WordPerfect 4.2 -- Saving to Floppy Disk

[charlesgoodin]

Again, thank you.

I am running WordPerfect 4.2 and saving to a Floppy Drive.  Some old materials were archived on floppy disks.

My problem is this.  I can open a file on the floppy disk, but I cannot save it once I have edited it, unless I rename it.  If rename it, I can save if to the floppy drive.  But if I try to save it with the original name I get this message:  "ERROR:  Can't rename file."

But, if I copy a file to the vDos directory, then I can open it, edit it, and save it with no problem.

The floppy drive works fine.  I can save to it with other programs like normal.  All the file permissions are good.

My setup is:

Autoexect.txt:
USE A: A:\
USE C:\WP\ C:\Vdos\WP\
CALL c:\wp\WP
EXIT
@echo OFF

Config.txt:
THEME = 1
WINDOW = -60,180:110
FONT = C:\WINDOWS\FONTS\LUCON
CTRL+V = OFF

Thank you again.

Charles Goodin

[Jos]

vDos doesn’t distinguish between disk types. My guess is WP tries to rename the current file before saving the new content. And that renamed file (file.bak???) already exists on the floppy drive.
I don’t have a floppy disk for many years, so can’t check it.

Jos

[charlesgoodin]

Just a quick follow up.  Thank you Jos for your reply.

As mentioned, using WordPerfect 4.2 with vDos, I can do everything except save a file that I have edited, if I am saving to a floppy drive.  Today I tested this with a thumb drive and the same thing happened.  I can save the file if I change the name, but cannot save it with the same name.  Somehow the original file appears to be protected, only on external drives.  I can save the file with no problem if it is on the hard drive, such as in: C:\Vdos\.

I will keep working on this.

Thank you!

Charles

[charlesgoodin]

One other thing. Using vDos, I am able to access thumb drives very easily. I could never do this with WordPerfect 4.2 DOS version or with another dos emulator.

I can open files on the thumb drive, and also save files to the thumb drive. The only thing I cannot do is open a file, edit it, and then save it -- unless I rename it. Does anyone have a solution?

Thank you very much again. I have been using WordPerfect 4.2 since 1987, at least. Sounds crazy, but it is an excellent word processor for simple things.

Charles

[Jos]

Problem is the same as with the floppy disk, related to DOS 1.x FCB file functions.

WP first tries to rename FCB1 to FCB2. The filename specification in FCB1 is <letter thumb drive>:<filename>.<extension>, that in FCB2: C:<filename>.BK!.
That is then passed on to the generic DOS 2+ file functions as RENAME <letter thumb drive>:<filename>.<extension C:<filename>.BK!.

But since the drive letters don’t match that function fails.

The DOS documentation however states: “… the new filename ('?' wildcards OK, no drive) …”.
So the drive letter of FCB2 (C:) is just ignored. The translation to DOS 2+ should be: RENAME <letter thumb drive>:<filename>.<extension <filename>.BK!.

I could send you a vDos.exe in which this is fixed. That won’t be of interest to other users, FCB based RENAME is hardly used, certainly not with different drive letters.

Jos

[charlesgoodin]

Jos.

Thank you very much.

I would be very grateful if you could send me "a vDos.exe in which this is fixed".  I am going crazy trying to change permissions all over the place.  This is really over my head.  But it seems that this one issue is the only one.  Everything else I have tried using vDos has run perfectly.

Thank you very much again.

Charles Goodin

[Jos]

I'll send you that vDos.exe by wetransfer.com.

Jos