How do I stop "garbled" directory after exiting win3.11 ?

[keropi666]

Hiya!

I have successfully installed win3.11 on my p200mmx machine. This pc runs DOS from win98SE (windows deleted completely) and has a 8GB FAT32 single partitioned hdd. (been running my old DOS stuff this way for years)

With the help of W3XSTART.EXE I patched IO.SYS and 3.11 runs great. The only problem is that when you exit it the directory listing is like this and no program from c:\windows can run again unless you change directory and do a dir there (example go to root of C:\ and dir)

The HDD does not get corrupted, no files are lost. You just need to DIR another location to fix this. The limitation is that if you do not dir another location then you cannot immediately run something from c:\windows (for example an automated windows exit and restart fails)

I don't use IFSHLP.SYS at all and even tried a specific win311 config that loads IFSHLP.SYS from their directory (as the newer dos one is not compatible) but it did nothing different...

I would appreciate any help/tips on this in case someone remembers such old stuff

Thanks in advance for any help!!!

[rloew]

I would appreciate any help/tips on this in case someone remembers such old stuff

Thanks in advance for any help!!!

 

Windows 3.11 corrupts the Current Directory Pointer in one or more of DOS 7's Drive Table Entries.

Although possible to workaround with Batch Files, it is complicated.

I wrote a Wrapper Program around WIN.COM that resets the Pointers.

[jumper]

The only problem is that when you exit it the directory listing is like this and no program from c:\windows can run again unless you change directory and do a dir there (example go to root of C:\ and dir)

...You just need to DIR another location to fix this. The limitation is that if you do not dir another location then you cannot immediately run something from c:\windows (for example an automated windows exit and restart fails)

If win.com runs from autoexec.bat, try adding:

win.com
@cd\
@dir /b/w > nul
@cd\windows 

or create a win.bat with the above code.

For automated windows exit and restart, perhaps you could put reboot.exe in the root directory and have windows run it from there.

[keropi666]

Windows 3.11 corrupts the Current Directory Pointer in one or more of DOS 7's Drive Table Entries.

Although possible to workaround with Batch Files, it is complicated.

I wrote a Wrapper Program around WIN.COM that resets the Pointers.

ah, thanks for the explanation rloew

I have looked at your site but did not see the wrapper you mention, is there a way to get it?

If win.com runs from autoexec.bat, try adding:

win.com@cd\@dir /b/w > nul@cd\windows 

or create a win.bat with the above code.

For automated windows exit and restart, perhaps you could put reboot.exe in the root directory and have windows run it from there.

thanks for the info jumper, will come handy... but I don't understand the reboot.exe/root thingie, can you explain further what you mean by it?

[rloew]

I have looked at your site but did not see the wrapper you mention, is there a way to get it?

The wrapper is experimental. I did not publish it. My website has less than 1% of the programs I have written.

[keropi666]

allright then

so the only solution for now is the batch solution jumper suggested ?

[rloew]

allright then

so the only solution for now is the batch solution jumper suggested ?

A better solution would be to Patch SYSTEM\WIN386.EXE as follows:

Windows 3.1

0005EA26: 66 C7 46 49 FF FF -> 6A FF 8F 46 49 90

0005EC38: 66 C7 46 49 FF FF -> 6A FF 8F 46 49 90

Windows 3.11

00065A26: 66 C7 46 49 FF FF -> 6A FF 8F 46 49 90

00065C38: 66 C7 46 49 FF FF -> 6A FF 8F 46 49 90

EDIT: Patch was for Windows 3.1, added 3.11 Version.

[keropi666]

rloew , you just made my day!

this is just awesome and indeed a way better solution that .bat files

I have tried it and it works fine, directories do not get corrupted after exit and all work fine in this aspect , I will do some work in 3.11 and see how it goes

as a sidenote I could not find the 2 patterns above in the addresses you specify , I have found them in these 2 places instead:

it works but I hope I did not destroy something LOL

once again, MEGA THANKS rloew !

[rloew]

as a sidenote I could not find the 2 patterns above in the addresses you specify , I have found them in these 2 places instead:

I checked my Windows 3. It was 3.1 not 3.11.

This explains the different addresses. Both of your addresses are equally offset from mine, and they work, so there should be no problems.

I don't think there will be any problems unless you try to use it with DOS 6.

[keropi666]

thanks again rloew , now we have 2 patches