When you install Newton Connection Kit for Windows v 1.0, the installer looks for a statement in the SYSTEM.INI file referencing the file VCD.386. In standard Windows installations, this statement is in the 386ENH section of the
SYSTEM.INI file and is written as:
device=*vcd
This statement tells Windows to look for a file called VCD.386 in the Windows system directory.
If this statement is missing from the SYSTEM.INI file, the Newton Connection Kit installer will add the following statement to the file:
device=vcd.386
Certain communications software and particular machines (usually laptops with PCMCIA slots) modify the SYSTEM.INI file and place a modified version of the file VCD.386 in the Windows system directory. Often, this modified version is NOT named VCD.386. This will cause the problems mentioned above.
Solution
You can use Version 1.0a of the Newton Connection Kit for Windows. It does not make the changes mentioned above and assumes that a VCD.386 file or equivalent is being loaded.
You can also use a workaround with Version 1.0. It restores the old SYSTEM.INI file and adds a line referencing the file TSIVID.386.
To do this, follow these steps:
1) Quit Windows.
2) Copy the file SYSTEM.INI from the directory where the Newton Connection for Windows was installed to your Windows directory. The default path is C:\\NEWTON. The installer placed the old SYSTEM.INI file in this directory.
3) Launch Windows
4) Go to the Program Manager, select RUN from the FILE menu, and enter SYSEDIT.EXE. Click on OK.
5) Select SYSTEM.INI from the WINDOW menu.
6) Scroll down through the file until you see a line that says [386Enh].
7) Continue scrolling down through the file until you see a line that says [Standard].
8) Insert a new line above the line that says [Standard] and enter the following text on the new line in all caps:
DEVICE=path\\TSIVID.386
where "path" is the DOS directory pointing to the installed Newton files.
For example, if the files where installed in the directory C:\\NEWTON, this statement would be:
DEVICE=C:\\NEWTON\\TSIVID.386
9) Relaunch Windows.
Your Newton Connection Kit and fax/communications software should now work.