halpern@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (David Halpern) (02/17/91)
I've recently installed dos4.0 on my pc and everytime I boot I guet this
warning message telling me to install share for large media. I should also
add that I have a 286pc with 20MB and 40MB hard drives. Why am I getting
this message and what should I do to stop getting it ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Halpern
Telephone: (708) 491-4308
Office Location: TECH B426 (Center for multiphase flow)
Address: Biomedical Engineering Department
Northwestern University
Evanston IL 60208
e-mail:halpern@casbah.acns.nwu.edutih@barsoom.nhh.no (Tom Ivar Helbekkmo) (02/17/91)
halpern@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (David Halpern) writes: >I've recently installed dos4.0 on my pc and everytime I boot I guet this >warning message telling me to install share for large media. I should also >add that I have a 286pc with 20MB and 40MB hard drives. Why am I getting >this message and what should I do to stop getting it ? Since I've seen several people use 4.0 (or 4.01, which you really should be using instead since it fixes a few bugs in 4.0), and ignoring this pretty important warning (which really should be a fatal error -- why DOS doesn't load SHARE automatically I don't know!), I guess this ought to be posted: When you're using DOS 4 with disk partitions greater than 32Mb, something ugly happens to the FCB handling in DOS -- it stops working right, and you risk thrashing your disk partition. To work around this bug, you should have the SHARE module loaded, and not just by running it from AUTOEXEC.BAT, but by loading it from CONFIG.SYS. To do this, put a line like: INSTALL=C:\DOS\SHARE.EXE (changing the path to wherever you've actually got SHARE.EXE, of course) in your CONFIG.SYS file. This will make DOS load the SHARE module before loading COMMAND.COM to start running DOS proper, and will make sure you don't get in trouble. In David's case, it's obvious that he's using his 40Mb disk as one 40Mb partition, and for this to work properly, he needs SHARE. -tih -- Tom Ivar Helbekkmo, NHH, Bergen, Norway. Telephone: +47-5-959205 tih@barsoom.nhh.no, thelbekk@norunit.bitnet, edb_tom@debet.nhh.no
Stephen_Niehaus@mindlink.UUCP (Stephen Niehaus) (02/17/91)
> hrbaan@cs.ruu.nl writes: > > Msg-ID: <4870@ruuinf.cs.ruu.nl> > Posted: 18 Feb 91 10:16:23 GMT > > Person: Hayo Baan > > In <tih.666788870@barsoom> tih@barsoom.nhh.no (Tom Ivar Helbekkmo) writes: > > ->halpern@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (David Halpern) writes: > -> > ->>I've recently installed dos4.0 on my pc and everytime I boot I guet this > ->>warning message telling me to install share for large media. I should > also > ->>add that I have a 286pc with 20MB and 40MB hard drives. Why am I getting > ->>this message and what should I do to stop getting it ? > -> > ->Since I've seen several people use 4.0 (or 4.01, which you really should > ->be using instead since it fixes a few bugs in 4.0), and ignoring this > ->pretty important warning (which really should be a fatal error -- why > ->DOS doesn't load SHARE automatically I don't know!), I guess this ought > ->to be posted: > > This is not true : DOS automatically loads in share if it can find it! > DOS searches for share in the root directory, and in the directory > your shell statement refers to. > Because you (the original poster) changed from command.com to 4dos.com, > his shell statement propably changed -> DOS can't find share anymore. > Simply put this line in your CONFIG.SYS file, install=c:\share.exe This will load Share and remove the WARNING message. If you are running QEMM you could also load share this way: install=c:\qemm\loadhi.com /tsr c:\share.exe If you do this SHARE will be installed into high memory on a 386 machine. -- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stephen Niehaus UUCP: {uunet,ubc-cs}!van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!a329 Fujikama O.A (WESTERN) a329@mindlink.UUCP =========================================================================== Disclamer: My opinions are mine | Then it's a Romulan cloaking device... because nobody else | No more like a very bad copy of one else will admit they | - Jean-Luc Picard Agree with me. |
hrbaan@cs.ruu.nl (Hayo Baan) (02/18/91)
In <tih.666788870@barsoom> tih@barsoom.nhh.no (Tom Ivar Helbekkmo) writes: ->halpern@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (David Halpern) writes: -> ->>I've recently installed dos4.0 on my pc and everytime I boot I guet this ->>warning message telling me to install share for large media. I should also ->>add that I have a 286pc with 20MB and 40MB hard drives. Why am I getting ->>this message and what should I do to stop getting it ? -> ->Since I've seen several people use 4.0 (or 4.01, which you really should ->be using instead since it fixes a few bugs in 4.0), and ignoring this ->pretty important warning (which really should be a fatal error -- why ->DOS doesn't load SHARE automatically I don't know!), I guess this ought ->to be posted: This is not true : DOS automatically loads in share if it can find it! DOS searches for share in the root directory, and in the directory your shell statement refers to. Because you (the original poster) changed from command.com to 4dos.com, his shell statement propably changed -> DOS can't find share anymore. -- +------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+ | Hayo R. Baan | E-Mail : hrbaan@cs.ruu.nl | | Oudwijkerlaan 34 |-----------------------------------------------------| | 3581 TD UTRECHT | | | The Netherlands | A program is like a nose; | | | Sometimes it runs, sometimes it blows. | | Tel. 030-515586 | | +------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
jlr1801@aim1.tamu.edu (Jeff Rife) (02/19/91)
In article <4870@ruuinf.cs.ruu.nl> hrbaan@cs.ruu.nl (Hayo Baan) writes: >In <tih.666788870@barsoom> tih@barsoom.nhh.no (Tom Ivar Helbekkmo) writes: > >->halpern@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (David Halpern) writes: >-> >->>I've recently installed dos4.0 on my pc and everytime I boot I guet this >->>warning message telling me to install share for large media. I should also >->>add that I have a 286pc with 20MB and 40MB hard drives. Why am I getting >->>this message and what should I do to stop getting it ? >-> >->Since I've seen several people use 4.0 (or 4.01, which you really should >->be using instead since it fixes a few bugs in 4.0), and ignoring this >->pretty important warning (which really should be a fatal error -- why >->DOS doesn't load SHARE automatically I don't know!), I guess this ought >->to be posted: > >This is not true : DOS automatically loads in share if it can find it! >DOS searches for share in the root directory, and in the directory >your shell statement refers to. >Because you (the original poster) changed from command.com to 4dos.com, >his shell statement propably changed -> DOS can't find share anymore. I'm quoting everything because I don't have access to the original message. OK, now IGNORE THE MESSAGE. Straight from Microsoft technical support, as I had a problem with SHARE.EXE conflicting with another program, there are exactly two reasons to run SHARE. 1. An applications program (such as network stuff) explicitly states that you MUST run it. MS Windows advises it, but you don't have to if you don't try anything fancy, like editing the same file twice. 2. If you are creating files > 32 MB. The logic to handle these is in SHARE. That's it. Don't run it. Remove it from your hard disk, and ignore the error message. -- Jeff Rife P.O. Box 3836 | "Because he was human; because he had goodness; College Station, TX 77844 | because he was moral they called him insane. (409) 823-2710 | Delusions of grandeur; visons of splendor; jlr1801@aim1.tamu.edu | A manic-depressive, he walks in the rain."
mcastle@mcs213f.cs.umr.edu (Mike Castle {Nexus}) (02/24/91)
In article <12330@helios.TAMU.EDU> jlr1801@aim1.tamu.edu (Jeff Rife) writes: >OK, now IGNORE THE MESSAGE. Straight from Microsoft technical support, as >I had a problem with SHARE.EXE conflicting with another program, there are >exactly two reasons to run SHARE. > > 1. An applications program (such as network stuff) explicitly states that > you MUST run it. MS Windows advises it, but you don't have to if you > don't try anything fancy, like editing the same file twice. > > 2. If you are creating files > 32 MB. The logic to handle these is in > SHARE. > >That's it. Don't run it. Remove it from your hard disk, and ignore the error >message. Not sound advice. What I'm about to write here is information I've obtained from reading (but not necessarily keeping) previous posts about SHARE. This really should be placed in a FAQ somewhere, as I see this same request about once a week (hi Timo! :-). I've no guarantee that this information is completely correct, but I hope it will get the point across as why to run SHARE. DOS 1.0 used File Control Blocks (FCBs) to do file accesses. Later versions used file handles, but supported FCBs to maintain the ubiquitous "Backwards Compatibility." However, since FCBs are supposedly faster than using file handles, some non "well behaved" DOS programs still use them (that is, programs written for DOS 2.0 or later cheat and use FCBs). Versions of DOS prior to 4.00 could only support disk partitions that are less than 32MB. Evidently DOS 4.00 can handle partitions of anysize. Now the problem comes in when you mix programs that use FCBs on a machine that has disks partitioned greater than 32MB. If you use FCBs to access data beyond the 32MB mark, they "wrap around" and trash you disk partition. Not good. One of SHARE's functions is to look out for that. I don't know how it handles such attempts (ie doing to task for the program, or just not allowing to program to do it), but it supposedly works. Moral: If you have a partition greater than 32MB, and you don't run SHARE, only you are to blame if a program using FCBs trashes you disk partition. Personally, I hate SHARE. I don't use it. I have my 40 Meg hard drive formatted as 1 partition. Yes, I live dangerously. However, I plan on repartioning my drive as soon as I get enough floppies to back up my drive (and the time to do it). The reason I hate SHARE is because it's a real pain. When you start a program, it checks the label on the disk and makes sure that the same disk is in the drive (floppy, of course) throughout the execution of the program. Guess what happens when you try to install an application that requires multiple disks?? Now, there is supposed to be a program (shareware or freeware, I'm not sure) called NOSHARE.EXE. It's supposed to resolve the FCBs problems without doing the file sharing and disk verification that SHARE does. I just looked on my list of files on Simtel-20 and didn't find it there. I'm not sure where it is (Timo, I don't have your list online, do you have it there? Could you send it to Keith?). Anyway, there may be other fixes that I don't know about. That's all I have to say on it. I'm not sure if there's a FAQ posting for this group or not (I read so many msdos oriented groups that they all sort of run together... :-), but if anyone wants to add this info to one, feel free to use it. I know I've stolen most of this information from other posts. Btw, you may want to verify all of this as I'm sure there are more than a couple mistakes (esp about history of DOS). Make your own decisions about SHARE. I know I've made mine and will be acting accordingly soon. Regards, Mike -- Mike Castle (Nexus) S087891@UMRVMA.UMR.EDU (preferred) | XEDIT: Emacs mcastle@mcs213k.cs.umr.edu (unix mail-YEACH!)| on a REAL Life is like a clock: You can work constantly, and be right | operating all the time, or not work at all, and be right twice a day. | system. :->
mcastle@mcs213f.cs.umr.edu (Mike Castle {Nexus}) (02/24/91)
In article <2247@umriscc.isc.umr.edu> mcastle@mcs213f.cs.umr.edu (Mike Castle {Nexus}) writes: >Now the problem comes in when you mix programs that use FCBs on a machine that >has disks partitioned greater than 32MB. If you use FCBs to access data >beyond the 32MB mark, they "wrap around" and trash you disk partition. Not >good. I just came across an article in the October 1990 issue of PC/Computing concerning the use of SHARE. Some programs that use FCBs are listed: * SideKick * Helix's HeadRoom * Ashton-Tate's dBASE III Plus With big names like these, makes you wonder..... -- Mike Castle (Nexus) S087891@UMRVMA.UMR.EDU (preferred) | XEDIT: Emacs mcastle@mcs213k.cs.umr.edu (unix mail-YEACH!)| on a REAL Life is like a clock: You can work constantly, and be right | operating all the time, or not work at all, and be right twice a day. | system. :->
campbell@dev8n.mdcbbs.com (Tim Campbell) (02/26/91)
[ quoted text from original message(s) deleted ] > > I'm quoting everything because I don't have access to the original message. > > OK, now IGNORE THE MESSAGE. Straight from Microsoft technical support, as > I had a problem with SHARE.EXE conflicting with another program, there are > exactly two reasons to run SHARE. > > 1. An applications program (such as network stuff) explicitly states that > you MUST run it. MS Windows advises it, but you don't have to if you > don't try anything fancy, like editing the same file twice. > > 2. If you are creating files > 32 MB. The logic to handle these is in > SHARE. > > That's it. Don't run it. Remove it from your hard disk, and ignore the error > message. DANGER WILL ROBINSON! The reason the message is ussed for "large media" is because of the increase in the size of the FAT table. If you have an "old" program (I say "old" because anybody caught doing this in a new program should simply be taken out back and shot - and of course I'm CONFIDENT that NOBODY today would ever do such a stupid thing) - anyway, DOS has two ways to use files. File Descriptors and File Handles. The "handles" method involves your program using a DOS service to open a file and DOS takes care of everything - you just tell DOS what you want to read/write. The "descriptor" method allocates a block of storage in your programs data area which contains a structure filled out with wonderful details about your file. Among this info, are some fields which are essentially pointers to locations on the disk - the same pointers found in the FAT table. The FAT tables had 12 or 16bit entries depending on which version of DOS you used. But when the 32Mb barrier needed to be broken, a larger FAT was needed. The "file descripter" no longer had adequate space to store this new larger value. The danger here is that the old program could overflow the value IF IT ATTEMPTS TO ACCESS (for any reason) ANY PORTION OF A FILE LOCATED BEYOND THE 32MB PORTION OF YOUR DISK! This problem *might* go completely unnoticed. It *might* cause no problem at all. But there is a very good chance that it *will* corrupt data in unsuspecting locations of your disk. I strongly suspect you either mis-understood the person at Microsoft, or whoever you spoke with was inexperienced and misunderstood either you, or the problem. In any case, it is not safe to follow the instructions MS gave you. I know folks who were "confident" they didn't have any software with this problem. Upon closer examination, they were suprised to learn that a few of the programs they had, did use the "file descriptors" and would have created problems had they used them. I apologize for the length of this messge. There seems to be a lot of problems with this one subject due to ignorance of exactly what SHARE is, what it does, how it works, why it's needed, etc. Much of this is IBM & MS's fault - I've read their (practicly non-existent) documentation on SHARE - which when summarized, basically says you should use the program with no explanation or reason why. It becomes much more obvious that you should use the program once you understand the detail. -Tim --------------------------------------------------------------------------- In real life: Tim Campbell - Electronic Data Systems Corp. Usenet: campbell@dev8.mdcbbs.com @ McDonnell Douglas M&E - Cypress, CA also: tcampbel@einstein.eds.com @ EDS - Troy, MI CompuServe: 71631,654 Prodigy: MPTX77A P.S. If anyone asks, just remember, you never saw any of this -- in fact, I wasn't even here.
mmccorm@d.cs.okstate.edu (McCormick Martin) (05/14/91)
From: halpern@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (David Halpern)
I've recently installed dos4.0 on my pc and everytime I boot I guet this
warning message telling me to install share for large media. I should also
add that I have a 286pc with 20MB and 40MB hard drives. Why am I getting
this message and what should I do to stop getting it ?
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Please post to the group. Obviously, we could install SHARE, but
I'd really rather know the reason for this message. Without digging
through the DOS manual, I recall that SHARE.EXE has to do with opening
and sharing data files between applications.
Martin McCormick
Amateur Radio WB5AGZ
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OKhuhtala@jyu.fi (Kyosti Huhtala) (05/15/91)
In article <1991May13.215237.4309@d.cs.okstate.edu> mmccorm@d.cs.okstate.edu (McCormick Martin) writes: > >From: halpern@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (David Halpern) >I've recently installed dos4.0 on my pc and everytime I boot I guet this >warning message telling me to install share for large media. I should also >add that I have a 286pc with 20MB and 40MB hard drives. Why am I getting >this message and what should I do to stop getting it ? > >Martin McCormick >Amateur Radio WB5AGZ >Oklahoma State University >Stillwater, OK I also got the same message until I included INSTALL=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.COM SHARE.EXE in CONFIG.SYS. But still, when I am using SideKick to edit a file I sometimes get message "Drive not ready" and the led of A:drive is illuminating though I am saving to C:! Usually in this case I can save the file to some other directory than the one I first tried, then I quit SideKick and try to copy the file to the directory I first tried and get message "Sharing violation..."! Has this something to do with file sharing or is there something I am doing wrong? I have a 386 with 100MB HD. I use QEMM 5.12, 4MB RAMDISK in extended memory, SideKick is configured to swap to EMS and RAMDISK, and 4DOS is configured to swap to extended memory with resident part moved to UMB. Kyosti
mmccorm@d.cs.okstate.edu (McCormick Martin) (05/18/91)
My most sincere thanks to all who responded on the question of using SHARE in DOS. I guess I'm lucky that nothing has gone wrong, yet. I should probably go ahead and install it for safety sake. Martin McCormick amateur radio WB5AGZ Oklahoma State University Computer Center Data Communications Group Stillwater, Ok. ******** I want my ISDN ********