[comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc] PC Clock running 6 times too fast!

stedmant@lonex.radc.af.mil (Terrance A. Stedman) (03/21/91)

        After running the game stargoose on my Zenith Z-248, my system
clock starts running at six times the normal speed (30 seconds tick off
for every 5 seconds of actual time).  Any ideas as to what may be causing
this??  I'm almost positive that the game has something to do with my 
problem because the clock is running normally before I run the game and        
always is running way too fast when I quit out of the game.  (Stargoose is
available for download from garbo.uwasa.fi).  Email responses to me would
be appreciated but posting is ok too since I read this newsgroup often.

Terry
(stedmant@lonex.radc.af.mil)

mikek@col.hp.com (Mike Karin) (03/22/91)

This a bug that was found almost immediately after stargoose was posted
to the net.  I haven't seen an updated version yet or a good patch.  The
problem is with the DOS clock rather than the CMOS, so rebooting your 
machine after playing stargoose will put the clock back where it belongs.
(at least it does on my machine :-) )

It's a little bit of a hassle but, what the hell, its a good game.


Mike Karin
Hewlett-Packard Co.
Colorado Springs Division
mikek@col.hp.com

wjb@moscom.UUCP (Bill de Beaubien) (03/22/91)

In article <1991Mar21.135311.12541@lonex.radc.af.mil> stedmant@lonex.radc.af.mil (Terrance A. Stedman) writes:
>
>        After running the game stargoose on my Zenith Z-248, my system
>clock starts running at six times the normal speed (30 seconds tick off
>for every 5 seconds of actual time).  Any ideas as to what may be causing
>this??  I'm almost positive that the game has something to do with my 
>problem because the clock is running normally before I run the game and        
>always is running way too fast when I quit out of the game.  

It's definitely StarGoose, I ran into this problem months ago... basically,
the cause of it is they sped the clock up so that they could get better music
out of the pc.  This is perfectly reasonable, basic does the same thing.
However, basic takes care of updating the clock on 1 tick in 4 rather than 1
in 1, and StarGoose doesn't.   Such a simple little thing...

Bill
-- 
"Bless me, Father; I ate a lizard."
"Was it an abstinence day, and was it artificially prepared?"
-------------------------------------------------------------
Bill de Beaubien / wjb@moscom.com 

ale@jvd.msk.su (Aleksey Odinokov) (03/28/91)

In article <25620003@col.hp.com> mikek@col.hp.com (Mike Karin) writes:
>This a bug that was found almost immediately after stargoose was posted
>to the net.  I haven't seen an updated version yet or a good patch.  The
>problem is with the DOS clock rather than the CMOS, so rebooting your 
>machine after playing stargoose will put the clock back where it belongs.
>(at least it does on my machine :-) )

Compile the following C code, run it after stargoose and it will calm
down your overexcited machine.

Alexey.

calmdown.c:

main()
{
	disable();
	outp( 0x43, 0x36 );
	outp( 0x40, 0xff );
	outp( 0x40, 0xff );
	enable();
}



-- 
	Alexey Odinokov                          Phone: +7 (095) 329-4700
	ale@jvd.msk.su                             FAX: +7 (095) 329-4711
---- Best while you've it use your breath: there is no drinking after death ---
                                                               ( Shakespeare? )