VOGONS


First post, by TimWolf

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

When I have the mouse load up under autoexec.bat and or config.sys it will not function under Windows 3.1 but will work correctly under dos. If I disable it in Dos the it works in Windows 3.1. Running on COM2, IRQ4, on ISA / IDE Control card on 386 40SX 16mb ram. Have tried dozens of mouse drivers for windows and dos, and everything works great either 3.1 or Dos, but NOT BOTH. At my whits end with this. Suggestions appreciated.

Reply 1 of 8, by Jo22

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

Hi, try MS Mouse driver 8.0 or higher. it has special support for Windows 3.x.

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 2 of 8, by TimWolf

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
Jo22 wrote:

Hi, try MS Mouse driver 8.0 or higher. it has special support for Windows 3.x.

Has been tried. 8.20 and 9.01. Same result of either or DOS or Win3.1. Works great in DOS, but not Windows unless I take it off Autoexec.bat, then we loose DOS support and Windows comes back and works fine.

Reply 3 of 8, by Jo22

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

Hmm. Strange. These versions were made for Windows and are supposed to even work in a DOS window..
Maybe the issue is related to how these drivers talk to the hardware somehow.
(I've got a few more drivers to test. See Tiny mouse driver ? )

Or perhaps there's some sort of issue with BIOS interrupts or missing features in your PC, not sure.
Maybe it's also because of EMM386 or another V86 related thing.

Anyway, maybe there's a workaround tweaking Windows 3.1 using system.ini.
Also have a look at http://www.mdgx.com/ , maybe there's something useful to you.

Or maby another user can help (anyone here ?)
I'm out of ideas for now, sorry. 🙁

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 5 of 8, by TimWolf

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
keropi wrote:

can you try COM1 ?

Can try retreading with COM 1. I'd originally started there but was getting nothing. For now I just have it working on windows and manually start it before using dos, not that much of a pita in the world of classic computing.

Reply 6 of 8, by Jo22

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

I'm curious, does this issue also happen in Windows 3.1 Standard Mode (Win /2 or Win /S) ?

Edit: I recall there was an MS update for the COM driver in Windows 3.1..
If memory serves, Windows 3.11 (WfW) also included it already.
Sorry, that's all I remember currently. Maybe it's nothing.
I was using Windows 3.10 on a 286 for long time, so I'm still learning about its Enhanced Mode.

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 7 of 8, by TimWolf

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

That worked! As soon as I have WIN /s then there is mouse support everywhere, and can use DOS from in Win3.1 and then come back and I have it everywhere seamlessly. Is there any down side to running it in /s?

Thank you so much. This was driving me nuts.

Reply 8 of 8, by Jo22

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

Hi, glad it works for now! 😀

Is there any down side to running it in /s?

If your programs run fine, then no.

Long answer: Standard Mode was meant for 286 PCs and lacks some features (Edit: It also was used for PCs with low memory).
Ironically, it was "invented" after the 386 mode (In the 80s, there was an an 8086 kernal and a 386 kernal -> used by Windows /386).
Standard Mode lacks all virtual features, which goes for virtual memory as well as virtual device drivers.
Win32s also doesn't work in Standard Mode. Some programs which use the Mem32 API may also not work.

Strictly speaking, there are two kinds of Standard Mode even. 😉
One is implemented in krnl286, the other one in krnl386 (along with Enhanced Mode).
The reason for this was probably performance and stability.
A real 286 has some quirks that need special threadment.

On Windows for Workgroups 3.11, there's only one kernal (krnl386).
Forcing its "Standard Mode" just disables loading of all virtual drivers and doesn't use virtual memory.
However, that only works on 386 and higher PCs.

Edit: keropi's post gave me an idea (thanks for that!).
Maybe using another COM port could be wise. By other, I mean another type of COM port.
486 PCs and before often used a 16450 UART chip which had some issues .
Back in the 90s it was common pratice to replace it by a pin compatible type (a later revision of 16550) in order to use a fast modem.
You can check the type of UART/FiFo in MSD. It can't properly differenciate between 8250 and 16450, though.
Anyway, I'm just mentioning it. A mouse should work with any type of UART chip (except, if say, the PC BIOS was made for a specific model).
On the other hand, though, I once read that the old 16450 generates a lot of interrupts in contrast to the newer 16550.
In Windows 3.1, this could cause some trouble or lower performance. In theory, at least. I don't know how the MS Mouse driver
and the Windows serial port device do interact which each others and how much 386 Enhanced Mode comes into play.
Some skilled person really should check this wth a debugger or some sort of utility sometime. 😀
Edit: Some typos fixed.

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//