🚀 go-pugleaf

hi all!

i am writing about a nagging problem that i encounter with windows
3.0.  the hardware: a 386-33Mhz, 4MB RAM, 120MB IDE HD; n orchid
prodesigner IIs svga card w/ 1MB RAM, sony cpd 1304 monitor.  i almost
always run windows, but also like to run some dos applications such as
smartcom exec (a comm program), and many more.  i also run ndw as a
windows "shell".

all that was strictly for setting the context.  in order to run the
dos appls in windowed mode (as opposed to full screen mode), i run
windows in the 386enh mode, and have setup .pif files them.  the
problem i face is that everytime i start a dos appl from windows (by
double clicking on the appropriate .pif file), the video display
freaks out.  the screen blanks for an instant, then i hear a click
from the rear of the monitor (the automatic video mode selection
relays, apparently), and then the screen reappears, but the video
display mode is totally different.

thus, if i had started off running windows in 800x600 non-interlaced
mode for instance, the display mode after starting the dos appl (which
*does* appear in its own window), appears to be 640x480 interlaced (i
notice a lot of screen flicker.)  further, as is only to be expected,
since the desktop (and all its elements) are now bigger in size, my
monitor only displays a part of the desktop now, spilling over the
sides of the monitor (i can get to see the whole thing by readjusting
the monitor controls.)

i tried starting from the 640x480 non-interlaced mode, and the results
are even more bizzare -- the screen now splits into two, and i see two
identical images of the desktop on my monitor, side-by-side!  there is
a way to restore the old state: run a dos-shell from windows

(the "dos-prompt" icon), and type "exit" at the c:\> prompt, wait as
the screen blanks momentarily, the monitor clicks and clacks, and
voila! there it is, the whole dektop in the correct display mode
again!

does anyone know what the hell is going on?  the problem appears to be
that whenever a "piffed" dos appl is started, my monitor gets a
message to change its settings.  do i have bad drivers from orchid?
i've tried both approaches that i can think of -- every combination of

settings in the pif-editor, and changing the display mode while in dos

(before starting windows) using the "xmode" program supplied by
orchid.  the only peaceable scheme for coexistance of windows and dos
appls appears to be to run dos appls in full-screen mode, but that is
clearly less than satisfying, as i am sure many of you will attest.

if others have faced this problem and have found their way around it,
would you please share your wisdom?  thanks in advance!

                                                                        
--madhu nott