home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Software Vault: The Gold Collection
/
Software Vault - The Gold Collection (American Databankers) (1993).ISO
/
cdr22
/
fixtim20.zip
/
README
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1993-04-15
|
10KB
|
247 lines
FIXTIME Version 2.0
(C) COPYRIGHT 1986, 1992, 1993 by Michael Coulter. All rights reserved.
Shareware fee: $10
Fixtime is a utility which you can run to adjust your computer's clock
for the expected error since the last time the clock was adjusted.
This README file has the following sections:
1. Quick Installation and Use Instructions
2. Installation Variations
3. How Fixtime Works
4. Documentation of Commands
4.1 Fixtime
4.2 Showtime
4.3 Today
5. Files in this Distribution
6. Registration and Disclaimer
1. Quick Installation and Use Instructions
These instructions presume that your boot disk is "c:".
First, set the clock on your computer as accurately as possible.
Extract the fixtime files and copy them to "c:\".
Create the fixtime.inf data file by executing:
cd c:\
fixtime -i
Edit your c:\autoexec.bat file and add the following line early in the
file:
fixtime -f c:\fixtime.inf
Wait a few days until you notice that your computer's clock has become
inaccurate. You might execute "showtime" to display the time and beep
as each second changes. If your computer has gained 7 seconds, move
the clock back by executing:
cd c:\
fixtime -7
If your computer has lost 7 seconds, move the clock forwards by
executing:
cd c:\
fixtime 7
Now, the next time fixtime is executed it will adjust the computer's
clock according to the clock drift which has been observed on this
computer. When you notice that the computer's clock is inaccurate,
adjust it with fixtime and a more accurate adjustment factor will
automatically be computed. Always execute "cd c:\" before executing
fixtime so that the fixtime.inf file will be in the current directory.
In the spring, when daylight savings time is instituted, move your
clock forward by executing:
cd c:\
fixtime +h
In the fall, when standard time is instituted, move your clock back
by executing:
cd c:\
fixtime -h
Send in your $10 registration fee (see instructions below).
2. Installation Variations
The fixtime files don't need to be located at "c:\". The executable
files may be placed in any directory which appears in your PATH string.
The README file can be placed wherever you like to keep documentation.
The fixtime.inf file can be placed anywhere. It is easiest to use
fixtime by making the directory which contains fixtime.inf the current
directory before executing fixtime.exe. You can be in a different
directory and use the -f option to specify the location of the
fixtime.inf file. For example, if you install the fixtime.inf file
in c:\misc\fixtime.inf, the line in your autoexec.bat file would be:
fixtime -f c:\misc\fixtime.inf
3. How Fixtime Works
IBM PC AT's and later have a real-time clock which is used to set the
DOS time when the system is booted. Thereafter the two times are
independent. The DOS clock is frequently much less accurate than
the real-time clock. The DOS clock might lose 5 minutes a day while the
real-time clock might lose 4 minutes a month.
Typically the real-time clock in a computer loses or gains a consistent
amount of time. FIXTIME is a utility which compensates for this "clock
drift" by periodically adjusting the clock based on the past history
of clock drift on a particular computer. Typically FIXTIME is executed
when the computer is started by running it in the \AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
The information file which FIXTIME maintains is in an ASCII file,
fixtime.inf, which has five lines. They are:
1) The adjustment factor.
2) Any fractional seconds not adjusted at the time of the last
adjustment.
3) The total of all adjustments since the start of operation.
4) The date and time when the clock was last adjusted.
5) The date and time when fixtime first started operation.
Note that FIXTIME only adjusts the clock by a whole number of seconds.
It rounds to the nearest second and keeps track of the fractional
second difference in line #2.
When fixtime -r is executed, the times in lines #4 and #5 are set to
now and the numbers in lines #2 and #3 are set to zero, but the adjustment
factor in line #1 is left unchanged.
4. Documentation of Commands
4.1 Fixtime
The FIXTIME utility may be used to perform one of five functions:
4.1.1 Install (-i) the information file where FIXTIME records the
clock drift factor for this computer and where it records the
last time the clock was adjusted. By default, the file name
will be FIXTIME.INF in the current directory.
Syntax: fixtime [ -f inf_file ] [ -i ]
Examples: fixtime -i
fixtime -f c:\misc\fixtime.inf -i
Before creating the information file, you should set the
time on your computer as accurately as possible. FIXTIME will
start measuring the clock drift on your system from the time
you create the file.
4.1.2 Adjust the computer's real-time clock by a specified number of
seconds (positive or negative).
Syntax: fixtime [ -f inf_file ] seconds
Examples: fixtime 3
fixtime -2
fixtime -f fixtime.inf 25
The first example moves the clock forward by three seconds. The
second example moves the clock back by two seconds. The third
example moves the clock forward by 25 seconds. As the clock on
your computer loses or gains time, add or subtract seconds to the
clock to correct it. FIXTIME keeps a total of the seconds which
have been added or subtracted from the clock. It uses this total
together with the time when the total started out at zero to
calculate the adjustment factor to compensate for the clock
drift.
After adjusting the real-time clock, FIXTIME sets the DOS clock
to the same time.
4.1.3 Adjust the clock for clock drift since the last time the clock
was adjusted.
Syntax: fixtime [ -f inf_file ]
Examples: fixtime
fixtime -f c:\misc\fixtime.inf
This command is typically invoked in \AUTOEXEC.BAT to adjust the
clock when the system is booted. If FIXTIME.EXE is in a directory
in your PATH string and the information file is c:\fixtime.inf,
here is the line you would put in your c:\autoexec.bat file:
fixtime -f c:\fixtime.inf
4.1.4 Move the clock forwards (+h) or backwards (-h) by one full hour,
but don't count this in the number of seconds by which the clock
has been adjusted. This is typically used when daylight savings
time changes.
Syntax: fixtime [ -f inf_file ] +h
or: fixtime [ -f inf_file ] -h
Examples: fixtime -h
fixtime -f c:\misc\fixtime.inf +h
4.1.5 Reset (-r) the installation time of FIXTIME to the
current time and reset the total number of seconds to
zero, but keep the current adjustment factor. This
establishes a new base from which to measure your
computer's clock drift. This function is typically used
when you have manually set your clock after some program
has improperly set it or when you replace the clock's
battery.
Syntax: fixtime [ -f inf_file ] -r
Examples: fixtime -r
fixtime -f c:\misc\fixtime.inf -r
4.2 Showtime
SHOWTIME.EXE displays the real-time clock date and time and beeps
every time the second changes. It doesn't take any arguments. It
is useful to run so that you can look at your watch and see how
far off the computer is when it beeps.
4.3 Today
TODAY.EXE sets the DOS time from the real-time clock time and
then displays the date and time. It doesn't take any arguments.
5. Files in this Distribution
FIXTIME EXE 16720 04-15-93 9:31p
README 9594 04-15-93 9:31p
SHOWTIME EXE 12240 04-15-93 9:31p
TODAY EXE 12640 04-15-93 9:31p
6. Registration and Disclaimer
These programs are provided as-is. Michael Coulter makes no express or
implied warranty of any kind with respect to these programs. Michael Coulter
shall not be liable for any direct indirect, special, incidental or
consequential damages (whether based on contract, tort or any other
legal theory) arising in any way from use of these programs.
Everyone is granted permission to copy and redistribute the set of files
described above provided:
1. No changes are made to any of the files in the distribution and
all of the files are provided in any copy.
2. No charge is made for this software. This clause shall not
be construed as constraining other software distributed on
the same medium as this software, nor is a distribution fee
considered a charge.
This software may be used without charge for a 30-day trial period
or any time after January 1, 1999. If you want to use the software
beyond the trial period and before 1999, send a license fee of $10 U.S. to:
Michael Coulter
73 La Vonne Dr.
Campbell, CA 95008
U.S.A.