PROBLEMS:(these are the most frequently returning problems)
- In (and only in) a dos-window or full screen OS/2 translates random keys with
-| (not quite, I believe it's ASCII code 176 decimal). This happens almost
every time I type something. (this problem disappeared after I installed the CSD)
- When I set the IRQ of my music card on LPT2 (IRQ 7) I cannot print anything
(I get the message that the printer spooler cannot write to LPT1)
When I play some music with the programs that came with the Ad Lib card,
somehow the printer gets jobs to print (150 or so).
After I set the IRQ to 3 this problem was almost gone. The problem came back
once. At that time I was reporting my problems to IBM Helpware in Belgium
(nice timing) and tried to print a file with Enhanced Editor. I got the error message that the active application wasn't responding to system requests.
Somehow I succeeded in exiting the editor. But this wasn't the end; I tried to close the Productivity Folder and suddenly I got the error message that the
application Productivity wasn't responding to system requests. After I tried
several things to end it, the only thing that was left was pushing the big RED button. (I never had this problem again)
- In Lotus 123 release 2.1 the screen turns black when I try to change the
colunm size. I can exit Lotus normally. (when I run 123 under Desqview under
OS/2 this doesn't happen)
- One time OS/2 crashed while using WordPerfect 5.1. (I had nothing running in
the background) I was just typing a letter, when my cursor responded very
bad. While scrolling through the letter with the cursorkeys OS/2 crashed.
This came back once, but instead of crashing OS/2 gave the error message that
WordPerfect had executed a NPX instruction and closed it.
- I cannot start CPBackup 7.1 nor PCTools 7.1. I get the message that these
programs have executed illegal instructions.
- Norton's Sysinfo doesn't work like it should. When I start it, it begins
reading from drive A and B. (this takes a long time) After a while everything works fine.
- Sometimes when a program has crashed in a dos window or full screen, I can't,
after this program has been shut down, reopen the dos box. OS/2 gives the
message that a program in the dos box has executed an illegal instruction,
before I even see the c>. (this problem goes away after trying to open the dos box for 5 to 10 times)
- I can crash OS/2 anytime I want. When I add to the following to the autoexec.
bat of a VDM and try to play some music the system crashes:
SET GOLD = 388
SET GOLDPATH = d:\adlgld;d:\adlgld\drivers
(the virtual dos machine consists of command.com, io.sys, msdos.sys of MS-DOS)
- The music files for the Gold consist of synthesizer part (.rl2 file) and a
sample part (.smp files). Even when I put the .exe files, the .rl2 files and
the .smp files in the same directory, the music program (Jukebox Gold) still
won't play (or can't find) the sample parts.
- OS/2 is supposed to be a good dos multitasker, but when I play digital music
in the background a use WP, the music is terrible and WordPerfect reacts
slowly to input from the keyboard. (formatting two disk in the background and
running WP works great) Desqview however does a great job multitasking these
two programs and even a 286 isn't too slow to play these music files under DOS
I know I cannot expect the same speed as a text-based multitasker, but I
didn't expect OS/2 to be so bad in doing the same thing.
(have Soundbaster or other music card owners experienced the same lack of
speed?)
- Sometimes I cannot shutdown normally via the menu. (this happens very rarely)
I've run all these programs on a 386-40 with 5 Mb RAM without any luck.
Some of the problems disappeared (CPbackup, Pctools, Lotus 123, keyboard), but
I have encountered some new ones: Sysinfo sometimes just crashes or has the same
problems a the 486SX has. The new thing is that I cannot remove the program from
memory, so I cannot shut down normally.
I've tried everything with only my video adapter and HD and FDD controller in my
computer. The problems with 123, Cpbackup, Pctools and Sysinfo remain. I cannot
say that the WP problem has disappeared, because this problem occurs just once
in while.
Installing the CSD (the Golden one) didn't help anything (except the keyboard problem).
I suspect that my motherboard isn't compatible with OS/2. (the manufacturer says
it is compatible).
I posted this problem, because IBM hasn't located the problem yet. (they have a
written problem description for two weeks now)
Can anybody help me? Has anyone experienced the same problems?
I'm thinking of returning to Windows 3.1
(just kidding).
Can anybody tell me whether the 486 motherboards from Mylex, AMI and Micronics
