    AST RESEARCH, INC.           TECHNICAL BULLETIN # 1317           9-29-95

                      GARBLED TEXT WITH MATROX IN PREMMIA GX

    PROBLEM:     When executing certain DOS applications, some of the text
                 may appear as garbage on the screen.  This conditions may
                 happen in only a few programs and will not affect all font
                 sizes in that particular application.

    CAUSE:       BIOS release 1.7 (build 13) and above for the Matrox MGA
                 Millennium graphics accelerator deleted the 8x14 DOS font
                 to make room for DCB function calls.  The decision to remove
                 the 8x14 support was due to the fact that very few DOS
                 applications required it.  The user can implement this support
                 through a small (4k) TSR.

    SOLUTION:    Download the self extracting file, BIOS17B2.EXE, from the
                 SYSTEMS area of the AST Support BBS (817-230-6850).  Expand
                 the file by entering:

                      BIOS17B2

                 After expanding the file, execute the MAKDSK batch file,
                 which will transfer the disk image to a formatted 1.44MB
                 floppy disk.  After you create the disk, copy the FNT8X14.COM
                 file to the root directory of the boot drive.  To ensure that
                 the 8X14 font support TSR loads every time the user boots,
                 insert the following line near the beginning of the AUTOEXEC.BAT
                 file:

                      C:\FNT8X14

    SYSTEMS
    AFFECTED:    Part Number    Description
                 501522-XXX     AST Premmia GX P100
                 501733-XXX     AST Premmia GX P133