·------------------------------------· | Archimedes Public Domain Library | | | | Frequently Asked Questions | ·------------------------------------· This file has been added in self defence. I often get phone calls, letters, or discs returned with a complaint that there's something wrong, and often the problem is the user is either missing the blindingly obvious or is new to Acorn computers and doesn't understand what 'everybody knows' and no-one has bothered to explain. This file tries to answer the questions most often asked. If you have problems READ THIS FILE FIRST. I can't guarantee you'll find the answer, but you might, or an idea to help you to it. In 99% of cases the answer is R.T.F.I., which is an abbreviation for Read The F%^&*ing Instructions. We TRY to help, but normally we don't know very much about the program, and if you can't find the answer in the instructions (sometimes with a bit of common sense) it might be best (and quicker) if you contact the Author directly. If you have queries about ordering or difficulties with any of the APDL ordering software there is a section at the end of this file. If you have written a program or programs or want to 'swap' something see the section before that. If you have problems DON'T JUST SEND BACK THE DISCS. There's probably nothing wrong with them. PHONE, WRITE OR EMAIL FIRST. If possible phone, if you can't phone then, email or write. If you return discs without bothering to do any of these and there's nothing physically wrong with them we may ask you to pay for them to be returned to you. Phoning is the best method of resolving a problem. You can't easily hold a conversation any other way, and experience shows that I often need to ask questions. If you write or email PLEASE include details of your computer (A3000, A5000, RPC 600, etc), how much RAM you have, what type of monitor, and other relevant information. DON'T fax unless I can send a return fax. If your fax machine is on a shared line with your phone so I have to ring first then I will NOT mess about sending a reply - you might just as well have phoned in the first place! If you write please include an SAE. I can be reached by any of these means - Phone - Fax - email - info@apdl.co.uk Messages with problems explained here may be ignored, so read this FIRST. Repeated email of this nature will mean I will soon not bother to read your messages before I dump them, so if you do eventually have something important to say it will never be read! ========== F A Q s ====================================================================== 1. The disc is full of blank white icons - where are the programs? Most programs are compressed using !ArcFS so we get a LOT more on, often over 1½ Mb on an 800K disc. You will find a copy of ArcFS on the catalogue disc. 2. When I try to run the program or use some function I get an error message 'Not open for update' or 'Can't open file'. This means the program wants to write something to disc and can't. If you are running it from a floppy check it's not write protected. If you are running it from an archive you will need to de-archive it before it will work properly. The version of !ArcFS supplied is 'Read Only', so it can Read or Load files or data from an archive, but not Write or Save to it. If the program tries to do so it will give an error. Think of the archive as like a directory, but you can only take things OUT, not put anything IN, or change or delete anything in there. 3. So how do I de-archive it? If you have a hard disc double-click on the archive to open it and drag the CONTENTS of the archive to wherever you want to put it just as you would with the contents of a normal directory. Without a hard disc you need to copy it to another floppy. The easiest way is to use a RAM disc as an intermediary. You need a RAM disc big enough to hold the archive. You can create one by clicking SELECT on the Switcher Icon (that's the icon at the right hand end of the icon bar) and scrolling down the Task Window until you get to the Memory Allocation section. Find 'RAM disc', put the mouse pointer about half an inch to the right of the size (which will be 0K if you don't have one), hold down SELECT, and a 'slider' will appear which you can 'drag' to the size RAM disc you want. Now close the Task Window and you will see the RAM disc icon has appeared. Click on this to open the RAM disc filer window and drag the archive to it from your floppy disc. Put a blank floppy disc in the drive, double-click on the archive on the RAM disc to open it, and drag its contents to the new floppy. 4. My discs have arrived damaged - do I need to contact APDL before sending them back? Discs which don't reach you in good condition will be replaced free of charge. The most common damage is a bent metal slider. If the slider looks damaged or doesn't slide freely DON'T USE THE DISC. A bent slider can jam in the drive, or the spring can come out and get into the works. If the slider is damaged and you can't wait for a replacement, remove it completely, making sure you also remove the small spring. Be careful no dust gets into the disc, but it is safe to use it like this and it will ensure it doesn't damage your drive. If possible phone before returning damaged discs. 5. When I try to Run a program or Verify the disc I get the message 'Disc Error at....' Discs are verified before despatch, but errors do sometimes appear, either because of minor defects on the disc's surface or damage in transit. Any disc with physical errors will be replaced free of charge (but see below). 6. When I put the disc in the drive I get the message 'Disc not formatted' or 'Disc Error at :0 000000' It's possible that something is wrong with the disc, and if so we will replace it, but the most common cause of this error is trying to read a hi-density (HD, 1.6Mb) disc in a double density (DD, 800K) drive. If you have one of the older machines (A310, A400, A540 or A3000) you can only use DD discs. Look at the top right-hand corner of the disc. If it has 'HD' written there it could be a hi-density disc (not always - see below). If you ordered hi-density by mistake you won't be able to use the disc. If it was a genuine error we may replace the discs if you return them, but if it was your mistake we may charge 40p for each disc. That's 40p for each 800K disc, so if you ordered a single 1.6Mb disc when you really wanted 2 x 800K it could cost you 80p If you have a friend who has a machine with a hi-density drive you might be able to get him/her to copy the contents to two 800K discs. We sometimes send HD discs formatted to 800K to people with hi density drives. There is a problem with some machines reading these discs. Try sticking a bit of tape over the hi-density ident hole (that's the square hole in the other corner from the write protect slider). This fools the drive into thinking it's an 800K disc. 7. I have a double-density drive. You have sent hi-density discs but I can read them OK on my computer. As the majority of machines now have hi-density drives we find most of our customers use these discs. To reorganise the Library to 1.6Mb would be almost impossible, and need two separate catalogues. So customers with hi-density drives don't get left with lots of 800K discs they don't want we often use HD discs formatted to 800K. This is OK if the discs are formatted to this size from new (DON'T reformat a 1.6Mb disc to 800K) and people with HD drives can reformat them to 1.6Mb if they like. 8. There don't seem to be any instructions with the program. Most PD programs have a textfile or a Help Reader application, and this is normally INSIDE the application directory. To open the application directory hold down SHIFT and double-click on the application icon. You might find a file called !Help, Manual, ReadMe, or a directory called Docs in which there are several files, or there might be an application called !Help which you can just double-click on. Programs may rely on Acorn's Interactive Help utility. You will find this in the Apps directory of a RPC or on Apps Disc 1 of other machines. If you run this it might give help on the program's windows and menus. Some PD programmers use StrongHelp instead of a textfile. You will find this on APDL disc B400 Games often have instructions available from the start-up screen, or as a scrolltext. In some cases there are no instructions. Sorry - but you may find that the program is so easy to use it doesn't need any. 9. The program has a large instructions file and I would like to print it but it takes *ages* when I use !Printers with my dot matrix printer. Is there a quicker way to print it? The easiest way is to load it into !Zap and use the Quick Print option. If you don't have a copy of !Zap (!) then, on pre RPC machines, press F12 and type - Filer_OpenDir Printer:$ Press RETURN twice to get back to the desktop and a small window titled 'Printer' will appear. Drag the file to this and it will be sent to the printer. This doesn't work on the RPC and it won't work if you are using something like Computer Concepts Turbo Driver which thinks it owns the printer port and won't let anything else get a look-in. 10. When I try to run the program on my RPC I get an Address Exception error message but the catalogue says that it should work. There are several answers, one of which is that I could be wrong! However, assuming it does work one answer (especially with a game or demo) is that a Module it uses causes the error when it is loaded. This is common with music players, and quite often it will be OK if you just run it again. As the Module causing the problem will already have been loaded you may find the program will run OK the second time. Another common reason is that the Wimpslot setting it too small. Memory is allocated on the RPC in 4K pages, but on earlier machines it could be in up to 32K pages. For example, a program that asked for 48K on a 4Mb A5000 would get 64K (2 x 32K pages) but on the RPC you would actually get 48K (12 x 4K pages), and it might not be enough. Load the !Run file into !Edit and look for a line - Wimpslot -min 48K -max 48K and change it to - Wimpslot -min 64K -max 64K One final possibility is that the program might only work with Game On. This is an essential tool for all RPC users (especially if you have old software - it's not just for games). 11. When I try to run this game/demo on my RPC the screen goes all funny Assuming the program works the probable cause is that you don't have a definition for a suitable screen mode in your Monitor Definition File. If you need to ask the question then it will probably be beyond your capabilities to write one, but Game On could solve the problem as it has several definition for popular games modes. 12. When I try to run a Genesis application I get the error message 'External FN/PROC not found'. Some Genesis applications (eg. 'Customs') have special modules which they need to work properly and which are not part of the standard Genesis Browser. For this reason we have a complete Genesis Browser with all of these external modules on disc B263. If you get this error make sure that you are using this version. 13. How can I make this game run slower on my A5000/ARM3 ? Some games written to work on an ARM 2 run too fast with later processors. Press F12 and type - cache off This will slow down any machine fitted with an ARM3. To restore normal speed press F12 and type - cache on 14. After running a program my RPC desktop is very slow The program could have switched off the cache (see above), but the most likely cause is it has set the Font Cache to zero. This was done on older programs to save memory, but a RPC uses fancy fonts in the desktop so the Font Cache must be at least 64K. Click on the Switcher Icon (the Acorn icon at the right hand end of the icon bar) and scroll down the Task Window until you get to the Memory Allocation section. Look for the Font Cache and drag out the slider, 128K is about right. 14. The program quits with an error message saying there's not enough System Sprite memory. Open the Task Window (see above) and allocate some memory to the System Sprites. The amount required depends on the program, but it will probably need at least 64K and perhaps as much as 300K 15. The program says I don't have enough memory. Quit any other applications you are running, and a RAM disc if you have one. Use the Task Window to minimise memory in the Module Area and anywhere else you can. If you have been using the computer for a while there may be Modules which are taking up memory, and it might be easier to reset the computer (or switch off and on again) to get rid of them. You could try switching to a more economical screen mode, especially if you are using a large 256 colour mode. For example, Mode 40 takes 320K, Mode 12 only 96K. With a RPC you can still get this message even if you have HUGE amounts of free RAM. One reason for this (especially with Demos) is that incompetent programmers might use RAM page size as a way of determining the amount of memory, which doen't work with a RPC. If it still won't work perhaps you really don't have enough memory. Once most people only had 500K, then 1Mb, and now 2Mb is the recognised minimum and many programs need 4Mb. Most programs work with 2Mb, but some won't with 1Mb. 15. The program gives a messgae 'File System:Modules.xxx not found' The program has expected to find a particular Module in your !System directory. I try to put the module in the Application Directory so this problem won't arise, but sometimes it gets missed. I have added a disc with the most frequently used items (B425), so you might need to get this disc. 16. When I try to decompress or run a file with ArcFS it complains it doesn't have enough memory ArcFS uses the Relocatable Module Area (RMA) as it's workspace (except RPC, see next question), so use the Task Window to increase free memory in the RMA. With large files this may cause a problem if you don't have much RAM. You may not have enough memory to run the program from the archive because you will need both the RAM to decompress it and run it simultaneously, so you will have to decompress it to another disc, reduce free memory in the RMA, then run it. 17. I have tried using ArcFS on my RPC but it keeps telling me I don't have enough memory. I've increased free memory in the RMA but with no effect. This is one that stumped me (and the author of ArcFS, Mark Smith) for a while. On the RPC ArcFS uses Dynamic memory allocation, but for this to work you must have Interactive File Copying switched on. If this is off then ArcFS can't claim memory. The solution will require you to edit the !Run file in ArcFS. Load this into edit and look for the line - RMEns. UtilityModule 3.50 Set Alias$OSSpec RMEns. ArcFSMemMan 1.10 RMLoad .MemManRMA Put a vertical bar (|) in front of this so it will be ignored, This stops ArcFS using dynamic memory allocation and forces it to use the RMA as workspace. You will have to allocate RAM manually in the RMA (see above) but it will cure the problem. ================================================= ============= Sending programs to APDL and disc 'swaps' ============== ================================================= 1. I have written a couple of programs - can I send them to you? _ _ Yes, YES, \/|_ |_ / |_ _| There are many ways we get new material, but it's best if the Author sends it. That way we have a direct contact and know we have the latest version. We will return your disc(s) with whatever you want on them, and people who keep in contact and send regular updates get various other 'special considerations'. 2. I have some programs you don't have or later versions of ones you do have - will you 'swap' with things that I want? Normally, yes. We may even do this on a 'swap' basis, but don't be greedy. Often by the time we get your discs we already have what you are sending, but if it was sent in good faith and the programs have only recently been added or updated we normally respond generously. Please DON'T send lots of discs of GIF or JPEG pictures unless they are something special, or can be put into a specific catagory to make up a compilation disc or set of discs. Take a look at the type of things that we have in the catalogue first. People who include a SHORT textfile with new programs describing what they do get preferential treatment because it saves me work when I add them to the catalogue! Anyone sending magazine programs or other copyright material or X-rated GIF's (yes, I do get them), will certainly NOT get a favourable response and will probably not get a reply at all! ======================================================== ========== Queries about ordering and the ordering programs ========== ======================================================== The programs !Order, !GIForder and !PCorder, have been in use since 1994, so THOUSANDS of people have used them. There have been problems, but they are (by now) fairly bug-free, but there are some 'features' that might give difficulties. 99% of these wouldn't occur if people would READ THE INSTRUCTIONS 1. When I try to print the order nothing happens. The printing routine is deliberately crude. It works by sending the characters directly to the printer port. This is ideal for quick, simple, printing with a dot matrix printer, and works with most printers. It WON'T work if you use something like Turbo Driver or an unusual printer. This system is used is because it is so quick and easy to print the order with a cheap printer. If you have something more exotic Save the order as a textfile (keep a copy for reference) and then drag the textfile to your Printer Driver. Whatever printing system you use if your Printer Driver is correctly set up it will print a textfile. 2. When I print there's a blank line between each line. You didn't read the instructions, did you? On the Menu of the application there is an item 'Linefeeds'. By default this is 'ticked', which means that at the end of each line the printer is sent a Carriage Return (CR) and a Linefeed (LF). To work properly with an Acorn computer your printer should be configured to 'expect linefeeds from host', but if this wasn't done every time it gets a CR it automatically goes to the next line. When the LF arrives it goes down another line, so you get a blank line. Click on the Menu so 'Linefeed' isn't ticked and the blank lines will vanish. 3. What do all those funny bits at the top of the order file mean? They tell us about your computer and the version of the program and catalogue you have. DON'T DELETE IT. This information can be very useful if there is a query with your order or if you order something that I can see is unsuitable for your machine. There is nothing here that is 'sensitive' in any way. 4. Why do you want my phone number? So that if there is a problem I can phone you and sort it out quickly. If there's no phone number I may have to return your order. This is important if you pay by 'plastic' as it's easy to mistype a number. 5. Do you keep my details on a database, and if so what information do you keep and who sees it? Transactions are recorded for VAT and accounting. Other than name and address and records of purchases we do not record other data. Your details are NEVER made available to anyone else. 6. How do I send an order on disc? DON'T send it as an Order File, save a text file and send that. This is better for me and it's a lot smaller. If you copy it onto the catalogue disc (delete something to make room) I will update the catalogue and return it with your order. It's best to include a small piece of paper with your name and address or phone number in case the disc is damaged. If I can't read the disc for any reason and don't know who you are I can't contact you! 7. What about ordering by credit/debit/switch card? If you send your order on disc then you MUST include a brief SIGNED note authorising the transaction. If you send a printed order you MUST sign it. 8. Can I order by phone? Normally there's no problem, but we prefer 'hard' orders (it's quicker and easier). We can't accept orders for individual programs, GIF files, PC files, Tracker tunes etc. by phone, it takes too long and it's too easy to make mistakes. The minimum order value for telephone orders is £5. 9. Can I send my order by email? Yes, but email is not secure, so it's probably not a good idea to send a credit card number, although I've never heard of anyone in the UK having problems. If you want to order lots of individual files you could email the order and then phone with your card details. If you do include a card number in an email I reserve the right to refuse to accept your order, especially if you are not known to us, as the lack of security works both ways. If you intend to order regularly by email you could first send a SIGNED note with your credit card details and authorising APDL to debit your card. You can then refer to this in your email order so you don't need to include your card number where it might be read by anyone. 10. Why is my address printed at the bottom of the order as well as at the top? To avoid mistakes we cut out the name and address at the bottom of the order and use it as a return label. If you use a textfile and alter it before printing please DON'T delete the second address.