Microsoft KB Archive/84419

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Multiple PIFs for Same MS-DOS Applications in Windows

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Q84419

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows versions 3.0, 3.0a, 3.1, 3.11

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SUMMARY
In Microsoft Windows operating system version 3.1, if a program information file (PIF) for an MS-DOS application already exists, a dialog box will appear and provide an option to create a new PIF, replace an existing PIF, or cancel the request.

In Windows 3.0, running the Set Up Applications command from the Windows Setup icon creates a new PIF for each MS-DOS application that it recognizes from the [PIF] section of the SETUP.INF file.

MORE INFORMATION
To set up MS-DOS applications to run in Windows 3.0 or 3.1, do the following:


 * 1) From the Program Manager, choose the Windows Setup icon.
 * 2) From the Options menu, choose Set Up Applications.

Windows searches the [PIF] section of the SETUP.INF for Windows 3.0 or the APPS.INF file for Windows 3.1 for MS-DOS applications and uses the related information to create the PIF.

The PIF filename conventions are as follows:

For Windows 3.1, the Set Up Applications program displays the following message when it encounters an existing PIF for an MS-DOS application:

A program information file (PIF) for  already exists: . The existing PIF may provide Windows with special instructions about running .

To preserve the existing PIF and set up an additional PIF for , choose Create. This also creates a new Program Manager icon for  so you can run  using the new PIF.

To replace  with a new PIF, choose Replace. This creates a new Program Manager icon for  and any existing Program Manager icons that refer to  will use this new PIF.

To preserve the existing PIF without creating a new Program Manager icon, choose Cancel.

If you choose Create, Windows creates a new PIF and adds sequential numbers to the new filename. The list of PIFs will then look as follows:

WORD5.PIF

WORD500.PIF

WORD501.PIF In Windows 3.0, a number is substituted for the last letter of the filename (not the extension). For example, several PIFs for WORD for MS-DOS would be created as follows:

WORD5.PIF

WORD0.PIF

WORD1.PIF

WORD2.PIF In this example, Set Up Applications was invoked three times with the original PIF being WORD5.PIF. Windows also creates a new icon using the last PIF created. The original icons are not replaced. However, if the previous icon is deleted, it is also safe to delete the previous PIF.

Additional query words: 3.00 3.00a 3.10 3.11 files option options

Keywords :

Issue type :

Technology : kbWin3xSearch kbWin300 kbWin300a kbWin310 kbWin311