[na-user] NA, Windows - KK4R repost plus
John Lane
John Lane" <lanej@provide.net
Fri, 20 Nov 1998 12:18:00 -0000
I can well understand how in some instances it may be necessary to make mods
to the various WIN9X configurations. However, in the vast majority of cases
I have worked with WIN9X works just fine with the default DOS box
configuration. I like the suggestion though of disabling the Windows hot
keys in the DOS box configuration. In the future I'll try this. Also I
have never had any problems running under FAT32. During the last contest I
had NA running in the default DOS box with all ports operational, was
connected to the internet with a PCI modem and had Access running (in Office
97). All this without any special configuration. My feeling is that
problems with NA under WIN9X aren' the rule. W8KX
>
>Here is what I have found followed by a repost of KK4R's Windows 95
>original e-mail to the reflector.
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>------
>
>>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
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>-------
>
>>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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>
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