Microsoft KB Archive/28465

Random Characters Displayed in Works Communications

PSS ID Number: Q28465 Article last modified on 10-16-1998

1.x 2.00 3.00

MS-DOS

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========================================================= 1.x 2.00 3.00 MS-DOS kbusage

= SUMMARY =

You may get nothing but random characters displayed on the screen when using Works Communications to connect to another computer that normally requires the following settings:


 * 1) 7 or 8 data bits
 * 2) 1 or 2 stop bits
 * 3) Most importantly, no parity

= MORE INFORMATION =

Many computers or on-line services suggest no parity as correct communications settings. When this is chosen in Works, random garbage characters may be displayed on the screen.

In this situation, select Mask parity, as opposed to No parity, in the Options Communications menu. Mask parity is almost identical to no parity; the difference is that no parity displays the eighth data bit while mask parity ignores the eighth data bit.

The reason Works displays random garbage characters when connected is that most computers or on-line services are not really using 8 bits and no parity; they really are using 7 data bits and either even or odd parity. However, the computers/services suggest using 8 bits and no parity because the no parity setting ignores the eighth bit in the same way Works does when mask parity is used in many popular communications packages.

The reason Works does not ignore the eighth bit when no parity is chosen is that international text often contains data in which the eighth data bit is significant, e.g., international currency symbols. The products that ignore the eighth bit cannot display these special characters.

KBCategory: kbusage KBSubcategory: dworkskb ====================================================================== Version : 1.x 2.00 3.00 Platform : MS-DOS ============================================================================= Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1998.