CompuServe Thread

#R4 won't run, R3 does

9 messages in this thread
#148129From: David M. TaffetJan 20, 1995 5:08 PM
I have had R4 for a couple of months, now, but have not been able to get it to work on my PC, though R3 runs like a champ using the same configurations. I have upgraded my DOS to 6.22 and QEMM to 7.5, have tried with optimized configurations and manual ones, used HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE instead of QEMM and stripped my boot files to nothing more than path, prompt, mouse and memory manager, all to no avail. I have a Micronics 486/66 VLB and a Diamond Stealth Pro. I have 52 MB RAM which QEMM recognizes all of. I have 2 420 MB IDE drives with an on-board VLB controller. R2.0, R2.01a and R3 all run great on my machine. When I first installed R4, it said 3DS.MLI was invalid. I eventually deleted R4 and reinstalled. It said 3DS.MLI was invalid, again. I opened R3 and did a /surface/material/get library and opened the R4 library with no problem. I tried various configurations. I deleted R4 again and reinstalled. This time it did not complain about the library, but would not open a project file larger than about a Meg. When it did it redrew the screen at about 1/2 the speed of R3. When I tried to open larger files, it would lock up so CTRL-ALT-DEL would not do anything. Once, it said that there was insufficient RAM to open my project file and it would do a partial open. It then locked up. I restarted and opened it in R3, no problem. When I take everything out of my CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT except mouse driver, DOSKEY and QEMM, R4 locks up without displaying a cursor. If I use 3DS VIBCFG to get in, I get in and have a mouse, but when I try to open a project it locks up. When I put my SCSI and sound drivers back into my config files, R4 opens with the aforementioned limitations. I have downloaded posted discussions of the video driver problems people have had with R4 and tried every suggestion – eliminating ratholes from QEMM, etc. – with no success. Has R4's means of access the hardware changed that much that my very compatible and common configuration no longer works, or is it possible that my copy of R4 is bad? Especially with the way it instantly claimed its library file was bad after installing. It's hard to believe you changed that much code so much that R4 is useless on this computer when R3 runs so well. Here are my config files. Can anyone help? AUTOEXEC.BAT @echo off PROMPT $p$g path C:\UTIL\QEMM;c:\;c:\dos;c:\batch;c:\util\add2dos;C:\dps_par c:\util\qemm\loadhi /r:1 doskey c:\util\qemm\loadhi /r:2 c:\util\mouse\mouse c:\util\qemm\loadhi /r:2 c:\dos\mscdex /d:cdrom2 /v /l:f /m:1024 SET TEMP=D:\ set grasp=c:\GRASP set pictor=c:\GRASP CONFIG.SYS DEVICE=c:\util\micronet\mndosm.sys /p330 /d device=c:\util\qemm\dosdata.sys DEVICE=C:\UTIL\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS FRAME=NONE RAM R:1 DISKBUF=2 device=c:\util\qemm\dos-up.sys @c:\util\qemm\dos-up.dat DEVICE=C:\UTIL\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:1 /SIZE=8880 C:\UTIL\QEMM\QDPMI.SYS SWAPFILE=DPMI.SWP SWAPSIZE=1024 DEVICE=c:\util\qemm\loadhi.sys /R:1 c:\util\micronet\mncdrom.sys /d:cdrom2 DEVICE=c:\util\qemm\loadhi.sys /R:2 c:\util\micronet\mnmdisk.sys DEVICE=c:\util\qemm\loadhi.sys /R:2 c:\proaudio\mvsound.sys d:3 q:2 j:0 t:1 DEVICE=c:\windows\smartdrv.exe /double_buffer BUFFERS=40,0 FILES=40 DOS=HIGH,UMB LASTDRIVE=Z FCBS=4,0 STACKS=0,0 SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /P David {Anxious and frustrated} Taffet
#148134From: Yost GroupJan 20, 1995 6:16 PM
Yeesh! First, it's important that you know that we did not change the way 3DS accesses the hardware for r4. It uses the same version of Phar Lap that r3 used, and it talks to the OS and hardware in an identical way. That said, it sounds like you've either got a curse hanging over you, a bad set of r4 disks, or both. My first inclination at this point would be for you to get a new set of disks, and if the problem persists after that, start working with Jonas to debug your hardware. Good luck! – G
#148228From: David M. TaffetJan 21, 1995 12:41 PM
Thanks, Gary. I really do suspect a bad set of disks. Very odd stuff going on, here. I'll talk to my dealer right away on Monday… DT
#148169From: MARTIN G FOSTERJan 20, 1995 10:27 PM
David, Does it work with a plain boot configuration (mouse driver, files and buffers statements only)??? >> DEVICE=C:\UTIL\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS FRAME=NONE RAM R:1 DISKBUF=2 << I don't think the "frame=none" and "diskbuf=2" are necessary with Qemm 7.5
#148229From: David M. TaffetJan 21, 1995 12:49 PM
No, Martin, it doesn't run at all with a vanilla config. If I put the SCSI and sound drivers back into the config files I can get it to open, but it works like crap and won't open a 4 MB project file that R3 whizzes thru. Gary's initial reaction is a bad set of disks and so was mine since, when I first installed it, ran thru the Vibrant configuration screens and entered the program it said the material library was invalid! This, of course, is the default library off the disks. So I'm going to get another set of disks and try again. At least I was inspired to update my operating system and QEMM. I'm following thru and updating all my other drivers, too, just to get current with everything. In Mac-land, where I spend most of my working day, if you don't get current your machine is likely to become a paperweight within 8 months. Those poor shmucks have to CONstantly update drivers. It's a nightmare, really. Oh, well. Nice to chat again, after so long. I'm off to download new drivers and then to work again. (Life? What life?) David {:)} Taffet
#148230From: MARTIN G FOSTERJan 21, 1995 12:55 PM
David, >> Gary's initial reaction is a bad set of disks and so was mine since << sounds like a reasonable assumption.
#148379From: David M. TaffetJan 22, 1995 4:19 PM
Martin – >>sounds like a reasonable assumption.<< I sure hope so. Gary's alternative was that I have a curse hanging over me. Based on the rest of my life, I don't think so. Hopefully I'm not just being set up for a big knock-down… DT
#148544From: Brian Rudolph [Adesk]Jan 23, 1995 2:12 PM
<<I sure hope so. Gary's alternative was that I have a curse hanging over me.>> I hope so too. Trouble shooting and debugging curses can be a very tedious experience. I have a HEX debugger, but it won't work on anything as stong as a full blown curse. I had a friend who had a gypsy put a curse on him, and he was right in the middle of rebooting his life by pressing right-foot, left-foot, left-hand when all of a sudden… ,,,uh….nevermind. -b
#148680From: David M. TaffetJan 23, 1995 11:26 PM
Jeez, Brian – You really make me miss California…. 🙂 DT