Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL ("Info-IBMPC Digest") (07/25/90)
Info-IBMPC Digest Wed, 25 Jul 90 Volume 90 : Issue 118
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Rota Spain <GHICKS@WSMR-Simtel20.Army.Mil>
Today's Topics:
Advice on bad motherboard
Digital audio player
.EXE File Compressor
Today's Queries:
1.44M disk drive and phoenix bios
BGI driver for laser printer wanted.
Formatting Diskettes
Is Ohio Distinctive Software real?
The latest PIBTERM
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Date: Fri, 20 Jul 90 09:16:47 +0200
From: "P. GATHY/ISTO 5229/52.32" <gathy%ISTO.UCL.AC.BE@VM1.NoDak.EDU>
Subject: Advice on bad motherboard
Dear Don Branson,
We have an old PC G, which didn't boot intermittently. We thought it
was a bad motherboard or RAM chip. In fact, it was the video adapter
card that wasn't correctly seated in its slot. During the power on
self-test, the PC looks at all the adapter cards to see if there is ROM
on them. If an adapter is not correctly seated, the PC may not boot. I
suppose when they re-seated the CPU, they pulled off all the cards from
their slots. Perhaps that's why your AT clone booted again.
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 hope this will help.
Regards,
Philippe Gathy gathy@isto.ucl.ac.be
UCL - Belgium
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Date: Sun, 22 Jul 90 10:18:30 SST
From: Alan Liu <ISSAL%NUSVM.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Digital audio player
In comp.sys.ibm.pc.digest, henk%spex.nl@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU asks:
>>I recently got a program from SIMTEL called REPLAY.EXE. It came with 3
>>digital audio files as samples. One was Robin Williams saying "good
>>morning Vietnam" and another was HAL 9000 saying "I'm sorry Dave, I'm
>>afraid I can't do that". Does anyone know where I can get more files to
>>play with this program. I've FTP'd some but can't find any.
I do know for a fact that (*.au) sound files for the SparcStation
1+ can be converted into Type 2 format (selected by using the -F
switch). Unfortunately, the sounds were sampled at 8kHz, while the
slowest playback rate on REPLAY.EXE is 16kHz, thereby making Dirty
Harry sound like a wimp.
I was wondering if is possible to contact the author of REPLAY.EXE
and ask if it is possible to include an 8kHz playback option on the
next release of REPLAY.EXE. Alternatively, perhaps someone has a
routine to convert Sun *.au files to playback at 16kHz.
Alan Liu
Software Engineer
Institute of Systems Science
National University of Singapore
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Jul 90 12:31 CDT
From: A10DAG1%NIU.BITNET@UICVM.uic.edu
Subject: .EXE File Compressor
In IBM-PC Digest, v90 n 111, there was a question about a .exe file
compressor. Our mailer wouldn't let me reply directly, so I am posting
this here.
First of all, the program you are looking for is called lzexe. It was
written by a French man, and the latest release (I've seen) is v. 91
(lzexe91.zip). There is also a translated (from French) doc file
floating around. Unless you read French, you'll need that also, because
all of the docs, and program prompts are in French. Second, you may be
expecting more than you will get. lzexe does not "make programs run
faster," it only makes them smaller so that they load from disk faster.
This it does very well, with compression rates of about 50% on large
.exe files.
You were also asking where you can get it. This may prove to be a
little more difficult. A local bulletin board will be the cheapest way
to get it, and the fastest. If that isn't an option, you can call my
board, where I know it is because I put it there. The number is
815-753-1800 (2400bps) or 815-753-9513 (USR HST at 19,200bps). A third
choice is you can send me your address, and I'll mail you a floppy.
=> David <=
------------------------------
Subject: Today's Queries:
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 90 15:21 MST
From: <KNAPIK%NAUVAX.BITNET@UBVM.cc.buffalo.edu>
Subject: 1.44M disk drive and phoenix bios
Hello all:
I have a packard bell computer with 1.44M and 1.2M disk drives. They
both came with the computer. A couple weeks ago I started getting a
setup message whenever I turned on the computer stating that there is
an error in the Setup. F1 to setup F2 to continue. At this point if I
go into the setup utility, everything is correct. If I continue, the
disk works fine. If I hit the reset button, the error does not come up
(it also does not do a memory test).
What is the problem? What can I do? I am getting tired of turning the
machine on and having to reboot at the error message. (which seems like
the best way)
Thanks for any advice.
David Knapik
knapik@nauvax
------------------------------
Date: 23 Jul 1990 13:38:53-WET
From: Julian Daley <jdaley%uxg.umds.lon.ac.uk@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU>
Subject: BGI driver for laser printer wanted.
Turbo C has a nice way of handling graphics for different sorts of
displays. What I want is a HPLASER.BGI file that I can load instead of
EGAVGA.BGI and then get high resolution hard copy graphics on a HP
LASERJET.
Borland publish the format of the drivers ( see the file
PD1:<MSDOS.BORLAND>BGIDRIV.ARC ) so it is possible to write your own.
If this hasn't been done before I might attempt the job myself, it
looks like a good few late nights though !
Any information about where I can get hold of such a beast, or any tips
from anyone who has written another BGI driver will be most gratefully
received.
Julian.
Julian Daley, JANET: jdaley @ uk.ac.lon.umds.uxg
Guy's Hospital, EARN/BITNET: jdaley % uxg.umds.lon.ac.uk @ ukacrl
London, England. INTERNET: jdaley % uxg.umds.lon.ac.uk @ cunyvm.cuny.ed
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 90 12:13:15 EST
From: Rusty Waterfield <JRW100S%ODUVM.BITNET@VTVM2.CC.VT.EDU>
Subject: Formatting Diskettes
We have a mixture of PS/2 systems and IBM PC/XT/AT clones on campus.
We are having problems with 3.5 inch diskettes. A 3.5 inch diskette
formatted on a PS/2 cannot be read on the clone, but a diskette
formatted on the clone can be read by the PS/2. This happens with both
low and high density diskettes.
Any ideas?
Rusty Waterfield
Micro Manager
Old Dominion University
JRW100S@ODUVM.BITNET
jrw100s@oduvm.cc.odu.edu
804-683-3189
------------------------------
Date: 23 Jul 90 14:19:29 GMT
From: "Lawrence D. Sher" <sher@BBN.COM>
Subject: Is Ohio Distinctive Software real?
I've gotten a strange advertisement from Ohio Distinctive Software.
They are asking me to "order free copies of" Executive Diet Helper
(intro'd in '88 for $100), Menu Planner (7000 copies "ordered" [?]),
and Weight Loss Planner (intro'd in '90 for $99). These free copies
will cost $12.00 total.
It sounds like a scam, so I called. They answer. They verbally repeat
what is in the ad: "...to increase public awareness of our software and
thereby expand the market for our products."
Can anyone shed any light on the legitimacy of this offer? $12 isn't
such a big deal, but I'd feel pretty foolish just throwing it out the
window, along with 10,000 others who "have been selected to
receive...".
/Internet email: sher@bbn.com
Larry Sher < US Mail: BBN, MS 6/5A, 10 Moulton St., Cambridge, MA 02138
\ Telephone: (617) 873 3426 FAX: (617) 873 3776
------------------------------
Date: 22 Jul 90 10:34:00 CDT
From: "55SRWLGS" <55srwlgs@sacemnet.af.mil>
Subject: The latest PIBTERM
Does anyone know if there is a newer verson of PIBTERM than the
version 4.1 with the date of March 1988 on the .exe file? Also, I need
a site I can get it via anonymous FTP. SIMTEL20 has the March 1988
version, but it may be a while before they can get anything newer,
being in stasis due to funding cuts.
Anyway, appreciate any info. reply to this board, or to:
55srwlgs@sacemnet.af.mil
Thanx in advance,
Frank Starr
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End of Info-IBMPC Digest V90 #118
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