Here is what I have found followed by a repost of KK4R's Windows 95
original e-mail to the reflector.
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>From a collection of sources and "messing around" I have found that I
can get NA to run reliably under Windows 3.1x/95/98/NT on most computer
boxes. On some boxes it just won't work unless it's a real DOS box -
no Windows. May be a problem between the keyboard and the chair, but
I'd like to think that is not true!
Under Windows 95/98 make an additional Hardware Profile for "Logging
Programs". Go into Start | Settings | Control Panel | System
Select Hardware Profiles tab
Copy your Original Configuration to Logging Programs (or what ever you
want to call it).
Restart Windows 9x
It should ask you which profile you want to use - select Logging Programs
Go into Start | Settings | Control Panel | System
Select Device Manager and remove all COM and LPT ports *** FROM THIS
CONFIGURATION ONLY *** Do not Do not remove them from ALL
CONFIGURATIONS (which I believe is default).
Now you will have COM and LPT ports in the original config and not in
the logging config, which will allow NA (and also those other logging
programs) use of the COM and LPT ports without having interference from
Windows.
Even though you can get NA to work under 95/98/NT, I have to agree with
Dave - Never let your DOS bootable floppy get away from you. And I
think I would go one step farther and say if you get the chance to go
FAT32 - don't! I don't think a DOS boot disk will recognize the FAT32
partition and I know that if you have a FAT32 partition, Windows NT
will never recognize it. (Windows 2000 may, if we ever see it).
Additionally, when I do boot from a DOS floppy, CONFIG.SYS only has the
HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE lines. AUTOEXEC.BAT has one line: NA
<filename> -now Nothing much else.
73 Hank K8DD
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>From KK4R in June 1998:
I run NA under Win95 or reboot under DOS, and both work. Granted I am
using a
486, but I think it should work either way. It just depends how much
tweaking
you want to do.
If you want a shortcut for NA on your desktop or to be able to start it
from
the Start menu, then running under Win95 is the simpler way to go in
terms of
setting it up. For either a shortcut or the Start menu, you should
check the
properties of the shortcut. (If you are using the DOS icon available
under
windows, you should copy it and paste it on your desktop. Name it NA
before
making any other changes.) Right click on the shortcut. Choose the
Program
index tab. I have the following entries:
MS DOS Prompt
Cmd Line: C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND.COM
Working: C:\WINDOWS
Batch File: c:\bat\NA_start
Shortcut key: none
Run: Normal Window
Sometimes I like to exit NA and work in DOS, so my NA shortcut just
starts a
DOS session and then starts NA. NA_start.bat is a file in my \bat
directory.
You don't need this, but it is nice to have so NA starts right up. All
it
really does is change to the correct directory (in my case,
\hamtech\na) and
start NA, as shown below.
NA_start.bat:
@echo off
path=c:\windows;c:\windows\command;c:\bat
cd c:\hamtech\na
na
If you don't want to mess with a batch file, uner the Program index
tab, you
could set something like the following:
MS DOS Prompt
Cmd Line: C:\hamtech\na\na
Working: C:\hamtech\na
Batch File: none
Shortcut key: none
Run: Normal Window
Now, continuing to work on the shortcut properties ...
Under the Screen index tab, make sure the program will run in the full
screen.
Under the Misc. index tab, disable everything but Termination (warn if
still
active). If you allow any of the hot-key combinations, you will
probably have
problems.
Once you get all the properties set right, give it a try.
If that doesn't work, you will have to exit Win95 and reboot to DOS.
Somebody
suggested booting off a floopy to do this, and that will certainly work.
Alternately, you can choose Restart to DOS via Shutdown on the Start
menu.
You can also make a shortcut to do this from Win95 that will configure
the
computer for NA. I run some DOS games that can't tolerate windows, so
I have
several shortcuts that reboot the computer to DOS with special
configurations.
Under Win95, you have to provide a set of commands for Config.sys and
Autoexec.bat files. These will be automatically installed in the reboot
process. You do this by settng the properties.
Look at the properties for the shortcut you made for NA. Under the
Program
index tab, choose Advanced. Check the box for MS DOS mode. That will
cause
the machine to reboot to DOS. Notice you have a text area for the
config.sys
and autoexec. bat files that you should fill in. These can be very
simple,
and if you leave them blank, things might work fine. I like to roll my
own,
but I am not competent to tell others how to do it for their machines.
You
better look at one of the many books available for that information.
NA likes
a very simple configuration with the maximum memory left free. Just
for the
heck of it, my files are shown below with a little notation. Before
going on,
note that one you have checked the box for MS DOS mode, most of the other
property index tabs don't do anything. Essentially, all the info will be
contained in the config.sys and autoexec.bat you provide.
my config.sys:
device=c:\adisound\ad1816.exe
/V/O/L0=B220B388B530I5D1D0/L1=B300I9/L2=B201/L3=B000I0/L4=B000/ID=ADS718
0/SN=F
FFFFFFF
DOS=SINGLE
DOS=HIGH,UMB
Device=C:\WINDOWS\Himem.Sys
DEVICE=C:\windows\EMM386.EXE RAM noems
BUFFERS=10,0
FILES=30
FCBS=4,0
STACKS=9,256
DEVICEHIGH=C:\windows\SETVER.EXE
DEVICEHIGH=C:\cdromdrv\atapicd.sys /d:cd003
LASTDRIVE=G
Notes:
1. The first line, beginning "device=c:\adisound...", is not needed
since it
only sets up my sound card. (Notice the second line is DOS=SINGLE.)
It will
not work for your machine.
2. The next to the last line activates my cd rom drive, and it is also
unnecessary, and should not be used.
3. Some of the other stuff might cause problems on a pentium (e.g.
emm386 for
example).
my autoexec.bat:
C:\utility\mouse\mouse.com
Loadhigh c:\cdromdrv\mscdex.exe /D:cd003 /m:10 /L:G
SET TMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
SET TEMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
SET PROMPT=$p$g
SET winbootdir=C:\WINDOWS
SET PATH=C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND;c:\bat;c:\adisound
Notes:
1. The second line is for my cdrom. It is dead weight.
2. The path includes \adisound to support the cdrom and sound card.
In any
case the path should be tailored to your machine and not include
unnecessary
references.
Hope this is clearer than mud. My intent was to give you some ideas with
which to tackle the problem. You can probably find a couple of ways to
skin
the cat.
Rob
KK4R
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