OS/2 Shareware BBS: 36 Tips/36-Tips.zip/EGA.FAX

Text File | 1994-12-05 | 4KB | 63 lines

EGA Video Adapters                              10/06/92

OS/2 EGA SUPPORT CONSIDERATIONS
   OS/2 supports pure EGA only (640x350x16 colors).  Many OEM EGA adapters on
   the market have a number of EGA enhanced modes (AT&T has a 640x400x16
   colors, Paradise has an EGA 480 adapter).  Our drivers do not support any
   of the enhanced modes.  Therefore, you should check the boards user manual
   for the hardware/software setting of the adapters video mode.  If you
   manage to install OS/2 but get blank areas on the screen, a skewed screen
   or color blotches, this almost certainly indicates that your adapter is no
   t running as pure EGA.  If you have made sure that the mode is EGA and the
   problems persist, try disabling VIDEO_BIOS_SHADOW_ENABLE in your
   motherboard BIOS setup.  In case that you have trouble installing OS/2,
   please verify that there is no contention for the memory address range
   between the EGA controller and other adapters you may have.  If you can't
   detect any contention and the board is not an 8 bit board, try p utting it
   in an 8 bit slot on the bus.  When doing that, check the manual for a
   dip-switch setting for 8 bit mode on the board as well.  In most cases,
   EGA adapters are 8 bit only.  If you did have to install in 8 bit mode,
   you should still be able to put the board back into 16 bit mode after the
   OS/2 installation.  Some boards have an auto-switching capability, enabled
   by a hardware switch (or a jumper).  This capability MUST be disabled when
   installing and running OS/2.  If you're installing on a laptop or a
   notebook computer, please consider calling the technical support
   representative of the laptop manufacturer as laptops are usually not
   equipped nor configured in a standard way.  A hardware technician should
   be able to instruct you about the adapter and BIOS configurations and
   different monitor setups.  If your DOS application is attempting to set a
   video mode in DOS full screen session and failing to do so, install all
   video related drivers/utilities from your native DOS CONFIG.SYS and
   AUTOEXEC.BAT.  You may do that either in CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT of
   the OS/2v2, or by specifying the DEVICE statements in the DOS_DEVICE entry
   box in the DOS SETTINGS for all of the DOS session icons you are currently
   using.  These settings can be invoked by clicking with the right mouse
   button over the DOS session icon in question, stepping on the arrow next
   to the OPEN in the pop-up menu and selecting the SESSION page in the
   notebook.  If you are experiencing video loss or crashes when attempting
   to issue DOS MODE command or have problems using your DOS session, please
   call the video board manufacturer and find out whether your video BIOS
   needs an upgrade.

General considerations
   If your desktop video is corrupted intermittently, run CHKDSK from an OS/2
   command prompt to determine if any hard disk problems exist.  If so, boot
   OS/2 from the installation disk and press ESC when the first instruction
   screen is displayed (you will see this screen shortly after disk 1 has
   been inserted).  This will return you to an OS/2 A:  command prompt.
   Insert disk 2 in A drive and run A:CHKDSK /F at the C:  prompt to repair
   any damages on your drive.  Replace C:  with your boot drive letter if you
   rs is different.

   You should also check your motherboard BIOS date/revision to determine if
   you need an update.  AMI BIOS should be dated no earlier than 4/9/90
   although we recommend using AMI BIOS dated 5/9/91 or later.  Phoenix BIOS
   should be dated no earlier than 5 /11/92 (they recently corrected a bug
   that was causing problems with OS/2).

Important numbers
   AMI BIOS update: Washburn and Co. 1-800-836-8026
   Phoenix BIOS update: 1-405-321-8333

12/31/99