A bug when running WFW 3.11 under DOS 7.10

Anonymous

Hi,

I downloaded the IO.SYS patch from http://win95.winware.org/ that allows you to run Win 3.11 under Dos 7.10. It works really well except for 1 bug (which I am sure would be the fault of Microsoft).

To cause the bug I do the following:
1) Start Win98 command prompt only
2) Start Win98 GUI
3) "Restart in MS-DOS mode" to return to DOS
4) Start WFW 3.11
5) Exit WFW

At this point I get the error message "File allocation table bad, drive C" repeated an infinite number of times.

If I start run WFW 3.11 then run the Win98 GUI, the problem does not occur. If I use WFW 3.11 only the problem never occurs. Its only in the above scenario that the system hangs.

My system is Win98 first edtition (4.10.1998) patched obviously and WFW 3.11. The drive is ATA 1GB FAT 16.

I have worked out that the error message above is actually stored in COMMAND.COM, but my assembly hacker skills are far from leet.

Can anyone else duplicate this problem and more importantly are there any asm gurus who might be able to solve it?

Thanks!


Tom

Q

Just an idea, try this under a partition less then 512MB, like 256MB. I have a hunch it's something to do what FAT32 (Just a hunch).

-Q

Anonymous

Q wrote:

Just an idea, try this under a partition less then 512MB, like 256MB. I have a hunch it's something to do what FAT32 (Just a hunch).

-Q

Uhhhhhhhh I mentioned in the first post that the disk is FAT 16. Thanks anyway.


Tom

Q

Grrr..., Umm... wanna try FAT12 ? (:|)

I'm really not sure.

-Q

IBMWarpster

Isnt FAT12 for under 33M or something???

TCPMeta

So your using the driver that lets you run Windows 3.x in DOS 7 right? Thing is it only likes using DOS 7.0 (Windows95). When you use Windows98 with it you can run into problems. I would just dual boot the system and have them on diffrent partitions.

RN

No... FAT12 is for under 16 mb.

Q

FAT12s (Like all FATs) maximum size depends on what size clusters you have.

-Q

Anonymous

Hi,

If you download the patch it specifically says it works with Win98 as well.
Also that patch works fine if you run the wfw gui ONLY - it is obvious that Microsoft badly programmed something coz when you return to DOS it should be the same DOS in all situations!

Could someone else try and replicate the problem?

If you have Win98 its not hard to give it a go and verify its not just my stupid computer.

Thanks for your help,


Tom

os2fan2

The bug is to be fixed by running wfw from the root directory, for example by a batch file.

The problem is that if you are not in the root directory when you exit (ie start) windows, then the screen goes all funny.

So, you could start windows 3.x from a batch file, eg

cd win311
win.com %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9
cd \

You can even run Windows 98 or a different windows installation (eg win95) afterwards. (i have done this).

It is possible to do things like prevent windows 9x from turning off the computer, and use it like a win3.1 session as well.

If you plan to run several windows 9x out of the same session, then you should set the windows directory in msdos.sys to '.', and use a batch file to modify the path, change to the windows directory, and start windows.

You should update the DOS files in various windows 9x to match the latest one (ie 98se). ME does not work this way. There are some DOS files in the windows9x\ directory, as well as in the command directory.

You need to load IFSHLP.SYS. The version in Windows 9x are all the same, and the one to be used. Do not use the one in Wfw, or enable LFN support in this OS either.

The partition format can be anything eg fat32. However, if you install win95, you should install it in a fat partition, and then convert it to a fat32 partiton afterwards, or just use it in the fat16 partition.

512dev

Stop bringing up 3 year old topics!

-512

Q

I don't mind information that detailed, even if it is 3 years old

-Q

alexzarach

The info is useful for other users with the same problem, a post is never dead-just no replies were made for it for some time.

-Alexander Zarach