WordPad file and program incompatibility on Win7

Posted on 2021-07-25, 03:15

by

by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

When my last Windows 95 computer died , I reluctantly bit the bullet and started using Windows 7 exclusively. I expected to have issues running or emulating games on the newer OS...which I did. Surprisingly, though, my most intense and unexpected problems haven't been with games at all, but with …

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Re: Windows Paintbrush incompatibilities, workarounds and alternatives

Posted on 2021-06-27, 20:58

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by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

Run DOSBox and Windows 3.x inside of DOSBox. Is it possible to run Windows 3.1 from DOSBox in 24- or 32-bit colour depth? If not, there isn't any point in doing this...and from what I've picked up on, it's tough to get 3.1 running in DOSBox at all. But virtualizing the ZSoft DOS version might be a …

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Windows Paintbrush incompatibilities, workarounds and alternatives

Posted on 2021-06-27, 19:37

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by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

Since my last Windows 95 system is giving up the ghost, I've started to review everything I relied on the system for and figure out whether or not it's practical to do it on Windows 7 instead. So far, it's been pretty reassuring. Most of my DOS games behave nicely on DOSBox. I also have the 32-bit …

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Re: Compaq P3 Deskpro EN PSU won't start; what to do?

Posted on 2021-06-27, 17:16

by

by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

For what it's worth, I did a bit of elementary eliminatory troubleshooting: Running the system with no video card and one DIMM, no video card and all DIMMs, and a reseated normal configuration (with the video card and all DIMMs). All three times, it reverted to the original error sequence: One long …

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Re: Compaq P3 Deskpro EN PSU won't start; what to do?

Posted on 2021-06-27, 13:57

by

by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

--Update-- This morning, I tested the computer to see if it still worked. No dice. I turned it on. There was no video. The speaker made 1 long beep and 2 short beeps, and the Caps Lock light was flashing. This page says that this combination of beeps means "Video error." This thread also suggested …

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Re: Compaq P3 Deskpro EN PSU won't start; what to do?

Posted on 2021-06-23, 12:31

by

by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Thanks for your reply! I'm not entirely sure of the model number (most of the stickers have fallen off the case), but there is a serial on the rear panel: 6023DD22A019. The PSU model number is PS-5201-4T2. Lastly, the motherboard bears the number 162857-001 and is identical to this . I don't have a …

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Compaq P3 Deskpro EN PSU won't start; what to do?

Posted on 2021-06-23, 02:50

by

by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Hello! I own a Pentium III-based Compaq Deskpro EN system from 2000 running Windows 95. In the nearly two decades it's been in my possession, I've had the chance to experience the practical life of its components firsthand. The CRT monitor (actually from 1998) was the first to go: The electron gun …

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Re: Old software you miss the most

Posted on 2019-12-08, 17:09

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by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Windows 95 without Internet Explorer shell integration (or without Internet Explorer at all). The last gasp of the days when users had full and unilateral control of their own computers, and full control of what software was installed on them. Netscape Navigator 1.1-3.04. The gold standard (no pun …

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The last monitor with physical brightness and contrast knobs?

Posted on 2019-12-03, 18:47

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by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

When did monitors with physical knobs for brightness and contrast disappear from the market? Of all the features of computers that disappeared after being taken for granted in the '80s and '90s, this is one that I miss the most. I'm constantly adjusting monitor brightness due to changes in room …

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Re: Paintbrush zoom-in problem on Win95

Posted on 2019-06-23, 18:38

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by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

And, yet another update... While Googling for a 4.11 version of the driver, I found this download. I gave it a try...and it worked! Paintbrush now behaves properly. Maybe there are other problems left to be discovered, but I haven't found them yet. And now I can draw like it's 1995. 😎

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Re: Paintbrush zoom-in problem on Win95

Posted on 2019-06-23, 18:13

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by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

IIRC, neither NT Paintbrush nor any of the 32-bit NT 3.51 accessories work on Windows 9x. Microsoft compiled them to use NT-specific APIs before Win32 had become stabilized. Upon investigation, I discovered that I was using version 4.10.2307 of the ATI Rage driver. On my previous Windows …

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Re: Paintbrush zoom-in problem on Win95

Posted on 2019-06-23, 16:14

by

by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

And, a quick update: When troubleshooting a few minutes ago, I accidentally discovered that this problem happens only when my display is set to a colour depth of 16-bit or higher. If I step down to 256 colours (regardless of resolution), the problem doesn't happen and Paintbrush behaves normally. …

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Paintbrush zoom-in problem on Win95

Posted on 2019-06-23, 15:56

by

by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

Earlier this month, I was able to successfully get my Windows 95 system up and running again after a hard drive crash. Today, however, I stumbled upon a small but annoying problem. When running the Windows 3.1 Paintbrush accessory (not Windows 95 Paint) and using the View > Zoom In feature, the …

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Re: Enable "safe to turn off computer" message in Windows 98?

Posted on 2019-06-15, 21:40

by

by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Is Windows 98 more insistent on forcing the use of ACPI features than Windows 95? IIRC, I was always able to keep Win95 from powering itself off by disabling APM or ACPI in CMOS (not in the OS itself)...but I haven't tested this in a broad enough range of hardware to make across-the-board …

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Re: Banishing "Browse the Web" from the Win95 Start Menu

Posted on 2019-06-05, 19:50

by

by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

http://www.tech2u.com.au/training/tech2u/win95_2/startmenu.html That's just a tutorial to edit the Programs tree of the Start Menu, which is trivial for any user. My beef with the "Browse the Web" option is that it doesn't appear in the Programs tree...it appears in the lower reaches of the root …

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Banishing "Browse the Web" from the Win95 Start Menu

Posted on 2019-06-05, 00:19

by

by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

This week, I've been reviving a Pentium III system with Windows 95 ...and after a rocky start with an uncooperative network card, things are going more smoothly. Except for one small matter: A mysterious, annoying "Browse the Web" option has planted itself in the root level of the Start Menu. I've …

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Re: Reviving a Compaq P3 Deskpro that's crashed and died

Posted on 2019-06-05, 00:02

by

by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ System Specs

in Marvin \ System Specs

And yet another update... I spent several hours today trying to figure out why I couldn't use my network card, and trying to eliminate sources of conflict and incompatibility. All evidence initially pointed to the card itself being the source of my problems: If I disabled it in Device Manager, …

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Re: Reviving a Compaq P3 Deskpro that's crashed and died

Posted on 2019-06-04, 16:27

by

by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ System Specs

in Marvin \ System Specs

*Sigh* I think I can officially say that the "snag" has turned into a "tear." I followed the instructions in my 3Com 3C905 documentation to a T: Run the preinstallation program, install the card, then let Windows detect the hardware and configure the driver. It threw a BSOD in my face relating to …

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Re: How do I disable Windows 95 and use DOS

Posted on 2019-06-04, 14:51

by

by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

If the original owner actually did iron Windows 95 over their DOS/3.1 installation ( and they remembered to check the option to preserve DOS/3.1 system files, and didn't remove them later), Windows 95 will be listed in Add/Remove Programs and it will be trivially easy to revert. Of course, that's a …

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Re: Reviving a Compaq P3 Deskpro that's crashed and died

Posted on 2019-06-04, 03:21

by

by Andrew T.

in Marvin \ System Specs

in Marvin \ System Specs

Update... Tonight, I decided to install Windows 95 on the system. Using my Windows 7 laptop, I tried burning an image of a Windows 95 boot floppy to a CD-R. It worked! And within minutes, my old system was booting Windows 95 again! Unfortunately, I hit a snag trying to get my 3Com 3C905 network card …

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