Letters @~Any letters or emails received on an adventuring-related topic @~may be reprinted in here unless marked 'not for publication'. ------------------------------------------------------------------ First an email from: Arnie Has anyone else contacted you with the problem of copying issue 45 to hard disc with SynWin 97? I was doing OK until file access was denied copying the gif files for the Dungeon Master maps. @~Hmm ... yes, you're quite right. You can't read them through @~SynWin 97 either if you copy them file by file through DOS. Alex @~worked out why - clever chap. If you right click on them and @~select properties, you'll see they're read only. Uncheck this @~box and then they will copy and read fine. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Next, part of a letter from: Kieran Collins, Bantry ...I must thank you for sending me the first 20 issues of SynTax. I found it most fascinating to read all the old articles and reviews, but the best thing is that with SynWin 97 it is absolute child's play hopping between issues and articles. And as for searching for something, it is heaven sent. My regards to Alex for such a professional product. @~I agree, Kieran, SynWin 97 is excellent. Remembering how Alan @~and I struggled to program the original ST version of SynTax back @~in '89, Alex produced a much better program in much less time. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Next, an e-mail from: Steve Provost Have you had trouble with Windows 95? @~Who hasn't?!! ... Sue Ever since I got my new PC in January I have had more than a few problems with it. I discovered two possible reasons for the system crashing, one being every time I tried to print from Word, Works or Publisher (no problems with DOS progs). The first was the Discworld 2 screensaver which I think was causing the system to become unstable and probably not linked to the print problem, and the second was with lpt.vxd which, once I had reverted back to the older version (it must have got "updated" somewhere along the line), everything worked OK. This latter problem was only ever identified as being a problem with Compaq PCs; mine's a Panrix Micron. I note there is also a problem with Compaq and Internet Explorer 4 as well - it won't work. I daren't try to install it in case I have the same problems. I'm beginning to think mine is a re-badged Compaq. Everything has been working fine since I made these changes... until I installed Helix Software's Nuts & Bolts that is. This "handy little utility" (bagh!) is supposed keep Windows 95 stable and help you keep everything tuned and in optimum working order. I gave up the ghost today after spending the morning trying to get Windows to load for the umpteenth time! For some strange reason only known to Helix, the CD had to be in the drive for the system to start up - if it wasn't it crashed! Work that one out. One of the modules, called Bomb Shelter (which bombed itself once), is supposed to STOP your system from crashing - not cause it! It soon became apparent that you needed a degree in software engineering to use the blooming thing as very few of the modules performed automatic cleans etc. I decided enough was enough and I proceeded to uninstall the whole thing - even that was a trial. At one point I started to panic as I thought it had begun to wipe my entire hard drive - there was a lot of clunking and whirring going on. After ending up in Safe Mode and restarting I breathed a heavy sigh of relief (visions of 5 years work going up in smoke). I had to complete the uninstall manually and return to sanity. (Note - must get a Zip Drive). I rang the supplier who initially said they wouldn't take it back because I had opened the box! After threatening them with all sorts of what I'd do to them if they didn't refund my money, they relented and gave me a returns number. Moral - if it ain't broke and it seems to be working, don't try and be clever and try to make it work better. @~Later, Steve added: I think I may have cured the problem with the remnants of Nuts & Bolts (fingers crossed, touch wood and all that), don't ask me how but I booted first time tonight... I had the Windows 95 CD in the drive and it seemed to access the CD as well as the hard drive when booting - hopefully it's fixed itself!! If not it's back to wading through the Resource Kit... @~It is very hard to sort out Win95 once it starts throwing a @~wobbly. As you all know, I had to reformat my hard drive @~recently and thank heavens for my back-ups on Zip Disks. I don't @~know Nuts and Bolts but it sounds worth avoiding! ... Sue - o -