Info-IBMPC Digest Sun, 24 Oct 93 Volume 93 : Issue 94 Today's Editor: Gregory Hicks - Rota Spain Today's Topics: Mouse and Mouse Driver Problems Pico port to ms-dos?? Speaker tests TRS-80 Comm Software DOS upgrade problems DOS upgrade problem - additional info Gateway 2000 Tech Support [R(0)] Low-level formatting for PS/2 systems (INFO-IBMPC 93.85) screen cappture programs RE: MSDOS 6.0 RE: Loadfix hard disk error 1701 Re: EMS to XMS on a 286.. any chance? Lotus Functions in Clipper Re: Info-IBMPC Digest V93 #85 Conner CP4024 hd died: can I revive it? IBM EGA display glitch HP VEE measurement software Re: Info-IBMPC Digest V93 #84 Re: Info-IBMPC Digest V93 #85 Send Replies or notes for publication to: Send requests of an administrative nature (addition to, deletion from the distribution list, et al) to: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 03 Oct 1993 18:29:23 -0500 (UTC -05:00) From: RSL11@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu Subject: Mouse and Mouse Driver Problems Hello there, I have a problem with, I believe the logitech mouse driver. If I load the logitech mouse driver I get an error message saying that "the mouse is not responding". When I run msd it finds the mouse. I have loaded a different mouse driver and I stopped getting the error message I was getting. I can use the mouse for all the DOS programs but when I load windows the glass mouse pointer appears ( the pointer that appears when an application is loading ) but once the applications has already been loaded the glass pointer goes away and I cannot use the mouse again. The system.ini in windows is setup properly, in other words the mouse driver mouse.drv file is specified explicitly, i.e. the explicit path of the driver .drv file is specified, the type of the mouse is specified correctly but still no response from the mouse in windows. Also, the mouse is a logitech mouse, and it works when I connect it in another machine. I have also checked the IRQs and they are set properly, COM1 IRQ4 and COM2 IRQ3. The modem works without any problem. I have the following qquestions : 1. Is the problem with the logitech mouse driver? Does the logitech mouse driver have any bugs? 2. Are there any windows programs that test mouse problems ? 3. Is there any ftp site where I could find other mouse drivers? 4. Has anybody else had a similar problem and can give any more ideas? 5. Are there any programs that can test whether the COM ports work? Is there an easy hardware test that one could do to test the port that the mouse is using? I would appreciate your responses. E-mail Address: rsl11@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu Thanks, Chris ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 Oct 93 12:40:34 LCL From: "Andrew C. LaRoy" Subject: Pico port to ms-dos?? Does anybody know if there is a ms-dos port of the pico editor around somewhere? Pico is a simple minded editor generally associated with the pine mailer. Unlike emacs and other unix editors, it has all the commands on the bottom of the screen and a spell check feature. Thanks! Sincerely, Andrew LaRoy "... der [Alte] wuerfelt nicht!" (God does not play dice!) Albert Einstein about quantum mechanics. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 4 Oct 93 17:15:20 TUR From: David Ketcham Subject: Speaker tests I recently bought a program called PC Probe which provides 150 hardware tests. I ran it on my pc at home and everything was fine until I got to the speaker test. The test started out fine (I got tones coming out), then a burst of static and the system hung to the point that I could not even warm boot it. I restarted the pc and everything else was fine so I forgot about it. I recently bought a laptop and to make sure everything was fine with it, I ran it through Norton Diagnostics. Guess what? That's right; when I ran the speaker test, it started fine, then static, and a completely locked system. Neither system has a sound card, and the speaker test works fine on the HP Vectra (without a sound card) at work. Anybody have a clue what's going on? This is not a problem that is keeping me up nights, but it is a puzzlement. David C. Ketcham Bryant College Internet: dketcham@research1.bryant.edu ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 4 Oct 93 11:57:07 -0400 From: Timothy Griffin Subject: TRS-80 Comm Software I know this is going back *many* years, but a TRS-80 Model III has just resurfaced and I'm trying to track down anyone that has a communications program for it. Radio Shack in Canada no longer sells any of this stuff. Anybody got any old comm programs on disk they'd be willing to part with? Any info appreciated. Thanks, Tim Griffin Ottawa, Canada. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 4 Oct 93 19:16:10 TUR From: Mark Ziolkowski Subject: DOS upgrade problems We've recently been trying to upgrade several of the older PCs here at work from DOS 3.3 to DOS 5.0. Most of them went ok, but a few of the older 286's will not upgrade. For whatever reason these machines won't recognize the upgrade disk as bootable (ie "NON SYSTEM DISK...."). The interesting thing is that one machine will go fine while identical machine gives us trouble and won't upgrade. So I guess my question is this, what, if anything, can I do to upgrade these machines to 5.0? I've tried everything I know. I know the disks are good because when I get an error on one machine I can immediately use the same diskette on another. I'd like to just get rid of the old machines, but that isn't an option that is available right now. Any suggestions? Thanks, Mark **************************************** Mark Ziolkowski * Tennessee Board of Regents * Internet: MZIOLKOWSKI@TBR.STATE.TN.US * Phone: (615)366-4458 * Fax: (615)366-4464 * **************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Oct 93 01:45:49 TUR From: Mark Ziolkowski Subject: DOS upgrade problem - additional info In my earlier post I forgot to memtion a few things that might help anyone come up with a solution. I have a total of 4 machines that won't upgrade. Of these 4, 2 give the non system disk error message, and 2 just plain boot around the floppy drive. As of this date, I've tried both 3.5 and 5.25" media, I've cleaned the floppy drives, I've replaced floppy drives from machines that accepted the disks, and I've tried dumping 5.0 from a tape to overwrite the 3.3 version. (boy, that was a fun one to clean up!) I've probably tried a few other things, but I can't recall them right now. If you're like me you'll say the logical thing to fix on the machines that boot around the floppy is to change the boot sequence in the CMOS to boot from the floppy first. I tried that - the CMOS has no option to change the boot sequence. Additionally, all of these machines will boot from a version 3.3 bootable diskette, which really adds to the puzzle. The machines are all Packard Bell 1000's and I'd tell you what BIOS they use, but I don't know and it doesn't display on the screen on bootup. Knowing all of this, does anyone have any suggestions? I've made a few here, but they told me it would cost too much to replace the window after I tossed the machine out ;-) Thanks, Mark ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Oct 93 14:04:59 LCL From: "Cameron D. Bunch" Subject: Gateway 2000 Tech Support [R(0)] Does anyone know if Gateway 2000 has an e-mail address for tech support (or any other kind of support for that matter?) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cameron D. Bunch Internet: rth1cdb@rth10.med.navy.mil Head, MIS Department cbunch@rota-measure.navy.mil U.S. Naval Hospital Rota Spain COMM: +34-56-823672/3 FAX: +34-56-823306 AVON: 727-3672/3 ------------------------------ Subject: Low-level formatting for PS/2 systems (INFO-IBMPC 93.85) Date: Wed, 06 Oct 93 09:32:51 -0400 From: Joe Morris In INFO-IBMPC 93.85 LAWS@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu asked: > is there a shareware product available on the Internet that >will low-level format IBM PS2 ESDI drives? Have you tried formatting the disk using the IBM-provided reference diskette? One of the unexplained decisions IBM made about the PS/2 line was that it never documented the fact that it shiped an advanced diagnostic package (including format) on every PS/2 refrence disk. Boot from the reference diskette, and when the IBM logo appears press ENTER as usual to display the first menu. Press CTRL-A to get to the advanced diagnostics menu, where you can either test individual subsystems (or the whole system), or format the hard disk. The original question indicates that you want to low-level the disk in response to a virus. What is there about the virus which can't be eradicated by a normal format, at least from a protected boot floppy? >2) Is there a utility to erase or change the Serial Number of a diskette >formatted with DOS 4.0 or later? We are making 100's of copies of >WordPerfect for Windows as part of our Site License, and Windows needs >to sense the same serial number, or no number at all.... I don't use WP, with or without Windows, but this sounds mildly strange. Is there something in the installation program which is testing the disk serial, but will cheerfully accept the disk if none is found? Is this something unique to the site license, intended to discourage users from copying the files onto their own diskettes and using it outside the scope of the site license? This would discourage a user from making backup diskettes, although that might be intentional in a site license environment. Anyone who has any familiarity with a sector editor and who has a copy of the boot sector layout (as published by Microsoft in the DOS tech reference) can set the disk serial to any desired value, or rebuild the sector to the pre-4.0 format where no serial number field exists. The DOS DISKCOPY command was changed (at 4.0, I assume) to *not* copy the disk serial number field, although all other records on the disk are duplicated. OTOH, I would expect that most disk-duplication machines will generate identical copies including the serial number; if you plan to use one check with the vendor on this issue. Joe Morris / MITRE ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Oct 93 08:56:54 EDT From: "J. Dashiell" Subject: screen cappture programs mskermit 3.13 and commo541.zip come to mind as good choices. if you go with mskermit you'll want to put a statement like log session into the mscustom.ini file. everything you do with kermit will then be saved in a file called session.log or there's a command file called u-log.cmd from columbia.edu which will use the date as the first 8 characters of a file name and 3 digits starting with 999 and going down to 000 each time you run kermit if it's set up correctly. but who does more than 1,000 connects in a day anyway? jude ------------------------------ Date: 6 Oct 93 08:26:00 CST From: CRONK@eglin.af.mil Subject: RE: MSDOS 6.0 Topic title: Info-IBMPC Digest V93 #85 Note title: RE: Doublespace in MSDOS 6.0 Lines: 18 Author: UT4::CRONK MARK S. CRONK Number: 554.1 Created: 06-Oct-1993 08:18 Replies: 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This reply may be a little late - missed the original post. I've installed DOS 6.0 and Doublespace on 23 (stand-alone) PCs in the area where I work - they've been running for over 3 months now with no problem. The PCs ranged from Zenith Z-248s (286s) to Unisys 386s to a couple of no-name 486/33s. The one thing they all have in common is DOS 6.0 and Doublespace. Don't know if it makes any difference, but I used the same installation procedure on all of them - as follows: First, I ran CHKDSK/F, then in the following order installed DOS 6.0, ran DEFRAG, MEMMAKER (except for the 286s), and then ran Doublespace. Contrary to other posts, SMARTDRIVE is running fine on all of them (again except for the 286s). - Wish the operators ran as smoothly as the machines (Oh no, you didn't really compress my C:> drive!) ------------------------------ From: Larry Osterman Date: Wed, 6 Oct 93 10:35:49 TZ Subject: RE: Loadfix |> I need same information about the MS-DOS 5.0's error message |> "Packed File Corrupt". What is it? When try to execute a program |> this error occurs; then I use"Loadfix" with the program and all |> seems OK. Why? Somebody can help me? I have a IBM PS/1 386 - 20 Mhz |> - 2M RAM. |Basically it's a program packed with MicroSoft's EXEPACK. Similar to |LZEXE or PKLite but not very effective.. (as is most of MS stuff). |Packed file corrupt mostly occurs because of an either an error in the |file itself or a program cannot be run because of too little memory, |wrong dos version or a number of other things. If it runs with loadfix |it's probably a memory thing.. don't worry about it too much..it's one |of MSs little nasties. In general this is correct, however you're mis-stating the actual cause of the problem. There are basically 2 main causes of the "Packed file is corrupt" error. The first is that the file actually was corrupted (as described above), the second is because there is a bug in the unpacker that causes it to report this if the program is loaded below 64K in memory. Basically when EXEPACK was written, DOS took up more than 64K of low memory (this was in the DOS 3.3 days), and thus this configuration was never tested. We first found this problem out when we shipped DOS 5.0, when all of a sudden a bunch of apps stopped working (because DOS's image had shrunk). The LOADFIX program simply allocates memory up to 64K and then spawns your application, thus avoiding the bug. I wouldn't blame a bug on code being "not very effective", it's just a bug, nothing more, nothing less. Given the state of PC technology in 1986, EXEPACK isn't that bad, but it's not really been updated since then, while PKLite and LZEXE both have. Larry Osterman ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Oct 93 12:25:52 EDT From: "J. Dashiell" Subject: hard disk error 1701 this is hard disk post error. if work was done on your pc maybe the drive wasn't attached properly when it finished. it could also be that some of the connections have come loose. first thing i'd try is to remove drive controller card and do two inspections on it. (1) examine the silver colored connector to see if there's any black on it. (2) make sure your sinuses are clear and smell the card very thoroughly. if you smell smoke you may or may not also see black on the card or connector but in either case you need a new controller card. if these inspections check out all right, get your hard disk manual out and do a jumper inspection. make sure all are set correctly one may have been moved. finally if your computer has a cmos on it, go into cmos setting mode and check what it has stored on your hard disk. if that is all right it may be time to do a low level format of the hard disk. I forgot try putting the hard disk controller card back into a different slot on the motherboard. switch another peripheral if you must and see how far you get. If you have switched another peripheral test it to see if it works. If not, the problem is with the motherboard. hope this helped some. jude ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1993 10:09:58 PDT From: Mergenthal.ES_AE@xerox.com Subject: Re: EMS to XMS on a 286.. any chance? In Info-IBMPC Digest V93 #85, Francisco Javier Fernandez M writes -- >I have a 286 with 1Mb. The memory after the 640 is setted as Expanded >memory. I use to run a DEMS driver who page it for the common >LIM (Lotus Intel Memory). >Is there any way (by software or hardware) to use this memory >as extended? Sure! Just stop using the EMS driver. "REM" it out in your CONFIG.SYS. Without an EMS driver in use, the extra memory is extended by default. Wade Mergenthal mergenthal.es_ae@xerox.com ------------------------------ Date: 6 Oct 93 11:10:00 MST From: "GALLEGOS, (TIM)othy W" Subject: Lotus Functions in Clipper I am writing code in CA-Clipper5.2c that will take data from various inputs and write a lotus *.wk1 worksheet. I have managed to write the code for functions such as put a character string or numeric string in a cell, increase or decrease a cell width, open and close a spreadsheet using the CA-Clipper binary file handle. The problem that I am having is in writing the clipper function that will write an equation to the WK1 file. The core of the problem is lotus expects the formula in reverse polish notation. I'm having problems writing the formula decompiler in clipper because of the complexity of the record layout for formulas in lotus. For example "A1+B1" would be +A1B1 (but in binary and in according to the lotus file format). Has anyone out there done something like this or run into something similar? I will be more than happy to provide source for these functions or we can negotiate. Tim Gallegos Computer Specialist ========================================================== Internet: nap3902@dcmoo.dsac.dla.mil CompuServe: 71332,3512 Phone: (505) 846-0622 Fax: (505) 846-6861 ========================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1993 16:15:37 PDT From: Mergenthal.ES_AE@xerox.com Subject: Re: Info-IBMPC Digest V93 #85 In Info-IBMPC Digest V93 #85, Mr Simmons writes -- >>Could any body tell me the jumper >>settings on a MAXTOR 7080AT hard drive. My problem is that i wish add a >>second hard drive to my system. I don't have the 7080, but I do have a brochure for the 7060 and 7120. For both, it shows the following: Only drive in system: J20 closed J19 closed Master in dual drive system: J20 closed J19 open Slave in dual drive system: J20 open J19 closed Try that. Wade Mergenthal mergenthal.es_ae@xerox.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 Oct 93 23:33:03 ITA From: maurizio lana Subject: Conner CP4024 hd died: can I revive it? I have an Epson 286 portable computer with 1 40M Conner hd (model cp4024, 1" he igt, 1 connector for both signals and power). After trying to Stacker it, it died: it's impossible to format it, nor does it 'appear' anywhere. So: can I revive it forcing a low level format with appropriate debug instructions? which currently available hd(s) is (are) equivalent to my cp4024? The BIOS supports only 20M and 40M hd: any idea about utilities to split into l ogical units one single hd? Many thanks to anyone. Please, CC: your answer directly to me. Maurizio MAURIZIO LANA | E-MAIL: LANA@ITOCSIVM.CSI.IT | fax 39-11-899 0458 CISI - Universita' di Torino - V. S. Ottavio 20 - 10124 Torino Italy ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Oct 93 09:38:55 EDT From: Dick and Jill Miller Subject: IBM EGA display glitch The original EGA monitor, IBM Model 5154 "Enhanced Color Display", is known to eventually develop a horizontal 'glitch' across the middle of its screen, which eats one or more lines until the monitor warms up. Can someone please recommend a simple, inexpensive adjustment or repair for this? --Dick Miller A. Richard & Jill A. Miller | MILLER MICROCOMPUTER SERVICES | InterNet: dmiller@im.lcs.mit.edu | 61 Lake Shore Road | Voice: 508/653-6136, 9am-9pm -0400(EDT)| Natick, MA 01760-2099, USA | MMSFORTH: The cure for the common code.| 42 18'00.79" N, 71 22'27.68" W| ------------------------------ Date: TUE, 5 Oct 1993 16:41:51 SLT From: F45E020%SAKSU00.BITNET@vm1.nodak.edu Subject: HP VEE measurement software We are thinking of buying a software called "HP VEE" it is available for PC's as will as for UNIX machines. It is for measurements control and automation. We are interested in the PC version. It runs under WINDOWS. Have you heard about it ? if yes do you recommend it or do you know any other equivalent software. Do you know how much such software cost We need it for the purpose of having a convenient interface with our HP8510A network analyzer. THANKS IN ADVANCE Zeyad Al-Hekail EE. DEPT. King Saud University Riyadh, Saudi arabia ------------------------------ Date: 30 Sep 1993 16:05:47 +0000 (GMT) From: COAC6008@bureau.ucc.ie Subject: Re: Info-IBMPC Digest V93 #84 At work we have a slightly customised Lan Manager network running. A separately purchased network version of Lotus 123 is terribly slow (useless in fact ) . Lotus cost us 3K, any ideas?? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 Oct 93 13:45 CDT From: SYED AHMED Subject: Re: Info-IBMPC Digest V93 #85 I keep getting a problem with QEMM(Quarterdeck memory manager), whenever I want to use specific applications, QEMM gets in the way. Is there some way, I can specify QEMM to run when I want it to. ------------------------------ ******************************** End of Info-IBMPC Digest V93 #94