When I ran DOS Fractint under Windows, the only way to prevent the 
system from locking up was to use a disk video mode. Windows didn't 
support as high a screen resolution (on my hardware at the time) as 
Fractint did, and toggling between a full screen Fractint session and 
Windows was guaranteed to lock up as the two fought over the display 
adapter mode.

On the same hardware under OS/2, DOS Fractint rendered images in any 
screen mode just fine, without any conflict with OS/2's GUI.

I use XFractint now under Linux and don't have any of those problems. ;-)

Hal Lane wrote:
> #########################################################
> 
> In my previous email about running DOS Fractint under WinXP I said:
>> In WinXP hitting <alt><enter> while in a full screen
>> session of DOS Fractint puts Fractint 'onto the Task Bar'
>> and shows *no* small window of the program on the
>> desktop.  This behavior of WinXP is what makes me
>> think that your setting 'run in window' may be a problem.
>>
>> Clicking on 'Fractint' on the Task Bar returns to the
>> full screen session of Fractint.
> 
> This description of the behavior of DOS Fractint under
> WinXP is true when Fractint is displaying an *image*.  However,
> when I use <alt><enter> when Fractint is showing a *text* screen
> a windowed session of Fractint *does* appear on the Windows XP
> desktop.
> 
> When Fractint is calculating or displaying an *image* and you use
> <alt><enter> and Fractint appears only 'on the Task Bar' it is
> allocated *no* CPU time.
> 
> If Fractint's *text* window is calculating a fractal in a 'Disk Video
> Mode' and you use <alt><enter>, a windowed session of Fractint
> appears on the Windows XP desktop and it is allocated about
> 50% of the CPU on my machine as shown by the Task Manager.
> 
> Fractint calculating a fractal in a 'Disk Video Mode' in the
> text window updates the progress of the calculation showing,
> for example:  "Status:  Writing line   327"
> 
>  - Hal Lane
> 
> #########################
> # hallane@earthlink.net <mailto:hallane@earthlink.net>  #
> #########################
> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Hal Lane [mailto:hallane@earthlink.net]
>> Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2007 9:46 AM
>> To: padski@padski.com; philofractal@lists.fractalus.com; Fractint_msg
>> Subject: RE: <Paddy> DOS Fractint under Windows Vista?
>>
>>
>> Paddy Duncan said:
>> ------------------------------
>>> Just tried it on Vista.
>>> Vista says "This system does not support fullscreen mode"
>>> Tried setting to Win95 compatibility mode, setting 'run in
>>> window', all with same result...:-(
>> Paddy,
>>  Your setting 'run in window' might possibly be a problem in
>> getting DOS Fractint to run in Vista.  I start Fractint set to 'Full
>> Screen.'   To switch between Fractint's full screen session and
>> a windowed session of Fractint I use the key combination
>> <alt><enter>.
>>
>> In WinXP hitting <alt><enter> while in a full screen
>> session of DOS Fractint puts Fractint 'onto the Task Bar'
>> and shows *no* small window of the program on the
>> desktop.  This behavior of WinXP is what makes me
>> think that your setting 'run in window' may be a problem.
>>
>> Clicking on 'Fractint' on the Task Bar returns to the
>> full screen session of Fractint.
>>
>> (Note that under Win98 I can only use <alt><enter> successfully
>> when Fractint is showing a *text* screen.)
>>
>>
>> Why don't you try a set of adjustments to the .PIF file ('Shortcut
>> to Fractint' file) that is *known* to work in WinXP?  Below is a set
>> that works in WinXP for me.
>>
>> Hopefully Vista will have the same adjustments available to
>> make to the .PIF ('Shortcut') file.
>>
>>
>> You should first delete and recreate your current
>> 'Shortcut to Fractint' file since my list of changes to the 'Shortcut'
>> file only list the changes I made away from the original Windows
>> default settings -- and you have already made several changes
>> away from the original Windows default settings.
>>
>> The following is copied from a previous post to I made to [Philofractal]
>> and [Fractint]:
>>
>>> The full list of changes I made to the default Properties
>>> on the various tabs of the Fractint .pif ('Shortcut') file
>>> were:
>>>
>>> - Idle Sensitivity: Low  [Note: I had previously set 'High.'  Both work,
>>>   but 'Low' seems to be somewhat faster.]
>>> - 256 colors
>>> - full screen
>>> - emulate Win98 [sic]
>>> - disable 'termination warning'
>>> - disable 'Visual themes'
>>> - disable 'allow screen saver'
>>> - disable 'background always suspend'
>>>
>>> Note:  The .pif file is automatically created the first
>>> time that a DOS program is run.  So,
>>> - run the DOS program in a command shell (in a 'DOS' window),
>>>   Get the DOS window by typing 'cmd' (no quotes) into the:
>>>   Start > Run   'Open' text box and click 'OK'.
>>> - the DOS program will probably not work,
>>> - the .pif file will be created,
>>> - modify the .pif file's Properties (Right Click on the
>>>   .pif file),
>>> - run the .pif file (which will now run the DOS program
>>>   correctly in Windows XP)
>> - Hal Lane
>>
>> #######################
>> # hallane@earthlink.net <mailto:hallane@earthlink.net>  #
>> #######################
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Paddy Duncan [mailto:padski@padski.com]
>>> Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2007 4:39 AM
>>> To: philofractal@lists.fractalus.com
>>> Subject: RE: [philofractal] How do YOU run DOS Fractint under Windows XP?
>>>
>>> Just tried it on Vista.
>>> Vista says "This system does not support fullscreen mode"
>>> Tried setting to Win95 compatibility mode, setting 'run in
>>> window', all with
>>> same result...:-(
>>>
>>>
>>> jackoftradez@comcast.net wrote:
>> ---------------------------------------------------
>>>> BTW, has anyone tried fractint in VISTA yet? I suspect it wont run at
>>>> all; I hear even some old windows programs dont run.

-- 
David
gnome@hawaii.rr.com
authenticity, honesty, community