Classic Computer Magazine Archive ANTIC VOL. 3, NO. 12 / APRIL 1985

Help!

DOS 3 FMS ERRORS


Early versions of DOS 3 contained errors in the File Management System (FMS) files. To determine which version of DOS 3 you have, type:

PRINT PEEK(3889)

If the result is 78, you own the latest version. If you get a 76, however, you've got the early version of DOS 3. Follow these instructions to update your copy of DOS 3.
  1. Type in the following program listing and SAVE it to disk.

10 POKE 3889,78:POKE 39
23,78:POKE 3943,78
26 POKE 3929,76:POKE 38
95,76:POKE 3901.77
30 POKE 3935,77:POKE 39
55,77:POKE 2117,240

  2. RUN the program.
  3. Go to DOS, put a blank disk in your drive, and use option [I] to initialize the disk. (Remember to type [Y] to WRITE FMS.SYS).
  4. Copy all the files (except the FMS.SYS file) from your Master disk to your new disk. When you're done, you should use your new disk in place of your Master Disk.
  Of course, there is a better way: shun DOS 3 and use DOS 2.0S instead. You'll find an article fully describing this superior DOS elsewhere in this issue.

TAX SQUEEZE



Are you having trouble getting SynCalc to accept some of the longer cell formulas in "Income Tax Spreadsheet" (Antic, February 1985)?
  To squeeze more characters into cells such as E68-E75, don't type spaces between words. Even more importantly, don't type in words such as THEN or ELSE or LOOKUP when you first enter the formula. You will see an onscreen syntax error message when you try to enter the formula with words missing. At this point you can insert the words in their proper places and SynCalc will let you put the "illegal" amount of characters into a cell. The final characters of the formula will be pushed beyond the visible borders of the cell, but they'll still be operational.
  Also, the template's '84 tax payment. rates are accurate within $1 even for incomes as low as $2,300, although they are calculated from the tax schedule instead of the tax tables.

TRAPPING BANNERTIZER



Although the "Bannertizer" program in the December 1984 issue runs as published, several readers have run into problems because of the TRAP statements sprinkled throughout the program. A TRAP statement will prevent any error from being printed and the program will, instead, branch to the line number indicated by the latest TRAP.
  In "Bannertizer," for example, line 40 is: TRAP 40. Once the computer sees this, it will no longer tell you of any errors, but will go right to line 40 and continue on its merry way.

FIRST LESSON IN ASSEMBLY



Line 100 of the listing for "First Lesson in Assembly Language" (November, 1984) should read POKE 755,4 instead of POKE 775,4.

KOOKY'S QUEST



There is a line missing from Kooky's Quest, (February 1985):
2100 FOR S=32 TO 16 STE
P -4:SOUND 0,S,14,10:EA
=EA*EA*EA:SOUND 0,0,0,0
:EA=1^0:NEXT S
Including this line will prevent an error message at the very end of the game.

BUS OVERLINES



Some signal and address labels were printed without overlines in Part III of Earl Rice's "Parallel Bus Revealed" (Antic, March 1985).
  These are the correct labels:
BUS Overlines