Frequently Asked Questions About OS/2 for Windows

By IBM

From: David E. Reich. OS/2 Technical Support,  Boca Raton, Florida

“Reprint Courtesy of International Business Machines Corporation, © International Business Machines Corporation”

Question: How can I set up OS/2 for Windows for HPFS only?
Details of Question:

User has OS/2 For Windows and would like to set up the system for HPFS only.

Answer Summary:

The issue is that in order to enable Windows application support under OS/2 for Windows, real Microsoft Windows 3.1 must be installed. Windows 3.1 will not install under OS/2, only DOS. Since DOS cannot see or access HPFS drives, the problem is how to get Windows 3.1 on an HPFS drive.

The user can install DOS and Windows, back up the Windows code to diskettes, install OS/2 for Windows, then restore the Windows code from diskettes, then use selective install from OS/2 to add the Windows application support.

NOTE: IBM cannot authorize you to make a backup copy of non-IBM supplied code. If you wish to use this method, you are responsible for ensuring you have the right to make a backup copy of Windows 3.1. If you are unsure, please consult your license agreement for the product or contact the vendor.

Detailed Answer:


 * 1) Make sure your system has DOS and Windows 3.1 on it.
 * 2) Back up to diskette the subdirectory(ies) that contain the Windows code only. There is no need to back up the DOS code, since you will not need it in this all-HPFS configuration. PLEASE REFER TO THE NOTE ABOVE.
 * 3) Install OS/2 for Windows, choosing to reformat the partition with HPFS.
 * 4) Create the appropriate directory on the target drive, and restore the Windows 3.1 code from diskettes.
 * 5) Open the OS/2 System folder, then the System Setup folder, and start Selective Install.
 * 6) Follow the steps to install Windows application support.

Question: After installing OS/2 for Windows, the mouse does not work at all.
Details of Question:

User installed OS/2 for Windows. After rebooting the system, the mouse does not work. When booting to DOS, the mouse works fine.

Answer Summary:

Sometimes if there is a DOS-based mouse device driver installed, the OS/2 mouse device driver does not get copied over. The solution is to unpack and copy over the OS/2 mouse device driver.

Detailed Answer:

The OS/2 mouse device driver can be found on diskette 1 of the installation package.

1. Copy the file MOUSE.SYS from the installation diskette 1 to         the \OS2 directory on the boot drive.

2. The line containing MOUSE.SYS should be in the OS/2 CONFIG.SYS file. In any case, you will need to reboot the system for the device driver change to take effect. If        it is not, use selective install to reinstall the mouse device driver support.

a. Open the OS/2 System folder, then the System Setup folder, then open the Selective Install item.

b. The first screen will indicate mouse support. Select the one appropriate for the user's hardware and select the OK pushbutton, then select the Install pushbutton and let the mouse device support reinstall itself.

c. You must reboot the system for this change to take effect.

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Question: How can I set up my OS/2 for Windows system for OS/2 only, with no DOS and Windows?
Description:   User wants to install OS/2 for Windows, but remove DOS from their system and just run OS/2 and Windows 3.1 applications.

Answer Summary:

The answer to this is to install OS/2 for Windows, then remove DOS and its related files from the hard disk.

Detials of Resolution:

1. Assuming you have DOS and Windows 3.1 installed, install OS/2 for Windows, choosing the options you wish, and choosing to NOT reformat the partition.

2. When you are finished, you will have a system that boots DOS as well as OS/2. Make sure you are booted to OS/2.

3. In the OS/2 subdirectory, there is a file called BOOT.COM. Delete it. You have now just remove the ability to boot back to DOS. If you want to retain the ability to reenable it, you can rename the file to something like BOOT.BAK.

4. If you truly do not ever want to boot this machine to         DOS again, you can remove the \DOS subdirectory and the CONFIG.DOS files from your system.

Question: Can I use the High Performance File System (HPFS)with OS/2 for Windows?
Description: User would like to use OS/2 for Windows, but still be              able to use the High Performance File System.

Answer Summary:

This configuration is fine, but the user will not be able to    put HPFS on the boot partition. Refer to PDDB 1111111 on how to    set up this configuration.

Detailed Answer:

In general, OS/2 for Windows systems are designed to be dual boot systems, allowing the user to boot both DOS and OS/2 from the same partition. In fact, this is how the default installation prepares the system. Since DOS cannot access HPFS drives, this boot drive will remain a FAT formatted drive. However, this does not preclude a user from formatting other HPFS drives on the system. The user must just be aware that when they are booted under DOS, those HPFS formatter partitions will not be visible.

The user would:

1. Install OS/2 for Windows. In the selection panels, (s)he would choose to install HPFS support.

2. For any drives to be formatted HPFS, the user would issue the command:

FORMAT X: /fs:HPFS

There X is the drive to be formatted.

Question: Can I install OS/2 for Windows without Windows 3.1?
Details of Question:

User would like to use OS/2 for Windows, but without Windows application support and they do not have Microsoft Windows 3.1.

Answer Summary:

No problem. Just install OS/2 for Windows.

Detailed Answer:

Anyone can use OS/2 for Windows, even without Windows 3.1. The user would install OS/2 for Windows, choosing to format or not to format the partition as (s)he desires.

The only caveat to this is that Winsdows applications will not run on this system. DOS applications, however will run if the user chose to install DOS application support.

Question: I want to install OS/2 for Windows but add the support for Windows applications later. Can I do this?
Details of Question:

User would like to install OS/2 for Windows, but is unsure if    they want Windows application support. Can this support be    installed later?

Answer Summary:

Yes.

Detailed Answer:

This configuration is not a problm as long as the user understands several basic items.

1. Windows support under OS/2 for Windows can only be installed if Windows 3.1 is on the hard disk.

2. Windows 3.1 will NOT install under OS/2. The system must be        booted under DOS in order to install Windows 3.1.

3. DOS cannot see nor access HPFS partitions.

The idea here is that WIndows 3.1 must be on the hard disk to    tell OS/2 for Windows to install Windows support. Therefore, DOS is needed to install Windows 3.1 on the hard disk. If the OS/2 for Windows system was created HPFS only, then this will not be possible, since DOS cannot access HPFS partitions.

Question: Will Windows VxDs (Virtual Device Drivers) run on OS/2 for Windows.
Details of Question:

The user wants to know that since OS/2 for Windows uses real Microsoft Windows 3.1 code, will OS/2 for WIndows allow the use of VxDs that are require by some Windows applications?

Answer Summary:

The answer is no.

Detailed Answer:

OS/2 for WIndows will not run applications requiring VxDs in    Windows running under OS/2. However, since OS/2 for Windows creates by default, a dual-boot system where users can boot to    DOS and Windows, these applications requiring VxDs can run in     that environment is the user has set it up that way.

Question: What is OS/2 for WIndows and why should I get it?
Details of Question:

The user wants to know what the purpose of OS/2 for Windows is    and why someone would want it instead of a regular OS/2 package.

Answer Summary:

OS/2 for Windows is just a repackaged copy of OS/2, without the Windows application support built in. It uses a user's existing copy of Windows 3.1 to run Windows applications.

Detailed Answer:

OS/2 for Windows is designed for the users of DOS and Windows who would like:

1. A lower-cost upgrade to OS/2

2. To still be able to run their DOS and Windows applications under either OS/2 or DOS and Windows, retaining their current copy and configuration of WIndows 3.1

3. #2 above, and do it in less disk space then having a full copy of OS/2 and Windows on the hard disk.

Question: What applications will run under OS/2 for Windows?
Details of Question:

The user wants to know what applications will run under OS/2 for Windows as opposed to a standard copy of OS/2.

Answer Summary:

If a user installs the Windows application support under OS/2 for Windows, than any application (DOS, Windows or OS/2) that runs under OS/2 2.1 will run on OS/2 2.1 for Windows.

Detailed Answer:

Assuming the user has a configuration with all the proper options selected (and features etc), anything that runs on OS/2 2.1 will run on OS/2 2.1 for Windows. If it does not, then it    is considered a bug and an APAR should be opened.

Question: I have Windows 3.1. It was installed from a CD-ROM. When I install OS/2 for Windows, it tries to find disk #7 on the CD. It is not there. How can I fix this?
Details of Question:

User installed Windows from a CD-ROM. During the installation of OS/2 for Windows, OS/2 asks for the Windows diskettes, but is treating the images on the CD as 5.25 inch images, where there are 7 diskettes. There is no 7th image on the CD.

Answer Summary:

The user will either have to obtain a diskette #7, or fake out the installation program.

Detailed Answer:

There are 3 possibilities to fixing this situation:

1. Obtain a Windows 5.25 inch diskette #7.

2. Install Windows 3.1 from a floppy disk. Then use the floppies during OS/2 for WIndows installation.

3. Create a "fake" diskette #7. This can be done by:

a. Format a blank 5.25 inch diskette. b. Use the LABEL program to label it DISK7, according to            the Microsoft Windows diskette labels. c. Copy the files from diskette 6 from the CD to this diskette and use it when the installation program asks for diskette #7.

Question: Will OS/2 for Windows work with Windows for Workgroups, or other flavors of Windows 3.1?
Details of Question:

User would like to use OS/2 for Windows on other than "plain vanilla" Windows 3.1

Answer Summary:

Only the standard Windows 3.1 package has been certified to run with OS/2 for Windows.

Detailed Answer:

While you may be able to get some, or possibly all functions of other "flavors" of Windows 3.1 to work with OS/2 for Windows, IBM cannot support those configurations at this time. Only Windows 3.1 is fully supported by IBM.