Windows Startup Problems

Problem

Windows version- crashing on startup, giving "general protection" error or "application error"

Diagnosis

1st thing to try: restart, then launch the BIDMAGIC.EXE (or BMDEMO.EXE for demo) file in the BMBLANKS directory. If that file crashes also, the problem is an incompatibility between ToolBook and the system. If the .EXE file doesn't crash, but the bid crashes on startup, the problem is code in the bid. Possible solutions are listed below. To get a picture of their system setup, try running BMBLANKS\SYSINFO.EXE.

Solution

0. The try-it-anyway solution: reinstall BidMagic estimating program from orig. disks, on the off-chance that corrupted files were installed.
1. RAM- they need a minimum of 4 megs RAM. Even this may not be enough if they have a lot of TSR (= INIT) files running, which take up memory, such as: virus checkers; screen-savers; auto-compression software; 'shell' programs like Norton Desktop which supplement the usual File Mgr/Prog Mgr. Look for TSRs in AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files.

Comments

They should try running BidMagic Construction Estimating Software on another machine if they have access to it. That will help troubleshoot, and also will convince them that the estimating software actually works.
The solution to the problem may lie in changing their AUTOEXEC.BAT and/or CONFIG.SYS files. Before walking them through this, make sure they are smart enough to understand what is going on. Make sure they have backups of those system files. Make sure YOU know exactly what you are doing. Otherwise mayhem could (and will) result.

Entered 10/31/94 by Vinay. Updated 10/18/2010.

NOTE-- We retired BidMagic estimating software in 2002. It has been replaced by Goldenseal, which is integrated estimating software and project management software (plus optional accounting software).