baugh@potomac.ads.com (Follower of Chaos) (02/27/91)
[NOTE: I'm posting again, because the first one seems to have
been eaten by postnews...sorry if you see double]
Well, the Windows installation horror story continues. As
you might recall, I've got the generic AT (VLSI chipset [that's
the manufacturer name...], Western Digital Controller, Segate
251 & 265 drives, a Toshiba (I think) 1.2 mb, a unknown
make 3.5 720kb drive, a Zoom modem and a S/P/G card) I went out
last night and bought a new Paradise card (yup another one)
but this time I got the "basic ega card". Well, still no go. I still
get smearing with the mouse at times, color changing randomly
and window clearing, rebooting and general crashing.
IF ANYBODY HAS INSTALLED WINDOWS ON A VLSI BASED MOTHERBOARD
AND / OR PARADISE EGA CARD, COULD YOU E-MAIL ME TO LET ME KNOW
I'M NOT GOING INSANE...
I'm sure I have a working version of a BIOS (Award 3.13 now
which Microsoft & Award say is fine) so that's not the problem.
I can install in CGA mode, but as soon as I switch to EGA
I get all these problems.
Microsoft's solution is to "pull boards out and see if that
helps". Or to "try a different EGA card" or "another monitor"
which means more $$. That's not SUPPORT, that's guessing.
I'm paying for the phone call here since they're too cheap to
have a 800 number...which is pretty pathetic...like they are
pressed for money..and I've bought a bunch of Microsoft stuff...
C v3->5, MASM 4-> 5.1, games, etc and never asked for any support,
but now that I REALLY need it, nothing. I can't believe that
nobody has installed Windows on VLSI based machine, or a Paradise
card cause Microsoft doesn't know if either will work, which I
find hard to believe. Basically they've been absolutly NO help
at all. They say it's "a memory conflict with the board"...and
when I asked "what could be causing this conflict" [since I don't
have any rom shadowing, NO other device drivers except the ones
Windows wants, and nothing else loaded] and they say they "don't know"
to which I ask "they why do you KNOW it's a memory conflict". They say
since I can install CGA but not EGA then that's a memory conflict.
That's like arguing "because I say so".
Well, here's the contents of my config.sys and autoexec.bat in
case this might shead some light on the situtation
config.sys :
buffers=30
files=30
device=c:\himem.sys
device=c:\windows\smartdrive.sys 768 256
device=c:\windows\ega.sys
autoexec.bat :
PATH C:\WINDOWS
SET TEMP=C:\WINDOSW\TEMP
Doesn't look to strange does it. Well, I'm really frustrated
now, since I REALLY would like to use Windows (I've even
ordered the Borland C++ upgrade so I can program some in it)
but I'm getting no where REAL fast...
well thank in advance for any info you can give me...
'later
--
Earl D. Baugh Jr.
Advanced Decision Systems
Internet : baugh@ads.com