🚀 go-pugleaf

Thanks to ALL of those who responded to my query about getting Windows
into the Enhanced mode after upgrading to a 386 MB.  I finally did
solve the problem with your help, and so I thought I'd share both the
successful, and unsuccessful answers (leaving out names).

In comp.os.ms-windows.setup you will recall that I wrote:

>I've just switched over to a 386-20DX MB from a 286 board.  The MB has
>two meg of memory, and I have a bocaram AT board with another two meg
>configured as extenede memory, yet Windows 3.1 is not running in 386
>enhanced mode.  Is there something I need to do to manually
>reconfigure Windows?  What's the deal here?

The first incorrect answer was as follows:

>For Win 3.1 you need 4MB oR more of memory, and 20 MHz is also a
>little slow, but you can run it in the standard mode.

Not so.  The manual clearly states that what is needed is 1 meg of
extended and 256K of free conventional memory to run in enhanced mode.
However, 20MHz is a tad on the slow side.

The next answer was more helpful, and might have worked but for some
missing files that Windows had failed to install.  This one appeared
on the network.


>Force Windows to start in the 386 Enhanced mode by calling windows up
>with the /3 switch:

>win /3


>That should start you up in the 386 Enhanced mode.


And it did try to force it into the 386 mode.  It also notified me
that some of the files that Windows was looking for were missing.

Finally, the absolute correct answer.

>If you switched to the new machine by just copying your software
>files then you don't have the parts of Windows which are necessary
>for enchanted mode operation.  To conserve scarce disk space on the
>user's system the Windows installer does not load the parts of
>Windows which require a 386 if the hardware has only a 286.

>The safest thing to do is to re-install Windows from scratch.


Bingo!  Apparently Windows, like much of Microsoft's stuff, is very
equipment specific.  Once I reloaded (upgraded).  It went right into
the 386 mode and runs like a top.  It even kept all of the old stuff
that I really did want to keep, so I was very pleased.  Again, thanks
to all who responded.

John D. Altevogt                                  Altevogt@UKANVM
Department of Sociology                    God@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
University of Kansas                        (913) 542-2096 (home)
Lawrence, KS 66045                           (913) 864-4111 (off)