Dell/PCA help please

Pc anywhere and dos applications on Dell computers.

We just sent out new dell OptiPlex desktop computers downgraded to win2k, 2gigP4 chip and 256 meg RAM to all our remote locations. Nice machines but pcanywhere and a dos app can’t run at the same time. Even running pkzip causes immediate loss of control and the screen on the remote host side starts flashing uncontrollably.

The only way to stop it is to re-boot but it starts up again as soon as a dos app is run. One of our proprietary software items is written in an old version of clipper and must use dos.

Im figure this has to do with some software of dells because I havn’t had this problem on other machines

Has anyone experienced and overcome such a problem?

I have never seen this specifically happen; however, I have seen really weird behaviour out of pcanywhere in windows 2000. One thing I would recommend would be to look at what services you still have running on the box, the biggest problems I had with pcAnywhere revolved around when I started turning them off to lock down the box (for example, encryption broke when I disabled protected storage).

I have it on at least 15 dell systems without the problem you mentioned (and can pop up DOS windows).

Have you checked out their support site ? This is for pcanywhere 10.5:

http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/pca/pca_105_tasks.html

/nebulus

EDIT: I got bored and started looking, saw this:

stage three start over
my product is pcAnywhere 10.5 for Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP change product

Separator

print this document Document ID:2001100409123812
Last Modified:08/23/2002


Cannot run full-screen DOS applications on pcAnywhere 10.x host

Situation:
You are unable to run a full-screen DOS application using a pcAnywhere 10.x host.

Solution:
Support for full-screen DOS applications has been discontinued as of pcAnywhere 10, so you cannot run a full-screen DOS application on a pcAnywhere host.

continue to contact symantec


There were a few other articles there, but this looked most relevant. Chose other software issues and searched for 'DOS applications'. On second thought, maybe this means full DOS mode...hmmm...

good luck getting it resolved,

/nebulus



EDIT2: w00t w00t, that post made me a 'Senior' :)

thank you nebulus200 ill check that link now it is 10.5 i have

I use Terminal Services, it is included with win2k server series of os and will run on win2kpro, I think it is also included in the win2k resource kit CD. I have used it alot and you will have a window on your computer with a desktop of the remote computer, full DOS and mouse/keyboard control like you are there. I have had a total of six seperate computers under control from my home over a dial up internet connection. For added security install a modem on the remote computer and dial into it directly.

im sorry i should have said that the pca is using a dial up.

the answer for symantic is not what i wanted to here (LoL):
Uninstalling the conflicting Windows application.
Not using the DOS application.
Replacing the existing DOS application with a different Windows-based product.
Updating to a true Windows version of the DOS application.
Getting an updated DOS version that does not contribute to the conflict.


i dont think the problem is with pca or win2k because i didnt have this problem on other machine running win2k with the same version of PCA but of course they also didn't have p4 chips.

Quote:

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Cannot run full-screen DOS applications on pcAnywhere 10.x host

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That has happened to us too. For a quick fix, you can just change the size of the screen.

Right click on dos application you want to run and choose the screensize to run under window instead of full screen.

Its not as "pretty" but it works for me.

I am also using PCA 10.5 on a Win2k Dell with similar specs. Not an optiplex though.

thanks phish as it turned out that was a problem on one of them but all the rest are running normal window size dos prompts.