Windows 95

Top of Tech Help -or- Table of Contents -or- Top of Form











Setting up in Windows 95

 It is generally easier to install and debug LBL at the DOS level, not inside Win95, so we recommend booting into Win95's "DOS 7." To do so you must edit a text file called "MSDOS.SYS" kept in the root of drive C:. This is a hidden, readonly, system file so use the ATTRIB command to change the attribute bits. To do this, get to a DOS prompt, then type: 

      ATTRIB MSDOS.SYS -r -s -h
Then edit this same file (MSDOS.SYS) and add (or modify) these two lines: 
    [Options]
    BootGUI=0
    logo=0
Now Win95 will (usually) boot straight to DOS. To run Windows, type WIN.

At the DOS level, setup LBL as described in the installation section of this manual. Once everything is working, remove NETUNIT.SYS in CONFIG.SYS. In AUTOEXEC.BAT add the MODE parameter with the following settings: 

        MODE:D011h,59h

EXAMPLE (CONFIG.SYS):

    LASTDRIVE=Z
    DOS=HIGH
    FILES=100
    DEVICE=\CDROM\MTMCDS.SYS  /P:300 /A:0 /M:1 /I:5
    DEVICE=C:\LBL\NETBSHAR.SYS lpt1 lpt1 on:5
    DEVICE=C:\LBL\NET00000.SYS #1 "bigwin" 

EXAMPLE (AUTOEXEC.BAT):

    PROMPT $p$g
    PATH=D:\WINDOWS;D:\WINDOWS\COMMAND;C:\;C:\LBL;
    C:\LBL\NET8
    C:\LBL\ETH_LINK int119 eth:340   debug
    C:\LBL\NET21 handles:100  mode:d011h,59h
When you reboot, "DOS 7" should load instead of Win95 and LBL should be functional, just as with any other version of DOS. If it is, type: WIN and Windows 95 will load replacing DOS.

LBL should still be functional within the Win95 GUI, and from the MSDOS boxes. You should be able to run Explorer and access the networked drives. If not, there more than likely is a hardware conflict -- especially with a sound card, or you are running LBL over COM ports (see special case), or you are loading the Win95 network drivers and these are destroying LBL. Go to the Win95 Network icon in the control panel, remove all network drivers -- especially the ones for the ethernet card!

Back to Win95 Menu











Printing in Win95

 There are two methods of printing in Windows 95. Method one is slower but is sometimes easier to setup. Method two is fast but is sometimes difficult to setup, and requires loading a special print spooler called FSPOOL.

Back to Win95 Menu







METHOD ONE:

This method requires you to add a line to the [ports] section in WIN.INI: 

       s:\LBLPRN1.prn=
instead of, 
        LPT1.prn=
Then, in Win95 printer setup, attach the printer to "s:\LBLPRN1.prn." You do this in Window's Printer setup dialog box. The "s" drive is any network drive. You still need the NETBSHAR line: 
        device=c:\lbl\netbshar.sys LPT1 lpt? on:?
The LBLPRN1 uses the NETBSHAR LPT1 device. If you have a local LPT1 and want to redirect LPT2, then use LBLPRN2.prn instead of LBLPRN1.prn.

A second, and faster, method of printing in Win95 uses our FSPOOL program.

Back to Win95 Menu







METHOD TWO:

In WIN.INI [Ports] section add a line that specifies an empty spooler directory and a special filename of the form: 

        [ports]
        s:\lbl\spool\files\lblprn.x:
The filename LBLPRN.x is an example. You should replace the extention "x" with the node number or other unique ID for this node, and s: is any network drive letter.

Then, in Win95 printer setup, attach the printer to "s:\lbl\spool\files\lblprn.x" You do this in Window's Printer setup dialog box.

Our program NET21 looks for the LBLPRN.x name and creates a new name like: 

        L03PRN.x
The 2nd and 3rd characters are made into a number which keeps advancing each time a new print job starts. This file will be sent to the spooler directory you specified.

Once the print file is placed by Win95 into the spooler directory -- and this should happen automatically if everything is setup okay -- there needs to be a way of printing that file to the printer. That's where FSPOOL comes in.

Back to Win95 Menu







FSPOOL

 FSPOOL is designed to scan a spooler directory, and print any files which show up in that directory. Once FSPOOL prints it, the file is deleted.

On the computer which has the printer, load FSPOOL at the end of AUTOEXEC.BAT, after the NET21 line.

By default FSPOOL scans directory C:\LBL\SPOOL\FILES, and prints any files appearing there to LPT1. Make sure that subdirectory exists. If it does not exist, create it. Other directory names can be used.

FSPOOL scans for a new file entry every 10 seconds, then, when one is found, opens the file in exclusive mode, starts reading 128 byte records, prints that 128 bytes as fast as possible, keeps reading and printing records until it reaches the end, then deletes the file. A few seconds later it will resume searching for files.

There are several parameters you can place on the command line: 

  DEBUG - Shows when it is "Looking for file," "Reading record." and 
         "Deleting File."  This info is printed directly to the screen.

  LPTx - Indicates which LPT port to use.

  SCAN:x - Sets the scan time in ticks. This is how often to look for
         a new file entry.
            
  BUFSIZE:x - Sets the record size.

  NOTREADY:x - Sets a loop counter. This many retries will occur to wait for
         the printer to show "ready." After this FSPOOL will give up and
         retry on the next tick.

  d:\path - Specifies where to look for print files.

DEFAULTS:

FSPOOL LPT1 SCAN:182 BUFSIZE:128 NOTREADY:100
       C:\LBL\SPOOL\FILES
Back to Win95 Menu











Linking Win95 Via COM ports

If you are using a COM port to link to another computer you must tell Win95 to leave the COM port alone, otherwise it will assume control of the port and will kill the network.

You must go through this cumbersome process:

Click on:

Start --> Settings --> Control Panel

Click

You will see the "System Properties" window.

Click "Device Manager" found at the top of the window.

Scroll down and Click "Ports (COM & LPT)" (appropriate COM port).

On the "General" window, click OFF the tiny "Original Configuration (Current)" box found in the "Device usage" area. (There should not be a "X" in the box)

Click the "Resources" button at the top of the window

You will see Resource Settings something like this: 

        Input/Output Range  03F8-03FF
        Interrupt Request   04
...and underneath this click OFF "Use automatic settings."

You will see "Basic configuration 0" turn on.

Write down the Input/Output Range and Interrupt Request for later use.

Click on "OK."

You should now be back at the "System Properties," "Device Manager" window. Scroll the selections back to the top until you see the "Computer" line.

Click the "Computer" line in the scroll box.

You will see the "Computer Properties" window.

If the "Interrupt request (IRQ)" button is not ON (has a dot in it), then click that ON. Then click "Reserve Resources."

You will see the IRQ resource window. Click "Add."

You will see the "Edit Resource Setting" window, and it will be waiting for you to enter an IRQ value. With the keyboard enter the IRQ your COM port is using. This is from the information you wrote down earlier.

Then click "OK."

You will now be back to the IRQ resource window. Now click on the "Input/output (I/O)" button, then click "Add."

You will see another "Edit Resource Setting" window, but this time it will be waiting for you to enter a start value and an end value. With the keyboard enter the range your COM port is using. This is from the information you wrote down earlier. An example would be COM1 starting at 3F8 and ending at 3FF, or COM2 starting at 2F8 and ending at 2FF.

Click "OK."

You should now be back at the main "System Properties," "Device Manager" window.

To be sure these changes "took,"

Scroll down and Click "Ports (COM & LPT)" (appropriate COM port). (This COM port should have an "X" overtop its icon.)

Click "Resources."

The conflicting device list should say something like: 

        Input/Output Range 02F8-02FF used by:
           System Reserved
        Interrupt Request 03 used by:
           System Reserved
This should do it.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Make sure these two items are clicked off: 

   (Go to the "Communications Port (COM?) Properies."  You have already 
   been here by going to "Device Manager," and selecting the appropriate 
   COM port.) 

   1) "Original Configuration (Current)" found in the "General" window 

   2) "Use automatic settings" in the "Resources" window.
It is very important that these be off even when the hardware is properly reserved elsewhere.

ALSO,

If you are using COM3 or COM4, and if this COM port is using the same IRQ as COM1 or COM2, you must resolve this conflict by setting the hardware for another IRQ (if possible), or you must also disable the conflicting COM1 or COM2 port.

Back to Win95 Menu