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From: todd@uhunix1.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Todd Ogasawara)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: Gateway 2000, Win 3.0, & Excel 2.1C???
Keywords: problems with Excel on a Gateway 2000
Message-ID: <11471@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu>
Date: 15 Feb 91 07:54:09 GMT
References: <11279@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> <1991Feb7.021757.29391@cbnewsi.att.com>
Sender: news@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu
Organization: University of Hawaii
Lines: 47

In article <1991Feb7.021757.29391@cbnewsi.att.com> hrs1@cbnewsi.att.com (herman.r.silbiger) writes:
>In article <11279@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu>, todd@uhunix1.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Todd Ogasawara) writes:
>> I just received my 33MHz 80386 Gateway 2000 yesterday and started moving my
>> software from my old AT clone to it today. I've run into a problem with
>> Microsoft Excel 2.1C (upgrade released in December 1989). The problem is
>> that Excel locks up right after the startup screen (the empty spreadsheet)
>> appears in either Windows 3.0 Standard or 386Enchanced mode. It works ok if

>I have the same system as you, but you did not say which disk drive you have.  I
>have the 150 Mb ESDI with UltraStor controller, which os a cached controller.

I have a 200MB IDE drive with a Western Digital 64K segmented cache
controller.

>While I did not have the problem you mention with Excel, (I also have 2.1c), I had some problems with a few other programs.  I found out that there is no need
>for PC-Cache which I was uasing when you have a cache controller for the hard
>disk.  After I removed PC-Cache I had no more problems.  Apperently there is
>some contention between the the two caching facilities.

After listening to net-advice from people like you, I too dumped PC-CACHE
6.0 and went back to using SMARTDRV.SYS with Windows 3.0. Since doing so, I
have not experienced any Windows related disk file thrashing.

I have had a few other odd experiences though. Last night I received a "Not
a DOS disk message" while booting. I checked the floppies and they were
empty. Repeated "three-finger-salutes" (Ctrl-Alt-Del) resulted in the same
message. I finally hit the hardware reset button on the front panel and the
boot went smoothly after that.

The only other problems I've noted are:

1. the game QuadVGA will not get past the "mouse" query (yes, I have
   mouse.sys 7.04 loaded properly).
2. Electronic Arts' "Lakers vs. Celtics" sometimes will freeze at the
   start screen.
3. the "lava lamp" graphics program from cica.cica.indiana.edu crashed
   a few times.

On the other hand, Word for Windows 1.1, Excel 2.15c, and ATM 1.0 all
see to work fine now that I have dumped PC-CACHE 6.0.

...todd
--
Todd Ogasawara, U. of Hawaii
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