WS DOS Keystroke Macros

[ostrowlaw]

Hi,

This is my second question for the day (I usually have 2 questions per decade!!)  I downloaded the form macros (ktrlkeys.zip) from Mike's web page and read the instructions.  The macros appear in the radio box, and I followed along each step.  However, after all the keys have been reconfigures, I  Click the Close button on the Customize Keys dialog.  And, voila -- NOTHING!  I closed WSWIN, opened it, NOTHING.  Checked the configuration under Tools - Customize - Keystrokes and the changes were not there.  I tried this 3 or 4 times -- no dice.

The changes were not recorded.  Any suggestions?

Thanks for your help.
 
Alan

[deedee]

Sorry, Alan, but creating new macros (including adding new macros) is one of the things you can't do with WSWin on XP.  

People using XP systems, who need to do this, do it on a win3x or win9x system. Once done, you can take that configured version of WSWin, copy it to an XP, and the macros will work. However, you can't install them on an XP. Ditto bookmarks, if you use that feature of WSWin2.

I was surprised by this because using the Wine APIs on a Linux system (which include the APIs for XP), WSWin doesn't have this problem. It does everything it's supposed to do.  I would have thought that WSWin would experience the same limitations as on an XP system.

[Forum Admin]

If you do install your WSWin on a Win3, Win9, or WinNT PC to update the keystroke macros, copy your existing C:\WINDOWS (or C:\WINNT)\wswin.cfg onto that machine so that you work with your existing configuration and not the one from the other PC. After you've finished the changes, copy the file back.

Do make a backup of both versions first so you can restore them if it all goes pear shaped.

[ostrowlaw]

AAAAGGGHHHHH!!!!!! So, once again, one more reason not to use Windows XP!  I decided to go to WSWIN because I was closed out of some of my features in WS DOS!

OK, I still have some machines with Win98 and WinME, so I assume I can just copy the version of wswin.cfg from my existing configuration to the stand alone machine, do the macro thing, and then copy the file back to the server and all will be well in the world?

What other things don't work on XP that I should do at the same time to avoid unnecessary stress?

I am doing everything possible (a) to keep my old WS files as forms, (b) to keep my WS key strokes and (c) avoid using MS Word and joining the crowd.

Thanks
Alan :-/ :-/

[Forum Admin]

I assume I can just copy the version of wswin.cfg from my existing configuration to the stand alone machine, do the macro thing, and then copy the file back to the server and all will be well in the world?

That's the master plan! But make backups just in case. Deleting the file should get you a shiny new default one copied from the WSWIN folder.

For the full list of known problems take a look at this page on my Web site: http://www.wordstar.org/wswin/kb/Q1051.htm

Cheers
Mike

[ostrowlaw]

Just for academic interest  , has anyone tried to set up WSWIN on an XP machine setting the compatibility mode for an earlier version of windows?  Would this get around these limitations?  

Maybe I'll try it.  I did try it on the networked version, and I was told by WinXP that I can't set the compatibility back because the program is installed on a network drive!!!

AAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks
Alan

[Forum Admin]

It doesn't help.


Mike

[ostrowlaw]

I tried to install the macros on my Windows 98SE machine at home.  The installed all right, but when I ran them I received execution errors.  I then tried to make up my own macros, substituting the wordstar commands for the DOS commands and the macros worked fine.  I had no problems with paste command for example, the unerase as well.  But I don't have patience for the block commands, particularly KK and KB, KY, etc.

Why would there be errors in execution?

Thanks
Alan
 

[Forum Admin]

There shouldn't be a problem with them. Try opening each one in the Macr Editor and salecting Debug > Check Syntax to see if that picks up any errors.

Can you run them manually from the Macro menu > Run Macro command?

It's possible that they're corrupt in some way. I've uploaded the code from each macro in a single text file. You can get to this from http://www.wordstar.org/wswin/pages/macros.htm. Right-click the link and chose Save As... to save the text file or just click it to view it in your Web browser.

Regards
Mike