ProfitPress Mega CDROM2 …eeware (MSDOS)(1992)(Eng)/ProfitPress-MegaCDROM2.B6I/MISC/OS2/OS2TIPS.ZIP/OS2TIPS.DOC

Text File | 1992-04-08 | 10.6 KB | 240 lines

                            OS/2 Tips and Techniques
                                  Version 1.0


 Introduction
 ------------

 This is an informal document, produced by the OS/2 Technical Support Team.
 It includes tips and techniques describing how to use and navigate
 around OS/2 2.0 along with information on known techniques or workarounds for
 various applications and machine types.

 It is recommended to read the OS/2 2.0 product README file as well as this
 document.

 This document will continue to be updated. As we discover new techniques
 and tips, they will be reflected in this paper.

 The purpose of this document is to provide readers with an awareness of
 quick and easy ways to accomplish various tasks with OS/2. There are also
 techniques and information that will help you run your OS/2 system on
 various machine configurations.

 This document is organized in three sections. Section 1 describes tips and
 techniques on topics such as backing up a complete set of your INI files and
 desktop configuration, quickly customizing the WorkPlace Shell and the like.
 Section 2 will cover application configuration and compatibility topics and
 section 3 will discuss hardware topics.

 If you have any questions or comments on this document, or find anything you
 feel may be of use to others and would like to see in a future revision of the
 OS/2 TNT document, please contact one of the IBM service representatives on
 Compuserve, BIX, Prodigy, IIN or other applicable service.

 Notes: Compuserve membership services can be reached at 1-800-848-8199 x239.

        IBM BBS registration can be reached at 1-800-547-1283.

        General IBM OS/2 product information and availability can be
        obtained by calling 1-800-IBMOS2.


 Section 1 - General Tips, hints and techniques
 ---------

 - Immediately after install
   -------------------------

    After installation, and before you run any DOS or Windows programs,
    we recommend you shut down your system. This only needs to be done once,
    immediately after you are finished installing OS/2 2.0

 - Preventing STARTUP applications from opening
   --------------------------------------------

   OS/2 2.0 has a STARTUP folder which will automatically start any programs
   within it at system boot time. Additionally, any programs that were running
   when the system was shut down are started upon bootup.

   There may be some cases where you have installed an application to
   automatically start and it has somehow become corrupted.
   It is sometimes useful to inhibit the auto-start features of the Workplace
   Shell. You can do this as follows:

   a) When the system is starting, you will see the Workplace desktop
      background paint. As soon as you see the mouse pointer show up on the
      desktop, press and hold the CTRL and SHIFT keys then press and hold
      the F1 key. You should hold this down for approximately 15 seconds,
      or until the desktop icons appear.

      This will inhibit all of the applications in the startup folder from
      coming up, and inhibit the auto-start of programs running at the time
      the system was shut down.


 - Restoring a corrupted desktop
   -----------------------------

   There may be cases where your desktop may have been corrupted. An example
   is if you booted DOS and tried to rearrange your hard disk and corrupted
   either INI files or Extended Attributes. The following mechanisms have been
   implemented to help in these cases.

   1) If you have corrupted INI files, or lose objects such as the clock or
      font palettes, you can retrieve them by remaking your INI file.
      To do this, boot off the install disks. Press ESC to get to a command
      prompt and change to the \OS2 directory.

      Once there, type MAKEINI OS2.INI INI.RC

      Then reboot your machine.

      This will look at the INI file from installation and merge items in it
      with your current INI file, thus restoring the lost objects.

   2) If you have corrupted EAs and have lost folders and/or program
      references, the recommended method is to simply use the templates
      and recreate them.

      In the event that your desktop objects are so far gone that you cannot
      use it (this is the last resort), boot your install disks and escape
      to a command prompt. Then delete the \DESKTOP directory and everything
      underneath it. Then look at item (3), below.

   3) There is an undocumented function in OS/2 2.0 that will backup your
      current INI files and CONFIG.SYS and give you the ones that were set up
      initially during installation. Note however, that any modifications
      (such as shadows and associations) since installation will be lost
      and have to be recreated.

      This is function is also useful if you have followed the product
      documentation and created new INI files you wish to make current.
      (i.e.- OS/2 1.3 "look and feel" INI files)

      The steps are:

      a) Reboot your system.

      b) As soon as the initial logo panel is displayed, hold down the ALT key
         and press F1.

      c) This will back up your old INI files and CONFIG.SYS. You will see
         a message during the boot process confirming the backup. If you do not
         see the message, it did not work and you may have to try again.
         This will not erase any files off of your disk, just restore your
         desktop to a basic state.

         The INI files in the \OS2\INSTALL will be copied and made active.
         If you have new INI files you wish to make current, place them
         here (but remember to back up a copy of the old ones)




 Section 2 - Application tips
 ---------

 - In general, it is advisable to not keep Microsoft Windows code on your OS/2
   system. The reason is that IBM OS/2 2.0 includes a full, working copy
   of the Windows code called WIN-OS2. Applications from Windows can be run
   under WIN-OS2. We advise that you use OS/2's "Migrate Applications" utility
   to capture all of your Windows apps and remove the Windows code. Many of
   the files from Microsoft Windows have the same names as WIN-OS2, but are
   different. WIN-OS2 offers you the function of running Windows programs on
   your OS/2 desktop and if Windows files are also on your disk, there may
   be conflicts. So, if you plan to run WIN-OS2, you should remove the
   Windows code from your disk.

 - OS/2 2.0 is an object-oriented system. It is very tempting to enter the
   Drives folders and begin moving program files where you want to use them.
   The recommended way to do this is to not move the program files, but to
   create Program Reference objects. In the settings for these objects,
   you specify where the program file is. An alternative method is to create
   a shadow of the program file. This way the files stays where the
   application installation program put it, and no matter where it is
   subsequently moved, the shadow points to it. You can then place the
   shadow(s) wherever you like.

 - If you use the IBM PC LAN Support Program using the DOS device drivers
   in an MVDM session, it may be necessary to reset the token ring adapter
   card. That is, if you open the VDM, then shut it down and subsequently
   wish to open another VDM with the LAN program. The file RSTTOK.ZIP can
   be found in the IBMFILES section on Compuserve and on the
   IBM National Support Center BBS.

 - Microsoft Word for OS/2 has experienced problems running on OS/2 2.0.
   Microsoft is able to provide a fix for this. If you are a registered user
   of Word for OS/2, you may call Microsoft Support and request this fix.

 - If you are a user of Lotus Freelance Graphics for OS/2, you may experience
   problems installing the software. This has to do with how Freelance
   checks for OS/2 version levels. An fix is available from Lotus. You may
   also download FLGOS2.ZIP from the IBM BBS or Compuserve.



 Section 3 - Hardware tips
 ---------

 - AOX systems

   - If your computer has an AOX add-in processor card and you encounter
     problems either installing or booting your OS2 system, you should call
     AOX support and ask for the latest "flash-prom" code upgrade.

 - IBM PS/2 Model 90/95 systems

   - For model 90 systems, you should ensure that your system has the latest
     engineering change (EC) level. Your IBM hardware service representative
     can assist you with this.

     If your processor card has part number 84F9356 then it should be replaced.

     If your memory "riser" card is part number 84F8157, then it should
     be replaced.

   - For both model 90 and 95 machines, you must ensure that you have matched
     pairs of memory SIMMs. This means that each pair of SIMMs, as described
     in your technical reference manual, must be matched as to memory size
     and speed. Mixing SIMMS can cause some machines to report memory errors.


 - Printing

   - When instaling auxiliary parallel port expansion cards, you need to
     ensure that they are configured to share interrupt level 7 (IRQ7).
     Not doing so will cause printing under OS/2 to function erratically.

   - If you send a print job to a printer that is powered off, you may
     experience a corrupted job when responding to the RETRY dialog after
     powering on the printer. You should cancel the job and resubmit it
     after turning on the printer.

   - There are some printers, when attached to an IBM Model 95 can lose
     interrupts if DMA Parallel is tuned on. By turning off DMA parallel
     with the reference disk, you can clear this up. This can vary from
     system to system and printer to printer.

 - SCSI cards

   - The early versions of the IBM 16-bit SCSI adapters may experience
     problems and report erroneously that the device is not functioning.
     This can be corrected by replacing the SCSI card with a card with
     updated microcode.

 - General

   - There have been some intermittent problems using 50 mHz systems with
     AT-style bus machines with a mouse. The mouse can get out of synch.
     Input will funciton through the keyboard and the mouse, but it is
     recommended to shutdown the system and restart to "resynch" the mouse.


IBM DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT
LIMITATION, WARRANTIES OF FITNESS AND MERCHANTABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE
INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. BY FURNISHING THIS DOCUMENT, IBM GRANTS NO
LICENSES TO ANY RELATED PATENTS OR COPYRIGHTS. Copyright IBM Corporation, 1992.
All rights reserved.