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1994-10-12
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for Windows NT
Introduction and Installation Guide
Developed By
Rex Conn and Tom Rawson
Documentation By
Hardin Brothers, Tom Rawson, and Rex Conn
Published By
JP Software Inc.
P.O. Box 1470
East Arlington, MA 02174
U.S.A.
(617) 646-3975
fax (617) 646-0904
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We couldn't produce a product like 4DOS for Windows NT without
the dedication and quality work of many people. Our thanks
to:
JP Software Staff: Mike Bessy, Bobby Kelley, Ellen
Stone, Marcella Turner, Misty White.
Online Support: Brian Miller and Tess Heder of Channel 1
BBS; Don Watkins of CompuServe's IBMNET.
Beta Test Support: David Moskowitz and the sysops of
CompuServe's CONSULT forum.
Beta Testers: We can't list all of our beta testers
here! A special thanks to all of you who helped make
4DOS, 4OS2, and 4DOS/NT elegant, reliable, and friendly.
The following tools are used in creating and maintaining 4DOS
for Windows NT:
Compilers: Microsoft C, Microsoft Macro Assembler
386
Editors: Edix (Emerging Technology), Brief
(Solution Systems)
Version Control: PVCS (Sage Software)
Documentation: Microsoft Word for Windows with Adobe
Type Manager
Copyright 1993, 1994, JP Software Inc., All Rights Reserved.
4DOS is a registered trademark and JP Software and the JP
Software logo and product logos are trademarks of JP Software
Inc. Other product and company names are trademarks of their
respective owners.
9-94
Contents
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Contents
Introduction...............................................1
How to Use This Manual.................................2
Customer Service and Technical Support.................3
Chapter 1 / Installation...................................4
Installing 4DOS/NT.....................................4
Creating 4DOS for Windows NT Desktop Objects...........5
4DOS/NT Files and Directories..........................6
Uninstalling 4DOS/NT...................................6
Chapter 2 / Configuration..................................7
Creating and Configuring 4DOS/NT Objects...............7
4DOS/NT Command Line Options...........................8
4DOS/NT Help..........................................10
Using 4START and 4EXIT................................11
Index.....................................................12
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Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4DOS/NT Intro. & Install. Guide / i
INTRODUCTION
-------------------------------------------------------------------
INTRODUCTION
Welcome, and thanks for purchasing 4DOS for Windows NT!
We developed 4DOS for Windows NT to bring the power and convenience
of our popular 4DOS and 4OS2 programs to users of the Windows NT
operating system. Whether you are a computer novice or an
experienced user, 4DOS/NT will help you get the most out of your
Windows NT system.
The complete name of this product is "4DOS for the Windows NT
Operating System." For brevity in the manuals, we often refer to
it as "4DOS for Windows NT," "4DOS/NT," or to the program file
name, 4NT.EXE or just 4NT. When "4DOS" is used by itself, the
reference is to our DOS product. If you are already familiar with
4DOS, please note that 4DOS for Windows NT is a complete Windows NT
application, and not simply a version of 4DOS running under Windows
NT's DOS capabilities.
Technically, 4DOS for Windows NT is a command interpreter. That
means that it reacts to the commands you type at the [C:\] prompt.
It replaces CMD.EXE, the default command interpreter that is
supplied with Windows NT. 4DOS/NT offers hundreds of enhancements,
yet retains full compatibility with CMD.EXE commands and batch
files.
If you are familiar with 4DOS, 4OS2, or the Windows NT command
prompt, you won't have to change your computing habits or unlearn
anything to use 4DOS/NT. If you know how to use commands to
display a directory, copy a file, or start an application program,
you already know how to use 4DOS/NT. And if you are a 4DOS user,
you already know how to use most of the advanced features that we
have built into 4DOS/NT. You can even use many of your 4DOS batch
files with 4DOS/NT (see Chapter 3 of the Reference Manual for tips
about making batch files work properly in both environments).
Once you have 4DOS/NT installed, you can learn its new features at
your own pace. Relax, enjoy 4DOS/NT's power, and browse through
the manuals occasionally. Press the F1 key whenever you need help.
4DOS/NT will soon become an essential part of your computer, and
you'll wonder how you ever got along without it.
If you want to take 4DOS/NT for a spin without performing a
complete installation, see the separate Guided Tour documentation.
We are constantly working to improve 4DOS for Windows NT. If you
have suggestions for features or commands that we should include in
the next version, or any other way we could improve our product,
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Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4DOS/NT Intro. & Install. Guide / 1
INTRODUCTION
-------------------------------------------------------------------
please let us know. Many of the features in this version of
4DOS/NT were suggested by our users. We can't promise to include
every suggestion, but we really do appreciate and pay attention to
your comments.
How to Use This Manual
This manual is only one part of the documentation that you
will need for 4DOS/NT. It introduces the product and will
help you install 4DOS/NT correctly on your computer. It will
also help you understand some of the terms and concepts that
you will need to know to get the most from 4DOS/NT.
The second part of our documentation is the separate Reference
Manual. It contains complete information about the commands
and features of 4DOS/NT, plus its sister programs, 4DOS and
4DOS for Windows NT.
You should start with this introductory manual whether you are
new to 4DOS/NT or you are upgrading from a previous version.
Once you have successfully installed 4DOS/NT, you can move
back and forth between this manual and the Reference Manual.
For the sake of clarity, we have chosen not to indicate each
of the dozens of places in this manual where you can refer to
the Reference Manual for additional information. If you see a
reference here to a 4DOS/NT command, the initialization file
4NT.INI, or any 4DOS/NT feature, you can be sure that detailed
information on that topic is available in the Reference
Manual.
4DOS/NT also includes complete online help for all of its
built-in commands. The online help provides much of the
information that is in the Reference Manual, but in an
electronic form which you can access quickly. See page 10 for
more details about using the online help.
Files distributed with 4DOS/NT cover important additional
information beyond what's included in the manuals. README.DOC
contains general notes, highlights of the latest release, and
brief installation instructions for those upgrading from a
downloaded copy, and UPDATxxx.DOC contains detailed
information for users with older versions on what has changed
in the latest release ("xxx" is the version number).
You will likely find some parts of the documentation too
simple or too technical for your tastes. Unless you are
convinced that one of those sections holds just the
information you need for a specific task, feel free to skip to
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Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4DOS/NT Intro. & Install. Guide / 2
INTRODUCTION
-------------------------------------------------------------------
the next part of the manual that is more to your liking. You
can use almost every feature of 4DOS/NT without having to
worry about other features or commands.
Customer Service and Technical Support
Technical support for 4DOS/NT is available via public
electronic support conferences, private electronic mail,
telephone, fax, and mail. For complete details, including a
listing of electronic support conferences, see your Reference
Manual.
Customer service is always available through the telephone and
fax numbers listed on the title page of this manual. See your
Reference Manual or the online help for electronic mail
addresses for our Sales and Customer Service departments.
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Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4DOS/NT Intro. & Install. Guide / 3
CHAPTER 1 / INSTALLATION
-------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER 1 / INSTALLATION
Installing 4DOS for Windows NT
To install 4DOS/NT you must copy the files from your
distribution disk using the INSTALL program, then create one
or more desktop objects to run 4DOS/NT. This section explains
how to copy the files to your hard disk. See the next section
for details on creating and configuring desktop objects for
4DOS/NT.
If you're installing a downloaded copy of 4DOS/NT, you will
not have an INSTALL program. Instead, use the appropriate
decompression program (for example, PKUNZIP) to extract the
files from your download into a new directory. Then follow
the instructions below to complete your installation. If you
are updating from a previous version, check the README.DOC
file for update instructions.
To begin the installation process, open a command prompt
window (use the "MS-DOS" object which comes with Windows NT)
and put the 4DOS/NT distribution diskette in drive A. (You
can use drive B if you prefer, in which case you should
substitute "b" for "a" in the instructions below.)
One of the files on the distribution diskette, README.1ST,
contains information that you should read before you install
4DOS/NT on your computer. Type:
type a:readme.1st | more
to view the file. If you want to print a copy of the file,
type:
copy a:readme.1st prn
After checking README.1ST, you can start the installation
process. Type:
a:install
and press the Enter key.
Once the installation program has started, just follow the
instructions on the screen and 4DOS/NT will install itself on
your system.
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Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4DOS/NT Intro. & Install. Guide / 4
CHAPTER 1 / INSTALLATION
-------------------------------------------------------------------
If you want to run the Guided Tour to familiarize yourself
with 4DOS/NT, first install the files using the Full
Installation option on INSTALL's main menu. Then see the
separate Guided Tour booklet (distributed with new copies of
4DOS/NT) for details on running the Tour.
The 4DOS/NT files are contained in a special library file on
the distribution diskette. You cannot simply copy the files
from the diskette onto your system. You must use the
installation program to extract and decompress the 4DOS/NT
files if you want to perform a manual installation, or if you
need to replace a damaged 4DOS/NT file on your hard disk.
You can halt the installation process at any time by pressing
Ctrl-X (hold down the Ctrl key and then press "X").
If you also have our DOS command processor, 4DOS, do not
install 4DOS/NT in the same directory as 4DOS. Some file
names (for example README.DOC) are the same in both products,
and the files should be kept separate to avoid confusion.
Creating 4DOS for Windows NT Desktop Objects
Once you've extracted the 4DOS for Windows NT files, use the
following steps to create a 4DOS/NT object in the Main group
on your Windows NT desktop (use a different group if you
prefer):
* Select the "Main" group.
* Select the Program Manager "File" menu.
* Select "New."
* Select "Program item."
* Enter "4DOS/NT," or any other title you desire, in the
Description field.
* Enter the full pathname for 4NT.EXE in the Command
Line field (for example, "C:\4NT25\4NT.EXE").
* Enter the directory in which you want the 4DOS/NT
window to start (if any) in the Working Directory
field.
* Click on "OK" to accept the entry.
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Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4DOS/NT Intro. & Install. Guide / 5
CHAPTER 1 / INSTALLATION
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This creates a basic desktop object which starts 4DOS/NT. For
more details on configuring and tuning 4DOS/NT, see Chapter 2.
4DOS/NT Files and Directories
The installation procedure places all 4DOS for Windows NT
files in a single directory. You may move the files to
different directories, if you wish, but you do have to make
sure that the files can be found by the programs that need to
use them. The following information will help you set up your
system correctly:
4NT.EXE is the 4DOS for Windows NT program file. It must
be in the directory specified in the Command Line field
of every 4DOS for Windows NT object.
4NT.HLP contains the text for the 4DOS for Windows NT
HELP command and F1 key. 4NT.HLP must be in the same
directory as 4NT.EXE.
SHRALIAS.EXE is a small utility that saves the shared
alias and history lists when 4DOS for Windows NT is not
running. SHRALIAS.EXE is normally stored in the same
directory as 4NT.EXE. The directory containing this file
should be listed in your PATH statement.
Uninstalling 4DOS/NT
We don't expect you to have any trouble using 4DOS/NT, but we
know some people feel more comfortable knowing how to
uninstall a product as well as install it. Or, you may need
to remove 4DOS/NT from one system to move it to another
system.
4DOS for Windows NT doesn't make any changes to the Windows NT
system files. To remove 4DOS/NT, all you need to do is change
or delete any objects that refer directly to 4NT.EXE. You can
then delete the 4DOS for Windows NT files from your hard
drive.
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Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4DOS/NT Intro. & Install. Guide / 6
CHAPTER 2 / CONFIGURATION
-------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER 2 / CONFIGURATION
This chapter explains how you can tune 4DOS/NT to make it as
efficient and as useful as possible in your computing environment.
Nearly everything in this chapter is for advanced users and those
with unusual needs. If 4DOS/NT works the way you want it to after
installation, you can skip this chapter. You may, however, want to
skim this material to see what options are available.
Creating and Configuring 4DOS/NT Objects
You will typically start 4DOS/NT from an object on your
Windows NT desktop. You can create as many 4DOS/NT objects as
you wish on the desktop. Different objects can be used to
start 4DOS/NT in different modes, with different startup
commands or options, or to run different batch files or other
commands. You can use these objects to run commonly-used
commands and batch files directly from the Windows NT desktop.
Each object represents a different 4DOS/NT window. You can
use the Properties screen for the object to set any necessary
command line parameters for 4DOS/NT such as a command to be
executed, any desired switches, and the name and path for
4NT.INI. More information on command line switches and
options for 4DOS/NT is included later in this section.
For general information on creating and configuring desktop
objects, see your Windows NT documentation. See page 5 of
this manual for an example of how to create a new object for
4DOS/NT.
When you configure a 4DOS/NT object, place the full path and
name for the 4NT.EXE file in the Command Line field, and put
any startup options that you want passed to 4DOS/NT (e.g.,
@inifile) after the 4NT.EXE file name. For example:
Command Line: C:\4NT25\4NT.EXE @C:\4NT.INI
Working directory: C:\
To run a startup batch file when a particular 4DOS/NT object
is started, include the batch file name (with a path, if the
file is not in the startup directory) as the last item in the
Command Line field. That batch file will be executed after
any 4START file but before the first prompt is displayed. You
can use the batch file to set environment variables and
execute any other 4DOS/NT commands. You can also execute any
internal 4DOS/NT command, external command, or alias by
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4DOS/NT Intro. & Install. Guide / 7
CHAPTER 2 / CONFIGURATION
-------------------------------------------------------------------
placing its name in the Parameters field. When you set up a
batch file or other command to run in this way you are using
the command option (see below). For example:
Command Line: C:\4NT25\4NT.EXE STARTNT.CMD
Working directory: C:\
To execute an internal or external command, an alias, or a
batch file and then exit (return to the desktop) when it is
done, place /C command (rather than just command) as the last
item in the Parameters field. For example:
Command Line: D:\4NT25\4NT.EXE /C COMFILES.BTM
Working directory: C:\
4DOS/NT Command Line Options
The 4DOS/NT command line does not need to contain any
information. When invoked with an empty command line, 4DOS/NT
will configure itself from the 4NT.INI file, run 4START, and
then display a prompt and wait for you to type a command.
However, you may add information to the 4DOS/NT command line
that will affect the way it operates.
Command line options for primary shells are set in the Command
Line field of the 4DOS/NT object. Command line options for
secondary shells can be set on the secondary shell command
line.
4DOS/NT recognizes several optional fields on the command
line. All of the options go on one line. If you use more
than one of these fields, their order is important. The
syntax for the command line is:
[d:\path] [@d:\path\inifile] [//iniline]... [/L] [/LA]
[/LD] [/LH] [/Q][/S] [/C | /K] [command]
In the descriptions below, d: means a drive letter and \path
means a subdirectory name.
d:\path: 4DOS/NT will use this directory and path to set
the COMSPEC environment variable for this window. If
this option is not used, COMSPEC is set from the location
of 4NT.EXE. Since 4DOS/NT always knows what drive and
directory it was started from, there is little reason to
use this option. It is included only for compatibility
with CMD.EXE. This option cannot be used for secondary
shells.
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Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4DOS/NT Intro. & Install. Guide / 8
CHAPTER 2 / CONFIGURATION
-------------------------------------------------------------------
@d:\path\inifile: This option sets the path and name of
the 4NT.INI file. You do not need this option if you
aren't using a 4NT.INI file, or if the file is named
4NT.INI and is stored in the same directory as 4NT.EXE or
in the root directory of the boot drive. This option is
most useful if you want to start a 4DOS/NT window with a
specific and unique .INI file.
//iniline: This option tells 4DOS/NT to treat the text
appearing between the // and the next space or tab as a
4NT.INI directive. The directive should be in the same
format as a line in 4NT.INI, but it may not contain
spaces, tabs, or comments. This option overrides any
corresponding directive in your 4NT.INI file. It is a
convenient way to send 4DOS/NT one or two simple
directives without modifying or creating a new 4NT.INI
file.
/L, /LA, /LD, and /LH: These options force 4DOS/NT to
use a local alias, command history, and / or directory
history list. This allows you to use global lists as the
default, but start a specific 4DOS/NT window with local
aliases or history. See your Reference Manual for
details on local and global aliases and history. /LA
forces local aliases, /LD forces local directory history,
/LH forces local command history, and /L forces all
three.
/Q: This option has no effect. It is included only for
compatibility with CMD.EXE.
/S: This option tells 4DOS/NT that you do not want it to
set up a Ctrl-C / Ctrl-Break handler. It is included for
compatibility with CMD.EXE, but it may cause the system
to operate incorrectly if you use this option without
other software to handle Ctrl-C and Ctrl-Break. This
option should be avoided by most users.
[/C | /K] command: This option tells 4DOS/NT to run a
command when it starts. The command will be run after
4START has been executed and before any command prompt is
displayed. It can be any valid internal or external
command, batch file, or alias; you may include multiple
commands by using the command separator. All other
startup options must be placed before the command,
because 4DOS/NT will treat characters after the command
as part of the command and not as additional startup
options.
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Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4DOS/NT Intro. & Install. Guide / 9
CHAPTER 2 / CONFIGURATION
-------------------------------------------------------------------
When the command is preceded by a /C, 4DOS/NT will
execute the command and then exit and return to the
parent program or the Windows NT desktop without
displaying a prompt.
The /K switch has no effect; using it is the same as
placing the command (without a /C or /K) at the end of
the startup command line. It is included only for
compatibility with CMD.EXE.
4DOS/NT Help
Complete on-line help for all 4DOS/NT commands and features is
provided with 4DOS/NT. Help is invoked with the HELP command
or the F1 key. 4DOS/NT's help text does not cover the Windows
NT external commands because they are included in Windows NT's
built-in Command Reference.
When you start the 4DOS/NT help system, 4DOS/NT opens a new
window to run the standard Windows NT help program. The help
program displays the help text and lets you browse through it.
If you invoke the help system from a 4DOS/NT window on the
Windows NT desktop, you will be returned to that window when
you close the help program. However, if you have switched the
window to full-screen mode before invoking the help system,
you must return to 4DOS/NT manually (using standard Windows NT
methods for switching between windows). This is due to the
design of Windows NT Help and is not a limitation of 4DOS/NT.
You can also keep the help window on the screen and return to
the 4DOS/NT window, switching between the two windows as
needed. This may be useful when you are writing a batch file,
working on a complex command, or experimenting with 4DOS/NT.
In order for the 4DOS/NT help system to work properly, the
help text file, 4NT.HLP, must be in the same directory as
4NT.EXE.
If you wish, you can set up a separate object for 4DOS/NT help
which can be invoked from your desktop. To do so, create an
object with a command line like this:
Command Line: WINHELP C:\4NT25\4NT.HLP
(Change the drive and path to reflect the location of 4DOS/NT
on your system.)
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Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4DOS/NT Intro. & Install. Guide / 10
CHAPTER 2 / CONFIGURATION
-------------------------------------------------------------------
4DOS/NT also supports the /? switch to display help for any
command. Using /? will display help for the command using the
Windows NT help system.
Using 4START and 4EXIT
4DOS/NT executes two batch files automatically: 4START is run
whenever 4DOS/NT starts, and 4EXIT is run whenever 4DOS/NT
exits. 4START and 4EXIT can be .CMD, .BAT, or .BTM files.
If you create 4START.BTM and 4EXIT.BTM files, you can use them
for both 4DOS/NT and 4DOS. Use the IFF command and the %_DOS
internal variable to separate commands which should be
executed under only one operating system.
If you prefer to use different files for 4DOS/NT and 4DOS, you
can use 4START.CMD for 4DOS/NT and 4START.BAT for 4DOS. You
could name your 4EXIT files similarly. You can also keep the
4START and 4EXIT files separate by placing the files for
4DOS/NT in the 4DOS/NT directory and the files for 4DOS in the
4DOS directory.
If 4DOS/NT is started with the [/C] command option, 4START is
executed before the command.
See your Reference Manual for details on 4START and 4EXIT.
If you prefer, you can create a file with a name other than
4START (for example, STARTNT.CMD) and put its name in the
Parameters field for any 4DOS/NT object (see page 7). Doing
so has two advantages. The file will only be started when a
primary 4DOS/NT shell is started, not under a secondary shell
or under 4DOS. Also, you can then use different startup files
for different 4DOS/NT windows.
For example, you might create a file called STARTNTA.CMD to
execute commands for one window, and another file STARTNTB.CMD
to execute different commands for a different window. You
could then set up two objects with these settings:
Command Line: C:\4NT25\4NT.EXE C:\STARTNTA.CMD
Working directory: C:\
Command Line: C:\4NT25\4NT.EXE C:\STARTNTB.CMD
Working directory: C:\
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Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4DOS/NT Intro. & Install. Guide / 11
Index
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Index .INI file, see 4NT.INI
Installation, 4
4DOS, and 4DOS/NT installation, of downloaded updates, 4
5 reversing, 6
stopping, 5
4DOS/NT
desktop objects, 7 Installing 4DOS/NT, 4
windows, 7
Local and global aliases and
4EXIT, 11 histories, 9
and 4DOS, 11
Objects, see Desktop objects
4NT.INI
directives, on startup Options, see Startup Options
command line, 9
location of, 7, 9 Quick help, 11
reference information, 2
README.1ST file, 4
4START, 11
and 4DOS, 11 Reference information, 2
and startup command, 9
Reference Manual, 2
Alias list, local and global, 9
Startup options, 7, 8
Batch files, startup, 7 //iniline, 9
/C, 9
Command history list, local and /K, 9
global, 9 /L, /LA, /LD, and /LH, 9
/S, 9
Commands @inifile, 9
4DOS/NT startup, 7, 9 commands in, 9
help on, 10
reference information, 2 STARTUP.CMD, 11
Configuration, 7 Support, 3
Desktop objects, for 4DOS/NT, 7 Technical support, 3
Directories, for 4DOS/NT files, Uninstalling 4DOS/NT, 6
6
Windows, 4DOS/NT, 7
Directory history list, local
and global, 9
Guided tour, 1
Help system, 2, 10
/? option, 11
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Copr. 1994 JP Software Inc. 4DOS/NT Intro. & Install. Guide / 12