User's Guide to OS/2 Warp Version 3 - Part 4

From OS2World.Com Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

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

User's Guide to OS/2 Warp Version 3
  1. Part 1: Installing OS/2
  2. Part 2: Exploring OS/2
  3. Part 3: Using OS/2
  4. Part 4: Troubleshooting
  5. Part 5: Advanced Installation
  6. Appendix A: Keyboard and Mouse Use
  7. Appendix B: Notices

Part 4 - Troubleshooting

Solving Installation Problems (15)

This chapter provides information to help you solve problems you might encounter while installing OS/2*. It includes information about what to do if you have problems, plus specific instructions for recovering from error messages or problems with installation diskettes, screens, or CD-ROMs. Use the table of contents at the beginning of this chapter to locate the information dealing with a particular problem.

What to Do If You Have Problems

Installation of OS/2 is generally a straightforward process and, in most cases, you will not experience problems. However, if you do encounter a problem during installation, do the following:

  1. Read through this chapter to see if the problem you are experiencing is documented.
  2. If you received an error message (or error number), locate the message in this chapter and perform the suggested actions to resolve the problem.
  3. If your problem is not addressed in this section, refer to the Service and Support brochure in your OS/2 package for instructions on how to get additional assistance.

When you report your problem make sure you include the following information:

  • The brand and model of the equipment you are using
  • The error message or number, if any, that appeared on your screen
  • The number of the installation diskette you were using when the problem occurred
  • The number for your fax machine, or the number of a fax machine to which you have access

Editing the CONFIG.SYS File on Diskette 1

A CONFIG.SYS file contains lines of instructions that control how your computer starts up and how it works with the devices you have attached to it. Diskette 1, which comes with OS/2, contains a CONFIG.SYS file. The file is added to your root directory during installation. There might be instances in which you will be instructed in this chapter to edit your CONFIG.SYS file in order to add a statement, "remark out" a line, or modify an existing line in the file. If you need to alter the CONFIG.SYS file before you install OS/2, you will need to make the changes to the CONFIG.SYS file on Diskette 1.

Note
If the CONFIG.SYS file is changed incorrectly, you might not be able to restart your computer. Be careful when editing the file.

To edit the CONFIG.SYS file that is on Diskette 1, use an ASCII text editor. If you do not have a text editor installed on your computer, use the editor that comes on the OS/2 installation diskettes. Follow these steps:

  1. Insert the Installation Diskette into drive A.
  2. Turn on your computer. If your computer is already on, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart it.
  3. When you are prompted to do so, remove the Installation Diskette and insert Diskette 1.
  4. When the Welcome to OS/2! screen appears, press F3 to display the command prompt.
  5. At the command prompt, type TEDIT CONFIG.SYS and press Enter. The file will appear on your screen, and you can make any changes or additions to it. (Press F1 if you need help using the editor.)
  6. When you are done working on the file, press F2 to save it.
  7. Press F4 to quit the editor.

Installation Error Messages

If you receive one of the following error messages on your screen while installing OS/2, try to resolve the problem with the suggested action.

Only some files were copied. You may be out of disk space.

Explanation: The installation program stopped transferring files because there was not enough hard disk space available.

Action: Move non-OS/2 operating system files out of the installation partition. You can store these files in another partition or on a diskette. If you intend to format the installation partition, remember to first use the BACKUP command to save any important files.

An error occurred when System Installation tried to copy a file.

Explanation 1: The installation diskette might contain errors.

Action: Request a replacement diskette from your place of purchase.

Explanation 2: The installation program stopped transferring files because there was not enough hard disk space available.

Action: Move non-OS/2 operating system files out of the installation partition. You can store these files in another partition or on a diskette. If you intend to format the installation partition, remember to first use the BACKUP command to save any important files.

Explanation 3: The hard disk might contain errors.

Action: Follow the CHKDSK procedure outlined in Recovering from Errors on the Hard Disk.

An error occurred when System Installation tried to transfer system files to your hard disk. Your hard disk might be unusable.

Explanation: The installation program stopped transferring files because an error occurred while the boot record was being written.

Action: Format the installation partition and restart the installation. Remember to first use the BACKUP command to save any important files.

System Installation failed trying to load a module into memory.

Explanation: The installation program could not load a system module because there is not enough memory. OS/2 requires a minimum of 4MB of memory.

Action: Add more system memory (RAM).

An error occurred when System Installation tried to allocate a segment of memory.

Explanation: The installation program could not allocate a segment of memory because there is not enough memory. OS/2 requires a minimum of 4MB of memory.

Action: Add more system memory (RAM).

FDISK unsuccessful.

Explanation: Your hard disk controller might not be supported.

Action: Make a copy of Diskette 1. Locate the Device Support Diskette supplied by the manufacturer of your hard disk controller. Copy the OS/2 device driver from that Device Support Diskette onto the copy of Diskette 1. Then add the statement BASEDEV=xxx.SYS (where xxx is the name of the device driver) to the CONFIG.SYS file on the copy of Diskette 1, and restart the installation.

An error occurred when System Installation tried to locate the dynamic link library.

Explanation: The installation program could not load the dynamic link library because there is not enough random access memory (RAM). OS/2 requires a minimum of 4MB of memory

Action: Add more system memory (RAM).

A disk read error occurred.

Explanation: The BIOS level of the Future Domain** adapter is not compatible.

Action: Contact Future Domain for a BIOS upgrade if you own the following:

  • Future Domain TMC-850/860/875/885 with BIOS revision level 7.0
  • Future Domain TMC-1660/1670/1680 with BIOS revision level 2.0
OS/2 is unable to operate your hard disk or your diskette drive.

Explanation 1: This might indicate some incompatibility between OS/2 and the diskette drive controller or hard disk controller in your system.

Action: Edit the CONFIG.SYS file on the diskette or hard disk from which you are starting OS/2. Remove all lines with BASEDEV=xxxxxxxx.ADD (where xxxxxxxx can be any characters), and make sure the following two lines appear in the CONFIG.SYS:

BASEDEV=IBMxFLPY.ADD
BASEDEV=IBMINT13.I13

(where x is replaced by a 2 if you are using a Micro Channel system, and a 1 if you are using any other system.)

Explanation 2: A diskette drive or a hard disk drive controller might have an additional device (such as a tape backup) attached to it.

Action: Disconnect additional devices, if possible.

Explanation 3: There might be an interrupt request (IRQ) level conflict between the diskette drive or hard disk controller and other devices installed on your system.

Action: Change IRQ levels to eliminate conflicts.

Explanation 4: The hard disk partition on which you are installing OS/2 was compressed with a DOS data compression program.

Action: Use the data compression program to decompress the partition.

Then restart the installation procedure.

TRAPxxx

Explanation: In general, traps are symptoms of software-related problems. After you have pursued these symptoms from a software failure perspective, you should consider the potential of a hardware cause relating to caches and memory, such as the following:

  • If your computer has an 80486 microprocessor, your computer might require faster RAM chips (60ns or 70ns).
  • There might be a problem with the external (level-2) CPU memory cache or main memory system on ISA or EISA systems.

Action: Try the following:

  1. From the setup/diagnostics diskette or the BIOS Setup program built into the computer, try disabling all shadow RAM and external (level-2) CPU memory caches.
  2. If problems persist during the installation of OS/2 after performing the above action, turn off the turbo switch (if one is available) on your system and retry the operation. Disable caching during installation or turn the turbo switch off.

Some of the more common traps are listed below. If you receive a trap error that is not listed, you can view help for the trap after OS/2 is installed, by typing HELP followed by the trap number at an OS/2 command prompt. For example:

HELP 0002

If the trap error contains a letter, as in a TRAP D error you must convert the hexadecimal number (D) to decimal then add it to 1930. For example, TRAP D converted would be 1943 because D hexadecimal is 13 decimal (13 added to 1930 equals 1943). So you would type HELP 1943 at an OS/2 command prompt.

A list of the hexadecimal to decimal conversions are listed below:

A = 10       D = 13
B = 11       E = 14
C = 12       F = 15
TRAP0002

Explanation: A TRAP0002 error is a hardware error and is usually related directly to memory. Mismatched memory modules can often cause these kinds of errors. Your computer might have a variety of single inline memory modules (SIMMs) that were produced by different manufacturers or that operate at different speeds.

(For example, a 1 x 9 module cannot be used with a 1 x 3 module.)

Action: Try the following:

  • Have your computer checked by a service representative.
  • If your computer memory is okay and the problem persists, make sure that your system BIOS is of a recent date (1991 or later). Refer to Chapter 17, "Special Hardware Considerations," for more information about BIOS, or contact the manufacturer of your computer BIOS to receive the latest version.
SYS0005

Explanation: When you perform a redirected remote installation of OS/2 using SYSINST2 for panel installation, the error message SYS0005 appears while the computer attempts to copy UNPACK2.EXE.

Action: This Access Denied Error is caused by damage to the extended attribute data on the NetWare** Server. To correct this problem, delete the old disk images on the server and create new OS/2 disk images.

SYS1200 and EC=00BF

Explanation: The DOS environment cannot be created.

Action: If you see the error message SYS1200 while attempting to use the Dual Boot feature to change to DOS, and you also see error code EC=00BF, check your CONFIG.SYS file. Make sure your virtual DOS device drivers have not been remarked out of or removed from your CONFIG.SYS file. If necessary, look at the CONFIG.SYS file in the OS2\INSTALL directory (the CONFIG.SYS file as it was originally installed) to see how the DOS device drivers should be listed.

SYS1201

Explanation: A device driver specified in the CONFIG.SYS file cannot be found, is the incorrect device driver (ex. DOS device driver), or is specified twice within the file.

Action: Make sure the correct device driver for the device is installed, and then check the CONFIG.SYS file to make sure the information specified is correct.

SYS1475

Explanation: The file OS2BOOT cannot be found. This is a hidden system file and must reside in the root directory of the drive from which the operating system is started.

Action: Remove the diskette from drive A and restart the system. If the problem was not caused by a diskette in drive A, then the OS2BOOT file might be missing. Try the following procedure:

  1. Insert the Installation Diskette into drive A.
  2. Turn on the computer. If the computer is already on, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart it.
  3. When you are prompted to do so, remove the Installation Diskette and insert Diskette 1.
  4. Press Enter.
  5. When the Welcome to OS/2! screen appears, press F3 to display the command prompt.
  6. Reinsert the Installation Diskette.
  7. Type sysinstx c: and press Enter. (If your operating system resides on a drive other than C, use the appropriate drive letter instead.)

If this procedure does not correct the problem, it might be necessary to reinstall the operating system.

SYS1719

Explanation: The file IBM386FS\HPFS386.IFS does not contain a valid device driver or file system driver.

Action: Edit your CONFIG.SYS file and delete the following line:

IFS=x:\OS2\HPFS.IFS
SYS2025

Explanation: A disk read error occurred. This might be a disk error or a damaged system boot record.

Actions: Try the following:

  • If this error occurred while the system was loading, follow the procedure in Recovering from Errors on the Hard Disk.
  • If this error occurred when the system was reading the installation diskettes, there might be an error on the diskette. If you already have an operating system installed on your computer, use the XDFCOPY command to make a copy of the installation diskettes. Retry the installation with the newly copied diskettes.
  • If your computer has BIOS supplied by AMI** or Phoenix**, you might need to upgrade the BIOS. Refer to Chapter 17, "Special Hardware Considerations."
  • If your system has a local bus IDE controller card, disable the BIOS on the 32-bit local bus IDE controller card and use the generic INT13 driver instead of IBM1S506.ADD.
  • Make sure that there is not a hardware problem with your hard disk controller or your diskette drive.
SYS2026

Explanation: The file OS2LDR cannot be found. This is a hidden system file and must reside in the root directory of the drive from which the operating system is started.

Action: Try the following:

Make sure a non-system diskette is not in the diskette drive. If a diskette is in the drive, remove it and restart the system.

If the OS2LDR file is still missing:

  1. Insert the Installation Diskette into the diskette drive and restart the system.
  2. When prompted, remove the Installation Diskette and insert Diskette 1.
  3. When the Welcome to OS/2! screen appears, press F3 to access a command prompt.
  4. Copy the OS2LDR file from the Installation Diskette to the root directory on the OS/2 partition.
  5. Restart the system.
SYS2027

Explanation: This message usually accompanies messages SYS1475 and SYS2025, and means that the system must be restarted. See the explanation and actions for these messages for more specific information.

Action: Insert a system diskette and restart the system.

SYS2028

Explanation: The system cannot find the OS2KRNL file. This is a hidden system file and must reside in the root directory of the drive from which the operating system is started.

Action: Try the following:

  1. Insert the Installation Diskette into the diskette drive and restart the system.
  2. When prompted, remove the Installation Diskette and insert Diskette 1.
  3. When the Welcome to OS/2! screen appears, press F3 to access a command prompt.
  4. Copy the OS2KRNLI file from the Installation Diskette to the root directory of the OS/2 partition. Type: A:OS2KRNLI C:\OS2KRNL and press Enter. (Where A: is the diskette drive containing the Installation Diskette and C: is the drive on which you are installing OS/2.) Notice the change in name of the OS2KRNL file.
  5. Remove the diskette from the drive.
  6. Restart the system.
SYS2029

Explanation: The file OS2KRNL is damaged or not readable.

Action: Copy the OS2KRNLI file from the Installation Diskette to the root directory of the drive containing the operating system. Follow the instructions for error message SYS2028.

SYS2030

Explanation: The system does not have enough memory to start the operating system. OS/2 requires a minimum of 4MB of memory.

Action: Add more memory to the system.

SYS3146

Explanation: The system cannot find the OS2LDR.MSG file. This is a hidden system file and must reside in the root directory of the drive from which the operating system is started.

Action: Copy the OS2LDR.MSG file from the Installation Diskette to the root directory of the drive containing the operating system.

SYS3147

Explanation: The OS2LDR.MSG file is not readable. The file might be damaged.

Action: Copy the OS2LDR.MSG file from the Installation Diskette to the root directory of the drive containing the operating system.

SYS3161

Explanation: The system detected an 8086, 8088, or 80286 processor. These processors are not supported by OS/2.

Action: Upgrade your system so that your processor is compatible with the 80386 processor.

Installation Diskette Problems

Following are solutions to problems that might occur while you are using the installation diskettes to install OS/2.

Diskette 1
If the installation procedure stops while Diskette 1 is in the diskette drive, there might be a problem with the features of the hard disk controller. If the controller has on-board disk caching, disable the caching. If the controller can do asynchronous memory refreshes, turn off that feature. Make sure that other IRQ settings do not conflict with the hard disk controller IRQ setting. If multiple hard disk controllers or hardcards are installed in the system, it might be necessary to remove one of them.
The following apply to machine-specific problems:
  • If you are installing on a system with an Allways** IN2000 SCSI adapter, and an IPE or FDISK error is displayed during the installation of Diskette 1. Upgrade your system to the current BIOS level of VCN:1-02. The Allways IN2000 SCSI adapter might require an EPROM upgrade to operate with OS/2. You might find that you have some problems when trying to install over DOS partitions. To correct these problems, you need to install the EPROM and reformat the hard drive.
  • If you are installing OS/2 on a Mylex** system, a TRAP0008 error occurs during the installation of Diskette 1. For more information on this error, contact Mylex.
  • If you are installing on a Compaq** 386/331 Deskpro system, a TRAP000D error occurs during the installation of Diskette 1. To correct this problem, do the following:
  1. Make a copy of Diskette 1. You will modify the copy.
  2. Use a text editor to edit the CONFIG.SYS file that exists on the copy of Diskette 1.
  3. Delete the following statement from the CONFIG.SYS file: BASEDEV=IBM2SCSI.ADD
  4. Use the copy of the diskette during the installation process instead of the original.
Diskette 3
If the installation program continues to prompt you to insert Diskette 3, you have a 1.44 MB diskette drive that can work in either IBM* PC/XT* mode or IBM PCAT mode. Contact your service representative to determine if there are hardware-specific considerations.
Any Diskette
If several diskettes are successfully installed, then the system refuses a diskette and makes a beeping sound, your system might be infected with the Joshi virus. (This symptom usually appears after the first phase of the installation is complete and the system is restarted.) The Joshi virus is a DOS virus that interferes with OS/2 and causes random lockups. The Joshi virus:
  • Operates by trapping disk reads and writes. If the virus is active in memory, programs that try to locate the virus on diskette will have problems detecting it.
  • Is carried on the boot sector of an infected data diskette or system diskette. This virus originated in DOS but can survive in OS/2. When you start an infected system, the virus resides in memory and survives a Ctrl+Alt+Del startup. If you do not type Happy Birthday Joshi, the system will stop.
  • Is copied to the boot sector of every diskette. The virus will be transferred to any computer on which the user performed any diskette operation that included reading from, or writing to, the infected diskette.
  • Spreads from infected diskettes to DOS and OS/2 systems when the systems are started from diskettes.
  • Interferes with the startup from the hard disk of OS/2-based systems. The warning that OS/2 will give is that the IBM1FLPY.ADD file is bad or missing.

Many antivirus packages are effective at detecting this virus. In DOS, the Norton Antivirus Version 2.1 can both detect and clear the virus. In OS/2, Central Point Anti-Virus** can detect the virus. McAfee** Clean and Scan and IBM Anti-Virus/2* (AV/2) can both detect and clear the virus.

Installation Screen Problems

Following are solutions for problems you might have with your screen during the installation of OS/2.

White Screen during Installation

If the display screen is white during the installation of OS/2 and there is no system activity, set the video adapter to operate on an 8-bit mode and move the adapter to an 8-bit slot. Do the following:

  1. Turn off the computer and disable the autosensing capability of the video adapter.
  2. Modify the settings. Refer to the documentation that came with your video adapter.
  3. Place the adapter in an 8-bit slot. Then install OS/2.
  4. Return the adapter to the 16-bit slot and set back to the 16-bit mode.

White Screen with Disk Light On Constantly

If you are installing OS/2 on a fast 486 ISA-bus computer, you might encounter a white screen and the disk light constantly on. To correct this problem, try to reduce the speed of the computer by turning off the turbo mode of the computer. Refer to the documentation that came with your computer to find out how to change the mode.

Black Lines on an OS/2 Logo Screen

During the installation on a Gateway** 2000 with an 80486/66MHz processor, a local bus, and an ATI** Graphics Ultra Pro, the system will get to the screen with the colorful OS/2 logo, and then the installation will stop. The display screen shows horizontal bands of video separated by black bands that scroll horizontally across the screen. To correct this problem, do the following:

  1. Start DOS.
  2. At the DOS prompt, type CD \MACH32 and press Enter.
  3. Type install and press Enter.
  4. At the Main Selection screen, select Set Power Up Configuration.
  5. Select Monitor Type and press Enter.
  6. Select 1572 Monitor with 72Hz Refresh Rate and press Enter.
  7. Select IBM Default (or 60Hz) as the new display.

Note: After OS/2 is successfully installed, repeat the steps to reselect the 1572 Monitor type.

Installation CD-ROM Problems

Cannot Access CD-ROM During Installation

If the device driver for your CD-ROM is not included in the OS/2 package, but is available from the CD-ROM manufacturer, you can modify Diskette 1 to add the device driver. Refer to "Chapter 17, Special Hardware Considerations" for instructions.

If you cannot access your CD-ROM drive during installation from a CD, but you can access the drive using DOS, you can install OS/2 using disk images. Disk Images are copies of the installation program that you put on diskette. You create disk images by using the XDFCOPY utility program to copy images from the CD to diskettes. You then use these diskettes to install OS/2.

Note: Installation diskettes are in a special format called XDF. The only command you should use with an XDF disketee is XDFCOPY.

Be sure to use formatted diskettes for this procedure. To find out exactly how many diskettes you will need:

  1. Place the CD in the CD-ROM drive
  2. Type: DIR X:\DISKIMGS\OS2\35 /W (where: X is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive and 35 is the diskette size.)
  3. Press Enter. A list of files will appear on your display.
  4. Count the files that end with the extension .DSK. Each .DSK file will require a separate diskette.

Use the following command to create each disk image:

X:\DISKIMGS\XDFCOPY
X:\DISKIMGS\OS2\size\diskname.dsk Y:

where:

X:                 is the drive letter of the CD-ROM drive.
\DISKIMGS\XDFCOPY  is the location and name of the program used to create the diskettes
DISKIMGS\OS2\size  is the location of the files containing the disk
                   images. Substitute 35 for the size parameter. Use 35
                   for 3.5-inch 1.44MB and 2.88MB diskettes.
diskname.dsk       is the disk image file name (for example, DISK0.DSK).
Y:                 is the drive letter of your diskette drive.

For example, to create the Installation Diskette (DISK0.DSK) on a 3.5-inch diskette, type the following and press Enter.

E:\DISKIMGS\XDFCOPY E:\DISKIMGS\OS2\35\DISK0.DSK A:

Where: E: is the CD-ROM drive and A: is the diskette drive.

Miscellaneous Installation Problems

Following are solutions to miscellaneous problems that might occur while you are installing OS/2.

Missing Device Driver Needed for Installation

If the device driver needed to install OS/2 on your computer is missing from the installation diskettes, obtain the device driver from either the device manufacturer or a bulletin board, then do the following:

  1. Make a backup copy of Diskette 1.
  2. Copy the needed device driver file (.ADD) to the backup copy of Diskette 1.
  3. Edit the CONFIG.SYS file on the backup copy of Diskette 1 and change the BASEDEV= statement to include the file name and extension of the new device driver. Example: BASEDEV=IBM1FLPY.ADD
  4. Save the file, and use the updated copy of Diskette 1 to install OS/2.

Computer Beeps Constantly

If your computer beeps constantly while you are changing diskettes during installation, you might have a defective diskette drive controller or cable. Check the controller and cable for damage, and also check all their connections.

Promise IDE Cached Controller

To install OS/2 on a system with a Promise IDE Cached Controller, you must edit the CONFIG.SYS file on Diskette 1 and change the following line:

BASEDEV=IBM1S506

to

BASEDEV=IBM1S506 /!SMS

ATI Graphics Ultra Pro Adapter

ATI makes various display adapters that are comparable with the IBM 8514/A display adapter. The ATI Graphics Ultra, 8514 Ultra, and Graphics Vantage can all be treated as IBM 8514/A adapters for the OS/2 installation process. However, if you have an ATI Graphics Ultra Pro, you must follow these steps before you install OS/2. The INSTALL utility program used in the following steps will set your display to run as a VGA display so that OS/2 can be installed. After OS/2 is installed, you can run the INSTALL utility program again to select the correct display attached to the system.

Note: Following these steps incorrectly might cause your system to hang with a black screen or distort your display with static. Refer to the ATI documentation if you encounter problems configuring the Ultra Pro memory.

To prepare your ATI Graphics Ultra Pro adapter for use with OS/2:

  1. Start your system using DOS, preferably from a diskette. You will need to start DOS again after OS/2 is installed because the ATI INSTALL utility program runs only in DOS.
  2. Type INSTALL at the DOS command prompt.
  3. If your adapter has 1MB of video memory, select SHARED. If your adapter has 2MB of video memory, ensure that the aperture is properly configured.
  4. Select Monitor Setup.
  5. Select Custom.
  6. Set the refresh rate for 640 x 480 to IBM DEFAULT (or 60Hz).
  7. Set the refresh of all other resolutions as appropriate for your display.
  8. Save the configuration.
  9. Install OS/2. Make sure that during the installation of OS/2, you select 8514 as the primary display type.

IBM PS/2* Model 30-286 Upgrades

OS/2 is not supported on IBM PS/2 Model 30-286 upgraded to a 386 microprocessor.

Aox** Systems

If your computer has an Aox add-in microprocessor adapter and you encounter problems either installing or starting up your OS/2 system, call the Aox Corporation and ask for the latest "flash-prom" code upgrade.

IOMEGA** PC Powered Pro 90

If you are using an IOMEGA PC Powered Pro 90, call the IOMEGA service number and request OAD Driver Version 2.3.

IBM PS/2 Model 90 and 95 Computers

  • If you are experiencing problems with your Model 90 or 95, ensure your system is at the latest engineering change (EC) level. Your IBM service representative can assist you.
  • You must ensure that you have matched pairs of single in-line memory modules. This means that each pair of single in-line memory modules, as described in your technical reference manual, must be matched in memory size and speed. Mixing these modules can cause some computers to report memory errors.

All ISA, EISA, and PCI Systems

If you are installing OS/2 on a ISA, EISA, or PCI system, some CMOS settings might need to be adjusted:

  • Turn off ROM shadowing (system and video) if it is not essential to starting your system. Usually only extremely fast systems require ROM shadowing during a startup. Do not turn ROM shadowing on again after installing OS/2.
  • If you get a TRAP0002 error, add wait states (both read and write, if the option is given). Add two wait states and see if the TRAP0002 error goes away.

Note: Take as few of the actions here as are necessary to prevent the TRAP0002 error, because you must retain whatever setting makes the system function. If you added wait states, do not remove them later without adding faster (matched) DRAM to your system.

  • If you experience other traps or complete system hangs while installing, turn off your external processor cache (internal cache is not a problem).

If this corrects the problem, have the system board repaired or replaced before you turn on the cache again.

Solving Problems After Installation (16)

This chapter provides information to help you solve problems you might encounter after OS/2 has been installed. It includes information about what to do if you have problems, plus specific instructions for startup, memory, display, mouse, CD-ROM, hard disk, and Desktop problems. In addition, procedures are given for recovering the Desktop, CONFIG.SYS file, user INI file, hard disk, and memory state data. Use the table of contents at the beginning of this chapter to locate the information dealing with a particular problem.

What to Do If You Have Problems

OS/2 is a stable operating system and, in most cases, you will not experience problems. However, if you do encounter a problem while using OS/2, do the following:

  1. Read through this chapter to see if the problem you are experiencing is documented.
  2. If your problem is not addressed in this section, refer to the Service and Support brochure in your OS/2 package for instructions on how to get additional assistance.

Before you call for assistance, make sure you call from a telephone that is near your computer and gather the following before you speak with the OS/2 specialist:

  • Your registration number (located in the Service and Support brochure in the US only)
  • The brand and model of the equipment you are using
  • The error message or number, if any, that appeared on your screen
  • Paper and pencil for taking notes
  • The number for your fax machine, or the number of a fax machine to which you have access

Editing the CONFIG.SYS File in Your Root Directory

A CONFIG.SYS file contains lines of instructions that control how your computer starts up and how it works with the devices you have attached to it. During installation, the CONFIG.SYS file is copied from Diskette 1 and added to your root directory. There might be instances in which you will be instructed in this chapter to edit your CONFIG.SYS file in order to add a statement, "remark out" a line, or modify an existing line in the file. If you need to alter the CONFIG.SYS file after you install OS/2, you will need to make the changes to the CONFIG.SYS file located in the root directory on the hard disk (usually drive C).

Note: If the CONFIG.SYS file is changed incorrectly, you might not be able to restart your computer. Be careful when editing the file.

To edit the CONFIG.SYS file that is in your root directory (after installing OS/2), follow these steps:

  1. Open OS/2 System.
  2. Open Command Prompts.
  3. Type COPY CONFIG.SYS CONFIG.OLD and press Enter.
  4. Type E C:\CONFIG.SYS and press Enter.
    where:
    E is the command used to start the System Editor that comes with OS/2
    C: is the letter of the drive where OS/2 was installed
    \ is the symbol for root directory
    The CONFIG.SYS file will appear on your screen, and you can make changes to it.
  5. When you are done working on the file, select File, then select Save.
  6. Select Type... in the Save notification window.
  7. Select Plain Text, then select Set.
  8. Press Alt+F4 to exit from the System Editor.
  9. Shut down your computer. (You must restart your computer anytime you make changes to the CONFIG.SYS file in order for the changes to take effect.)

For more information about the statements that can appear in the CONFIG.SYS file, refer to the Command Reference that is located in the Information folder on the OS/2 Desktop.

Startup Problems

Following are solutions to problems that might occur when you try to start your system after installing OS/2.

Internal Processing Error Message Appears

The system stops and the screen displays INTERNAL PROCESSING ERROR at the top of a message. Record the information exactly as it displayed on the screen, and write a description of what you were doing when the trap occurred. Then, refer to the Service and Support information in your OS/2 package for instructions about calling for additional assistance.

Boot Manager Menu Does Not Appear:

If you installed the Boot Manager partition but the Boot Manager startup menu does not appear as expected when you start the system, you will need to make the Boot Manager partition startable. Do the following:

  1. Turn on the computer. If the computer is already on, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart it.
  2. When a small white box appears in the upper left-hand corner of your screen, press Alt+F1.
  3. When the Recovery Choices screen appears, press C.

System Will Not Start DOS from the Boot Manager Menu

On a system with a VESA** SUPER I/O controller and two disk drives, the system might not start from the Boot Manager menu. Instead, it will display a non-system disk or disk error message. For more information on this message, check the VESA controller documentation or contact the manufacturer.

Dual Boot Does Not Work

If the BOOT command is unsuccessful when you try to switch from DOS to OS/2, you might have one or more active terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) or DOS cache programs. If so, end the programs before you use the BOOT command. For TSR programs that are loaded from AUTOEXEC.BAT, you must deactivate the programs before using the BOOT command.

Error When Using Dual Boot on a PS/1 System

On PS/1 systems preinstalled with DOS 5.0, using Dual Boot from OS/2 to DOS might result in an error. To correct this problem, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart the system.

Memory Problems

Following are solutions to problems you might encounter with memory after installing OS/2.

IBM PS/2 Model 90 or 95 Memory Parity Errors

If your Model 90 or 95 is a 33 MHz system and you are having difficulty identifying intermittent memory parity errors such as TRAP0002, which force you to restart your system, then ECA053 might apply. If your microprocessor card has part number 84F9356, contact your IBM representative to assist you with a replacement.

IBM PS/2 Model 90 Memory Errors

If your Model 90 is experiencing intermittent memory errors, ECA084 might apply if the part number of your memory riser card is N33F4905 or 84F9356. Your IBM representative can assist you with a replacement.

Display Problems

Following are solutions to problems you might encounter with your display after installing OS/2.

White Screen after Installation
If the display screen is white after installation and there is no system activity, set the video adapter to operate on an 8-bit bus and move the adapter to an 8-bit slot. If possible, disable the autosensing capability of the video adapter. For information on modifying these settings, refer to the documentation that came with your video adapter.
Blank Screen after Installation
If the Desktop appears to be blank when you restart the system after the complete installation of OS/2, and you are using a ProComm** Micro Channel* SCSI adapter, do not attempt to run CHKDSK on the drive connected to the adapter. Contact ProComm to receive the device driver needed for the SCSI card.
System Stops at Logo Screen
If you have a Future Domain 16xx SCSI controller, you might have installed OS/2 successfully but then found a problem the next time you started OS/2. If the system stopped running with the logo screen displayed, there might be a conflict with the interrupt settings of your hardware devices. Check all interrupt request (IRQ) settings on all your hardware devices and make sure that each one is using a unique IRQ. Future Domain controllers are shipped from the factory preset to use IRQ5. However, IRQ5 is the interrupt that is normally assigned to LPT2. Also, it is common for IRQ5 to be used by sound or communications adapters. You might not see a problem immediately because of interrupt conflicts, but eventually a problem can occur.
System Will Not Restart on a High-Resolution Display
If you installed support for a high-resolution display adapter and your system will not restart, follow the procedure below. This procedure will set the adapter support to a lower resolution (VGA) but will enable your system to start.
  1. Turn on the computer. If the computer is already on, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart it.
  2. When a small white box appears in the upper left-hand corner of your screen, press Alt+F1.
  3. When the Recovery Choices screen appears, press V.
  4. Use Selective Install to install support for another high-resolution display adapter.
Graphics Mode and Refresh Rates Incorrect for Hardware
Most video adapters are sensitive to the characteristics and capabilities of the display attached to them. The video BIOS on these adapters detects and sets the hardware to support a desired graphics mode.

Some adapters have configuration dip switches to select desired vertical refresh rates for high-resolution modes (800 x 600 and 1024 x 768). Others are shipped with DOS video-configuration utility programs that allow selection of refresh rates. Usual refresh rates range from 56Hz to 72Hz non-interlaced or 88Hz interlaced. The display has to be capable of synchronizing to this frequency for proper mode set. When the desired refresh rate has been set using either the dip switches or the video-configuration utility program run the \OS2\SVGA.EXE utility program to store the hardware setup in an \OS2\SVGADATA.PMI file. At a DOS full-screen session, type: C:\OS2\SVGA ON; then press Enter.

The Installation Program Installed VGA Support instead of SVGA
During the installation of OS/2, the installation program might have installed only VGA support for your display. To install the Super VGA (SVGA) drivers, you can use Selective Install in the System Setup folder. (System Setup is in the OS/2 System folder).

Video Corruption or Stacked or Missing Icons

  1. Display the Desktop pop-up menu (click mouse button 2 on the OS/2 desktop background).
  2. Select Refresh to redraw the Desktop.
  3. If the screen goes blank, press Alt+Esc (to switch between the programs) to force repainting of the screen.
Synchronization Lost Under OS/2 But Not DOS
The resolution or refresh rate loses synchronization under OS/2 but not DOS. To correct this problem, generate the \OS2\SVGADATA.PMI file under a specific version of DOS using the following instructions:
  1. Start DOS.
  2. Type \OS2\SVGA ON DOS
  3. Press Enter.
  4. Type RENAME \OS2\SVGADATA.DOS \OS2\SVGADATA.PMI
  5. Press Enter.
  6. Restart OS/2.

If this does not fix the problem, try selecting a different vertical refresh rate (refer to your adapter manual); then generate the PMI file again. If your display remains out of synchronization or is stable and synchronized after restarting the system but loses synchronization after a session switch, this might be due to your video adapter's hardware implementation.

Note: Some video adapter hardware cannot be fully saved and restored in all graphics modes for all refresh rates.

Using After Dark** for Windows** with S3** Adapter

If you have an S3 adapter and are using After Dark for Windows, images that move from left to right will not perform properly. Switch to any resolution other than 640 x 480 x 16M.

Using Ventura Publisher** for Windows with an S3 Adapter

If you have an S3 display adapter and are using Ventura Publisher for Windows, you might experience a General Protection fault when starting the program. Switch to a 256-color resolution to avoid this problem.

Using Lotus 1-2-3 for OS/2 with S3 Adapter

If you have an S3 display adapter and are using Lotus 1-2-3 for OS/2 your system might trap. Switch to any resolution other than one using 16M colors.

Using Lotus** 1-2-3** for OS/2 or Lotus Freelance for OS/2

If you have an XGA or SVGA display adapter and are using Lotus 1-2-3 for OS/2 or Lotus Freelance** for OS/2, your system might trap. Switch to a resolution that uses 256 colors or less.

Using WordPerfect** 5.1 or 5.2 for Windows with S3 Adapter

If you have an S3 display adapter and are using WordPerfect 5.1 or 5.2 for Windows you might experience a General Protection fault when the Print Preview option is selected. Use any resolution other than the 800 x 600 x 64K or 600 x 480 x 16 million color modes.

Using Software Motion Video Feature with S3 Adapter

If you have an S3 display adapter and are using the software motion video feature you might experience poor performance of video playback in 64K-color modes. Normally, the software motion video feature will take advantage of a 1MB aperture on video adapters and systems where it is available. For those systems with nonstandard locations, the actual physical address of the aperture must be provided in the following CONFIG.SYS statement:

SET VIDEO_APERTURE=xxxh

where "xxx" is a hexadecimal value in units of 1MB, representing the actual physical address to map to the aperture. For example, the IBM PS/ValuePoint* systems must have the statement:

SET VIDEO_APERTURE=400h

to use a physical address at 1GB.

Blank Screen on IBM ValuePoint system

If you have one of the following IBM ValuePoint systems, you might encounter a blank screen while switching from one window to another.

PS/ValuePoint Display Models:  6314    6317    6319
PS/ValuePoint System Models:   6382    6384    6387

To correct or avoid this problem, make sure that the flash EEPROM level of your system is 62 or later.

To check the EEPROM level:

  1. Begin the Configuration Utility program by turning the system off and then on again.
  2. During the memory count, press F1. (The memory count appears in the upper left corner of the screen as numbers followed by KB.)
  3. When the Configuration Utility screen appears, look for the Flash EEPROM Revision Level.
  4. The fifth and sixth characters in the Flash EEPROM Revision Level represent the actual revision level.
  5. If the revision level is less than 62, you must install the ValuePoint Flash BIOS update.

To get the required ValuePoint Flash BIOS update do the following: Access the IBM PC Company Bulletin Board System, then download the VP2FL62A.DSK file, which is the Flash BIOS Update Level 62. If you do not have access to a modem, you can call the IBM Help Center and request this update on diskette.

Video Corruption with Video 7** Adapter

If you experience minor video corruption when switching from an OS/2 full-screen session to the Desktop using Alt+Esc, exit the OS/2 session and restart it.

Video Corruption Using 8514/A Adapter with WIN-OS/2

If you are running a WIN-OS/2 full-screen session with an 8514/A adapter in a high-resolution mode, do not switch to a different session while the program is updating the screen or displaying an hourglass. The actual problem you experience (for example, video corruption, system hang) depends upon what the display driver is doing at the time of the switch.

Color Icons and Bit Maps Improperly Drawn

Windows programs that use color icons or color bit-map backgrounds must run in the foreground to be properly drawn. Do not switch from a Windows program while it is being started or before it completes drawing color icons and color bit-map backgrounds.

Discolored Bit Map Using 8514/A Adapter

If you are using an 8514/A display adapter, 256-color bit maps might become discolored. after you start a WIN-OS/2 window session. This discoloration is due to the sharing of the 256-color palette and should not affect the running of the programs.

Corrupted Graphics in DOS Programs

Some DOS programs with graphics use a non-standard VGA mode that the adapter can support, but the operating system cannot. The graphics in these programs might be corrupted when displayed in a window. To avoid this problem run these programs in DOS full-screen sessions.

Corrupted Colors in DOS Programs

Some DOS programs experience color corruption when running in a window on the Desktop in VGA mode. This is a limitation of the VGA mode because the color palette of the DOS session has to be translated to the Presentation Manager* and the Desktop in VGA mode does not offer enough colors to do an optimal translation.

The best solution is to use an OS/2 display driver that supports the 256-color mode or run the program in a DOS full-screen session.

Corrupted DOS Full-Screen Session on IBM ThinkPad* 750C Series

If you are using a ThinkPad 750C Series, after installing OS/2, you might find that your DOS full-screen session is corrupted. To fix this problem you must reinstall the video driver from the ThinkPad video features diskette.

  1. Restart your system by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del. Press Alt+F1 when the small white box appears in the upper left-hand corner of your screen.
  2. When the Recovery Choices screen appears, press V to return to VGA mode.
  3. Restart your system, and then reinstall the ThinkPad 750c video drivers from the ThinkPad video features diskette.

WIN-OS/2 Fails to Start on IBM ThinkPad

If a WIN-OS2 window fails to come up on an IBM Thinkpad, make sure that your CONFIG.SYS file contains the following statement:

DOS=LOW,NOUMB

Also, make sure that the WIN-OS/2 settings have DOS set to LOW and UMB set to OFF.

Notebook Computers Using DOS Window

Some notebook computers get a trap D error or other problems when a DOS window is opened. This error is caused by improper video register shadowing. To correct the problem:

  1. Edit your C:\CONFIG.SYS file.
  2. Change DEVICE=C:\OS2\MDOS\VVGA.SYS to DEVICE=C:\OS2\MDOS\VSVGA.SYS
  3. Save the C:\CONFIG.SYS file.
  4. Shut down and restart the computer.

Text Strings Clipped on Display

OS/2 uses a system proportional font that is designed to meet the International Organization for Standards (ISO) 9241 standard and the German DIN 66234 standard when using certain ISO compliant hardware. If you do not want to use ISO compliant fonts, you can modify the OS2.INI file to install fonts that are not ISO compliant. Font changes made in the OS2.INI file are global across all programs. If you have REXX installed, you can type the following information into a CMD file and use it to change the font.

 call RxFuncAdd "SysIni", "RexxUtil", "SysIni"
 AppName = "PM_SystemFonts"
 KeyName = "DefaultFont"
 FontName = "10.System Proportional Non-ISO"
 call SysIni "USER", AppName, KeyName, FontName||"0"x
 exit

After the file has been run, shut down and restart the system.

Poor Performance of Windows Programs Using 8514/A Adapter

If your system has an 8514/A adapter, you can improve the performance of your Windows programs by changing their settings. Open the Settings notebook for each Windows program and change the following WIN-OS/2 settings:

VIDEO_8514A_XGA_IOTRAP to OFF
VIDEO_SWITCH_NOTIFICATION to ON

Corrupted Desktop with the ATI Graphics Ultra Pro Adapter

If your system has the 1MB version of the ATI Graphics Ultra Pro adapter with the memory set to SHARED, some DOS programs running in the background might corrupt the Desktop.

To correct this problem, you must upgrade to the 2MB version of the ATI Graphics Ultra Pro and set the VGA memory to 256K or greater.

Note: If you are using the 1MB version of the ATI Graphics Ultra Pro adapter with the OS/2 8514/A display driver, the VGA memory must be set to SHARED.

System Hang Using PM Debugger

To correct this problem, use an XGA* or 8514/A adapter with the debugger. An access violation will occur when you exit the debugger, but you will not have to restart your system and you will not have system problems as a result of using the debugger.

Video Corruption on XGA Display Using Windows Screen Savers

A Windows screen saver program that starts while in a background session might display a corrupted image being displayed when you switch back to the Windows session. The image can be refreshed by moving the mouse or pressing any key.

You can eliminate this problem by changing your WIN-OS/2 settings for the screen saver program using the Settings Notebook. Change the settings to:

VIDEO_8514A_XGA_IOTRAP to ON
VIDEO_SWITCH_NOTIFICATION to OFF

Using Dual Displays (XGA and VGA)

If you are using a dual display system with XGA as the primary display and VGA as the secondary display, you might see some minor corruption when the XGA display is set to a resolution with 65536 colors.

This corruption will be on the display that does not have focus and will not interfere with the operation of the system.

Using Dual Displays with Windows programs in a Window Session

On dual display configurations with XGA-2 as the primary display and VGA as the secondary display, the DOS full-screen session might be corrupted if a Windows program is started in a window session.

To recover from this situation, shut down and restart the system.

Using XGA-2 Adapter with Dual Boot

If you are using Dual Boot with an XGA-2 adapter, you must modify the CONFIG.DOS file:

  1. Edit the \OS2\SYSTEM\CONFIG.DOS file.
  2. Locate the line DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM 2048 X=nnnn-nnnn
  3. Change nnnn-nnnn to C000-CFFF.
  4. Save and exit the file.

Screen Corruption on IBM P75 Systems

On IBM P75 systems, there might be some corruption on the screen whenever several icons are selected and moved together. This corruption can be eliminated by selecting Sort from the Desktop pop-up menu.

Limited Resolutions on IBM P75 Systems with External Displays

An IBM P75 system with an external display attached might only have the 640 x 480 x 16,772,216 resolution selection on the the System Settings Screen page. If the external display is capable of displaying higher resolutions, use the P75 Reference Diskette to disable the built-in plasma display.

Color Changes Behind Icons on XGA Displays

If you are using an XGA display, the diagonal lines behind the icons of open objects might change color unexpectedly. This does not interfere with the operation of the system.

Extra Lines on OS/2 System Clock on XGA Displays

If you are using an XGA display, extra lines might appear on the face of the OS/2 System Clock between the quarter (:15) and half (:30) hour. These lines do not interfere with the operation of the clock.

Display Power Management Signaling Not Enabled on XGA Displays

If you are using an XGA display, the XGA DMQS (\xga$dmqs\*.dqs) files in this version of the operating system do not have DPMS (Display Power Management Signaling) enabled for the DPMS supported displays. You must use the DPMS OVERRIDE parameter provided with the Power Management Utility program that is located in System Setup.

PS/ValuePoint System with Radius XGA Display Adapter

If you are using a Radius XGA display adapter on a PS/ValuePoint system, it might not work correctly. To correct this problem, you need to obtain and use the VPXGA.EXE utility program. For a copy of this utility program, check your Radius Installation Diskette or contact a service representative at Radius.

Zenith Data Systems** and Hewlett Packard Systems with Headland Adapters

Zenith Data Systems with Headland HT208 and Hewlett Packard systems with HT209 display a white half-screen whenever high-resolution modes are selected. These systems do not support high-resolution modes even though you can successfully install high resolution drivers and select the modes. To correct this problem, use Selective Install to install VGA.

ZEOS** Systems with Speedstar VGA

If you are using a ZEOS system with Speedstar VGA, the video display adapter might not configure. Use the VMODE utility program supplied with the system to configure the display during the display driver installation.

Video Corruption with Sigma Legend** Adapter

If you have a Sigma Legend display adapter you might experience minor video corruption on the Desktop when you switch between the Desktop and DOS if they are running in different modes. Use the DOS utility program that is packaged with this display adapter to set the DOS session to the same mode as the Desktop.

System Hang with Sigma Legend Adapter

If you are using a Sigma Legend display in 1024 x 768 x 256 color mode, the system might stop. Use only 640 x 480 x 256 or 800 x 600 x 256 mode with this adapter.

Mouse Problems

The following information provides solutions to problems you might encounter with your mouse.

Existing Mouse Not Working Correctly

If the mouse you had connected to your computer before installing OS/2 now works improperly (movements appear "jerky" or the mouse does not respond when you move it), do the following:

  1. Open OS/2 System.
  2. Open Command Prompts.
  3. Open OS/2 Window. If you installed OS/2 from a CD, continue with step 4. If you installed from diskettes, go to step 5.
  4. Type ATTRIB -R C:\OS2\MOUSE.SYS and press Enter (where c is the drive where OS/2 is installed).
  5. Insert the diskette that came with your mouse into drive A (this diskette contains the mouse device driver).
  6. Type COPY A:\MOUSE.SYS C:\OS2\MOUSE.SYS and press Enter (where C is the drive where OS/2 is installed).
  7. Shut down the system.

Mouse Not Working after Installation

If you installed a mouse during the installation of OS/2, or used selective installation to install a new mouse and the mouse is not working, you will need to edit your CONFIG.SYS file. Do the following:

  1. Edit the C:\CONFIG.SYS file and press Enter (where C is the drive where OS/2 is installed).
  2. Delete the mouse device driver statements from the CONFIG.SYS file (there might be more than one such statement). For example: DEVICE=C:\OS2\MOUSE.SYS
  3. Shut down the system, and then restart it.
  4. Use Selective Install to install a different mouse driver.

Serial Mouse Not Working

If the serial mouse is connected to a serial port, make sure that the serial port is configured for default settings.

Logitech** Mouse Not Working after Installation

If you have a Logitech mouse that does not work after installation, you might have to select another mouse driver. Before 1991, Logitech sold "C-Series" serial mice. Since 1991, Logitech has sold only "M-Series" Microsoft-compatible serial mice. To determine which mouse you have, look at the bottom of the mouse. If it says "CA" or "C7," then it is a C-Series mouse. If not, then you have an M-Series mouse. Use Selective Install to select the correct Logitech mouse driver.

Logitech Mouse Not Working after Dual Boot from DOS

If your Logitech mouse is not working on a Dual Boot system after you run DOS and switch to OS/2, your mouse might be running in a mode set by a DOS-based mouse device driver. To correct the problem:

  1. If COM2 port is being used, switch back to DOS and type the following at the DOS command prompt:
    MOUSE PC
    or
    MOUSE 2 PC
    This will reset the mouse to a mode that is recognized by OS/2.
    Note: You must use the MOUSE.COM that came with the mouse, or the command will not work.
  2. Then type the following: C:\OS2\BOOT /OS2
  3. Press Enter. OS/2 should start and your mouse should work.
  4. If this does not work, disconnect and reconnect the mouse.
  5. If these methods do not work, close your programs and turn off the computer. Then, turn the computer on again.

Mouse Does Not Work on an IBM PS/2 Model 90 or 95

If your Model 90 or 95 has the Unattended Start Mode option set (through the System Programs), the mouse driver will not load during startup. To correct this situation, disable the Unattended Start Mode.

Mouse Does Not Work on COM3 or COM4

OS/2 supports connection only to COM1 or COM2, at the standard input/output (I/O) address and interrupt request (IRQ) setting.

Mouse Pointer Does Not Move

When you move your mouse, the mouse pointer on the screen does not move. Verify that each device on your computer that uses an IRQ setting is not conflicting with another IRQ setting.

Mouse Statements in CONFIG.SYS

The mouse statements that should appear in your CONFIG.SYS depend on the type of mouse connected to your computer. The correct CONFIG.SYS statements for running a serial mouse are:

DEVICE=C:\OS2\MDOS\VMOUSE.SYS
DEVICE=C:\OS2\POINTDD.SYS
DEVICE=C:\OS2\PCLOGIC.SYS SERIAL=COMx
DEVICE=C:\OS2\MOUSE.SYS TYPE=PCLOGIC$

Where: C is the drive on which OS/2 is installed, and COMx is either COM1 or COM2.

The correct CONFIG.SYS statements for running a Microsoft or IBM mouse are:

DEVICE=C:\OS2\MDOS\VMOUSE.SYS
DEVICE=C:\OS2\POINTDD.SYS
DEVICE=C:\OS2\MOUSE.SYS

Where: C is the drive on which OS/2 is installed.

Three-button Mouse Not Working Correctly

You have a 3-button mouse and error SYS1201 is displayed on the screen. OS/2 supports only the 2-button mode on a 3-button mouse. If your mouse has a switch to change to a 2-button mode, change the switch. If it doesn't, replace the mouse with a 2 button mouse.

Erratic Mouse Pointer in WIN-OS/2 Sessions

If you have an erratic pointer in your WIN-OS/2 programs.

Set the following WIN-OS/2 settings:

  • MOUSE_EXCLUSIVE_ACCESS to On
  • IDLE_SENSITIVITY to 100
  • IDLE_SECONDS to 20

Mouse Not Recognized on Non-IBM Computer

If your mouse is not recognized on a non-IBM computer that has a mouse port with an attached mouse, the mouse might be incompatible with the mouse port because of the chip on the mouse adapter. Attach the mouse to a serial port. If the mouse still does not work, try a different mouse with the mouse port.

Mouse and Keyboard Stop Working

If you have AMI BIOS, you might have an old version. Contact your computer manufacturer for an updated BIOS level.

CD-ROM Problems

Following are solutions to problems you might encounter with your CD-ROM after installing OS/2.

Philips CM 205 CD-ROM

If you have a Philips CM 205 drive and it doesn't work with OS/2, edit your CONFIG.SYS file and change the line containing LMS205.ADD to LMS206.ADD. If your CD-ROM drive is not working correctly (does not respond, or generates errors when trying to read a CD), do the following:

  1. Open OS/2 System.
  2. Open Command Prompts.
  3. Open OS/2 Window.
  4. Insert the diskette that came with your CD-ROM drive into drive A. (This diskette contains the CD-ROM device driver.)
  5. Type the following, pressing Enter after each:
    COPY A:*.ADD C:\OS2\
    COPY A:*.IFS C:\OS2\
    COPY A:*.DMD C:\OS2\

    where * represents the actual name of the file.
  6. Edit the C:\CONFIG.SYS file and press Enter (where c is the drive on which OS/2 is installed).
  7. Add the following statements to the CONFIG.SYS file (if not already there):
    DEVICE=C:\OS2\CDFS.IFS /Q
    IFS=C:\OS2\CDFS.IFS /Q
    BASEDEV=OS2CDROM.DMD
    BASEDEV=*.ADD
    where * represents the actual name of the .ADD file on the device driver diskette.
  8. If the following statement appears in the CONFIG.SYS file, change it from:
    DEVICE=C:\OS2\CDROM.SYS /Q /N:4
    to
    REM DEVICE=C:\OS2\CDROM.SYS /Q /N:4
  9. Shut down the system.

Problems with Sony, Mitsumi, or Hitachi** CD-ROM Drives

If you are using a Sony, Mitsumi, or Hitachi CD-ROM drive and cannot access it, do the following:

  1. Copy the following files from Diskette 1 to the hard disk, as follows:
    COPY A:\OS2CDROM.DMD C:\OS2
    COPY A:\CDFS.IFS C:\OS2
  2. Edit your CONFIG.SYS file on the hard disk and add the following statements:
    DEVICE=C:\OS2\OS2CDROM.DMD /Q
    IFS=C:\OS2\CDFS.IFS /Q
  3. Shut down the system.

Problems with Sound Blaster CD-ROM Drives

If you are using a Sound Blaster CD-ROM drive with the device driver SBPCD2.SYS and cannot access the drive, restart your system and do the following:

  1. Copy the following file from Diskette 1 to the hard disk, as follows: COPY A:\CDFS.IFS C:\OS2
  2. Edit your CONFIG.SYS file on the hard disk and add the following statement: IFS=C:\OS2\CDFS.IFS /Q
  3. Open OS/2 System.
  4. Open Selective Install from the System Setup folder.
  5. Select the icon next to CD-ROM Device Support on the System Configuration screen.
  6. Select OTHER from the bottom of the CD-ROM selection list; then select OK.
  7. When the selective installation is complete, edit the CONFIG.SYS file and delete the following line: DEVICE=C:\OS2\OS2CDROM.DMD /Q
  8. Shut down the system.

Hard Disk Problems

Following are solutions to problems you might have with hard disk drives after installing OS/2. Also refer to Recovery Procedures.

Slow SCSI Support

After installation, you might experience slow SCSI support. If this occurs, make sure that the hard disk and the controller card are both set for the ASYNCH mode or the SYNCH mode.

Problem with Quantum Hardcard or IDE Controller

Add the required switch settings (adapter number and IRQ level) to the IBM1S506.ADD device driver statement in your CONFIG.SYS file. If you need assistance with the switch settings or need a BIOS upgrade (for certain Quantum Hardcards), contact a service representative at Quantum.

Hard Disk Controller Problem

  • Determine the controller manufacturer, model number, and type. Then, determine which device driver is installed for the controller (for example, FD7000EX.ADD).
  • Verify that the installed device driver is the correct one.
  • Verify that the BASEDEV= statements are correct in your CONFIG.SYS file. Verify that the correct device driver is listed in a BASEDEV= statement. Also, verify that the correct device driver is the only device driver listed for that controller. For more information about BASEDEV= statements, refer to the Command Reference in the Information folder.

Cannot Set Up a Primary Partition

If you have more than two hard disk drives and you cannot set up a primary partition on one of the hard disk drives, your BIOS could be preventing the setup. With OS/2, you can have a primary partition on two hard disk drives; however, the BIOS in your computer determines which two hard disk drives can have primary partitions.

Cannot Access Entire Hard Disk

Your hard disk drive has more than 1024 cylinders, and you cannot access the entire drive space, the device driver for your controller might not support more than 1024 cylinders. If you have a non-IBM controller and device driver, contact the manufacturer of the device driver to ask if your level of the driver supports more than 1024 cylinders.

Desktop Problems

Following are solutions to problems you might have with your Desktop after installing OS/2.

System Stops Working

The system stops and the keyboard and mouse do not respond.

  1. Press Ctrl+Esc or Alt+Esc and wait a few seconds to see if the system responds.
  2. Determine if you can move your mouse but cannot select any object when you press mouse button 1.
  3. Press the Caps Lock and Num Lock keys to see if their status lights come on.
  4. Record a description of what you were doing when the system stopped. If any messages were displayed on the screen, be sure to record the message text and number.
  5. Refer to the Service and Support brochure in your OS/2 package for instructions about calling for additional assistance.

Missing Icons

After restarting your system, some of your Desktop icons might be missing. Check the documentation for the hard drive and the controller card to ensure that their settings are both set for the ASYNCH mode or the SYNCH mode.

Stacked Icons

If the objects on your Desktop appear to be stacked on each other, you can refresh your Desktop:

  1. Position the mouse pointer on a blank area of the Desktop.
  2. Press mouse button 2. A pop-up menu appears.
  3. Select Refresh.
  4. If your screen goes blank, press Alt+Esc to switch between programs and force the "repainting" of your screen.

DOS and Windows Programs Not Added to the Desktop

During the installation of OS/2, your existing DOS and Windows programs are automatically added to your OS/2 Desktop. However, the installation program might not find all programs (for example, programs located on remote servers). If this happens, restart the system, then run the Add Programs to Desktop utility program. (Add Programs to Desktop is located in the System Setup folder which is located in the OS/2 System folder.)

OS/2 2.x Programs Not Added to the Desktop

If you installed OS/2 on a system that already had OS/2 2.x installed on it and your OS/2 2.x programs were not added to your Desktop, do the following:

  1. Turn on the computer. If the computer is already on, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart it.
  2. When a small white box appears in the upper left-hand corner of your screen, press Alt+F1.
  3. When the Recovery Choices screen appears, press C.
  4. Delete the DESKTOP directory.
  5. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart your system. The Desktop should be re-created.
  6. If the problem continues, re-create the INI files. Follow the instructions in Rebuilding Your Desktop.

If you moved program groups off the Desktop and into a folder, you should move them back on the Desktop before installing OS/2. Otherwise, duplicate icons could appear on the screen. If you try to delete these icons, the original icons will also be deleted.

Blank Desktop and Missing Objects

If the Desktop is blank, objects are missing, you cannot delete an object, or you have another problem that involves objects, run the CHKDSK (check disk) program until the results indicate there are no errors. To run CHKDSK, do the following:

  1. Insert the Installation Diskette in drive A. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart your system.
  2. When prompted, remove the Installation Diskette and insert Diskette 1.
  3. Press F3 in the Welcome screen to exit to the command prompt.
  4. Insert Diskette 2.
  5. Type: CHKDSK C: /F and press Enter (where: C: is the drive where OS/2 is installed).

For more information about CHKDSK, select Command Reference in the Information folder.

Missing Objects in the OS/2 System Folder

Follow the instructions in Rebuilding Your Desktop.

Folders Open and Close Immediately

Follow the instructions in Recovering Archived System Files.

Missing, Empty, or Multiple Objects on Desktop

  • The Desktop is missing objects or there is more than one icon for the same object.
  • One or more Desktop folders are empty.
  • After you shut down the computer and start it again, the objects on the Desktop are not displayed the same as when you shut down.

Recover the archived Desktop, using the procedure in Recovering Archived System Files. If that does not fix the problem, follow the instructions for Rebuilding Your Desktop.

Object Cannot Be Deleted

If you cannot delete an object, do the following:

  1. Create a folder.
  2. Drag the object you want to delete to the new folder and drop it.
  3. Drag the new folder to the Shredder and drop it.

If you cannot shred the folder, do the following:

  1. At an OS/2 command prompt, type: CD DESKTOP and press Enter.
  2. After the DESKTOP directory opens, type: RD directory and press Enter.

(Where: directory is replaced by the name of the directory (folder) that you want to delete.)

Recovery Procedures

The procedures that follow provide information about recovering from Desktop problems and system failures, including:

  • A damaged, unusable, or unstartable desktop
  • An invalid CONFIG.SYS file
  • A damaged INI file
  • Hard disk errors
  • A forgotten lockup password

Note: Backing up your system regularly might help you avoid having to re-create files in the event of a system failure.

If your Desktop becomes damaged, unusable, or unstartable, you can recover in two ways:

  • Use the Archive/Recover utility program to restore your Desktop to a previously saved state
  • Rebuild your existing Desktop

Recovering Archived System Files

OS/2 has the capability of archiving key system files as well as the DESKTOP directory each time you start OS/2. The default setting for this feature is OFF. (The Archive function can be turned ON via the Archive page of the Desktop Settings notebook.)

When the Archive function is turned ON, the state of the key system files and Desktop as they existed at the last three "starts" of OS/2 are saved. Each time you restart OS/2, the oldest set of archived system files is deleted and the current system files are saved. OS/2 also keeps a permanent archive of your Desktop and key files as they existed when OS/2 was first installed, so you can always restore your system to its original state.

To use archived system files, do the following:

  1. Turn on your computer. If your computer is already on, perform a shut down, then press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart it.
  2. When a small white box appears in the upper-left corner of your screen (before the OS/2 logo screen appears), press Alt+F1.
  3. A screen appears, listing the three most recent archives. Do one of them following:
    • Type the number of the archive you want to use to restore your system.
    • Type X to restore your system to its original state (as it was when you first installed OS/2).
    • Type C to get an OS/2 command prompt (for example, if you want to edit your CONFIG.SYS file).
    • Type V to reset your primary display to VGA (for example, if you think your Desktop is not damaged but cannot be seen because you need to reinstall your VGA device drivers).

Recovery Choices during Restart

The Recovery Choices screen enables you to specify how the system is to restart while a restart is in progress. You can display the Recovery Choices screen during restart by pressing Alt+F1 when a small white box appears in the upper left-hand corner of your screen. If you want the system to display the Recovery Choices screen each time it restarts, you can select Display Recovery Choices at every system restart on the Archive page of the Desktop Settings notebook.

The Recovery Choices screen allows you to:

  • Select the set of archived system files that the system is to use to restart
  • Continue using the original installation files to restart, and go to a command line
  • Continue using the current system files to restart, and reset your primary display to VGA
  • Restart your system using a customized CONFIG.SYS file that you have created

Each set of archived files appears on the Recovery Choices screen with the date and time when the files were archived. The files are numbered 1, 2, 3 or, for the original installation files, X. Select the files that you want the system to restart with by pressing 1, 2, 3, or X on your keyboard. The system will continue to restart using the set of archived files represented by the number you pressed.

To go to a command line without changing the system files, press the C key on your keyboard.

To reset your primary display to VGA, press the V key on your keyboard. The character keys that you press can be uppercase or lowercase letters. To restart your system using a customized version of the CONFIG.SYS file, enter an alphabetic character that corresponds to the name of a CONFIG.SYS file that you have created. Creating Your Own CONFIG.SYS Files describes how to create and name your own customized version of CONFIG.SYS

Displaying Your CONFIG.?

Choices on the Recovery Choices Screen describes how to display your customized CONFIG.SYS choices on the Recovery Choices screen.

Creating Your Own CONFIG.SYS Files

In some cases, you need different CONFIG.SYS files to create environments that are specific to the kinds of work you are doing. For example, when you use a laptop computer with a docking station, you might want a CONFIG.SYS file that supports your laptop computer and one that supports your regular machine. You can create different versions of the CONFIG.SYS file, and, during restart, specify from the Recovery Choices screen which version the system is to use. You can also customize the Recovery Choices screen to display your customized CONFIG.SYS file choices.

The following steps describe how to create and use multiple CONFIG.SYS files. In these steps, ? is any unique single alphabetic character except: X, x, C, c, V, or v. These steps use C as the root directory. If you installed OS/2 on adrive other than C, replace the C in the path name with your own root directory.

  1. Save a copy of the current CONFIG.SYS file.
    You can save a copy of the current CONFIG.SYS file by copying it to a diskette. Otherwise, you can copy the current CONFIG.SYS file to the C:\OS2\BOOT subdirectory, and rename it to CONFIG.?. If you copy and rename CONFIG.SYS, be sure to make a note of the new name and directory so you can restore it later.
  2. On the C:\OS2\BOOT subdirectory, create a file called CONFIG.? and customize it with the modifications that you need.
  3. Copy your customized CONFIG.? file to the current CONFIG.SYS file. There are two ways to copy your CONFIG.? file. You can enter the copy command at the OS/2 command prompt, or you can create an OS/2 batch file that will run during restart after the system processes C:\CONFIG.SYS.
    a. Replacing Your CONFIG.SYS file with CONFIG.?
    If you have only one customized CONFIG.? file, or if you do not plan to change between CONFIG.SYS and CONFIG.? often, you might choose to copy over CONFIG.SYS with your customized CONFIG.? file. Copying over C:\CONFIG.SYS with your customized CONFIG.? file replaces CONFIG.SYS in the root directory, and makes your customized file the default CONFIG.SYS file.
    The command to copy your customized file to the current CONFIG.SYS file is: COPY C:\OS2\BOOT\CONFIG.? C:\CONFIG.SYS
    Using your customized CONFIG.? file as the default file allows you to restart without selecting a CONFIG.? file at the Recovery Choices screen.
    You can now restart your system. When you restart, the system will automatically use the file in the root directory named CONFIG.SYS.
    b. Creating a Batch File to Replace CONFIG.SYS with CONFIG.?
    If you have several customized CONFIG.SYS files, using the batch file allows you to specify the CONFIG.? you want to use without entering multiple copy commands. You can simply change the ? character in your batch file, and enter that character at the Recovery Choices screen.
    Create a batch file on C:\OS2\BOOT, and name it ALTF1?.CMD, where ? is the character that you used in the name of your CONFIG.? file. Put the following COPY command in the batch file.
    COPY C:\OS2\BOOT\CONFIG.? C:\CONFIG.SYS
    Display the Recovery Choices screen by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart your system and then pressing Alt+F1.
    At the Recovery Choices screen, press the key for the ? single character in the name of the CONFIG.? file you want to use.
    The system continues the restart using your customized CONFIG.? file.

Note: If you enter a character from the Recovery Choices screen for which there is no corresponding ALTF1?.CMD batch file, the system will use the CONFIG.? file that corresponds to that character. If no CONFIG.? file corresponding to that character exists, the system will return to the Recovery Choices screen.

Example

The following example shows how to create a CONFIG.SYS file named CONFIG.A, and a batch file to copy it during restart. The system is installed on the C drive. Before you start, save a copy of your current CONFIG.SYS file. 1. Copy the system version of CONFIG.SYS into a new file called

CONFIG.A
COPY CONFIG.SYS C:\OS2\BOOT\CONFIG.A

2. Change to the C:\OS2\BOOT directory

CD OS2
CD BOOT

3. Edit CONFIG.A to customize it, and save your changes

E CONFIG.A

4. Edit a file called ALTF1A.CMD file

E ALTF1A.CMD

5. Put the following COPY command into ALTF1A.CMD, and save your changes

COPY C:\OS2\BOOT\CONFIG.A C:\CONFIG.SYS

6. Restart your system by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del. Press Alt+F1 when the small white box appears in the upper left-hand corner of your screen.

7. When the Recovery Choices screen appears, press the letter A.

Displaying Your CONFIG.? Choices on the Recovery Choices Screen

You can customize your Recovery Choices screen to display the list of customized CONFIG.? files that you created.

Customizing the Recovery Choices screen will help you to remember which character to enter for a particular version of CONFIG.?, by displaying your selections.

To customize the Recovery Choices screen, edit the file C:\OS2\BOOT\ALTF1BOT.SCR. (If you installed OS/2 on a drive other than C, specify the drive on which OS/2 is installed.) You can add up to 6 lines of text to the bottom of this file. Each line that you add should represent a single CONFIG.? file that you created.

Each line should include the alphabetic character that identifies that CONFIG.? file. You might also want to include a brief, one-line description of when to use that version of the CONFIG.? file.

For example, to display the option for the CONFIG.A file on the Recovery Choices screen, you might add the following to the file C:\OS2\BOOT\ALTF1BOT.SCR: A CONFIG.A (file for laptop computer)

Rebuilding Your Desktop

Use the following procedure if the Archive/Recover procedure did not restore your Desktop, this procedure will rebuild the Desktop by making new INI files.

  1. Turn on the computer. If the computer is already on, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart it.
  2. When a small white box appears in the upper left-hand corner of your screen, press Alt+F1.
  3. When the Recovery Choices screen appears, press C.
  4. Change to the OS/2 directory on your hard disk. Type the following commands and press Enter after each:
    C:
    CD\OS2
  5. Type the following commands and press Enter after each:
    MAKEINI OS2.INI INI.RC
    MAKEINI OS2SYS.INI INISYS.RC
  6. Delete the hidden file, WP?ROOT.?SF, from the startable partition. Type the following commands and press Enter after each:
    ATTRIB -h -s -r \WP?ROOT.?SF
    DEL \WP?ROOT.?SF
  7. Restart the system.

Recovering the CONFIG.SYS File

The CONFIG.SYS file contains command statements that are used to configure your system during startup. If the file is changed incorrectly, you might not be able to restart the system or edit the file. (For example, some programs write information to the CONFIG.SYS file when they are installed. In some cases, this information can cause the CONFIG.SYS file to be unusable.) To recover the original version of the CONFIG.SYS file (as it was created when OS/2 was installed), you can use the following procedure:

  1. Turn on the computer. If the computer is already on, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart it.
  2. When a small white box appears in the upper left-hand corner of your screen, press Alt+F1.
  3. When the Recovery Choices screen appears, press C.
  4. Type C: and press Enter (where C represents the drive on which your operating system resides).
  5. Rename the damaged CONFIG.SYS file. For example, type: REN CONFIG.SYS CONFIG.BAD
  6. Press Enter.
  7. Copy the backup version of the CONFIG.SYS file to the root directory of the drive where your operating system resides. (The CONFIG.SYS backup file was created during OS/2 installation). Type: COPY C:\OS2\INSTALL\CONFIG.SYS C:\CONFIG.SYS
  8. Press Enter.
  9. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart your system.

As stated, this procedure reestablishes the original version of the CONFIG.SYS file (as it was created during OS/2 installation). If you made any changes to the CONFIG.SYS file after that time, you will have to edit the newly copied CONFIG.SYS file and add those changes.

Recovering the User INI File

The OS2.INI file, also referred to as the user INI file, is an operating system startup file that contains system settings such as program defaults, display options, and file options. The OS2SYS.INI file, also referred to as the system INI file, is an operating system file that contains information about installed fonts and printer drivers. If you receive a message that the OS2.INI file has been "corrupted", replace both the OS2.INI file and the OS2SYS.INI file on your hard disk.

Use the following procedure to replace these two files with versions containing default values:

  1. Turn on the computer. If the computer is already on, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart it.
  2. When a small white box appears in the upper left-hand corner of your screen, press Alt+F1.
  3. When the Recovery Choices screen appears, press C.
  4. Type C: and press Enter (where C represents the drive where your operating system resides).
  5. Type CD \OS2 and press Enter.
  6. Type ATTRIB -s -h -r OS2*.INI and press Enter.
  7. Type REN OS2.INI OS2.OLD and press Enter.
  8. Type MAKEINI OS2.INI INI.RC and press Enter.
  9. Type REN OS2SYS.INI OS2SYS.OLD and press Enter.
  10. Type MAKEINI OS2SYS.INI INISYS.RC and press Enter.
  11. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart your system.

You can protect your INI files by having them automatically backed up each time you start your system. For example, if you include the following statements in your CONFIG.SYS file, a backup copy of your current INI files and a backup copy of the INI files as they existed at the previous system startup will be made. (Note that this example assumes that OS/2 is installed on drive C. Use the letter of the drive on which you have OS/2 installed.)

CALL=C:\OS2\XCOPY.EXE C:\OS2\*.INX C:\OS2\*.INY
CALL=C:\OS2\XCOPY.EXE C:\OS2\OS2*.INI C:\OS2\*.INX

By copying the INI files this way, you will always be able to recover a recent version of these files in case the user INI file becomes damaged.

Recovering from Errors on the Hard Disk

The CHKDSK command with the parameter /F can be used to correct disk and directory errors. However, when you use the /F parameter, no activity can occur on the disk. Therefore, if you need to correct errors on the drive from which you normally start OS/2, you must use the version of CHKDSK that is on the installation diskettes (or installation CD) instead of the version that has been installed on the hard disk. You can also use the version of CHKDSK on the installation diskettes or CD if the disk is in use or locked by another process. To run CHKDSK /F using diskettes:

  1. Insert the Installation Diskette in drive A. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart your system.
  2. When prompted, remove the Installation Diskette and insert Diskette 1.
  3. Press F3 in the Welcome screen to exit to the command prompt.
  4. Insert Diskette 2.
  5. To correct the errors on your hard disk, type CHKDSK C: /F:2, then press Enter. (Where: C: is the drive on which OS/2 is installed.)
  6. Remove the diskette from drive A.
  7. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart your system.

To run CHKDSK /F from a CD:

  1. Insert the Installation Diskette in drive A. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart your system.
  2. When prompted, remove the Installation Diskette and insert Diskette 1.
  3. Press F3 in the Welcome screen to exit to the command prompt.
  4. Insert the OS/2 CD into the CD-ROM drive and press Enter.
  5. Type E: (where E is your CD-ROM drive) and press Enter.
  6. Type CD\OS2IMAGE and press Enter.
  7. Type CD DISK_2 and press Enter.
  8. To correct the errors on your hard disk, type CHKDSK C: /F:2, then press Enter. (Where: C: is the drive on which OS/2 is installed.)
  9. Press Enter.

Recovering Memory State Data

The process OS/2 uses to recover the state of memory at the time of a failure is called a memory dump. A memory dump is performed when a problem is difficult to reproduce or other methods of problem determination do not identify the problem.

Memory dump information can then be analyzed by a team of technical experts and determine the cause of the problem.

Important Do not perform a memory dump unless your Service and Support Group has recommended this action.

There are two types of memory dumps:

  • Manual memory dump (used for system hangs and traps that cause the system to stop)
  • Automatic memory dump (used for application programs, system traps, and internal processing errors)

A system memory dump can be placed on a FAT hard-disk partition or formatted diskettes.

Different situations determine which type of memory dump is needed. Refer to the Service and Support brochure in your OS/2 package for instructions about calling for additional assistance.

Using TRACE in CONFIG.SYS File

Before you create the memory dump diskettes, you must use the OS/2 Event Tracing Service to capture a sequence of system events. To enable system event-tracing, add the following statements to your CONFIG.SYS file:

TRACEBUF=63
TRACE=ON

The default for TRACE=ON is to trace all static system events.

Restart your system to activate TRACE. Also, turn on two dynamic trace points as follows:

  1. Open OS/2 System.
  2. Open Command Prompts.
  3. Open OS/2 Full Screen or OS/2 Window.
  4. Type the following at the command prompt:
 trace on kernel   (press Enter)
 trace on doscall1 (press Enter)

Performing the Memory Dump

If you are sending a memory dump to diskettes, you must use formatted diskettes. Generally, one 1.44MB diskette is used for each 2MB of RAM. For example, if you have a 16MB system, you will probably use eight 1.44MB formatted diskettes.

If you are sending a memory dump to a hard disk, you must first create a FAT partition labeled SADUMP and give it a size greater than the amount of physical memory (RAM) in your system. For example, if your system has 16MB of RAM, set the size of the SADUMP partition to 17MB.

To run a memory dump, the Memory Dump facility must be started manually or automatically as follows:

To start it manually:

Press and hold down the Ctrl and Alt keys, and then press the Num Lock key twice. After a few seconds, the screen clears; after a minute the system beeps and one of the following messages is displayed:

When dumping to diskettes:

Insert a formatted diskette to commence dumping.

When dumping to a hard disk:

The memory dump is being performed.

The total amount of memory to be dumped is xxxx.

To start it automatically:

Type one of the following statements in your CONFIG.SYS file and restart your system:

TRAPDUMP=OFF,drive letter:
TRAPDUMP=ON,drive letter:
TRAPDUMP=R0,drive letter:

where:

  • TRAPDUMP=OFF,drive letter: indicates that no automatic dump is to be taken. This is the default value; it is generally used when initiating a manual memory dump.

If REIPL=ON is specified in the CONFIG.SYS file, the system will restart automatically and no dump will be taken when a system trap or internal processing error occurs.

  • TRAPDUMP=ON,drive letter: specifies the drive to which system dump information is written for any access violations. The system will restart after the TRAPDUMP process has completed. The default drive is A if no drive is specified.
  • TRAPDUMP=R0,drive letter: specifies the drive to which system dump information is written for system traps and internal processing errors.

The system will restart after the TRAPDUMP process has completed. The default drive is A if no drive is specified.

TRAPDUMP now initiates a memory dump, depending on which TRAPDUMP statement is placed in the CONFIG.SYS file.

Warning: Setting TRAPDUMP to ON or R0 enables your system to automatically initiate a memory dump. Do not enable TRAPDUMP unless you need to troubleshoot your system and have been instructed to do so by your technical coordinator.

Note: If dumping to diskettes, complete steps 1 through 5. If dumping to hard disk, skip steps 1 through 5 and read step 6.

  1. When prompted, insert the diskette labeled Dump Diskette 1 and press any key to start the dump process. The following message will be displayed: The memory dump is being performed...
  2. When the memory dump has completed or the current dump diskette is full, the following messages are displayed:
     The diskette is full.  Insert another formatted diskette in drive A.
     The storage address ranges on this diskette are:
     DUMPDATA.xxx       yyy - zzz
     Press any key to continue.
     where xxx is the dump diskette number, yyy is the beginning memory
     address, and zzz is the ending memory address on the disk.
     Note:  If you press Enter without changing the diskette, the system will
     prompt you once more before the dump process overwrites the contents of
     the current diskette in the drive. :enote.

3. Insert the next dump diskette into drive A and press any key. This action continues the dump process and displays the following message:

     The memory dump is being performed...
     Warning: Any data on the dump diskettes will be overwritten by the Memory
     Dump facility.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the dumping is completed and the following message is displayed:

     Insert memory dump diskette number 1 to complete dump.
     The storage address ranges on this diskette are:
     DUMPDATA.xxx        yyy - zzz
     Press any key to continue.

5. You must reinsert Dump Diskette 1 at this point to properly terminate the dump process. The control program will write the dump summary record to Dump Diskette 1 and end the process. After the process has ended, the following messages are displayed:

     The memory dump has completed.  Remove the dump diskette and restart the
     system.

6. When a memory dump is initiated, the system begins writing the system memory to the dump partition. When completed, the system restarts automatically.

Mailing the Dump Diskettes

Do not send dump diskettes unless instructed by the Service and Support Group. Diskettes must be clearly labeled with the identification number (which is the PMR number that is provided by the Service and Support Group) and your name. Also, be sure to number the diskettes.

Send the dump diskettes to the address provided by the Service and Support Group. Refer to the Service and Support brochure in your OS/2 package for instructions about calling for additional assistance.

Recovering from A Forgotten Password

If you forgot your lockup password, you must use the LOCK.RC file located in the \OS2 directory to reconfigure the OS2.INI file. To do this:

  1. Turn on the computer.
  2. When a small white box appears in the upper left-hand corner of your screen, press Alt+F1.
  3. When the Recovery Choices screen appears, press C.
  4. Change from drive A to the drive on which OS/2 is installed. Type: C: and press Enter.
  5. Change to the OS2 directory. Type CD \OS2 and press Enter.
  6. Type the following: MAKEINI OS2.INI LOCK.RC
  7. Press Enter.
  8. Restart the computer.

Video Procedures

This chapter provides information to help you install and fine tune your OS/2 video. It includes supported chip sets and resolutions, instructions for changing video settings, plus specific procedures for SVGA, XGA, and LCD or Monochrome Plasma displays. Use the table of contents at the beginning of this chapter to locate the information.

Video Device Drivers for OS/2

OS/2 contains video device drivers that support the chip sets found on many system boards and display adapters. The following table lists the supported chip sets and the video device driver that should be selected during installation.

Non-Accelerated Video Device Drivers

MANUFACTURER CHIP SET VIDEO DEVICE DRIVER
ATI Technologies ATI28800 256 color ATI Technologies ATI28800
Cirrus Logic CL-GD5422, CL-GD5424 Cirrus Logic
Headland Technologies HT209 256 color Headland Technologies HT209
IBM IBM VGA 16 color Video graphics adapter (VGA)
IBM IBM VGA256C IBM VGA256C
Trident Microsystems TVGA8900B, TVGA8900C 256 color Trident Microsystems TVGA8900
TSENG ET4000 TSENG Laboratories ET4000
Western Digital WD90C11, WD90C30, WD90C31 (in WD90C30 compatibility mode) 256 color Western Digital WD90C11, C30, C31 (C30 mode only)
NOTE: Use the Selective Install icon to change the resolution and number of colors for non-accelerated video device drivers.

Accelerated Video Device Drivers

MANUFACTURER CHIP SET VIDEO DEVICE DRIVER
IBM IBM 8514 Display Adapter 8514/A
IBM IBM XGA Extended graphic adapter (XGA)
S3 Corporation S3 86C801, 86C805, 86C928 S3 86C801, 86C805, 86C928
S3 Corporation S3 86C864 S3 864
Cirrus Logic Cirrus Logic 5426, 5428, 5430, 5434 Cirrus Logic 5426, 5428, 5430, 5434
Western Digital WD 90C24, 90C24A, 90C24A2, 90C31 WD 90C24 - 90C31
Western Digital WD 90C33 WD 90C33
ATI Technology MACH 32 ATI MACH 32
ATI Technology MACH 64 ATI MACH 64
TSENG ETW32, ETW32i, ETW32p TSENG ET4000/W32, /W32i, /W32p
Weitek Power 9000 Weitek Power 9000
NOTE: Not all system boards and display adapters that use these chip sets are supported. For more information about display adapter and chip set compatibility, select HELP from the Display Driver Install window in Selective Install or refer to the README file on the Installation Diskette.

These drivers will be installed in 640x480x256 colors by the OS/2 installation program. Use the system icon to change the resolution and number of colors if you are using any of the accelerated video device drivers except IBM 8514.

Supported Resolutions for Accelerated Drivers

The resolutions that can be set for a particular display adapter, are dependent on the:

  • Specific display adapter being used
  • Graphics accelerator chip set on the adapter
  • Video device driver being used
  • Amount of video memory on the adapter

The video device drivers shipped with OS/2 (see the previous table) support the following resolutions and number of colors. Not all of the device drivers support all of the resolutions. For more information about the resolutions supported by each adapter and device driver, select Help from the Display Driver Install window in Selective Install or refer to the README file on the Installation Diskette.

RESOLUTIONS      NUMBER OF        VIDEO MEMORY  NOTE
                 COLORS           REQUIRED

640 x 480        256              1MB
800 x 600        256              1MB
1024 x 768       256              1MB
1280 x 1200      256              2MB
1600 x 1200      256              4MB
640 x 480        65,536           1MB
800 x 600        65,536           1MB
1024 x 768       65,536           2MB
1280 x 1024      65,536           4MB            2
640 x 480        16,777,216       1MB or 2MB     1,3
800 x 600        16,777,216       2MB            1,4,6
1024 x 768       16,777,216       4MB            1
1280 x 1024      16,777,216       4MB            1,2
1360 x 1024      16               1MB            5

NOTE:

  1. The Western Digital device drivers do not support 16,777,216 colors.
  2. Most adapter/chip set combinations do not support these resolutions and colors.
  3. The amount of video memory required for this resolution is dependent on the display adapter and the video device driver installed.
  4. Display adapters with the TSENG W32p Rev A chip set do not support this resolution.
  5. This resolution is supported only for XGA-2.
  6. Cirrus adapters require more than 2MB of video memory for this resolution.

Installing a Video Device Driver

All display adapters must tailor their output to the capabilities of the display attached to the system. Unfortunately, there is no standard for communicating the capabilities of the display to the display adapter. The result is that many display adapters supply a program to define and select the type of display attached to the system. OS/2 responds to this situation by permitting the DOS display selection utilities provided by the manufacturers to be used to properly configure the system. OS/2 then configures the system in the same manner each time your computer is started. If no display is specified, many display adapters make an assumption about the type of display attached to the system. This default setting is designed to work with the widest range of displays possible; therefore, it is the safest choice. During this installation procedure, you will be asked to make a decision about whether you want to use the defaults for your display type, or use the display adapter utility program provided by the manufacturer of the adapter. You should use the utility program provided by the manufacturer if any of the following apply:

  • Your display adapter is produced by Diamond Computer Systems, Inc..
  • Your display supports non-interlaced operation only.
  • Your display does not support VESA standard refresh rates.
  • Your display adapter requires software configuration to function properly in DOS.
  • You want to configure your system to take advantage of the full refresh capabilities of your display.

Note: Using the utility program provided by the manufacturer requires exact knowledge about the capabilities of your display. If the wrong display type is selected, your system might not start.

If you have an SVGA adapter in your system, you must restore it to work in VGA mode before you can use the following instructions to install a different adapter in your system. See Preparing to Switch to a Different Display Adapter for instructions. To install a new display adapter or video device driver:

  1. Install the display adapter using the manufacturer's instructions.
  2. Restart your system.
  3. Open OS/2 System.
  4. Open System Setup.
  5. Open Selective Install.
  6. Select Primary Display or Secondary Display from the System Configuration window.
    Note: A secondary display is used for only DOS and full-screen sessions. Even if two displays are attached to the system only one is active at a time.
  7. Select the display driver that you want from the list provided. (If you are unsure of which driver to choose, select Help.)
  8. Select OK.
  9. Follow the instructions on the screen.

Video Settings

To change video settings for a program:

  1. Point to the program icon.
  2. Click mouse button 2.
  3. Select Settings.
  4. Select the Session tab.
  5. Select the DOS settings or WIN-OS/2 push button.
  6. Change the settings (See the online documentation for detailed a explanation of these settings).
  7. Select the Save push button.
  8. Close the Settings notebook.

SVGA Procedures

The following procedures provide instructions for enabling and disabling SVGA after OS/2 is installed.

Enabling SVGA in WIN-OS/2 Full-Screen Sessions

You can enable WIN-OS/2 full-screen sessions to run in high-resolution (1024 x 768) mode while the OS/2 Desktop runs in VGA mode. To enable WIN-OS/2 full-screen sessions for SVGA: Note: Follow the instructions very carefully. Otherwise, you could cause your WIN-OS/2 sessions to become inoperable.

  1. Use Selective Install to install VGA (640 x 480) support for OS/2.
  2. Back up the SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI files as follows:
    a. Open OS/2 System.
    b. Open Command Prompts.
    c. Open OS/2 Full Screen.
    d. At the C prompt, do the following:
    • Type: CD\OS2\MDOS\WINOS2 and press Enter.
    • Type: COPY WIN.INI WIN.BAK and press Enter.
    • Type: COPY SYSTEM.INI SYSTEM.BAK and press Enter.
  3. Check the OS2\MDOS\WINOS2\SYSTEM directory for the desired high-resolution display device driver.
    • If the device driver is already on the system, go to step 4.
    • If the device driver is not found, use your OS/2 or Windows installation disk to copy the driver to the \OS2\MDOS\WINOS2\SYSTEM directory.
      For example, to use the OS/2 diskettes and install the 8514.DRV high-resolution device driver:
    a. Search the OS/2 installation diskettes for the WIN8514 and *F.FON files and then do the following:
    • DIR A:WIN8514 and press Enter
    • DIR A:*F.FON and press Enter
    After you find the files, you have to unpack them. The files are packed with their standard target directory coded into the packed file.
    b. Copy the file to the system disk in the proper directory, using the UNPACK utility program:
    • Type UNPACK A:WIN8514 and press Enter.
    • Type UNPACK A:*F.FON and press Enter.
    The SVGA driver and font files are now unpacked and in the correct directory.
  4. Edit the SYSTEM.INI file and find the following line:
    FDISPLAY.DRV=VGA.DRV
    This line specifies the device driver used in WIN-OS/2 full-screen sessions.
    Note: DISPLAY.DRV is the driver used for Microsoft Windows. FDISPLAY.DRV is the driver used for WIN-OS/2 full-screen sessions. SDISPLAY.DRV is the driver used for WIN-OS/2 windowed sessions.
  5. Change this line to point to the high-resolution device driver that was unloaded in the steps above. In this example, the device driver is 8514.DRV.
    Note: To install a different driver, substitute the name of your driver in the statement: FDISPLAY.DRV=8514.DRV The modified line should look like the following: FDISPLAY.DRV=8514.DRV
  6. Change the SYSTEM.INI font entries:
    • In SYSTEM.INI, these entries are:
      FIXEDFON.FON=VGAFIX.FON
      OEMFONTS.FON=VGAOEM.FON
      FONTS.FON=VGASYS.FON
    • For 8514/A, these entries must be changed to:
      FIXEDFON.FON=8514FIX.FON
      OEMFONTS.FON=8514OEM.FON
      FONTS.FON=8514SYS.FON
    • Save the changes to the SYSTEM.INI file.
  7. Change the WIN.INI font entries
    • In WIN.INI, the entries are:
      SYMBOL 8,10,12,14,18,24 (VGA RES)=SYMBOLE.FON
      MS SANS SERIF 8,10,12,14,18,24 (VGA RES)=SSERIFE.FON
      MS SERIF 8,10,12,14,18,24 (VGA RES)=SERIFE.FON
      SMALL FONTS (VGA RES)=SMALLE.FON
      COURIER 10,12,15 (VGA RES)=COURE.FON
    • For 8514/A, these entries must be changed to:
      SYMBOL 8,10,12,14,18,24 (8514 RES)=SYMBOLG.FON
      MS SANS SERIF 8,10,12,14,18,24 (8514 RES)=SSERIFG.FON
      MS SERIF 8,10,12,14,18,24 (8514 RES)=SERIFG.FON
      SMALL FONTS (8514 RES)=SMALLG.FON
      COURIER 10,12,15 (8514 RES)=COURG.FON
    • Save the changes to the SYSTEM.INI file.

The system is ready to run Windows programs in WIN-OS/2 full-screen sessions high-resolution mode.

Preparing to Switch to a Different Display Adapter

Because SVGA adapters are only compatible at the VGA level, the system must be restored to VGA in order to safely install a different display adapter. To set your system back to VGA:

  1. Turn on the computer. If the computer is already on, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart it.
  2. When a small white box appears in the upper left-hand corner of your screen, press Alt+F1.
  3. When the Recovery Choices screen appears, press V.

Your display adapter is restored and can work in VGA mode. If you want to install a new display adapter or video device driver, complete the steps under Installing a Video Device Driver.

Recovering from an Incorrect Display Type Selection

If you performed the steps in Installing a Video Device Driver and selected an incorrect display driver you can recover by restoring to VGA mode. To restore to VGA mode:

  1. Turn on the computer. If the computer is already on, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart it.
  2. When a small white box appears in the upper left-hand corner of your screen, press Alt+F1.
  3. When the Recovery Choices screen appears, press V.
  4. Use Selective Install to install support for another high-resolution display adapter. See Installing a Video Device Driver for instructions.
Capturing the Display Configuration

SVGA display and video mode configuration under OS/2 is controlled by the SVGADATA.PMI file. This file can be provided by the display adapter manufacturer or created using the SVGA utility program. The SVGA utility program gets information from the SVGA chip set to set each video mode and captures the current state of the display adapter. This information is stored in the SVGADATA.PMI file and used when the system is started. Both the SVGA.EXE and SVGADATA.PMI are located in the \OS2 directory. To create the SVGADATA.PMI file, type one of the following commands at a DOS command prompt and press Enter.

SVGA ON      Generates the SVGADATA.PMI file which enables OS/2 SVGA support.
SVGA ON DOS  Generates PMI information when executed outside the OS/2 DOS
             environment. This generates an SVGADATA.DOS file that can be
             renamed to .PMI and copied to the \OS2 directory. This entry
             might be required if your SVGA adapter uses DOS device
             drivers to configure the display. Trident** adapters are an
             example.
SVGA ON INIT Generates default display information for some TSENG** and
             Cirrus Logic** based display adapters.
SVGA OFF     Deletes the SVGADATA.PMI file, disabling OS/2 SVGA support.
SVGA STATUS  Returns your graphics chipset, as it appears to OS/2.
Note
The SVGA utility program might be affected by video configuration programs, Terminate Stay Resident programs (TSR), and switches and jumpers on the display adapter. Configure your video adapter properly before using the SVGA utility program to create the SVGADATA.PMI file.
Switching to a Display with Less Capability

Switching to a lower capability display after installing high-resolution (SVGA) drivers might cause the system to start out of synchronization. Follow this procedure to switch to a display with less capability:

  1. Open DOS Full-Screen command prompt.
  2. Run the DOS display configuration utility program supplied with your SVGA adapter to properly configure your display adapter and display.
  3. Change to the \OS2 directory on your hard disk.
  4. Type SVGA ON.
  5. Press Enter to start the SVGA utility program. This utility program saves the current state of your video configuration.
  6. Shut down your system.
  7. Restart your system to enable the new display.

Note: You can also use these instructions if you start a specific version of DOS. Substitute the following step for step 4. Type SVGA ON DOS and press Enter. When the SVGA utility program finishes, type:

RENAME\OS2\SVGADATA.DOS \OS2\SVGADATA.PMI

Press Enter.

XGA Procedures

The following information relates to specific situations with high-resolution XGA displays.

XGA-2 Display Type Override

To correctly operate your display, OS/2 needs to determine the type and characteristics of the device by using a display identification number. Some displays have the same identification number but different characteristics. If OS/2 does not operate your display at the correct refresh rate or display mode, and you are running an XGA-2 adapter, do the following:

  1. Open OS/2 System.
  2. Open System Setup.
  3. Open System. The System Settings notebook appears.
  4. Select page 2 of the Screen page. (You can go to page 2 by selecting the right arrow in the lower-right corner of the notebook.)
  5. Select the appropriate display type using the list provided.
    Note: If an incorrect display type is selected, your display might be unusable after you restart your system.
  6. Close the Settings notebook.
Recovering from an Incorrect Display Type Selection

If you performed the steps in XGA-2 Display Type Override and your display is not usable, you can revert back to the previous display type. To erase the display type override information:

  1. Turn on the computer. If the computer is already on, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart it.
  2. When a small white box appears in the upper left-hand corner of your screen, press Alt+F1.
  3. When the Recovery Choices screen appears, press C.
  4. Change to the C:\XGA$DMQS directory and delete the XGASETUP.PRO file. This erases all override information from your system.
  5. Remove the diskette and restart your system by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del. Your display now operates using its default settings.
Note
If you plan to change or replace your display, first delete the file XGASETUP.PRO from the XGA$DMQS directory and then turn off the system. If your new display does not operate correctly, repeat the preceding procedure.
Changing Screen Resolution and Number of Colors

Note: You cannot use this procedure if you are using the VGA, 8514, or SVGA driver. To change the screen resolution or number of colors:

  1. Open OS/2 System.
  2. Open System Setup.
  3. Open System.
  4. Select the desired resolution and number of colors from the list.
  5. Close the Settings notebook.
  6. Shut down and restart your system to make the new resolution and number of colors operational.
Note
The Microsoft Windows XGA full-screen driver does not support all the graphic modes handled by the OS/2 PM XGA driver. The full-screen Windows driver does not support 1024 x 768 x 16 color. If this mode is selected, the OS/2 Desktop will run at 1024 x 768 x 16 color, but the Windows full screen will operate in 1024 x 768 x 256 color mode.
Laptop LCD or Monochrome Plasma Displays

Laptop LCDs and computers with monochrome plasma displays use 16 shades of gray and operate like VGA displays.

Note
If you run VGA DOS graphics programs on the OS/2 Desktop and your system does not have VGA support, your Desktop might be corrupted.

You can optimize the color scheme for gray-scale usage, and also provide a good set of colors for a VGA Desktop presentation on a laptop LCD or monochrome plasma display. To change the color scheme and create a more readable display image:

  1. Use your Reference Diskette or hardware Setup program to set your hardware to VGA color, if possible.
  2. Open OS/2 System.
  3. Open System Setup.
  4. Open Scheme Palette.
  5. Select the monochrome scheme in the right-hand column.
  6. Close the Scheme Palette.