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Thread ID: 70242	2006-06-26 16:19:00	A juicy WfW 3.11 problem!	rburgess3 (10624)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
466433	2006-06-26 16:19:00	Hi! I've been browsing these forums for a couple of months now, just lurking and soaking in the vast knowledge available (wow some of the posters here REALLY know their stuff!) and basically giving myself a world-class edumacation in PC fiddling. :D However, I finally came up on a problem that I haven't been able to find an answer for and I was hoping that some of the real gurus on PF1 could bestow some wisdom on my humble self. Here's the deal: I have a client who absolutely MUST run Windows for Workgroups 3.11, she's using a statistical program that has functionality that is not present anywhere else. It's a small company of just a few people, so commisioning software that would run on an XP system is out of the equation, they just can't afford it. However, her itty-bitty PentiumMX 200MhZ is starting to get flakey, the motherboard is going and is on its last legs. The solution we came up with is to move the harddrive to a stock Dell Dimension 1100 w/ a Celeron D processor. We can get it up and running, heck the 1100's motherboard will even emulate PS2 ports for us, so they can use USB mice and keyboards. What I can't seem to get running is the network. I can get WfW to run IFF I use the no-network tag /n. However, when I try to activate Windows 3.11 with the network, it hard crashes and I have to reboot. My question is this: How on earth do I get an Intel PRO/100 NIC (what the Dell comes with) to not hang Windows 3.11 at startup? 1. I can get the drivers installed with no errors. 2. I can get WfW 3.11 to run using the 'C:/>win /n' command. What files do I need to install from Intel (www.intel.com) and what do I need to place in the system.ini, protocol.ini and autoexec.bat files to get this card up and going? DOS networking is pretty black-box to me atm. Thanks in advance!	rburgess3 (10624)
466434	2006-06-26 21:11:00	Windows 3.1!?! :yuck: :eek:	pcuser42 (130)
466435	2006-06-26 21:29:00	I have a client who absolutely MUST run Windows for Workgroups 3.11, she's using a statistical program that has functionality that is not present anywhere else.That's difficult to comprehend. You mean Excel won't do it for her? Really, I'd be putting my efforts into finding her alternative software rather than muck about with an obsolete operating system. I'd hazard a guess that she's stuck in her comfort zone with what she's using, rather than using a more advanced option which may mean a learning curve.	Greg (193)
466436	2006-06-26 21:52:00	That's difficult to comprehend. You mean Excel won't do it for her? Really, I'd be putting my efforts into finding her alternative software rather than muck about with an obsolete operating system. I'd hazard a guess that she's stuck in her comfort zone with what she's using, rather than using a more advanced option which may mean a learning curve. I agree - even if you do manage to get 3.11 up and running, you'll be creating a rod for your own back, since you will then be the designated expert/go-to guy to support the system forever. There may be a bit of pain transitioning, but if someone is willing to sit down in front of the old 'flakey' PC before it dies and suck out the historical data (if that is required), Excel (or something similar) would be a far better option...	johcar (6283)
466437	2006-06-26 22:12:00	Really, I'd be putting my efforts into finding her alternative software rather than muck about with an obsolete operating system . I'd hazard a guess that she's stuck in her comfort zone with what she's using, rather than using a more advanced option which may mean a learning curve . This can be a real problem for some people though . I have instrument software that will never be ported to anything higher than WFWG 3 . 11, and some that is pure DOS . There is no alternative for me whatsoever, short of throwing out equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars and buying replacements for megabucks . At present I get by with various tricks and tweaks to run most of it variously on W95, W98 and W2K, but because the programs want direct control of printers etc I can't always print what I want and have to use print-screen then copy the images for insertion into reports . I would suggest buying MS VirtualPC and loading WFWG into that . It is not an expensive solution and hopefully that will prevent the crashes when using the network . I am not sure that XP's compatibility mode extends to networking, though it might well do so . I have bought a copy of VPC and when my historic W95 and W98 machines are retired later this year that is what I will do, only I should then be able to got right back to DOS 6 . 11 + WFWG and run the programs as originally intended . Cheers Billy 8-{)	Billy T (70)
466438	2006-06-27 01:34:00	Perhaps they want reliable statistical output. ;) Is there a driver file with the ".DOS" extension? If the drivers installed correctly anything necessary to the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files should be there, and thinking about it it's probably OK. Can you do network things (like ping) in DOS, without going to Windows? There were a number of patches for WFW TCP/IP networking, as well as the 32bit extensions, (and Y2K, of course) but a quick look at Google found only my posting of an address (www.62nds.co.nz) here a few years ago. ;) The address still works, but the files aren't there any more. ;( I wonder if the modern BIOS is allocating an I/O port and IRQ for the netwrok card which W311 can't cope with? Port 300 and IRQ3 were quite common. for network cards. ISA cards let you set those with jumpers, and that's what W311 was used to. (N2000 and compatibles were often a problem because they needed to be set up in DOS.) P.S. I just tried the Microsoft site: a search for "WFW311" gave links for the 32bit, and TCP/IP 32 bit patches., and the doanloads look to be still good links. Worth a try. ;)	Graham L (2)
466439	2006-06-27 03:15:00	I cant see WFWG 3 . 11 drivers on that Intel site, and it says that WFWG is no longer supported . The problem sounds like wrong drivers to me . I'd suggest disabling the onboard NIC, and install the old one from the Pentium, you know the drivers exist for that . Else get an equally old second hand one from somewhere that WFWG will be happy with . If you go into Network-Network Divers-Add Adapter, there is a list of NICs that WFWG natively supports . The drivers usually come on a floppy, or can be put on a floppy, and install from there . You shouldn't then have to manually add anything to autoexec or config files . On my WFWG I have an elderly Realtek 8029, and upgraded the TCP/IP stack to TCP/IP-32 3 . 11b from the MS site mentioned by Graham .	Terry Porritt (14)
466440	2006-06-27 05:45:00	This can be a real problem for some people though. I have instrument software that will never be ported to anything higher than WFWG 3.11, and some that is pure DOS. There is no alternative for me whatsoever, short of throwing out equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars and buying replacements for megabucks. There are a lot of people who willingly live in the dark ages. What you're saying is if you'd been travelling by horse and cart for years, and the horse died, because the cart was so expensive you'd want to get another horse instead of a car! :lol:	Greg (193)
466441	2006-06-27 06:02:00	It might be a stupid suggestion, but in my old company we recently scrapped some old WfW 3.11 Servers with Raid system an all equipment ... If you want to run such an old POS why don't you get an old server to run it on, maybe even with a running WfW installation? I wonder wat happened to one of those old servers. Last time I saw it it stood 18000 KM away from here besides my old desk, waiting to get some data back upped, that no one ever will look at again.	MMNZ (10621)
466442	2006-06-27 08:22:00	disbale the onboard network in BIOS, then get an old ISA card off trademe.	robsonde (120)
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