[amsat-bb] Re: Instant Trak and Windows XP

[Jim Sanford]

There was a fix for this.  I remember having the problem, LONG before 
XP.  There was a relatively simple fix, having to do with updating video 
driver or some such setting.  I do not remember what it was, just 
remember doing it.

Good luck with it!
73,
Jim
wb4gcs at amsat.org


W4UPD wrote:

>Thanks for the prompt response Paul. I suspected what you have mentioned 
>below. Just got a new Dell Laptop and have been asked by the local radio 
>clubs here to do some satellite presentations, so I have been attempting 
>to install all the various satellite programs I can find or already have 
>to show what is available. The system is off now so I'll have to check 
>it later, but I suspect that it is an old version of 1.0. I don't 
>remember having upgraded since I went to Wisp, Winorbit and others.
>
>Reid, W4UPD
>
>
>Paul Williamson wrote:
>
>  
>
>>At 9:07 PM -0400 10/7/06, W4UPD wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>I believe that has been asked in the past but I do not remember the
>>>answer or fix if there was one. The characters in the map section of
>>>Instant Trak are all garbage characters in map mode. The rest of the
>>>characters in other modes appear to be fine. Does any know if there is a
>>>fix for this? I have tried various screen setting changes including
>>>fonts, but to no avail.
>>>      
>>>
>>InstantTrack 1.50 and later default to VGA resolution, which is not 
>>subject to this bug. If you're running an earlier version of 
>>InstantTrack, the recommended solution is to upgrade to 1.50 ($ to 
>>AMSAT) and probably to the latest beta version 1.55. You'll want to 
>>upgrade anyway for Y2K fixes. If you're running 1.50-1.55, edit your 
>>IT.INI file and make sure your vga_resolution variable is set to 2.
>>
>>There IS actually a workaround for the EGA mode used by InstantTrack 
>>1.00 and in the vga_resolution=1 mode of later versions. It involves 
>>loading a font that's missing in the ROM of certain later-vintage 
>>video adapter cards. Search for a file called FNT8X14.COM from Matrox. 
>>It installs a little TSR that replaces the font that's missing from 
>>the ROM. This same Matrox file probably works on non-Matrox video 
>>cards with the same issue, but there's no guarantee of course.
>>
>>Note: this is often cited as a Windows XP problem, but it is not. It 
>>is a problem with certain video cards that came out around the same 
>>time as Windows XP. A lot of people bought a new machine with Windows 
>>XP and it came with one of these video cards, so it looked like an XP 
>>problem.
>>
>>If, despite all that, you're seeing garbage characters on the map 
>>screen in VGA mode, then you're seeing a new problem that needs 
>>investigating. You can verify that you're in VGA mode by where the 
>>mouse cursor initially appears on the map screen. If it's almost all 
>>the way down in the lower right corner of the graphics part of the 
>>map, you're in EGA mode. In VGA mode, the mouse cursor starts out 
>>about a third of the way up the right side of the graphics part of the 
>>map.
>>
>>73  -Paul
>>kb5mu at amsat.org
>>
>>
>>    
>>
>
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