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From: ted@ssc-vax.UUCP (Ted Jardine)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer,comp.sys.mac
Subject: MS Excel 1.5 Problems
Keywords: Excel, DAs, Fragmented Memory
Message-ID: <2752@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: 22 Jun 89 22:51:12 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Boeing Aerospace Corp., Seattle WA
Lines: 56

I have been experiencing an increasing variety of problems with MicroSoft
Excel 1.5, so thought I would ask others:

	*  if they are having the same or similar problems, and
	*  whether anyone knows if any of these problems are fixed
	   in Excel 2.2.

Configuration:
Macintosh II color system; 8 MB memory; 80 MB hard disk; modem; ImageWriter
II printer; System 6.0.3.  Several inits and cdevs, including Init Manager,
HeirDA, ApplicationMenu, SoundMaster 1.2, SuitCase II 1.2.3, SuperClock 3.3,
etc.  Run Multifinder exclusively.

Fragmented Memory.
Unless MS Excel 1.5 is loaded immediately after startup, it complains that
memory is fragmented and refuses to load.  This includes the case when I
run a desk accessory, such as the Control Panel, right after startup.

Unable to run DAs.
If MS Excel 1.5 is loaded after startup, once it is in memory any attempt
to run a desk accessory results in a dialog box that indicates there is
not enough memory to run the desk accessory.

Copying to Diskette Fails.
With MS Excel 1.5 in memory, switching to Finder and copying folders from
my hard disk to a 3.5" diskette (800 KB) almost always results in a message
that one of the folders cannot be opened.  The folder exists, and Excel has
not opened that folder, or any folder containing it.  Switching to Excel,
quitting, and then re-executing the copy task causes the copy to complete
normally, as expected.

Display of Startupscreen prevents execution of Excel 1.5.
MS Excel 1.5 will start properly if opened immediately after startup of the
system, whether there are any INITs or CDEVs opened during startup or not.
But inclusion of a Startupscreen in the System Folder, resulting in display
of the startup screen image during startup, causes the Fragmented Memory
symptom to appear.

Other applications prematurely quit with Excel 1.5 present.
Other applications, particularly Wingz 1.0, may be started successfully
with Excel 1.5 present in memory, but attempts to save files in these
applications result in premature termination of the application with a
dialog that states that an out of memory condition has been detected.
In all cases the amount of available memory exceeds 6 MB, as indicated
by either About Finder or Spy (a debugging init).

I'm not interested in roasting MicroSoft, even though I sometimes think
that this might be emotionally satisfying.  I also think that many of
these problems result from characteristics of both Excel and MacOS.
If there are sufficient responses to this request, I'll summarize and
post the results.  Thanks for your time and attention.
-- 
TJ {With Amazing Grace} The Piper
aka Ted Jardine  CFI-ASME/I
Usenet:		...uw-beaver!ssc-vax!ted
Internet:	ted@atc.boeing.com