Windows |
 |
by M. L. Giggleman |
Windows Files
Q. Since my new hard drive was installed, I am receiving the following error messages in Windows "Cannot Read from Drive C:", "Cannot Write to Drive C:", "Drive C: Not Ready Error". What's going on?
A. Windows supports the standard hard drive controllers (ST506 and ESDI). With a SCSI or other non-standard controller, SMARTDrive must be loaded. Windows detects SMARTDrive and directs all disk access requests through it. Most compatibility problems are eliminated since SMARTDrive acts as a double-buffering hard disk device driver.
But even with SMARTDrive loaded, you may still get the above error messages. To correct, add this entry to your SYSTEM.INI file:
[386enh]
VirtualHDirq=off
This is the highest level of compatibility available with Windows.
Q. Someone told me I need a TEMP directory. What is it? Why do I need it?
A. The TEMP subdirectory is important to good Windows (and DOS) performance. The subdirectory should be called C:\TEMP.
You create it from the DOS prompt:
MD C:\TEMP
You set it up in AUTOEXEC.BAT as follows:
SET TEMP=C:\TEMP
SET TMP=C:\TEMP
ECHO Y | DEL C:\TEMP\*.*
What each line does:
Lines 1 and 2 tell the system to put temporary files in C:\TEMP.
Line 2 is for older applications, which may look for a subdirectory called TMP (instead of TEMP).
Line 3 does the clean-up work by deleting all files from the temporary subdirectory. Let's examine it a bit closer.
- ECHO Y sends (or echoes) the Y (or yes) response required when you are about to delete multiple files.
- The next character is the piping symbol which directs (or "pipes" in computerese) the response into the command. This prevents a user from having to enter the Y each time the command is executed.
- The last part of the line is the actual command to delete all files in the temporary subdirectory.
Incidentally, line 3 is a neat little trick to use either in batch files or from the DOS prompt. Many commands requiring a response can be dealt with using ECHO and the piping symbol. But be warned typing ECHO Y | DEL *.* at the DOS prompt will erase those files in a hurry. You'll be scrambling for the syntax of the UNDELETE command (UNDELETE /LIST presents a list of available files).
If you don't set a TEMP subdirectory, it usually defaults to the Windows subdirectory. Some applications actually have problems if there are other files in the TEMP subdirectory.
Q. In my Windows subdirectory are some strange files: ~WRI0076.TMP and ~WRI0077.TMP. What are they for? Can I delete them?
Files starting with ~ and ending with TMP are temporary files created during Windows sessions. Your particular files were created using Windows Write.
Temporary files are written to the subdirectory specified by the SET TEMP= statement in CONFIG.SYS. These files are normally deleted by Windows upon exit. However, if Windows terminates unexpectedly (power surge, hardware failure, powering off while in Windows), these files may still remain. It is a good idea to delete the temporary files and create a TEMP subdirectory (see question above).
Some other Windows temporary files that may be deleted are:
Files beginning with ~WOA were created by application swap files used by some applications.
Files beginning with ~GRB were created by a DOS application screen info before switching out of a DOS application.
The presence of temporary files could indicate logical damage to the drive since the same conditions that leave temporary files on the drive also leave open files. When files are written to a disk, they are written in parts (like pages in a book). These "pages" may or may not be written in order, but rather are scattered over the hard drive. The system keeps track of where the pages are located. Logical damage occurs when some "pages" become separated and are not saved with the file. Windows will generate GPF's when it detects logical damage to the hard drive.
Two DOS utilities that detect and fix logical damage are CHKDSK (CheckDisk) and SCANDISK.
To solve this problem, you can add a line to AUTOEXEC.BAT to automatically fix logical damage:
SCANDISK /AUTOFIX /NOSAVE /NOSUMMARY
This command runs the SCANDISK utility without user intervention. It will take a bit more time when you boot your system, but is generally worth it.
Q: My Zenith computer keeps giving me GPFs. I have tried everything and it still isn't working. Any ideas?
A: If a system is having continual problems in Windows, check the computer type. Is it a Hewlett-Packard, AT&T or Zenith?
When installing Windows, one often-overlooked option is on the first screen, the hardware configuration screen. You are presented with a list of hardware options that Windows Setup has detected. In most cases, the first option, "Computer", will almost always be shown as MS-DOS System. However, if you have an AT&T or Hewlett-Packard system, it is very important you change this to ensure Windows compatibility.
The Hardware Configuration Screen
System Information
Computer: MS-DOS System
Display: VGA
Mouse: Microsoft, or IBM PS/2
Keyboard: Enhanced 101 or 102 key US & Non US keyboards
Keyboard Layout: US
Language: English (American)
Codepage: English (437)
To accept this list, press ENTER.
If one or more items are incorrect:
Press the UP or DOWN ARROW key to highlight the item.
Then press ENTER to view other choices.
ENTER=Continue F1=Help F3=Exit
To show a pick list of available system types, press the up arrow to the top of the list, until the "MS-DOS System" is hilighted. Then press <Enter> to present a list of available systems.
This option is also available after Windows has been installed. You may access the screen from within Windows (from the MAIN Window, select Windows Setup) or from DOS, type
C:\WINDOWS\SETUP.
These computers can be specifically selected during setup:
MS-DOS System
AST: All 80386- and 80486-based computers
AT&T PC
AT&T NSX 20: Safari Notebook
Everex Step 386/25
Hewlett-Packard (all computers)
IBM PS/2 Model L40SX
IBM PS/2 Model P70
Intel 386 SL-based system with APM
MS-DOS System with APM
NCR: All 80386- and
80486-based computers
NEC PowerMate SX Plus
NEC ProSpeed 3886
Toshiba 1200XE
Toshiba 1600
Toshiba 5200
Zenith: All 80386-based computers
M. L. Giggleman, a HAL-PC member, is a network administrator for Madix Store Fixtures in Terrell, Texas. She has authored a series of technical tutorials on exploring the computer via DEBUG.
E-mail me at webmaster@hal-pc.org with any comments you have and tell me what you want to see here.
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