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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]