tom@mims-iris.waterloo.edu (Tom Haapanen) (10/23/90)
Well, nobody else did it, so here is the first draft of the Windows
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) posting. All constructive criticism,
comments and corrections are welcome!
[ \tom haapanen --- university of waterloo --- tom@mims-iris.waterloo.edu ]
[ "i don't even know what street canada is on" -- al capone ]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Why are there two newsgroups for windows?
A: comp.windows.ms.programmer is for discussion about developing
Windows software. It is not intended for discussions about
Windows software or for questions about the Foobar SVGA drivers.
comp.windows.ms is for any Windows discussions that do not concern
development of Windows software.
Q: Are there free Windows applications available? How can I get them?
A: Yes, there are quite a few. Of course, there is always CompuServe
(which has a LOT of them) and your local BBS, but for us net.junkies
the Windows Heaven is located at cica.cica.indiana.edu, and is
accessed using a program called "ftp". This program is accessible
from most Internet sites, but is not usable through uucp links. If
you do have ftp available to you, follow the instructions below to
connect to cica; do not type in the // comments!
$ ftp cica.cica.indiana.edu // make connection
Connected to ... blah blah blah // cica responds
Userid (user@cica): ftp // enter "ftp" as userid
Password: real_userid@site // enter your own userid
ftp> tenex // for binary transfers
ftp> cd /pub/pc/win3 // where the goodies are
ftp> get ls-lR // get the current index
ftp> quit // we're done
$ _
Of course, you can get multiple files at a time -- read the ftp man
page for more information. Please do not use the cica.cica.indiana.edu
between 8am and 6pm EST to prevent overloading the system.
Q: Is it possible to use a mail server instead of ftp?
A: Yes, [There's a generalized way to get ftp stuff by mail --- could
someone else fill this in?]
Q: How much memory do I need to run Windows?
A: The more the better! You can run in real mode with 640K (assuming you
don't have a lot of device drivers or TSRs), but many large applications
will run *very* slowly. Standard mode requires 1 MB, but 2 MB is much
better. For 386 enhanced mode, Microsoft recommends a minimum of 2 MB,
although it does crawl along in 1 MB. However, you should really have
3-4 MB available for good 386 enhanced mode performance, especially if
you wish to run several DOS sessions. In addition to the memory above,
you might wish to have a disk cache (such as SmartDrive, included with
Windows) to improve Windows performance.
Q: Why don't my TSRs work in DOS sessions?
A: You should never install any TSRs before entering Windows. Install them
when you start up your DOS sessions from Windows.
Q: Which networks is Windows compatible with?
A: Novell Netware, PC-NFS, ????
Q: How can I use COM3 or COM4 from a Windows communication package?
A: [Can somebody fill this in, please?]
Q: Do I have to keep my icons and bitmaps in the Windows directory?
A: Bitmaps have to be kept in the Windows directory. Icons may be
kept anywhere; it may be convenient to create an ICON subdirectory
under the Windows directory.
Q: How do I change the icon for a program?
A: Choose the item in Program Manager, and then select File Properties.
Click on "Icon...", and then enter the name of the file containing
the new icon. If the icon file is a DLL containing multiple icons,
you can cycle through the icons by clicking "Next Icon". Click
"OK", and then "OK" again.
The icon that is displayed by the application when it is minimized
is controlled by the application. It is not possible to change that.
Q: Can I create my own icons?
A: Yes. You can use either IconDraw (shareware) or SDKPaint (a part of
the Windows SDK). Simply draw your icon, and save it as an ".ico" file.
Q: Are there any good communication programs for Windows?
A: Well, maybe. There is not yet a consensus about any of the current
products. There are a number of free or shareware ones: Terminal
(included with Windows), WinQVT, Unicom and WinKermit, but all have
their problems and lack in some features. All of them are also
available on cica. Commercial packages include DynaComm ("big brother"
of Terminal), MicroPhone, CrossTalk for Windows and Wincomm. Again,
none of them stands out as the perfect choice, although several have
shown promise.
Q: I installed some more fonts using Control Panel. Why can't I access
them in Word for Windows (or another application)?
A: Word for Windows shows in its font menu the fonts currently available
for the selected *output* device, not the *display* device. You can
still use, say, vector fonts that you installed, by typing the name
of the font in the edit box. Windows will draw vector fonts on the
output device without problems -- you may or may not like the results.
Q: Do Bitstream FaceLift, Adobe Type Manager (ATM) and TrueType really
work? Are they worth the money?
A: Yes, they work -- except for TrueType, which is not yet available.
Both ATM and FaceLift also have problems with Ami Professional, which
does strange things with its screen fonts. On the whole, FaceLift
will support more applications and output devices than ATM, but the
difference may not be significant. FaceLift also lets you generate
soft fonts for the LaserJet series (for faster printing); ATM does
not give you that option. Both provide high-quality fonts and much
better WYSIWYG at the cost of somewhat slower screen updates and
slightly slower printing.
And at street prices not much above $50, yes, both of them are worth
the money you'll pay for them.
Q: How can I take a snapshot of my Windows screen?
A: Simple -- just pres PrtScr, and Windows will copy the image to the
clipboard, from where you can paste it into your favourite application.
Q: What tools can I use to develop software for Windows?
A: There are a number of options, which are summarized below:
1. Use the Microsoft Windows SDK (Software Development Kit). This is
a necessity for heavy-duty application development. The SDK is
designed for Microsoft C 5.1/6.0 and Microsoft Macro Assembler 5.1,
but it is possible to use it with other compilers, such as Zortech
C++ (but not including the Borland compilers). If you plan to use
a non-Microsoft compiler, call Microsoft Technical Support to
obtain the free Supplemental Compiler Utilities disk.
2. Use Actor. Actor is an object-oriented programming environment,
with syntax resembling C. It allows quick development of programs
and/or prototypes, and compiles into an "image" file. This must
be distributed along with actor.exe; however, it is possible to
combine these into a single .exe if you have the Whitewater
Resource Toolkit.
3. Use Smalltalk/V. Does anyone know anything about this?
4. Use ToolBook. This is a HyperCard-like development environment
for Windows -- the DayBook demo included with Windows 3.0 is a
ToolBook application. Development work is rapid, but at least
the current versions run very sluggishly, even on 386/25s. There
is a conversion utility available to convert HyperCard stacks
into ToolBook programs.
Q: What debuggers can I use for Windows development?
A: First of all, if you use Actor, Smalltalk or ToolBook, you're limited
to the debugging tools built into those packages. If you are using
C, C++ or another conventional language with Windows SDK, you have
several choices.
1. In real mode, you are limited to SYMDEB, which is pretty basic. It
also requires the use of a second monitor (monochrome for most
machines, 8514/A for MCA machines) or a serial terminal. SYMDEB
is included with the Windows SDK.
2. In standard mode, you can also use Codeview for Windows (CVW), or
Logitech's announced-but-not-yet-shipping MultiScope. CVW, which
is similar to the DOS version of Codeview, requires a secondary
monitor; a serial terminal can not be used. CVW is included with
the Windows SDK; MultiScope is a separate product.
3. If you have a 386, you have an additional option of using WDEB386,
which provides some further debugging features over CVW, at the
expense of an antiquated user interface. WDEB386, which is included
with the SDK, will work wither with a secondary monitor or a serial
terminal.
Q: Can I run DOS in a window?
A: Strictly speaking, you're running DOS even when you're in Windows.
However, you can a command.com session from Windows. In real
mode, you are limited to a single session. In standard mode, you
can have multiple sessions, but they must still run full-screen. In
386 enhanced mode, you can have multiple sessions, and they can run
in a window.
You can control the starting up in a window vs. full-screen by setting
up a .pif file for the program (command.com or otherwise). You can also
switch the state by press Alt-Enter.
Q: Why doesn't my mouse work in a DOS window?
A: If you are running a DOS application in a window, Windows will retain
control of the mouse for cutting and pasting. You can use a mouse in
a full-screen DOS session *if* you install the mouse (by running
mouse.com) inside that DOS session.
Q: Does Lotus 1-2-3 work under Windows?
A: Versions 1.x, 2.x and 3.1 run in all modes. For all intents and purposes,
version 3.0 doesn't. [Buy Excel or WingZ instead! --ed.]
Q: Can I use DesqView/386 with Windows?
A: You can use versions 5.0 and below with real-mode Windows only. Version
5.1 provides a new XMS driver for Windows, which allows Windows to run
in standard and enhanced modes under QEMM/386.
Q: Is there any advantage to running in standard mode instead of 386
enhanced mode?
A: Yes -- speed. Windows run substantially faster (anyone have a %?)
in standard mode than in 386 enhanced mode. You lose virtual memory,
but if you have sufficient memory and don't have a need to run DOS
applications, you may be happier in standard mode. Do remember, though,
that some applications require protected mode (wdeb386 is one example).
Q: Can I run Windows 2.x applications in 3.0?
A: Yes. If you run in real mode, the applications behave just like in
2.x, but have somewhat less memory available to them. If the
applications are "well-behaved", they will also run in standard and
386 enhanced modes, but Windows will first warn you with a "nag"
message that the application wasn't written for Windows 3.0. If you
run a ill-behaned application in standard or 386 enhanced mode, the
application will likely crash with Unrecoverable Application Error.
If you have a 2.x application that runs well in all modes, you can
mark it Windows 3.0-compatible using either the mark3.exe (?) or
the nonag.exe utility. Both are available freely by ftp.
Q: What does Windows do with my extended memory? After I run Windows,
Norton SI reports that I don't have any extended memory. Is this
a bug?
A: No, it's not a bug. Windows uses a memory-management system known
as DPMI, which requires applications to access extended memory
using a mechanism known as "XMS". This mechanism is implemented in
himem.sys. If you have device=himem.sys in your config.sys, the
first XMS call (by Windows or SmartDrive, for example) will transfer
control of the extended memory to himem.sys, and thus make it in-
accessible to non-XMS applications.
Q: Why won't my protected-mode software run under Windows?
A: Most protected-mode applications currently on the market uses an
extended-memory interface called VCPI (Virtual Control Program
Interface), which is incompatible with Windows' DPMI (DOS Protected
Mode Interface (?)). Microsoft went against an established standard
in choosing DPMI, but there are valid technical reasons why VCPI was
not chosen for Windows. At this point, you have three choices:
1. Run your protected-mode software under DOS. This means that
you must NOT use Windows or SmartDrive before running your VCPI
software, and may require you to have two different config.sys
files.
2. Plead with your software developer to develop a Windows-compatible
version. They should already be working on it anyway, given the
momentum that Windows 3.0 has.
3. Buy DesqView/386, which provides VCPI. You'll be able to run you
software in one DesqView session and Windows in another.
Q: Can I use 256 colours in Windows?
A: Yes, given two caveats: First, your display card and its driver must
support 256 colours. Second, your application must know about 256
colours, as this requires palette switching and some additional
programming. Most applications currently on the market only support
16 colours. In order to get 256 colours, your video card will need
at least 256K (for 640x400), 512K (for 800x600) or 768K (for 1024x768)
of RAM. 256-colour drivers are also much slower than 16-bit drivers.
Q: How can I convert a GIF or MS-Paint file to a .bmp to use it as a
wallpaper in Windows?
A: You can save a .msp file as a .bmp from Windows Paint. You can convert
a .gif file to a .bmp using the gif2bmp utility from cica.
Q: Are there Windows drivers available for my Frobozz Super VGA Turbo X
clone display card?
A: First, unless the card is one of the major brands (ATI, Orchid, Paradise,
Video-7) find out which chipset the card has, either by looking at the
manual or the card itself. Then check the /pub/pc/win3/video directory
at cica for the appropriate driver. The generic SVGA driver will let
you use 800x600x16 on just about any SVGA card as long as you can find
out the appropriate video mode number. Finally, if you get desperate,
you could call up your video card manufacturer/vendor and ask them why
the drivers were not included with the card, and to send them to you.jcmorris@mwunix.mitre.org (Joe Morris) (10/24/90)
In a recent article tom@mims-iris.waterloo.edu (Tom Haapanen) writes: >Well, nobody else did it, so here is the first draft of the Windows >FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) posting. All constructive criticism, >comments and corrections are welcome! >Q: Why don't my TSRs work in DOS sessions? > >A: You should never install any TSRs before entering Windows. Install them > when you start up your DOS sessions from Windows. Not always true or even desirable. Perhaps the best example is MOUSE.COM, but I've also found (the hard way) that WIN3 barfs enthusiastically when presented with some TSR's installed in a DOS window in enhanced mode. uSoft's tech support people were unhelpful in the extreme (their response was that the *end user* should enroll in the $DK support program...???). A completely repeatable example is trying to start the YTERM 3.0 resident EBIOS.COM in a DOS window in enhanced mode: Windows loops on the subsequent EXIT command. (All works OK in standard or real mode.) The solution is to start EBIOS prior to entry to Windows: it works fine, and later deinstalls cleanly. >Q: I installed some more fonts using Control Panel. Why can't I access > them in Word for Windows (or another application)? > >A: Word for Windows shows in its font menu the fonts currently available > for the selected *output* device, not the *display* device. You can > still use, say, vector fonts that you installed, by typing the name > of the font in the edit box. Windows will draw vector fonts on the > output device without problems -- you may or may not like the results. Also, in certain cases the app needs to be forced to take another look at the roster of available fonts. This can be done by changing the printer device to something different and back. >Q: Why doesn't my mouse work in a DOS window? > >A: If you are running a DOS application in a window, Windows will retain > control of the mouse for cutting and pasting. You can use a mouse in > a full-screen DOS session *if* you install the mouse (by running > mouse.com) inside that DOS session. Not necessary if you ran MOUSE.COM before entering Windows, or if you have MOUSE.SYS listed in CONFIG.SYS. ====== Thanks for putting the FAQ list together... Joe Morris
pjh@mccc.uucp (Pete Holsberg) (10/26/90)
In article <1990Oct23.142450.24240@watserv1.waterloo.edu> tom@mims-iris.waterloo.edu (Tom Haapanen) writes:
=Well, nobody else did it, so here is the first draft of the Windows
=FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) posting. All constructive criticism,
=comments and corrections are welcome!
=
How about adding the answer to "What is the correct way to use QEMM 5.1
with Windows 3.0?"? I could use it! :-)
Thanks,
Pete
--
Prof. Peter J. Holsberg Mercer County Community College
Voice: 609-586-4800 Engineering Technology, Computers and Math
UUCP:...!princeton!mccc!pjh 1200 Old Trenton Road, Trenton, NJ 08690
Internet: pjh@mccc.edu Trenton Computer Festival -- 4/20-21/91akm@cs.uoregon.edu (Anant Kartik Mithal) (10/27/90)
In article <124272@linus.mitre.org> jcmorris@mwunix.mitre.org (Joe Morris) writes: >In a recent article tom@mims-iris.waterloo.edu (Tom Haapanen) writes: >>Q: Why doesn't my mouse work in a DOS window? >> >>A: If you are running a DOS application in a window, Windows will retain >> control of the mouse for cutting and pasting. You can use a mouse in >> a full-screen DOS session *if* you install the mouse (by running >> mouse.com) inside that DOS session. > >Not necessary if you ran MOUSE.COM before entering Windows, or if you have >MOUSE.SYS listed in CONFIG.SYS. The original information is completely correct. If you are running a dos application in a window, windows does not give control of the mouse to that application. The only way you can get mouse control is to run full screen, *not* in a window. -- Anant Kartik Mithal akm@cs.uoregon.edu Network Manager, (503)346-4408 (msgs) Department of Computer Science, (503)346-4156 (direct) University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1202
oppenhei@umd5.umd.edu (Richard Oppenheimer) (10/28/90)
In article <1990Oct27.013523.23899@cs.uoregon.edu> akm@cs.uoregon.edu (Anant Kartik Mithal) writes: >In article <124272@linus.mitre.org> jcmorris@mwunix.mitre.org (Joe Morris) writes: >>In a recent article tom@mims-iris.waterloo.edu (Tom Haapanen) writes: >>>A: If you are running a DOS application in a window, Windows will retain >>> control of the mouse for cutting and pasting. You can use a mouse in >>> a full-screen DOS session *if* you install the mouse (by running >>> mouse.com) inside that DOS session. >> >>Not necessary if you ran MOUSE.COM before entering Windows, or if you have >>MOUSE.SYS listed in CONFIG.SYS. > >The original information is completely correct. If you are running a >dos application in a window, windows does not give control of the >mouse to that application. The only way you can get mouse control is >to run full screen, *not* in a window. And the followup is completely correct too. Joe Morris was referring to the fact that it is not necessary to run mouse.com in the DOS session (Full screen) if you ran mouse.com before Windows or if you have mouse.sys in your config.sys. This will help you run leaner DOS sessions. .. .. Computer Science Center Richard Oppenheimer University of Maryland oppenhei@umd5.umd.edu (office) College Park, Maryland ,USA richard@wam.umd.edu (home) ****** My employer cares not what I think and knows not what I say. ******** -- Computer Science Center Richard Oppenheimer University of Maryland oppenhei@umd5.umd.edu (office) College Park, Maryland ,USA richard@wam.umd.edu (home) ****** My employer cares not what I think and knows not what I say. ********
mh2620@sarek.sbc.com (Mark Horstman) (03/13/91)
Where can I find the current version of the FAQ? Is there an anon ftp site somewhere? -- Mark Horstman mh2620@sarek.sbc.com Southwestern Bell Telephone St. Louis, MO