[comp.windows.ms] MS Project For Windows

neil@swdev.Waterloo.NCR.COM (Neil A. Law) (07/19/90)

     I am currently evaluating Microsoft Project for Windows 1.0 (MPW) to
     see if we should migrate from Project 4.0.  I'm almost convinced we
     should buy it except for one TINY problem, I cannot get MPW to
     generate a plot file (we need this to send the print job to a remote
     plot server).
     
     I'm under a pressing deadline to resolve this so I'm posting this to
     the net in hopes of getting some clues on how to fix the problem.
     
     As part of the evaluation I picked up an existing set of project
     files, converted them to MPW format and tried to generate the plot
     file.  MPW thinks about it for a while and after about 15 seconds I
     get a popup window saying "Out of Memory" (I end up with a 0 length
     file as a result).
     
     Vital Statistics:
        o 386 IBM Compatible (NCR PC386/25), with 100MB disk and 4MB
          extended Memory, 0 expanded.  529,504 bytes free memory before
          windows is loaded
        
        o Windows 3.0 with 9167K Free Memory, 81 % of resources free,
          running in 386 Enhanced Mode (8967KB Free Conventional Memory and
          0 expanded memory in MPW)
        
        o printer is HP Plotter on File, device 7585A with E size drawings
        
        o config.sys
                    files= 30
                    buffers=20
                    break=on
                    device=C:\win3\himem.sys
                    device=c:\bin\ansi.sys
                    shell=c:\bin\command.com c:\bin /P /E:512
                    device=C:\WIN3\smartdrv.sys 1792 512
                    device=C:\WIN3\ramdrive.sys 1280 /e
                    lastdrive=n:
        
        o no other applications running when running MPW
        
        o MPW was installed in a program group by selecting its ICON from
          the file manager and moving it over to the program group (i.e. no
          PIF file was created)
     
     I'd appreciate any quick pointers on ways to correct this.  I know I
     should read the manuals but I'm in a bit of a rush.  I've only got the
     package for evaluation until next week and am doing the evaluation as
     an outside core hours (i.e. my own time) activity (too many other
     things to do :->).
     
     Please email any responses to the address below.
--
==========================================================================
  >>>> Neil Law, Document Management Systems <<<<      519-884-1710 x499
  E&M Waterloo, NCR Canada Ltd, 580 Weber St. N., Waterloo, Ont. N2J 4G5
  Neil.A.Law@Waterloo.NCR.COM              uunet!ncrlnk!ncrwat!swdev!neil

neil@swdev.Waterloo.NCR.COM (Neil A. Law) (07/21/90)

In article <869@ncrwat.Waterloo.NCR.COM> neil@swdev.Waterloo.NCR.COM (Neil A. Law) writes:
>
>     I am currently evaluating Microsoft Project for Windows 1.0 (MPW) to
>     see if we should migrate from Project 4.0.  I'm almost convinced we
>     should buy it except for one TINY problem, I cannot get MPW to
>     generate a plot file (we need this to send the print job to a remote
                 .
                 .
            text deleted
                 .
                 .
>     I'd appreciate any quick pointers on ways to correct this.  I know I
>     should read the manuals but I'm in a bit of a rush.  I've only got the
>--
>==========================================================================

As a followup to this article I posted, I've been able to do some reading last
night and have tried varying a few options, but with no success.

   1) I've reduced the amount of smartdrive down to 256K normal cache.  No luck

   2) I removed smartdrive altogether.  This resulted in a fatal application
      error everytime I selected MPW.  When I clicked on OK Windows terminated
      and I was back to the DOS screen.

   3) I tried using EMM386.SYS but when I load Windows it puts up the 
      Windows banner and then the message "Invalid command.com" "command.com
      not loaded.  System halted" is written over the banner.  This happens
      with both the EMM386.SYS from DOS 4.01 or Windows 3.0.

As you can see I'm still stuck and would like any pointers you can give me.

Also, has anyone experienced the problems mentioned in points 2 & 3?  Is there
something obvious I've missed?

Thanks for any help you can give.
--
==========================================================================
  >>>> Neil Law, Document Management Systems <<<<      519-884-1710 x499
  E&M Waterloo, NCR Canada Ltd, 580 Weber St. N., Waterloo, Ont. N2J 4G5
  Neil.A.Law@Waterloo.NCR.COM              uunet!ncrlnk!ncrwat!swdev!neil

neil@swdev.Waterloo.NCR.COM (Neil A. Law) (07/24/90)

Someone from Microsoft contacted me and provided me with a workable solution
to the problem.

Adding the line  "ForcePrintFile=Yes" to WINPROJ.INI avoids the Out of Memory
error message and generates a print file.

Thanks Joel.
--
==========================================================================
  >>>> Neil Law, Document Management Systems <<<<      519-884-1710 x499
  E&M Waterloo, NCR Canada Ltd, 580 Weber St. N., Waterloo, Ont. N2J 4G5
  Neil.A.Law@Waterloo.NCR.COM              uunet!ncrlnk!ncrwat!swdev!neil