FastTips: Using Third-Party Utilities

SUMMARY

This article contains the complete text of the "Using Third-Party Utilities Questions & Answers" fax script.

This fax script is available to customers who call the Microsoft FastTips Service for Operating Systems at (800) 936-4200.

MORE INFORMATION

  Microsoft(R) Product Support Services Application Note (Text File)
        WG0695: USING THIRD-PARTY UTILITIES QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

                                                  Revision Date: 10/92
                                                      No Disk Included

 --------------------------------------------------------------------
| INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT AND ANY SOFTWARE THAT MAY    |
| ACCOMPANY THIS DOCUMENT (collectively referred to as an            |
| Application Note) IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY      |
| KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO    |
| THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A     |
| PARTICULAR PURPOSE. The user assumes the entire risk as to the     |
| accuracy and the use of this Application Note. This Application    |
| Note may be copied and distributed subject to the following        |
| conditions: 1) All text must be copied without modification and    |
| all pages must be included; 2) If software is included, all files  |
| on the disk(s) must be copied without modification [the MS-DOS(R)  |
| utility DISKCOPY is appropriate for this purpose]; 3) All          |
| components of this Application Note must be distributed together;  |
| and 4) This Application Note may not be distributed for profit.    |
|                                                                    |
| Copyright 1992 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.         |
| Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and Windows         |
| is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.                           |
| PC Tools is a trademark of Central Point Software, Inc.            |
| Stacker is a trademark of STAC Electronics.                        |
 --------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Q. Is Microsoft Windows for Workgroups compatible with
      utilities produced by other software companies (for example, PC
      Tools(TM) Backup and Norton Desktop for Windows)?

   A. Windows for Workgroups is compatible with most popular third-
      party applications. However, as discussed in the Setup section
      of FastTips, Windows for Workgroups should be installed in a
      newly created directory if you experience problems with updating
      your current Windows installation. Third-party drivers, font
      software, and desktop shells should then be reinstalled in the
      new directory location of Windows for Workgroups. Third-party
      utilities that are known to adversely affect the Windows for
      Workgroups Setup program are Norton Desktop for Windows, PC
      Tools Backup version 7.1, and disk-compression software.

2. Q. Can I use Norton Desktop for Windows with Microsoft Windows
      for Workgroups?

   A. Before you upgrade to Windows for Workgroups from Microsoft
      Windows versions 3.x, disable the Norton Desktop shell to avoid
      functionality conflicts with Norton Desktop for Windows.
      Disabling Norton Desktop includes replacing the line
      "shell=ndw.exe" (without the quotation marks) with
      "shell=progman.exe" (without the quotation marks)in the
      SYSTEM.INI file and removing all other Norton Desktop references
      in both the SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI files. After you successfully
      install Windows for Workgroups, you can reinstall Norton Desktop
      for Windows version 2.0 or later.

      When you use Norton Desktop for Windows, you cannot disconnect a
      network drive using the Desktop's Disk menu. You must use File
      Manager's Disk menu to disconnect a network drive. Norton
      Desktop for Windows lacks the functionality to share directories
      with other workstations in your workgroup. At this time, only
      the Windows for Workgroups File Manager Disk menu can provide
      the user interface and functionality to share directories.

3. Q. I use a disk-compression utility to compress my hard drive.
      What steps should I take to install and use Microsoft Windows
      for Workgroups?

   A. When you install Windows for Workgroups to a drive that has been
      compressed with a disk-compression utility, such as Stacker(TM),
      some Windows for Workgroup files are copied to the root of the
      boot drive. These files include the network card and protocol
      device drivers, PROTMAN.DOS, WORKGROUP.SYS, and HIMEM.SYS. The
      network device statements should be loaded after the disk-
      compression device statements in the CONFIG.SYS file.

4. Q. When I exit PC Tools Backup, Windows stops responding and
      hangs. How can I correct this problem?

   A. If Windows hangs after you exit PC Tools Backup, use the
      following five steps:

      1. Open the SYSTEM.INI file in an ASCII text editor such as
         Microsoft Windows Notepad.

      2. In the [386enh] section, search for the line
         "dmabuffersize=" (without the quotation marks). If this line
         exists, increase its value. If it does not, add the line
         "dmabuffersize=64" (without the quotation marks).

      3. Check for the line "device=*vdmad" (without the quotation
         marks). If this line exists, replace it with
         "device=vdmad.386" (without the quotation marks).

      4. Save the SYSTEM.INI file.

      5. Check the date of the file VDMAD.386. This file should be
         located in the WINDOWS\SYSTEM subdirectory and be dated
         October 1992. If VDMAD.386 is located in the WINDOWS
         directory, rename or delete it, and expand the VDMAD.386 file
         to the WINDOWS\SYSTEM subdirectory.

      After carrying out these steps, if the PC Tools Backup utility
      continues to cause Windows to hang, please contact the
      manufacturer (Central Point Software, Inc.) directly.