ted@ssc-vax.UUCP (Ted Jardine) (06/23/89)
I have been experiencing an increasing variety of problems with MicroSoft Excel 1.5, so thought I would ask others: * if they are having the same or similar problems, and * whether anyone knows if any of these problems are fixed in Excel 2.2. Configuration: Macintosh II color system; 8 MB memory; 80 MB hard disk; modem; ImageWriter II printer; System 6.0.3. Several inits and cdevs, including Init Manager, HeirDA, ApplicationMenu, SoundMaster 1.2, SuitCase II 1.2.3, SuperClock 3.3, etc. Run Multifinder exclusively. Fragmented Memory. Unless MS Excel 1.5 is loaded immediately after startup, it complains that memory is fragmented and refuses to load. This includes the case when I run a desk accessory, such as the Control Panel, right after startup. Unable to run DAs. If MS Excel 1.5 is loaded after startup, once it is in memory any attempt to run a desk accessory results in a dialog box that indicates there is not enough memory to run the desk accessory. Copying to Diskette Fails. With MS Excel 1.5 in memory, switching to Finder and copying folders from my hard disk to a 3.5" diskette (800 KB) almost always results in a message that one of the folders cannot be opened. The folder exists, and Excel has not opened that folder, or any folder containing it. Switching to Excel, quitting, and then re-executing the copy task causes the copy to complete normally, as expected. Display of Startupscreen prevents execution of Excel 1.5. MS Excel 1.5 will start properly if opened immediately after startup of the system, whether there are any INITs or CDEVs opened during startup or not. But inclusion of a Startupscreen in the System Folder, resulting in display of the startup screen image during startup, causes the Fragmented Memory symptom to appear. Other applications prematurely quit with Excel 1.5 present. Other applications, particularly Wingz 1.0, may be started successfully with Excel 1.5 present in memory, but attempts to save files in these applications result in premature termination of the application with a dialog that states that an out of memory condition has been detected. In all cases the amount of available memory exceeds 6 MB, as indicated by either About Finder or Spy (a debugging init). I'm not interested in roasting MicroSoft, even though I sometimes think that this might be emotionally satisfying. I also think that many of these problems result from characteristics of both Excel and MacOS. If there are sufficient responses to this request, I'll summarize and post the results. Thanks for your time and attention. -- TJ {With Amazing Grace} The Piper aka Ted Jardine CFI-ASME/I Usenet: ...uw-beaver!ssc-vax!ted Internet: ted@atc.boeing.com
esf00@uts.amdahl.com (Elliott S. Frank) (06/24/89)
In article <2752@ssc-vax.UUCP> ted@ssc-vax.UUCP (Ted Jardine) writes: >I have been experiencing an increasing variety of problems with MicroSoft >Excel 1.5, so thought I would ask others: > > * if they are having the same or similar problems, and > * whether anyone knows if any of these problems are fixed > in Excel 2.2. > >Configuration: >Macintosh II color system; 8 MB memory; 80 MB hard disk; modem; ImageWriter >II printer; System 6.0.3. Several inits and cdevs, including Init Manager, >HeirDA, ApplicationMenu, SoundMaster 1.2, SuitCase II 1.2.3, SuperClock 3.3, >etc. Run Multifinder exclusively. > >Fragmented Memory. >Unless MS Excel 1.5 is loaded immediately after startup, it complains that >memory is fragmented and refuses to load. This includes the case when I >run a desk accessory, such as the Control Panel, right after startup. > >Unable to run DAs. >If MS Excel 1.5 is loaded after startup, once it is in memory any attempt >to run a desk accessory results in a dialog box that indicates there is >not enough memory to run the desk accessory. > >Copying to Diskette Fails. >With MS Excel 1.5 in memory, switching to Finder and copying folders from >my hard disk to a 3.5" diskette (800 KB) almost always results in a message >that one of the folders cannot be opened. The folder exists, and Excel has >not opened that folder, or any folder containing it. Switching to Excel, >quitting, and then re-executing the copy task causes the copy to complete >normally, as expected. > >Display of Startupscreen prevents execution of Excel 1.5. >MS Excel 1.5 will start properly if opened immediately after startup of the >system, whether there are any INITs or CDEVs opened during startup or not. >But inclusion of a Startupscreen in the System Folder, resulting in display >of the startup screen image during startup, causes the Fragmented Memory >symptom to appear. > >Other applications prematurely quit with Excel 1.5 present. >Other applications, particularly Wingz 1.0, may be started successfully >with Excel 1.5 present in memory, but attempts to save files in these >applications result in premature termination of the application with a >dialog that states that an out of memory condition has been detected. >In all cases the amount of available memory exceeds 6 MB, as indicated >by either About Finder or Spy (a debugging init). > >I'm not interested in roasting MicroSoft, even though I sometimes think >that this might be emotionally satisfying. I also think that many of >these problems result from characteristics of both Excel and MacOS. >If there are sufficient responses to this request, I'll summarize and >post the results. Thanks for your time and attention. >-- >TJ {With Amazing Grace} The Piper >aka Ted Jardine CFI-ASME/I >Usenet: ...uw-beaver!ssc-vax!ted >Internet: ted@atc.boeing.com -- Elliott Frank ...!{hplabs,ames,sun}!amdahl!esf00 (408) 746-6384 or ....!{bnrmtv,drivax,hoptoad}!amdahl!esf00 [the above opinions are strictly mine, if anyone's.] [the above signature may or may not be repeated, depending upon some inscrutable property of the mailer-of-the-week.]