[comp.sys.atari.st] Blank windows on the desktop?

ldl2142@galileo.rtn.ca.boeing.com (8472 BE32R) (04/26/91)

Just before christmas, I added a syquest 44M drive with an ICD+ host adaptor
to my 520 ST system.  At the same time, I also updated my TOS to version
1.4.

At some point since the, I've been having a problem with my desktop.
Sometimes when I boot my machine, the default window to the root directory
of my hard disk is empty and the info line reads "0 bytes in 0 files".o

After deleting my desktop.inf file, and creating a new one, the window now
shows the correct contents of the C:\ drive at startup, but whenever I run an
application, the desktop returns with a blank window titled "C:\" even if it
used to be open to a subdirectory.  If I click the close button the
appropriate number of times to return to the root dir, the normal "C:\"
window returns.  However, if I repeat the process 3 or 4 times, I sometimes
get a dialog box saying someting like "Can't access the ':' file or folder".

I've got a ton of programs in my auto folder, but disabling them doesn't
seem to help.  I've also got the  TOS14FIX program (or whatever its called)
and POOLFIX3.  I'm also using version 5.10 (or 5.11) of the ICD driver.

I've tried reformatting my Syquest drive, but that didn't seem to help any.

If anyone has a clue regarding what's causing this problem, email or post a
reply.

Thanks,

ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu (Ed Krimen) (04/27/91)

In article <370@galileo.rtn.ca.boeing.com> ldl2142@galileo.rtn.ca.boeing.com (8472 BE32R) writes:
>
>I've got a ton of programs in my auto folder, but disabling them doesn't
>seem to help.  I've also got the  TOS14FIX program (or whatever its called)
>and POOLFIX3.  I'm also using version 5.10 (or 5.11) of the ICD driver.
>

Unfortunately, my advice won't help you with your major problem, but I think 
you need the POOLFIX version which has been adapted by Claus Brod and 
implements the XBRA routines.  Atari's version(s) of POOLFIX don't get
installed if they are run after hard drive booters, such as ICD's.  They
must be run BEFORE any hard drive booters, and this is impossible with 
ICD's, if you have it configured to autoboot from the hard drive.  

Claus Brod's implementation used to be called POOLFIX4, but has been 
changed to something like PLFIX_CB.

-- 
         Ed Krimen  ...............................................
   |||   Video Production Major, California State University, Chico
   |||   INTERNET: ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu  FREENET: al661 
  / | \  SysOp, Fuji BBS: 916-894-1261        FIDONET: 1:119/4.0

rgoseweh@digi.lonestar.org (Roy Gosewehr) (04/29/91)

In article <1991Apr26.200412.25817@ecst.csuchico.edu> ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu (Ed Krimen) writes:
>
>                               Atari's version(s) of POOLFIX don't get
>installed if they are run after hard drive booters, such as ICD's.  They
>must be run BEFORE any hard drive booters, and this is impossible with 
>ICD's, if you have it configured to autoboot from the hard drive.  

Why do you say that?  I autoboot my hard drive with ICD's booter all the
time, then run POOLFIX3, the TOS14FIX.  POOLFIX3 says it is installed
and I never have any problems.  Is there some reason that POOLFIX3 would
*not* install and still say it was?  Please explain.

Thanks,
Roy C. Gosewehr

(Sig not available :-)

ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu (Ed Krimen) (04/30/91)

In article <1991Apr29.131720.7309@digi.lonestar.org> rgoseweh@digi.lonestar.org (Roy Gosewehr) writes:
>In article <1991Apr26.200412.25817@ecst.csuchico.edu> ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu (Ed Krimen) writes:
>>
>>                               Atari's version(s) of POOLFIX don't get
>>installed if they are run after hard drive booters, such as ICD's.  They
>>must be run BEFORE any hard drive booters, and this is impossible with 
>>ICD's, if you have it configured to autoboot from the hard drive.  
>
>Why do you say that?  I autoboot my hard drive with ICD's booter all the
>time, then run POOLFIX3, the TOS14FIX.  POOLFIX3 says it is installed
>and I never have any problems.  Is there some reason that POOLFIX3 would
>*not* install and still say it was?  Please explain.
>

Why did I say that?  Because I was under the impression, after reading
the docs in Claus Brod's POOLFIX, that hard drive booters which load before
the AUTO folder programs, such as ICDBOOT, would not let POOLFIX3 install
itself.

Actually, I was not understanding the entire situation.  It's those 
hard disk drivers which occupy the TRAP #1 vector, since POOLFIX3 takes
that vector.  Claus rewrote and optimized POOLFIX because his driver
takes the TRAP #1 vector as well.  (If I'm still not understanding the
complete situation, then please let me know.  If I should keep my 
damned mouth shut, then please let me know that too. :^)

Claus Brod's POOLFIX also adds the XBRA algorithm, as well as some other
things.  The docs that come with his version of POOLFIX explain the improvements
much better than I can.

-- 
   |||   Ed Krimen [ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu or al661@cleveland.freenet.edu]
   |||   Video Production Major, California State University, Chico
  / | \  SysOp, Fuji BBS: 916-894-1261

csbrod@immd4.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Claus Brod) (04/30/91)

ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu (Ed Krimen) writes:
>Actually, I was not understanding the entire situation.  It's those 
>hard disk drivers which occupy the TRAP #1 vector, since POOLFIX3 takes
>that vector.  Claus rewrote and optimized POOLFIX because his driver
>takes the TRAP #1 vector as well.  (If I'm still not understanding the
>complete situation, then please let me know.  If I should keep my 
>damned mouth shut, then please let me know that too. :^)

Keep talking 8-) It's not only my hard disk driver that intercepts
Trap #1 before POOLFIX shows up. There are other hard disk drivers,
and there are also some ROM port or ACSI based network drivers that
have similar problems. Future versions of my hard disk driver will
have a switch telling it to leave Trap #1 alone to avoid such problems.
A network driver, however, must occupy Trap #1 to implement network
services - there's no choice. So that's why I tried to improve
POOLFIX.

When talking about my version of POOLFIX, please refer to it as
PFIX_CB, _not_ POOLFIX4. And please don't bother Atari if there's
trouble with my POOLFIX version - it's all my own silly fault.


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Claus Brod, Am Felsenkeller 2,			Things. Take. Time.
D-8772 Marktheidenfeld, West Germany		(Piet Hein)
csbrod@medusa.informatik.uni-erlangen.de
Claus Brod@wue.maus.de
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