ProfitPress Mega CDROM2 …eeware (MSDOS)(1992)(Eng)/ProfitPress-MegaCDROM2.B6I/UTILITY/4DOS/4FILES2P.ZIP/4F-READ.ME

Text File | 1991-10-22 | 5.8 KB | 111 lines

 READ.ME ................. for 4FILES

    ..... 1) A note to all users,new and old.
    ..... 2) A note to registered users.
    ..... 3) A note for NEW users.
    ..... 4) Compatibility.


1)  TO ALL USERS:  If you have difficulties be sure to check the section on
compatibility below.  If that doesn't help, just give me a call, leave a
message on CIS, or send me a postcard or letter.

2)  TO REGISTERED USERS:  If this is a registered 4FILES disk, you will find
several un-zipped files ready for immediate use, including your personalized
copy of 4F.COM.  The .ZIP file contains all files in the 4FILES package, but
the 4F.COM in this archive is the *shareware* version, and is not a backup for
the un-zipped 4F.COM.  (The only differnce between them is the log-off
message.)  The purpose of 4FILES2P.ZIP is to have the complete shareware
version in one place, ready to copy for someone else, should you wish to turn
someone else onto it.  Please treat this disk like any other commercial
shareware -- you should make a backup disk for safe-keeping, but of course
another copy can be sent if you blow it.

    It would be a good idea to read the section below for new users for
features which may be new to you, and you will find 4F.VERsion to serve well as
a quick-start for the new features.

3)  TO NEW USERS OF 4FILES:  Thanks for taking the time to give 4FILES a try!
This file provides a few quick notes to help get you started, and has a section
on compatibility.  You may find 4F.VERsion to of interest also.

    After loading 4FILES for the first time, one of the first things you should
do is hit <Alt-F10> to call up the configuration menu.  This is where you set
up 4FILES so it can find your utilities and its own help file.  If you get
garbage on your display, try restarting with the /8 switch.  (The video
system detection should be fully automatic, but there is always the
possibility of an incompatibility throwing it off.)

    If you are operating with 4DOS, its internal browser called LIST will be
activated by the <Grey+> key, but you may wish to recongifure 4FILES to use
a stand-alone browse utility.  One such as Vern Buerg's LIST will give far
superior performance since shelling back DOS is not necessary to run it.  You
will probably also need to change the configuration for finding your text
editor, archive viewer utility, de-archiver, and 4FILES' manual.  The first two
pages of the manual are help screens which are read by your browser when <F1>
is hit.

    Play around a lot with the Grey-Minus, Grey-Plus, and Grey-Star keys in
various levels of your directory tree.  (On 83-key keyboards the
<Scl-Lk> key takes the place of Grey-Plus.)  Grey-Plus has differing functions
when the cursor-bar is on directories, normal files, and archived files.  <TAB>
will move you between file-management and note-editing modes.  <NUM-LK> will
toggle the display of attributes and file creation time.  <Alt-char> will
locate a record starting with the character, and <SCROLL-LK> will reverse the
search direction, either on-the-fly or before a search.

    There are a number of other features and a great file note editor, all well
integrated into the keyboard to put a lot of power at your finger-tips in an
easy to learn and remember arrangement.  Please lavish a little time on the
manual (4F.DOC) and at least take a quick look at "Quick Start" therein for
now.  I have worked hard to incorporate a lot of features into 4FILES and to
write a thorough manual.  It would be a shame for you to miss the full benefits
of that labor by trying to get-by by just running the program by the seat of
your pants.

    I hope you enjoy 4FILES and that you will find yourself putting it into
daily if not constant use.  If not ... well, I'm all ears, I don't mind flak,
and I'm always looking for constructive criticism to help improve the program.
Again, thank you for taking time to try out 4FILES.  I look forward to
receiving your registration, and welcome your call if you need help.


4) COMPATIBILITY:
   ==============  4FILES is compatible with both MSDOS (2.x through 5.0) and
DRDOS 5.x.  I have no reports of trouble under DRDOS 6.0, so it must be
working.


   A COMPATIBILITY ISSUES:
   ----------------------

 A) While the IMSI mechanical mouse works fine with 4FILES, the IMSI OptiMouse
 does not.  This is a problem with the OptiMouse driver, and IMSI is working on
 a fix.

 B) PC-Magazine's LOG.COM intercepts calls to the DOS EXEC function, but
 trashes the success/non-success data it returns, causing 4FILES to display the
 "incorrect configuration" message after every utility call.  LOG.COM can be
 used, but is awkward.  The 4DOS internal LOG feature or some other stand-alone
 utility are better choices.

 C)  One long-time 4FILES user who helped test this version ran into a snag
 with his older version of Multi-Soft PowerPak; version 1.54 to be exact.  All
 worked fine with PowerPak in conventional memory, but with it loaded into
 *extended* memory via a 1988 version of HIMEM.SYS, 4FILES would lockup before
 the screen got painted.

    There are two ways, and possibly a third, to cure this problem if you have
 it.  1) A switch to the new version of HIMEM.SYS supplied with MSDOS 5.0 will
 solve the problem regardless of how PowerPak is loaded in memory.  2) The
 problem only occurs with PowerPak in extended memory.  If you instead load it
 in either simulated *expanded* memory or conventional memory, there is no
 problem.  3) A switch to PowerPak Version 2.1 may also solve the problem
 regardless of the HIMEM.SYS version or the memory loading method, and we are
 awaiting a copy of 2.1 at this writing to find out.  The PowerPak version he
 was using was six releases old.

    4FILES is compatible with PowerPak running under DRDOS and HIDOS.SYS (the
 DRDOS equivalent to HIMEM.SYS).

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