Re: printer problems {again}

[Harry Binswanger hb@xxxxxxxx]

Leslie,



I
saw Harry's message (below) after  I posted the verbatim
autoexec.bat and config.sys files. Does your advice still apply? Should I
just rename the autoexec.bat file? And what does it mean exactly to
rename it "at DOS"? Do I call up the C: directory and write REN
AUTOEXEC.BAT AUTOEXEC.SAV in the command field, then put the cursor on
AUTOEXEC.BAT, and hit F9?


No, you don't use F9 in DOS, only the ENTER key. F9 is used in XyWrite
not DOS.



 (In
other words, is the C: directory one and the same as DOS and/or the
"root directory"? )


The root directory is named C:\



Your "pause" problem is undoubtedly that line with REMIND in it
just before the line with WIN.



I would recommend editing C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT to deactivate that line by
putting REM followed by a space in front of it. But that's after we get
Xy running.



First of all, since you are not techno-savvy, be assured that the
AUTOEXEC.BAT file is something you can mess with all you want. It's not
critical--just sets up your preferences, in effect, for how DOS runs.
Take things out, put things in, it won't matter much--it doesn't change
anything that will cause you to lose data or blow up your computer.



The CONFIG.SYS file is pretty similar, but more technical. Still, not to
worry about fiddling with it (or even eliminating it).



In your whole AUTOEXEC.BAT file, there are only two lines that matter to
you:



prompt $p$g    -- this makes the C: prompt look right (so
that it shows you what directory you're in)



win   -- this automatically launches Windows. But you don't
need that. You can always type:



win



and hit the ENTER key to do exactly the same thing by hand. In fact, in
your case I'd recommend that--it gives you the ability to avoid running
Windows altogether if you want to. And if you're just running Xy on this
computer, you don't need Windows to be running (on the other hand, to be
consistent with what I said in another post, if you *are* running
windows, it is pointless to exit it to run Xy: run it in what is called
"a DOS box" (which is just a window with DOS running in
it.))



I know DOS, so I find it easier than Windows. It's less confusing. No
mouse, and one command at a time. But if you are more comfortable with
Windows and mousing and clicking, fine.



So what I'd do--the simplest thing--is the following. (If you can print
this email out, I'd recommend that, so you can have it in hand to follow
these steps.)



1. rename your current AUTOEXEC.BAT to some other name (any one you can
remember--such as AUTOEXEC.SAV) and do the same for CONFIG.SYS. Again,
the procedure, done at the C:\ prompt is:



a) Boot up

b) Get to DOS one way or the other

c) Do the following to make sure you are in your root directory:



cd \  



after this and every other command is typed in, hit the ENTER key to
execute it.



Then, you should see the C:\> prompt. Do:



rename autoexec.bat autoexec.sav

rename config.sys config.sav



Then you do the following:



copy con autoexec.bat



When you ENTER, you will get a blank line. At that point you type in this
(this and everything else has to be typed exactly as I have it, including
spaces)



prompt $p$g



then type a control-Z, and you should see a ^Z appear. Then hit ENTER.
That will produce an AUTOEXEC.BAT file with just the one line: prompt
$p$g.



As to your CONFIG.SYS file your CONFIG.BK version of it looks okay, so
make it operative by, at the C:\ prompt, doing



rename config.bk config.sys



Now you need to know what directory Editor.exe is in. It is probably
either in your root directory or in one named something like C:\xy



If you're with me, you now have a one-line AUTOEXEC.BAT file, and a valid
CONFIG.SYS file. They only take effect after you re-boot. So
re-boot.



Rather quickly, you will land at the DOS prompt:



C:\>



To check whether or not your EDITOR.EXE is in the root directory,
do:



dir editor.exe



If the resulting display shows EDITOR.EXE you have little left to do. But
let's assume it isn't there. You have to find it and then go to it. (You
go to it by using the CD command, as we did earlier (CD stands for change
directory)).



If EDITOR.EXE is not in your root directory, try:



cd \xy



Either that command is accepted or it isn't. If it is, do:



dir editor.exe



and if EDITOR.EXE is there, fine. Otherwise, you should be back at the
C:\ prompt, and you should do:



dir



That will show you everything in your root directory, including its
subdirectories. One of them should be the one with EDITOR.EXE in it and
which one should be obvious from its name. Say it's: XY3. If so,
do:



cd \xy3



Again, DOS doesn't care about capitalization.



One way or the other, you navigate to the directory with EDITOR.EXE in
it. Then simply do:



editor



That will bring up XyWrite, and all should be well. Then we go back to
the tests for printing.



And once XyWrite is operative, you can edit AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS
(in your root directory) to your heart's delight. I would definitely take
out the line with SMARTDRIVE in it--it's a bad thing to have. But with Xy
running, you just SAve the files after you've edited them, without having
to go through the renaming procedure and/or the COPY CON procedure.



My procedure above means that you will be running DOS not Windows. If at
any time you want to launch Windows, you get to a DOS prompt and
type:



win



If that doesn't start Windows, it only means that you need a PATH command
in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, or to enter one at the C: prompt. The PATH
command tells DOS which directories to look in to find files and
commands. Assuming you eventually get Xy working, you should add to your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file the following line (where C:\xy; refers to whatever
directory XyWrite is in):



path=C:\;C;\dos;C:\xy;C:\windows



You can, at any time, enter a path manually at the DOS C: prompt:



path=C:\;C:\dos;C:\xy;C:\windows



When you use the PATH command (or an equivalent line in AUTOEXEC.BAT)
make sure you have typed all the colons, backslashes, and semicolons
right--it's tricky.



This will all seem arcane and technical, but DOS is very simple-minded
and very forgiving. Don't be worried. And anyone here (not just me) can
help you with any problems.



Because there are so many steps and because DOS is so literal-minded, you
may at some point get an unexpected result. It could be that I've
overlooked something, too. But don't worry, you're not doing anything
that can't be undone or easily remedied.



By the same renaming procedure you can always go back to your original
files, but first you have to rename the existing files, so the names
become available:



Note: you do the four commands below ONLY if you get into trouble and
want to go back to where you were before we did anything:



rename autoexec.bat autoexec.sv1    

rename config.sys
config.sv1          


rename autoexec.sav autoexec.bat

rename config.sav config.sys



 

You also suggested looking
at the autoexec.bat file and changing it. But i wouldn't know have a clue
as to what to do. Perhaps you'll see something wrong in that file now
that I've posted it.


Yes, I'm suspicious of the line:

C:\DOS\COMMAND /C REMIND



That "remind" is something I don't know about. It's certainly
unnecessary. And the line:

LH /L:0;1,42384 /S C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE



--that's invoking a flakey utility that I wouldn't use.



 

ALso, I tried your last
suggestion, to look on the first boot-up screen for something like
"Hit del to enter CMOS," but didn't find anything like that
(unless it went by too fast).


It does show up for only about 4 seconds, and is usually at the bottom of
the black screen. Hopefully, you won't need to mess with this. Oh, it
might say: "Hit del to enter Set-up." Sometimes it's the
semicolon, or other key, it tells you to hit. But let's not assume this
is the problem.



 

Again, many
thanks...Leslie


No problem. We're good at hand-holding.



By the way, if Carl should post something different, I'd recommend taking
his advice rather than mine. It's not that mine will cause any problems.
Everything I'm suggesting is completely reversible (per above). But Carl
knows more.



Regards,

Harry









Harry Binswanger
hb@xxxxxxxx