Lotus SmartSuite 4 on WinOS/2

[Glenn]

Hello all,

The internet archive has a copy of Lotus SmartSuite 4 (last to run on Windows 3.1). On WinOS/2, I can start the installer, but as soon as it should start copying the files, the process goes to 100% CPU and nothing happens, not a single file gets copied.
I tried on a JFS drive, and on my C: (HPFS) after running spacehog (to remove space above 2GB temporarily). Nothing helped.

Did anyone try that successfully ?

[christech]

Why not run the OS/2 version from Archive.org?

[Martin Iturbide]

Hello Glenn

I tried one ISO image of "Lotus SmartSuite Release 4" for Windows 3.1 and I think I have your same behavior.
When it says I will start copying the files, it hangs and CPU rises. I used TOP to kill the process.

Here I'm using ArcaOS 5.1.0 on a VM (VirtualBox), with a JFS formatted virtual hard drive.

Regards

[Glenn]

Why not run the OS/2 version from Archive.org?

1. I got SS173 through eCS years ago, so I would not need to get the one on Archive except if losing my CD (which has happened through an act of God..) and losing my backup ISO.
2. Curiosity: I'd like to see if there were large differences in usability and functionalities. I have SS173 installed on ArcaOS and wonder how different that earlier Windows version is..

[Dave Yeo]

I tried one of the 4.0's at Winworld, it claimed to be a later release. Followed the instructions in the readme for WinOS2, same results as others report.
There are other releases, https://winworldpc.com/product/lotus-smartsuite/40

[Remy]

I do not remember having got it working under win os/2 !

[MPJ]

MS Office 4.2 also hangs up with a 100% CPU load when checking the available disk memory. Reason: the installer doesn't like large partitions... maybe the Lotus too?

[Olafur Gunnlaugsson]

No problems encountered except PM groups were not created, did you guys remember to install from a full screen session?
Tried both the nordic and Lotus SmartSuite 4.0 (1996-08-02) (ISO) version from Winworld

[Dave Yeo]

No problems encountered except PM groups were not created, did you guys remember to install from a full screen session?
Tried both the nordic and Lotus SmartSuite 4.0 (1996-08-02) (ISO) version from Winworld

What size partition did you install to?

[Martin Iturbide]

Hello Dave

In my case, I experience the same issue, on VirtualBox I have 42GB VHDD.
- DOS VDM sees 2147450880 bytes free.

I will try to create a small VHDD or smaller partition to try it out.

Regards

[Martin Iturbide]

Hello

Just to try to see if it was some disk/partition issue I created a 200MB VHDD (HPFS) and tried to install SmartSuite there.
The copy procedure went forward this time, but I got some errors at the end.

Maybe it is a mistake to try to put the "Lotus Shared Tools" (picture 001) on the a different drive, but if I select C:\ it won't copy any file (same error as before).

Update: If I format the 200MB VHDD with JFS, I get the same original error where no files are copied.
Is it the size? or is the file format? or both?


Regards

[Glenn]

No problems encountered except PM groups were not created, did you guys remember to install from a full screen session?
Tried both the nordic and Lotus SmartSuite 4.0 (1996-08-02) (ISO) version from Winworld

I tried full screen, same problem. Plus the additional problem of full screen sessions with VBox, where my mouse cursor stays in the upper half of the virtual screen and moves half the distance it should vertically, making any control through mouse almost impossible..

[David Graser]

No problems encountered except PM groups were not created, did you guys remember to install from a full screen session?
Tried both the nordic and Lotus SmartSuite 4.0 (1996-08-02) (ISO) version from Winworld

I downloaded and installed under full screen windows.  It had problems installing the icons, but I kept hitting the OK button and they finally installed.  I did not install under a virtual environment, but under a normal ArcaOS 5.1 partition.

One thing I have installed is this dos driver. Since Windows 3.1 is primarily a shell over dos, I figured this driver could only help.

The V2GB.SYS virtual device driver
==================================

Overview
--------

The purpose of this driver is to provide a solution to the problem
caused by the inability of many DOS programs to handle a partition in
excess of 2GB in size.  This causes spurious reports of insufficient
disk space.

[Glenn]

No problems encountered except PM groups were not created, did you guys remember to install from a full screen session?
Tried both the nordic and Lotus SmartSuite 4.0 (1996-08-02) (ISO) version from Winworld

I downloaded and installed under full screen windows.  It had problems installing the icons, but I kept hitting the OK button and they finally installed.  I did not install under a virtual environment, but under a normal ArcaOS 5.1 partition.

One thing I have installed is this dos driver. Since Windows 3.1 is primarily a shell over dos, I figured this driver could only help.

The V2GB.SYS virtual device driver
==================================

Overview
--------

The purpose of this driver is to provide a solution to the problem
caused by the inability of many DOS programs to handle a partition in
excess of 2GB in size.  This causes spurious reports of insufficient
disk space.

Isn't that what the line "LOADHIGH C:\sys\MDOS\BIN\2GBFIX.COM >NUL" in the autoexec.bat is supposed to do?  What is the difference between these two drivers?

[Olafur Gunnlaugsson]

No problems encountered except PM groups were not created, did you guys remember to install from a full screen session?
Tried both the nordic and Lotus SmartSuite 4.0 (1996-08-02) (ISO) version from Winworld

What size partition did you install to?

Small HPFS boot partition, but over the 2GB barrier