Since my last posting, upon investigation the real problem of using
this computer as the interface has become evident.  I thought I should
mention this for others trying to use a PC (as the interface) that has
previously been used for other things.

I am using an H-P laptop as a stand-alone system for just playing the
Ampico and Duo-Art piano rolls.  It has the bad habit of dropping files,
such as Spencer's Duo-Art Popular #4, the latest disaster, creating
files on its own that relate to nothing relative to the music files,
duplicating the MIDI music files on its own, and other nice little
annoyances.  It also has now started some high jinks that cause me to
have to open the Microsoft operating system three times before I can
access the music files.  Obviously the problem is the programming in
the PC.  What a pity the Macintosh cannot be used in place of this PC.
Thanks Microsoft!

What Peter Phillips and Spencer Chase might consider doing is this:
give us instructions for loading a program where one can completely
clean out a PC hard drive and RAM, reinstall the operating system, and
then create nothing except the music files.  Make this proposed program
work so that when the PC is turned on, it opens the operating system
by itself which is the usual procedure, and then does _nothing else_
except display the music files.

This is now showing me that it is a computer programming problem and,
somehow, this PC has become contaminated.  I must admit that I am a Mac
user, and I'm not at all used to the PC nonsense that comes with the
Microsoft "Windows 2000 Professional" operating system.

A total flushing and reinstallation of all the MIDI music files is now
the next order of business.

Jim Crank

 [ The culprit, nonetheless, is most likely not the operating system
 [ but rather the MIDI application program.  Jim Moore wrote in 030523
 [ MMDigest: "I've found that using WinAmp works the best with no
 [ lapses. ... With WindPlay the computer wouldn't multitask."
 [
 [ If the application program doesn't properly use the Windows
 [ input/output (I/O) facilities, then I/O conflicts are sure to
 [ occur.  MIDI files have been around for more years than Windows,
 [ and Microsoft is well aware of the importance users place on
 [ playing MIDI files.  Suspect the program first, not the op system,
 [ especially if your application program has not been updated for
 [ compliance with the newest Windows systems with built-in MIDI I/O
 [ routines.
 [
 [  -- Robbie (still using my old Mac IIci)