win2000/pb

[djthain]

I haven't found a combination of parameters that would make pb 3.2 work with Win2K. I start out in full screen mode. My colors are faded when I bring up the editor. I can Debug/Refresh to get them back but when I execute a compiled program the faded colors return. I also can't get full screen to work very well with compiled programs executed from DOS either. I have to switch to windows mode to get the correct transaction to work. I use peek/poke statements.

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[Tom Hanlin]

Are the colors the same if you're in a window or full-screen? If not,
there's something bizarre going on with your display adapter or monitor.
On the other hand, if the colors are just not what you're used to, you
can select the colors you want by setting the properties for the
_default.pif file in your Windows directory (probably C:\WINNT)-- or
set the properties for the PB/DOS shortcut, if you're using one.

Could you tell us what doesn't work very well?

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Tom Hanlin
PowerBASIC Staff

[djthain]

The colors change from windows screen mode to full screen mode. The colors fade in full screen mode. I have tried PB3.2 on many machines so I don't think the video adapter or monitor is the problem. The problem of faded colors started when I changed from win95 to NT. I have since changed to win2k but the same color problem still persist. I have this problem with colors even with the original powerbasic screen before the pbinst is used to set the color.cfg.

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[Tom Hanlin]

I've never seen or heard of any such thing under Win98, NT, Win2k, or XP.

Has anyone else run into this?

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Tom Hanlin
PowerBASIC Staff

[Clay Clear]

Tom,

I just booted to my W2K Pro installation (got a dual boot set up), and
I also had color anomalies in my PB/DOS IDE. My video adaptor is an
NVidia TNT2 Model 64 on a Princeton E0710 monitor. I have NEVER
had problems under my Win98SE, regardless of what was in use
for video hardware.

NOTE: my W2K uses its stock drivers for the video hardware.

ADDED: I just realized that I only checked it in full screen mode.


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[This message has been edited by Clay Clear (edited November 08, 2002).]

[Lance Edmonds]

Can you expand [significantly] on the the description "faded colors" please? I too do not understand how you can "get them back" when you do an IDE refresh, and then lose them again.

Are you getting a gray-scale screen, or are the colors just more pastel-like in appearance, or some other effect?

What is the purpose of the PEEK/POKE statements?

Are you [re]programming the VGA adaptor or altering the default palette in any way?

Does the same effect happen with any program you compile, or just one in particular (that has the PEEK/POKE statements).

Is the effect the same in full-screen as in Windowed?

If you take a screen shot, paste it into PAINT, save to disk then open the BMP on another PC, are the colors the same? Fancy sending one of these to Tech Support?

Thanks!




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Lance
PowerBASIC Support
mailto:[email protected][email protected]</A>

[Clay Clear]

UPDATE: I just had a hunch, rebooted to my W2K Pro, but THIS time,
I ran PB.EXE with W2K's COMMAND.COM, by using ShellExecute from a
PB/Win program, and this time, the IDE colors were normal. So, maybe
it's CMD.EXE that has issues with some DOS screen stuff?


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[Lance Edmonds]

Very doubtful, IMHO.

However, since you have a repeatable test condition where the problem shows up and one where it does not, try the following:

Open both instances of PB.EXE using each of the two methods you describe, and while they are running, press ALT+SPACE and click on PROPERTIES.

Next, choose the COLORS tab and take notes of the RGB colors for each of the 16 colors in the palette. Compare results to the other instance. Adjust "faulty" color entries to match the other instance's settings, then click OK, choose "Save Properties for all windows with the same title". Click OK.

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Lance
PowerBASIC Support
mailto:[email protected][email protected]</A>

[e sutton]

I have had exactly the same problem on all(Compaq/Dell)
W2K machines with PB3.5
My solution was the same, use command.com NOT cmd.com
eg in the properties box /cmd line for pb.exe use.
C:\winnt\system32\command.com /c pb
This fixes the colour problem, but not the dos/ems memory
problems.If you make a shortcut to command.com on the desktop
you can also adjust if starts full screen ,no of lines on screen
etc. from its properties.
It would be neat if PB4 resolved all these things.
Eric



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[Lance Edmonds]

How would you suggest we do that? Rewrite the Virtual Dos Machine support or create our own command-interpreter?

On a related note, have you tried using the 4NT version of 4DOS?

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Lance
PowerBASIC Support
mailto:[email protected][email protected]</A>

[e sutton]

Whatever it takes Lance, because it is a fiddle to get PB3.x
going in W2K. Inexperienced users might give up.
The memory limitations are especially problematic, and I keep
old dos/qemm on a dual boot, and use it where I need max main
memory eg debugging in the ide.
At the very least you should make PB4 use command.com in it's
install routine for w2k.
Eric

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[Lance Edmonds]

I'm not trying to be gruff or argumentative, but the problem is that the configuration of the virtual DOS machine is something that the PC's user/owner is in charge of. It's not something that a compiler should or likely will be responsible for.

IOW, if you need to use COMMAND.COM, CMD.EXE, or 4NT, then that's what you need to use.

OTOH, I'm running PB/DOS 3.2 and 3.5 under Windows 2000 with no problems at all. Only need one Properties change to enable the mouse and provide 16Mb of EMS, and it's away laughing.

I've never had problems with color, memory, the command interpreter or anything. (Although I do admit to REM'ing much of CONFIG.NT and AUTOEXEC.NT to maximize free conventional memory, but that is no more complex than doing the same thing on a plain DOS 6.22, Win3.x, or Windows 9x PC.)

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Lance
PowerBASIC Support
mailto:[email protected][email protected]</A>

[djthain]

I think I have figured out the problem with faded colors. I found that if I change the DOS properties/layout buffer and windows height to 25 the problem will go away. Even CMD.Com works fine. The Environment/Screen Size in Powerbasic must be left at 25. If it is set to 50/43 it will show faded colors. If the DOS buffer and windows height is changed to 50, the Powerbasic Environment/Screen Size must be 50/43 also to keep from getting faded colors. My definition of faded colors is as an example, when you use the drop down menu as in the File/Open in Powerbasic, the pen in Open is unreadable.

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