PRB: Visual C++ Setup Loads and Copies Files Slowly

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows, versions 1.0 and 1.5

SYMPTOMS

The Microsoft Visual C++ Setup program may load slowly and copy files very slowly. In some cases, Setup may require up to 15 minutes to install the files on each floppy disk. Setup is designed to require only 1.5 to 3 minutes per floppy disk.

CAUSE

Disk caching is not available.

RESOLUTION

Install disk caching software, such as SMARTDRV.EXE, before running Setup. On some systems, disk caching may not be required; however, because Setup must copy and decompress a large amount of data, it benefits greatly from caching.

MORE INFORMATION

The caching program should cache both the hard disk and the floppy disk and must be large enough to provide for efficient operation. The default settings for the SMARTDrive program provided with Microsoft Windows 3.1 should be adequate for most users. Do not specify the "A-" and "B-" options (without quotation marks) which disable caching for floppy disks.

If you use SuperPCQuik or QCache, it may be necessary to specify the /T+ option to enable track buffering. Do not use the /-A or /-B (disable floppy disk caching) options with QCache.

For more information about SMARTDrive, please refer to your "Microsoft Windows User's Guide."

For best operation, your CONFIG.SYS file should contain two additional settings. Specify 30 or more disk buffers before you run Setup and specify a maximum of at least 50 file handles before you run Visual C++. To specify these recommended minimums, add the following lines to your CONFIG.SYS file:

   BUFFERS=30
   FILES=50