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- VGA-COPY/386
- User's manual
-
- VGA-Software GmbH
- 26039 Oldenburg
- Germany
-
- Tel: +49-441-972952
- FAX: +49-441-972954
- BBS: +49-441-972955
- EMail: support@vgasoft.com
-
-
-
-
- Table of contents
- ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡
-
- 1. Introduction
- 1.1. Features
- 1.2. Soft- and hardware requirements
-
- 2. Installation
- 2.1. Installing from original disks
- 2.2. Installing other types of copies
- 2.3. Deinstallation
- 2.4. Compability
- 2.5. Individual optimization
- 2.6. The VGAREAD driver for non-standart-formats
-
- 3. The graphical user interface
- 3.1. Buttons
- 3.2. Switches
- 3.3. The message window
- 3.4. The trackdisplay
- 3.5. The parameter window
- 3.6. Progress bars
- 3.7. Mouse and keyboard support
-
- 4. Examples
- 4.1 How to copy a disk
- 4.2. Formatting a disk
- 4.3. Virus scanning
- 4.4. Creating disk image files
-
- 5. Appendix
- 5.1. VCP files
- 5.2. File comments
- 5.3. Soundfiles
- 5.4. Bootsector VGACOPY.BIN
- 5.5. Icons: VGACOPY.IDF
- 5.6. Commandline parameters
-
-
-
-
- 1. Introduction
- ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡
-
- Welcome to VGA-COPY/386 - you just received one of the most
- popular disk-copy-programs in Germany!
-
- When I first started writing a tiny, colorful disk-copy-program, I
- wouldn`t have believed VGA-COPY to become the most popular
- shareware program in Germany eversince. Today, VGA-COPY is know as
- the standart program for copying disks, most of the pc-users have
- had it installed on their systems or at least read about it in
- computer magazines - even some of the biggest german hardware
- distributors are selling their computers with VGA-COPY pre-
- installed. There have been many attempts to clone this program,
- but none of them were really successfull.
-
- Since VGA-COPY/386, there is no detailed documentation within the
- program because most people hardly ever read it and the print-out
- is not too easy. That`s why I published a printed manual at a
- price just covering the investments. With this version of VGA-
- COPY/386, it`s now translated into english to provide service for
- all the english speaking users.
-
- I recommend beginners to first read chapter two (installation) and
- then to go on with chapter four (examples) - if you are a
- experienced pc-user, you may just pick the things you would like
- to know something about.
-
- And now - on with the show!
-
-
-
- 1.2. Features
- =============
-
- Basically, VGA-COPY/386 is a tool for handling disks - that means
- formatting, copying, checking, comparing, storing and restoring.
- All of this features are done with remarkable speed supporting up
- to four disk-drives at up to two controllers and all DOS disk-
- formats (including the 3.5" 2.88 Mb disk) plus special formats
- that allow up to 1722 Kb capacity on a common 3.5" HD disk.
-
- The graphic user interface featuring 3D-icons, switches and mouse
- support makes it very easy to use VGA-COPY/386. The program is
- following a strict modular concept - you won`t find a "Coyp Disk"-
- button but single functions that you combine in the way you want
- your copies to be done. Soundblasters are also supported to give
- you a multimedia-like feeling using VGA-COPY/386.
-
- VGA-COPY/386 reads or writes a complete 1.44 Mb disk in just 36
- seconds - in the most cases, it`s even faster since most disks are
- not completely filled with data. Using special techniques, copied
- disks become 100% faster than conventionally formatted disk.
-
- It also provides a high level of security by checking written data
- on the same level as professionell copy-machines. Additional,
- defect disks can often be formatted with the same capacity like
- error-free ones by adjusting the sector-gap-space on the defect
- parts.
-
- Protection against computer viruses is given within two different
- methods:
- - First, shareware virus-scanners like F-PROT can be easily used
- to scan disks - you just have to press a single button.
- - The other method is the heuristic bootsector analysis that is
- done automatically. This technique can even detect new viruses by
- checking for "virus-like"-code. In tests, all viruses were found
- including the stealth wide-spread "parity-boot" virus. If a
- bootsector has been reported as being suspicious, you should scan
- the disk with a actual virus-scanner to proof,if there really is a
- virus - so don`t panic!
-
- The ability to store complete disk-images to files, supporting
- common packing-programs to lower filesize and optionally provide
- data-encryption, enables you to backup disks and make as many
- copies as you like without having to read the original disk.
-
- The internal system diagnosis checks what hardware is present and
- on what type of operating system the computer is running - that
- way, you can have a quick view on the configuration your system
- did boot with if you are using the multiconfiguration option of
- DOS.
-
- The shareware version is not limited in any function as it should
- be with any shareware program, because you can`t try out a
- function that`s not implemented. This way, I`m fair with you and I
- would like you to be fair, too and register VGA-COPY/386 if you
- use it regulary.
-
-
-
- 1.3. Soft- and hardware requirements
- ====================================
-
- Of course, the better equiped your computer is, the better VGA-
- COPY/386 runs, but the following hardware is sufficient to work
- with it:
-
- - DOS-compatible 386 (SX or DX)
- - 4 MB RAM
- - VGA graphics adaptor
- - mouse
-
- Today, this type of computer is already standart, most of the
- computers are even better equiped. You can run VGA-COPY/386 on a
- computer that doesn`t apply to the requirements given above, if
- you notice the following information:
-
- - On a 286, VGA-COPY runs without any problems as long as there
- is enough XMS-memory, but the 32-bit-operations can`t be used
- because the processor doesn`t support them. That means a slow-
- down of the program.
- - It`s also possible to run VGA-COPY with an EGA graphics
- adaptor but due to the lower resultion, a part of the graphics
- will be missing at the screen`s bottom.
- - If you don`t have a mouse, that`s no problem, your keyboard
- will do it, too. Of course, it`s no that comfortable, but on
- the other hand it`s faster.
-
- Unfortunately, there is a typ of computer that applies to the
- requirements mentioned but will cause VGA-COPY/386 to abort
- indicating an error: it`s all systems with a Michrochannel
- Architectur (MCA). That`s because MCA-bus based computers such as
- the IBM PS/2 are using a bus-master-DMA that`s totally different
- and also incompatible within the port addresses to the following
- bus-systems supported by VGA-COPY/386:
-
- - ISA (industrial standart bus, also known as AT-bus)
- - EISA (extended ISA)
- - VLB (VESA local bus)
- - PCI (local bus system by Intel)
-
- Additional, VGA-COPY/386 requires the following software:
-
- - A XMS-driver providing enough XMS-memory to read a complete
- disk into, this driver is included in DOS and Windows
- (HIMEM.SYS) and normally installed.
- - A Microsoft-compatible mousedriver, that`s normally already
- installed or included in the software given within the mouse.
- If your mouse doesn`t work with VGA-COPY/386, please try out
- the Microsoft mousedriver MOUSE.SYS.
- - A operating system compatible to MS-DOS 3.30. That includes
- concurrent operating systems and newer versions of MS-DOS.
-
-
-
-
- 2. Installation
- ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡
-
-
-
- 2.1. Installing from original disks
- ===================================
-
- Change to the disk`s main directory and start the installation by
- typing
- INSTALL
- and then pressing return. The installation program will then
- suggest you every ZIP-format file on the disk to install. Select
- the program you want to have installed by moving the highlighted
- bar with the cursor keys, press return when done. Next, the
- program asks for the directory, it will install the program to. I
- suggest the directory
- C:\VGACOPY
- as used by the most distributors when pre-installing VGA-COPY/386.
- Virus-scanners should also be installed to that directory, that
- way, VGA-COPY/386 can find them faster.
-
-
-
- 2.2. Installing other types of copies
- =====================================
-
- The shareware version of VGA-COPY/386 is also published via
- mailbox (BBS). In this case, all files belonging to VGA-COPY/386
- are packed into an archive that doesn't need to be in ZIP-format.
- It might be possible that some files are not included in that
- version, but VGA-COPY/386 also runs without the voc-files and this
- manual. Please follow the instructions you got within that
- version. To install, just copy the archive file or the files (if
- unpacked) to a directory of your choice. After having extracted
- the archive, you should delete it in order to save disk space.
-
- Example: If you got the archive file VGACOPY.ZIP on a disk in
- drive A: and want to install it to C:\VGACOPY, proceed like this:
-
- C:
- MD \VGACOPY
- CD \VGACOPY
- COPY A:\VGACOPY.ZIP
- PKUNZIP VGACOPY.ZIP
- DEL VGACOPY.ZIP
-
-
-
- 2.3. Deinstallation
- ===================
-
- Although it's pretty unusual that you want to delete the program,
- but it's very simple - you just have to delete all the files in
- the directory you installed VGA-COPY/386 to. After this, there is
- only the config-file VGACOPY.CFG left, that is located in the
- directory of your active COMMAND.COM (usually C:\), so you may
- delete that file, too.
-
-
-
- 2.4. Compability
- ================
-
- VGA-COPY/386 is desigened under MS-DOS, but also runs with the
- following operating systems:
-
-
- DR-DOS (Novell-DOS)
- -------------------
-
- At first, there had been a problem with the function to detect the
- BIOS-entry-point, that is officially documented within MS-DOS
- since version 3.30, but caused computercrashs with DR-DOS.
-
- These problems are solved with VGA-COPY/386 that runs properly as
- long as you don't let it run in the background using Novell DOS.
-
-
- Windows
- -------
-
- There are no problems upto Windows 3.11, but you should delete the
- soundfiles and use the PIF-file included within VGA-COPY/386 to
- ensure proper work. On my system VGA-COPY/386 runs without
- modification right out of the archive. But this may be different
- on yours, some times bits and bytes go strange ways.
-
-
- OS/2
- ----
-
- According to my own tests, there are no problems runnign VGA-
- COPY/386 in a DOS-box of OS/2 - background-mode is not possible
- due to the graphicmode and conflicts with other programs running
- at the same time. Please do also delete the soundfiles.
-
-
- Novell NetWare
- --------------
-
- At my office, VGA-COPY/386 and Novell NetWare 3.12 (5 users) work
- together without any trouble. It's not possible to work with
- remote disk-drives on other workstations because VGA-COPY/386
- needs to access the disk controller directly, but you can of
- course read a disk and store it on the server and then reload it
- from another workstation.
-
-
- DesqView
- --------
-
- DesqView is a multitasker for DOS and has been tested for problems
- working with VGA-COPY/386 in the version 2.62. There just have
- been some problems in the graphic window, but it was possible to
- work and exit the program.
-
-
- 2.5. Individual optimization
- ============================
-
- There's not much to optimize within VGA-COPY/386 because it
- automatically detects hard- and software equipment.
-
- You have to ensure that there's enough free XMS memory. Many users
- are wasting their XMS memory by having a huge 2MB harddisk-cache
- installed although they've got only 3MB available. If you've got a
- RAM-disk, you may have to shrink it.
- Before changing any of your configuration files, you should backup
- them to have the opportunity to restore them, if you don't
- succeed.
-
- You can set someenvironment variables as there are:
- - SCAN points to any executable file that will be started with
- the drive name as the first parameter, normally to be used for
- anti-virus software.
- - VCPS defines the directory in that the disk images are stored
- to.
- We recommend not to define them, unless you are sure that will
- have need for that.
-
- If you want to save disk space, you can delete the soundfiles
- (*.VOC), the intro pictures (VGADEMO.*) and the icons displayed on
- the buttons (VGACOPY.IDF).
-
- If you want to use the packer ARJ (used to smaller the disk image
- files), ensure it to be in one of the directories defined in the
- PATH environment variable, otherwise just copy ARJ.EXE into the
- VGA-COPY/386 directory
-
- Using the F-PROT anti-virus untilities, you just have to follow
- the instructions concerning ARJ as given above.
-
-
-
- 2.6. The VGAREAD driver for non-standart-formats
- ================================================
-
- As already mentioned, VGA-COPY/386 has the ability to copy to or
- format for example a 5.25" disk with 1.44MB. Because this formats
- are normally not accessable under DOS, you need the TSR program
- VGAREAD.EXE that is included within VGA-COPY/386.
-
- Activate this driver by executing
- VGAREAD
- from a disk formatted with high capacity using VGA-COPY/386. From
- now on, you should be able non-standart-format disks without any
- trouble.
-
- It seems that this also works fine if would like to copy the files
- from a new Microsoft DMF-Disk to your hard disk, what is normally
- not possible due to the special format pure DOS cannot read.
-
- If you are working a lot with those formats, you should copy the
- driver to your hard disk and add on of the following lines to your
- CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT to load VGAREAD automatically when
- booting your computer.
-
- CONFIG.SYS: DEVICEHIGH=C:\VGACOPY\VGAREAD.EXE
- AUTOEXEC.BAT: LH C:\VGACOPY\VGAREAD.EXE
-
- This example assumes VGAREAD.EXE to be in the directory
- C:\VGACOPY, if you have installed it in another directory, you
- have to replace the directory in the lines above.
-
- Please note, that VGAREAD cannot be started from any kind of a
- shell like every TSR program, as this might hang up your system
- later.
-
-
-
-
- 3. The graphical user interface
- ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡
-
- The user interface isn't designed following one of the well-known
- standarts like SAA, but similar to them - "like the cockpit of an
- supersonic aeroplane" (DOS International) - it's because I wanted
- the interface to be equiped with buttons to click on when I first
- wrote the VGA-COPY/386.
-
- The labels have always been in english because everyone
- understands the common computer-english, messages and helptexts
- are taken from a file, so that they can be adjusted to the
- language spoken in the country VGA-COPY/386 is distributed in.
-
-
-
- 3.1. Buttons
- ============
-
- Buttons are usual within graphical user interfaces an activated by
- moving the mouse over the button and then pressing the left
- mousebutton. You can also use the keyboard - the hotkeys are the
- label's underlined chars.
-
-
- The button "READ"
- -----------------
-
- This will make VGA-COPY/386 read a disk that is automatically
- located within the available drives. Then, the disk's capacity
- will be detected.
-
- If the option "MODIFY" is activated, the disk's file-allocation-
- table (FAT) will be analysed to reduce the time being needed to
- read the disk. Unoccupied parts of the disks won't be read but
- instead filled in memory with the DOS fill-byte (it's $F6 although
- $00 might have been more senseful).
-
- The reading process can be supervised in the "trackdisplay".
- When done, an accoustic signal will tell you to remove the disk -
- you can also press any key instead, but I recommend to never leave
- a disk in a floppy.
-
- Now, an image of the entire disk is saved in the XMS memory and
- ready for further purposes.
-
-
- The button "WRITE"
- ------------------
-
- This is the feature usually chosen next. It writes the disk images
- located in the XMS memory to a disk.
-
- Again, the floppy drive will be chosen automatically. This might
- sound a little bit dangerous but isn't as long as you're not
- leaving disks in the drives.
-
- When done, the other drives will be automatically searched for
- disk to write on. That's quite advantageous when your computer has
- several floppies and you want to make more than a single copy in
- one process.
-
- Don't forget to deactivate the "MODIFY" option when the
- destinationdisk is a systemdisk or any other disk that's
- bootsector shouldn't be modified. It's sufficient to deactivate
- the option before rewrite because VGA-COPY/386 is replacing the
- bootsector just at write-backs.
-
-
- The button "COMPARE"
- --------------------
-
- Users often say that they don't use this feature very often. But
- nevertheless it is still part of VGA-COPY/386 because it replaces
- another DOS command.
-
- It will locate the disk and then comparing it bit-by-bit with the
- image saved in the XMS memory showing the result graphically. With
- this function, the colours are chosen different from the standart:
- yellow marks physical errors, differences are marked orange. If
- you read a disc and then compare it to itself, the result should
- be all blue, for that's the color for equal data.
-
- The bootsector of a disk written with the "MODIFY" option
- activated will of course be shown in orange (difference) when the
- copy is compared to the original. This is also the only
- possibility to check if a 85-track-disk has been written correct
- because the normal check can't detect that error for the actual
- tracks is written correct.
-
-
- The button "FORMFILL"
- ---------------------
-
- VGA-COPY/386 supportes a great variety of different diskformats,
- that can be chosen using this function and will be generated into
- memory - that's why there's no danger to accidentally destroy a
- disk's contents.
-
- The disk image contains the VGA-COPY/386 standart bootsector (what
- else?) because it shouldn't use the standart DOS one.
-
- Then, the prepared disk can be written using the "WRITE" button. I
- recommend to activate the "VERIFY" and "FORMAT". Without "VERIFY",
- the formatted disk won't be checked. You should only deactivate it
- when...
-
- - using brand disks,
- - you want to delete the disk's content forever,
- - a 360 KB disk that has been formatted to 1.2 MB should be
-
- A feature used quite often is quick format: Deactivate both
- "VERIFY" and "FORMAT" and write the disk. Because VGA-COPY/386
- skips all the empty tracks, there will be in fact just the first
- track written. That means that the disk will keep it's old
- capacity but is flushed because the directory and FAT are cleared.
-
-
- The button "LOAD"
- -----------------
-
- This feature is implemented new within VGA-COPY/386 and loads a
- disk image file generated by VGA-COPY/386 into the memory to
- enable it to write it to a disk.
-
- If the file was packed using ARJ, it'll be unpacked automatically.
- The same with password encrypted files, you will be prompted for
- the password.
-
-
- The button "SAVE"
- -----------------
-
- Using this function, you generate the VCP disk image files that
- you load with the "LOAD" function.
-
- There will be a list of all VCP-files found, then you can enter
- the name to store the current disk image from the XMS memory to.
- You have the opportunity to label the file with a 40 char comment.
- When VGA-COPY/386 finds the packer ARJ, you'll be prompted for a
- password as well. If you don't want to encrypt the disk image,
- just press enter.
-
-
- The button "VIRSCAN"
- --------------------
-
- This will let VGA-COPY/386 execute an external virus-scanner with
- the name of the floppy in which it had found a disk as the first
- parameter. During the scan, VGA-COPY/386 will swap out to EMS or a
- temporary file - the scanner will run in fullscreen textmode and
- is not controlled by VGA-COPY/386, but the whole textscreen will
- be displayed in the trackdisplay after returning to VGA-COPY/386.
-
- It was necessary to swap out the program because the McAffee SCAN
- needs at least 384 KB free RAM since version 100. However, we do
- noz recommend to make use of that anti-virus-software, due to its
- missing feature of detecting polymorphic viruses.
-
-
- The button "CHMKDIR"
- --------------------
-
- If you want to save a disk image file, but not to the current
- directory, use this button. You'll be prompted for a directory
- name that will become the current one or will be made if it's not
- existing (like the DOS command "MD").
-
-
- The button "DIRINFO"
- --------------------
-
- Similar to the DOS's "DIR" command, this will search for a disk
- and then display all directory and files on that disk. And, in
- fact, DOS supplies the names of the files and directories on the
- disk. So don't blame VGA-COPY/386, if something is wrong.
-
- This is just to get a brief idea of what's on the disk, but it
- even displays the disk's total and free capacity. Unfortunately,
- the information is sometimes not correct due to combinations of
- some computers and DOS-cache, but in most cases there are no
- problems.
-
-
- The button "LABEL"
- ------------------
-
- A label is a 11 chars long string diskname that's usually
- generated by DOS when formatting a disk or using the DOS command
- "LABEL". VGA-COPY/386 does exactly the same: it'll read the label
- of a disk found in one of the floppies and then prompt you to edit
- this one. After editing the label, VGA-COPY/386 will write the new
- one back to the disk.
-
-
- The button "QUIT"
- -----------------
-
- According to some people who dislike VGA-COPY/386 (yes, they do
- really exist!), this is the most important button - it's used to
- leave the program.
-
- The allocated XMS memory will be released and available to other
- programs, the current configuration (switches) will be saved and
- automatically active when starting the program the next time.
-
-
-
- 3.2. Switches
- =============
-
- A switch is very likely to a button for the important differences
- that a switch changes his status when activated. This is
- visualized by small status lamps indicating if the opton is
- activated or not.
-
-
- The "VERIFY" switch
- -------------------
-
- This switch indicates if the track that has been written is to be
- checked directly afterwards, that enables you to check the copy's
- quality when done.
-
-
- The "FORMAT" switch
- -------------------
-
- With this switch activated, you advise VGA-COPY/386 to low-level-
- format every disk. Of course, that needs some extra time, but is
- recommended because with reformatting the disk's tracks, you
- increase the data's lifetime. Note, that you need this switch to
- be activated if you want to use one of VGA-COPY/386's special
- formats.
-
- If you insert a non-formatted disk or one with a different format,
- VGA-COPY/386 automatically activates this switch and disables it
- after writing. This way, "plug'n'play" is no problem. Usually,
- VGA-COPY/386 checks out by itself, what to do with the disk.
-
-
- The "MODIFY" switch
- -------------------
- Activating this switch will force VGA-COPY/386 to generate copies
- that equal 100% to the original. "MODIFY" has different meanings
- for the "READ" and "WRITE" functions, for details check out the
- describtions about the buttons above.
-
- I recommend to leave this switch activated as long as you don't
- want to copy installation disks.
-
-
- The "RETRIES" switch
- --------------------
-
- Well, this one's different from the other switches because there's
- a value to adjust that tells VGA-COPY/386 how many times it should
- try to read a sector from the disk.
-
- DOS normally uses three attempts before claiming the disk to be
- damaged, but using up to 99 attempts can in some cases rescue data
- from disks that are heavily damaged. VGA-COPY/386 also can read
- sectors with CRC-errors - they will of course be written correctly
- to the copy.
-
- I recommend you to first try to read and write a damaged disk to a
- new one with VGA-COPY/386 before using a tool like DiskFix because
- the tools do modify data on the original disk - VGA-COPY/386
- instead can save all data without any changes.
-
-
-
- 3.3. The message window
- =======================
-
- This is where the program outputs instructions and information.
- The style might appear unusual - it's designed like a hifi
- device's display. The colors are defined as following:
-
-
- Processes and dialogues in YELLOW
- ---------------------------------
-
- When VGA-COPY/386 is processing, it's shown in yellow - same with
- any input of filenames or comments.
-
-
- Statusreports in GREEN
- ----------------------
-
- Statusreports, the XMS memory info and the user's registered name
- appears in green.
-
-
- Errors in ORANGE
- ----------------
-
- When there is an error or an interruption within the current
- process, this is indicated in ORANGE.
-
-
- Warnings and requests BLINKING
- ------------------------------
-
- All warnings and requests are written blinking and have to be
- confirmed by a keypress or a mouseclick.
-
- The request to remove all disks is recommended for beginners, you
- later can disable that request by the commandline switch "/K".
-
-
-
- 3.4. The Trackdisplay
- =====================
-
- During any disk operation, VGA-COPY/386 provides realtime
- information in the trackdisplay as there are:
-
- - the current head and track processing
- - the type and result of the action itself coded in different
- colors as explained later
- - the sector where the current action began (indicated by a line
- in the trackbar)
-
- The colors indicate the following actions:
-
-
- Reading: GREEN
- --------------
-
- The green areas are sectors read without any problems.
-
-
- Systemarea: OLIVE-GREEN
- -----------------------
-
- This is the bootsector and FAT if you enabled "MODIFY" to only
- copy the occupied sectors.
-
-
- Trouble ahead: BRIGHT-GREEN
- ---------------------------
-
- These tracks have been read correctly, but not in the first
- attempt - this is likely for weak magnetism (old disk) or a floppy
- malfunction (to check by reading disks new formatted on other
- computers - if there's no problem, your floppy's okay).
-
- To avoid trouble, you should copy the disk to another one or to
- itself to refresh the tracks. If a bright-green tracks appears
- while formatting, your copy is okay but not of the best quality.
-
-
- Empty tracks: DARK-GREEN
- ------------------------
-
- When a track is identified as being empty, it's indicated in dark-
- green.
-
-
- Formatting: MAGENTA
- -------------------
-
- An actual formatted track is displayed in magenta, also when it's
- an empty one.
-
-
- Comparing: BLUE
- ---------------
-
- After a comparing or a write-back, the correct proven tracks are
- shown in blue and are completely equal.
-
-
- Comparing an empty track: DARK-BLUE
- -----------------------------------
-
- When VGA-COPY/386 compares an empty track, it's in dark-blue.
-
-
- Error: YELLOW
- -------------
-
- When yellow appears, the disk is corrupt - this can eighter be one
- sector or even a whole track. If that error appears while
- formatting, the disk should not be used any more. When writing a
- disk, you can use that disk as long as you don't use the damaged
- parts. To enable VGA-COPY/386 to read a disk although there has
- been an error, increase the "RETRIES" switch (see chapter 3.2.).
-
-
- CRC-error: ORANGE
- -----------------
-
- The driver controller reported a CRC-error, that normally means
- that the data is destroyed but in many cases, there is just a
- single byte corrupt, so that reading my make a sense, although.
-
- When comparing, the CRC-checksum shows that there is a difference
- between the data stored in the XMS memory and the data on the
- disk.
-
-
-
- 3.5. The parameter window
- =========================
-
- This little window located in the screen's middle, at the right
- side provides informations about the disk such as the number of
- sectors, tracks and sides (yes, "Sec." means sector, not second!).
- If the disk has been copied with VGA-COPY version 2.3 or later,
- VGA-COPY/386 can also display the date of creation, it's the
- LONGINT generated by Borland's (TM) "PackTime" procedure.
-
-
-
- 3.6. Progress bars
- ==================
-
- The progress bars are the traditional way to show any kind of
- progress. Located at the trackdisplay's right side, there are:
-
- - a BLUE bar indicating the estimated disk capacity
- - the write-progress bar in RED
- - and last but not least the reading-progress bar.
-
-
-
- 3.7. Mouse and keyboard support
- ===============================
-
-
- The MOUSE
- ---------
-
- With the LEFT mouse button, you activate and deactivate all
- buttons and switches.
-
- The RIGHT mouse button is used to stop the actual process - it's
- kind of an emergency-brake.
-
- Some mice do have a MIDDLE mouse button, so that one's just for
- fun - it launches the VGA-COPY-demo (VGADEMO.EXE).
-
-
- The Keyboard: F-Keys...
- -----------------------
-
- ... do generate an empty disk in the XMS memory like the
- "FORMFILL" button does:
-
- KEY SIZE(KB) SIDES TRACKS SECTORS/TRACK COMMENT
- F1 180 1 40 9 "ancient"-format
- F2 205 1 41 10 VGAREAD required
- F3 360 2 40 9 1 sector/cluster
- F4 410 2 41 10 VGAREAD required
- F5 420 2 42 10 VGAREAD required
- F6 640 2 80 8 Toshiba-format
- F7 720 2 80 9 1 sector/cluster
- F8 820 2 82 10 VGAREAD required
- F9 1200 2 80 15 standard-format
- F10 1440 2 80 18 standard-format
- F11 1600 2 80 20 VGAREAD required
- F12 1722 2 82 21 VGAREAD required
- D 1680 2 80 20 new Microsoft DMF
-
-
- The ESCAPE-key [ESC]
- --------------------
-
- This key is traditionally used to quit a program and that's the
- same with VGA-COPY/386.
-
- You also can interrupt any current action, same with...
-
-
- The SPACE-key
- -------------
-
- Is used like a car's braking paddle - generating a full stop
- within the current operation. It also clears the trackdisplay when
- VGA-COPY/386 is not active at the moment.
-
-
- The ENTER-key
- -------------
-
- Some users or companies do store a little text in the disk's
- bootsector (advertisment or a "this disk belongs to..."-note) that
- is only shown when booting from the disk. Because experienced
- users don't do that in order to avoid the spread of boot-sector
- viruses, pressing the ENTER-key will display that text and also
- perform a heuristic virus scan on the boot-sector (see above).
-
-
- The BACKSPACE-key
- -----------------
-
- This will update the system-diagnosis VGA-COPY/386 usually does at
- startup.
-
-
- The keys [Ins], [Del], [Home], [End], [PgUp], [PgDn]
- ----------------------------------------------------
-
- They don't really have a real function, I just assigned some
- effects to them - try them out if you are brave enough! They might
- by useful as a screen-saver.
-
-
-
- 4. Examples
- ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡
-
- This chapter explains how to get the things done, VGA-COPY/386 is
- mostly used for, in a way, most users request and appreciate.
-
- Before you start, check if there is enough XMS-memory available
- and a anti-virus program installed.
-
-
-
- 4.1. How to copy a disk
- =======================
-
- VGA-COPY/386 can copy every disk readable under DOS to another
- disk of the same format. You cannot:
-
- - copy a HD disk to a DD disk (the copy would be of a bad
- quality).
- - copy files from a disk with a small capacity to a disk with a
- higher capacity leaving the rest of the disk free (everybody
- has his own program such as the Norton-Commander to do
- something like that).
-
- Insert the source disk into the drive, then click the READ-button.
- VGA-COPY/386 reads the complete disk track by track to the XMS-
- memory. When finished, you will be prompted to remove the disk.
-
- Now, you can produce as many copies as you want - just insert the
- destination disk into the drive and activate the WRITE-button. I
- recommend to set all switches to ON before (read chapter 3.2. to
- get to know their functions). VGA-COPY/386 then formats every
- track, writes the data, verifies it and displays it in blue color
- on the trackdisplay if no error occured.
-
- After the copy is done, remove the disk and repeat the procedure
- as many times as you want to.
-
-
-
- 4.2. Formatting a disk
- ======================
-
- VGA-COPY/386 is also capable to format a disk in various
- densities. As this features has been implemented later in the
- original program, the process is kind of uncommon, but got
- established so good, there wasn't any change necessary.
-
- Basically, a formatted disk is nothing different than a copy made
- from an empty disk - that's the way it's done here: VGA-COPY/386
- just produces an empty disk in the XMS-memory. Just click on the
- FORMFILL-button, select a disk format - the disk will then be
- created.
-
- Afer having inserted the disk to format into any disk drive, use
- the WRITE-button to start. You can watch the tracks being create
- and verified. If there are any yellow marked tracks appearing in
- the trackdisplay, the disk is damaged and shouldn't be used.
-
- It is possible to mark those bad clusters but I do not recommend
- that methode because sectors close to the damaged ones will also
- get damaged (but not marked!) after some time.
-
-
-
- 4.3. Virus scanning
- ===================
-
- To fight computer viruses, one uses special anti-virus software.
- VGA-COPY/386 supports them and provides a more comfortable way to
- use them. As already mentioned, anti-virus software is not a part
- of VGA-COPY/386 and has to be installed seperately.
-
- If your virus scanner reports having found a virus, stay calm. Not
- every virus-alarm really has to be a real one. The programs
- supported by VGA-COPY/386 are choosed by their high precision in
- virus recognition.
-
- Then, you have three choices:
-
- - Use the KILL-button to let the anti-virus program try to
- remove the virus, if it's a program disk. Unfortunately,
- sometimes removal is not possible because the virus destroyed
- the program.
- - If there are only data files (text, addresses etc.), copy them
- from the disk to use them. Never run any program from the
- infected disk!
- - Bootsector viruses can be removed by VGA-COPY/386 itself. Just
- read the disk and then write it back with the MODIFY switch
- activated.
-
- I recommend to mark and refuse the infected disk. In most cases,
- the person from whom you got the disk doesn't know about the
- virus, might be a good idea to let him know.
-
-
-
- 4.4. Creating disk image files
- ==============================
-
- Having just bought new software and want to backup the
- installation disks? Well, have fun changing dozens of disks...
-
- There is a better way to do that! Use VGA-COPY/386 to create and
- compress disk images, then store them to a streamer.
-
-
- How to backup...
- ----------------
-
- Just read the disk and save them using the SAVE-button to your
- harddisk (when prompted for the description, you should use the
- disk label). Repeat for all the disks. Finally, store the VCP disk
- image files to your streamer. There you go!
-
- ..and to restore
- ----------------
-
- To recreate a disk from the disk image file, just load the VCP
- file by using the LOAD-button and then write it to the disk by the
- WRITE-button.
-
-
-
-
- 5. Appendix
- ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡
-
- This chapter, not only interesting for programmer, explains all
- file formats used by VGA-COPY/386.
-
-
-
- 5.1. VCP files
- ==============
-
- Ever since version 1.0, the only format logic and compatible for
- disk images is used: It's just to store all sectors in their
- logical order. No header is used, that's why the VCP files are
- compatible to the UNIX-format TAR.
-
- Since VGA-COPY/386, VCP files are compressed using ARJ. The
- comment is then included in the file FILE_ID.DIZ, as requested by
- most mailbox systems and common since being introduced by the PC-
- Board software. When uploading compressed VCP files to a mailbox,
- you should change the file extension to ARJ because they may
- support ARJ archives - however, the file really is a ARJ archiv.
-
-
-
- 5.2. File comments
- ==================
-
- Comments on VCP files are saved in DESCRIPT.ION. There is one line
- per file, beginning with the filename, a space character and the
- comment. This is the format also used by 4DOS.
-
-
-
- 5.3. Soundfiles
- ===============
-
- The soundfiles used since VGA-COPY/386 on certain events (before
- Windows developers didn't even dream about linking sound to
- events) are in the common VOC format, developed by Creative-Labs,
- the maker of the Sound-Blaster. If you dislike the sounds included
- within VGA-COPY/386, just use your own ones. Name them as
- followed:
-
- Filename Event
- --------------------------------------
- VGACPY0.VOC button/switch used
- VGACPY1.VOC prompt for input
- VGACPY2.VOC startup
- VGACPY3.VOC quitting
- VGACPY4.VOC error
- VGACPY5.VOC read
- VGACPY6.VOC write
- VGACPY7.VOC compare
- VGACPY8.VOC errorfree operation
- VGACPY9.VOC terminated by user
-
-
-
- 5.4 Bootsector VGACOPY.BIN
- ==========================
-
- A disk's first sector is called bootsector. When the MODIFY-switch
- is activated, VGA-COPY/386 does write his own bootsector to the
- disk. When leaving a disk in drive A: while booting the computer,
- the bootector is executed and normally does only display an error
- message.
- VGA-COPY/386's bootsector instead presents a menu where you can
- select from four choices:
-
- - Load the operating system from the harddisk
- - Swap the disk drives
- - Boot from another disk
- - Reboot the computer by hardware reset
-
- Try it out!
-
- The file just contains the bootsector (512 bytes). An uncompressed
- VCP-file can be used by renaming it. The first three bytes (jump)
- and everything starting with the 63th byte will be copied to the
- destination disk.
-
- To use the bootsector of any other disk, insert that one into
- drive A: and then run DEBUG in the VGA-COPY/386 directory (DEBUG
- is included within MS-DOS). Then use the following commands:
-
- N VGACOPY.BIN
- L 0100 0 0 1
- RCX
- 200
- W
- Q
-
- Your next disks will then contain the bootsector you captured from
- that disk.
-
-
-
- 5.5. Icons: VGACOPY.IDF
- =======================
-
- This file contains all the neat and colorful icons used by VGA-
- COPY/386. They were created with a small freeware-icon-designer
- for Turbo Pascal, included within the english magazin PC-Plus
- volume 7/92.
-
- If you like to, just create your own icons.
-
-
-
- 5.6. Commandline parameters
- ===========================
-
- VGA-COPY/386 does not support commandline based operations since
- it is an interactive program, just like a game. To get a grip on
- the parameters used to configurize VGA-COPY/386, just type
-
- VGACOPY /?
-
- to get information. The parameters are not explained in this
- manual since they are subject of frequent change.
-
-
- [EOF]
-