Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!batcomputer!cornell!vax5.cit.cornell.edu!hd7x
From: hd7x@vax5.cit.cornell.edu (Sanjay Aiyagari)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: Problems with PIFs
Message-ID: <1991Apr2.181413.3815@vax5.cit.cornell.edu>
Date: 2 Apr 91 18:14:13 EDT
References: <1991Apr1.152745.29629@wubios.wustl.edu>
Followup-To: comp.windows.ms
Distribution: comp
Organization: CIT, Cornell University
Lines: 21

In article <1991Apr1.152745.29629@wubios.wustl.edu>,
derek@wubios.wustl.edu (Derek Morgan) writes:
> Apologies if this is appearing for the second time; I didn't get a local
> confirmation the first time. I have a problem with Win 3, and PIF files not
> working. I have just installed Windows on a Z-386SX, with 3MB of memory.
> Windows loaded fine, and seems to work OK, until I try to run a non-Windows
> app from either the iconized PIF file, or the PIF file from File Manager. I
> get the "No Association Exists for this file" message. If I set the icon to
> the .EXE file, it works OK, but I need PIFs for some other things.
>
> Here's the real puzzler; the PIF files that Windows sets up for applications
> using Windows Setup don't work either. Word 5.0's PIF gives me the same error
> Any answers, guesses, or "I've seen this before" from anybody are greatly
> appreciated. I'm supporting a user who is wondereing why she can't use Window
> 3.0 the way she did Win386 2.xx. Progress, I told her. She doesn't believe me

Check the Programs= line in the WIN.INI file.  It should say
Programs=com exe bat pif
but if by some chance the "pif" is omitted, then Windows will think PIF files
are data files and not programs to be run.
Sanjay Aiyagari (hd7x@vax5.cit.cornell.edu)