SUMMARY
This document describes general protection (GP) faults (referred
to as unrecoverable application errors [UAEs] in Windows 3.0),
details the causes of these errors, and provides a systematic
approach to eliminate them.
WHAT IS A GENERAL PROTECTION (GP) FAULT?
GP faults occur only in the standard and 386 enhanced modes of
Windows; they cannot occur in the real mode of Windows 3.0. A GP
fault signifies that something unexpected has happened within the
Windows environment, typically an improper memory access. For
example, an application or a Windows component might read or write
to a memory location that has not been allocated to it (memory
that it does not "own"), potentially overwriting and corrupting
other program code in that area of memory.
Another situation where a GP fault may occur involves the passing
of parameters between applications and the Windows environment.
Invalid parameters can cause invalid instructions to be executed,
resulting in GP faults. This is usually the result of an
application's internal program code incorrectly passing specific
data that could not be correctly interpreted by Windows or a
Windows-based application.
What Is a System Integrity Violation?
A system integrity violation error message indicates that an MS-
DOS-based application has caused a GP fault. Similar to a GP
fault, system integrity violations indicate that an MS-DOS-based
application has accessed memory that does not belong to it.
Because Windows is managing memory in this situation, the MS-DOS-
based application's memory access often corrupts Windows program
code or data. The result is an application execution error
generated from Windows that reports the "application has violated
system integrity due to an invalid general protection fault and
will be terminated." This message can also occur when an MS-DOS-
based application has tried to directly access a hardware
component of the system.
HOW DO WINDOWS 3.1 AND WINDOWS FOR WORKGROUPS 3.1 AND 3.11 HANDLE GP FAULTS?
The parameter validation feature allows Windows 3.1 and both
versions of Windows for Workgroups to check for invalid parameters
passed between Windows and Windows-based applications. Windows 3.1
and Windows for Workgroups are also designed to better manage and
maintain which applications "own" specific memory locations and
system resources. As a result, Windows 3.1 and Windows for
Workgroups are better at recovering a particular application's
memory and system resources if the application causes a GP fault
and subsequently stops responding (hangs).
When you see a GP fault message while running Windows 3.1 or
Windows for Workgroups, the message provides specific information
about which applications and Windows components were running at
the time of the error, and where the error occurred. If the GP
fault is not too severe, Windows can continue to run the
application that caused the fault, allowing you to save your work
before you close the application.
Performing a Local Reboot
Depending on the severity of a GP fault in Windows 3.1 or Windows
for Workgroups, you may be able to press CTRL+ALT+DEL to display
information concerning system integrity and the application that
caused the fault. The severity of a GP fault can be measured by
how well an application functions after the fault has occurred.
When you press CTRL+ALT+DEL after a less severe fault occurs, the
following message appears:
System has either become busy or has become unstable
- Press any key to return to Windows and wait
- Press CTRL+ALT+DEL again to restart your computer (all unsaved
information will be lost)
When you get this message, you can return to Windows and wait for
the system to recover, but you will probably have to restart the
system. When you press CTRL+ALT+DEL after a more severe fault
occurs, the following message appears:
This Windows application has stopped responding to the system
- Press ESC to cancel and return to Windows
- Press ENTER to close this application (all unsaved information
will be lost)
- Press CTRL+ALT+DEL again to restart your computer (all unsaved
information will be lost)
When you get this error message, you can usually press the ESC key
to return to your application and save your work (if possible) or
press the ENTER key to close the application and return to Windows;
this is known as a local reboot. Once you have saved your work or
returned to Windows, quit Windows and restart your computer to
prevent additional GP faults.
PREPARING TO TROUBLESHOOT GP FAULTS
The procedures in the following section provide a proven way to
troubleshoot GP faults. Many of these troubleshooting steps
require changes to system configuration files. These changes are
not intended to be permanent; they should be used as techniques
for isolating the conflict that caused the GP fault. Before you
begin making changes, you should back up your system files and
make a startup (also known as system or boot) disk. This gives you
the ability to restart your computer and edit your CONFIG.SYS or
AUTOEXEC.BAT files should any changes cause the system to hang.
This also ensures that you can return to your original system
configuration by restoring your original system files after you
have determined the source of the problem.
To create a startup disk with the necessary files:
- Insert a formatted disk in your floppy disk drive, type the
following command, and press ENTER:
If you are using a version of MS-DOS earlier than 5.0, you also
need to copy the COMMAND.COM file to drive A by typing the
following command and pressing ENTER:
- Copy an ASCII text editor (such as MS-DOS Editor [including
QBASIC.EXE] or Edlin) to the disk in drive A by typing the
following commands, pressing ENTER after each:
copy c:\dos\edit.com a:
copy c:\dos\qbasic.exe a:
- Copy your AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS, SYSTEM.INI, and WIN.INI
files to the disk in drive A with the following commands:
copy c:\autoexec.bat a:
copy c:\config.sys a:
copy c:\windows\system.ini a:
copy c:\windows\win.ini a:
SYSTEMATICALLY ISOLATING GP FAULTS
It is important that you follow the steps in this section in
sequence. GP faults are usually caused by the interaction of two
or more applications; therefore, skipping steps may prolong the
time required to isolate the problem.
NOTE: Most people find the cause of the GP fault in the first half
of these procedures.
Eliminate the Basics
- Ensure the application was not designed for an earlier version
(2.x) of Windows.
If you are running Windows in standard or 386 enhanced mode, check
to see if you are running an application that was designed for an
earlier version (2.x) of Windows. Applications designed for
Windows 2.x cause errors when run under Windows 3.0 or 3.1 in
standard or 386 enhanced mode. Windows displays a warning message
when you run an application designed for Windows version 2.0,
2.03, 2.1, or 2.11. Such applications should be run only under
Windows 3.0 in real mode, as the dialog box suggests. Since real
mode is not available in Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups,
contact the manufacturer of the application for possible
workarounds or to obtain a software upgrade.
- Run the MS-DOS CHKDSK command with the /F switch.
NOTE: Before you run this command, you must quit Windows.
By running CHKDSK /F, any lost allocation units or other file
allocation table (FAT) errors are corrected. For more information
on CHKDSK, refer to your MS-DOS documentation.
NOTE: If you are using MS-DOS 6.2 or later, run SCANDISK instead
of CHKDSK /F.
- Ensure system resources are above 60 percent.
From the Help menu in Program Manager, choose About Program
Manager. You should be running Windows in the highest mode your
hardware supports, and your system resources should be close to 60
percent. If system resources are lower than 60 percent, you may
have an application running in the background using resources. If
this is the case, close all applications before proceeding.
- Check the MS-DOS version you are running.
Your machine should have the proper MS-DOS version for its
hardware type. Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) versions of
MS-DOS (such as COMPAQ(R) MS-DOS or IBM(R) PC-DOS) should be used
only on their respective OEM hardware platforms (that is, COMPAQ
MS-DOS on COMPAQ machines only and IBM PC-DOS on IBM machines
only).
NOTE: Microsoft MS-DOS 5 Upgrade and Microsoft MS-DOS 6 Upgrade
are platform independent-they function correctly on all 100-
percent IBM PC/AT(R)-compatible machines.
- Determine if the problem occurs in standard mode.
If you are having problems with GP faults in 386 enhanced mode,
try running Windows in standard mode (WIN /S) to see if the GP
faults still occur. If the errors are present in both standard and
386 enhanced mode, the problem may be caused by a conflict between
Windows and a hardware device, or you may have a corrupted file.
NOTE: Standard mode is not available in Windows for Workgroups
3.11. Start Windows for Workgroups 3.11 by typing WIN /D:T to
prevent loading any 386 enhanced mode virtual device drivers. - Run Windows without using the WIN.INI file.
To determine if you are having problems with corrupted fonts, a
corrupted printer driver, or software loading from the run= or
load= line, rename the WIN.INI file with the following command,
then restart Windows:
ren c:\windows\win.ini winini.old
If the previous procedure does not correct the problem, rename
WININI.OLD to WIN.INI, by typing the following command: copy c:\windows\winini.old c:\windows\win.ini
- Reinstall the software that is causing the GP fault.
If the GP fault can be tracked to a specific application,
reinstall the software causing the GP fault. The files on disk may
have been corrupted or damaged, or the application may have been
improperly installed. Contact the software vendor for assistance
if you need help reinstalling the application.
Eliminate Other Software Conflicts Within Windows
It is essential to determine whether the GP fault is caused by a
conflict between Windows and your hardware or a conflict between
Windows and other software. To do this, eliminate possible
software conflicts before testing your hardware. After you remove
the software listed below, restart your computer and try to
reproduce the GP fault.
To eliminate possible software conflicts:
- Ensure that the StartUp group is empty.
- Ensure that no screen savers, including built-in Windows screen
savers, are running. In the Control Panel window, choose the
Desktop icon and ensure the Screen Saver Name list box is empty.
- Ensure Windows is not being run from a menu program, such as MS-
DOS Shell.
Configure Windows for the Lowest Level Configuration
Use the Windows Setup program to configure Windows for the minimum
necessary hardware devices. Run the MS-DOS version of Windows
Setup (from the Windows directory [usually named WINDOWS], type
setup) and select the lowest level configuration of device
drivers. When you troubleshoot GP faults, use only the standard
Windows device drivers listed below, if possible.
Display: VGA (Version 3.0)
Mouse: No mouse or other pointing device
Network: No network installed (This is not an option for Windows
for Workgroups.)
NOTE: Systems with EGA cards and/or monitors should use the EGA
display driver.
Check for Unsupported Third-Party Drivers
- The installation programs of some applications modify the
SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI files to enhance the overall functionality
of Windows or provide additional features to the Windows
environment. For example, programs such as Adobe Type Manager(R)
(ATM[R]), Bitstream(R), and SuperPrint add device drivers to the
SYSTEM.INI file. Temporarily comment out all lines relating to
third-party drivers to ensure that Windows uses a minimum
configuration for testing purposes. (To comment out a line, use an
ASCII text editor, such as Windows Notepad, to edit the .INI file
and place a semicolon at the beginning of the appropriate line.)
If this corrects the problem, the problem was most likely caused
by one of the drivers you commented out. To identify which line is
causing the problem, replace the commented-out lines one by one
until the problem reoccurs.
- The statements below are those most commonly altered by third-
party software manufacturers. Make sure your configuration does
not differ from the default Windows configuration shown below:
SYSTEM.INI | WIN.INI
[boot] | [windows]
shell=progman.exe | load=
system.drv=system.drv | run=
keyboard.drv=keyboard.drv |
mouse.drv=mouse.drv |
display.drv=vga.drv |
comm.drv=comm.drv |
sound.drv=mmsound.drv |
Eliminate Software Conflicts at the MS-DOS Level
Check for incompatible terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) programs
or unsupported device drivers in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT
files.
Temporarily comment out all lines relating to device drivers and
TSR programs that are not required to start your system. These may
include virus-detection programs, disk-imaging programs, undelete
utilities, caching programs, CD-ROM drivers, multimedia drivers,
terminal-emulation software, and so on. (To comment out a line,
use a text editor, such as MS-DOS Editor or Edlin, open the
AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS file, and type
rem at the beginning of the line, then save the file and restart
your computer.)
NOTE: Do not comment out network files if the Windows files are on
a network server.
Minimum MS-DOS configuration for Windows versions 3.0 and 3.1:
CONFIG.SYS | AUTOEXEC.BAT
-----------------------------------------------------------------
files=50 | path c:\;c:\dos;c:\windows
buffers=30 | prompt $p$g
device=c:\<path>\himem.sys | set temp=c:\
stacks=9,256 (Windows 3.1 only) |
Minimum MS-DOS configuration for Windows for Workgroups 3.1 (with
the Microsoft Windows network):
CONFIG.SYS | AUTOEXEC.BAT
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
files=50 | c:\<path>\net start
buffers=30 | path c:\;c:\dos;c:\windows
device=c:\<path>\himem.sys | prompt $p$g
stacks=9,256 | set temp=c:\
*device=c:\<path>\protman.dos |
/I:<path>\protocol.ini |
device=c:\<path>\<mac driver>.dos |
device=c:\ <path>\workgrp.sys |
*NOTE: This should appear on a single line in your CONFIG.SYS file.
Minimum MS-DOS configuration for Windows for Workgroups 3.11 (with
the Microsoft Windows network):
CONFIG.SYS | AUTOEXEC.BAT
--------------------------------------------------------------
files=50 | c:\<path>\net start
buffers=30 | path c:\;c:\dos;c:\windows
device=c:\<path>\himem.sys | prompt $p$g
stacks=9,256 | set temp=c:\
device=c:\<path>\ifshlp.sys |
CAUTION: Before modifying these files, make sure you don't comment
out lines pertaining to other hardware-specific device drivers,
such as disk-compression utilities, extended memory boards, third-
party disk-partitioning programs, and so on. If you do not know
the purpose of a line in your CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT file, do
not comment it out. The following drivers may be required to start
the computer or to access your hard disk:
Device driver | Function
----------------------------------------------------------------
SSWAP.COM | Stacker(TM) disk compression
STACKER.COM | Stacker disk compression
DASDDRVR.SYS | IBM BIOS fix
DMDRVR.SYS | Ontrack disk partition
SSTORE.SYS | SpeedStor(R) disk compression
ASPI4DOS.SYS | Adaptec(TM) SCSI BIOS extensions
SCSIHA.SYS | Adaptec SCSI buffering device
If the previous procedure corrects the problem, the problem is
related to one of the drivers or TSR programs that you commented
out. To identify which line is loading the TSR program or device
driver that causes the error, restore the commented-out lines one
by one until the problem reoccurs.
Eliminate Potential Network Conflicts
If the machine is running on a network, disabling the network
software is the easiest and quickest way to determine whether the
network software is causing the problem.
To disable the network software:
- If Windows is running on the local hard disk drive (that is, you
are not running a network installation of Windows [installed by
running SETUP /N]), comment out all network drivers and statements
from the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files.
- Configure Windows for "No network" by changing to the WINDOWS
directory (CD \WINDOWS), typing setup, and changing the installed network to "No network installed."
NOTE: "No network installed" is not a choice in Windows for
Workgroups. For Windows for Workgroups 3.1, comment out the
network statements in the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. When
you restart your system, ignore the error messages about the
network. For Windows for Workgroups 3.11, type win /n to disable network functionality.
- Ensure login scripts are not altering the PATH environment
variable.
Check the PATH environment variable prior to starting Windows. To
do this, type set to display the
path. Replace the current path command with the minimum path required
to test for GP faults. For example
or, if Windows is running over the network
path=<c>:\windows;<drive>:\<public\windir>;c:\dos;<drive>:\<system>
NOTE: If you need to test a specific application, include the
application's directory in the path.
- Make sure that your WINDOWS directory does not contain any .DRV
files. These files should be located either in the WINDOWS\SYSTEM
subdirectory or in the shared directory on the server if you are
running a network installation of Windows.
NOTE: If you are running a network installation of Windows, you
should not have a WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory on your local hard disk
drive or in the shared Windows directory on the network server.
- Make sure you are using the correct version of the network
shell. (Use the version that ships with Windows.)
Eliminate Potential Video Conflicts
If a poorly designed or corrupted video driver is installed, GP
faults may occur at seemingly random times, sometimes very
frequently. You may also see a blank screen or the system may hang
when you quit an MS-DOS-based application that is running in a
window. These problems can be caused by a poorly designed or
corrupted video driver or by the use of the incorrect video
grabber file. Use the following steps to ensure you are using a
compatible video driver:
- Quit Windows and use the Microsoft Diagnostics (MSD) program to
check the video hardware. If you have a video BIOS dated earlier
than 1988, contact your video card manufacturer to see if a more
recent version of the BIOS is required for use with Windows. If a
high-resolution card, such as the ATI or Orchid coprocessor card,
is installed, make sure that it is configured correctly for your
hardware--these cards may require that you select a vertical scan
rate and monitor type.
- Install the generic VGA driver by quitting Windows and running
Setup from the WINDOWS directory. If this driver is already
installed, press the ESC key when you are prompted with the
following message:
To replace the currently installed driver, press ESC.
NOTE: The VGA (version 3.0) driver is not available in Windows
3.0. EGA is not available in Windows for Workgroups 3.11.
- Make sure that the correct 286 and 386 grabber files are
installed. The following entries should be present in the [boot]
section of the SYSTEM.INI file; the corresponding files should be
in the WINDOWS\SYSTEM subdirectory:
In Windows 3.0:
286grabber=vgacolor.gr2
386grabber=vga.gr3
286grabber=vgacolor.2gr
386grabber=vgadib.3gr or 386grabber=vga.3gr
Ensure You Are Using the Correct Switch for HIMEM.SYS
HIMEM.SYS is the default device driver Windows uses in the
standard and 386 enhanced modes to access extended memory,
including the high memory area (HMA)--the first 64K of extended
memory (1024K-1088K). HIMEM.SYS accesses the HMA through the A20
line of memory using A20 "handlers." The method used to access the
HMA depends on the hardware you are using, so HIMEM.SYS has been
designed to use several different A20 handlers.
HIMEM.SYS follows a routine at load time to determine which A20
handler is appropriate for your machine. Unfortunately, some
nonstandard machines do not respond to the HIMEM.SYS tests, which
can result in the wrong A20 handler being selected. Using the
incorrect A20 handler can result in many problems, such as slow
system performance and GP faults. The system may also hang when
HIMEM.SYS loads, leaving the following message on the screen:
HIMEM: DOS XMS Driver, Version x.xx - MM/DD/YY
The /MACHINE switch is used to gain control of the A20 line by
forcing HIMEM.SYS to use a specific handler. For example:
device=c:\<path>\himem.sys /machine:1
-or-
device=c:\<path>\himem.sys /m:1
To test the different HIMEM.SYS switches on your machine, edit the
CONFIG.SYS file with an ASCII text editor and add the /MACHINE
switch with one of the machine-specific handler numbers (1-16). If
you do not know which number to use, refer to your current MS-DOS
or Windows documentation. For most IBM PC/AT 100 percent-
compatible machines, one of the IBM PC/AT compatible A20 handler
switches (/M:1, /M:11, /M:12, /M:13) should work. If your computer
is not listed in the documentation, you are not sure which number
to use, or the machine number for your computer doesn't correct
the problem, try these machine numbers in the following order: 1,
11, 12, 13, 8, 2-7, 9-10, 14-16. Check your current MS-DOS or
Windows documentation for the list of machines that require a
specific A20 handler.
WARNING: When you are testing to see which A20 handler is
appropriate, make sure you have a startup MS-DOS disk with an
ASCII text editor (such as MS-DOS Editor or Edlin), because some
A20 handlers will cause your machine to hang.
For MS-DOS versions 6.2 and later, you can force the testing of
XMS memory with the TESTMEM:ON parameter. If you continue to have
problems accessing extended memory, try enabling and disabling XMS
testing. For example:
device=c:\<path>\himem.sys /testmem:on
-or-
device=c:\<path>\himem.sys /testmem:off
Ensure Windows Is Configured for the Correct Computer Type and Network
Some machines and networks require that you override the Windows
Setup default setting for the computer type and network. If the
correct selection is not made during Setup, Windows may not
operate correctly, or you may receive GP faults.
Machines that must be specifically selected during Windows Setup
include the following:
Windows | Workgroups
Machine 3.0 | 3.1/3.11 | 3.1 | 3.11
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AST(R)--all 80386- and 80486-based machines X | X | |
AST Premium 386/25 and 386/33 (CUPID) | | X | X
AT&T(R) PC | X | X | X
AT&T NSX 20--Safari Notebook | X | X | X
Everex(TM) Step 386/25 (or compatible) X | X | X | X
Hewlett-Packard(R)--all machines X | X | X | X
IBM PS/2(R) Model 70P | X | X | X
IBM PS/2 Model L40sx | X | X | X
Intel(R) 386SL-based system with APM | X | X | X
MS-DOS system with APM | X | X | X
NCR-all 80386- and 80486-based machines | X | X | X
NCR PC386sx X | X | |
NCR PC 925 X | | |
NEC(R) PowerMate SX Plus X | X | X | X
NEC ProSpeed 386 X | X | X | X
Toshiba(R) 1200XE | X | X |
Toshiba 1600 X | X | X | X
Toshiba 5200 X | X | X | X
Zenith(R)-all 80386-based machines X | X | |
Zenith Data Systems-all 80386-based machines | X | |
Zenith-all 386/486-based machines | | | X
Networks that must be specifically selected during Windows Setup
include the following:
NOTE: This information does not apply to Windows for Workgroups.
Windows
Network 3.0 | 3.1/3.11
---------------------------------------------------------------------
3Com(R) 3+Open(R) LAN Manager (XNS only) X |
3Com 3+Open | X
3Com 3+Share(R) X | X
Artisoft(R) LANtastic(R) | X
Banyan(R) VINES(R) 4.0 X | X
DEC(R) Pathworks(TM) | X
IBM OS/2(R) Lan Server | X
IBM PC LAN Program X | X
LAN Manager versions 1.x (or 100-percent compatible) X | X
LAN Manager 2.0 (or 100-percent compatible) X | X
LAN Manager 2.1 (or 100-percent compatible) | X
Novell(R) NetWare(R) | X
TCS(R) 10NET | X
If your computer and/or network is on either of these lists and
you did not select your computer type or network specifically
during Setup, quit Windows and run the MS-DOS version of Setup
from the WINDOWS directory. This allows you to make the proper
selection without having to reinstall Windows.
Use 386 Enhanced Mode for Troubleshooting
If GP faults occur in 386 enhanced mode but do not occur in
standard mode, your system may have a memory conflict in the upper
memory blocks (UMBs). Such errors occur only in 386 enhanced mode
and most frequently in Windows 3.0, because version 3.0 does not
inherit UMB usage from the expanded memory manager (EMM).
To eliminate the possibility of a UMB conflict:
- Edit the SYSTEM.INI file with the MS-DOS Editor or Edlin and
insert the following line in the [386Enh] section:
NOTE: This line is not case sensitive.
If you are using an expanded memory manager, such as EMM386.EXE or
Qemm(TM), with Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups, you must
either disable it or exclude the memory range shown above with the
appropriate EMM. This information is inherited by Windows from the
EMM and overrides any entries in the SYSTEM.INI file. The
following is an example of excluding the memory range with
EMM386.EXE:
device=c:\windows\emm386.exe noems x=A000-EFFF
- If making the above change corrects the problem, determine the
position of all hardware adapters in the adapter segment and
exclude them specifically, rather than excluding the entire
region. If necessary, you can use multiple EMMExclude= lines to do
this. If you leave the entire range excluded, Windows cannot set
up expanded memory for MS-DOS-based applications.
If you are using a Micro Channel(R) Architecture (MCA) bus machine,
such as an IBM PS/2, you can determine the adapter location by
restarting the machine with the IBM Reference Disk in drive A. If
you are using an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus machine,
consult your adapter documentation and/or your manufacturer's
technical support service for information on the memory locations
the bus machine uses.
- Disable virtual hard disk access.
If you are running Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups, start
Windows with the /D:V parameter (WIN /D:V). If this prevents the
GP faults, add the following line in the [386Enh] section of the
SYSTEM.INI file:
If you are running Windows 3.0, edit the SYSTEM.INI file and
comment out the VirtualHDIRQ= line in the [386Enh] section. (To
comment out a line, use an ASCII text editor, such as Windows
Notepad, to edit the .INI file and place a semicolon at the
beginning of the appropriate line.)
- Ensure your permanent swap file is not corrupted.
If you are running Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups, you can
remove your permanent swap file by using the 386 Enhanced icon in
the Control Panel window.
If you are running Windows 3.0, restart Windows in real mode and
run the Swapfile program with the following steps:
- Start Windows in real mode by typing win /r.
- Close any applications that load automatically.
- From the File menu, choose Run.
- Type swapfile and then press
the ENTER key.
If removing the permanent swap file corrects the problem, optimize
your hard disk with a program such as Symantec's Speed Disk or PC
Tools(TM) Compress and then reinstall the permanent swap file.
- Turn off 32-bit disk access and 32-bit file access.
If you are running Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups, start
Windows with the /D:F parameter (WIN /D:F) to disable 32-bit disk
access.
If you are running Windows for Workgroups 3.11, start Windows with
the /D:C parameter (WIN /D:C) to disable 32-bit file access. The
/D:F and the /D:C parameters (WIN /D:FC) can be combined to
disable 32-bit disk access and 32-bit file access at the same
time.
REINSTALLING WINDOWS
If you have followed all the above steps and still receive GP
faults, there is most likely a problem with the machine or the way
the hardware is configured. Use the following procedure to
reinstall Windows to eliminate any possible remaining software or
disk-integrity conflicts:
- Remove any hardware such as external drives, modems, sound
cards, and so forth from the machine. If the machine uses other
special hardware, such as a full-page monitor, printer-sharing
devices, or hardware keys used for copy protection, these items
should be removed or swapped for standard devices that are known
to work correctly.
- Use the machine's CMOS Setup program to disable any feature that
moves memory. (Consult your hardware documentation for specific
instructions on modifying the CMOS settings.) This includes video
shadowing, ROM BIOS shadowing, and any feature dealing with A20
handling. Also make sure the machine's primary startup (boot)
drive is drive A.
- Delete any reference to Windows on the PATH command in your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Also, remove the DEVICE command for HIMEM.SYS
from the CONFIG.SYS file. For more information, see the "Eliminate
Software Conflicts at the MS-DOS Level" section on page 6 of this
document.
- Run Windows Setup with the following steps:
- To run Windows Setup in Custom mode, type a:setup and press ENTER. When prompted for Express or
Custom Setup, press C for Custom Setup.
- When you are prompted with the current Windows directory name,
choose a new directory (such as WINTEST) to make sure the files
are copied to a new location on your hard disk.
- At the configuration screen, ensure the appropriate options
are selected for your specific hardware. Make sure the Computer
setting is correct, set the Mouse option to "no mouse or pointing
device," and set the Display option to VGA. Press the ENTER key to
continue.
- In the Windows Setup dialog box, clear the Set Up Printers
check box (press ALT+P) and the Set Up Applications Already On Hard
Disk(s) check box (press ALT+A), then choose the Continue button.
- Clear all five check boxes in the Component section of the
Windows Setup dialog box and choose the Continue button. Since you
don't have mouse functionality at this time, clear the check boxes
as you did in the previous step by pressing the ALT key plus the
underlined letter in the component name.
- Choose the Change button in the Virtual Memory dialog box and
then choose the OK button.
- Under New Settings, select None in the Type box.
- Choose the Change button and then choose the Yes button.
- Choose the Continue button to allow Windows Setup to update
your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files.
You now have the minimum Windows installation, with the new Windows files
in a different location on the hard disk. If this doesn't eliminate the
GP faults, a hardware or BIOS conflict exists somewhere in your system.