🚀 go-pugleaf

tcheng@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Tony C. Cheng) writes:
>I'm using a AT&T 6386/25 with VGA and 4mb of extended memory.

Normally, this would mean you are enhanced mode.  You can verify this by
going to the control panel and seeing if the "386 Enhanced" icon is present.

[He was running a DOS application in an enhanced mode window;
 the result is all-black window with a white cursor in upper left corner.]

This sounds like the virtual PC in the window is emulating a Monochrome
text mode while the software thinks it has a Color display.  (Or perhaps
the reverse).

Is your VGA attached to a COLOR or a MONO display?  Did you tell SETUP the
truth when you installed Windows?  Do you have two displays in your system?

An experiment I suggest you try:  Run a COMMAND.COM session without
an application inside.  If COMMAND.COM understands the video mode, you
will see the DOS boot banner and be left sitting at the DOS prompt
inside the window.  If you see a blank window like you usually do,
type "MODE MONO" and press return; if that doesn't help, enter "MODE CO80".

If the above gets you a DOS prompt, then Windows is confused about whether
you have a color or monochrome monitor.  If your VGA has switches, you
should verify that you don't have it set up for mono but plugged into a
color display (or vice versa).  The VGA cable has a wire in it that should
be driven by the monitor to indicate whether the monitor is color or not.
Some displays don't drive it, and some VGAs can be confused by this.
(I've seen this happen most often after a warm boot).

>Does anyone has similar experience?  Or is there anyone who can tell
>me what went wrong?  The VGA adapter is the one bundled with the 
>AT&T 6386/25, is it that I need a specific driver to make it work with
>Windows 3.0 for the non-window applications?

I haven't seen the standard VGA driver have trouble with any of the clones.
Assuming you have the right grabbers installed (i.e. you told SETUP the
right stuff), you should be fine.

>Any hint on this will be greatly appreciated!

Hope it helps.

>=============================================================================
>  Tony C. Cheng 		       |  tcheng@silver.ucs.indiana.edu  
>  Education Technology Services        |  tcheng@aqua.ucs.indiana.edu
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>---------------------- INDIANA UNIVERSITY, BLOOMINGTON ----------------------
>=============================================================================

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