Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!hybrid!scifi!bywater!uunet!world!goodearl From: goodearl@world.std.com (Robert Goodearl) Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms.programmer Subject: Re: What the heck is this AUX device? Message-ID: <1991Feb2.223122.26046@world.std.com> Date: 2 Feb 91 22:31:22 GMT References: <1991Jan31.182905.7337@javelin.es.com> Organization: The World @ Software Tool & Die Lines: 34 In article mathew@mantis.co.uk (mathew) writes: >lwallace@javelin.es.com (Lynn Wallace) writes: >> Several of the Microsoft SDK sample programs, as well as Notepad and others, >> cause my system to hang for about a minute, then display an "error writing >> to device AUX/cancel/retry" message. ... >> >> I conjecture this: The AUX is supposed to be my auxillary monitor, which I >> don't have... > >Correct. Sort of correct. AUX is a synonym for the output side of COM1. If you were to connect a terminal, serial printer or another computer running a communication program to your COM1 port (with the appropriate cable), windows would give you information about the FATAL EXIT it is making. This includes the type of error and a stack dump. Of course if you don't have the symbolic stack information what you mostly get is a bunch of hex addresses that don't mean much to you. You can get fatal exit messages from the non-debugging version of windows, though because of the additional error checking built into the debug version you are more likely to get a fatal exit from it. > >Note that even if you have a second monitor, your problems are not over. >You'll need the OX.SYS driver which redirects AUX: to the second screen. > OX.SYS (notice how it sounds like AUX) is a driver that redirects the AUX device to output on a monochrome montitor in a system that has both color and monochrome displays. It will not work on a PS/2 with both VGA and 8514 display adaptors. -- Bob Goodearl -- goodearl@world.std.com