[comp.windows.ms] Non-windows apps bomb

cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us (Gordon Hlavenka) (08/18/90)

I use Windows 3.0 primarily to multitask non-windows applications. 
Obviously, I run Win3 in 386enhanced mode...

I have experienced a _lot_ of crashes.  There are two main scenarios:

1- Double-click an icon.  The disk runs, then Windows exits to DOS.  (No, I
   didn't exit my DOS apps first!) AUTOEXEC completes normally.  But Windows
   will no longer load until the machine is rebooted.

2- The machine enters a "repeat-printscreen" mode.  This is quite obnoxious,
   since the screen is graphics, and the printer is in a text mode.  There
   seems to be no way to break out of this loop.

Now I know that I'm focussing on the weakest aspect of Windows:  The ability
to multitask non-multitasking software under a single-tasking OS.  But what
I'd really like to know is how to make things work.

It seems that these bombs involve graphics intensive software: Games,
scanner drivers, Paint programs.  What are the secrets of fine-tuning PIFs,
*.INI, etc,?

The system is:
     VIP motherboard, 386DX/20MHz
     4MB RAM
     Seagate ST296N SCSI drive with ST-02 host adapter
     Trident SVGA, 512K (Standard Windows VGA drivers used)

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Gordon S. Hlavenka            cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us
Disclaimer: I've fallen!  And I can't get up!
            So how could I have expressed an opinion?