The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.1, 3.11
- Microsoft Windows for Workgroups versions 3.1, 3.11
SYMPTOMS
You may receive one of the following error messages when you try to run an
MS-DOS-based application under Microsoft Windows or Windows for Workgroups
in the 386 enhanced mode:
- Incorrect system version; reinstall the 386 enhanced mode of Windows
- Incompatible Version of Operating System
CAUSES
The problem is probably caused by one of the following:
- The video grabber does not match the virtual display device.
- An old WINOA386.MOD file resides in the Windows\SYSTEM subdirectory.
- The machine has a duplicate COMMAND.COM file (dated prior to your
current version) in the Windows directory.
- You have a WINOA386.MOD file in both the Windows and Windows\SYSTEM
subdirectory.
WORKAROUND
To correct these problems, see the appropriate section below.
Wrong Video Grabber
The SYSTEM.INI file contains three entries that specify which video driver
you use in the 386 enhanced mode of Windows. These are the "386Grabber" and
"display.drv" entries in the [boot] section and the "display" entry in the
[386Enh] section. The error message above usually occurs when one of these
entries is not consistent with the others--usually due to using a Windows
version 3.0 video driver with Windows version 3.1.
If you are using display drivers not included with Windows 3.1, contact
your display adapter manufacturer to get an updated driver installation
disk.
In many cases, you can work around this problem by manually installing the
version 3.0 driver files that are included on the Windows 3.1 Setup disks.
If your display driver works in Windows 3.0 using the standard VGA virtual
display device file (specified by "display=*vddvga" in the [386Enh] section
of the SYSTEM.INI file), then do the following:
- Copy and expand the VDDVGA30.386 file from the Windows 3.1 Setup
Disk 1 (5.25-inch or 3.5-inch disk set) into your Windows 3.1
SYSTEM subdirectory.
To expand the VDDVGA30.386 file, use the Expand utility
(EXPAND.EXE) in the Windows directory. If you are unsure of the
syntax for using Expand, type "expand /?" (without quotation marks)
at the MS-DOS command prompt.
- Change the line "display=..." in the [386Enh] section of SYSTEM.INI
to read:
display=VDDVGA30.386
If your display driver works in Windows 3.0 using the standard VGA grabber
file (specified by "386Grabber=VGA.3GR" in the [boot] section of the
SYSTEM.INI file), then do the following:
- Copy and expand the VGA30.3GR file from the Windows 3.1 Setup disks
(Disk 3 for the 5.25-inch disk set and Disk 2 for the 3.5-inch disk
set) into your Windows 3.1 SYSTEM subdirectory.
To expand the VGA30.3GR file, use the Expand utility (EXPAND.EXE)
in the Windows directory. If you are unsure of the syntax for using
Expand, type "expand /?" (without quotation marks) at the MS-DOS
command prompt.
- Change the line "386Grabber=" in the [boot] section of the
SYSTEM.INI file to read:
386Grabber=VGA30.3GR
Old WINOA386.MOD File
To determine if this is the problem, do the following:
- Run File Manager.
- Change to the root directory (C:\).
- From the File menu, choose Search.
- In the Search For box, type "*.MOD" (without quotation marks). Make
sure the Search All Subdirectories check box is selected, and
choose the OK button.
- When the Search Results window appears, choose All File Details
from the View menu.
- If the WINOA386.MOD file is not in the Windows\SYSTEM directory, or
if the file is has a date earlier than March 10, 1992, delete it.
- If you deleted a file in step 6, copy and expand the WINOA386.MOD
file from the Windows 3.1 Setup Disk 4 (5.25-inch or 3.5-inch disk
set) into your Windows 3.1 SYSTEM subdirectory.
To expand the WINOA386.MOD file, use the Expand utility
(EXPAND.EXE) in the Windows directory. If you are unsure of the
syntax for using Expand, type "expand /?" (without quotation marks)
at the MS-DOS command prompt.
Duplicate COMMAND.COM File
You should have two COMMAND.COM files on your machine: one in your root
directory and the other in the directory that contains your MS-DOS files
(typically C:\DOS). If you have an extra COMMAND.COM file, it is probably
in your Windows directory and it is probably dated prior to the version of
COMMAND.COM loaded when you booted MS-DOS. You need to delete this file.
To verify that this is the problem, double-click on the COMMAND.COM file in
the root directory and it will launch a virtual MS-DOS machine.
Duplicate WINOA386.MOD File
To work correct this situation, delete the WINOA386.MOD file from the
Windows directory.