Re: Apple //gs problems: HELP!!!

[dempson@swell.actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <16C9575D6.TFSTAM01@ukcc.uky.edu> TFSTAM01@ukcc.uky.edu writes:
>
> We recently purchased a GS-RAM-Plus card, which came with 3 MEGs of
> RAM, and we purchased an additional MEG for a total of 4 MEGs.  Now
> when we start Appleworks, we have only 55K to work with!  And that's
> MUCH less than we had with the 1.5 meg card!

Which version of AppleWorks are you using?  If it is AppleWorks 2.0,
then it has a bug which prevents it from recognising more than 2 MB of
RAM in a IIgs.  Try upgrading to AppleWorks 3.0 (if you can), or 4.0.

Another solution is to increase the size of your RAM disk so that
there is no more than 2 megabytes of free memory left.


It is also possible that your RAM card is faulty, or has been
misconfigured in some way.

Try getting into the IIgs text-based control panel to see how much RAM
the IIgs thinks it has.  Use the following sequence:

1. Turn on the computer (if necessary).  You don't need any disks in
the drives.  If you are already in Finder or some other program, that
will do fine.

2. Press Ctrl-Apple-Escape.  This will give you the Classic Desk
Accessories menu.

3. Choose "Control Panel" (the top item).

4. In the Control Panel, choose "RAM Disk" (the bottom item, apart
from Quit).

5. Look at the "largest selectable" line.  This should read 4
megabytes (4096K) if your card is working properly.

> I have read the manuals that come with the card (which includes AW3
> Expander), which are hard to understand to begin with.

Is that "AppleWorks 3.0 Expander" or "AppleWorks Expander 3.0"?  If
you bought the card second-hand, you may have received an old version
of the expander software, which doesn't support whichever version of
AppleWorks you are using.  Try using an unmodified copy of AppleWorks
and see if you get your desktop back again.

Again, it would help to know which version of AppleWorks you are using.

> And when I use System 6, I only get Time and Printer on the control
> panel.

The IIgs has two control panels.  The text-based one (which I
described above) is probably what the AppleWorks Expander software is
referring to.  "Time" and "Printer" appear in the graphics control
panel, which is available under the Apple menu in desktop programs
under System 5.0 and later.

With the standard System 6.0 boot disk, there is only enough space on
the disk to include the "Time" and "Printer" options.  You can use the
text-based control panel for nearly everything.  If you want more
options in the graphics control panel, you'll either need a larger
boot device (such as a 1.6 MB RAM disk or hard drive), or you'll have
to remove the Finder from your working system disk (do this with a
freshly installed disk, not your existing system disk!)

> Also, I have tried installing System 6 on the RAM disk, but it doesn't
> work.

You have probably missed a vital step: initializing the RAM disk.  If
you don't do that, then no boot code is included on the RAM disk, and
you will only get a "check startup device" screen when you try to boot.

To set up the RAM disk as a system disk, use the following steps:

1. Set the RAM disk size as required in the Control Panel.  On a ROM
01, you should always set the "Minimum" and "Maximum" fields to the
same value.

2. If you have change the RAM disk size, you'll have to do a frigid
restart.  If you're already in GS/OS, then do a "Shut Down" from
Finder.  

Once you get to the "you may now switch off your IIgs safely" dialog,
or if you aren't in GS/OS at all, then start a self-test by holding
down Ctrl, Apple and Option, then press the Reset key.

You should see several graphics patterns appearing on the screen.
Once this has started, you can press Control-Reset to reboot the
computer, and the RAM disk will be resized as required.

3. Boot your existing system disk.  Once you're in Finder, click once
on the RAM disk icon and select the "Initialize" (or "Erase") command
from the "Disk" menu.  This will initialize the RAM disk, which writes
the boot code onto it.

4. Run the Installer and install the system software onto the RAM
disk.  If you've made the disk at least 1440k, you can use the
"Customize" option then choose "System 6: FDHD or hard drive" to
install a reasonably complete version of the system software onto the
RAM disk.

5. Go into the control panel and change the startup slot to "RAM Disk".

6. Return to the Finder and shut down the system.  When you restart,
the computer will now boot from RAM5.

> I also got a First Start program, which is supposed to
> allow you to save programs for use on the RAM disk at start up.  But I
> couldn't get it to work either because it also refers to something on the
> control panel which isn't there.

Never heard of it.
  
> We're about to give up.  And my mom is threatening to go into more debt,
> which they can't afford, and buy a M******sh, just to get something that
> actually works.

Persevere with the IIgs.  Once you know the right sequence to get the
system software onto the RAM disk, and if you can get AppleWorks
working properly, then the IIgs should become usable again.

You are welcome to E-Mail me at the address below (or just reply to
this message) if you have any further questions.
-- 
David Empson                                                               
dempson@swell.actrix.gen.nz                                                
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand