So, I've been trying to optimize this little machine for Adlib Tracker 2. I started with windows 98se
and had everything setup perfect except it wouldn't load drivers in pure dos mode. The 98se dos mode inside of windows was
really slowing things down, so I said eff it and installed DOS 6.22 and Win 3.11. After much troubleshooting with the driver
I finally loaded the separate BIOS editor only to discover my Soundcard was turned off in the BIOS. Which makes me wonder how
Win98se was playing all those sweet tunes at all! Mindblown. I was wondering why it was running so hot, I can't imagine the P120 was actually emulating the OPL3... Anyhow yay, the DOS drivers finally worked and noise is made,
BUT when I use the program in pure DOS the whole keyboard and mouse completely lock up after like 2 keystrokes so as I can't even ctrl+alt+del reboot the machine. This is really weird. When I load the same program inside of Win 3.11 I can mash the keys all I want and it never locks up.
I've tried running without the mouse driver, tried loading keyboard codes in the autoexec(which made my keyboard less functional), and now
after hours of troubleshooting sort of at a loss with DOS here. This is on my Toshiba Libretto 70CT btw. It does play the tracks back flawlessly in DOS mode so long as I don't try to edit anything. Has anyone had this issue and found a solution? I set it so it's not loading any extra keyboard codes as of now and just has the microsoft mouse 11.0 driver loading.
DOS has environment variables you set "BLASTER=220" to point at the addresses of your sound card. If your sound is PlugNPray but doesn't have an appropriate driver for use in DOS it won't work. My memory regarding the timing of when these different things came out is fuzzy as I used a 16 bit card with address jumpers for most of the 90s.
Oh right, forgot about the SET BLASTER environment. And does the screen move when you use the mouse? You are loading "mouse.com" ?
Also, I would recommend installing DOS7.1, there are no configurations to do as you just select ESS AUDIO DRIVE during the install, and thats it.
I have a Libretto 50CT that freezes after a few keystrokes in DOS as well. But, if I run it from a command prompt in Win 3.1, it allows me to compose just fine. Strange... I only experience a slowdown in performance if the track is very macro-heavy. I ought to try installing DOS 7.1 one of these days. I bought a Compaq Presario with a beefier CPU to handle heavy tracks for $35, so I guess that was my solution lol.
Yea, the fact that it works relatively stable in win 3.11 makes me think it has to do with memory management/key timing. I have had it lock up in that too though right when I'm in the middle of heavily editing of course and can't save. I wonder if it may be the libretto's win 95 keyboard itself being the issue, but couldn't find any working solutions anyhow. I do like how it's running 10x faster than it did in win98se though. I may go the DOS 7.1 route now that i found the weird separate BIOS editor and turned my soundchip on. I think it has to do with this program being developed on newer DOS platforms or something. I tried asking subz3ro, but he must be busy making Adlib Tracker 3 ;D. Checking out the DOS 7.1 link, danke! Glad it's in floppy format.* ach, fake floppies. CD time. Total pain removing my SD mini-IDE adapter to install things. Oh well, time to pop it and drop it.
Last edited by Noplanet (Dec 5, 2013 12:45 am)
Ok, so I installed DOS 7.10 and Win 3.11. Running the program in DOS still has the same effect. On the positive side I threw DR. SBAITSO on there and he helped console me. Looks like I'm sticking to Win 3.11 though. It must be a hardware specific issue which I'm sure Toshiba and subz3ro are both unable to work beyond. ah well.
Last edited by Noplanet (Dec 5, 2013 3:30 am)
I'm glad I waited to do this then... I don't have an IDE card adaptor, and was planning an unnecessarily convoluted scheme to install it another way. Lol... SBAITSO should be a feature on all modern OS's. Might be the keyboard though, 'cause it seems to be different than any of my other computers/keyboards. On every other one I own, I could only press a certain amount of keys down at a time before it would start beeping at me or not registering keystrokes. On the libretto, however, I could practically mash the whole thing without losing keystrokes. Maybe the keyboard puts out too much simultaneous data for DOS?
Hmm... that doesn't sound right. I think I'll have to go with 'mysterious hardware-specific issue' as well 
Last edited by somewhat_damaged (Dec 5, 2013 6:34 am)