Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!hp-pcd!hplsla!davidr
From: davidr@hplsla.HP.COM (David M. Reed)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: Networks using config.sys
Message-ID: <3130027@hplsla.HP.COM>
Date: 18 Aug 90 02:32:10 GMT
References: <13282@rouge.usl.edu>
Organization: HP Lake Stevens, WA
Lines: 23

One of my major complaints about MSWindows (that is still NOT fixed in
version 3) is that it seems to touch hardware that I do not want it to
touch, but there is no way to say "keep your hands off!".  

I have a preference (for reasons I will not go into here) to define our 
3COM and Western Digital LAN cards at interrupt 3 (COM2's interrupt).
However, is a user wants to run MSWindows on their system I can not set
the card interrupt to either COMx interrupt (3 or 4), but must use an LPTx
interrupt (5 or 6).  Even though NO program under MSWindows is run that
might even access either COM port (though a mouse is typically on COM1),
the LAN cards often end up in a mode that requires a cold boot to reset.

Most of the systems I support (100+) are using PC/TCP from FTP Software.
The problem does not always happen.  Often we can use a LAN program (ftp,
telnet) within MSWindows, though usually we do not.  Sometimes those who 
use such a LAN program can only use it once (such as reported by the writer
of this base note).  Most of the time the users do not find the LAN card
messed up until the exit from MSWindows to use the LAN programs.

Our work-around is to configure the cards at interrupt 5 (LPT2).  We have
never had a problem after doing that.  However, we should never have a 
problem with interrupt 3 if MSWindows wouldn't touch things it is not
directly instructed to touch.