Ocean Isle Software ReachOut May Fail Under Windows 3.1 (86024)

SYMPTOMS

ReachOut, by Ocean Isle Software, lets you remotely control (via modem) a PC running MS-DOS or Windows. However, if you use ReachOut with Microsoft Windows version 3.1, you may not be able to remotely control a PC running Windows.

RESOLUTION

According to Ocean Isle, you can correct this problem by remarking out all references to COM ports in the [386 Enh] section of the SYSTEM.INI file. This can be done by placing a semicolon (;) at the beginning of each COMx= line, as in the following example:

   [386Enh]
   ;COM1Base=03F8
   ;Com1AutoAssign=2
   ;COM1Irq=4

MORE INFORMATION

Unlike Windows 3.0, Windows 3.1 will add ComxBase= and ComxIrq= lines to the SYSTEM.INI file with the appropriate default COM port values if you choose the OK button when exiting from the Advanced Settings dialog box. As a result, when Windows 3.1 is started, it will re-initialize the specified port. Re-initializing the port when starting Windows will break the connection to the modem and ReachOut.

To change the advanced port settings:

Run Control Panel.
Choose the Ports icon.
Choose the Settings button.
Choose the Advanced button.

Choosing the OK button will update the SYSTEM.INI file. If the ComxBase= and ComxIrq= lines are not already in the [386 Enh] section of the SYSTEM.INI file, they will be added, even if you do not change the port settings from Default.

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