[comp.windows.ms] Trouble with magic, or was it just my hard disk?

dcrowley@sunb.mqcc.mq.oz.au (David Crowley) (12/11/90)

Hi there,
  I was wondering if anyone could tell me if they have have any problems
with the Magic screen saver on cica.cica under pub/pc/win3/util as mag110.zip

  Why I am asking is because the other day I left it running for about 4 or
5 hours with out touching my computer, and when I came back and moved the 
mouse nothing happened. Ohh no I thought! So I pressed a key, to my relief
the screen came back, but the drive sounded really funny when I gave me my
screen back. The mouse still didn't work, so I saved all work and exited
windows. Did a <ctrl><alt><del>. Mouse driver said it couldn't find the 
serial port, did a few other things in the config.sys and then hung,
i.e. the computer didn't even finish booting up, and yet it didn't complain
about disk having an error. Pressed the reboot button. Same symptoms.
Turn machine off. On again. Serial ports now there so mouse driver
loads fine, etc... Disk read error drive C:  before finishing config.
Booted off a floopy. Ran Norton NDD. It detected an error in the FAT and
couldn't continue diagnosing the disk, saying there was a physical error.
Ran Norton DT. Ran NDD again, again it detected an error but fixed it this 
time and went on to fix the directory structure and then move some
bad sectors. Fortunatly only programs were lost, Windows ones at that
so I am able to get back on the road.

  What I don't understand is why would this happen when nobody even went
near the machine. And why does magic access the disk when it gives you the
screen back? Is this a bug or a feature?

  I guess so you know what I was running when this happened here it is:
	       hardware:
		  386sx with 2 meg RAM
		  42 Meg Miniscribe stepper h/drive
		    with one large partition under
		  MsDos 4.01
		    with share loaded 
		  Genius mouse (pc mode, not Microsoft mode)
		  EGA (urghhh, but can't be helped!-()
	       software:
		  shell=c:\comand.com /e:1024 /p
		  f-driver.sys    <--- a virus checker device
		  gmouse.sys   <--- Genius mouse driver
		  himem.sys 
		  smartdrv.sys 768 256
		  ega.sys
		  Windows3 in 386enh mode
		    clock
		    magic
		    print manager
		    program manager
		    excel  <--  with new data not saved before I left

     So. Does anyone have any bright ideas?
						David...

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  David Crowley  --@--  Research Assistant, Macquarie University, Australia
----------------- /|\          email: dcrowley@suna.mqcc.mq.oz.au
    At MacUni - Phone = 61 2 805-8597	       Room = EsevenB 252          ||
    At home   - Phone = 489-5384   Don't blow up, it's more fun to implode !!
--
-----------------=\|/= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
  David Crowley  --@--  Research Assistant, Macquarie University, Australia
----------------- /|\          email: dcrowley@suna.mqcc.mq.oz.au
    At MacUni - Phone = 61 2 805-8597	       Room = EsevenB 252          ||