Windows News 1997 February/Windows News CD #1 - Fev 97.iso/share/mbtr14/mrbooter.doc

Text File | 1997-01-22 | 14.4 KB | 356 lines

              ╔═════════════════════════════════╗
              ║ MASTERBOOTER v1.4 DOCUMENTATION ║
              ║    (C) Nagy Daniel 07-06-96     ║
              ╚═════════════════════════════════╝
                               SHAREWARE VERSION

    ┌──────────┐
    │ CONTENTS │
    └──────────┘

        Disclaimer............................ 1

                Copyright............................. 2

        Introduction.......................... 3

                Files in package...................... 4

        Features.............................. 5

        Compatibility......................... 6

        Usage................................. 7

        History............................... 8

        Technical information................. 9

        Registration......................... 10

        Contact.............................. 11


┌────────────┐
│ DISCLAIMER ├──────────────────────── 1 ─────────────────────────────────────
└────────────┘

        Using this program comes without any warranty. The author
        and distributors will not accept responsibility for any
        damage incurred directly or indirectly through use of this
        program.
        Use at your own risk!

┌───────────┐
│ COPYRIGHT ├───────────────────────── 2 ─────────────────────────────────────
└───────────┘

        This program is copyright (c) Nagy Dániel. This program is shareware.
        You are free to distribute it by electronic means and make as
        many copies as you want on electronic or magnetic media, as long
        as the files of this package remain unmodified, with copyright
        notices intact. Distributing parts separtely is not allowed!
        Selling for money is prohibited without the author's prior
        permission.

┌──────────────┐
│ INTRODUCTION ├────────────────────── 3 ─────────────────────────────────────
└──────────────┘

        MasterBooter is a very powerful utility which enables your
        computer to use multiple operation systems without changing
        harddisks or messing with boot floppies.
        You can choose among up to three operating systems at boot time
        (four in the registered verison).
        MasterBooter is compatible with many operating systems.

┌──────────────────┐
│ FILES IN PACKAGE ├────────────────── 4 ─────────────────────────────────────
└──────────────────┘

        EFDISK.EXE     - Extended FDISK partitioning program
        EFDISK.DOC     - EFDISK documentation
        EFDHUN.DOC     - Hungarian EFDISK documentation
        FILE_ID.DIZ    - Description for BBS systems
        MRBOOTER.EXE   - MasterBooter executable
        MRBOOTER.DOC   - MasterBooter documentation
        MRBTHUN.DOC    - Hungarian MasterBooter documentation
        MRESCUE.COM    - Rescue disk maker utility
        REGISTER.FRM   - Registration form

┌──────────┐
│ FEATURES ├────────────────────────── 5 ─────────────────────────────────────
└──────────┘

        - Cabapility of booting from any disk's any primary partition

        - Compatibility with many operating systems:
             MS-DOS
             Novell DOS (*)
             Linux
             OS/2
             Windows95  (*)
             Unknown OS with 'standard' boot process (*)

        - Programmable delay time (*)

        - Up to three operating systems on a single computer without
          the hassle of boot disks! (Registered version allows four!)

        - VERY small memory and harddisk space requirement

        - Safety and easy-to-use user interface

(*) registered version only

┌───────────────┐
│ COMPATIBILITY ├───────────────────── 6 ─────────────────────────────────────
└───────────────┘

        Requirements:  - 80286 processor or up
                       - MS-DOS or compatible operating system
                         (for installation only)
                       - At least one harddisk
                       - Keyboard
                       - VGA adapter
                       - If you have a harddisk with capacity more
                         than 540MB, then your mainboard MUST have
                         a new BIOS (EBIOS) which supports large drives,
                         else you won't be able to use MasterBooter


        This program souldn't conflict with any other programs which
        don't alter your disks Master Boot Record.

        Known programs which alter harddisks' MBR (and therefore can't
        be used with MasterBooter):

          - LILO (Linux's booter) if installed in MBR. Note that if LILO
            is installed in a partition's boot sector, then MasterBooter
            CAN coexist with LILO!
          - MicroHouse's EZ-Drive
          - OnTrack's Disk Manager
          - IBM OS/2's Boot Manager
          - PC Vault

┌───────┐
│ USAGE ├───────────────────────────── 7 ─────────────────────────────────────
└───────┘

     1) Installation

        You can copy these files (the docs and the executables) together
        wherever you like. This program doesn't need any additional
        settings. Just run it and have fun.
        It's a good idea to copy the files to a system diskette.


     2) Usage information

        a, Install all operating systems you wish to use
           You can use EFDISK to partition you harddisk. It will allow
           you what DOS FDISK doesn't: multiple primary DOS partitions!
           See EFDISK.DOC for deatils.
        b, Make a rescue disk with MRESCUE.COM
        c, Run MasterBooter and select the systems you wish to boot
        d, Reboot the computer and enjoy!

        - Use this program AFTER you have installed all operating systems.
        - Before using this program be sure to disable the virus warning
          option in your system's BIOS (if it has this option), else the
          BIOS won't let MasterBooter to modify your harddisk's MBR!
        - If you want to add a partition later, don't hesitate, but
          after doing so you must re-run MasterBooter to update the
          new system.


        First, make a rescue disk. If anything goes wrong, you will be
        able to restore your configuration. You have to do the
        following steps:

          1) Make a system disk. Type: format a: (PRESS ENTER)
                                       sys c: a: (PRESS ENTER)
          2) Run the program MRESCUE.COM. Choose the 'Create rescue disk'
             option. It will copy important information about your disks
             and the MRESCUE.COM itself to floppy, so you can restore your
             previous configuration later if necessary.
          3) Now you can safely run MasterBooter. If anything unexpectable
             happens (ie. your computer halts when booting, or produces
             an error message), boot from the floppy you've just created,
             run MRESCUE.COM and choose 'Restore original configuration'.
             This will reset all modifications.
             Send me a mail if something is not working, and write
             all steps you've done unless I won't be able to correct the
             problem. Thank You!


        Before running MasterBooter quit all multitasking environments
        (ie. Windows or OS/2 DOS box) and run plain DOS, because
        after the program writes the modifications to your harddisk,
        the system needs to be rebooted.
        When executing, MasterBooter will gather many information
        about your disks and partitions. Then you will be provided
        a list of available bootable partitions. From this list you
        can choose up to three partitions (four in the registered version),
        which you wish to boot an OS from.
        You have to provide a name for each system you select. These
        names can be 16 characters max. During booting, these names
        will appear, and you can select the partition you wish to
        boot by pressing the corresponding number. The booter program
        will wait for a keypress for 5 secs. If you don't press any
        number, the first system gets booted.
        (In the registered version you can also set the delaying time and
        the default partition to boot from.)

┌─────────┐
│ HISTORY ├─────────────────────────── 8 ─────────────────────────────────────
└─────────┘

       Version:

       1.0b - First official test release

       1.1  - Both versions: Added EFDISK partitioning program to package
                             Fixed typos in documentations
                             Removed 'by NagyD' string from loader
                             Improved 'string input' routine
                             Added Hungarian documentatiom
               Registered:   Minor bug fixes
                             Added support for unknown file system
                             Added infinite boot delay time
               Shareware:    Minor bug fixes

       1.2  - Both versions: Less useless MBR writes (better loader routine)
                             If an OS is not on the first harddisk, then
                               MasterBooter will examine that the 'physical
                               drive number' value in the boot sector is
                               correct. If not, it will be corrected.
                               For example OS/2 cannot boot if this value is
                               incorrect.
                             OS/2's Boot Manager doesn't patch the MBR (this
                               was an error in the documentation of
                               MasterBooter), so it can coexist with
                               MasterBooter (but unnecessary).

       1.3  - Both versions: Fixed a small bug in the Boot Sector patcher
                             Added LILO detection in the MBR
                             Loader now clears screen if necessary
                             System names can be up to 16 characters long

       1.4  - Both versions: Small improvements in loader routine

┌───────────────────────┐
│ TECHNICAL INFORMATION ├───────────── 9 ─────────────────────────────────────
└───────────────────────┘

        Every time you turn on your computer, the BIOS executes a small
        program, which resides in the very first sector of your harddisk.
        This sector is the so-called Master Boot Record (MBR). This small
        program examines the partitions, and loads the operating system
        of the partition which has the 'active' flag. A harddisk can
        contain up to four primary partitions, but only one can be
        active at a time. This flexibile technique provides that many
        operating systems can be used on a PC. However, these systems
        has their own unique loader code, and won't let you use other
        systems, unless you know tricky methods to get past this.
        MasterBooter works by replacing the program in the MBR with a
        unique loader code, which is able to select from any installed
        operating systems.

        Note: DOS based systems (therefore Windows 95) can only boot from
              a primary partition of the first harddisk!

┌──────────────┐
│ REGISTRATION ├───────────────────── 10 ─────────────────────────────────────
└──────────────┘

        The registration benefits the following:

        - Novell DOS support
        - Windows95 support
    - Unknown OS support
        - Programmable delay time
        - Programmable default system
        - Up to four choosable operation systems (not three)


        Registration fee:  20 USD / 2500 HUF for private use
                           50 USD / 8000 HUF for institutional use

        Print the registration form (the file REGISTER.FRM), fill it
        and send it to:
                         Nagy Dániel
                         2011 Budakalász
                         Ciklámen u. 19.
                         HUNGARY

     !  Registration via E-mail is NOT accepted, since your signature
     !  is required!

        Upon registering you'll get the latest registered version of
        MasterBooter and information about future releases when available.


        You can register in two ways:
        ────────────────────────────

           1) Send cheqe or money order to:   Nagy Daniel
              Use registered mail only.       2011 Budakalasz
              Don't send coins!               Ciklamen u. 19.
                                              HUNGARY

           2a) Bank transfer from Hungary:
                                  Address:    Mezobank Rt.
                                              8200 Veszprem
                                              Egyetemi fiok 1.
                              Account No.:    10600546-71910011

           2b) Bank transfer from other country:
                                  Address:    OTP Veszpremi Korzeti fiok
                                              8200 Veszprem
                              Account No.:    B114220

        Credit cards are NOT accepted!

        The preferred registration method is to send the cash together with
        the registration form in a registered envelope. This is the fastest,
        and we don't have to pay additional postal or bank transfer fee.


        Getting the software:
        ────────────────────

        You can order your copy on a 1.44Mb floppy diskette.
        In this case you have to pay additional 5 USD / 300 HUF for
        postage and package.
        You can also order via E-mail transfer (preferred). Then you'll
        get your copy uuencoded in an E-mail.


        Warning!
        ───────

        You're not allowed to copy or distribute the registered version
        of this software. If you do so, please consider that my whole work
        (many weeks I can say...) will be almost wasted time.
        Please support shareware!

┌─────────┐
│ CONTACT ├────────────────────────── 11 ─────────────────────────────────────
└─────────┘

        If you have any problems, questions or suggestions you can
        contact me through mail or Internet E-mail.
        Bug reports, ideas also welcomed!


        Postal address:                       Internet E-mail address:
        ──────────────                        ───────────────────────

              Nagy Daniel                           [e-mail]
              2011 Budakalasz
              Ciklamen u. 19                   at the University of Veszprem
              HUNGARY

                    Fax: [phone]