Microsoft KB Archive/58441

System Modal: Not Enough Memory Message in Excel PSS ID Number: Q58441 Article last modified on 06-23-1993 PSS database name: W_eXceL

2.20

OS/2

Summary:

Excel for OS/2 will produce a system modal “Not Enough Memory” alert in the following cases when printing (this information is contained in the README.TXT file contained on the Excel for OS/2 disks):


 * 1) Your selected printer is not attached to any printer driver.
 * 2) Your selected printer is not attached to a driver that is supported

by Microsoft Excel for OS/2.
 * 1) Your selected printer is not connected to a port.
 * 2) The spooler is enabled.
 * 3) You are low on disk space.

If you receive a “Not Enough Memory” alert, use the Control Panel (OS/2 1.10) or the Print Manager (OS/2 1.20) to correct any of these configurations.

More Information:

The following information is a summary of information found on Page 252 of the “Microsoft Operating System/2 Programmer’s Reference Volume 1 for Version 1.1.”

The System Modal message box is to be displayed whenever there may be a serious problem with the system. In the above cases the printer driver is receiving messages it cannot associate with a particular printer error. Because the printer driver cannot determine the exact cause of the problem, the message (by default) is “Not Enough Memory”; these messages are usually fairly serious and therefore are System Modal.

It is important to realize what this System Modal message box means for the rest of the system. Basically, there are two types of System Modal message boxes: Soft Modal and Hard Modal. Soft Modal will not allow keystrokes or mouse input to reach any other window, but does allow other messages to reach other windows. Hard modal does not allow any messages to reach other Windows. The “Not Enough Memory” alert is a Soft System Modal message box. This means that you cannot use the keyboard or mouse to access any other windows until the message is acknowledged; however, other windows are still receiving messages (other than keyboard or mouse) as normal.

For example, if you had a DDE conversation going between two applications (we will call them App1 and App2), and you had Excel running (producing the “Not Enough Memory” message), App1 and App2 would continue to receive/transmit messages and update the screen. However, you could not make either application active until acknowledging the message box. Thus, while the “Not Enough Memory” message may not be ideal, it does not disrupt any of OS/2’s multitasking capabilities or features.

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1993.