

          If all goes correctly, the DOS windows under DV/X should now
          contain none of the network drivers.  With this arrangement I am
          able to get about 550K available in the DOS window.

          The only limitation of this arrangement, is that only Quarterdeck
          supplied network programs (telnet, ftp, etc) will work.  This is
          because the network drivers are running in a different address
          space than the DOS windows.  The normal FTP software's and Packet
          driver's access interrupts are not available in any process other
          than the PCTCP process.

     STEAL THE GRAPHICS VIDEO AREA
     -----------------------------
     In DESQview Classic, if you don't need graphics, you can use the VREMS
     parameter on the QEMM line, and add VIDRAM ON to the DV.BAT file. This
     will give you about 64k more for each window. DV.BAT should actually
     have a VIDRAM ON before calling DV, and VIDRAM OFF after DV.

     Under DVX, David Granz suggests:
          If you have a 8514 type video card (I have a ATI Graphics Ultra),
          you can get even more space for DOS programs.  As an added
          advantage, the video performance is much better with this card
          (1024x768x256).

          Add the 'VREMS' parameter to your QEMM386.SYS line in CONFIG.SYS.
          This will allow the \QEMM\VIDRAM program to steal the address space
          at A0000-AFFFF for DOS use.

          Before starting DV/X, do a "\QEMM\VIDRAM ON" command.  Just ignore
          the message that DV/X cannot find a graphics card.  DV/X will run
          just fine without this video ram area.  The DOS window will be 64K
          bigger.

          The only limitation of this, is that graphic programs (ie ones that
          take over the entire screen) must not be run.  Text programs and
          programs that use X windows calls will work just fine.

     TRIM DESQVIEW'S USAGE
     ---------------------
     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 shareware utilities by Dan 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 four
     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 second, decreasing the maximum window
     size both decrease System Memory usage.  Third, since most programs do
     not explicitly use System Memory, the System Memory field can be set
     to 1K or 0K.  Fourth, the script buffer size can be reduce if there
     are no scripts attached to the window.

     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.

     Certain DESQview/X programs which use the built in DOS extender can
     use the disk as memory.  This is called virtual memory.  You can
     configure the DESQview/X Server to use virtual memory to save on real
     memory.  This will not increase the maximum window size, but it will
     increase the number of programs that you can run simultaneously.  To
     do so, change the ``maxmem='' line in the \DVX\SERVER\XB16.VMC file
     (XC16.VMC for the high-resolution server). This line specifies the
     maximum number of kilobytes of real memory that should be used.
     Increase the number to to increase speed; or decrease the number to
     increase available memory.  Note that DESQview/X gets flaky if the
     number is less than 1000K or so.  The default value of 1000K is
     optimized for a 4 Megabyte machine.

     QW:161:WINSIZE.TEC, QW:252:MAXWINDO.TEC

Q213: My {9600 or greater} BPS modem drops characters under DESQview.  Is high
     speed communication possible under DESQview?

A213: Yes, high speed communication is possible.  First, you must go into the
     DESQview setup program and set ``Optimize Communications'' to Y (see
     Q214).  If you still lose characters, you may have to get a new serial
     board.  The characters are coming in too fast for DESQview and your
     communications program to process them.

     The chip that controls serial communication is known by many names.  On
     an XT (or an 8-bit I/O board) it is an 8250.  Most ATs contain the
     16450. The problem with these chips is that they can only buffer one
     character at a time, so if DESQview doesn't allow your communications
     program to respond fast enough, you'll lose that character.

     The solution is to get a board with the National Semiconductor PC16550CN
     chip.  This chip buffers up to 16 characters, so character loss is less
     likely to occur.  If you are the handy type, you can even swap your 8250
     (or whatever) for the NS16550AN yourself, for the chips are
     pin-compatible.

     Do not get a 16550 non-A chip.  It is an old, buggy chip.  Also, Western
     Digital makes a 16550 which is rumored to be buggy at speeds of 2400 BPS
     or less.

     Note that the 16550x will act like an 8250 unless you have software that
     supports it.  Most communication packages today do support the 16550x.

     QW:237:COMMPROG.TEC

Q214: What does ``Optimize Communications'' in DESQview's setup program do?

A214: The cards that you install in your computer use ``hardware interrupts''
     to tell the CPU that the card has or needs data.  The hardware
     interrupts are like grade school students raising their hand in class.
     When the teacher recognizes a student with his hand up, that student
     can ask/answer a question.

     Like many teachers, DESQview has a ``teacher's pet.''  This pet is
     hardware interrupt 0.  If a bunch of hardware interrupts raise their
     hands at the same time, DESQview will always recognize 0 first, then 1,
     then 2, and so on.

     However, most COM ports use hardware interrupt levels 3 and 4.  So by
     answering ``Y'' to ``Optimize Communications'', you force interrupt
     level 3 to become the teacher's pet.  DESQview will then recognize the
     interrupts in this order: 3, 4, 5, ... 0, 1, 2.  Rather than answering
     ``Y'', you can put in any interrupt number you prefer.  For example, if
     you answer ``5'',  DESQview will recognize the interrupts in the order
     5, 6, 7, ... , 0, 1, 2, 3, 4.

     Setting ``Optimize Communications'' to ``Y'' can reduce or eliminate
     dropped characters in communication programs (see Q213).

     8086/8088 machines have 8 available hardware interrupts (0-7), while
     80286+ machines have 16 (0-15).

     QW:251:OPTCOM.TEC

Q215: Why doesn't ANSI.SYS work in DESQview?

A215: ANSI.SYS doesn't work inside DESQview because DESQview takes control of
     all the screen writes.  Quarterdeck has provided a solution, however.
     Provided with DESQview is DVANSI.COM.  Run this program in the window in
     which you need ANSI.SYS.

     QW:110:DVANSI.TEC

Q216: What do each of the four Protection Levels mean?

A216: In ``Change A Program'' or DVPMAN, you can set a program's protection
     level.  Here are the meanings:

     Level 0 means no protection at all.

     Level 1 will keep a process from locking interrupts for too long if the
     WD parameter is set correctly in QEMM, and your hardware supports it.

     Level 2 will bring up an error if a process writes outside of the memory
     that DESQview thinks the process owns. If the process attempts this,
     DESQview will ask the user if the process should be aborted,
     unprotected, or be allowed to continue (but remain protected).

     Level 3 will keep a process from reading outside of its memory, with a
     similar interface as Level 2.  It also grabs all interrupt vectors and
     complains if the program points the vector outside of its memory
     (including back at the original handler) and then calls it.  Level 3
     will crash Borland's floating point libraries.

     If a program crashes with Level 0 it will also crash with Level 3 set,
     but you might find out about it a little sooner, and it may prevent the
     system from being locked up.

     QW:120:PROTECT.TEC

Q217: How can I load two or more shared programs in a window?

A217: In Change A Program or DVPMAN, you can only list one shared program and
     its data.  To load more than one shared program, you must create a file
     which lists the shared programs.  Each shared program you want to load
     requires two lines in the file -- one for the shared program name, and
     one for the shared program data.  For example, let's say you want to
     load DGNASI.SHR and 1COPY.SHR.  Create a text file called SHARED.TXT (or
     whatever) with four lines that look like this (the parenthetical
     comments should not be added):

     DGANSI.SHR          (line 1)
     blah blah blah      (Text that would be in ``Data'' field for DGANSI)
     1COPY.SHR           (line 3)
     blah blah blah      (Text that would be in ``Data'' field for 1COPY)

     Then, in Change A Program or DVPMAN's "Shared Program" field, place the
     name of this text file preceded by the ``+'' sign.  In our case, we
     would put

                                  Shared Program
     Pathname..:  +C:\DV\shared.txt
     Data......:

     If the shared.txt pathname is not specified, it defaults to the
     ``Default Directory'' path in the DVP.  However, the default place to
     look for shared programs is always the DESQview directory.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 3.  DESQview Classic - Questions and answers that pertain to
                               DESQview but not to DESQview/X

Q301: What type of computer system is required for DESQview?
Q302: Does DESQview support Super VGA or video coprocessors?
Q303: Can text and graphics be displayed at the same time with Hercules?
Q304: How do I use two monitors under DESQview?
Q305: What is NOFF.SHP {NOFF.SHR}?
Q306: Why does the mouse pointer disappear after running certain programs?
Q307: What are those files SWAP*.DV in my DV directory?  Can I delete them?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q301: What type of computer is required for DESQview?

A301: DESQview Classic can multitask programs on an 8088, 8086, 80286,
     80386sx, 80386dx, 80486sx, 80486dx, V20 or V30.

     8088/8086/80286/V20/V30
          DVC will run in one of three ways one these machines. For
          additional information, get the file DV286.ZIP from SimTel (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, DVC
          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 DVC to multitask programs beyond 640K.

          (3) If you have neither a LIM EMS 4.0 memory card or a memory
          management chip, DVC 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 and
          without QEMM, DESQview will not be able to run programs in a small
          window or in the background if the program writes directly to video
          memory (see Q101). If the program has a switch to allow BIOS screen
          output, use it, or convince the programmer to make the program
          DESQview-aware (see Q202).

     80386sx/80386dx/80486sx/80486dx/Pentium
          DV386 (or the combination of DESQview and QEMM (see Q101)) and DVX386
          will multitask programs in all of the available extended memory.

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

     QW:195:286.TEC

Q302: Does DESQview support Super VGA or video coprocessors?

A302: Yes and no.  When DVC 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 DVC and DV386 provides to VGA+ users is 60 rows by 80
     columns.  Since video support is hardcoded into DVC and DV386, there is
     no way to write a video driver for Super VGA cards.

     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.

Q303: Can text and graphics be displayed at the same time with Hercules?

A303: 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 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.

     QW:203:DVHERC.TEC

Q304: How do I use two monitors under DESQview?

A304: You can use two monitors only in DVC and DV386.  DVX does not support
     two monitors.

     DVC and DV386 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 Q303).  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).

Q305: What is NOFF.SHP {NOFF.SHR}?

A305: NOFF.SHR is an older version of NOFF.SHP.  So what's NOFF.SHP?

     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 Q202)) 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 Q208).

     Although NOFF.SHP is included in the Quarterdeck-supplied DVP for
     Wordperfect, it is not required if you are using a 386 or better and you
     turn on text virtualization.

     QW:247:SHARED.TEC

Q306: Why does the mouse pointer disappear after running certain programs?

A306: If a DESQview-aware or DESQview-oblivious program (see Q202) uses the
     mouse, DESQview must turn off its own mouse handling in that window.
     Unfortunately, DESQview cannot detect when the program is finished with
     the mouse, so your DESQview mouse pointer will never reappear while that
     window has the keyboard.

Q307: What are those files SWAP*.DV in my DV directory?  Can I delete them?

A307: They're used by DESQview to store your application when it gets swapped
     to disk. If the file's date and time are older than the last time you
     started DV then you can safely erase the files. There is no way to
     restart an application using a swap file.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 4.  DESQview/X - Questions and answers that pertain to
                         DESQview/X but not to DESQview Classic

Q401: What types of programs can DESQview/X run?
Q402: What type of computer is required for DESQview/X?
Q403: Does DESQview/X support Super VGA or video coprocessors?
Q404: How can I write or port X software for DESQview/X?
Q405: What do I need if I want to use DESQview/X's networking features?
Q406: Why don't the tilde(~) and accent grave (`) keys work in my
     xterm window when running DESQview/X?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q401: What types of programs can DESQview/X run?

A401: DESQview/X will run all DESQview-oblivious, DESQview-aware and
     DESQview-specific programs that DESQview Classic will run (see Q102).
     In addition, DESQview/X will run programs which have been written for
     X-Windows and have been compiled under Quarterdeck's X Toolkit.

     DESQview/X will allow a user to interact with other X-Windows programs
     running on other (possibly non-DOS) machines on a network.

Q402: What type of computer is required for DESQview/X?

A402: DESQview/X requires an 80386sx, 80386dx, 80486sx, 80486dx or a
     Pentium system with at least a 40 megabyte hard drive and 4 megabytes
     of memory.  Eight megabytes of memory or more is recommended,
     especially for development work.

     DVX will not run with anything less than a VGA card.

Q403: Does DESQview/X support Super VGA or video coprocessors?

A403: All DESQview/X output is in graphics mode, so it benefits greatly from
     Super VGA.  Performance is increased significantly with video
     coprocessor cards.  However, DESQview/X currently supports only a
     limited set of VGA chip sets.

     DESQview/X 1.0 supports the following SVGA chipsets:

          Manufacturer             Chipset Number      Highest Resolution
          ---------------------------------------------------------------
          ATI                      28800               800x600
          Chips and Technologies   82C451              800x600
          Chips and Technologies   82C452              1024x768
          Genoa VGA                ET3000, 6400        800x600
          Western Digital Imaging  PVGA1a, WD90C00,WD90C10, WD90C11, WD90C31*
             800x600
          Trident                  8800, 8900          800x600 (256 colors
          unsupported)
          Tseng Labs               ET3000              800x600
          Tseng Labs               ET4000              1024x768
          Headland Technologies    VEGA                800x600
          Headland Technologies    V7VGA               1024x768

          * The WD90C31 can support the modes of the WD90C11. DVX will NOT
          detect its presence but you can put the values in using Setup /
          Advanced / Display / VGA Custom
               800 600 256 305C
          and then save your changes.

     8514/a and hardware compatibles and DGIS boards are also supported.
     These boards significantly increase video speed (see Q209).

     DESQview/X does not currently support the S3 chip, but may in the
     future.  However, you *may* be able to use the VESA 800x600x16 mode by
     editing the DVX.CFG file and changing the ``screen'' line to ``screen
     800x600:6ah'' You may also need to change the ``type VGA'' line to
     ``type VG8''.  This is not guaranteed to work.

     The TIGA interface is not yet supported, but will be in a future
     release. However, the DGIS interface is supported.

     For reference, here is an incomplete list of video coprocessor cards and
     their compatibilities.  If you know of any that are not in this list,
     please forward the information to [e-mail].

     Model                      Chipset Manufacturer    Driver Interface
     ---------------------------------------------------------------------
     Desktop AGA 1024           TI                      TIGA, application
     interface level drvr for 8514
     ATI 8514/Ultra             ATI 8514/A              Relies on 8514 drvr
     Spectragraphics Squeegee                   TI                       DGIS
     National Volante AT1000    TI                       TIGA
     SOTA 340i                  TI                       DGIS, adapter
     interface compatible--8514
     Appian Rendition II        TI                       TIGA
     ADEX 8514/AT256            Western Dig. 8514/A      Relies on 8514 drvrs
     Western Digital 8514/A     W.D. 8514/A              8514
     Hercules Graphics Station
     Card GB 1024+2             TI                       TIGA
     NEC Multisync
     Graphics Engine            TI                       DGIS
     Nth Engine /150          Chips & Technology 8514    relies on 8514
     HP Intelligent Graphics   Controller 20            TI
        TIGA, DGIS
     Vermont Cobra Plus         TI                       TIGA, adapter
     interface compatible--8514
     Artist XJS-1024            TI                       relies on TIGA
     Rasterex Liberty 810AT     TI                       TIGA, adapter
     interface compatible--8514

     Most TIGA & DGIS have custom drivers for their supported software eg.
     WP, HG CAD

     QW:148:VGA.TEC, QW:256:XVIDEO.TEC, QW:208:XGA.TEC

Q404: How can I write or port X software for DESQview/X?

A404: X Window programming allows you to write computer-independent
     graphics interfaces. You can use some DESQview API programming in
     X Window programming, but Quarterdeck has ported only part of the
     API to protected-mode X programming.

     Quarterdeck makes X Window Motif Toolkits for the following 32
     bit compilers; Metaware, Watcom, and DJGPP. These toolkits
     replace both the DESQview/X X11 Toolkit and the Quarterdeck
     OSF/Motif Development Toolkit.

     DJGPP, an MSDOS 386 port of the GNU C compiler is available on the
     Internet.  Quarterdeck released a DJGPP-compatible X library without
     documentation for free with GNU C. The library contains the X11
     portion of what they distribute in their commercial toolkits, but
     without the Motif libraries. The following files can be
    downloaded for FTP from SimTel (See Q203).
readme.dvx      DVX X11R5 toolkit readme file, readme first!
qdtkt200.zip    DVX X11R5 toolkit clients demos and doc files
qdlib200.zip    DVX X11R5 toolkit libraries and header files

Q405: What do I need if I want to use DESQview/X's networking features?

A405: DVX allows you to interact with programs running on other DVX and Unix
     machines, if the machines are networked.

     Three parts are required on a PC to make this work:
          (1) DESQview/X
          (2) One of the DESQview/X Network Managers sold by Quarterdeck
          (3) A networking protocol stack available from another
          manufacturer.

     DESQview/X is packaged with a Network Manager that allows you to
     communicate with other DESQview/X machines.  It requires a Novell
     or NetBIOS-compatible network protocol stack (IPX/SPX or NetBIOS
     compatible).

     To communicate with Unix machines, you must have a TCP/IP
     protocol stack that DESQview/X can communicate with. The
     following products are compatible:
          FTP's PCTCP
          HP/Lanman TCP/IP
          Novell's Lan Workplace for DOS
          PathWay Access (from The Wollongong Group Inc.)
          BW-TCP and BW-NFS (from Beame & Whiteside Software Ltd.)
          PC-NFS (from Sun Microsystems)
     Contact Quarterdeck for more details (see Q102).

     It is possible to run SLIP with DESQview/X. FTP's 2.1 and higher have
     given good SLIP results with 16550 and slipdrv.  Beam & Whiteside,
     Wollongong, PC-NFS and Novell's full Lan Workplace 4.1 all support
     SLIP.

     A freeware/shareware solution for SLIP also exists, but it is not
     fully supported by Quarterdeck. You can use slipper/pdether/tcpip.exe
     (TCPIP.EXE is free with Quarterdeck's TCP/IP network manager and
     Slipper and PDether are freeware or shareware).  Once you get this
     stack setup to the point that TCPIP loads and works, Quarterdeck can
     support you.  Quarterdeck doesn't support Slipper/Pdether since they
     aren't their products.  Check out comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc for support.

     QW:263:DVX2XSYS.TEC

Q406: Why don't the tilde(~) and accent grave (`) keys work in my
     xterm window when running DESQview/X?

A406: The dwm window manager usurps the "`" key for a quoting character of
     its learn feature. When two "`" characters are typed in a row, dwm
     passes one along to the application. Unfortunately, it has to do this
     as a synthetic key event. The xterm program by default ignores this
     synthetic key events, since they can be a security risk. (The key
     events could come from any program on any machine on the network, run
     by any user.) DESQview/X version 1.0 also sent the "~" key as a
     synthetic key event, probably because it is on the same keycap as the
     "`", but version 1.1 does not.

     Some Solutions:
     Set the resource allowSendEvents to true. This will
     either be done by the the xrdb utility, or by adding text to the
     .Xdefaults file. This will tell xterm to allow synthetic key events
     (and will bring up all of the security problems associated with
     synthetic key events.) The "`" key will still be have to be hit twice
     for it to appear once.

     As of verion 1.1 the quoting character can be changed to any key by
     changing the "HOTKEY literal {`}" line in the WM.CFG file. The key can
     be changed to something else. (Especially something odd like "HOTKEY
     literal {Alt-F12}") Removing or commenting out the "HOTKEY literal"
     line will make it default to "HOTKEY literal {`}" Once they "HOTKEY
     literal" character has been changed, the "`" key only has to be
     pressed once, but the character that you have changed it to will not
     appear in an xterm window, and will have to be pressed twice in any
     other window.

     Run a window manager other than DWM. Since only DWM has the Learn
     function, it is the only window manager that has this problem. There
     are freely distributable window mangers available for FTP at
     qdeck.com. Quarterdeck also sells Motif and Open Look window managers.

     Toggle the "Secure Keyboard" option keyboard option before typing the
     "`" character. This menu item grabs the keyboard from the X server and
     will be the only window that receives keyboard input, no matter which
     window is the focus window. In this mode ~ and ` will always work and
     will only have to be pressed once to appear.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 5.  QEMM - Questions and answers about Quarterdeck's memory manager

Q501: What are Exceptions 12 and 13?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q501: What are Exceptions 12 and 13?

A501: An exception 12 (or 13) 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.

     QW:142:EXCEPT13.TEC, QW:232:EX13FLOW.TEC

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 6.  Contributors
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     A large part of the format and content of this document is due to
     the previous FAQ editor, Dan Bodoh. He really deserves most of
     the credit for this FAQ.

     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 you see your name here and you didn't actually send me something, I
     probably stole a posting of yours for the FAQ.
     ----
     The information in A7 on access to SimTel is from regular postings to
     the Usenet newsgroup comp.binaries.ibm.pc.archives by Keith Petersen.

     The electronic contacts in A19 are from the QOS note ``CONTACT.TXT''

     The international addresses in A19 are from "DESQview User, The
     Quarterly Journal for PC and DOS productivity", Issue 4, Spring 1992 and
     were sent to me by Klaus Hartnegg.

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

     Some of A25 is from Appendix B of the FOSSIL driver manual sent to me by
     Stephen Lee.

     Information in A8 and A30 was grabbed from Quarterdeck press releases.

     The White Pages cross references were provided by Michael Bolton of
     Quarterdeck Canada.

     [e-mail] (Greg Alheid)
     A15*,A17,A20
     [e-mail] (Andrew M Langmead)
     anasaz![e-mail] (Jerry Crow)
     [e-mail] (Arnd Gehrmann)
     [e-mail] (Andrew A. Reilly)
     [e-mail] (Bill Burge)
     Carl Anderson 1:106/7674
     [e-mail] (Charlie Kestner)
     [e-mail] (Chris La Mantia)
     [e-mail] (Dan Bodoh)
     [e-mail] (Dave Hinde)
     Dave Osborne 1:123/27.0
     [e-mail] (Dave Williams)
     [e-mail] (Doc Williamson)
     [e-mail] (Don Bailey)
     [e-mail] (DJ Delorie)
     dvss![e-mail] (Jay Troy)
     [e-mail] (Eben Moglen)
     [e-mail] (Ellen C. Siever)
     [e-mail]
     [e-mail] (Klaus Hartnegg
     [e-mail] (Jamie Pehling)
     [e-mail] (Jim Orr)
     [e-mail] (Jerry Nash)
     [e-mail] (Jay Maynard)
     [e-mail] (John Goodman)
     [e-mail] (Karl Springer)
     [e-mail] (Phil Kemp)
     [e-mail] (Jim Knepley)
     lsuc!ontmoh![e-mail] (Russell Herman)
     Mark Hockings 1:102/824
     Michelle at Quarterdeck Canada
     [e-mail] (Mike Batchelor)
     [e-mail]
     [e-mail] (Rick Sladkey)
     [e-mail] (Nick Watkins)
     [e-mail] (Kyle ?)
     [e-mail] (Bob Peterson)
     [e-mail] (Paul ?)
     [e-mail] (Ralf Brown)
     [e-mail] (James J. Reisert)
     [e-mail] (Richard Reiner)
     [e-mail] (Yaniv Golan)
     Saar Blitz 2:403/139.0
     [e-mail] (Mike Schuster)
     [e-mail] (Sean True)
     [e-mail] (Stephen Lee)
     [e-mail] (Stephen Smith
     [e-mail] (Mike Burdick)
     [e-mail]  (Gary Rich)
     [e-mail]  (Doc Williamson)
     [e-mail] (Pete Stern)
     [e-mail] (Steve Gabrilowitz)
     [e-mail] (George A. Theall)
     [e-mail] (Thomas Nilsson)
     [e-mail] (Doug Dougherty)
     [e-mail] (Keith Petersen)
     [e-mail] (Margel Wiget)
     [e-mail] (Jim Carroll)

--
Andrew Langmead