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Archimedes Public Domain Library
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Main Catalogue - Applications, Utilities, Development, Useful apps
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Sounds - Samples, Music Trackers and Maestro tunes
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This section was added to the PD library in the mid 1990's. I am including
it in the new library with some small edits (e.g. to remove sections
that relate to floppy discs).
Aaron Timbrell 15/04/2026
Original text follows
---------------------
I often get phone calls, letters, or discs returned with a complaint
that there's something wrong, and often the problem is the user is
either missing the obvious or is new to Acorn computers and doesn't
understand what 'everybody knows' and no-one has bothered to explain.
This file tries to answer the questions most often asked. If you have
problems READ THIS FILE FIRST. I can't guarantee you'll find the answer,
but you might, or an idea to help you to it.
In 99% of cases the answer is R.T.F.I., which is an abbreviation for
Read The Friendly Instructions. If you can't find the answer to a
problem in the instructions (sometimes with a bit of common sense) you
will either need to contact the Author directly or post a question on
one of the RISC OS forum sites (for example www.iconbar.co.uk).
==========
F A Q s
======================================================================
1. The archive is full of blank white icons - where are the programs?
Most programs are compressed using !ArcFS so we get a LOT more on, often
over 1½ Mb on an 800K disc. You will find a copy of ArcFS on the
catalogue disc.
2. When I try to run the program or use some function I get an error
message 'Not open for update' or 'Can't open file'.
This means the program wants to write something to disc and can't. If
you are running it from a floppy check it's not write protected. If you
are running it from an archive you will need to de-archive it before it
will work properly.
The version of !ArcFS supplied is 'Read Only', so it can Read or Load
files or data from an archive, but not Write or Save to it. If the
program tries to do so it will give an error. Think of the archive as
like a directory, but you can only take things OUT, not put anything IN,
or change or delete anything in there.
3. So how do I de-archive it?
If you have a hard disc double-click on the archive to open it and drag
the CONTENTS of the archive to wherever you want to put it just as you
would with the contents of a normal directory.
Without a hard disc you need to copy it to another floppy. The easiest
way is to use a RAM disc as an intermediary. You need a RAM disc big
enough to hold the archive. You can create one by clicking SELECT on the
Switcher Icon (that's the icon at the right hand end of the icon bar)
and scrolling down the Task Window until you get to the Memory
Allocation section. Find 'RAM disc', put the mouse pointer about half an
inch to the right of the size (which will be 0K if you don't have one),
hold down SELECT, and a 'slider' will appear which you can 'drag' to the
size RAM disc you want. Now close the Task Window and you will see the
RAM disc icon has appeared.
Click on this to open the RAM disc filer window and drag the archive to
it from your floppy disc. Put a blank floppy disc in the drive,
double-click on the archive on the RAM disc to open it, and drag its
contents to the new floppy.
Sections 4 to 7 have been removed as they
related to problems with floppy discs
8. There don't seem to be any instructions with the program.
Most PD programs have a textfile or a Help Reader application, and this
is normally INSIDE the application directory. To open the application
directory hold down SHIFT and double-click on the application icon. You
might find a file called !Help, Manual, ReadMe, or a directory called
Docs in which there are several files, or there might be an application
called !Help which you can just double-click on.
Programs may rely on Acorn's Interactive Help utility. You will find
this in the Apps directory of a RiscPC or on Apps Disc 1 of other machines.
If you run this it might give help on the program's windows and menus.
Some PD programmers use StrongHelp instead of a textfile. You will find
this on APDL disc B400 in the main catalogue.
Games often have instructions available from the start-up screen, or as
a scrolltext.
In some cases there are no instructions. Sorry - but you may find that
the program is so easy to use it doesn't need any.
9. The program has a large instructions file and I would like to print
it but it takes *ages* when I use !Printers with my dot matrix
printer. Is there a quicker way to print it?
The easiest way is to load it into !Zap and use the Quick Print option.
If you don't have a copy of !Zap (!) then, on pre RiscPC machines, press
F12 and type -
Filer_OpenDir Printer:$
Press RETURN twice to get back to the desktop and a small window titled
'Printer' will appear. Drag the file to this and it will be sent to the
printer. This doesn't work on the RiscPC and it won't work if you are using
something like Computer Concepts Turbo Driver which thinks it owns the
printer port and won't let anything else get a look-in.
10. When I try to run the program on my RiscPC I get an Address
Exception error message but the catalogue says that it should work.
There are several answers, one of which is that I could be wrong!
However, assuming it does work one answer (especially with a game or
demo) is that a Module it uses causes the error when it is loaded. This
is common with music players, and quite often it will be OK if you just
run it again. As the Module causing the problem will already have been
loaded you may find the program will run OK the second time.
Another common reason is that the Wimpslot setting it too small. Memory
is allocated on the RiscPC in 4K pages, but on earlier machines it could be
in up to 32K pages. For example, a program that asked for 48K on a 4Mb A5000
would get 64K (2 x 32K pages) but on the RiscPC you would actually
get 48K (12 x 4K pages), and it might not be enough. Load the !Run file
into !Edit and look for a line -
Wimpslot -min 48K -max 48K
and change it to -
Wimpslot -min 64K -max 64K
One final possibility is that the program might only work with the
'Game On' application which provides a compatibility layer for older
games.
It's available as a free download from the ARM Club website at:
https://armclub.org.uk/products/strongguard
11. When I try to run this game/demo on my RiscPC the screen goes all
funny
Assuming the program works the probable cause is that you don't have a
definition for a suitable screen mode in your Monitor Definition File.
If you need to ask the question then it will probably be beyond your
capabilities to write one, but Game On could solve the problem as it has
several definition for popular games modes.
12. When I try to run a Genesis application I get the error message
'External FN/PROC not found'.
Some Genesis applications (eg. 'Customs') have special modules which
they need to work properly and which are not part of the standard
Genesis Browser. For this reason we have a complete Genesis Browser with
all of these external modules on disc B263 in the main catalogue.
If you get this error make sure that you are using this version.
13. How can I make this game run slower on my A5000/ARM3 ?
Some games written to work on an ARM 2 run too fast with later
processors. Press F12 and type -
cache off
This will slow down any machine fitted with an ARM3. To restore normal
speed press F12 and type -
cache on
14. After running a program my RiscPC desktop is very slow
The program could have switched off the cache (see above), but the most
likely cause is it has set the Font Cache to zero. This was done on
older programs to save memory, but a RiscPC uses fancy fonts in the
desktop so the Font Cache must be at least 64K. Click on the Switcher
Icon (the Acorn icon at the right hand end of the icon bar) and scroll
down the Task Window until you get to the Memory Allocation section.
Look for the Font Cache and drag out the slider, 128K is about right.
14. The program quits with an error message saying there's not enough
System Sprite memory.
Open the Task Window (see above) and allocate some memory to the System
Sprites. The amount required depends on the program, but it will
probably need at least 64K and perhaps as much as 300K
15. The program says I don't have enough memory.
Quit any other applications you are running, and a RAM disc if you have
one. Use the Task Window to minimise memory in the Module Area and
anywhere else you can. If you have been using the computer for a while
there may be Modules which are taking up memory, and it might be easier
to reset the computer (or switch off and on again) to get rid of them.
You could try switching to a more economical screen mode, especially if
you are using a large 256 colour mode. For example, Mode 40 takes 320K,
Mode 12 only 96K.
With a RiscPC you can still get this message even if you have HUGE amounts
of free RAM. One reason for this (especially with Demos) is that
incompetent programmers might use RAM page size as a way of determining
the amount of memory, which doesn't work with a RiscPC.
If it still won't work perhaps you really don't have enough memory. Once
most people only had 500K, then 1Mb, and now 2Mb is the recognised
minimum and many programs need 4Mb. Most programs work with 2Mb, but
some won't with 1Mb.
If you are using a system with 256Mb of RAM but are running a version
of RISC OS earlier than 4.39 you should reduce the memory to 128Mb
15. The program gives a message 'File System:Modules.xxx not found'
The program has expected to find a particular Module in your !System
directory. I try to put the module in the Application Directory so this
problem won't arise, but sometimes it gets missed. I have added a disc
with the most frequently used items (B425), so you might need to get
this disc.
16. When I try to decompress or run a file with ArcFS it complains
it doesn't have enough memory
ArcFS uses the Relocatable Module Area (RMA) as it's workspace (except
RiscPC, see next question), so use the Task Window to increase free memory
in the RMA. With large files this may cause a problem if you don't have
much RAM. You may not have enough memory to run the program from the
archive because you will need both the RAM to decompress it and run it
simultaneously, so you will have to decompress it to another disc,
reduce free memory in the RMA, then run it.
17. I have tried using ArcFS on my RiscPC but it keeps telling me I
don't have enough memory. I've increased free memory in the RMA
but with no effect.
This is one that stumped me (and the author of ArcFS, Mark Smith) for a
while. On the RiscPC ArcFS uses Dynamic memory allocation, but for this to
work you must have Interactive File Copying switched on. If this is off
then ArcFS can't claim memory. The solution will require you to edit the
!Run file in ArcFS. Load this into edit and look for the line -
RMEns. UtilityModule 3.50 Set Alias$OSSpec RMEns. ArcFSMemMan 1.10 RMLoad .MemManRMA
Put a vertical bar (|) in front of this so it will be ignored, This
stops ArcFS using dynamic memory allocation and forces it to use the
RMA as workspace. You will have to allocate RAM manually in the RMA (see
above) but it will cure the problem.
=================================================
============= Sending programs to APDL and disc 'swaps' ==============
=================================================
1. I have written a couple of apps - can I send them to you?
No, sorry we are not actively expanding the library.
2. I have later versions of some of the apps in the PD library,
can I send them to you?
Yes. E-mail them in a suitable compressed archive and once we have
checked the licence conditions we will update the PD library when
we have a chance.
_____________________________________________________________________________
© Aaron Timbrell and 3QD Developments Ltd 22/04/2026