Application Cannot Start in Window, Yet Can Run in Window (63825)

SYMPTOMS

You may get the following error message when you try to start a non-Windows application in a window under Microsoft Windows version 3.0:

You cannot run this application while other high-resolution applications are running fullscreen. The application will be suspended until a low-resolution or text application is running fullscreen. Check the PIF settings to ensure they are correct.

However, if you start the same application fullscreen and then switch it into a window (by pressing ALT+SPACEBAR), it runs without any problem.

CAUSE

This behavior often occurs with non-Windows applications that are text based but have an initial graphics logo screen. Some applications, such as PFS Write and PFS File, have an initial graphics screen bearing the logo of the application. Because of this initial graphics screen, the applications cannot start in a window. After the initial logo screen is displayed, these and many other applications switch to a text-based display. For this reason, after the initial graphics screen is displayed, the application can run in a window.

NOTE: "Print preview" or "page preview" screens are usually graphics-type displays. Your application may lock up and give you the above error message if you attempt to use "print preview" or "page preview" type features while running the application in a window.

WORKAROUND

Unless you can disable or skip this initial logo screen, you must start the application in a full screen and then reduce it to a window after it is running.

MORE INFORMATION

This problem also occurs with a program such as Microsoft Word 5.0 if it is started in a text mode other than 25 line mode (such as 43 line mode on an EGA/VGA and 50 line mode on a VGA). This is an example of an application that ends up in text mode but transitions first through what looks like a graphics mode.