Norton CrashGuard 2.0 (Trial Version) Release Notes Copyright 1996, 1997 Symantec Corporation All rights reserved Please read this document carefully; it contains important information about Norton CrashGuard. Topics include: - Activating Anti-Freeze with Ctrl+Alt+Del - Deleting CrashGuard - Disabling CrashGuard's Crash-Protection - When does CrashGuard not catch a crash? - When does CrashGuard not fix a crash? - When does Anti-Freeze not work? - How much memory does CrashGuard take? - How safe is CrashGuard? What is new in CrashGuard 2.0? ---------------------------------- CrashGuard helps your computer recover from more crashes than ever before. It addresses new issues encountered with many leading-edge technologies, including Microsoft Office 97, and includes an action recommendation once a crash has been caught. Activating Anti-Freeze with Ctrl+Alt+Del for Windows 95 users ------------------------------------------------------------- CrashGuard allows you to add the Anti-Freeze button to the Close Program dialog which appears when you press Ctrl+Alt+Del. To add this button, right-click the CrashGuard icon taskbar. Select Add Anti-Freeze to Ctrl+Alt+Del. (Note: This option is not available when you use CrashGuard under Windows NT 4.0.) Deleting CrashGuard ------------------- Use the Add/Remove programs feature in the Windows Control Panel to completely remove CrashGuard from your system. If you do not completely remove CrashGuard, your computer might not report program errors because it expects CrashGuard to handle them. The system might suspend the program until you use Ctrl+Alt+Del to close it. To correct this problem, use the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE) to delete this key from the registry (if it exists): HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\aeDebug To use REGEDIT.EXE, select Run in the Start menu. Then type REGEDIT.EXE in the Command Line text box. Navigate through the path listed above and delete the aeDebug key. (The aeDebug key appears in the left pane of the Registry Editor window. It resembles a folder.) Disabling CrashGuard's Crash Protection --------------------------------------- When you turn off CrashGuard, it might continue to provide protection to those programs that it has already fixed since you started Windows. If you restart your computer, then turn off CrashGuard, it will not provide protection for any programs. When does CrashGuard not catch a crash? --------------------------------------- CrashGuard detects every type of crash. However, it does not catch all crashes that occur in KERNEL32.DLL, VxDs, and certain device drivers. When does CrashGuard not fix a crash? ------------------------------------- CrashGuard tries to fix every crash it intercepts. However, CrashGuard might not be able to fix the crash when: - An application crashes after it corrupts its data. - An application enters a state and cannot continue until the state is cleared. - A 16-bit application destroys its stack. When does Anti-Freeze not work? ------------------------------- Anti-Freeze cannot unfreeze an application if: - The application corrupts its data before it freezes. - The application is waiting for a state that has not cleared. - It is a 16-bit application that stops processing messages. How much memory does CrashGuard use? ------------------------------------- CrashGuard is designed to be very transparent and take a minimum amount of memory. - Fully activated, CrashGuard uses a minimal (150k) amount of memory. - While waiting to intercept a fault, CrashGuard uses 84k with only the 32-bit protection turned on, and an additional 38k with both 16-bit and 32-bit protection turned on. - Activating the Anti-Freeze option within the Ctrl-Alt-Del dialog (the default on install) uses an additional 28k. How safe is CrashGuard? ----------------------- CrashGuard is extremely safe. The 32-bit exception handler stays out of memory until an exception occurs. This type of program is called a "JIT (just-in-time) debugger." The 16-bit exception handler does not perform any background activity, although a small portion resides in memory. Toolhelp (part of Windows) calls it when a 16-bit application crashes. The icon in the clock area does nothing but bring up a menu when it is selected. What kind of information can I see when CrashGuard intercepts an application crash? ---------------------- When CrashGuard intercepts an application crash, the "Details..." button will display information about the crash, including the date and time of the crash, the module that generated the exception and the number of times CrashGuard detected a crash in the module. This Information can then be saved for later reference. Can I get CrashGuard diskettes or manuals sent to me? --------------------------------------------------------- CrashGuard is available only as an online product. A manual is available online for download in Acrobat format. Disks and hard copies of the manual are not available. How do I get technical support for CrashGuard? -------------------------------------------------- Technical Support is available through Symantec's online forums. Support for CrashGuard is available on Symantec's Web site, CompuServe, America Online and the Symantec BBS. Telephone support is not available for CrashGuard.