wwitt@adara.intel.com (06/02/90)
Hi, I've encountered a problem with Windows 3 and was wondering if anybody else has come across the same or if somebody can explain it. I was trying to install the ToolBook demo package that came with my Windows 3 upgrade package. My upgrade set came with 3.5" disks, so ToolBook came on two disks and I was trying to install them from my floppy drive B: (A: is a 1.2 Meg 5.25", B: is a 1.44 Meg 3.5"). The installation would begin, and after a while, the system prompted me for the second installation disk. I inserted the second disk, but here the problem occured. The system would not recognize the floppy. It kept telling me to insert the second disk. Not having much of choice, I aborted the installation procedure. Next I got a message stating that the installation was unsuccessful because certain files could not be found. However, these files are exactly those that are on the second disk that the installation program refused to recognize. What's going one here??? It seems like the directory of the new disk was not read properly, so the system *thought* that the first disk was still inserted. I tried the above from real mode and from 386 mode. Same difference. Finally I copied the two 3.5 disks to one 1.2 Meg 5.25 disk and then I was able to install ToolBook. Could this possibly be a BUG??? Or am I just being stupid? Any thoughts on this would be appreciated, but if you're going to tell me that I'm stupid please do it gently. :-) Wolf Witt wwitt@adara.intel.com wwitt@smdvx1.UUCP witt@ucsee.berkeley.edu
michaelk@copper.WR.TEK.COM (Michael D. Kersenbrock) (06/02/90)
------ I've encountered a problem with Windows 3 and was wondering if anybody else has come across the same or if somebody can explain it. I was trying to install the ToolBook demo package that came with my Windows 3 upgrade package. My upgrade set came with 3.5" disks, so ToolBook came on two disks and I was trying to install them from my floppy drive B: (A: is a 1.2 Meg 5.25", B: is a 1.44 Meg 3.5"). -------- I have the very same setup, except my "A:" drive is a 360K one. I installed the ToolBook demo package from my 1.44Mb "b:" drive without a hitch. So, if it's a bug, it's a least a non-blatant one. -- Mike Kersenbrock Tektronix Logic Analyzers Division michaelk@copper.WR.TEK.COM Aloha, Oregon
altman@sbstaff2.cs.sunysb.edu (Jeff Altman) (06/02/90)
Had the same problem with both the Toolbook diskettes as well as the Excel 2.1c upgrade? Someone sent me mail regarding an earlier question stating that according to Microsoft it is a problem with SHARE.EXE, and that SHARE.EXE needs to be temporarily renamed during the Setup for these programs. I haven't tried renaming SHARE.EXE. I just made some room on the harddrive by temporarily removing some GIFs, loaded all the files into the single directory and ran from there. Everything worked fine. The only thing I can think of is that these Setup programs are not properly reading the floppy drive when SHARE is present because they are unaware that the diskette in the drive has changed. Any thoughts or comments? - Jeff (jaltman@ccmail.sunysb.edu)
gt0159a@prism.gatech.EDU (LEVINSON,MARC LOUIS) (06/03/90)
It sounds like the same problem I have been having with Microsoft problems
for years - they use cheap diskettes! I have not rec'd my Win3.0 upgra yet,
but I expect to send back/replace several diskettes when they are unreadable.
If anybody at Microsoft is listening, how about improve your Quality Control?
A little maintainance and cleaning on your diskette duplicators might help.
Also, spec and test for better quality disks, $.05 more for better quality
diskettes is worth far more than disgruntled customers angrily requesting
replacement disks. People expect software to be functional when they buy it.
Bugs are intolerable, but even worse is not being able to read a diskette
to find out if the software even works!
- Marc
--
LEVINSON,MARC LOUIS
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
uucp: ...!{allegra,amd,hplabs,seismo,ut-ngp}!gatech!prism!gt0159a
ARPA: gt0159a@prism.gatech.edu or marc@isye.gatech.educhris@seas.gwu.edu (Chris Goldsmith) (06/05/90)
Afterf talking to several tech support lines (all on my dime I might add) I have found that share.exe is usually the probelm. As Jeff guessed in a previous article, share prevents the install program from sensing that the disk has been chnaged. Chris
altman@sbstaff2.cs.sunysb.edu (Jeff Altman) (06/06/90)
Again, the problem with some diskettes not being recognized in Windows during Setups of Crosstalk for Windows and the Toolbook Demo is caused by a problem with SHARE.EXE. SHARE.EXE does two things: (1) it protects files by keeping tables of those which are open so that only one application can access them at a time and (2) it protects floppy disks from accidental overwrites caused by inadvertent exchanging of floppy diskettes. Its this second part which is the problem as SHARE.EXE does not always recognize that the diskette has been swapped and does not clear its tables. Therefore, the new request for a directory gives it the old directory or something. Two solutions: copy all the install files into one directory on your harddrive and install from there. Or don't load SHARE.EXE when you do the install. - Jeff (jaltman@ccmail.sunysb.edu)