My old notebook with windows 3.1 is running nearly perfectly now, with a lot of help from this site. There are a couple of problems remaining that I have not had any luck in either fixing or understanding.
1. I can now run cd rom application program disks, but can not play music disks. I have the [mci]cd audio driver installed, but the only sound driver that it will recognize is the DSOUND driver. I have removed the DSOUND driver but it still won't play music disks. It plays start up, etc, sounds through the DSOUND driver.
2. I have installed inernet explorer from a cd rom that came with my US Robotics 56k modem. Everything works fine, but at some point after I am on the net the connection crashes with a protection fault error. I don't know what that means. I have 16mg of Ram. I don't think there is a 32mg module available for this notebook. I have no trouble with the Earthlink internet on my desktop pc.
3. I have installed a 3 gb hard drive. It works fine, but only registers 2 gb. NUTS&BOLTS registers a problem, telling me that there is a gb of unaccounded for space on the drive. I ran the fix, but it still comes back as a 2gb drive. I can live with this. I am just interested in why the notebook won't recognize all 3 gb's. If I used a software partitioning application, would it work to utilize all 3 gb's? I haven't been happy with partitioners, such as PARTITION COMMANDER in the past, having problems in removing them from a hard drive when I wanted to. Scandisk does not register any problem with the hard drive.

The response I have had from you guys out there to my little problems is a wonder. I have learned more from you on this site than I could learn in unlimited trips to the computer store.

In response to problem (1).
There is a small cable that goes from the back of the CDROM to the soundcard that is used to play audio. If this cable is missing or disconnected, no CD audio. On your notebook the audio is probably integrated into the mother board but the cable is still required.

If you are running MSDOS 6.22 or below, it only supports FAT16. FAT16 will only recognise 2GB of your hard drive, to use the space beyond the 2GB limit, you have to create an extended partition using Fdisk, and create a logical drive.

After running Fdisk to do this, you will have to restart your computer. When it is finished booting, exit windows so you are at the DOS prompt. At the command prompt, type in FORMAT D: to format the logical drive. It will not affect anything on C drive, but it will allow you to use drive D.

Or if you want it all to be drive C, you can start your computer with a windows 95 boot disk and sys the hard drive. To do this, you would type SYS C:.

If you do decide to do this, you will first have to Fdisk your hard drive with FAT32 enabled with the 95 boot disk and create a primary DOS partition. After Fdisk is completed, press ESC until you are back to the command prompt and restart your computer with the boot disk still in the drive.

After you laptop has booted to the command prompt, type in FORMAT C: /S. This will format the drive and place the system files onto the hard drive. After format is complete type in COPY *.* C: to copy the contents of your floppy drive to your hard drive. Now remove your boot disk and restart your machine. If it successfully makes it to the command prompt that looks like C:>, the format & copy operation was successful. Then you need to go to the powerload website (on a different computer of course), and download oldmsdos.exe and 3Xstart.exe Copy these files onto floppy disks and take them to your machine. Insert the disk with oldmsdos.exe in your floppy drive after the computer has started, and at eht command prompt type in

A: (enter)
COPY OLDMSDOS.EXE C:(enter)
C: (enter)
OLDMSDOS (enter)

Do not type in (enter) these are only there to indicate to press enter. This will extract the contents of OLDMSDOS to your C drive. Now you will have the full version of MSDOS 7.00 with FAT32 on you system. Next, insert your disk with 3Xstart in your floppy drive, and type the following:

A: (enter)
COPY 3XSTART.EXE C: (enter)
C: (enter)
3XSTART (enter)

Do not type in (enter) this is only there to indicate to press the enter key. This will copy 3Xstart to your hard drive and extract the contents. Next, read the readme to find out how to apply 3xstart. and follow the instructions on how to use it. 3Xstart is a program that will enable Windows 3.1x to run on a drive formatted with FAT32. After you have installed it properly, insert disk 1 of your Windows set and type in:

A: (enter)
SETUP (enter)

Do not type in (enter) this is only there to indicate for you to press enter on your keyboard. This will begin your windows setup. Simply follow the on screen prompts, and it will complete the nessesary duties. If you have never setup windows 3.1x before, I would suggest you do the express setup. HTH

Thank you for the response-- and fast too. I will pull out the Rom Drive module and look for a cable hook-up. I assume it would be similar to the sound card cable I have in my desktop pc.
I am running Dos 6.22, explaining why I get 2gs's instead of 3 on my hard drive. I like your method of creating a single large partition on my hard drive. However, I will have to format the hard drive again and lose everything I just put on it. I will save those directions for a later date. I know I will use them.
If I take the simpler route; create a separate partition, drive D, of the 3rd gb on the hard drive, will the cd rom drive automatically become drive E?

Yes, your CDROM will be moved down one letter.

This takes pretty good care of your questions #1 and #3. As for Question #2, about IE GP faults: What version are you using? If you are using version 3.02, i experienced these kind of unexpected GP faults a lot with it too. The problem is with the MSHTML16.DLL file. It was updated in version 3.03 SP1, and i never got those repetitive GP faults again using the later version. You should probably update your version. You can get it from my web site.

Great information. Much appreciated. I checked your homepage for the mshtml16.dll file. One thing led to another and I learned some things about the file: an upgrade to resolve problems when using certain versions of Adobe Acrobat with windows 3.1 and internet explorer. It sounds like my problem, alright. However, I could not find anywhere to download the file. Microsoft has it referenced as 'name 3214.exe', 'build 2931', and 'Q155718', in various places, whatever those titles mean. Could you point me in the right direction, please? (I found several other interesting files that I downloaded.) I got the impression if I delete my adobe acrobat program the problem would go away(?)

Since I wrote the last response I returned to your homepage and downloaded internet browser 3.3. I just installed in on my notebook by copying the files onto 4 floppies and then copies the floppies into one new directory on my notebook and running setup.
I works MUCH better than my old browser. I still get some errors, but when I click 'ignore' they are ignored and the program proceeds correctly. What are all these 'cookies' about. Six or seven were downloaded into my program. They all expire on different dates.
The font is even MUCH better with the 3.3 browser. This may have solved my entire internet problem on my notebook. I am writing this reply on the notebook.
My old browser on the notebook did not allow for e-mail. This 3.3 browser has a separate dial-up for e-mail. It works great!

Thanks a million for your help!

All of the former problems using internet explorer on my windows 3.1 notebook have apparently dissappeared. I went to lightspeed's homepage and downloaded the version 3.3 internet expolorer for windows 3.1 and it is MUCH better than my version 4.01 that came with my us robotics sportster 56k modem.
The fonts are MUCH better. I can get my e-mail directly instead of having to use earthlink's web mail. There are a lot of cookies added at first use. I'm not sure what that means but everything works well, and much faster than before.
Thanks a million, lightspeed. Lightspeed is a great site for other 3.1 programs also.

So you were using IE4! No wonder, i had nothing but trouble with that browser under Win 3.1, which is why, as i say on my site, This one i do not use (anymore!). I know some people use it for some special purposes, which is why i have it, and i won't judge that. But i use either 3 or 5, and stay away from 4 at all cost LOL!