scott@blueeyes.kines.uiuc.edu (scott) (09/29/90)
[Apologies if this has been asked to death - I just joined this group.]
In general, I like Windows 3.0 - the new graphics are very slick. Win3 does,
however, have one little annoying thing which I absolutely hate:
I've tried to load various .BMP files as wallpaper. Often, a dialog box
will pop up with what has to be the most WORTHLESS error message I have ever
seen: it says "Can't use FILENAME.BMP as a wallpaper bitmap." or words to
that effect. Whenever that window pops up, it makes me want to scream!!!!
"***WHY*** can't you use FILENAME.BMP as wallpaper, you twit?" The manual is
no help - it outlines the procedure for installing a .BMP as wallpaper, but
doesn't tell me what to do when it doesn't work.
If anyone can list a few of the more common reasons why a given .BMP file
(which Windows Paint has absolutely no trouble reading, BTW) is flatly
rejected as wallpaper without explanation, I'd be most appreciative.
Both I and my sanity thank you in advance for your kind assistance.
--
---
Scott Coleman scott@blueeyes.kines.uiuc.edu
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Wanted: Specs on the control protocol for the Panasonic AG-1960 VCR. If you
know them or know where I may find them, PLEASE email me! Thanks!!
---palm@admin.kth.se (Christer Palm) (09/30/90)
In article <1990Sep29.161249.4464@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> scott@blueeyes.kines.uiuc.edu (scott) writes: >If anyone can list a few of the more common reasons why a given .BMP file >(which Windows Paint has absolutely no trouble reading, BTW) is flatly >rejected as wallpaper without explanation, I'd be most appreciative. > You need at least 1 M memmory to make it possible to use a wallpaper Sheck your path to the BMP file you can find it in WIN.INI /Christer
keating@rex.cs.tulane.edu (John W. Keating) (09/30/90)
In article <1990Sep29.173050.5871@kth.se> palm@admin.kth.se (Christer Palm) writes: >In article <1990Sep29.161249.4464@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> scott@blueeyes.kines.uiuc.edu (scott) writes: >>If anyone can list a few of the more common reasons why a given .BMP file >>(which Windows Paint has absolutely no trouble reading, BTW) is flatly >>rejected as wallpaper without explanation, I'd be most appreciative. > >You need at least 1 M memmory to make it possible to use a wallpaper >Sheck your path to the BMP file you can find it in WIN.INI I too have this problem. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be just a problem with lack of memory. I have a meg, and I can use BMP's as wallpaper. It's just that some don't seem to work. (And they are at most 800x640, 16 colours... Also had the same problem with normal VGA, 16 colour BMP's.) Any ideas? Another piece of data. I recently dloaded an 800x640 BMP that was supposed to work, yet didn't. And yet another, I'm using an ATI (Sssssssssssss!!!!) VGAWonder card, maybe their drivers have something to do with it. ?? JWKIII -- **************************************************************************** * \|/ John William Keating, III >Ragnorak< keating@rex.cs.tulane.edu \|/ * * --*========================= //////\\\\\\ =========================*-- * * /|\ "Wands don't kill people, people kill people." /|\ * ****************************************************************************
scott@blueeyes.kines.uiuc.edu (scott) (09/30/90)
In article <4336@rex.cs.tulane.edu> keating@rex.cs.tulane.edu (John W. Keating) writes: >In article <1990Sep29.173050.5871@kth.se> palm@admin.kth.se (Christer Palm) writes: >> >>You need at least 1 M memmory to make it possible to use a wallpaper Some additional info: This problem is exhibited on a PS/2 50 with 1Meg of RAM, as well as my '386 with 4MB. >>Sheck your path to the BMP file you can find it in WIN.INI The path is OK - in fact, I'm using the Control Panel to install the wallpaper, so it ought to know the path (but I have checked the .INI file to be sure). >I too have this problem. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be just a >problem with lack of memory. I have a meg, and I can use BMP's as wallpaper. >It's just that some don't seem to work. Exactly - and that includes some of the .BMP files which COME WITH Win3!! >And yet another, I'm using an ATI (Sssssssssssss!!!!) VGAWonder card, maybe >their drivers have something to do with it. ?? I don't know - I see the probelm on two machines - one a true blue VGA, the other is a Video 7 VGA card. -- --- Scott Coleman scott@blueeyes.kines.uiuc.edu University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Wanted: Specs on the control protocol for the Panasonic AG-1960 VCR. If you know them or know where I may find them, PLEASE email me! Thanks!! ---
pnl@hpfinote.HP.COM (Peter Lim) (10/01/90)
> > I too have this problem. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be just a > problem with lack of memory. I have a meg, and I can use BMP's as wallpaper. > It's just that some don't seem to work. (And they are at most 800x640, 16 > colours... Also had the same problem with normal VGA, 16 colour BMP's.) > Any ideas? > My believe is that it is a combination of lack of memory and CPU type. I've played with Windows 3.0 on a 640 K 8088 machine. Using CGA :-); well, I can get one or two of the supplied bitmap files to stick as wallpaper (I think the biggest is 320 x 100 size monochrome). Then, I've played with it on a 286 with 4 MB of RAM, using a paradise VGA with 512 K video RAM and 640 x 480 256 color driver. I can't seem to get any 256 color bitmap to stick in that machine. Even very small ones. I've also played with it on my 386 machine with 10 MB RAM, ATI VGA Wonder 512 K. I ran it in 800 x 600 16 color mode (WHEN ARE THEY RELEASING THE #@%$! 256 COLOR DRIVER ??!!!). And so far, I've successfully made 800 x 600 x 16 color bitmap stick as wall paper. The bitmap files are as big as 500 K. > Another piece of data. I recently dloaded an 800x640 BMP that was supposed > to work, yet didn't. > May be your one mag is the problem. Are you running a 386 ? > And yet another, I'm using an ATI (Sssssssssssss!!!!) VGAWonder card, maybe > their drivers have something to do with it. ?? > If you run 386, did you have the display=vddvga.386 line in your system.ini instead of display=*vddvga ? Don't know if that will help. Regards, ## Life is fast enough as it is ........ Peter Lim. ## .... DON'T PUSH IT !! >>>-------, ########################################### : E-mail: plim@hpsgwg.HP.COM Snail-mail: Hewlett Packard Singapore, : Tel: (065)-279-2289 (ICDS, ICS) | Telnet: 520-2289 1150 Depot Road, __\@/__ ... also at: pnl@hpfipnl.HP.COM Singapore 0410. SPLAT ! #include <standard_disclaimer.hpp>
jcmorris@mwunix.mitre.org (Joe Morris) (10/01/90)
In a recent article scott@blueeyes.kines.uiuc.edu (scott) writes: >I've tried to load various .BMP files as wallpaper. Often, a dialog box >will pop up with what has to be the most WORTHLESS error message I have ever >seen: it says "Can't use FILENAME.BMP as a wallpaper bitmap." or words to >that effect. Whenever that window pops up, it makes me want to scream!!!! >"***WHY*** can't you use FILENAME.BMP as wallpaper, you twit?" The manual is >no help - it outlines the procedure for installing a .BMP as wallpaper, but >doesn't tell me what to do when it doesn't work. Ah yes...a user who actually expects an error message to be *useful*. What next, one who actually wants *complete documentation*? For a trivial function, the "cannot use xxx as wallpaper" message qualifies as one of the most unhelpful messages around. I ran into that when I tried the beta Win3 product, and eventually found that it appears when you try to load a bitmap in a system with severe memory constraints...for example, running in real mode where the entire system has to fit into the 640K shoebox. There's just not enough memory to support any but the smallest of bitmaps, although the system will let you tile one bitmap to fill the wallpaper display. Joe Morris
poffen@sj.ate.slb.com (Russell Poffenberger) (10/01/90)
In article <4336@rex.cs.tulane.edu> keating@rex.cs.tulane.edu (John W. Keating) writes: >In article <1990Sep29.173050.5871@kth.se> palm@admin.kth.se (Christer Palm) writes: >>In article <1990Sep29.161249.4464@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> scott@blueeyes.kines.uiuc.edu (scott) writes: >>>If anyone can list a few of the more common reasons why a given .BMP file >>>(which Windows Paint has absolutely no trouble reading, BTW) is flatly >>>rejected as wallpaper without explanation, I'd be most appreciative. >> >>You need at least 1 M memmory to make it possible to use a wallpaper >>Sheck your path to the BMP file you can find it in WIN.INI > >I too have this problem. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be just a >problem with lack of memory. I have a meg, and I can use BMP's as wallpaper. >It's just that some don't seem to work. (And they are at most 800x640, 16 >colours... Also had the same problem with normal VGA, 16 colour BMP's.) >Any ideas? > >Another piece of data. I recently dloaded an 800x640 BMP that was supposed >to work, yet didn't. > >And yet another, I'm using an ATI (Sssssssssssss!!!!) VGAWonder card, maybe >their drivers have something to do with it. ?? > It probably is a memory problem. An 800 X 640 X 4 bitmap needs 256K bytes of memory for the backing store. With only 1Meg of memory, after loading windows and some apps, I would be surprised to find that much memory (256K) still free. Russ Poffenberger DOMAIN: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com Schlumberger Technologies UUCP: {uunet,decwrl,amdahl}!sjsca4!poffen 1601 Technology Drive CIS: 72401,276 San Jose, Ca. 95110 (408)437-5254
jvilhube@diana.cair.du.edu (Extremely Gonzoid) (10/07/90)
>It probably is a memory problem. An 800 X 640 X 4 bitmap needs 256K bytes of >memory for the backing store. With only 1Meg of memory, after loading windows >and some apps, I would be surprised to find that much memory (256K) still free. > > Ok...here's some more data to make it more confusing: I have a 286, with 1 meg base and 1 meg extended. All the bitmaps work fine, when I start windows in normal mode. The bigger ones don't when I start windows with the /r option....
sasjcm@ella.unx.sas.com (James McNealy) (11/05/90)
In article <1990Sep29.161249.4464@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>, scott@blueeyes.kines.uiuc.edu (scott) writes: > [Apologies if this has been asked to death - I just joined this group.] > > In general, I like Windows 3.0 - the new graphics are very slick. Win3 does, > however, have one little annoying thing which I absolutely hate: > > I've tried to load various .BMP files as wallpaper. Often, a dialog box > will pop up with what has to be the most WORTHLESS error message I have ever > seen: it says "Can't use FILENAME.BMP as a wallpaper bitmap." or words to > that effect. Whenever that window pops up, it makes me want to scream!!!! > "***WHY*** can't you use FILENAME.BMP as wallpaper, you twit?" The manual is > no help - it outlines the procedure for installing a .BMP as wallpaper, but > doesn't tell me what to do when it doesn't work. > The Microsoft manual has a statement buried in the that says you may have to reboot windows to display new wallpaper files. This has something to do with memory constraints. I have a 386 with 4Mbytes of memory and I have not had this problem, yet. Jim McNealy SAS Institute Inc. SAS Circle sasjcm@unx.sas.com Box 8000 Cary, NC 27512-8000 phone (919)677-8000 x6173 fax(919)677-8123 -Disclaimer: Nah Ah! -