[flyingmike]

Hi, the software provided with my step four cnc is dos based, to open it I click on an icon from windows 98 which then proceeds to re boot the computer in the dos mode. However the maximised window is very small when the software opens. Changing the screen resolution in the display settings does not seem to solve the problem. Are there any dos based settings that need adjusting, Any suggestions?

Thanks

Mike

[HuFlungDung]

Mike,
I've not got clear understanding from what you posted about when you are seeing this maximized window when the software opens? When running in real DOS, there is no such thing as a window.

Why not just start your computer up in DOS mode manually, and start the program from a command prompt? All you need to know is the path to where the exe file for your program is located, and DOS, properly set up with config.sys and autoexec.bat files should load it up. Keep in mind that DOS file names cannot be longer than 8 characters, and a long filename is truncated with the '~1' or '~2' on the right end, before the file extension.

IIRC, I think Windows could be configured so that it would rename the config.sys and autoexec.bat files automatically. This is because these two file names have 'magic' associated with them, and your PC will run those files first whenever it boots, if it finds them, and then windows itself may not load properly. So when Windows is running, then config.sys needs to be renamed to config.dos and autoexec.bat needs to be renamed to autoexec.dos.

When in DOS mode, those two files must have their extensions changed back to the .sys and .bat so that DOS recognises them. Of course, these two system files should also contain some information and not just be empty.

[flyingmike]

Thanks for the reply, the program is set to reboot the computer once it is selected. When the words come up on the screen saying that the computer is starting the ms dos application e.t.c, they all are contained within a small area in the center of the screen, about 6inches square.

How do I get the computer to go into dos mode first without going into windows? The computer I use is a toshiba satellite pro laptop.

Thanks

Mike

[HuFlungDung]

Oh, that screen Well, does it really matter how small that last command window is? Once the machine reboots to DOS, you won't be seeing that window any more.

Getting into DOS mode can be done typically by tapping the F8 key as the computer is booting. This should bring up an options screen which allows you to boot either to a command prompt or to windows. Now having said that, there is more to booting into a properly configured DOS than a command prompt. If the guys who sent you your software have this all automatically set up, then use what they sent, and don't worry about how small the command window is when windows shuts down. If you see windows attempting to run DOS in a window, then you have not successfully rebooted into real DOS mode. Contact your cnc support guys for tackling this issue, because the only way I know to do it, is the long way.

[flyingmike]

once the software loads in the real dos mode the screen is very small. It is not a window as they appear in windows, I just used this to describe how the software looks when it is running, i.e the software running in a little square in the middle of the screen, with a big black border around it. But I think I have confused matters


Mike

[HuFlungDung]

Well, on a long shot, maybe you need to change the resolution at which your video driver is running while in DOS mode. Typically, the program might assume that it is running full screen at 640 x 480 pixels, but perhaps your vga setting in the autoexec.bat or in the config.sys file (I don't remember which one holds this setting) is setting the monitor to run at a much higher resolution. Hence, it would appear to look like a small window.

What are the contents of those two system files right now?

Edit: another trick might be to change your screen resolution down to 640 x 480 while running windows. When the computer restarts on a warm reboot, the last used resolution in windows might 'stick' and carry over into DOS mode.

[Al_The_Man]

Do you need Windows at all? If not you could load just DOS 7.1, see http://www.cn-dos.net/msdos71/
It would shorten your boot time.
Al.

[flyingmike]

HuFlungDung, via the properties menu, the advanced program settings were adjusted to specify a new dos configuration as outlined in the manual for the cnc software, they now read as follows:

CONFIG.SYS for MS DOS mode:

DOS=HIGH,UMB
Device=C:\WINDOWS\Himem.Sys
Files=50
Device=c:\windows\COMMAND\display.sys con=(ega,,1)
Country=043,850,c:windows\COMMAND\country.sys

AUTOEXEC.BAT for MS DOS mode:

SET TMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
SET TEMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
SET PROMPT=$p$g
SET winbootdir=C:\WINDOWS
SET PATH=C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\mode con codepage prepare=((850) C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\ega.cpi
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\keyb gr,,C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\keyboard.sys
LoadHigh C:\S4PROV4\S4MOUSE.COM

I opened the software via a DOS window by interupting the start up by pressing F8 this had no affect on the screen size. What I find strange is the fact that all the text that comes up when the computer is starting up and when the DOS mode has been entered are all confined to a small area in the center of the screen, just like when the software opens. Also, when I change the resolution settings in windows the window changes size rather than just the resolution changing, i.e. reducing the resolution down the 640 x 480 makes the screen go down in size to about the same size as when I open the cnc software, I think this must be linked to the problem.

Mike

[CNC Pro]

On one of my DOS controllers, I use the windows shut down/restart in DOS. This works in on my system. If I try running the controller software through a DOS window while in Windows 98 it causes some issues.

[greybeard]

Mike - is the software supercam by any chance ?
I've just aquired it, and the opening of the dos screen seems to reboot from a windows shortcut, but not the usual "dos in windows config".
If it is supercam I'd be happy to compare notes as I've not found anyone else using it !!! :drowning:

[flyingmike]

The software I am using is made by step four called S4PRO. You get it with the cnc router, nice software, I just have this screen problem to clear up.

Mike

[Old_Man]

I think your problem is the monitor you're using, how is the boot ecran looking when the computer boots, you know, hdd detecting, memory size, etc etc etc, if even this ecran look confined in centre, then the monitor or laptop ecran could not support the dos video mode you`re asking to do. Some monitors don`t like dos video mode, something like fixed frequency monitors. If your laptop has some 15 pin VGA out port, try hooking some 14" vga monitors and see how work`s.
Sorry for my english, is not my native language.
Regards. Gabriel

[flyingmike]

Yes, all the text that comes up when the computer boots up is also confined to the center. Could different drivers for the display solve the problem?

Mike

[fyffe555]

Mike,

You've got a common problem with laptop LCD screens and DOS. Depending on your model laptop the natural screen resolution is 800x600 or 1024x768. Windows loads a driver for the screen at installation and so you can run at the resolutions possible with the driver, usually the natural screen resolution. Under dos without an LCD driver specific to your laptop loaded you'll default to ega or vga or 640x350 or 640x480. In your config.sys you're loading a default ega driver under device.sys. Without an appropriate driver the lcd will display at ega screen size at the natural resolution of the screen, centred. So if your monitor is 1024x768 natural you'll use only the centre 640x350 at 16 colours and the surrounding pixels will be unused and show as a 198-209pixel wide black border.

The proper answer is you need a dos driver for your lcd on your laptop to be loaded in your config.sys. Just as you would to load a mouse or other hardware driver in dos. Have a look on the Tosh support websites for your specific laptop model for drivers;


An alternative, depending on the dos version you have is to replace the 'ega' def with 'LCD' in the config.sys. This is a std dos switch option from dos 5 onwards. i.e. 'Device=c:\windows\COMMAND\display.sys con=(LCD,,1)' problem is the results are unpredictable depending on your hardware, it might not change anything, might increase the screen size or might not work the screen at all and be blank. In which case you've have to boot to windows and edit the config.sys from there.

EDIT: forgot to add, depending on model some Tosh laptops had a bios setting to set the lcd display resolution size.

good luck..

Andrew

[flyingmike]

Hi, I think I have found the source of my problem, which I think is what fyffe555 is talking about.

The software is running at 800 x 600, therefore on my 1024 x 768 laptop the display is small. I tried loading the software in its higher resolution mode but the screen just goes black. I have not yet had a response from the makers of the software at step four but maybe they will be able to clear this up.

I have connected an external CRT monitor and the picture quality was greatly improved compared to the LCD display of the laptop.

At the moment I feel that a LCD or TFT display is not suitable for the step four software, a serious problem with the way monitor technology has progressed.


Mike