From: sip1@ellis.uchicago.edu (Timothy F. Sipples)
Subject: Re: 0 for 2 and looking for help!!!
Reply-To: sip1@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: Dept. of Econ., Univ. of Chicago
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 23:37:53 GMT

In article <10410@inews.intel.com> tom@ismdqa.intel.com (Tom Soukup ~) writes:
>Well, now I am 0 for 2 in trying to install OS/2 GA release on computers.
>Hopefully I can get some words of wisdom from the net.
>The first system I tried to install this on is an Intel made PC (386 33
>MHz, 8Meg, 120Meg Maxtor IDE disk, Orchid ProDesigner IIs).  In this case,
>OS/2 installs and boots correctly, but I can not start any kind of DOS or
>win-os2 session.  I get the same error message in any case: 
>SYS3176: A program in this session encountered a problem and can not continue.
>I get this message when ever I go into the command prompts folder and
>select any of the DOS or windows entries.  The IBM technical support people
>have not been able to come up with any fixes for this.  Does anyone have
>any thoughts????

Just a hunch: you're using a device driver (in CONFIG.SYS) or
something in AUTOEXEC.BAT that OS/2's DOS emulated session doesn't
like.

Did you choose "migrate CONFIG.SYS/AUTOEXEC.BAT"?  Don't -- instead,
add device drivers one at a time until you find the culprit.

(The README file discuss this aspect a bit.)

Once you get the DOS session going, run SVGA ON from a full screen DOS
session.  That will turn on SuperVGA mode switching support.

>The second system I tried is a no name clone (386 20MHz, 4Meg, 40Meg
>Seagate ST-251 and 68 Meg Micropolis 1325 disks, Orchid Prodesigner II s).
>The problem is much more severe in this case.  When OS/2 attempts to boot
>during the installation, the hard disk drive begins to make an unnatural
>buzzing noise when ever the disk active LED comes on.  After a while an
>error message pops up saying that Drive C has stopped unexpectedly (I don't
>have the exact message) and suggesting that I run chkdsk /f.  At this point
>the system is frozen.  I get the same behavior trying to boot from either
>the Seagate or the Micropolis drive (using a Western Digital controller by
>the way).  During one attempt, the installation actually appeared to work
>correctly (the disk make funny noises when OS/2 started, but suddenly began
>to sound normal, all 21 disks were loaded and then the same symptoms as
>described above after re-booting).  This made me suspect that perhaps some
>of my memory wasn't fast enough and so I set the clock speed to 8Mhz, but
>there was no change in the symptoms.

This is a common problem on ISA machines with MFM, RLL, or ESDI
adapters.  The fix is quite simple.  DISKCOPY Disk 1 in the install
package, and use the copy from now on.  Using a text editor, place
"REM " in front of the BASEDEV=IBM1S506.ADD line in the CONFIG.SYS
file on this disk.

Install as you normally would (booting from the Install Disk), and go
through the first five disks.  The installation program will then ask
you to reinsert the Install Disk.  Do so.  Then it will ask you to hit
Enter to reboot (after ejecting the Install Disk).  Do so, but as soon
as the screen clears immediately reinsert the Install Disk.  When the
next screen comes up, insert Disk 1 (the modified one, of course), and
hit Enter.  Then when the next screen prompt comes up, hit ESC.  Type
the following at the command line:
	RENAME C:\OS2\IBM1S506.ADD IBM1S506.XXX
	COPY C:\OS2\IBMINT13.I13 IBM1S506.ADD
Then CTRL-ALT-DEL to reboot and proceed with the rest of the install.

This procedure is well known by IBM and will be documented in the next
Frequently Asked Questions List.

>Any suggestions for either of these problems would be appreciated (of
>course if I'm missing something in the installation manual I deserve the
>flames).

Another thing: you can get help on any OS/2 error message by typing:

	HELP SYS1234

(or whatever the "SYS1234" part is).  Just type that from any OS/2 or
DOS command prompt.

-- 
Timothy F. Sipples       Keeper of the OS/2 Frequently Asked Questions
sip1@ellis.uchicago.edu  List, available via anonymous ftp from
Dept. of Economics       128.123.35.151, directory pub/os2/faq, or via
Univ. of Chicago  60637  netmail from LISTSERV@BLEKUL11.BITNET.