Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!apple!agate!shelby!portia.stanford.edu!elmanad
From: elmanad@portia.Stanford.EDU (Adam Elman)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: No wallpapere
Summary: Possibly booting to real mode?
Keywords: no wallpaper, real mode, standard mode
Message-ID: <1991Jan30.004624.8098@portia.Stanford.EDU>
Date: 30 Jan 91 00:46:24 GMT
References: <1991Jan29.045612.2489@csusac.csus.edu>
Organization: AIR, Stanford University
Lines: 42

In article <1991Jan29.045612.2489@csusac.csus.edu> alvesj@athena.ecs.csus.edu (Jeremy Alves) writes:
>
>In article <20503@hydra.gatech.EDU> ce1zzes@prism.gatech.EDU (Eric Sheppard) writes:
>>My computer has stopped loading the wallpaper on startup.  I thought it
>>might be a suddenly-malicious NEWPAPER program (although it had been 
>>performing flawlessly for months), so I removed it.  No luck.  I then
>>re-installed Windows.  Still a blank grey screen for a backdrop.  Does
>>anyone have any suggestions?
>>
>>Particulars:  8MHz AT compatible with EGA card and monitor.  Himem and
>>Smartdrive loaded and active.  Recently installed 4DOS, but the problem
>>persists with the old processor.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Eric
>
>This occasionally happens to mine, when I run a second instance of
>windows, or at other times when there is a lot of memory gone.  I 
>think that this may be due to insufficient memory, check the the
>size of what you are loading for wallpaper, and how much free
>memory you have in windows.  This is my best guess as to the problem.
>
>_alvesj@athena.ecs.csus.edu

The reason that this happens when you run a second instance of windows
is that the machine, after running one instance, can only run an
instance in real mode, under which Windows can't display wallpaper.
Windows can only display wallpaper under standard mode.  I had the
same problem when I installed DR DOS on my machine a week or so ago,
but it turned out I had just forgotten to include himem.sys in the
config.sys file.  Since you seem to think you've got himem.sys up and
running, it's possible that something else in your configuration has
changed to force Windows to boot up in real mode.  Check the
"about..." under the help menu in the Program Manager to see if you're
in real or standard mode.  If you are indeed in real mode, try typing
"win /s" (I think) at the DOS prompt to force Windows to boot in
standard mode.  

Adam Elman
Do what I mean, not what I say! :)

elmanad@portia.stanford.edu