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Q42855: Fast Load Format Can Cause "Binding…" Hang in QB.EXE Editor

Article: Q42855
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 4.00 4.00b 4.50
Operating System(s): MS-DOS
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | SR# S890316-48 buglist4.00 buglist4.00b buglist4.50 | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 1-JAN-1990

If your machine hangs in the QB.EXE environment (often with a
"Binding..." message displayed on the bottom of the screen) when
trying to run your program, one possible cause is QuickBASIC's Fast
Load and Save (i.e., Binary) file format.

A workaround is to save in Text Format, reload the program, and run
again. Other possible causes of a "Binding..." hang are described
further below.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem with the Fast Load and
Save format in QuickBASIC Versions 4.00, 4.00b, and 4.50, and with
QB.EXE included with Microsoft BASIC Compiler Versions 6.00 and 6.00b.
We are researching this problem and will post new information here as
it becomes available.

If QB.EXE hangs, and modules are saved in the Fast Load and Save
format, try the following as a workaround:

1. Save your source file(s) in Text format with Save As... from
   the File menu in QB.EXE.

2. Exit QuickBASIC.

3. If your program uses multiple modules, delete the file with the
   .MAK extension (which is created when you save a multiple-module
   program in QB.EXE 4.x). (Note: This .MAK file is unrelated to the
   .MAK files used by the Microsoft Program Maintenance Utility,
   MAKE.EXE.)

4. Run QuickBASIC again.

5. Reopen (Open...) the program from disk, manually Load... any
   separate module source files (if any), then try to run your
   program again. The problem should disappear.

Other possible causes of a "Binding..." hang are as follows:

1. Memory-resident software, i.e., terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR)
   programs

2. Nonstandard device drivers

To find out if your device drivers or TSRs are causing a problem,
remove them from your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files, reboot, and
then run QuickBASIC with a "clean" machine. QuickBASIC is sensitive to
and incompatible with many TSR programs. For an explanation of why,
query on the following words:

   why and QuickBASIC and TSR and incompatible

The following are other problems in QuickBASIC that cause the
"Binding..." machine hang, instead of generating an error:

1. $INCLUDE with an unfindable file and line label with more than one
   space between the line label and the REM or ' (Version 4.50 only)

2. An IF THEN GOTO with an invalid line label (Version 4.00 only)

3. SWAP on fixed-length string fields of user-defined types (Version
   4.50 only)

For more information, query on the following words:

   binding and hang and QuickBASIC

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