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Introduction
WordStar 3.x for DOS displays @@@@ in the top left of the screen when run from a hard drive. The PC has a large hard disk, or is using MS-DOS 7 (Windows 9x) and FAT32.
WordStar 3.3x uses File Control Blocks (FCBs) to manipulate files (open, close, rename, delete, etc.), which is why it can't deal with files that aren't in the current working directory on each drive letter. The @@@@ signifies that WordStar can't find its overlay files.
Introduction
Double Clicking a WordStar File in Windows Explorer Doesn't Start WordStar and Load the File. You can resolve this by associating WordStar file types with Microsoft Windows 9x & NT4. The process is similar for later versions of Microsoft Windows.
Reason
WordStar files aren't directly recognised by Microsoft Windows. Microsoft Word has also stolen the often used .doc file extension for its own use and if Microsoft Word is not installed then WordPad will use this file extension instead, the often used .txt extension is, by default, allocated to Windows Notepad.
Introduction
Double Clicking a WordStar File in Windows Explorer Doesn't Start WordStar and Load the File. This can be resolved by associating WordStar file types with Microsoft Windows XP. The process is similar for later versions of Microsoft Windows.
Reason
WordStar files aren't directly recognised by Microsoft Windows. Microsoft Word has also stolen the often used .doc file extension for its own use and if Microsoft Word is not installed then WordPad will use this file extension instead, the often used .txt extension is, by default, allocated to Windows Notepad.
Introduction
Windows DOS Mode Settings (Shortcuts; or Program Information, PIF, Files)
To allow you to run WordStar by double-clicking an icon within Windows, and for it to start either in a window or full screen, and with your preferred font size at start-up you need to create new Shortcuts (icons that can be double-clicked to stat a program). This will allow you to keep the default MS-DOS Prompt for any other DOS programs.
Introduction
When trying to install WordStar 3.x the installation fails with a "Too Little Memory" error message. The PC has more than 512Kb of RAM fitted.
Reason
WordStar 3.3 was written for machines with around 128Kb of RAM. The install routine uses a signed compare to check for memory and will fail if you have MORE THAN 512kB (even though it says "not enough" you actually have too much).
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