Fix for annoying floppy access when using the QB IDE in XP

[Plasma]

From the readme, because I'm lazy:
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qbxpfloppy.zip - Patch for Q(uick)BASIC to stop repeated floppy drive access when running under Windows XP

If you have a floppy drive and use the QB IDE in Windows XP, you've probably noticed the annoying floppy drive access in the open dialog box. It happens when you select open from the menu, and every time you change directories.

This is caused by Microsoft's crappy drive-detection method, which is basically to try and set every drive (A-Z) as the default (current) drive and see whether or not it fails. Brilliant. Under Windows XP, this causes the repeated floppy access.

To fix this, I rewrote the drive detection routine using Int 21/AX=4408h (IOCTL - Check if block device removeable) and Int 2F/AX=150Bh (MSCDEX - Drive check). This should still find all your drives without trying to access them all every time you change directories.

I also patched PDS 7.x to remove the annoying warning message at startup about only being certified for use with MS-DOS.

Included are the patched executables for QBASIC 1.x, QuickBASIC 4.5, PDS 7.x, and VBDOS Standard/Pro.

(QuickBasic 2.x, 3.x, and 4.0 use a different drive detection method that doesn't cause repeated floppy drive access, so I didn't need to patch them.)
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Something else interesting I found while patching VBDOS...the only difference between VBDOS.EXE for Standard/Pro is 2 bytes.

[relsoft]

I'm no XP user that that's darn cool!!!!

[jatos]

Why do so many dislike XP? Is this the worst os the've written. However that patch may be handy as I am going to putting pro on my pc(which my dad purchased by accident, instead of me for 13 quid!
JAmie

[Zack]

I love XP.
But yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've been trying to fix that for ages. Finally. Thanks
Although now I use QB4MED (thanks again, Plasma), which solved that.

[Hellbound]

Thanks dude I was about to go crazy with that stupid floppy crap, I never had that problem until I got XP.

[Sterling Christensen]

You rock, Plasma!

[Plasma]

Thanks guys. Glad to see there's some use for it.

[jatos]

As for XP I like things about it but boy would I hate it to be my only OS!
Also anyone know anything about customising the way xp work?
Also does qb patch work for 98 machines??? This prob ain't native to XP pro.

[Zack]

Jatos: the problem doesn't exist on Win98. :wink:
"Customizing the way xp works" Huh? You want the source code to tweak?

[jatos]

It would be handy but I suspect it may involve something highly illegal to get it. No I mean how I can write my own apps to customise it.

[Zack]

"Customize it"....
"Customize" is a very general term - what do you mean, like write an app to change the screensaver, background, etc.?

[Plasma]

Also does qb patch work for 98 machines??? This prob ain't native to XP pro.

The patched version works with all versions of Windows and DOS (from 3.0+). But it won't do anything different unless you're using Windows XP (and possibly NT/2K, haven't tested it with those yet).

[KiZ]

Also anyone know anything about customising the way xp work?

XP was released as a binary coded OS, meaning it is extremely difficult to modify. Get Linux or Unix, they are open source and invite you to customize them in a deep way.

[Agamemnus]

That's great!

Thanks, you're awesome!

[jatos]

XP; how do I write my own login client; get some progs to run at startup and how do I get at the darned registry in an app?

Another thing is there a way of making an app with specifies where the user.dat registry file is?