BlastDOS/LAPLINK4.ZIP/LAPLINK4.TXT

Text File | 1991-10-11 | 31KB | 676 lines

************************************************************************
                         Traveling Software, Inc.
                        18702 North Creek Parkway
                       Bothell, Washington  98011
                             [phone]
************************************************************************

                       The Latest About LapLink Pro
                              Version 4.00

Welcome to LapLink Pro. The following notes include information that was
not available at the time the manual was printed. It also contains hints
for running LapLink Pro with specific kinds of hardware and software.

************************************************************************
If you're a new LapLink owner, be sure to mail in your registration card
to ensure that you will be notified of future releases of LapLink Pro.
************************************************************************

TABLE OF CONTENTS

   I. Modem Phone Numbers--Using Access Prefix and Account Suffix
  II. How the File Display Filters Affect Deletes, Copies, and Moves
 III. Hidden Files, Read-only Files, and System Files
  IV. Remote Install Tips and Notes
   V. Compression and the Selected Port
  VI. Using LapLink Pro with Other Traveling Software Products
 VII. Hardware Information
      A.   When LapLink Pro Does Not Recognize a Mouse or Port
      B.   The Xircom Parallel Port Multiplexor
      C.   Problems with Parallel Connections
      D.   Incompatible or Problem Modems
      E.   System Clock Speed
VIII. Miscellaneous Manual Corrections
  IX. Screen Savers and Memory-Resident Programs (TSRs)
   X. When File Lists Are Not Sorted
  XI. Working with Windows 3.0
      A.   Installing LapLink Pro in Windows
      B.   Suggestions for Working in the 386 Enhanced Mode
      C.   Running LapLink Pro in the Background
      D.   Windows and 9600 Baud Modems
 XII. Getting Technical Support
XIII. Making Suggestions to Improve LapLink Pro
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I.  MODEM PHONE NUMBERS--USING ACCESS PREFIX AND ACCOUNT SUFFIX

Since the LapLink Pro User's guide was written, two features have been
added to the Dial Modem dialog: Access Prefix and Account Suffix. You
can find instructions for using them in LapLink's on-line help.

Basically, these features let you create long phone numbers. When you
check the [ ] Use boxes, LapLink Pro attaches any number in the Access
Prefix record to the beginning of the number and any number in Account
Suffix to the end. It dials the resulting number.

Use Access Prefix to enter a number to dial out of a hotel or office--
"9," is common. Or, use it to enter an often used area code or country
code.

Use Account Suffix to enter a credit card number. Or, if your office
phone system requires you to type in an account number for long distance
calls, type it in here. If you have a WATS access code, it too could be
entered as an Account Suffix.

CAUTION: WHENEVER YOU DISPLAY THE DIAL MODEM DIALOG, THESE NUMBERS ARE
DISPLAYED. TAKE ANY PRECAUTIONS NECESSARY TO PREVENT UNAUTHORIZED
PERSONS FROM OBTAINING YOUR ACCOUNT NUMBERS.

To add the numbers, select the appropriate line and choose the <Modify>
button. In both numbers, commas may be used to pause dialing while the
phone system catches up to the modem. You can use as many commas as
needed for the length of the required pause.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
II. HOW THE FILE DISPLAY FILTERS AFFECT DELETES, COPIES, AND MOVES

The "File Display Options" command (Options menu) lets you show or hide
files. Files cannot be selected if they are hidden. Since hidden files
cannot be selected, they also cannot be copied, moved, or deleted.

This also holds true when you are working with directories and
subdirectories. (Subdirectories are indirectly selected when the Include
Lower Level Subdirectories copy option is enabled.)

For example, suppose you have set the "File Display Options" to display
only *.EXE and *.COM. If you select a directory and delete it, only the
.EXE and .COM files will be deleted. The directory structure and any
other files will remain in place.

If you want to delete, copy, or move an ENTIRE, directory, choose "File
Display Options" and check Show All Files first.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
III. HIDDEN FILES, READ-ONLY FILES, AND SYSTEM FILES

In order to protect important files, DOS allows files to have
"attributes." These include:

*   Hidden--The file does not show up when you use the DIR command
    (without special switches) and is not deleted when you type DEL *.*.

*   Read-only--The file cannot be deleted or edited but does show up
    with the DIR command.

*   System--The file has the same characteristics as a hidden file (it's
    not normally shown or deleted) and is essential to the functioning
    of DOS or another program.

Since LapLink Pro's main function is to simplify file management, it
lets you copy, move, and delete these types of files.

In a file list, hidden files are followed by an H; Read-only by an R;
and System by an S. WHEN YOU SEE ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS FOLLOWING A
FILE NAME, ALWAYS BE SURE YOU DO NOT NEED THE FILE BEFORE YOU DELETE IT.

In the file list mode, only one letter--H, R, or S--can be shown. If a
file has more than one attribute, an S will be shown before an H or R;
and an H will be shown before an R. For example if a file is both hidden
and read-only it will show as H; if a file has all three attributes, it
will show as S.

Because hidden files and system files are so rare, LapLink Pro does not
have a copy option that deals with them. They are displayed and can be
deleted as easily as other files.

The only files that are not displayed in a LapLink file list are those
that have both the hidden and system attribute AND are located in the
root directory of the disk. This is to protect two important files that
are always in the root directory of a bootable MS-DOS disk: IO.SYS and
MSDOS.SYS (they have slightly different names if you are using IBM DOS).
Because these files must be present in order to boot the disk, LapLink
Pro does not show them, or allow you to copy or delete them.

Read-only files are not as rare, and LapLink Pro offers two ways to
protect them. First, any time you make a selection and delete, LapLink
Pro will check the selection to see if it contains any read-only files.
If so, a warning box asks if you are sure you want to go on with the
deletion. Second, there is a copy option called Overwrite Read-only
Files. When the option is ON, a file WILL BE ALLOWED to copy over the
read-only file. When this option is OFF, LapLink Pro will not
automatically allow you to copy or move a file onto a read-only file of
the same name. Instead, the files are placed in a list from which you
must force the file transfer.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
IV. REMOTE INSTALL TIPS AND NOTES

Remote DOS Commands--When you use remote install, a user must type
commands on the remote PC. These commands are documented both in the
LapLink Pro User's Guide and in the instructions you see when you issue
the "Remote Install" command. If you have a problem with remote install,
always check to make sure the commands have been typed exactly as they
are shown in the instructions.

The remote user should be aware that some commands that he or she types
prevent the DOS prompt (C:>, for example) from displaying. And, the
final command, CTTY COMx, will make the remote PC appear to "lock up" as
the process begins.

Baud Rates--If you can't make remote install work over a cable, try
reducing the baud rate. You should reduce the rate from Automatic to
57,600 baud.

For modem remote installs, the transfer of the LapLink Pro program takes
place at 2400 or 1200 baud, even if both modems are capable of higher
speeds. This is because the initial modem connection is established by
the