Microsoft KB Archive/81493

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Using VCPI Programs with Windows

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Q81493

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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
Many MS-DOS-based applications use the Virtual Control Program Interface (VCPI) specification to directly access protected-mode extended memory on an 80386 or 80486 computer. These programs do not work with Microsoft Windows version 3.0 in 386 enhanced mode. They work in Windows in real mode and may work in standard mode. Windows uses a newer standard called DOS Protected Mode Interface (DPMI).

DPMI is a multitasking version of VCPI with a few other enhancements. Many software companies have already announced plans to support DPMI in future releases of their products. If you experience difficulties running an MS- DOS-based application in standard or enhanced mode of Windows, check with the MS-DOS-based-application manufacturer to see if it now supports the DPMI specification.

MORE INFORMATION
The following switch can be entered into the SYSTEM.INI file in the [386Enh] section to turn off the warning message that appears when an MS-DOS-based application attempts to use VCPI:

VCPIWarning=false NOTE: Changing this switch does not allow the application to run. It merely suppresses the warning message if you attempt to run one of these applications.

The following is a partial list of applications that use the VCPI specification to access extended memory:

  Application                          Vendor Lotus 1-2-3 release 3.0             Lotus Interleaf Publisher                 IBM Autocad 386                         Autodesk Paradox 386                         Borland FoxBase+ 386                        Microsoft Smalltalk 80 386                    ParcPlace Common Lisp CLOE-386                Symbolics Laboratory Microsystems UR/Forth    STSC APL Plus II                         STSC VM/386                              Intelligent Graphics Corporation Concurrent DOS 386                  Digital Research PC-MOS/386                          The Software Link Lotus has announced that version 3.1 will follow the DPMI specifications and will run under all three modes of Windows 3.0.

PC-MOS is a multitasking operating environment similar to Windows/386. You cannot run Windows under PC-MOS because Microsoft Windows/286, Windows/386, and Windows 3.0 and 3.1 are all protected-mode software competing for the same resources.

The following is a list of 386 memory managers that use the VCPI specification and are incompatible with Windows 3.0 running in enhanced mode:

  Memory Manager                       Vendor ILIM386.SYS                         Intel Soft Bits 386                       Soft Bits CEMM                                COMPAQ Computer Company QEMM                                Quarterdeck Office Systems 386-to-the-Max                      Qualitas Most of the companies listed above are also planning versions of their applications that will use the DPMI specification.

Additional query words: 3.00 3.0 3.0a 3.00a VCPI DPMI 3.10 3.1 winmem win31 3.11

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Issue type :

Technology : kbWin3xSearch kbWin300 kbWin300a kbWin310 kbWin311