

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Q: Why does TOSBOX crash when my Windows 95/98 screensaver runs?

A: It may not help you to hear that this is not my fault, but....  Windows'
support of VESA video is incomplete, and unfortunately this can happen to
any DOS-based program that uses the 800x600 or higher planar VESA screen
modes.

A corollary of this is that if you running in 800x600 or higher, you should
always pause emulation (using the supplied accessory, or control-break or
whatever secondary key combo you have defined in TB.INI) before switching
to another Windows application.

There are currently two solutions to the Windows/VESA screen saver
conflict:

1.  Set the TOSBOX internal screen saver to engage before the
Windows screen saver does.  If your Windows screen saver is set to engage
after 10 minutes, make a line in your TB.INI file that says "saver 9".  The
Windows screen saver will engage harmlessly, regarding TOSBOX as a
text-based program.

 -- or --

2.  Tell Windows to exempt TOSBOX from interruption by a screen saver
(right-click the shortcut you run Tosbox from, then click 'Properties',
then 'Misc'); and then if you want to, you can use the internal screen
saver as described above, or an Atari-mode saver like the one in Warp 9 or
SilkMouse.
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Q: Can I run TOSBOX in a window under Windows 95/98 or Windows NT?

A: Not quite.  TOSBOX is designed to run under a wide range of PC operating
systems including Windows, Linux DOSEMU (if I can get the kinks worked out)
and plain DOS; to give it the capability of running within an actual W95/98
window would limit some of that flexibility.  However, that does not mean
you have to quit TOSBOX to run a Windows program, or resume the Windows
environment.  If you are running in 800x600 or higher resolution, first
pause emulation (see the above question); then press alt-tab.
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Q: Why is there a delay when I use the printer under Windows?

A: Windows spools DOS-based printer output in such a way that it waits up
to nearly a minute after your Atari program stops sending data before it
begins feeding it to the printer.  The updated documentation lists three
solutions; the only one that doesn't involve altering your Windows setup is
to change a line in your TOSBOX initialization file from this:

    use lpt1

to this:

    use prn 1000

... where the numeric parameter specifies idle timeout in 200hz ticks.
Here 1000 corresponds to five seconds.
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Q: What can I do if TOSBOX refuses to run under Windows NT?

A: Compatibility varies from one NT system to another.  It is not known for
sure what factors matter (hardware, NT version or service pack version).
However, if you are having problems, edit your TB.INI file to temporarily
disable the sound, the parallel port and the com port.  After you have
verified that TOSBOX runs, you can try re-enabling features one by one to
see what is conflicting with your particular system.  Also you might want
to use 061011 for your break key combination (left shift+ctrl+'Q').

There seem to be some NT systems that simply refuse to run TOSBOX.  There
is one such machine in my office, and I am trying to find the conflict.  It
seems to have something to do with disk access.  However, since even my
compiler won't run on that machine (and neither will Netscape, or
Eudora...), it may actually be a screwed-up NT installation in this case
and nothing else.
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Q: What do I need the CWSDPMI.EXE file for?

A: You only need it when running under plain MS-DOS.  Most modern PC
operating systems including Windows and OS/2 provide a DPMI environment for
memory management.  When in plain MS-DOS, just make sure it can be found in
the current search path (type PATH from the command prompt for a list of
suitable locations, or just leave it in the same directory with TB.EXE).
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Q: How can I get the keyboard to work right? Several characters seem to be
assigned to the wrong keys.

A: First, make sure the nationality (language setup) of your TOS image file
matches that of your PC.  If problems remain, try adding this line to your
init file:

  auto ascii 20 7f
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Why can't I read my ST-formatted floppies?

A: Actually, now you can.  As of version 1.07, TOSBOX contains a utility
for copying the contents of an ST-formatted floppy disk into a read-only
virtual drive.  From there the files can be recopied anywhere on your
system, say onto your hard drive, or onto a newly formatted floppy.  The
feature is not seamlessly integrated into normal emulation, but it is
effective and reasonably simple once you figure out how to use it.  That is
to say, it's easier to use than to explain.  Please consult the updated
documentation.
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Why can't I format floppies from the desktop?
Q: Why does my ST boot disk not boot?

A: Except with regard to the new feature described above, TOSBOX only knows
how to deal with MS-DOS files and directories, and does not understand what
a disk sector is. While this is a fundamental limitation of its design, it
also has some very important benefits.  It makes possible TOSBOX's unique
ability to support multiple mounted directories, and its reliable access to
CD-ROM and high density floppies.  It also serves as an important safety
feature, providing a logical firewall that prevents the emulated machine
from tampering with its host machine's hard drive boot sector and other
vulnerable spots.
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Q: Why won't the mouse pointer move when I run TOSBOX from the DOS prompt?
I know my mouse works because I use it all the time in Windows.

A: There are at least two possible reasons.

 1. The "use com" line in the initialization file refers to the same port
your serial mouse is using.  Delete that line, comment it out, or change
the port number.

 2. Your mouse driver may be inactive outside Windows.  To find out, from
the DOS command prompt type:

  MEM /C | MORE

If you don't see a mouse driver in the list, that is the problem.

Look for a file named MOUSE.COM or MOUSE.SYS.  It is likely to be in your
\WINDOWS directory, or maybe \DOS or \MOUSE. If you don't find it in one of
those places, try typing the following from the DOS command prompt:

  C:
  CD \
  DIR MOUSE*.* /S | MORE

If that doesn't find it, try ?MOUSE*.* or ??MOUSE*.* instead.  For
instance, a Mouse Systems driver might be named MSMOUSE.COM.

Once you have found a driver, add a reference to it in your CONFIG.SYS or
AUTOEXEC.BAT file (not both).

To use a driver whose filename ends with .SYS, add a line like this to your
CONFIG.SYS file:

  DEVICE=C:\MOUSE\MOUSE.SYS

To use a driver whose filename ends with .COM, add a line like this to your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file:

  C:\MOUSE\MOUSE.COM

Reboot your PC, and your mouse should work with or without Windows.



