Microsoft KB Archive/11194

Extra Characters on Line ID Number: Q11194

3.00 4.00 MS-DOS buglist4.00 fixlist5.00

Problem:

I have noticed that when INCLUDE files are created with WORDSTAR, the assembler gives the error message “Extra characters on line” due to the padding of CTRL-Zs added to the end of the file by the editor.

Response:

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Version 4.00. This problem was corrected in Version 5.00.

The following is a method to patch MASM Version 4.00 using DEBUG to correct the problem:

  Copy MASM.EXE MASM.SAV (to make a backup).   Rename MASM.EXE MASM.FIX (DEBUG.COM cannot write .EXE).   Debug MASM.FIX. A. D 72B8 L 22 (should see 34 bytes of 00) B. E 72B8 ENTER THESE BYTES: 8B 1E D6 09 C6 06 C0 01 00 E9 75 02 C4 57 06 FE 06 C0 01 E9 74 02 80 7C FF 1A 74 03 E9 9D 02 4E EB F4 C. U 7535 L 1 (should see “MOV BX,[09D6]”) D. E 7535 ENTER THESE BYTES: E9 80 FD E. U 753F L 1 (should see “LES DX,[BX+06]”) F. E 753F ENTER THESE BYTES: E9 82 FD G. U 756D L 1 (should see “CMP BYTE PTR [SI-01],1A”) H. E 756D ENTER THESE BYTES: E9 5E FD I. W (to write changes to MASM.FIX) J. Q (to exit DEBUG)   Rename MASM.FIX MASM.EXE.   Test MASM.EXE to ensure changes have been made correctly. If not, copy MASM.SAV to MASM.EXE and try again. 