[comp.windows.ms] Windows 3 in HP Vectra QS/16

neonakis@csi.forth.gr (E.A.Neonakis) (04/08/91)

	I have tried to run windows 3 in a HP Vectra QS/16 with 4MB of RAM
104MB of hard disk space (partioned in 2 volumes C: 4MB and D:100MB using
the SSTOR.SYS dri Windows runs ok in real and standard mode, but not 
in 386 mode. It returns in the DOS prompt without any diagnostic. When
I turned VirtualHDIrq off in the system.ini file the system froze and had 
to be turned off. It has also corrupted the file system.

	If anybody could offer any advise it would be higly appreciated.

calloway@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (Frank Calloway) (04/09/91)

In comp.windows.ms, neonakis@csi.forth.gr (E.A.Neonakis) writes:


>    	I have tried to run windows 3 in a HP Vectra QS/16 with 4MB of RAM
>    104MB of hard disk space (partioned in 2 volumes C: 4MB and D:100MB using
>    the SSTOR.SYS dri Windows runs ok in real and standard mode, but not 
>    in 386 mode. It returns in the DOS prompt without any diagnostic. When
>    I turned VirtualHDIrq off in the system.ini file the system froze and had 
>    to be turned off. It has also corrupted the file system.

>    	If anybody could offer any advise it would be higly appreciated.

Windows 3.0 *will* run in 386 enhanced mode on a Vectra QS/16.  I have a
QS/16 w/8 MBytes of RAM and a 117 MByte Toshiba IDE drive and it works
fine.  Are you by any chance using Quarterdeck's QEMM as a memory
manager?  It has a quirk or two when running in 386 enhanced mode,
including a peculiarity that can keep Windows from starting correctly.

Frank Calloway
Hewlett-Packard Company
Loveland, CO

mike@UC780.UMD.EDU (Mike Santangelo) (04/09/91)

In article <1713@ariadne.csi.forth.GR>, neonakis@csi.forth.gr (E.A.Neonakis) writes:
>
>	I have tried to run windows 3 in a HP Vectra QS/16 with 4MB of RAM
>104MB of hard disk space (partioned in 2 volumes C: 4MB and D:100MB using
>the SSTOR.SYS dri Windows runs ok in real and standard mode, but not 
>in 386 mode. It returns in the DOS prompt without any diagnostic. When
>I turned VirtualHDIrq off in the system.ini file the system froze and had 
>to be turned off. It has also corrupted the file system.
>
>	If anybody could offer any advise it would be higly appreciated.

I passed this message on to a fellow employee here who IS running
Windows 3 on an HP Vectra QS/16.  This is reply:

From:	MX%"Eric_STOEVER%05%UMUC@UMCA1.UMD.EDU"  9-APR-1991 08:13:17.22
To:	MIKE
CC:	
Subj:	Could you help this guy?


Wow.  This sounds all too familiar.

1)   If the file system is indeed corrupted, i.e. the FAT table is damaged,
     (you can check this with Norton's or some equivalent utility program)
     your options are to recover what you can, (again with Norton's...)
     and rebuild your system from a low level format.  In any case, let
     the Windows setup program set the initial defaults for the SYSTEM.INI
     program.

2)   If the DOS file systems is not actually corrupted, and it is the File
     Manager program within Windows that is is hanging up I suggest check-
     ing two items.  As you are working with the VirtualHDIrq switch, you
     must be trying to set up a virtual drive.  If this is the case you
     need to use the RAMDRIVE.SYS file included with Windows.  It works
     just fine on HP Vectras even QS16's.  Second, if you have a network,
     make ABOLUTELY sure that it is Windows supported.  For this instance
     DO NOT TRUST THE SETUP PROGRAM.  This is especially true of older
     Microsoft and Banyan products which will appear to install just fine
     but hang up horribly on the File Manager program.  The best solution
     if you are on an older network, is to call Microsoft directly.

Finally, if you are trying to set up a virtual drive, remember that Windows
is a greedy product that wants control of ALL of your memory.  A virtual
drive on a 4MB machine is sure to slow performance if you do a lot of
switching between applications.  Good luck.

Return Address: Eric_STOEVER%UMUC%UMCA1.UMD.EDU@UMD5.UMD.EDU
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Michael F. Santangelo                 + Inet: mike@uc780.umd.edu
VMS / UNIX Systems                    +       mike@socrates.umd.edu
Academic Computing UMUC               + Bnet: MIKE@UC780
(The University of Maryland,          +       MIKE@UMUC (not visited often)
 University College)                  +<Your clever net-phrase here>