------------------------------------------------------- System Information v1.8 for Windows 95/98 ReadMe.txt January 1999 ------------------------------------------------------- (c) Copyright Stevens Systems, 1997-1999 ------------------------ How to use this document ------------------------ To view Readme.txt on screen in Notepad, maximize the Notepad window. To print Readme.txt, open it in Notepad or another word processor, and then use the Print command on the File menu. -------- Contents -------- Product Description Other reasons to use System Information 1.8? System requirements Installation Uninstalling System Information Registering Version history Distribution Warning Disclaimer Beta testers Special thanks ------------------- Product Description ------------------- System Information 1.8 is the experts' choice to analyze your PC system and hardware. The CPU module for example can give you peace-of-mind that your 200MMX CPU is really running at 200MHz, and that it's really an MMX chip. Are you thinking of upgrading? First find out with the display module what video card you have, how much memory it has and what it's capabilities are. A comprehensive 40 plus page text file report can be generated across all modules to include CPU, display, disk drive, installed devices, installed software, joystick, memory, operating system, mouse, mixer, keyboard, BIOS, CD-ROM, sound, shared files, system metrics, MCI device, environment variable and printer information. Allowing you to verify the power of your PC while putting you in a position of control to combat technical problems. System Information also includes a server resource monitor to keep an eye on how efficiently Windows is utilizing your hardware. Being Internet aware it also returns your user name, the number of bytes sent and received, the current download speed, and the number of disk reads and writes per second. -------------------------------------------- Other reasons to use System Information 1.8? -------------------------------------------- To help you decide what hardware or software to purchase. To aid Y2K compliancy checks. To assist with a computer stock inventory of your company. To find out how well Windows is managing your system resources. To help specialist technical support staff solve problems. -------------------- System requirements -------------------- * IBM PC or 100% compatible * Windows 95 (This product will not run under DOS, Windows 3.x, or Windows NT) * 486 or higher * 8 MB of RAM (16MB recommended) * 6 MB hard disk space for typical installation * Sound card optional * 256-color VGA or better video * The HTML help files require an Internet browser. The System Information will run without a browser, but no F1 help will be available. ------------ Installation ------------ 1. System Information 1.8 consists of 1 file: sysinf.zip 2. Place this file into a temporary folder. 3. Extract the file with WinZip or a compatible utility. 4. Double click the file named Setup. 5. Follow instructions when prompted. NOTE: All installation files will be placed in the program folder as this: 1. Allows for cleaner uninstalls. 2. Allows the user to see what files were installed. 3. Prevents file mismatch problems and allows user to keep old versions of files. 4. Minimizes conflicts with other software. ------------------------------- Uninstalling System Information ------------------------------- To remove System Information from your computer: 1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. 2. Double-Click the Add/Remove Programs icon. 3. Click System Information 1.8, and then click Add/Remove. ----------- Registering ----------- This program has been released as Shareware and is NOT free software. If you intend on using System Information 1.8 for longer than the 30-day free trial period please support future program development by purchasing the program. Why register? * A registered version does not have the shareware reminders at start up. * You will be entitled to one free System Information upgrade deliverable over the Internet. * Unlimited E-mail support. * Registered users suggestions take priority for future program development. * Unregistered use of System Information after the 30-day evaluation period is in violation of U.S. and international copyright laws. You can purchase System Information for US $12.95 online through a secure SSL web site by pressing the "Purchase online" button at the bottom of the start up screen or by going directly to https://www.regsoft.com/cgi-bin/reg_it_offsite.pl?8547=OFFSITE Registering System Information entitles the purchaser to a single user license. Therefore if you wish to install System Information on say five machines, then five copies of System Information would have to be purchased. One backup copy of the program is allowed to be made. If you wish to run System Information over a network please contact Stevens Systems for a site license. E-mail: cameron_stevens@hotmail.com --------------- Version history --------------- Changes from 1.7.1 to 1.8 Added: 1. Four new modules: Shared files, System metrics, Mixer and Installed software. 2. CPU: detection update to detect not only Intel CPU's but non-Intel ones as well. SI 1.8 can now detect more CPU's than Touchstone's CheckIt and Symantec's Norton Utilities! 3. Report: added autoexec.bat, config.sys, control.ini, System.ini, Win.ini and Bootlog.txt files. SI 1.8 can now generate a report .txt file of more than 40 pages of system information. 4. Running Processes changes: the Process ID and Parent ID are now being shown as hexadecimal numbers instead of integer values. 5. Server Monitor: added "Dirty data" field Removed: 1. The following files has been made redundant: icmp.ocx, tabctl32.ocx and mswinsck.ocx 2. The Internet Tools utility. 3. Server Monitor: removed "IP number" field and removed the check for a Internet connection. Changes from 1.7 to 1.7.1 1. Updated setup program. 2. Bug fixes. Changes from 1.6 to 1.7 Added: 1. Full text file reports can now be generated. 2. Added a Sound card capabilities section. 3. Added a MCI devices section. 4. Added an Installed devices section. 5. Added a Running processes section. 6. The Display section can now detect multiple video cards. 7. The Printer section can now detect multiple printers. 8. Both the Printer and Display sections has been bolstered to include "clipping and line", "curve and polygonal", "raster capabilities" and "text capabilities" 9. Server Monitors "Disk space %used" value works more correctly on hard drives greater than 2 gigabytes in size and progress bar flickering has been greatly reduced. The operating systems running time will now be displayed in an [xx hrs xx mins] format instead of [xxxx mins]. 10. Internet Tools handles bad domain names with more grace. 11. Added "Number of colors" and "Bits per pixel" to the Display section. 12. No flickering is present on the Display and Memory forms progress bars. 13. On the Operating System form "Windows type" will now successfully detect Windows 98 and the Windows sub version letter will now appear with the build number. The operating systems running time will now be displayed in an [xx hrs xx mins] format instead of [xxxx mins]. 14. On the drives section "Drive type" has been changed to "Drive class". 15. Shifted the "Type of CD ROM" from the Miscellaneous form to the Drives form. 16. The CPU section can now detect the Xeon Pentium II processor. 17. The click sound option in the File menu is now off by default. 18. More room has been allowed for the "path" variable in the Environment section. 19. New help files has been added for the new sections and existing files have been expanded. 20. In previous versions of SI if the computer was not running Win98 or Win95 with IE 4 installed then no F1 help was available. Now the .html files have been placed into c:\program files\system information\help. When a user presses F1 SI first looks for Win98 or Win95 with IE 4, then if it can't find either of them SI opens up the uncompiled .html file in the default browser (probably Netscape). 21. The words "Screen saver starts in" in the Miscellaneous module and it's value will be grayed out if the value of "Screen saver active" is set to false. 22. Server Monitor now has two new fields 'disk reads' and 'disk writes'. 22. Many bug fixes. Removed: 1. The following files has been made redundant: sndchk.ocx, drvfacts.ocx, sysfacts.ocx, sysinfo.ocx and wave.ocx. This reduces the programs size while increasing it's execution speed. 2. Removed "remote drive name" from the Drives section. 3. Removed "screen saver running" from the Display section. 4. Removed "drive letters" from the Miscellaneous form. 5. Removed "scroll bar width" from the Operating system section. 6. Removed File Viewer. 7. Removed the disk copy and format utilities. ------------ Distribution ------------ Provided that you verify that you are distributing the unregistered Shareware Version (select About from the System Information Help menu to check) you are hereby licensed to make as many copies of the Shareware version of this software and documentation as you wish; give exact copies of the original Shareware version to anyone; and distribute the Shareware version of the software and documentation in its unmodified form via electronic means. There is no charge for any of the above. You are specifically prohibited from charging, or requesting donations, for any such copies, however made; and from distributing the software and/or documentation with other products (commercial or otherwise) without prior written permission, with one exception: Disk Vendors approved by the Association of Shareware Professionals are permitted to redistribute System Information, subject to the conditions in this license, without specific written permission. ------- Warning ------- You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble System Information. ---------- Disclaimer ---------- THE INFORMATION AND CODE PROVIDED IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. IN NO EVENT SHALL STEVENS SYSTEMS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. DO NOT USE SYSTEM INFORMATION UNLESS YOU CAN FULLY AGREE WITH THIS DISCLAIMER. ------------ Beta testers ------------ Ken Rumsey Mark Formo Quentin Christensen Mylene Reiners shultz Jon Windle SunHawk Raphael Schreeuwer Travis Clark -------------- Special thanks -------------- Ray Mercer Dan Appleman Joe LeVasseur Karl E. Peterson Randy Birch Enzo Maini Jim Huff Other brands and names are the property of their respective owners