VL>        If I want to run *any* DOS on-line games or other things, I mus
VL>run the DOS version of Maximus.  This is because Maximus/NT
VL>(really NT) can not pass an open comm port to a 16 bit
VL>application more than once (?).  I can use a NT mailer (i.e.
VL>Binkley/NT) and have it spawn the DOS version of Maximus and
VL>I'd still be ok.
VL>
I've been living with this problem for a long time, at least with WIN95.
You can not pass a "hot" comm port from a win32 app to a 16bit app. or
vise versa.  What happens is passing from one to the other drops the DTR
signal while one app closes the port and the other takes it over.  The
way I've gotten around it is to run the modem with ignore DTR set (&D0
on a USR).  Then you can pass back and forth between them until your
heart is content.  Hanging up the phone line does become a bit of a
problem then.  I have set my modems to hang up when they receive the +++
string.  So my hang up string in Binkly WIN32, Maximus, and PowerBBS no
longer toggles the DTR.  Instead the string says pause for one second,
send +++, pause for one second, then send ATH0.
The ATH0 is not actually necissary anymore since I told the modems to
hang up on receiving the +++.
It takes a LOT longer to terminate a call this way but lets me get away
with running about anything I want.  Most doors that have a hangup
function do not hangup because of this but that seems to be a minor
problem that nobody really notices.
I also run Winfossil which really does not seem to care who grabs the
comm port and how they do it.  It seems to leave any app alone that does
not initiate it's communication with the fossil.
Good Luck
Jim
--- GEcho 1.20/Pro/PBBS
---------------