Graphics Problems

[ComDriver]

Yes, I do have service pack 2 thats what must be doing it.

[TheBigBasicQ]

Use dosbox or dual boot with DOS/Win 9x.

[Ralph]

Comdriver, I am running Windows XP Home Edition too. I had no trouble with QB when my operating system was Windows 98. But, when I got a new computer with Windows XP Home Edition, a QuickBASIC program with SCREEN commands always opens a full, black screen, then shows the first screen for a few seconds, then minimizes!

I asked people on other QB forums about this, and the best answer I got was to try DOSBox.exe. It is free, and it loads on top of Windows. Then, you can run QB or QB programs with SCREEN, and they run as expected. The only command that I found that won't run with DOSBox is LPRINT.

Copy all your QuickBASIC directories to C:. I created a new, C:\QB directory, and put all my QB.exe files there, and made three more subdirectories under the QB directory. I called these QBasc (foir QB .asc files), QBbas (for QB .BAS files), and QBexe (for QB .exe files).

Once you download DOSBox.exe (DB), make a shortcut to your desktop. Double click on it, and you are in the Z: directory of DB. You enter
mount c c:\qb
and then
c:
and you are in the c:\qb directory.
If you enter QB, QuickBASIC is up and running. There, you can use the menu, click on File, OpenFile, and you will see the three subdirectories there. Double click on, say, QBbas, and you will see all your .bas files. Choose one and run it. It runs fine!

Only problem, outside of LPRINT not being recognized by DB, is that you cannot get out of the QB window, unless you Exit QB, and then Exit DB. But, it's so easy to restart, that it is a minor problem to me.

[whitetiger0990]

Are you running it in fullscrean from the start?

You are going to full screen.

To exit full screen press ALT+ENTER. To enter full screen from desktop press ALT+ENTER as well when the MSDOS box has the focus.

QB is a MSDOS program. It should be ran in full screen.

[ComDriver]

I actually downloaded qb from another source and it works fine with no problems. Thanks for your help.

[Ralph]

I actually downloaded qb from another source and it works fine with no problems. Thanks for your help.

Say, that sounds unbelievable! What source did you do the downloading from? I am running on Windows XP Home Edition, same as you, but am havaing graphics problems with my old QuickBASIC 4.5.

There are many folks out there with this same problem, and, if your download of QB does the trick, it will be great to know!

So, ComDriver, PLEASE post the web site here. Thank you!

[na_th_an]

But, when I got a new computer with Windows XP Home Edition,

Maybe it has to do with your new computer and not with Windows XP. QB works seamlessly under Win XP.

You can try to download QB 4.5 (the full package one) from qbnz.com and try that version.

[ComDriver]

I downloaded it from qb4all.com i don't know what made the difference.

[na_th_an]

You can try to download QB 4.5 (the full package one) from qbnz.com and try that version.

[Ralph]

Comdriver: I visited the site you mentioned, qb4all.com, and they show various versions of QuickBASIC, including versions 4, 4.5 and 7.1. Would you please tell us which version you downloaded?

Na_th_an: I am already using version 4.5, which I bought back in 1989. Maybe I am now missing some file? Would you please check out my current QB directory files? Here they are:

BC.EXE
BCOM45.LIB
BQLB45.LIB
BRUN45.EXE
BRUN45.LIB
DESC.SDI*
LIB.EXE
LINK.EXE
MOUSE.COM
MOUSE.INI
QB (shortcut)
QB4UTIL.BI*
QB4UTIL.LIB*
QB45ADVR.HLP
QB45TENER.HLP
QB45QCK.HLP
QB.BI
QB.exe
QB.INI
QB.LIB
QB.QLB
QB_EDR.LIB*

*Four later files that I picked up "along the way"