This explains briefly how to use 132 columns and/or 43/50-line mode with
PROCOMM PLUS 2.0x on a VGA system.


Finding what video modes your system supports:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Run PCINSTAL. You will be asked if the box has a blue background. (It
should if you have color VGA). You'll get an information screen. Just
hit SpaceBar.

At INSTALLATION OPTIONS, pick Reconfigure PROCOMM PLUS.

At RECONFIGURATION OPTIONS, pick Extended video mode support (the top
choice listed).

You will get a warning screen about how PCINSTAL will try all possible
video modes and may lock up some machines. It warns you that it should
be tried only on VGA or SuperVGA systems. When you hit a key (other than
ESC), the computer will click, beep, buz, and then PCINSTAL will tell
you it is about to view the Installation Report Log. Hit a key and you
will get a report like this (this is exactly what my machine reported):

  Beginning reconfiguration

  ---- POSSIBLE TEXT VIDEO MODES ----
     Mode   3  is  25x80  (color)
     Mode  84  is  43x132 (color)
     Mode  85  is  25x132 (color)
     Mode  86  is  43x132 (mono)
     Mode  87  is  25x132 (mono)

  Ending reconfiguration

When you ESCape out of that display, you will be asked if you want to
print or save the report. All that is is the report, it does _not_ alter
PROCOMM PLUS' settings. You can ESCape out of PCINSTAL.


Configuring PROCOMM PLUS 2.01 to use your extended video mode:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Run PCSETUP. Select DISPLAY/SOUND OPTIONS. Change "K- User video mode"
to one of the modes you want. (Sorry, but only one extended mode can be
plugged in there at a time.) For example, I have put 84 there for
43-line by 132-column color mode. You may also want to change "I- Video
startup mode" to "USER MODE" if you want PCPLUS to start up in the
extended video mode you had placed in K. (The "User video mode"
apparenlty is specified in decimal. It is the same number returned from
PCINSTAL when it reports "POSSIBLE VIDEO MODES".)

Through some testing, I found that I could use EXTRAxUSER for the "I-
Video startup mode" to start my machine in 50x132 mode, with the status
line being totally unreadable and if the status line is off the "50th
line" is likewise unreadable. The "Extra" is the J- VGA extra line
count, which I have set at 50. This Commodore PC 40-III has experienced
other non-standard behaviour, so it wouldn't surprise me if the
unreadable status line is just one more of those quirks.


Using extended (132-column) video modes in PCPLUS:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PCPLUS' flash screen is always 25x80. But when it erases, the screen
will automatically be put into the video mode specified by PCSETUP,
DISPLAY/SOUND OPTIONS, I- Video startup mode.

Hitting Ctrl-- (Ctrl-dash) will step the screen through various modes.
In my particular case, with DISPLAY/SOUND OPTIONS configured for I- at
DOS MODE, J- at 50, and K- at 84, hitting Ctrl-dash cycles through:

   (initial): 25x80  (my preferred settings)
          to: 50x80  (all readable)
          to: 43x132 (readable, but more of a strain for me to read)
          to: 50x132 (readable except for the status or "50th" line)
     back to: 25x80

Best success!