212 - Error: KR-07 & KR-09

NewDeal Technical Support Document 212

ERROR: KR-07 and KR-09

Trouble shooting the system error messages "System Error: KR&-07" or "KR-09"

What the message means

System error: KR-07 or System Error: KR-09 can be caused by memory (RAM) conflicts, damaged files, or faulty program instructions.

Primary reasons for getting system errors

A one-in-a-million fluke
Problems in your AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS file
Corrupt files or bad sectors on your hard drive
Damaged document files
A conflict with other software
Low on hard disk space
Low on memory (RAM)
A virus
Handles
QEMM
Further suggestions

Diagnosis and treatment

These problems are usually easy to track down and fix. Go through the following steps, in order, to locate and fix the source of the error.

1. A one-in-a-million fluke

Turn off your computer. Wait a few seconds, then turn it on again. Go back into your NewDeal software. Do exactly what you were doing when the error message appeared. If you don't get another error message, it was probably a one-time fluke. If you only get the error in one specific document, skip to section 4, Damaged Documents.

2. Check your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files

Check your configuration files for problems. To edit these files, use a text editor such as the NewDeal Text File Editor, the Windows Notepad, the MS-DOS Edit command, or the DR-DOS Editor.

First enter VER at a DOS prompt to find out which version of DOS you're using. Then look under the appropriate section below.

MS-DOS - CONFIG.SYS

Make sure you have a line that reads BUFFERS=30 (or higher)
Make sure you have FILES=30 (or FILES=100 if you use DOSSHELL)
If you have a line that refers to SHARE.EXE, see support document 236 for more information about SHARE.EXE.
If you see a line that includes FASTOPEN, delete the line.

MS-DOS - AUTOEXEC.BAT

If you see a line that includes FASTOPEN, put REM at the beginning of the line.
If you have a line that refers to SHARE.EXE, see support document 236 for more information about SHARE.EXE.

DR-DOS - CONFIG.SYS

Make sure you have the line FILES=120 (or higher)
Make sure you have BUFFERS=30 (or HIBUFFERS=30)

Save the files, then reboot your computer so the changes take effect. Now try to reproduce the steps that gave you the error.

3. Bad sectors on your hard disk

The first thing to do is use the DOS CHKDSK command. To run CHKDSK, completely exit any program you're in and enter CHKDSK /f at a DOS prompt. If CHKDSK displays "Cross-linked files," you need to delete the cross-linked files and reinstall the software.

Over time, it's not unusual for hard disks to develop small surface defects that result in bad sectors. The only ways to fix bad sectors are to use a commercial hard disk utility program, such as Norton Disk Doctor or PC Tools' DiskFix or Microsoft's ScanDisk, or the old method: backup the hard drive, reformat it, and restore your files from the backup.

To check if bad sectors might be the cause of the problem, try installing your NewDeal software into a new, different directory on the hard drive. Make sure you use the CD command to change to this directory before typing you start NewDeal (otherwise you may run the original copy). If you don't experience problems, your original copy of the software is either damaged or is written on bad sectors of your hard drive.

If you find errors: Once you've fixed the hard disk problems, you should re-install your NewDeal software. Use your original installation disks, and choose the New Install option. Re-installing this way won't delete or copy over your personal documents.

4. Damaged documents

If you only get the error message when working on one document, the document is likely damaged. Use your backup copy to replace the file. If you don't have a backup copy, you'll have to re-create the document from scratch. It's a good idea to always back up any files that you don't want to re-create.

If your damaged document was created in NewWrite, the SALVAGE program may help you recover the text portion of the document. Read the Salvage Instructions in the directory where you installed your NewDeal software for further information about this program.

5. Software conflicts

Look in the NewDeal README.TXT file for a discussion of software that can conflict with NewDeal. If you've recently installed QEMM, skip to section 10 below.

Quick and easy test: To do a quick test for software conflicts, exit to the DOS prompt and enter

NEWDEAL /nomem

This tells NewDeal to ignore any expanded or extended memory, which is usually where conflicting software resides. If you still get the error, do the more thorough test below. If you no longer get the error, you have a software conflict. You can either change the Extra Memory option to None in Preferences, Computer, or perform the more thorough test below.

More thorough test: Boot from a clean floppy disk. You can make a boot disk (also called a system disk) from the DOS prompt by entering FORMAT A: /S. On this floppy, put a CONFIG.SYS file with only the lines you absolutely need to make your computer work (generally that's only FILES and BUFFERS - see Section 2 above for the appropriate numbers). If you have Stacker or SuperStor or use any disk compression such as DoubleSpace, you'll need to include any statements from your configuration files that make those programs run. Don't include your mouse driver, expanded memory managers, or disk caching programs (such as SMARTDRV).

If you don't get the errors after booting from the clean floppy disk, you can add lines from your original CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT to the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT on the bootable diskette. Add one line, save the file, reboot and then enter your NewDeal software. Eventually you'll find the line that's causing the problem.

6. Low on hard disk space

NewDeal software requires at least 2 MB of free disk space for printing and other file operations. (Note: 1 MB translates into 1,048,576 bytes). You can check the amount of free space on your hard disk by looking at the line under the menu bar in NewManager, or by exiting to DOS and entering DIR. DIR reports a number as "bytes free" at the end of the DIR listing. If you have less than 2,097,152 bytes free, you'll have to delete some files to make more room on your hard drive.

7. Low on memory (RAM)

NewDeal software requires at least 520K of free conventional memory to run. If you are loading a lot of device drivers and memory-resident programs before you load NewDeal, you might be running out of memory. The DOS command CHKDSK tells you the amount of free conventional memory. At the very end of the CHKDSK report, you'll see a number labeled "bytes free" or "largest executable program size." This is the amount of free conventional memory. This number should be at least 532,480. If it's lower, you need to disable some of the programs that are loading into your conventional memory. You can do this by inserting REM at the beginning of the line that loads the program in your AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS file. You'll need to reboot for the changes to take effect.

8. Virus attacks

Check your computer's hard drive for viruses. Use a program like McAfee's Virus Scan, Norton Anti-Virus, or any reputable virus-checking software. If you find a virus, remember to also check every floppy in your home or office. In the unlikely even that you do have a virus, "cure" it and re-install your NewDeal software.

9. Check the handles setting

Run Preferences and click the button labeled Newdeal (or NewDOS or GEOS). Look at the item called Number of Handles. If the number is lower than 3500, click on the up arrow to raise the number of handles to 3500. Click the OK button. Answer Yes when it tells you it needs to restart. Then do exactly what you were doing when the error message occurred. If you don't get another error message, the increased number of handles may have solved the problem.

10. QEMM - Quarterdeck's Expanded Memory Manager

If you use QEMM, go into Preferences and click on the Computer button. Under Extra Memory Type, turn OFF Expanded (LIM EMS). Turn on Extended XMS/HIMEM.SYS, if it isn't already selected. Click on the OK button. When the software tells you it needs to be restarted, click on OK, then Yes.

11. Some further suggestions

In your CONFIG.SYS file
1. Don't load Stacker with the /EMS switch.
2. Increase your environment space to 1024 bytes if you set a lot of variables.
3. Load your cache in EXTended memory and reduce the size to 1 MB, if it's larger than that.
4. Temporarily disable non-essential TSR's such as scanner drivers, or fax drivers (especially if you've had any problems using launchers).
5. Reduce your BUFFERS to 10 if you have a disk cache installed.
6. Use DOS=HIGH,UMB if you are using a third party memory manager like QEMM.
In your AUTOEXEC.BAT file
1. Reduce the length of your PATH statement. Use batch files to launch any utilities in the directories that you eliminate from your path.
2. REM out all TSR's initially and see if that helps. Restore each TSR one at a time and retest to see if the TSR causes a problem.
3. If launchers are crashing or not working, try going to the directory where your NewDeal software is installed to run it, instead of depending on the PATH statement. Also, run LOADER.EXE instead of using a batch file.

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Last Modified 15 Feb 1999