The Best Shareware of the Year 1997 Winter/The Best Shareware of the Year 1997 Winter.iso/wt2faq2.txt

Text File | 1995-12-26 | 49.8 KB | 1,211 lines

*** The Wintune(R) 2.0 FAQ ***

Frequently Asked Questions
Wintune(R) 2.0

Version 4.08, 12/15/95

This FAQ incorporates the information that was previously found
in README.TXT.

Wintune(R) is a registered trademark of CMP Publications, Inc.

***

Wintune(R) 95, the successor to Wintune 2.0, is available for
download from CompuServe (G WINMAG) and America Online (keyword
WinMag). You can also find them elsewhere, but you'll always find
the latest version at these officially-supported sites.

Wintune(R) is also available commercially as part of the
quarterly Windows Magazine CD. See the Windows Magazine CD FAQ
for information on ordering a subscription or single copy.

***

TECHNICAL SUPPORT:

Due to the freeware distribution of Wintune(R) 2.0, we cannot
provide one-on-one technical support via e-mail, telephone, or
mail.

We currently provide direct technical support only through our
forums on CompuServe (G WINMAG, message section 13) and America
Online (keyword WinMag, then choose Message Exchange, then look
in the folder Wintune(R) v2.0). (To sign up, call CompuServe at
800-848-8199, or America Online at 800-827-6364.)

Please read through this FAQ completely and browse messages
already posted *before* posting a request for technical support.
If you do post in one of the WinMag forums, please tell us what
versions of DOS and Windows you're using, and, above all:

*** PLEASE TELL US EXACTLY WHAT TIPS WINTUNE(R) IS GIVING YOU.
***

(If you tell us, "Wintune(R) says I have a slow disk," we don't
know if you're getting "Improve Cached Disk Performance,"
"Improve Hard Disk Performance," or "Upgrade your hard disk.")

If Wintune(R) won't run, please describe the problem in detail,
including the exact text of any error message, and what shows in
the title bar of the error dialog, if any.

Also, please provide detailed information that will help diagnose
the problem:

- For CPU and RAM questions, that means brand and model of the
PC; clock speed and model of the CPU (particularly if you're
using a clone CPU from AMD, Cyrix, IBM, or NexGen); L2 cache
size; amount of RAM; the complete, unedited contents of
Wintune(R)'s Details/All window; and EXACTLY WHAT TIPS Wintune(R)
IS GIVING YOU.

- For video questions, that means brand, model, and bus type of
the video board; driver revision number (if known); the complete,
unedited contents of Wintune(R)'s Details/All window; and EXACTLY
WHAT TIPS Wintune(R) IS GIVING YOU.

- For disk questions, that means brand and model of the hard
drive; brand, model, and bus type of the IDE, EIDE, or SCSI
adapter; what third-party disk, 32-bit disk access, 32-bit file
access drivers you're using, if any; what third-party disk cache
you're using, if any; the complete, unedited contents of
Wintune(R)'s Details/All window; and EXACTLY WHAT TIPS Wintune(R)
IS GIVING YOU.

***

If you need help setting up Wintune(R), search for the word
SETUP.

If you have encountered an error message, search for the word
ERROR.

If you've run Wintune(R) and you have a performance-related
question, search for the word PERFORMANCE.

If you are looking for general advice, search for the word
GENERAL.

***

RELEASE NOTES AND KNOWN PROBLEMS:

1. Except for changes to the FAQ, readme files, and online help,
the 12/15/95 final release is identical to Wintune(R) 2.0 update
#3, released on 6/5/96.

2. The references to WINTUNE.EXE in the following online help
sections are mistakes. The correct file name is WT20.EXE.

Help Menu: About the test-tune-up kit
Installing On A Network
Performance
Setting Last Test Saved Switch (/L)
Setting TRF File Switch(/TRF)
Setting Time Delay Switch (/T)
Setting Memory Test defeat switch (/M)
Setting Video Test defeat switch (/V)
Setting Cache Size Switch (/C)

3. On a 120MHz or faster Pentium, the "Unrecognized Disk Cache,
use /C" tip will usually appear, even if you're using a cache
that Wintune(R) recognizes, like SmartDrive or Windows for
Workgroups' 32-bit file access.

4. With EIDE drives, the "Create a permanent swap file" tip may
appear, even if the Virtual Memory control panel shows that one
exists.

5. In the now discontinued 6/5/95 full release and update #3,
WT2FAQ2.TXT was out of date. The final FAQ is WT20-FAQ.TXT, dated
12/15/95.

6. The READ.ME file in the now discontinued WTUPD3.ZIP was out of
date. The installation instructions were incorrect, and the
actual contents of WTUPD3.ZIP were:

GETINFO  DLL        18,048  02-10-95  2:06p
READ     ME            800  12-16-94  3:51p
README   TXT        14,765  06-01-95  3:41p
TIPADW16 DLL        21,248  05-30-95 12:19p
WT20     EXE       280,871  05-17-95  1:34p
WT2FAQ2  TXT        30,821  06-01-95  3:20p
WTFAQ    HLP        11,107  05-26-95 10:02a
WTHELP   HLP       640,517  05-26-95 10:36a
WTTIP    HLP       120,618  05-17-95  9:02p

***

DOWNLOAD AND SETUP:

SETUP: System Requirements

Wintune(R) 2.0 requires Windows 3.1 or higher and 4MB of RAM. It
needs 5MB of free disk space during installation, but afterwards
it takes up only about 1.75MB. It was designed for (and tested
on) 386, 486, and Pentium class Intel-based computers. It will
run only in 386 Enhanced Mode, thus will not work on a 286.

If you are using Windows 95 or Windows NT, use Wintune(R) 95
rather than Wintune 2.0.

Wintune(R) will run, but will not issue performance tuning tips,
on OS/2 2.1 and 3.0.  For accurate results, you must set the disk
cache manually (using the /c command-line switch discussed below
and in Wintune(R)'s online help). See specific instructions for
each of these operating systems below.

SETUP: Proper Wintune(R) Downloading / Corrupt Downloads

Wintune(R) 2.0 is available online only in a single .ZIP file
archive. The name of that archive is WT20.ZIP and the file size
is 1,318,188 bytes. If you have a different file size, or get an
error message (like "error in Zip," "invalid archive," "invalid
archive directory," or "no files found") when you try to unzip
the file, then you probably have a bad download, and will need to
retrieve the .ZIP file again. (If you downloaded the file from
America Online, see "Setup: AOL Users" below.)

SETUP: Download Time

It should take around 15 minutes to download WT20.ZIP at 14.4
kbps, and about half that time at 28.8 kbps. If it takes you 90
minutes, you're actually connected at only 2400 bps. Contact your
online service or Internet access provider for assistance in
getting up to speed.

SETUP: Installing Wintune(R)

WT20.ZIP is a .ZIP file archive. (An archive is a file that
contains other files, usually compressed.) Here are step-by-step
instructions for installing Wintune(R) 2.0 from WT20.ZIP. (If
you're using WinZip, see the instructions below.)

1. Create a working directory, like C:\WTINST. Select Create
Directory from File Manager's File menu, and enter C:\WTINST when
asked for the name of the directory to be created. If you've
already downloaded WT20.ZIP, move it to C:\WTINST. (If you're
using America Online, this step may have been performed
automatically--see SETUP: AOL Users below.)

2. Next, extract the files contained in WT20.ZIP to the working
directory. If you use PKunzip, you'd use the DOS commands:

cd \wtinst
pkunzip wt20

3. Go back to the File Manager, open C:\WTINST, and double-click
on SETUP.EXE to launch the

4. Once you're satisfied that Wintune(R) is running properly, you
can recover about 2.8MB of disk space by deleting C:\WTINST. (You
might want to copy wt20.zip to a floppy first.)

SETUP: Installing with WinZip

WinZip greatly simplifies the installation process.

1. Start WinZip and open the WT20.ZIP archive by using the Open
button or by dragging the WT20.ZIP icon out of the File Manager
and dropping it on WinZip.

2. Click the Install button to run the Wintune(R) 2.0 Setup
utility. By default Wintune(R) is placed in C:\WT20, but you can
put it anywhere you like.

3. Once you're satisfied that Wintune(R) is running properly, you
can recover about 1.3MB of disk space by deleting WT20.ZIP. (You
might want to copy it to a floppy first.)

SETUP (AND DOWNLOADS): AOL Users

If you downloaded WT20.ZIP from America Online (AOL), the
extraction may have already been done for you. AOL has an option
(Members/Set Preferences/Download/Automatically decompress files
at sign-off) that causes it to automatically extract files from
any .ZIP archives you download. In that case, you will find the
contents of WT20.ZIP in the directory C:\AOL20\DOWNLOAD\WT20.
Open that directory in the File Manager and double-click on
SETUP.EXE to launch the Wintune(R) 2.0 Setup utility. By default
Wintune(R) is placed in C:\WT20, but you can put it anywhere you
like. Once you're satisfied that Wintune(R) is running properly,
you can recover about 2.8MB of disk space by deleting C:\WTINST.
(You might want to copy wt20.zip to a floppy first.)

If you download WT20.ZIP to a floppy disk, TURN OFF the automatic
decompression option first. Otherwise AOL will attempt to extract
the files onto the floppy and fail due to insufficient disk
space.

Sometimes AOL appears to download WT20.ZIP but the file doesn't
show up in the download directory afterwards, so you have to
start all over again. Our current theory is that this is the
result of the AOL software not recognizing a corrupted or
incomplete download. If you uncheck "Delete ZIP and ARC files
after decompression" you should be able to resume the download
instead of having to start from scratch.

If you're upset by download problems, please complain to AOL
support. Unfortunately there's nothing we at WinMag can do about
these problems, and feedback from unhappy customers is the best
way to persuade AOL to improve matters.

To read AOL's FAQs on download problems:

Go to keyword Help.
Click the "Members Online Support" icon.
Click the "Technical Help" icon.
Click the "Download Help" button.

To get credit for incomplete AOL downloads:

Go to keyword Credit.
Double-click the "Getting Credit for Incomplete Downloads" folder
and fill out the form.

SETUP (DOWNLOADS): Compuserve users

How you download depends on what software you're using to access
Compuserve.

If you're using WinCIM, see the online help for "Libraries."
Wintune(R) is in library 4 of the Windows Magazine forum. Choose
Go from the Services menu, type "winmag," and click OK. Then
choose Browse from the Library menu, and double-click on "Wintune
& WinMag CD." Select "Wintune v2.0 Full Release," click Retrieve,
and click OK to start downloading.

If you're using terminal emulation, G WINMAG, then from the main
forum menu:

choose LIBRARIES
choose library 4
choose DOWNLOAD

At the "File name:" prompt type "wt20.zip" and press Enter.

What you do next varies depending on what software you're using
and what file-transfer protocol you've selected.

SETUP (DOWNLOADS): Internet users

If you're downloading from the Internet, be sure your ftp
software is set for binary transfer. If you accidentally ftp in
ASCII mode (a common mistake when using command-line ftp), you
won't be able to unzip the file.

SETUP: OS/2 users

You should manually set Wintune(R)'s cache size to the same size
as that set in the DISKCACHE line in CONFIG.SYS (for FAT drives)
or to that set with CACHE= in the IFS=HPFS.IFS line of
CONFIG.SYS. For instance, if you are using OS/2 with a FAT drive,
and DISKCACHE = 1024,L,W set:

     /C1024

If you are running HPFS and IFS=C:\OS2\HPFS.IFS /CACHE:512 ...:

     /C512

SETUP: Setup fails

If you've downloaded Wintune(R) and unzipped the file
successfully, but the setup.exe utility fails, another ampliation
may be interfering. Try this: exit Windows, enter WIN at the DOS
prompt, and hold down the Shift key until you see the desktop.
This aborts any automatic startup programs, such as screen
savers. Now try running setup.exe again.

SETUP: Windows not installed on drive C:

Wintune(R) won't set up properly if Windows isn't installed on C:
We tested the Wintune(R) setup on partitions other than C:, and
it works--but there may be problems installing if Windows itself
is located on a partition or disk other than C:. If that happens,
you can still install manually.

SETUP: Laptops/notebooks

For Wintune(R) to operate reliably, power management must be
completely disabled, which may mean remming out lines in
CONFIG.SYS and/or AUTOEXEC.BAT.

Examples of how power management can affect Wintune(R)'s
performance ratings are discussed in "GENERAL: WINTUNE.TRF"
below.

SETUP: Manual Installation

If Wintune(R)'s setup.exe won't run, or installation fails, try
to install the utility manually. After extracting WT20.ZIP into a
scratch directory, exit Windows and use the following DOS
commands to copy them where they belong. If you want to install
into a directory other than c:\wt20, or Windows isn't installed
in c:\windows, edit the commands accordingly. (Note that you can
copy the commands from this file and paste them into a batch
file, thus avoiding a lot of command-line tedium.)

expand  cmdialog.vb_ c:\windows\system\cmdialog.vbx
expand  getinfo.dl_  c:\wt20\getinfo.dll
expand  gsw.ex_      c:\windows\system\gsw.exe
expand  gswdll.dl_   c:\windows\system\gswdll.dll
expand  hell16c.dl_  c:\wt20\hell16c.dll
copy    readme.txt   c:\wt20
expand  ssidxtab.vb_ c:\windows\system\ssidxtab.vbx
expand  tipadw16.dl_ c:\wt20\tipadw16.dll
expand  vbrun300.dl_ c:\windows\system\vbrun300.dll
expand  ver.dl_      c:\windows\system\ver.dll
expand  wintune.tr_  c:\wt20\wintune.trf
expand  wt20.ex_     c:\wt20\wt20.exe
copy    wt2faq2.txt  c:\wt20
expand  wtfaq.hl_    c:\wt20\wtfaq.hlp
expand  wtgraph.vb_  c:\windows\system\wtgraph.vbx
expand  wthelp.hl_   c:\wt20\wthelp.hlp
expand  wtss3d.vb_   c:\windows\system\wtss3d.vbx
expand  wtss3d2.vb_  c:\windows\system\wtss3d2.vbx
expand  wttip.hl_    c:\wt20\wttip.hlp
expand  wtest.hl_    c:\wt20\wtest.hlp

If expand.exe isn't in your DOS directory, you can copy it from
the DOS installation diskettes to your DOS directory using File
Manager or this DOS command:

copy a:\expand.exe c:\dos

Once you've expanded all files to the correct directories,
restart Windows. From Program Manager, select File/New, Program
Group, and type in "Wintune(R) 2.0" to create the program group.
Then select File/New, Program Item, and use the Browse button to
select WT20.EXE from your WT20 directory to create a Wintune(R)
2.0 program item. Repeat this process to create program items for
the three .HLP files and README.TXT. Wintune(R) is then installed
just as if you'd been able to run Setup.

SETUP: Running Wintune(R) from a floppy (sort of)

You can't run Wintune(R) off a floppy disk--the program's too
large, and it won't run until the necessary DLLs are installed
into \windows\system. However, there is a workaround if you want
to use Wintune(R) to check out PCs in a store before you buy.

Format two 1.44MB 3.5" floppies. Unzip WT20.ZIP onto the first
one and leave the second blank.

On the first PCs you test, run a:\setup to install Wintune(R).
After you run the tests, choose File/Save Present Test in
Database. Then put use File/Save Results Database As to save the
results (TRF) file to the second, blank floppy.

On the rest of the PCs you test, set up Wintune(R) and run it.
Then use File/Open a Results Database to load the TRF file from
the second floppy, and choose File/Save Present Test in Database
to add the current results.

You can test a series of PCs in one or more stores in this way,
adding each to the TRF file. Then you can use Wintune(R)'s
Comparisons tab to see how the various systems' results compare.
(Keep in mind that the systems may not all have been set up for
optimal performance, and that differences up to 10% may reflect
variations in Wintune(R)'s operation rather than meaningful
hardware differences.)

SETUP (PREFERENCES): Expert mode

You can switch Wintune(R) into Expert mode using the radio button
on the General tab of the Edit/Preferences dialog. This adds a
Load Saved Test as Current to the File menu so you can look at
saved test details; adds a Full Tips command to the Help menu so
you can browse tips that are not pertinent to your configuration;
and eliminates some system messages, like the warnings you get
when other applications are running or you exit Wintune(R)
without having saved the test results in a database.

SETUP (STARTUP SWITCHES): Automatically loading the last saved
test as current with /L

If you wish, you can have Wintune(R) automatically load the most
recent test in the default .TRF file (normally WINTUNE.TRF)
automatically each time Wintune(R) loads. To do so, edit the
command line (click on the WT20.EXE icon in Program Manager,
select File/Properties) and append /L (preceded by a space) after
any other switches:

     wt20.exe /l

SETUP (STARTUP SWITCHES): Setting cache size manually with /C

If you have an IDE or SCSI adapter with a hardware cache, you
should use the /c switch to set Wintune(R)'s cached disk
performance test file size manually. For example, if there's 128K
on the adapter, you'd start Wintune(R) with:

     wt20 /c128

***

ERROR MESSAGES:

ERROR: Unable to load C:\WINDOWS\SETUP.EXE

This error indicates that you didn't type a full pathname for
wintune setup, which is located in C:\WTINST (or wherever else
you unzipped WT20.ZIP). Switch to Program Manager, select
File/Run, click the Browse button, and select SETUP.EXE from the
directory into which you downloaded and unzipped wintune. Click
OK, and you will have the correct pathname--and setup should run
correctly.

ERROR: Unable to load WTSETUP.EXE
ERROR: Error Loading Setup File: c:\\wtsetup.exe
       Installation Aborted

If you get this message, the automatic setup won't work. Follow
the instructions in SETUP: Manual Installation above.

ERROR: One or more Visual Basic applications are running. Please
close those applications, then choose OK to continue.

Installing Wintune(R) updates some Visual Basic components. Since
this can't occur while a VB program is running (executables can't
be overwritten while in use), you have to shut down all VB apps
before running setup.

ERROR: VBX File Out Of Date

If you get a message that a .VBX file is out of date, it's likely
that a misbehaving program has placed an out-of-date version of
the .VBX file in your WINDOWS directory, rather than in the
\WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory where VBX files belong. Since Windows
searches the \WINDOWS directory first, it will use an out of date
file rather than a newer, correctly installed in \WINDOWS\SYSTEM.

To correct this problem, back up the \WINDOWS and \WINDOWS\SYSTEM
directories. Then check your WINDOWS directory for the existence
of .VBX files. If you find one, copy it from the WINDOWS
directory to the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory, *unless* there's a
newer file of the same name in the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.

Do *not* copy a VBX FILE from WINDOWS to WINDOWS\SYSTEM if the
.VBX file in WINDOWS is older than the .VBX file in
WINDOWS\SYSTEM!

When you're done, delete all .VBX files from the WINDOWS
directory, restart Windows, and run Wintune(R) again.

ERROR: Cannot Create Redraw File

This message means you are short on both memory and disk space.
Wintune(R)'s user interface was built with Visual Basic 3.0, and
uses VB's auto-redraw feature. This requires opening a redraw
file that contains copies of the bitmaps used in the user
interface, so that we can quickly restore the display when you
move a window or take other actions that require redraw activity.
When Wintune(R) can't find enough space to create the redraw
file, it can't run. Try freeing up some space on your hard disk.

ERROR: Invalid Property Value

Wintune(R) (and Windows itself) requires certain fonts in order
to run. Do not delete the following fonts:

     Arial (TrueType)
     Arial Bold (TrueType)
     Arial Bold Italic (TrueType)
     Arial Italic (TrueType)
     Courier 10,12,15 (VGA res)
     Courier New (TrueType)
     Courier New Bold (TrueType)
     Courier New Bold Italic (TrueType)
     Courier New Italic (TrueType)
     Modern (Plotter)
     MS Sans Serif 8,10,12,14,18,24 (VGA res)
     MS Serif 8,10,12,14,18,24 (VGA res)
     Roman (Plotter)
     Script (Plotter)
     small fonts (VGA res)
     Symbol (TrueType)
     Symbol 8,10,12,14,18,24 (VGA res)
     Times New Roman (TrueType)
     Times New Roman Bold (TrueType)
     Times New Roman Bold Italic (TrueType)
     Times New Roman Italic (TrueType)
     Wingdings (TrueType)

Deleting these fonts, particularly MS Sans Serif, may result in
an "Invalid Property Value" error when attempting to start
Wintune(R).

ERROR: Need Graphics Server version 2.51 or Later
ERROR: GSW.EXE & GSWDLL.DLL version mismatch

If you see this error, you probably have more than one copy of
GSW.EXE and GSWDLL.DLL on your system. You *should* have only one
copy of each file, in WINDOWS\SYSTEM. Search your hard disk for
additional copies (usually in the \WINDOWS directory), and rename
them: GSW.EXE becomes GSW.EXX and GSWDLL.DLL becomes GSWDLL.DLX.
Please note that this is *not* due to an error in Wintune(R)
setup--the problem is that certain other software puts these
files in the wrong directory.

ERROR: Invalid File Format
ERROR: Failed to open Graphics Server. GSW.EXE Must be available
via the DOS path
ERROR: Cannot load DLL.
ERROR: Can't load custom control C:\Windows\System\Graph.VBX

One of these messages usually indicates you have a bad download.
See the "Corrupt Downloads" section above.

ERROR: One or more Visual Basic applications are running. Please
close those applications, then choose OK to continue.

Wintune(R) needs to have total control over your system while
performing its low-level tests. It can't do that while Visual
Basic apps are running (for that matter, ideally Wintune(R)
should be the only program running--that's why we recommend that
you always run it first after starting a clean Windows session).
Running it any other way can give misleading results.

ERROR: General Protection Fault (GPF)

A number of things can cause GPFs when running Wintune(R).

"WT20 caused a General Protection Fault in module GETINFO.DLL"
happens if you try to start Wintune(R) while Windows is running
in Standard Mode. Restart Windows in 386 Enhanced Mode. You can
force Windows into 386 Enhanced mode by starting it with
"win /3".

You can also get a GPF at startup if you have less than 4MB of
RAM (Wintune(R)'s minimum requirement), or if a large amount of
your memory is reserved, for example by a oversized SmartDrive
cache or by EMM386 allocating a large block of memory to EMS.

Other GPFs at startup generally indicate a corrupt download. See
the "Corrupt Downloads" section above.

A GPF at startup on a laptop may indicate a conflict between
Wintune(R) and the laptop's power management software. Check the
documentation and disable all power-management options.

If you get a GPF during the video test, there's either a bug in
your video driver or a conflict between it and Wintune(R). If
possible, upgrade to a new video driver. (See UPDATING VIDEO
DRIVERS in the main help file for more information.)
Unfortunately, it's fairly common for even the latest video
drivers to have problems, in which case you'll just have to wait
and try your vendor's next upgrade. In the meantime, you can
disable the video test by starting Wintune(R) with the /v option
(wt20 /v), or try running Wintune(R) using its generic VGA or
super-VGA drivers (which will give unrealistically low video
results).

ERROR: Divide By Zero
ERROR: Divide Overflow

If you get this error when starting Wintune(R), or on a system
with more than 32MB RAM, then you need to download and install
the latest update (WTUPD3.ZIP).

If you get the error during the floating-point unit (FPU) test,
and you have a 386-based system (or a 486SX) that's been upgraded
by adding a 387 (or 487) math coprocessor, this may indicate that
the FPU is incompatible with the CPU (probably it's not fast
enough). To check, use the Turbo switch (or fast/slow CMOS
setting) to reset your system to slow speed, then run Wintune(R)
again. If the divide-by-zero error goes away, this indicates that
your CPU is too fast for the coprocessor, and you need to replace
the coprocessor with a faster model.

ERROR: "Unable to get memory management information. This may
cause Wintune(R) (and Windows itself) to become unstable. Wait
until this test sequence is complete, then exit Windows and
reboot your computer."

This usually indicates a minor conflict between Wintune(R) and a
third-party memory manager like QEMM or Netroom. If you
temporarily reconfigure your system to use DOS's memory
management (HIMEM and EMM386), Wintune(R) should run normally,
though it won't necessarily reflect the performance with the
third-party memory manager.

If you're not using a third-party memory manager, this message
probably indicates that your system has very little memory below
1MB in the Windows virtual machine (VM). Windows uses a small
amount of this low memory each time it starts an application. If
you are unable to start applications, but seem to have plenty of
system resources and virtual memory, then you have probably run
out of low memory. You can check with the WinMag Resource Probe
utility, PWRESL.ZIP in the file libraries on America Online or
Compuserve. (Normally you could find out how much free low memory
there in the Windows VM by clicking on the RAM tab in
Wintune(R)'s Details screen.) To increase the amount of Windows
VM memory available under 1MB, you must either remove unnecessary
device drivers and TSRs from or CONFIG.SYS and/or AUTOEXEC.BAT,
or load necessary drivers and TSRs into high memory by running
DOS's MemMaker utility or a third-party memory manager.

ERROR: System locks up (hangs) during memory test.

If your system has less than 8MB (usually 4MB) RAM, then the
problem is most likely a bug in an early version of WT20.EXE. If
your copy of WT20.EXE has a size of 276519 bytes, then it is the
old version. Download the latest update (WTUPD3.ZIP).

ERROR: Insufficient Disk Space for Write Test

If the "Test Disk" is set to a drive with ample free space, this
message probably indicates the largest unfragmented block of free
space isn't large enough to create the test file. Defrag the
drive and try again.

ERROR: ERROR # 70; Permission denied. Proc: MNU SaveAs_Click

This message appears if you try to save over an existing .TRF
file. Use a different file name (or delete the old file first, if
you really want to replace it).

ERROR: Could not read block [number].

If you get this error message when running Wintune(R)'s disk test
on a CD-ROM drive, try it with another CD. See also "PERFORMANCE
(DISK): Slow CD-ROM drive" below.

ERROR: System locks up (hangs) when browsing Wintune(R)'s help
files

This is a known problem we were still investigating at the time
this FAQ was released. Newer versions of the FAQ may have more
info.

ERROR: "Error loading DLL" when installing from WinMag CD

This is a known problem we were still investigating at the time
this FAQ was released. Newer versions of the FAQ may have more
info. In the meantime, follow the instructions in SETUP: Manual
Installation above.

ERROR: Can't print; system hangs when you try to print

This is a known problem we were still investigating at the time
this FAQ was released. As a workaround, copy the information you
want from Wintune(R)'s details screen and paste it into your word
processor. This is a better way to print anyway, since Wintune(R)
just sends the printer unformatted ASCII.

***

PERFORMANCE ISSUES

PERFORMANCE (GENERAL): Test scores lower than expected

The most common reason for low test scores is other software
interfering with Wintune(R)'s operation. You should disable all
memory-resident software, including power management, antivirus
utilities, undelete trackers, uninstallers, screen savers, and
fax software, and have no other applications running when you
start Wintune(R). Third-party memory managers, disk caches,
32-bit disk or file access drivers, and alternate Windows
desktops can also interfere with Wintune(R)'s operation.
Conflicting software may be loaded in CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT,
the load= and run= lines in WIN.INI, or Program Manager's StartUp
folder.

Specific programs that frequently interfere with Wintune(R)
include Stacker, QEMM-386, Netroom, RAM Doubler, Norton Desktop,
and Uninstaller 3.0.

PERFORMANCE (GENERAL): Test Scores and/or Tips Vary

If you run Wintune(R) several times, you may notice a variation
of plus or minus 10% on the individual test results. This is
normal, so don't worry about it.

These minor variations mean that if your system's performance is
right around the point where Wintune(R) displays a particular
tip, that tip may appear only intermittently. For example, if
your video board is slower than average but not a real dog, the
"Upgrade your video board" tip might appear the first time you
run Wintune(R), disappear the next, and come back the third time.

It's common to see substantial variations if you run Wintune(R)
twice without restarting Windows. Each time you run Wintune(R),
restart Windows before running it again.

Wildly fluctuating or seemingly random results are usually caused
by memory-resident software interfering with Wintune(R)'s
operation.

PERFORMANCE (DISK): Slow Hard Disk Performance

Many factors affect disk performance, including the drive itself,
the adapter, which bus the adapter uses, CPU speed, RAM speed,
CMOS settings, size and configuration of the disk cache, 32-bit
file access, and disk compression, if any. (See Understanding
Disk Test Results in the main Wintune(R) help file for more
information).

The Wintune(R) developers' current working theory is that with a
hardware cache you'll get the best results by setting 32bfa to a
minimum. Note that when you run Wintune(R) with the /c switch, it
will report that 32-bit file access and SmartDrive, even if you
are.

If your disk scores are in the under 300K per second range, then
you are almost certainly running without disk cache, or with
inadequate cache. Wintune(R)'s disk test looks for the size of
your WFWG 3.11 32BFA cache or SMARTDrive cache, and runs two
tests--one at 20 percent of the cache size ("cached" test), and
one at 10 percent over the cache size. Thus, for a 1MB cache
size, we test at 200KB (cached) and 1.1MB (un-cached). If we find
neither 32BFA nor SMARTDrive, then we test cached performance at
a 64KB file size, and uncached performance at 50 percent of the
size of your system's RAM (if you have 8MB of RAM, we run a 4MB
test file).

In any case, Wintune(R) 2.0 creates the test file, then performs
sequential and random reads and writes in the file using 4KB
blocks. We compute overall disk performance for the front-panel
indicator using a weighted average of cached and uncached
performance, weighted at 50 percent each at a 2MB cache size.
Increasing either the cache size or the disk performance will
improve both the Wintune(R) disk score and overall system
performance in most cases Note: Wintune(R)'s Disk Test will show
the best performance with both read and write caching enabled.
Write caching can be dangerous--if your system is shut down
unexpectedly between disk flushes you may lose data or even
corrupt your disk. If you are not certain that your system is
reliable with write caching enabled, turn it off. Consult the
documentation provided by your manufacturer (for SMARTDrive and
WFWG 3.11 32BFA, this is the DOS/Windows documentation from
Microsoft).

A number of software factors can also affect disk performance,
including use of EMM386.EXE to provide expanded memory for DOS
applications (it's not needed for Windows applications, and
should be eliminated when not required), fragmentation on your
hard disk, use of a compression program such as Stacker or
DoubleSpace, and so on. See Disk Performance Improvement Tips in
the main Wintune(R) help file for some suggestions.

PERFORMANCE (DISK): Improve cached disk performance.

There was a bug in Wintune(R)'s online help: when you viewed the
"Improve Cached Disk Performance" tip, it displayed the "Improve
Hard Disk Peformance" tip instead. If you encounter this problem,
install update #3, which fixed the bug.

PERFORMANCE (DISK): Make sure the disk's parameters are correctly
set in the BIOS.

The documentation for your hard drive should indicate the
settings that should appear in your PC's BIOS setup display. For
example, the Seagate ST3600A's setting is 1024 cylinders, 16
heads, and 63 sectors per track. If the settings in your BIOS
don't match those specified in the disk's documentation, you may
not be able to format the drive to its full capacity, and
performance may suffer.

PERFORMANCE (DISK): "Possible disk subsystem configuration
problem" or "Detected one or more possible configuration problems
in your system's disk drives"

These messages are misleading. Wintune(R) simply adds them to
your disk details report whenever the disk's performance is low
enough to trigger the "Improve hard disk performance" tip.
Configuration problems are just one of many possible causes of
slow disk performance.

PERFORMANCE (DISK): SCSI and Wintune(R)

When running under Windows for Workgroups 3.11, Wintune(R)
sometimes report very low performance on SCSI disks. There are
some very strange things going on with caching, 32-bit disk
access and 32-bit file access in 3.11, and Wintune(R) isn't the
only diagnostic that highlights them.

The most common problem with SCSI disks is that Windows will set
SMARTDRV /double_buffer in CONFIG.SYS. This slows the effective
disk access to a crawl, both in applications and in the
Wintune(R) disk benchmarks. You need to install the correct ASPI
driver for the SCSI card you are using, which will enable you to
use WFWG 3.11 32-bit file access on the drive. Remove the
SMARTDRV line for CONFIG.SYS (or edit the SMARTDRV line to
disable caching on your SCSI drive(s). For more information,
search for "Adjusting: Smartdrv Settings" in Wintune(R)'s online
help.

PERFORMANCE (DISK): SMARTDRV and Hard Disk Performance

If you're using disk compression software like DriveSpace,
DoubleSpace, Stacker, or SuperStor, don't cache the compressed
drive. Instead, cache the physical "host" drive, uncompressed
drive that holds the hidden file that actually contains the data
for the compressed virtual drive.

Check your SMARTDRV settings to assure that the physical drive is
cached and the compressed drive is not. For example, if your
physical drive is C: and the compressed drive is G:, you'd want

     c:\dos\smartdrv c+ g-
or   c:\dos\smartdrv c g-

depending on whether you want write-caching on or off. Enter HELP
SMARTDRV at the DOS prompt or search for SMARTDRV SETTINGS in the
main Wintune(R) help file for more information.

(There's also a version of SMARTDRV in your Windows directory,
but you should use it only if you're running DOS 5 or earlier.)

PERFORMANCE (DISK): Memory and Disk Performance

If you have only 4MB of RAM, the most cost-effective way to
improve disk performance is probably to upgrade to 8MB.

With only 4MB of RAM, your SMARTDrive cache probably isn't set
larger than 512KB. That means that large files will be forced
directly to disk, without the benefit of caching. Don't try
making SMARTDrive larger without increasing RAM, though, that
will cause programs to thrash as they fight for the small amount
of RAM that's left. The simple fact is that 4MB isn't enough RAM
to get optimal performance from any current version of Windows.

PERFORMANCE (DISK): 32-bit disk access and large EIDE drives

If your >528MB EIDE drive was set up using a software utility
like Ontrack's Disk Manager or Seagate's EZ-Drive, you must use
the 32-bit disk access driver included with that utility.

PERFORMANCE (DISK): 32-bit Disk Access Unrecognized

When using some third-party 32-bit disk access drivers,
Wintune(R) will give you an "Enable 32-bit disk access" tip even
when though the "Use 32-bit Disk Access" option is checked in the
Virtual Memory dialog box. We are still investigating this
problem and will add a fix to the FAQ if and when we find one.

PERFORMANCE (DISK): Hardware Cache Unrecognized

Wintune(R) doesn't actually test to see if you've got a hardware
cache on your disk adapter or drive--it relies on Windows for
that information. If Windows doesn't detect such a caches, check
with your drive and/or adapter manufacturer to see if you're
using the right drivers and settings to get maximum performance
under Windows.

PERFORMANCE (DISK): Windows NT Advice

[this section under renovation, please post questions in forum]

PERFORMANCE (DISK): Windows 3.1 Advice

If you have Windows (or Windows for Workgroups) 3.1, then the
cache may be SMARTDrive (covered under "Adjusting SMARTDRV
Settings" in Wintune(R)'s online help), or a third-party disk
cache (consult the instructions that come with your third-party
cache software).

PERFORMANCE (DISK): Windows for Workgroups 3.11 Advice

If you have WFWG 3.11, then the cache situation depends on
whether you are able to use 32-bit file access. In Control Panel,
click on the Enhanced Icon, then select Virtual Memory and
Change>>. If you see a check box for Use 32-bit File Access,
check it and set the cache size to about 25 percent of the total
memory in your system (2MB on an 8MB system).

If you have a SMARTDrive line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, Windows
automatically adjusts it downward when you select 32-bit file
access. If you have put SMARTDrive in another batch file or are
using a different cache, then you should either comment it out,
or modify the SMARTDrive settings to avoid caching the hard disks
you're using with 32BFA. These issues are discussed in detail in
the Microsoft Windows for Workgroups Resource Kit, which is a
must-have reference for serious tuning. The cost is approximately
$30. Call Microsoft End User Sales at 800-426-9400

PERFORMANCE (DISK): Disk Test Scores Vary

It's normal to see some variation in Wintune(R) disk scores. We
read disk data through whatever cache is enabled (SMARTDrive,
FastFAT, etc.), and the precise score depends on the cache state.
For maximum accuracy, run the Full Test rather than the Quick
Test, run it several times, and average the results.

If the disk score appears to be changing when some other system
component not related to the disk (video driver, network drivers,
etc.) is changed, then this may indicate that some sort of
delayed activity or timer setting is interfering with the test.
Try editing the command line to: c:\wintune\wintune.exe /t30 this
will set a 30-second delay between tests, eliminating any
possibility that the video test affects the disk test.

You *must* have a space after WT20.EXE and before /t in order for
the command-line switch to work.

     C:\WT20\WT20.EXE /t15

works, while:

     C:\WT20\WT20.EXE/t15

Does not.

PERFORMANCE (DISK): Slow CD-ROM drive

You can run Wintune(R)'s disk test on a CD-ROM drive.
Unfortunately, the results don't always reflect reality. You may
get unrealistically low speed ratings, or nonsensical results
(like -1024 KBps). In the next major upgrade we plan to add a
separate CD-ROM test that will work more reliably.

PERFORMANCE (CPU): Wrong clock speed (4MHz 486/Pentium?!)

Under certain conditions, Wintune(R) will report a 486 or Pentium
system running at unrealistically low performance levels--such as
4MHz. This is usually associated with low overall performance on
all tests (all pointers at or near the bottom of the screen) and
it indicates a serious configuration error--not a Wintune(R) bug.

The most likely causes are: primary CPU cache disabled (see your
system's CMOS configuration screen), excessive RAM wait states
(see your system's CMOS configuration screen), turbo switch set
OFF or cross-wired (reset the switch and repeat the test), power
management enabled (notebooks and "Energy Star" or "green"
desktops), or use of a TSR/driver program that steals CPU cycles
(examples include EMM386 with EMS emulation enabled, and the
Chameleon TCP/IP TSR).

If a Packard Bell system is reported as running at 4MHz, the
problem may be fixed by adding a software patch to AUTOEXEC.BAT.
Since many readers reported having trouble getting the patch
(PBFIX.COM) from Packard Bell, we have made it available in our
software libraries on AOL and Compsuerve. However, we cannot
provide any technical support on the patch--you'll have to take
that up with Packard Bell.

A bug in the Wintune(R) 2.0 beta produced the 67MHz ratings of
the 90MHz Pentiums listed in WINTUNE.TRF.

PERFORMANCE (CPU): CPU identified incorrectly

Wintune(R) 2.0 does not correctly identify some clone CPUs. If
you don't have the latest version, download and install the
update (WTUPD3.ZIP). If that does not fix the problem, please
post a message in our Compuserve or America Online forum. Please
include the brand, model, and clock speed of your clone CPU.

PERFORMANCE (FPU): Wintune's MFLOPS don't match another
benchmark's MFLOPS

MFLOPS (millions of floating-point operations per second) is a
vague term. Different benchmarks' MFLOPS ratings vary widely
depending on what mix of floating-point instructions each uses.

Wintune's Whetstone MFLOPS indicates how many million floating
point operations per second the computer performs while running
the industry-standard Whetstone benchmark, originally written
20-some years ago in Algol, later ported to C. Variations between
one Whetstone benchmark and another on a given computer reflect
the efficiency of the compliler used to turn the standard
Whetstone source code into an executable.

The version of Whetstone used in Wintune was slightly modified by
Martin Heller to adapt it to multiprocessing environments. On a
single-CPU system it comes within 1% of the standard C Whetstone
results, but on a dual-CPU system running Windows NT it comes in
about 60% faster.

PERFORMANCE (VIDEO): Slow Video Tests

The 24-bit image display test used in the "Full" video test uses
the Windows 3.1 SetDIBitsToDevice() API call. This essentially
hands the bitmap to the driver and tells it to do the best job it
can of rendering the image. We've seen wildly varying results,
ranging from near-instant display of a low-resolution rendering
up to displays that may take several *minutes* (not to mention
several cases where it crashes the video driver). Better
performance on this test depends on getting a better driver from
your video card vendor.

Now, with all that said--very few Windows applications actually
call the SetDIBitsToDevice() API--for obvious reasons. Unless you
plan to use your video system for something like 24-bit image
editing (and probably not even then), you needn't be concerned.

PERFORMANCE (RAM): Slow memory

RAM speed is affected by CPU, L2 (secondary) cache design, amount
of L2 cache, and SIMM speed. The memory improvement tips in
Wintune(R)'s online help can help you make sure that your PC's
CMOS setup is configured for best RAM performance. (To access the
"Memory Improvement Hints" section of the online help,
double-click on "Improve Memory Performance" tip.) Since RAM
speed is determined by the motherboard design, there's no
hardware upgrade path like there is for CPU, disk, and video. If
you want better RAM performance, you'll need to replace the
motherboard or buy a new PC.

If some entries in the RAMprobe figures listed in the Details/RAM
window say "Not Tested," that indicates that Wintune(R) was
unable to allocate enough physical RAM to run that portion of the
test. This usually means you have other applications running or
have configured too large a disk cache for the amount of RAM
available. Memory-resident applications loaded by CONFIG.SYS,
AUTOEXEC.BAT, WIN.INI, or the Program Manager's Startup group may
not show up in Windows' Task List, but you can find them by using
a Windows memory scanner like the freeware WinMag Resource Probe
utility, available for download from our Compuserve and America
Online software libraries.

If RAM performance drops after an upgrade, check the CMOS
settings. Some systems require you to set the region of main
memory covered by the L2 (secondary) cache manually.

PERFORMANCE (VIDEO): Video Problems

Q: When I start Wintune(R) I see a strange, ghostly outline of a
graph. How do I make this go away?

A: You've run into a bug in your video driver. We've observed
this problem with first-generation Diamond Viper video cards, and
it might happen on some other video systems as well. Contact your
video card vendor for information on updated drivers (see
Updating Video Drivers in the main Wintune(R) help file for more
information).

PERFORMANCE (VIDEO): Slow Diamond Viper Video Performance

Q: Why am I am getting low video performance on my Diamond Viper
video card?

A recently issued Diamond Viper video card driver includes a new
In Control Windows utility. In order to obtain the best
performance from your card, you need to activate this utility,
turn off fast scrolling, close Windows, restart Windows and reset
fast scrolling to on.

***

GENERAL INFORMATION:

GENERAL: Less Free RAM Each Time

If you run Wintune(R) repeatedly, it may show less free RAM on
each pass. This is normal. We execute a GlobalCompact command on
start-up, which forces Windows to go through its garbage
collection cycle and free up memory segments (we do this to
predict swapping behavior in small-footprint systems). Then we
run a bunch of tests that dirty those segments--including a video
test that uses lots of GDI heap resources. If you run the test
again, we start off with a GlobalCompact--which can't get as much
back as it did the first time because heap resources are in use,
etc. You'd probably get a more meaningful result if you restart
Windows and run Wintune(R) again.

GENERAL: WINTUNE.TRF

WINTUNE.TRF is the file in which results of Wintune(R) 2.0
testing are stored. Unfortunately there's no way to delete
results from the file--that's high on the wish list for 3.0.

You can associate the extension .TRF with WT20.EXE using the File
Manager's File/Associate command. From then on, double-clicking
on a .TRF file will launch Wintune(R), load the .TRF in question,
and set the most recent test results "as current"--in effect,
you'll see Wintune(R) behave as though that test had just been
run.

The data in WINTUNE.TRF is stored in a proprietary binary format,
but may be saved in a Comma Separated Variable format; with an
extension of .CSV. Such files are also known as comma-delimited
ASCII, which is accepted as input by most spreadsheet programs
and databases. Try loading the comma-delimited version of .TRF
into a spreadsheet and graphing some of the variables from test
to test. This can provide a great way to see how your system's
performance changes over time!

At the end of the WINTUNE.TRF there are 13 example systems that
illustrate typical problems, which may be useful in diagnosing
systems that deliver odd results. They are:

     * EX: Pwr Mgt On (Gateway Colorbook)
     * EX: Pwr Mgt On (Gateway Colorbook)
     * EX: Pwr Mgt Off (Gateway Colorbook)

The first two files illustrate what can happen when testing a
notebook with power management--the first shows anomalously low
CPU results, the second low disk. The third file shows how the
same system tested with power management disabled. We recommend
disabling power management when running Wintune(R) on Notebook
computers.

     * EX: L1 and L2 Cache Off (NCR 3333 486/33)
     * EX: L2 Cache Off (NCR 3333 486/33)
     * EX: L1+L2 Cache On (NCR 3333 486/33)

These examples illustrate the effect of level-1 (internal) and
level-2 (external) CPU cache. The system in question has a 256KB
L2 cache. In the first example, both caches are disabled;
yielding low overall performance. In the second case the L1 cache
internal to the 486 CPU is enabled, but external cache is
disabled--so CPU performance is improved, but RAM, video and
(particularly) disk performance still suffer. The third example
shows the result of enabling both caches--optimal performance.

     * EX: Compressed Disk ( AMD 486 DX2/66)

This example shows typical performance from a non-cached disk
compressor such as Stacker. A caching compressor such as
Doublespace yields significantly better performance.

     * EX: Notebook wi APM On.

This example shows a notebook computer with Advanced Power
Management (APM) enabled--low (and erratic) performance. Turn APM
off when running Wintune(R), then turn it back on if needed for
use.

     * EX: Stacked Disk, no Cache

This example is similar to the compressed disk example above.

     * EX: TSR (Chameleon) Loaded

Here a well-tuned system suffers because a DOS terminate-and-stay
resident (TSR) utility is stealing CPU cycles, reducing overall
performance.

     * Ex 486SX with Turbo switch OFF

Here a system gives low overall performance--indicating either
Turbo OFF or a problem with memory wait states.

     * Ex: APM Enabled (NCR 486 SX/SLC Notebook)

Another example with Advanced Power Management.

You can select any of these entries in the Comparisons tab--and
if you want to see how the front-panel display looks for these
conditions, use Edit/Preferences to select Expert Mode, and load
the test in question "As Current"--this will show you the front
panel pointer display and tips (it's especially instructive to
view the RAMprobe curve for the three NCR CPU cache
examples--load each in turn "as current", and click on the RAM
pointer).

GENERAL: Saved test details missing

When you open a TRF file or use the File/Load a Saved Test as
Current command, some of the test details may be missing. To see
them, you must first run Wintune(R)'s tests, then load the saved
results.

***

Wintune(R) is a registered trademark of CMP Publications, Inc.

*****************************************************************