Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL ("Info-IBMPC Digest") (07/27/90)
Info-IBMPC Digest Fri, 27 Jul 90 Volume 90 : Issue 121
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Rota Spain <GHICKS@WSMR-Simtel20.Army.Mil>
Today's Topics:
Strange Date Behavior (2 msgs)
q&a write and labels
WHAT - PD or not?
Windows v3.0 Warning
Windows 3.0 / SMARTDrive issue - Rebutal
Performance of '386s
Today's Queries:
3 1/2 drives that can format from DD to HD
Info about Commodore PC 10-III wanted
Mac mail systems & file transport
problem with an old PC XT model 286
PS/2 hard disks
Exchanging files between MAC II Ci and IBM PC/AT
Send Replies or notes for publication to:
<INFO-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Send requests of an administrative nature (addition to, deletion from
the distribution list, et al) to:
<INFO-IBMPC-REQUEST@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
The Simtel20 Archives discussed are available from:
WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (see file PD1:<MSDOS.FILEDOCS>AAAREAD.ME details
on file directories and descriptions.) Problems with files obtained
from the Archives should be addressed to:
<ACTION@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Archives of past issues of the Info-IBMPC Digest are available by FTP
only from WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL in directory PD2:<ARCHIVES.IBMPC>.
WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL can be accessed using LISTSERV commands from
BITNET via LISTSERV@NDSUVM1, LISTSERV@RPIECS and in Europe from EARN
TRICKLE servers. Send commands to TRICKLE@<host-name> (example:
TRICKLE@TREARN). The following TRICKLE servers are presently
available: AWIWUW11 (Austria), BANUFS11 (Belgium), DKTC11 (Denmark),
DB0FUB11 or DTUZDV1 (Germany), IMIPOLI (Italy), EB0UB011 (Spain),
TAUNIVM (Israel), and TREARN (Turkey). SIMTEL20 is not accessable on
the first Wednesday of each month from 6-8pm Eastern Standard Time.
If you are unable to access SIMTEL20 via Internet FTP or through one of
the BITNET/EARN file servers, most MSDOS SIMTEL20 files, including the
PC-Blue collection, are available for downloading on the Detroit
Download Central network at 313-885-3956. DDC is a networked system
with multiple lines that support 300, 1200, 2400, and 9600 bps (HST).
This system is a subscription system with an average hourly cost of 17
cents per hour. It is also accessable on Telenet via PC Pursuit and on
Tymnet via StarLink outdial. New files uploaded to WSMR-SIMTEL20 are
usually available on DDC within 24 hours.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 90 23:18:03 CDT
From: david@wubios.wustl.edu (David J. Camp)
Subject: Strange Date Behavior
I have noticed the failure of Dos to increment the date also. It seems
only to happen when you are not at the COMMAND.COM prompt at midnight.
This also happens sometimes when running MS-Windows.
My solution is to reboot once every morning. -David-
Internet: david%wubios@wugate.wustl.edu ^ David J. Camp
uucp: ...!uunet!wugate!wubios!david < * >
v 314-382-0584
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 90 08:21:41 EDT
From: "Bert Tyler" <TUB@CU.NIH.GOV>
Subject: Strange date behavior
> Just recently a couple of people have brought to my attention some
> strange behavior regarding the time of day clock on several PC's. I
> have seen several packages which cause the clock not to increment the
> date even though the time has gone past midnight. The time is correct,
> but the day a day behind! ... Does anyone have any ideas what could be
> causing this and any remedies?
I've seen this before, and have been able to write a program that
forces the error on IBM PS/2s. The problem crops up when you are
running a program that repeatedly uses interrupt 1A (ah = 0) to read
the time. If you happen to call this function just at midnight, the
clock function apparantly forgets to update the date.
My test program, which simply called that function repeatedly in a
tight loop until 00:00:10, forced that problem quite nicely. We
promptly renamed it the Cinderella program.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 90 8:28:57 EDT
From: Bill Clay (CSD) <wpclay@BRL.MIL>
Subject: q&a write and labels
in response to sol eaglstein's question in digest 90:111:
this is just a wild guess, since i'm not a q&a user, but here
goes. if q&a does a carriage return in order to line up the second
column from the left margin and your printer is set up to do a carriage
return/line feed on receipt of a carriage return you would see the
effect you are seeing. like i said, this is just a guess, but see if
you can set your printer to not do a line feed on receipt of a carriage
return.
hope this helps.
-- bill clay
------------------------------
Date: Wed Jul 25 11:10:27 1990
From: microsoft!bobal@beaver.cs.washington.edu
Subject: WHAT - PD or not?
All the samples we send out with products are in the public domain.
There would be no point in sending them if they weren't. The whole
idea is that the user can use and modify the samples to their hearts'
content.
A recent version of PC Magazine published a program called BATCHMAN
that works a lot like WHAT but with lots of really neat additional
features and a better user interface (wish I had thought of it). This
is definitely in the public domain. I would suggest that the users use
BATCHMAN rather than WHAT, although there were a few features of the
original WHAT that BATCHMAN doesn't match.
[I that if you were to query PC Magazine, you would find that the
programs they publish do have a copyright. People using these programs
are allowed to copy and distribute them freely AS LONG AS THEY ARE FOR
PERSONAL USE. Any commercial use is subject to negotiations between
the company and PC Mag. gph]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 12 Jul 90 17:54:25 -0400
From: David Kirschbaum <kirsch@usasoc.soc.mil>
Subject: Windows v3.0 Warning
The following is submitted as a matter that may be of interest to your
readers.
Regards,
David
[Snarfed from From Federal BBS, Fayetteville NC Technical Echo Message
Area ]
>From: Everett Stowe
>To: Ivan Schaffel Msg #131, 11:17am Jul-08-90
>Subject: RE: WINDOWS 3.0 BUG..!
>
>Check out the enclosed file.
>
>Downloaded from USENET:
>
> IS WINDOWS 3.0 A THREAT TO YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM?
>
> The new Windows 3.0 environment, with its greatly improved
>interface, memory management and developer and user capabilities,
>gained near-universal acclaim when it was released by Microsoft on
>May 22.
>
> But now, thousands of users around the country are asking the ques-
>tion: What is the REAL price of using Windows 3.0? In addition to the
>more mundane problems affecting any major new software release, many
>users are reporting serious difficulties with Windows 3.0. And some
>have had disk failures and file losses because of severe incompatibili-
>ties between Windows and certain large hard disk drives and disk
>format- ting programs.
>
> As users buy new, more powerful systems and upgrade existing ones to
>tap the power of Windows 3.0, a wave of disk problems and data loss is
>starting to sweep the MS-DOS world.
>
> In July 1989, Microsoft released a limited-circulation memo which
>stated, in part:
>
> Many non-standard (i.e. non-FDISK) disk partitioning schemes will
>cause problems when used with Windows and/or the SMARTDRV.SYS disk
>caching utility. This information applies to Windows/286, Windows/386,
>and Excel. Specific partitioning methods that will ALWAYS cause
>problems include the following:
>
> - Disk Manager by Ontrack & Seagate (DMDRVR.BIN)
> - Priam disk partitioning (supplied with Priam hard disks)
> - Golden Bow V-Feature Deluxe
> - Partitioning used by CORE hard disks (cannot be changed; contact
> Core)
> - Any system with a XENIX or UNIX partition on the hard disk
>
> Windows will NOT work properly on ANY system using one of the
>above methods for disk partitioning. Other brands of utilities may or
>may not cause problems . . . Because of the large number of
>partitioning-utility versions and methods of partitioning the
>--- TMail v1.15
> # Origin: The INDEX System TBBS -- (404) 951-1540 (8:7301/1)
> * Origin: Network Echogate (1:129/34)
Hoo boy. Most interesting, ne? And how much have we heard about
this from Microsoft?
JULY 1989 MEMO?!?! You mean to tell me Microsoft has known about this
problem for a year and hasn't 'fessed up? Man, I call that criminal
negligence. (Your interpretation may vary.)
I'd been picking up rumbles on the Prodigy computer bulletin board
about weird problems with disk trashing, associations with Windows,
etc., but this is the first SOLID, consolidated information I've read
on the problem!
So .. bottom line .. guess who's not recommending Windows in ANY
flavor for ANY purpose to ANYBODY for an INDEFINITE period? Yeah, you
guessed it. The kid is going for QuarterDeck for his multiprocessing,
and waiting for somebody ELSE to provide a GUI for the braindead.
Windows can rot in place.
Unless I hear a definitive, IN WRITING, rebuttal from Microsoft that
tells me something different.
This is the "Wolf Wolf". Or is it "The Sky Is Falling"??? Of COURSE
I've overreacted! Of COURSE I've taken a stand far far beyond the
limits of a normally rational man!
But I'm NOT recommending Windows to anyone... :)
Ever one to over-react...
David Kirschbaum
Toad Hall
------------------------------
Date: Tue Jul 24 20:42:24 1990
From: Gregory Hicks - Rota Spain <GHICKS@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: Windows 3.0 / SMARTDrive issue
After I received David's message, I contacted Mr Rich Abel, Group
Product Manager for Microsoft Windows and found the following:
The July 1989 information released by Microsoft Product Support
Services was based on some user feedback on problems with Windows /286
and Windows /386 V 2.1x that did not result in data loss or corruption.
Windows 3.0 went through a very extensive beta test with users and
developers. The SMARTDrive problem we have (described in detail below)
was not encountered in this beta test. Microsoft concluded that this
is because the majority of our beta testers were in corporate sites
which tend to use hard disk systems that are supported by the system
bios as well as use of versions of MS or PC DOS which support large
partitions.
The following notice was recently placed on Compuserve in the Windows
forum and was provided to the industry press to alert users that may be
affected by this SMARTDrive problem to the conditions necessary for
problems to occur.
* Microsoft Windows and third-party hard disk partitioning software
The Microsoft Windows development team, working closely with several
hardware and software vendors, has identified two rare scenarios that
might result in loss or corruption of data. The scenarios involve using
third-party disk-partitioning software with Microsoft's SMARTDrive disk
caching utility. We have shipped several hundred thousand copies of
Windows 3.0 and have only 12 customers with verified problems.
Microsoft Windows 3.0 itself works fine on these systems. The conflict
arises between the disk caching utility included with Windows called
"SmartDrive" and the listed third-party disk- partitioning software.
Windows 3.0 is fully functional without the optional disk caching
utility.
** SYSTEMS THAT MIGHT BE AT RISK
*** Scenario 1
Your system IS at risk if:
* You are using THIRD-PARTY disk positioning software, such as those
listed below AND
* A hard disk on your system has more than 1024 cylinders, AND
* You are using Microsoft Windows' SMARTDrive disk caching utility
This scenario can only occur if you are running third-party disk
partitioning software, because the DOS Fdisk partitioning software does
not support disks that have more than 1024 cylinders.
*** Scenario 2
Your system MIGHT be at risk if:
* You are using THIRD-PARTY disk positioning software, such as those
listed below AND
* Your system contains a hard disk whose type is not directly
supported by the system's ROM BIOS AND
* You are using Microsoft Windows' SMARTDrive AND
* You are using DOS version 3.30 or higher
The risk probability is greater if your system was customized with
off-the-shelf parts. Name brand computers ship with ROM BIOS versions
that support the hard drives installed by the manufacturer.
** DETERMINING THE RISK
Below is a list of known disk partitioning systems which when used in
conjunction with SMARTDrive pose a risk.
Each software package uses a device= line in the CONFIG.SYS file in
your root directory. The device= entry tells your system that the
software exists.
Open your CONFIG.SYS file with any text editor and see if one of the
following device= lines exists:
SOFTWARE: Disk Manager from Ontrack Computer Systems
CONFIG.SYS device=DMDRVR.BIN
SOFTWARE: SpeedStor from Storage Dimensions
CONFIG.SYS: device=SSTOR.SYS or device=HARDRIVE.SYS
SOFTWARE: InnerSpace from Priam Systems
CONFIG.SYS: device=EDVR.SYS
SOFTWARE: Vfeatures Deluxe from Golden Bow Systems
CONFIG.SYS: device=FIXT_DRV.SYS
NOTE: Microsoft DID provide a procedure for using Disk Manager to
diagnose the risk. Use that procedure if you have Disk Manager by
Ontrack.
** REMOVING THE RISK
If you've identified your system at risk, you can either remove
SMARTDrive or repartition your hard disk using the DOS Fdisk utility
instead of third part disk partitioning software.
To remove SMARTDrive from your system:
1. Open your CONFIG.SYS file with any text editor.
2. Delete this line: device=smartdrv.sys
3. Save the changes to CONFIG.SYS.
4. Press CTRL+ALT+DEL to reboot your system (or turn off your system
and then turn it back on).
Mr Abel stated that Microsoft was working on making SMARTDrive aware of
these disk partitioning packages, and would provide a free update to
affected users in the near future.
If you have additional questions, contact Microsoft Product Support at
(206) 454-2030.
* IF YOU USE DISK MANAGER
The following procedure applies to Disk Manager users only. Use it to
determine if your system is at risk.
To determine if you have a hard drive with more than 1024 cylinders:
1. At the DOS prompt, invoke Disk Manager in manual mode by typing
"DM /M".
2. Type "C": to display the disk configuration.
3. If any of the disks displayed have an Actual Cylinder Count over
1024, you are at risk when using SMARTDrive.
To determine if your hard disk is not supported in the system BIOS:
1. At the DOS prompt, type "VER" to display the version of DOS you are
running. If it is earlier than version 3.30, you are not at risk.
Otherwise continue.
2. At the DOS prompt, invoke Disk Manager in manual mode by typing
"DM /M".
3. Type "C" to display the disk configuration.
4. If the display says Parameters Are Standard, you are not at risk.
Otherwise, if it says Parameters Are Replaced, continue.
5. For each disk in your system, compare the Setup Parameters to the
Actual Parameters displayed. If all of the disks displayed have a Setup
Head Count which matches the Actual Head Count, and a Setup Sector
Count which matches the Actual Sector Count, then you are not at risk.
Otherwise, that drive is referred to as "non- homogeneous", and you
will need to continue.
6. From the Disk Manager main menu, type "S" to select the non-
homogeneous drive.
7. Type "P" to see the partition table for this drive.
8. If the drive contains a partition with the Type "DOS", AND one of
more Type "Write-Read" or "Read-Only" partitions, then you are at risk.
9. Repeat steps 6 through 8 for each non-homogeneous drive in your
system.
Again, Microsoft is working on a revised SMARTDrive that will solve
this problem for affected users and expects to have this available in
approximately a month. Users who are affected can call Microsoft
Product Support and be put on a list to receive the revised SMARTDrive
as soon as it is available.
Mr Abel stated that "Microsoft does not take this problem lightly. It
is, however very obscure. There is a large quantity of Windows 3.0 in
user hands today (in excess of 200,000 copies) yet the number of
reported cases of this problem numbers less than 50. This is not to
minimize the problem, but rather to put it into perspective as we
must."
Thanks,
Rich Abel
Group Product Manager
Microsoft Windows
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 JUL 90 13:46:59 GMT
From: F033%CPC865.EAST-ANGLIA.AC.UK@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: Performance of '386s
Richard Steinberger asks about the performance of 386's.
I'm involved in climate work and we do a lot of heavy number crunching
using iterative models and statistics on huge data sets. Our strategy
with clones has been to find a reliable manufacturer of cheap, standard
boxes and stick with them. The company we have used for two or three
years is Viglen in the UK. Generally speaking, the performance of the
Viglen machines is very good without using the "bleeding edge" of
technology. This gives a good price/performance ratio and enables
valid comparison with kit from many other manufacturers, not
necessarily at the lower end of the market.
So far as performance of particular chips is concerned, I feel that the
386 is not the best buy for heavy number crunching. I will quote a few
figures based on the approximate prices of Viglen machines with
educational discount.
Viglen 25 Mhz. 386 with 80387 co-processor, 60 meg.
hard disk, 4 meg. RAM, memory caching and colour VGA.
price - about 3,500 pounds sterling
Viglen 25 Mhz. 486 with 100 meg. hard disk and colour VGA.
price - about 4,100 pounds sterling.
I will now give the times taken to run a latitudinal simulation of
atmospheric chemistry using a standard thermodynamic model with 14
layers from the top of the atmosphere to the bottom of the ocean.
CPU time on a VAX 8650 = 11 mins
On the Viglen 386 above = 53 mins
On the Viglen 486 above = 19 mins
So for a price difference of around 500-600 pounds, you get an extra 40
meg on your hard disk and an increase in the speed of number crunching
of around a factor of three. This is due to the 486's built-in real
arithmetic processing. removing the need to spend on a pricey
co-processor. If you can manage the extra 12% or so on the price, the
486 is clearly a better buy in the UK for this purpose. It would be
interesting to see if marketing strategies in other countries lead to
the same conclusions.
I have no interest in Viglen other than as a satisfied customer. The
model described above was compiled in MS Fortran 5.0 to run on the
micros.
Tom Holt
------------------------------
Date: 25 Jul 90 11:44:29 GMT
From: Timothy Gion <timg@smoke.brl.mil>
Subject: 3 1/2 drives that can format from DD to HD
Keywords: 3 1/2, format, DD, HD
While you're discussing HD 3 1/2 drives reading 720s, which brands
allow you to format a 720K disk to 1.44 without punching a hole in the
disk like IBM's PS/2 drives (what ever brand they are?)
--Tim
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 90 11:34:00 MET
From: "Jim Groeneveld, NIPG TNO." <GROENEVELD%TNO.NL@VM1.NoDak.EDU>
Subject: Info about Commodore PC 10-III wanted
Lately I read somewhere that it should be possible to install a 1.44Mb
3.5 inch floppy drive in a PC/XT. Is that correct? - Jim.
------------------------------
Date: 25 Jul 90 03:43:42 GMT
From: Alex Pournelle <alex@grian.cps.altadena.ca.us>
Subject: Mac mail systems & file transport
I'm looking for help in joining the (currently hostile) Mac and PC
worlds in something more like a perfect union. I'm currently using Da
Vinci mail, Ethernet and Novell 2.15c SFT on the PC side, a FastPath
and AppleTalk on the Mac side. As goals, I'm looking for:
--Joining the two sides' mail systems, for files, memoes, etc.
--Allowing the Macs in wordprocessing to more readily open the
documents from the PC side (Word Windows and Word 4.0 are,
respectively, the PC and Mac wordprocessors of choice), and then (oh
yeah) move 'em back to the Mac. Yes, I know that both have conversion
programs built-in, but how well have they worked for everyone? Would
you recommend storing everything in some common foreign file format
(e.g. RTF)? War stories?
--Other, more esoteric needs, are FAX support on both sides
(bidirectional, thanks) plus telex/TWX and good ol' e-mail.
--Then they want imaging support.
I'm thinking Novell Mac VAP on a tertiary server, with someone's
mail/fax/etc gateway tossed in for moving stuff. The 3.1 NLM just
isn't going to be available any time soon, from my tea-leaf reading of
recent Novell pronouncements. Does anyone have horror/kudo stories
about the 2.15 support of Macs?
Cost isn't an object, so long as they get the thing working. Heck,
they have NetFrame #74, so they aren't poor! The average Joe here is
more computer-literate than not, so they can stand a few more seams in
the "seamless integration" than another firm their size.
Any and all inputs are welcome. As usual, if I get the usual high
level of information that these requests generate, I'll gladly post it
to the net (you may also see continuing coverage of this if it seems of
interest). Even "I know someone who had good luck with..." is a good
start.
Sincerely,
Alex
Alex Pournelle, freelance thinker
Also: Workman & Associates, Data recovery for PCs, Macs, others
...elroy!grian!alex; BIX: alex; voice: (818) 791-7979
fax: (818) 794-2297 bbs: 791-1013; 8N1 24/12/3
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 90 16:48:00 EDT
From: BUPETER@ccm.UManitoba.CA
Subject: problem with an old PC XT model 286
Hello...we have an old PC XT model 286 with a problem... when we power
up the machine it starts up the hard drive ans does one quick access of
the drive and puts the following message on the screen
000000 FFFE 201...it does not access the floppy drive at all (so we can
not run diagnostics)...does any one know what this message means and
how we can fix this machine? the only reference to a 20X message says
it is a Memory Address Error. The documentation provided with the
system is not very good. any help would be appreciated ... thanks
My address is
Peter Giesbrecht
Computer Services
Brandon University
270 18th St.
Brandon, Manitoba
Canada
R7A 6A9
My phone number is (204) 727-9606
------------------------------
Date: 25 Jul 1990 07:56:18 EST
From: David.Garber@ARU.DOM.UAB.EDU
Subject: PS/2 hard disks
My wife has an IBM PS/2 model 50 (the original) with a 20 Meg hard
disk. She wants to either replace the hard disk with a larger one, or
add a second hard disk. IBM is asking a typically large sum for their
disks, and I haven't seen any PS/2 disks advertised in the press. Do
third-party disks exist? How difficult are they to install?
David W. Garber garber@aru.dom.uab.edu
The Atherosclerosis Research Unit
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 90 15:15:40 EXP
From: Kim Y J <88272031@KRSNUCC1.bitnet>
Subject: Exchanging files between MAC II Ci and IBM PC/AT
HELP!
I have a MacII Ci with a 3.5" floppy driver, and IBM AT with a 3.5" and
5.25". I need to exchange files between them. By what utility can I
read or write files on the other machine? and Can I get it freely
from Network file servers?
------------------------------
End of Info-IBMPC Digest V90 #121
*********************************
-------