At Ease for Workgroups 4.0.x: Issues Reading DOS Disks (1/97)

I am having problems reading DOS formatted disks using At Ease for Workgroups 4.0.x. When I place a disk into the computer, an error appears stating that the disk is unreadable and needs to be formatted. However, if I have ClarisWorks open, then insert the DOS disk, it works properly. Why?
The error message you are seeing only happens with the workgroup being used prohibits access to Control Panels. PC Exchange patches the Disk Init package, and it loads the new package from the control panel file. However, At Ease patches prevent the Finder from opening any control panel when access to control panels is disabled.


WORKAROUNDS
===========

Here are some workarounds to prevent this error dialog.

* Enable control panel access in the workgroups that must have PC Exchange
 access.

* Launch any application and insert the DOS formatted disk while that
 application is in the foreground. When you quit the application, the
 disk is still mounted on the desktop (in the Finder).

* Add PC Exchange to the workgroups (as an item) that must have PC
 Exchange access.

* Place an alias to PC Exchange in the Apple Menu Items folder. This
 allows access to PC Exchange if other Apple Menu Items are allowed
 (another option in the Menus pane of the workgroup setup dialog). This
 alias does not appear in the Apple Menu while in the Restricted Finder,
 but still allows a DOS formatted disk to be mounted properly.


This article appeared in the 17 January 1997 issue of the Information Alley.
Published Date: Feb 18, 2012