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Text File | 2004-11-03 | 18.5 KB | 407 lines

Navrátil Software System Information Program Documentation --- WHAT IS NSSI? ----------------------------------------------------------- NSSI is a powerful program which provides lots of information about computer's equipment - installed hardware and software. NSSI is a freeware - share and enjoy! --- SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ----------------------------------------------------- Minimal: - any processor able to execute 8086 instructions - videoadapter MDA (any videoadapter capable of 80x25 text mode) - cca 398 KB of free conventional memory (358 KB on PC-XT) - DOS 3.30 Recommended: - PC-AT, processor 80286 - videoadapter EGA color - DOS 4.0 - cca 650 KB of free XMS or EMS memory for overlaying - mouse Optimal: - PC-AT, processor 80386 or better - videoadapter VGA color - DOS 5.0 or higher - 900+ KB of free XMS or EMS memory for swapping and overlaying - mouse * If you have 64 KB large free UMB block, NSSI will use this memory, thus reducing conventional memory requirements to 334 KB. --- TOP FEATURES! ----------------------------------------------------------- These features make NSSI member of sysinfo extraleague: * Heuristics * Chytristics * Auto Correction * Online Monitoring * heuristic polydetectors, algorithmic detection, particular checks * SafeCrash(tm) technology * Safe Mode for problematic hardware/environments * backtracing technology * fast, reliable, accurate and intelligent detection and identification * superior detection rate, large, up-to-date databases, trustable results * several alternate detection methods for some components * state-of-art design - comfortable, intuitive, synoptic * maximum control comfort from keyboard and graphical mouse * fast graphic draw engine based on assembler microkernel core * internal cache for slowly detectable and/or critical data * exhaustive detection of hardware and software details * supports modern technologies * several world's unique detection features * tabular display output of detected data * integrated tests, tools and utilities * good adaptability to unfavourable conditions * runs well in V86 mode, under Windows 3.1x, Windows 9x * may run under Windows NT, resp. OS/2 * 286+ optimized code * utilizes advantages of PC-AT, EGA/VGA, 386+ CPUs, DOS 5-7 and QEMM * modest system requirements, PC-XT support * high speed operation * little possibility of crashes in spite of high detection abilities * provides practical information - can assist also as a diagnostic tool * provides tips for user * thrifty report files * Anti-Windows9x techniques for better performance of program * anti-virus feature * advanced anti-debugging/anti-hacking techniques, level C5 safety * fast updates * Internet support * completely FREEWARE --- HISTORY ----------------------------------------------------------------- I do a system support for many PC systems and I need to know what I am working with. Unfortunately, I didn't find any suitable and balanced sysinfo providing both hardware and software information in enough actual and detailed form. So I decided to write my own sysinfo. Works on NSSI started in February 1996. I originally write it only for my own usage, but me and other ascertained that it is not so bad in comparison with other sysinfos usually used. So NSSI has started to spread... Later I gained access to Internet and found that there are lots of interesting things usable for NSSI (and more). Without I-net, NSSI would never became high-end of sysinfos. Altough NSSI is not completed yet, it is available for download on Internet since November 1997. I guess that it will be completed someday in 2004 (?). I didn't plan to develop version 1.00 more than 2 years, but construction goes slowly. It namely depends on my free time. And I am disagreeably low on free time :-(. Please remember that NSSI is still primarily designed for my own purposes. --- THEY WROTE ABOUT NSSI --------------------------------------------------- "Great program I love it." Johannes R. Myhre "It's cool!" Tamás Miklós "Thank you for releasing this GREAT software as freeware." Reggie David "This is a great package, many thanks." Russell Thomson "The program looks impressive. Very professional and thorough. I like that." Frits Westra "...it is up-to-date and detailed." "NSSI was completely accurate, reliable as usual." Randall Whitman "It's the soft I looked for." Philippe Herve "...very nice piece of software." Michel de la Rambelje "I really like NSSI. It is the best sysinfo program I ever saw!!" Mckyboyz --- THEY SAID ABOUT NSSI ---------------------------------------------------- "It's amazing!" Michal Lisiecki, VIA Technologies, Inc. --- PROGRAM NOTES ----------------------------------------------------------- * Please send me report file(s) of your computer(s)! I will be glad if you will also send me images of BIOSes, Video BIOSes, hints and ideas. This way you will contribute to improving of NSSI. It is a good idea to compress these files into a single master archive and send as an e-mail attachment. I can unpack archives of almost all common packers, but RAR/ZIP/ARJ are preferred. Please note that you do not need to send CMOS, MBR and boot sector images - I don't have use for them. * I cannot guarantee that I will add all suggested features and use all your ideas. Since I don't get anything for my work on this program I will mainly add things I *want* to add. * If you use and/or like this program, please send me an e-mail! It's always nice to feel useful :). This also helps me to monitor spreading of NSSI. * If you want to donate something (information, code, money, hardware ;-), don't hesitate to contact me. It will help me in development of program. * To save screen to report file press <F2>. Benchmark screens can be saved too. * If you do not want to press <F2> for each screen, use command Commands|Automatic Report. Or, for full-automatic operation, type 'nssi /ar /exit'. If you want to control amount of information saved, use File|Options|Report style feature. * If you encounter Critical Error message, please write down all information displayed and send it me. This makes sense only if you have recent version of NSSI, because I do not store old versions and it is usually impossible to find error in new version based on error address from old one. * Remember: All features you didn't find in NSSI will be added in future! V86 versus real mode: NSSI is designed to run well in V86 mode. But in V86 mode its detection abilities are slightly reduced - e.g. identification of some older CPU types, possible problems with DMA access and BIOS scan. So real mode is preferred, but not required. Running NSSI under Windows 3.1x and Windows 9x: Since Windows 3.x is only GUI and Windows 9x is still DOS + GUI, NSSI works well under these dingy "systems". But some results may be (and some will be) incorrect - cache sizes, memory sizes, presence of some software etc. Also, detection of Plug and Play devices and IDE devices is impossible under Windows 9x. Running NSSI under Windows NT: NSSI should be able to run under Windows NT. But it may crash; also, I cannot guarantee proper detection/operation in all aspects. Running NSSI under OS/2: NSSI may run under OS/2, depending on settings of DOS box. But it may crash; also, I cannot guarantee proper detection/operation in all aspects. CPU Performance Test Performance values used to calculate graph are only estimated for some processors, so please don't be surprised if your processor will be placed higher or lower than it should be. Results also depend on your system's configuration (mainboard, cache, software in memory), so please take them with ±10% tolerance. Results are relative to clean boot. Multitasking environments will adversely affect them! FPU Performance Test Performance values used to calculate graph are only estimated for some co-processors, so please don't be surprised if your co-processor will be placed higher or lower than it should be. Note that in V86 mode, performance will be slightly lower than in real mode. Results also depend on your system's configuration (mainboard, cache, software in memory), so please take them with ±10% tolerance. Results are relative to clean boot. Multitasking environments will adversely affect them! DMI Information Some modern BIOSes support so called DMI (Desktop Management Interface). This partially means that mainboard or computer manufacturer has saved into BIOS various configuration information which may be used to obtain or set up computer's configuration remotely and so on. NSSI only displays these saved information, it doesn't detect them, so I cannot guarantee validity of these information. Better trust to original results of NSSI. Some BIOSes does not provide valid DMI information altough they state that are DMI compliant; NSSI is yet unable to detect it and therefore nonsense information will be displayed on such systems. Anti-stealth capabilities of anti-virus feature Anti-stealth enhancement to anti-virus feature tries to find original ISR (Interrupt Service Routine) of interrupt 13h in computer's ROM BIOS and in case of success reads first hard disk's MBR using this safe routine and compares result with normal state, what allows it to detect most boot/multipartite stealth viruses hiding themselves in hard disk system area. This enhancement is omitted when running under Windows 9x/NT, OS/2 and QEMM in stealth mode. It is also equipped with fail-safe technique and in case of crash is not used again. I have made every effort to make it as compatible as possible, but there's still possibility of compatibility problems, especially with some exotic BIOSes or some SCSI systems. So you can skip it manually by using 'asth-' switch. Possible incompatibilities will be investigated and fixed. --- POSSIBLY ASKED QUESTIONS ------------------------------------------------ Q: Why should I send you the report file of my computer? A: Any report can contain small bugs you cannot find, but it may be a bug, which I should fix. And your machine may contain a strange or interesting hardware or software component, which NSSI should detect or identify better. Q: I saw many good freeware beta programs on the Internet becoming shareware as their final version is out. Will NSSI be forever freeware, even after it has completed its development phase? A: Most probably yes. Now I don't have any plans to change this status. I code NSSI for fun and glory, not for money. Worst case imaginable with NSSI 1.00 could be that it will be free for personal noncommercial use and paid for commercial one. Q: I want the source codes of NSSI, will you give it away? A: NO. Aehm... 'NO' means: 'NO' ;-) --- HELP -------------------------------------------------------------------- Complete context-sensitive on-line help will be implemented in final version. Brief overview of switches: Use to AC- turn AutoCorrection off; use only if instructed by me; not for normal usage; will adversely affect detection efficiency CH- turn CHytristics off; use only if instructed by me; not for normal usage; will adversely affect detection efficiency OM- turn Online Monitoring off; some values that change during NSSI run will be detected only once and won't be refreshed OLD skip out of date message or better upgrade to recent version of NSSI ? display list of switches WIN force NSSI to try to detect Windows version and language always, even if Windows is not running, designed for Windows 3.1x SMC Show Mouse Coordinates in status area of NSSI desktop XG- disable usage of eXtended Graphics even on EGA/VGA, good for some old LCD videosystems with limited capabilities causing incorrect displaying of TUI NOSOUND prevent NSSI to use sound, good if you don't want to attract computer owner's attention during creation of automatic report ;-) TM disable graphical mouse in case of display problems and use Text Mouse Cursor SSS disable graphical screen saver in case of display problems and use Standard textmode Screen Saver, which is not called automatically PREHISTORIC skip minimal DOS version check if you want to try to run NSSI in DOS version older than 3.30; function is not guaranteed BEEP enable keyboard clicking, just for fun SAFE run NSSI in Safe Mode, see Troubleshooting section for more details RPT=<filename> specify name of report file from command line instead of using File|Report item in TUI AR create Automatic Report EXIT exit NSSI immediately after Automatic Report creation B create boot log file, see Troubleshooting section for more details LOWPCI run NSSI if it halts while "Gathering PCI Pool Data..."; you should inform me if you needed this switch, report numbers shown in status line when lock occurs and send file created using SAVEPCI= switch Y2K engage year 2000 bug test ASTH- omit anti-stealth capabilities of anti-virus feature AV- completely skip anti-virus check SAVEIDE=<fn> save detected IDE data to file to send me in case of somehow incorrect detection of IDE/ATAPI devices to help me to solve problem more quickly; you must enter Drives Details page first for this switch to work SAVEDDC=<fn> save detected DDC data to file to send me in case of somehow incorrect detection of PnP monitor to help me to solve problem more quickly; you must enter Video Details page first for this switch to work SAVEPCI=<fn> save detected PCI data to file to send me in case of somehow incorrect detection of PCI devices to help me to solve problem more quickly LCD use this in case of problems during network card detection on laptops with LCD display NIK use this in case of problems during keyboard detection; you may need this switch on systems with wireless or USB keyboard without proper emulation of ports 60h/64h NODDC use this in case of hangup during monitor detection, e.g. on laptops with LCD display Switches are case insensitive. List of switches may also be obtained by running NSSI with switch '?'. If you use some switch(es) regularly and don't want to type them again and again, create batch file for starting NSSI with switches you want. --- TROUBLESHOOTING --------------------------------------------------------- When problems occur running NSSI, try to press Scroll Lock before program starts, or specify 'safe' switch on command line. This will run NSSI in so called "Safe Mode", where hardware checks which may crash the system are disabled. For cases of crashes at startup, NSSI has debug feature: use 'B' switch and NSSI will create file NSSIBOOT.LOG with records about startup detection. Based on this file, I will know, what happened (if you will send it me :). --- KNOWN BUGS, LIMITATIONS AND INCOMPATIBILITIES --------------------------- Here are described some less important known bugs, which will be fixed in future if possible. * Video memory size may be displayed incorrectly on nVIDIA RIVA TNTx and GeForce videochipsets. * Internal File Viewer sometimes hangs while scrolling and has other (display) bugs. --- UPDATES ----------------------------------------------------------------- Latest version is always available: * on my website - see Contact - not all builds are necessary published on Internet NSSI is under development. New versions are released often and include updates, bugfixes and new features. Current version is getting obsolete quickly and will be superseded soon. It is recommended to use always latest version available. --- CONTACT ----------------------------------------------------------------- Tomás Navrátil Navrátil Software ICQ : 317492002 E-mail : tnt at navsoft dot cz Telephone: ++420 603 716 623 ++420 596 722 293 WWW : http://www.navsoft.cz Or see Help|About item in program. --- CREDITS ----------------------------------------------------------------- To For Vladimir M. Zakharychev aka Bobby Z. TMi0SDGL, DrvTypes Norbert Juffa CompTest Finn Thoegersen VGADOC Mr. Byte aka Andrew Eigus DrvTypes Vasiliy Sorokin FirstINFO Ralf Brown Interrupt List André Baresel, Craig Jackson Sound Blaster Programming Information MiPol Research and Production SB_DMA Vladimír Vylícil valuable testing Farflame aka Ales Kopriva ß-testing --- DISCLAIMER, LICENSE AND COPYRIGHT --------------------------------------- WARNING ! THIS PROGRAM IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT, USE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK !!! This program is provided "as is". In no event the author will be liable for any damages, including any lost profits, lost savings or other incidental or consequential damages arising out of your use or inability to use the program, or for any claim by any other party. NSSI is free for noncommercial usage, it may not be sold or leased. Also, it may not be used in a commercial way without written permission of the author. NSSI is copyrighted by Navrátil Software. All rights are reserved. Navrátil Software and NSSI are trademarks of Tomás Navrátil. All other mentioned trademarks and copyrights are registered by their respective owners.