Microsoft KB Archive/70032

How to Query the Microsoft Knowledge Base on CompuServe PSS ID Number: Q70032 Article last modified on 11-12-1993 PSS database name: PSS

MS-DOS

SUMMARY

This article contains an example of how to use the Microsoft Developers Knowledge Base (GO MDKB) and Microsoft Knowledge Base (GO MSKB) on CompuServe Information Services (CIS).

At GO MDKB and GO MSKB on CompuServe, you can obtain the latest answers to common questions, descriptions of known software problems, and binary software library files for Microsoft products.

MORE INFORMATION

Software developers can type “go mdkb” (without the quotation marks) at the CompuServe prompt to use the Microsoft Developers Knowledge Base for information on Microsoft languages, Windows development kits, and networking. (You may need to fill out a brief questionnaire the first time you use GO MDKB.)

For questions about Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, and so forth), retail operating systems (MS-DOS and Windows), or hardware products, type “go mskb” (without the quotation marks) at the CompuServe prompt.

Example of Using GO MSKB or GO MDKB

Type the following at the CompuServe “!” prompt:

go mdkb

-or-

go mskb

Select one of the following menu items:

1 What’s New in the Knowledge Base 2 Description of Database 3 Online User’s Guide 4 Search the Knowledge Base 5 Search using Expert Mode 6 Quick Search By Document Id Number 7 Microsoft Software Library

NOTE: Most people select “4 Search the Knowledge Base” or “7 Microsoft Software Library,” which lets you download compressed binary files or large articles stored in the Microsoft Software Library.

When you select “4 Search the Knowledge Base,” the following menu displays:

1 Product Name [Refines search by product name] 2 Product Version [Refines search by product version number] 3 Publication Date [Refines search by article creation date] 4 Operating Environment [Refines by MS-DOS, MACINTOSH, WINDOWS,…] 5 Document Type [Finds bugs, fixes, press releases, System Journal] 6 Document Text [Searches all text using up to 3 words or phrases] 7 Title Text [Searches for word or phrases in titles only] 8 Display Results 9 Begin New Search

This menu lets you refine your search by combining criteria 1 through 7. Once you’ve done one search, to build a new search criteria, go above this menu level or choose “9 Begin New Search.”

Once you have isolated a set of articles, you can choose “8 Display Results.” A numbered list of articles is displayed. Pressing ENTER scrolls to the next page of the list or to the previous menu level. While the article title list is displayed, you can type the number of the article to display an article for reading.

At any time in CompuServe, you can press CTRL+C to abort the listing and press M to return to the previous menu:

^C Interrupt, H for HELP, T for TOP, M for prior MENU

Type “off” or “bye” (without the quotation marks) to log off CompuServe.

How to List Fixes to Known Bugs for a Product Version Number

To list the corrections to known bugs for a given product version number, search on the earlier version number that had the problem. For example, to find the list of problems corrected by a version 4.50, search on the previous version number 4.00b and choose the Fixes to Known Bugs menu item. Here are the steps:

1. GO MSKB or GO MDKB in CompuServe.

2. Choose “4. Search the Knowledge Base.”

3. To find problems corrected by version 4.50 of a product, search as follows:

   1. Choose the Product Name menu item and specify a product, such as QuickBasic for MS-DOS. You can optionally specify the version number here, as described in step c.

   2. Choose the Fixes to Known Bugs menu item

   3. Choose the Product Version menu item if not already done in step a. Enter the product version number previous to the version that contains the Fixes to Known Bugs. For example, if you want the list of bugs that were corrected by version 4.50, enter 4.00b.

      Searching on a version number such as 4.00b will work. But searching on a number of the form 4.0b won’t find any articles. If the version number has no letter as a suffix, then typing tenths or hundredths, such as 3.0 or 3.00, will both work.

NOTE: Expert mode lets you refine searches better than using the menu-driven mode because you can use logical AND and OR.

How to List Known Bugs for a Product Version Number

To list the known bugs, choose the Known Bugs menu item. Here are the steps:

1. GO MSKB or GO MDKB in CompuServe.

2. Choose “4. Search the Knowledge Base.”

3. To find known bugs in a product, search as follows:

   1. Choose the Product Name menu item and specify a product, such as QuickBasic for MS-DOS. You can optionally specify the version number here, as described in step c.

   2. Choose the Known Bugs menu item

   3. Choose the Product Version menu item if not already done in step a. Enter the product version, such as 4.50, to list its Known Bugs.

      Searching on a version number such as 4.00b will work. But searching on a number of the form 4.0b won’t find any articles. If the version number has no letter as a suffix, then typing tenths or hundredths, such as 4.5 or 4.50, will both work.

Additional reference words: cs CIS

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1993.