Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucsd!helios.ee.lbl.gov!nosc!crash!ncr-sd!se-sd!retter
From: retter@se-sd.SanDiego.NCR.COM (Rob Retter)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Having trouble with MS Windows 3.0 on 386SX clone
Message-ID: <3407@se-sd.SanDiego.NCR.COM>
Date: 26 Jun 90 03:28:28 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: NCR Corporation, Systems Engineering - San Diego
Lines: 56
X-Local-Date: 25 Jun 90 20:28:28 PDT


Having installed MS Windows 3.0 on my 386SX backyard clone,
I seem to have a problem with Windows interacting with my
hard drive.

The sequence of events is as follows:
invoke "win" at the DOS "C:" prompt
blue Windows intro screen appears, remains for approx 5 secs
screen goes black, text cursor in upper left corner
**** here screen should go grey and graphics cursor should
**** appear in form of an hourglass, which soon disappears
**** in favor of Program Manager window
screen remains black with text cursor in upper left for approx
  35 seconds
DOS "C:" prompt returns

This occurs often, but not always.  Sometimes grey screen and hourglass
appear, but remain for approx 30 seconds before "System Error" window
appears with message "Cannot access drive C:".  Options are Cancel
and Retry.

Retry works, and we continue into normal windows.

Sometimes execution is perfectly normal from invocation up to point
where I try to invoke an application (even the MS Windows
accessories!). "Unrecoverable Application Error" window appears
and Win 3.0 is pretty much fried.  This has also happened when 
Saving a file within Notepad or Paint.

Furthermore: some of the graphics bitmap files are a bit scrambled.
For example, blue Windows intro screen has a dark line right
through the MicroSoft logo.  Ironic.

Have re-installed several times and different files seem to be
affected each time.  Sometimes all appears normal until "Application
Error".

MS technical support told me that I needed to replace my DOS with
the MS version (not the Compaq version I had) and reinstall Win 3.0.
Didn't help a bit.  Told me Win 3.0 uses BIOS calls to perform disk
IO.  I wondered why the DOS version would matter if it were a BIOS
problem.....oh, well.

I suspect a possible conflict between my AMI BIOS and my Precision
motherboard, but I have no meaningful knowledge of hardware by which
to judge.  The other hardware attribute which might be relevant is
my video card: an OEM Paradise 1024 card with 512K.

Anyone seen this behavior on their machines with Win 3.0?
Anyone have a suggestion for me to apply in fixing the problem?
(Please, *nice* suggestions! I've already thought of all the others...)

Thanks for your time.  Please e-mail responses rather than post.

- Rob Retter
  retter@se-sd.sandiego.ncr.com