ins317y@monu4.cc.monash.edu.au (mr ho yuen keen) (08/23/90)
After hearing a lot of good things about Windows 3.0's ability to multitask, I have decided to investigate further, and am contemplating on purchasing it in the near future (if the problems (??) listed below get resolved). The main worries are : 1) I have heard that Microsoft only tested Windows 3.0 with MS DOS 4.01, and there are major problems with running it under hard disks formatted with programs like disk manager, speedstor etc etc. My hard disk is a Quantum 84M SCSI, and I am led to believe that it was formatted with Disk Manager. The way I understand it, Windows does a direct (not via bios) write to the HD, using it's own routines. Thus, if the HD isn't formatted with DOS, it might very well fry the HD, scrambling it's entire contents. I believe this write is some sort of small(ish) internal use data file anyway. Is this true ? Is there any way to get around it (I've got excess RAM, and don't have any problems putting away a 1meg ram drive, or preferably is there a program which will low format my SCSI drive) ? 2) I run a BBS, and am looking at upgrading my modemto a 9600 (and perhaps the installation of anohter line - prob max 2400). Is Windows capable of "optimizing" communications ? Will there be a problem with such a set up ? 3) Are there any pointers, hints that you could give me regarding the package in general. By the way, I've got a 25mhz 386, 4 megs RAM. Thanks for any help you can give me... Yuen Keen Ho ins317y@monu4nu4.cc.monash.edu.au -- When an irresistable force meets an unmovable object, what time is lunch?
philba@microsoft.UUCP (Phil BARRETT) (08/27/90)
In article <3983@monu1.cc.monash.oz> ins317y@monu4.cc.monash.edu.au (mr ho yuen keen) writes: > > >1) I have heard that Microsoft only tested Windows 3.0 with MS DOS 4.01, >and there are major problems with running it under hard disks formatted >with programs like disk manager, speedstor etc etc. My hard disk is a >Quantum 84M SCSI, and I am led to believe that it was formatted with Disk >Manager. No, MS tested Windows 3.0 with MS-DOS Versions 3.1 and higher. It would be exceedingly stupid to claim support and not do any testing... The issue isn't formatting but rather what partitioning driver, if any, is installed. If you dont have DMDRVR in your config.sys, then there is no problem. If you are loading DMDRVR from config.sys, you will have a problem only if the drive type isn't supported by the ROM BIOS. If this is the case, then simply remove SMARTDRV.SYS (which comes with Windows 3.0) from your configuration. Windows itself doesn't have a problem with DMDRVR, SMARTDRV does. > >The way I understand it, Windows does a direct (not via bios) write to the >HD, using it's own routines. Thus, if the HD isn't formatted with DOS, it >might very well fry the HD, scrambling it's entire contents. no, as pointed out above, SMARTDRV is the problem, not windows. Phil Barrett No, I dont speak for Microsoft.