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2006-10-20
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Windows and 386MAX
The information in this document is intended for use with 386MAX and
BlueMAX version 7.xx.
All information in this document pertains to both 386MAX and BlueMAX.
386MAX is used as an example in all cases.
About 386MAX and Windows
386MAX is compatible with Windows 3.0 in Real and 386 Enhanced Mode.
For version 3.1, Microsoft added VCPI client support to Windows
Standard Mode, allowing 386MAX to function with both Standard and 386
Enhanced Mode. 386MAX is also compatible with WFW.
There is no need to specially configure memory for Windows with any
Windows compatible version of 386MAX. Upon entering Windows Enhanced
Mode, versions of 386MAX prior to 6.0 automatically configure unused
EMS memory as extended memory. Doing so allows EMS aware DOS
applications to use expanded memory in a DOS environnment while
providing extended memory to Windows when invoked. 386MAX version 6.0
and later utilize a shared memory implementation known as SmartMemory.
This scheme allows a pool of resources to be allocated as needed to
other applications. In the case of Windows, the available memory will
be allocated as XMS memory and requires no modification on the part of
the user.
To enter Windows, a system typically needs about 1MB of free extended
memory. If the system is configured so that the available resources
are less than 1MB, then it may be necessary to force Windows into
Enhanced Mode through use of the /3 switch( ie, WIN/3 ).
WINDOWS 3.1 ISSUES
Windows 3.1 Installation and 386MAX
When installing Windows on a system with 386MAX already present, it is
best to leave 386MAX enabled while running Windows SETUP. No changes
need to made to the 386MAX configuration for Windows to function.
Under most circumstances, you should not encounter any problems during
a Windows installation or upgrade.
Windows 3.1 updates the 386MAX.VXD file (if necessary) and adds the
following line to the 386MAX.PRO file for 386MAX versions prior to
6.0:
LOAD=[DRIVE]\[PATH]\WINDOWS.LOD
If you have 386MAX version 6.0 or later, Windows does not need to make
any changes to the 386MAX.VXD or to the profile.
There are some circumstances under which you may encounter problems
while in the Windows 3.1 SETUP program. The following are known
problems:
* If the EMS=0 option is active during Windows 3.1 SETUP, rapid mouse
movement at specific times during SETUP can cause the system to lock.
If this occurs, remove the EMS=0 option from your 386MAX.PROfile,
reboot your system and begin SETUP again. EMS=0 can also cause some
applications that use EMS to fail. Again, removing the EMS=0 solves
the problem.
* If you are using 386MAX version 5.1x, and you choose to deactivate
it while installing or upgrading to Windows 3.1, Windows will fail
when you boot up under your 386MAX configuration because the
386MAX.VXD has not been replaced with the newer version shipped with
Windows. You must have the newer VXD in loaded order for Windows to
run. If you took 386MAX out of your system during Windows SETUP, you
may either download the new 386MAX.VXD from the Qualitas FTP site at
ftp://ftp.qualitas.com, or get the file from your Windows 3.1 disks.
The file, called 386MAX.VX_ is located on disk 2. Be sure you expand
the file before placing it in your 386MAX subdirectory. Use the
EXPAND.EXE file shipped on Windows disk 3 to expand the file. The
correct syntax to expand the file is:
EXPAND 386MAX.VX_ 386MAX.VXD
Be sure you add the LOAD= line described above to your 386MAX.PROfile.
* On systems where 386MAX has sorted dual speed memory , Windows
3.1may report a problem with the XMS provider and suggest installing
HIMEM.SYS. This problem can occur if memory is located on both an
add-in memory board and the motherboard as well as if the system
actually has different speed memory installed. Use EXTSIZE, available
on the Qualitas FTP site, to avoid this problem. Documentation is
included with the file.
Problems When Starting Windows 3.1
Some video device drivers developed for use with Windows 3.0, but used
with Windows 3.1 may cause a Video Device Conflict while going into
Windows with 386MAX active in the system. To resolve the conflict,
edit your 386MAX.PRO file to eliminate VGASWAP. You may also need to
add a RAM=C000-C800 to completely resolve the conflict. If you have
this problem with your system, please report the problem along with
the following information to Qualitas Technical Support via mail or
FAX:
* Video adapter type and manufacturer
* Copy of SYSTEM.INI (from Windows subdirectory)
* Exact wording of the error message
* Your name and serial number
Ultra high-resolution video adapters often use the monochrome area
(B000-B800). Many 386MAX users choose to recover this area as high
DOS. Many do so without problems because the special video modes are
rarely used. When Windows 3.1 starts, it checks the area and refuses
to set up a UMB over the area and reports "unable to set up UMB at
B000". If you get this message, place a semicolon (;) in front of the
USE=B000-B800 in your 386MAX.PROfile. We suggest that you do not
install MONOUMB2.386 supplied by Microsoft. Installation of
MONOUMB2.386 allows use of this area as both high DOS and high
resolution VGA memory.
Conflicts within Windows 3.1
* If you encounter problems in Windows Standard Mode with programs
that use EMS memory, check your 386MAX.Profile for and EMS=0
statement. If EMS=0 is active, remove the statement and reboot your
system.
* If Windows displays a "386MAX VxD ERROR: VGASWAP VDD Control Hook
Recursion" error message, eliminate the VGASWAP option from the
386MAX.PRO file. This message may occur when Windows tries to display
a message using message mode (the text mode screen with inverse
video).
WINDOWS 3.XX GENERAL INFORMATION
Caches and RAM Disks
When you install Windows, Smartdrive is installed automatically. Do
not use two disk cache utilities on your system. You may choose
either Smartdrive or QCACHE, but be sure to remove the unnecessary
files from CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT before you reboot your system.
We recommend that you configure any disk cache or RAM disk for
EXTended memory use. After Windows startup, 386MAX transfers all
unallocated EMS memory to to the XMS memory pool for use by Windows.
386MAX no longer has control over EMS memory usage and cannot
guarantee proper EMS usage for TSRs configured to use it.
Users have reported certain releases of disk caching software can
damage files on the hard disk if the cache is configured to use EMS
memory in a Windows environment. We strongly recommend configuring
disk caches to use extended memory instead of EMS memory.
386UTIL.COM
At present, the following 386UTIL display options are available from
within Windows: LIST, MAPMEM, SUMMARY, MAPDEV and MAPEMS. Other
386UTIL display options are not available when running under Windows.
Backfilling and Windows
Due to a Windows limitation, 386MAX cannot backfill on systems with
less than 640KB of conventional memory and support Windows in Enhanced
mode. If you require support for Windows in Enhanced mode, and 386MAX
is providing automatic backfill, add the NOLOW option to your
386MAX.PRO to disable default backfilling support by 386MAX.
Windows and the EMS Page Frame
If the EMS page frame is located in conventional memory (at address
9000 or below), applications that use EMS memory may fail under
Windows. If you have problems with an application using EMS memory
under Windows, relocate the EMS page frame to the high DOS area.
The EMS page frame is placed below A000 only if a 64 KB contiguous
block of memory in not available in the high DOS region. Typically,
the cause is physical address space in use by hardware adapters. In
many cases, the adapters are configurable. In order to resolve the
problem, reconfigure the adapters to allow for a 64KB contiguous
address space in high DOS.
Printing Problems in Windows
If you receive ASCII characters or repeating strings from a network
printer while trying to print from within Windows in Enhanced Mode,
change the control panel selection within Windows to the LPT1.OS2.
If you are using Novell's RPRINTER.EXE to control network print jobs,
the file must be loaded after the network drivers are initialized.
Load RPRINTER after the network drivers in AUTOEXEC.BAT.
Files and Buffers
FILES= in CONFIG.SYS set too small (under 25) can result in Windows
failing to load certain files or fonts properly. Windows 3.0 may
generate an "UNRECOVERABLE APPLICATION ERROR" under this circumstance.
BUFFERS= in CONFIG.SYS set to fewer than 3 will result in
unpredictable and undesirable results. If you are running disk
caching software, BUFFERS can be reduced to 3.
Troubleshooting within Windows
If you cannot get into Windows after installing 386MAX, or if you are
having problems within Windows, It is important to use the following
process to help isolate the source of the problem.
* Make a backup copy of your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT. As an
example, from the root directory, type:
Copy CONFIG.SYS CONFIG.BAK
Copy AUTOEXEC.BAT AUTOEXEC.BAK
If the files copy successfully, DOS reports, 1 file(s) copied.
* Run STRIPMGR /ST from the 386MAX subdirectory to strip out all
references to 386MAX.
* Edit your CONFIG.SYS to add the following lines:
DEVICE=DRIVE:\PATH\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=DRIVE:\PATH\EMM386.EXE RAM * if Windows 3.0, use EMM386.SYS
Use the HIMEM.SYS and EMM driver supplied by your version of Windows.
Do not use the drivers supplied in DOS 5.
* Reboot the system and attempt to reproduce the problem.
If the problem is reproducible under this configuration, it is
unlikely that 386MAX is involved. Contact MicroSoft and/or the
manufacturer of the failing software to resolve the problem.
If the problem is not reproducible when 386MAX is removed from the
system, restore your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAK with the backup
copies. Call Qualitas Technical Services with the results of this
test.
Whether or not the system fails under the suggested configuration,
performing this step will speed up the technical support process.
Windows Support Error Messages
Note that all message produced by 386MAX/BlueMAX and its Windows VxD
are preceeded by greeting of the following form.
386MAX VxD -- Version x.xx.xxx -- A Memory Manager for 386 Systems
This section describes messages that may occur upon entering Windows,
causes, and suggestions for resolving the problem.
386MAX VxD ERROR Vxxxx: Disk Cache or Other I/O Software Using EMS
Memory
Cause: 386MAX has detected EMS memory in use by a disk cache.
Action: Within a Windows environment, it is advisable to use extended
rather than expanded memory to implement a disk cache. If you MUST
run a disk cache in EMS memory, set the DOS environment variable SET
EMSCACHE=OK.
386MAX VxD ERROR Vxxxx: Unrecognized "set EMSCACHE=xxxx" Option
Cause: 386MAX has detected an unknown override environment variable.
Action: If you MUST run a disk cache in EMS memory, set the DOS
environment variable SET EMSCACHE=OK.
386MAX VxD ERROR Vxxxx: Busmaster disk subsystem detected that
requires QCache or other compliant disk cache to be loaded.
Cause: If 386MAX/BlueMAX has detected a busmastering hard disk
contoller without VDS support or the keyword NOSCSI is present in the
386MAX.PROfile, the 386MAX.VxD must see QCache or another compliant
disk cache in memory before starting Windows.
Action: See the section on "Busmastering Devices". If you MUST
override this safety check, set the DOS environment variable SET
BUSMASTER=VDS.
386MAX VxD ERROR Vxxxx: Unrecognized "set BUSMASTER=xxxx" Option
Cause: 386MAX has detected an unknown override environment variable.
Action: If you must override this safety check, set the DOS
environment variable SET BUSMASTER=VDS.
386MAX VxD ERROR Vxxxx: Physical memory above 16 MB not supported by
Windows 3.0. Reduce memory to less than 16 MB and reboot.
Cause: Windows 3.0 does not support memory above 16 MB.
Action: Since 386MAX/BlueMAX is using memory at the top of your
extended memory, you must reduce memory to less than 16 MB and reboot.
386MAX VxD ERROR Vxxxx: Physical memory above 16 MB not supported by
Windows 3.0. Add the NOXRAM keyword to your 386MAX/BlueMAX.PRO file.
Cause: 386MAX/BlueMAX is recovering shadowram on your system that is
physically located above 16 MB.
Action: Add the NOXRAM keyword to your 386MAX/BlueMAX.PRO file to
disable 386MAX or BlueMAX from recovering shadowram on your system.
386MAX VxD ERROR Vxxxx: 386MAX.SYS Version Mismatch
Cause: 386MAX/BlueMAX.SYS and 386MAX/BlueMAX.VxD are not of the same
version.
Action: Ensure 386MAX/BlueMAX.SYS and 386MAX/BlueMAX.VxD are of the
same version.
386MAX VxD ERROR Vxxxx: NOLOW Option Required
Cause: 386MAX or BlueMAX is presently backfilling on a system with
less than 640 KB, or a system equipped with a monochrome or CGA video
adapter.
Action: Add the NOLOW keyword to your 386MAX.PRO file.
If you receive a video device conflict or loadhi_sys_critical_init
immediately after the Windows 3.xx initialization screen, and you are
using a VGA adapter, place a RAM=C000-C800 in your
386MAX/BlueMAX.PROfile.
********************************************************************************
Qualitas and 386MAX are registered trademarks, and BlueMAX and RAMexam
are trademarks of Qualitas, Inc. All other product names are
trademarks of their respective owners.