WW1138: Updated Calculator Accessory for Windows

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.1, 3.11
• Microsoft Windows for Workgroups, versions 3.1, 3.11

This Application Note provides an updated version of the Calculator accessory that is shipped with Microsoft Windows 3.1x and Windows for Workgroups 3.1x. Previous versions of Calculator display simple subtraction errors when you subtract two numbers that include values to the right of the decimal point.

You can obtain this Application Note from the following sources:

• Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet
• The Internet (Microsoft anonymous ftp server)
• Microsoft Download Service (MSDL)
• Microsoft FastTips Technical Library
• Microsoft Product Support Services

THE TEXT OF WW1138

  Microsoft(R) Product Support Services Application Note (Text File)
          WW1138: UPDATED CALCULATOR ACCESSORY FOR WINDOWS(R)

                                                   Revision Date: 1/95
                                                       1 Disk Included

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT AND ANY SOFTWARE THAT MAY     |
| ACCOMPANY THIS DOCUMENT (collectively referred to as an Application |
| Note) IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER      |
| EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED      |
| WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR       |
| PURPOSE. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and    |
| the use of this Application Note. This Application Note may be      |
| copied and distributed subject to the following conditions:  1) All |
| text must be copied without modification and all pages must be      |
| included;  2) If software is included, all files on the disk(s)     |
| must be copied without modification (the MS-DOS(R)  utility         |
| diskcopy is appropriate for this purpose);  3) All components of    |
| this Application Note must be distributed together;  and  4) This   |
| Application Note may not be distributed for profit.                 |
|                                                                     |
|                                                                     |
| Copyright (C) 1995 Microsoft Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.     |
| Microsoft, MS-DOS, and Windows are registered trademarks of         |
| Microsoft Corporation. Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks  |
| of Intel Corporation.                                               |
 --------------------------------------------------------------------

Introduction

The WW1138 disk included with this Application Note contains an updated version of the Calculator accessory that is shipped with Microsoft Windows 3.1x and Windows for Workgroups 3.1x. Previous versions of Calculator display simple subtraction errors when you subtract two numbers that include values to the right of the decimal point. While Calculator is determining how to display the solution, it encounters a loss of precision and shows an incorrect answer.

   NOTE: This rounding error is unrelated to the floating-point unit
   (FPU) in the Intel(R) Pentium(R) chip. This problem occurs only in
   Calculator and does not affect Windows, other components in Windows,
   or other Windows-based applications.

   [(1/3 + 10 - 10) x 3]

To install the updated files

1. Quit Windows, or open an MS-DOS command prompt within Windows.

2. Rename the existing CALC.EXE file in your Windows directory. For example, if Windows is installed in a directory on drive C called WINDOWS, type the following commands, pressing ENTER after each line:

         cd\windows
         ren calc.exe calc.old
   

3. If you received a disk with this Application Note, insert the disk in the appropriate floppy disk drive.

   If you downloaded this Application Note from an online service, skip to step 4. This procedure assumes that you have already downloaded and extracted the compressed file.

4. At an MS-DOS command prompt, type the following and press ENTER

         copy <source>:\calc.exe <location>
   

   where <source> is either the letter of your floppy disk drive or the directory containing the file you downloaded from online services, and <location> is the path to your Windows directory. For example, if you are installing from a floppy disk that you inserted in drive A, and C:\WINDOWS is the path to your Windows directory, type:

         copy a:\calc.exe c:\windows
   

   Or, for example, if you downloaded the WW1138.EXE file from online services to C:\DOWNLOAD and C:WINDOWS is the path to your Windows directory, type:

         copy c:\download\calc.exe c:\windows
   

   You are now ready to restart Windows (if necessary) and run the updated Calculator accessory.

Steps to Reproduce Problem Using Previous Versions of Calculator

1. To perform this test, choose two numbers that include values to the right of the decimal point (for example, 12.52 and 12.51).

2. Double-click the Calculator icon in the Accessories group.

3. Enter the larger number first (for example, 12.52).

4. Press the MINUS SIGN (-).

5. Enter the smaller number (for example, 12.51).

6. Press the EQUAL SIGN (=).

   0.00
   0.0099999999
   0.010000001

TO OBTAIN THIS APPLICATION NOTE

You can find WW1138.EXE (size: 41480 bytes) 
                       , a self-extracting file, on the following

• Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet

        On the www.microsoft.com home page, click the Support icon.
        Click Knowledge Base, and select the product.
        Enter kbfile WW1138.EXE (size: 41480 bytes) 
                               , and click GO!
        Open the article, and click the button to download the file.
  
  

• Internet (anonymous FTP)

        ftp ftp.microsoft.com
        Change to the Softlib/Mslfiles folder.
        Get WW1138.EXE (size: 41480 bytes) 
  

• Microsoft Download Service (MSDL)

        Dial (425) 936-6735 to connect to MSDL
        Download WW1138.EXE (size: 41480 bytes) 
  

   ARTICLE-ID: Q119591
   TITLE     : How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online
               Services