Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL ("Info-IBMPC Digest") (07/26/90)
Info-IBMPC Digest Thu, 26 Jul 90 Volume 90 : Issue 119
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Rota Spain <GHICKS@WSMR-Simtel20.Army.Mil>
Today's Topics:
Advice on bad motherboard (2 msgs)
harddisk problem (2 msgs)
Image Capture (2 msgs)
About QRAM & EMM4.0
Is WHAT actually PD?
Printer (Epson) Compatability (2 msgs)
Today's Queries:
Borland Turbo C++ and MS Windows 3.0
Info about Commodore PC 10-III wanted
Intermittent floppy controller
PC Magnet Utilities wanted
Problems with 80387 in QuickBasic
Tape Drive Problem
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Date: Mon, 23 Jul 90 07:46:19 EDT
From: Tom Reid x4505 <reid%CTC.CONTEL.COM@VM1.NoDak.EDU>
Subject: Advice on bad motherboard
> We have an old PC G, which didn't boot intermittently. We thought it
> was a bad motherboard or RAM chip. ... If
> an adapter is not correctly seated, the PC may not boot. ...
> Try to pull out all the cards from the connectors, see if the pins are
> clean, and then put the adapters firmly in their sockets, without moving
> the CPU or RAM chips.
I can echo this, though I never tracked it down to the video card.
Every oncein a while, my original PC (clone) would get flaky. All I
had to do was pop the top, pull the card out, push the chips down, and
reseat the boards. The PC was ready for another 6-9 months of service.
After I found out that worked, it just became a part of life.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 90 15:49:06 TUR
From: "V70D::HUNTRESS" <huntress%v70d.decnet@NUSC-NPT.NAVY.MIL>
Subject: advice on bad motherboard
> We have an old PC G, which didn't boot intermittently. We thought it
> was a bad motherboard or RAM chip. ... If
> an adapter is not correctly seated, the PC may not boot. ...
> Try to pull out all the cards from the connectors, see if the pins are
> clean, and then put the adapters firmly in their sockets, without moving
> the CPU or RAM chips.
I also had an odd "Video versus Bootup" problem. With an AST Premium
386 and a Sigma Designs Laserview monitor, if you power up the monitor
before the pc, the monitor wins and you hang. Its a shame that we have
to put up with such silly idiosyncracies, but thats life.
| Gary Huntress | For a linear fit |
| Naval Underwater Systems Center | obtain two data points |
| Newport RI | |
| (401) 841-1237 | The most common elements in the |
| HUNTRESS@NUSC-NPT.NAVY.MIL | universe are hydrogen and stupidity |
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 90 08:18:43 EDT
From: "John N. Sims, Jr." <JNSIMS01%ULKYVM.BITNET@VM1.NoDak.EDU>
Subject: harddisk problem
I had this exact problem recently - good bios format but failed fdisk -
which we traced to a bad data cable (the thinner of the two connecting
the interface to the drive). Evidently the controller was happy with
the low level format but DOS couldn't (of course) read anything coming
off the drive. I'd never seen that one before!
John N. Sims, Jr.
University of Louisville
JNSIMS01@ULKYVM
(502) 588-5565
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 90 15:58:02 IST
From: CETEK63%TECHNION.BITNET@VM1.NoDak.EDU
Subject: Re: Harddisk or Bios Problems
Hard-Disk Problems.... One of the members on the list described some
trouble formatting a new HD. There is a nice program - DISK MANAGER -
supplied by Western-Digital which will scan your disk for defects, mark
them and will then low-level-format the disk and will also function as
FDISK (will create the partitions). The program also checks for the
best interleve for your disk.
The program is supplied with most Western-Digital controllers. The
reason for the problem MIGHT be defective sector 0 .
Good luck with your disk.
Shahar.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 90 12:33:55 TUR
From: CENTRAL LIBRARY <LZZA01%GRTHEUN1.BITNET@VM1.NoDak.EDU>
Subject: IMAGE CAPTURE
I am very interested in capturing video images to my VGA computer.
Have you heard of ANY board that can capture Video Images (PAL/SECAM)
to a VGA type format (320x200 with 256 colors, higher resolution would
be nice..). If so where can i find such a board, what is the
approximate cost and any other comme nts would be VERY welcome.
Thank you...
Markellos Diorinos (LZZA01@GRTHEUN1)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 90 14:51:53 TUR
From: "V70D::HUNTRESS" <huntress%v70d.decnet%NUSC-NPT.NAVY.MIL@VM1.NoDak.EDU>
Subject: image capture
> I am very interested in capturing video images to my VGA computer.
>Have you heard of ANY board that can capture Video Images (PAL/SECAM) to a VGA
>type format (320x200 with 256 colors, higher resolution would be nice..).
Two sources that I know of are MetraByte Inc. Taunton Mass and Data
Translation of Westborough (I think) Mass. Both have a very full line
of image processing and data aquisition products.
I bet you'll pay over $1,500.00, I bought and quickly returned a
cheapie ($130.00) from another source.
Also, Data Translation always advertizes in Byte magazine.
| Gary Huntress | For a linear fit |
| Naval Underwater Systems Center | obtain two data points |
| Newport RI | |
| (401) 841-1237 | The most common elements in the |
| HUNTRESS@NUSC-NPT.NAVY.MIL | universe are hydrogen and stupidity |
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 90 08:51:17 PDT
From: Fan Jiao <fanj%remb6489.wpd@sgi.com>
Subject: About QRAM & EMM4.0
EMM40.sys is not compatible with qram.sys and qext.sys. qram.sys needs
to match A20 line for later use of extented memory.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 90 12:23:40 EDT
From: Joe Morris <jcmorris@mwunix.mitre.org>
Subject: Is WHAT actually PD? (was Replacement Keyboard Entry...)
In INFO-IBMPC 90:111 Jan Sirks describes a program named WHAT as a
mechanism for entering data to an environment variable while in a batch
file. It sounds like one of the sample programs which were distributed
as part of MASM Release 5.0. The program disappeared when MASM 5.1 was
released.
It has no copyright notice or other attribution in the source. This
does not, unfortunately, mean that Microsoft doesn't own a copyright.
I haven't been able to find anyone in Microsoft who can tell me its
status, though. Until this is resolved I can't treat it as PD. 8-(
If you have a copy of MASM 5.0 somewhere it's a very handy batch
enhancer. I've merged my other utilities into it to do things like
check BIOS date, read disk volume labels, etc. I would like to
distribute the changes (including a fix for some logic errors in the
original code) but can't do so unless Microsoft indicates that it's
legal.
Is anyone from Microsoft able to help? The program solves many of the
irritating interface problems with batch files and its general
availability would certainly help head off some customers'
complaints...
Joe Morris
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Jul 90 14:42 CST
From: "Jon Robertson, President of King_Trade" <JMROBERTSON@UALR.BITNET>
Subject: Printer (Epson) Compatability
Hello. I am writing a program which prints charts out to a printer.
The printer I am using is an Epson LX-810, which uses <ESC>t chr(1)
(without the space) to select the Epson Extended Graphics. I am
wondering if this command will select the extended graphics character
table on all printers. If not, what is the easiest way to get a list
of printers and the command they use to select different character
tables?
Thanks in advance...
Jon Robertson
JMROBERT@UALR.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 90 10:38:01 MDT
From: Gregory Hicks <GHICKS@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: Printer (Epson Compatability
Jon:
I'll put your query in the Digest, but my initial impression is that
printers from different manufacturers use different codes.
If the printer is advertised as EPSON compatible, then it uses the same
codes. However, Citizen, ALPS, and Epson when used in their NATIVE
modes all use different codes...
Hope that helps. Let's see what the net says.
Regards,
Gregory Hicks
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 90 07:36:55 EDT
From: gary@ctc.contel.com (Gary Bisaga x4219)
Subject: Borland Turbo C++ and MS Windows 3.0
Can Turbo C++ compile and link with Windows 3.0 developer's kit? I
like the looks of Turbo C++ professional, especially at $170. Does
anybody have experience with the new TC++ pro package that they would
like to pass on? For example, how does it compare to Zortech C++?
Sincerely,
Gary Bisaga (gary@ctc.contel.com)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 90 11:09:25 MES
From: crh001 <CRH001%DJUKFA11.BITNET@VM1.NoDak.EDU>
Subject: Info about Commodore PC 10-III wanted
Hi Networkers
I've got some questions for the hardware freaks on this list. It's
about the Commodore PC 10-III. A friend of me wants to install a 3.5
inch 720kB diskette into his PC. He already has a 5.25 inch 360kB disk
and a 3.5 inch 20MB Harddisk installed. Now the questions:
1) Is the build in controller capable of handling 3.5 inch 720kB
floppies?
2) Is the BIOS (original a Phoenix made for CMB) capable of handling
these floppies?
3) If yes do I have to change any jumper on the motherboard?
4) If the build in controller isn't capable of handling 3.5 inch
720kB floppies,what's about installing a separate controller?
5) In case of question 4 do we need probably a different BIOS to
handle this?
I know that this are a lot of questions and I also know that there may
not be that many people on the list who use such old stuff, but ...
Many thanks in advance
Juergen Kreuels
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 1990 6:25:21 EDT
From: Steve Berlin <berlin@saffron.LCS.MIT.EDU>
Subject: Intermittent floppy controller
I have a Compaq 386/20 portable with a floppy disk controller that is
even more sensitive to the current heat wave than I am! It only seems
to work if the ambient temperature is low enough - currently, I need to
place the machine in front of a room air-conditioner (I work at home in
an un-air-conditioned office) for twenty minutes or so. When it was
cooler outside, it worked for about 30 minutes in the morning, until
the machine heated up too much. I blame the controller because I took
the system to a local repair shop, where they tried swapping the drive
itself with no effect.
So, I have two quetions: (1) Does anybody know of a place (in the
Boston area) where I can get this repaired? I don't want to pay to
swap the motherboard! I also can't afford to have the machine in the
shop for more than a day or so. (2) Lacking that, is it possible to
add a separate controller in the slot in the expansion chassis?
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 90 12:55:39 +0200 (Central European Summer Time)
From: XBR1D90F%DDATHD21.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (Volker Weber)
Subject: PC Magnet Utilities wanted
I need to download PC Magazine Utililties but I can not use PcMagNet at
any reasonable cost.
What I am looking for is Charles Petzold's PM and Windows Utilities.
Could anyone give me a hint where I could download this from via
BITFTP@PUCC.
Does anybody have a freeware/shareware Windows screen capture ? Does
anybody have a freeware/shareware PM screen capture ?
Any help would be welcome !
Volker Weber
Technische Hochschule Darmstadt
West-Germany
Please respond to:
XBR1D90F@DDATHD21.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: 24 Jul 90 13:26 -0100
From: Dr Ivan D Reid <ivan@cvax.psi.ch>
Subject: Problems with 80387 in QuickBasic
A colleague is having some problems running QuickBasic executables
with an 80387 co-processor. The version is V4.5 -- I don't know which
sub-version. A simple programme such as 10 INPUT "X= ";X: PRINT
EXP(X): GOTO 10
produces an illegal function call the NEXT time input is entered
*IF* the value of X had been approximately between 89 and 103. Since
this is where the result EXP(X) is a denormal, and since the 80387
signals denormal exceptions differently to the earlier co-processors, I
believe it is this difference between the chips that is producing the
problem -- the programmes run as expected on systems with an 80287. I
suspect that the floating-point package pre-dates the 80387 and thus
gets confused by the different exception signalling. We have had
similar differences between machines with different maths chips for
MS-FORTRAN V4.00, too.
Has anyone encountered this before? Is there a fix? Does the latest
release of Quickbasic still suffer from this problem? All replies
gratefully received.
Ivan Reid: ivan@cageir5a.bitnet, ivan@cvax.psi.ch
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Jul 90 09:48:00 IST
From: Freund <HCUFE%HUJIVM1.BITNET@VM1.NoDak.EDU>
Subject: Tape Drive Problem
Hello All,
I have encountered a strange phenomena with a recently bought NCR
APT-40/Q tape backup drive. I have connected the tape to the third
floppy drive connector on the motherboard of my AST 286. Since I want
to use a different backup program then the one included with the tape -
called ResQ - I tried to configure the tape as a third floppy drive,
using the AST supplied EXDSKBIO.DRV driver and DOS DRIVER.SYS. Neither
DOS nor commercial program such as Fastback, Norton Backup or PC Backup
succeed in accessing the tape drive. The tape drive should have be
accessible as a floppy (Drive E: or F: in my case), but although those
program acknowledge that the drive letter exist (as a LASTDRIVE) they
cannot access it. The NCR program, however, has no problem working with
the tape.
The computers mother board is suppose to handle three floppy drives,
but the ROM setup acknowledges only two, as well as two winchester
drives. I have a 42Mb winchester drive configured in two 21Mb
partitions under DOS 3.3 (AST supplied). Neither my dealer not AST have
been able to come up with an answer to this problem, and it is not
mentioned anywhere in the AST or DOS manual. It seems that AST has
discontinued this specific model and has no documentation available to
users.
Has any AST user out there come across a similar problem? I know the
tape can work as a third floppy, since the NCR ResQ program has no
problem in this configuration (without any special device drivers).
Any comments or advice will be much appreciated.
Gil (HCUFE@HUJIVM1.BITNET)
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End of Info-IBMPC Digest V90 #119
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