The Original Shareware 1.1

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Text File | 1989-06-14 | 18KB | 446 lines

WINDOWS 3.0, NETWARE SHELLS 3.01, AND OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST CURRENT AS OF 6/13/90 The following "comments" were put together from threads appearing on CIS this week regarding problems with the NetWare 3.01 shells, Windows 3.0, and the combination of the two. These issues are being discussed in NOVA, NOVB, MSWIN, and others. This listing was only edited in format, not content. These issues have not been verified by the author, so any discrepencies should be taken up with our fellow CIS forum responders. (i.e. - Not Just SysOps) Please feel free to add to this as time goes on. - Installing Windows 3.0 on a network server: 1. Copy all windows disks onto a directory on your server 2. Expand all files 3. from that directory run SETUP /N 4. When prompted, enter the directory where setup should put the users files. - Problems running Windows 3.0 from a workstation 1. Don't use IRQ 2 if you can help it. (Especially Arcnet) 2. If an Arcnet board, DO NOT USE I/O ADDRESSES 2E0 AND 2F0! Try 300 and 350. 3. Also, using address D000 with IRQ 2 has been known to cause hangups w/Arcnet under Windows 4. Run the install program from DSWIN4 of the Novell shell 3.01 - This will copy a file called vpicda.386 into the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory - put a "device=vpicda.386" statement in your SYSTEM.INI 5. When running the Windows Setup program, use the parameters /N /I, This causes the hardware inspection to be bypassed. - Don't use the statement TASK MODE=0 in your SHELL.CFG. This was for Windows 2.11 only - SHARE.EXE and ANSY.SYS have caused problems under DOS 4.0 - Unwanted banners printing under NetWare. The following is from a message from Grant Echols of Novell: "The NetWare driver for Windows is the one making the request for banners. The engineer working on that part of the driver is working on enhancements, but I don't expect to see anything very soon as the environment is rather strict, and a bit dificult to work in over the different Windows platforms." - IRQ2, Arcnet, and CD-ROM The Optinet server programs generates IRQ 2's from software. - HIMEM.SYS with the 3.01 Shell Try using the newer HIMEM.SYS that's available in the MSSYS forum. - Capture problems witht the NetWare 3.01 shell using XMSNETn/EMSNETn Capture commands result in no initialization strings being sent. There also seems to be a buggy version of NPRINT supplied with the 3.01 shell distribution. It fails to print correctly if your current working directory is on a local drive. - Disabling the swapfile while in 386 Enhanced mode You can disable swapping, virtual memory, while in enhanced mode by putting "paging=no" into your [386Enh] section of SYSTEM.INI. This will may be helpful if you are running Windows from a network volume, and paging really slows down performance for you. - PIF issues 1. When you create a PIF and want to set a startup directory you must hard-code a full path. The path will not be used to find the files. - Using NetWare utilities under Windows 3.0 The following is taken from the DOS/Windows update manual page 12-13. NetWare Utilities Support Windows support provided by Novell is intended to support the use of Windows environment and Windows-based applications on a NetWare network. Because Windows takes control of the system, any utilities not specifically written for the Windows environment may not function correctly. Therefore, when using the NetWare utilities provided with the operating system, be aware that they may not function properly under Windows. For best results, create a PIF file for the utility that you would like to use, and run the utility as a PIF. - NetWare broadcast messages stacking up while in Windows Enable Broadcast messages within the control panel, The default setting for broadcast messages may be disabled. - NetWare 3.01 Shells vs. LANSpace The new XMSNET3 leaves about 7K in lower memory that LANSpace does not. The new shells will let you unload NETBIOS and NET3,XMSNET3 There is a performance degredation while using XMSNET3. The new shells NET3 loaded in lower memory seems to run at full speed. While running LANSpace there was no noticeable performance degredation. The old LANSpace locks machines when attempting to load the new version of NET3. There will be a new version of LANSpace very soon that says it will load the new NET3 and all of IPX into XMS. (It should also run at full speed) - Using Windows 3 on a Novell network without logging in first 1. Load IPX and Net3 2. Start windows 3. Under control panel, network, attach a server, 4. you can then use file manager to connect a network drive. - Problem with new NetWare shell, PREFERRED SERVER, and 2 servers The following is an exerpt from a discussion between a CIS user and Grant Echols of Novell, Inc. regarding the use of the PREFERRED SERVER= statement in the SHELL.CFG file with the 3.01 Shell:... The 3.01 shell is causing the router to be used when it shouldn't be needed. There is only one physical network involved even though this one network has 2 servers. The old shells DON'T use the router and the new shells DON'T use the router if no "PREFERRED SERVER" is given. However, the new shells DO incorrectly use the router if a "PREFERRED SERVER" is given to the ver 2.12 server. I think that in this setting using the router is an error and as far as performance is concerned a very costly one! Let me know what you think. - Anon. Anon, Guess what, the shell doesn't determine the router used. The router's determine that through the SAP protocol. I didn't consider that in the design. I'll look into side stepping it. - Grant - Windows 3.0 and 3rd party Memory Managers (ie QEMM, 386^MAX) QEMM and 386^MAX will not work with Windows 3.0 in 386 Enhanced mode. But, apparently, they can be used if Windows is started in Standard, and Real modes. This has not been verified. Most people are reporting that with drivers, files, buffers, etc. loaded low (i.e. in each window) they have windows with approx. 480K of free space. Unfortunately, many really good DOS programs will not load or run with that amount of space. Some MS official said, "No prob., there will be a NEW version of DOS out real soon that takes up less space." - Mouse problems, and "no association exists" problems - The following was a reply from Jeff Wickman of Microsoft: Have you tried using the mouse driver that loads from the config.sys? I have found this to cause fewer problems than mouse.com from the autoexec.bat. There are some problems that happen when Win3 is installed over the top of an older version of Windows. Specifically, updating the win.ini file. The problem you described, "no association exists" happens because the programs= line for Win3 needs to include: exe com bat *and* pif, while Windows 2.x did not include pif. This is apparently not being updated when installing over the top. Hope this helps. - To use a mouse with Quatro Pro, setup Quatro in full screen mode. - Windows 3.0 hangs for no reason in Enhanced mode Try adding the line: emmexclude=A000-C7FF to the [386ENH] section of the system.ini file. Start Windows from a DOS prompt and see if that makes a difference. This is an attempt to exclude the video range from use by Windows. You might try excluding the entire address space (EMMExclude=A000-EFFF) for a test to see if Windows is trying to use some of the address space memory and running into a conflict. - Running Windows inside a window If you are running Windows in 386 Enhanced mode, you can open up a DOS window and start another copy of Windows running in Real mode. - Problems with Logitech serial mice - Try slowing down the baud rate on the serial port down from 9600. - Try setting the Logitech mouse drier to "1 boff 2400", which means Com1, ballistic off, and 2400 bps. This worked using the 4.10 driver. - Problems with SMC Arcnet boards and new NetWare 3.01 shells "SMC now admits that they are having "a few problems" w/ the new shells if the server is using their turbo drivers." Possibly try the new Turbo II drivers to see if that helps. - New All ChargeCard to work with Windows 3.0 SEE ALL CHARGE 386 LIVE; WINDOWS OVERDRIVE All 386/486 memory managers are not the same - faster operation and more flexible memory use through smaller segments are two of the hallmarks of new All Charge 386, premiering at the All Comdex Booth. It also has one of the best install programs so far, makes Windows 3 and the new Novell client shells perform better, and ships by PC Expo. Contact: ALL COMPUTERS, INC. (Toronto) 416-960-0111. - Problems using DOS Copy with new shells and PCDOS 4.01 - A token ring network user can't copy files from the network to a local drive. The environment is a PS/2 Model 70, PC DOS 4.01, and the new 3.01 shells. NCOPY works OK. - Using MultiSoft's Superpck with Windows 3.0 - You must set VirtualHDIrq = FALSE in the WIN.INI file. - Use Superpck with Extended NOT Expanded memory - Limit Superpck's use of expanded RAM with the R:xx or S:xx switch - Arranging ICONS on the screen The group icon positions tend to "settle down" after a while. I'm not sure just exactly what has to change, other than they will always be at the bottom of the window. Just make sure you have "save settings" selected when you exit program manager. If they don't stay, re-arrange them, select "Arange icons" and repeat that until they seem to stay in an appropriate place (note that they'll ALWAYS be at the bottom if you have "auto arrange" selectted, or tell program manager to "arrange icons"). Also, resizing the window sometimes helps. If you want the icons to go someplace else, turn "Auto Arrange" off. This area of Windows is quirky at best, but my icons are now "stable" and don't move around unless I want them to. Of course, I've also sort of accepted their positions. You can edit your PROGMAN.INI file under the [groups] section as well -- they are listed as they will display, left to right, bottom to top. That my help too. - Screen blanking/saving under Windows 3.0 - There is one in DL1 of the MSWIN forum called "Monitor Saver" that works fairly well under 3.0. If I remember correctly, the file is called MS.ZIP or MS.ARC or something like that. It's a bit quirky when you are running DOS applications, but works fine with regular Windows apps. - If you're interested in a screen saver for Windows, I'd recommend contacting Brian O'Neill [72617,1541], the author of Shades and Window Shades. I've been using both for quite a while, and his upgrade for Win3 is due RSN. In my experience, he is a very reliable and, even better, competent shareware programmer. Send him a message via CI$ MAIL. - Specifying a different ICON for a program - Place the an ICON .dll file in the \windows directory. - Start windows. - Find the icon for the program you wish to change. - Click it once to highlight it. - On the menu bar, go to file, "properties." - The properties dialog box will come up. - Hit the "change Icon" button. - In the change icon window, change the file name to "iconfile.dll" but don't hit enter! - Click on the "view next" button, and you should see different icons. - Find the one you want and click "ok." - Undocumented commands.... - If you hold down the F3 key while SIMULATEOUSLY typing "win3" (without the quotes) and then let go of all the keys and hit BACKSPACE, you will see a screen of Microsoft Windows 3.0 credits. I imagine, therefore, that this little gem works only with Windows 3.0 (not 2.0). That's all it does. If you click the mouse ON THE CREDITS, they vanish. If you save current setup when exiting, they will NOT be there next time you open windows. The only way to get em is to use that trick. - One other little "undocumented" goodie you might appreciate is in Solitare. Select Games and solitare. Reconfigure the "Deck" optio to use the Robot, Tropical, or Palm tree deck. Now play a game and glance from time to time at the back of the top card on the stock deck pile. NOTE: Be sure that you selected the "Timed Play" option. - Using TapCIS under Windows 3.0 - In the .PIF, set "Directly modifies COM 1" That is available in the Standard mode PIF editor not the 386EM editor. You can pull down the mode menu in PIFEDIT.EXE to change the mode. - Problems with MAP ROOT and 3.01 Shell with Western Digital Ethernet cards - Map root appears to work, but doing a directory of the map hangs the workstation and on two occassions has crashed the server. We have found that the with those workstations using Western Digital cards with v2.11.3 (most current) drivers. Those workstations with NE2000 cards appear to work fine. - DOS 4.01 and new NetWare 3.01 shells - We've found a problem on EVERY one of our PS/2's running DOS 4.01 - it installs itself with a shell=c:\dos\command.com line in the config.sys, and the new LOGIN or MAP choked on this. When we changed it to read shell=command.com, everything was fine. The old way worked for a year w/o problem, but the first day we put the new LOGIN and MAP on the server, all the DOS 4.01 users starting calling. - Problems with Ontrack's Disk Manager and Windows 3.0 The following is from Ontrack Computing regarding problems with using DMDRVR.BIN on drives with > 1024 tracks under Windows 3.0 in 386 Enhanced mode. #: 9215 S1/General Information 12-Jun-90 13:34:48 Sb: Disk Manager & Windows 3 Fm: Ontrack Computer Systems 73157,2505 To: all June 12, 1990 To : Windows 3.0 and Disk Manager users From : Ontrack Computer Systems Re : Windows 3.0 and Disk Manager Ontrack Computer Systems is very concerned about reports of data corruption on systems which are using MicroSoft Windows 3.0. We are devoting a great deal of time and effort to track down this reported problem, but are unable to produce even one byte of corrupted data on any of our computers running Windows 3.0. We have determined the following to be true and verifiable: 1. If Windows 3.0 is used on a 386 computer which has a hard drive with more than 1024 cylinders and our DMDRVR.BIN is being used to allow DOS (and of course Windows) to access that portion of the disk, then the "[386enh]" section of the SYSTEM.INI file in Windows must contain the following line: VIRTUALHDIRQ=OFF See pages 528-9 in the index of the Windows Users Guide for examples on how to modify SYSTEM.INI. NOTE: Many ESDI drives exceed the 1024 cylinder barrier but due to a translating controller card, appear to the operating system to have fewer then 1024 cylinders. Such a drive is not considered to have more than 1024 cylinders and does not fall into the category described above. This is because our SWBIOS.COM utility is not required to set up the drive and the DMDRVR.BIN will also not utilize that portion of the driver. 2. The Swapfile program, which is used to set up a permanent swap file on the disk, checks for ANY partitioning device driver including the DMDRVR.BIN in the CONFIG.SYS file and will not run if it exists. The swap files are hard-coded to use a 512 byte sector and in DOS versions earlier than 4.0, Disk Manager increased the logical sector size to allow access to partitions greater than 32 megabytes. Since this is the case, a permanent swap file cannot be used on a disk using the DMDRVR.BIN device driver though temporary swap files will work just fine. Using a temporary swap file instead of a permanent one should not degrade performance on a disk that has an optimization utility run on a regular basis. Running such a utility is a good idea anyway for general system performance as well as increasing the possibility of recovering data should your system encounter some sort of problem. 3. Finally, on page 53 of the Windows User's Guide, users are cautioned against running CHKDSK /F as well as any utility that will modify the file allocation tables (FAT). The utilities mentioned in this section of the Windows User's Guide are designed to operate in a single-tasking environment and include such things as undelete or optimization utilities. In the multi-tasking environment created by Windows, there may be many programs creating, manipulating and deleting files. While these operations are in process, the FATs will not be accurate. When the operation is complete, the FAT will accurately reflect that operation. Since there are (or at least could be) multiple programs running simultaneously, another application could be in the middle of an operation at any given point in time. Since the file structure is constantly in a state of flux, any utility that assumes the structure to be static (unchanging) could cause problems if run in this multi-tasking environment. Be safe, run your applications from within Windows and your utilities before entering or after exiting Windows. NOTE: These utilities can be run successfully after exiting Windows or before running Windows; the caution only applies while Windows is running. Going to the DOS prompt from within Windows is not the same as exiting Windows and the caution will still apply. - Problems with Toshiba T5200, Windows, and NetWare, - I had to add emmexclude statements for the areas in memory used by IBM's TokenRing adapter...<thunk - sound of hand hitting forehead>. They should be (typically): emmexclude=CC00-CDFF (TokenRing ROM, 8KB) emmexclude=D800-DBFF (TokenRing shared RAM, 16KB) Note that both these are set by switches on the card.