The Business Master (4th Edition)

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P O L Y C O P Y ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ █▀ █ █ ▀█ █ █ █ ██ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █▄ ▄█ █ █ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ █ █ █ █ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ █ █ █▀ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▀▄ ▀█ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ ▄ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █▄ █ █▄ █ ▀▀▀▀▀ █ █ ▀ ▄█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ POLYCOPY <tm> Copyright (C)1989-1992 Joseph M. Albanese All rights reserved. POLYCOPY<TM> With TrashGuard<TM> RAM Integrity Protection The Ultimate Replacement for DISKCOPY Copyright (C)1989-1992 by Joseph M. Albanese. All rights reserved. Distributed by NEOCOM Microspecialists, Inc. C O P Y R I G H T N O T I C E Copyright (C) 1989-1992 Joseph M. Albanese. All rights reserved. POLYCOPY is a trademark of Joseph M. Albanese. No part of this manual may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language (natural or computer), in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of Joseph M. Albanese. You are granted a license to use the software described in this manual. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of that license, which is described following this notice. L I C E N S E A G R E E M E N T (Shareware Release) The "Shareware Release" of POLYCOPY is fully copyrighted and may not be sold. However, as with all shareware, it may be copied freely for evaluation pur- poses. As a POLYCOPY evaluee, you are granted a 14 day trial period in which to determine its suitability. At the end of the trial period, if you wish to continue using POLYCOPY, you must register the software. Refer to the section on REGISTRATION at the end of this documentation, or to the file called "ORDER.FRM" for more information. W A R R A N T I E S A N D L I A B I L I T Y NEOCOM Microspecialists, Inc. Disclaims all warranties relating to this software, whether express or implied, including but not limited to any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, and all such warranties are expressly and specifically disclaimed. Neither NEOCOM Microspecialists, Inc., Joseph M. Albanese nor anyone else who has been involved in the creation, production, or delivery of this software shall be liable for any indirect, consequential, or incidental damages arising out of the use or inability to use such software even if NEOCOM Microspecialists, Inc. has been advised of the possibility of such damages or claims. In no event shall NEOCOM Microspecialists, Inc.'s liability for any damages ever exceed the price paid for the license to use the software, regardless of the form of claim. The person using the software bears all risk as to the quality and performance of the software. Some states do not allow the exclusion of the limit of liability for consequential or incidental damages, so the above limitation may not apply to you. This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the state of Virginia and shall inure to the benefit of NEOCOM Microspecialists, Inc. and any successors, administrators, heirs and assigns. Any action or proceeding brought by either party against the other arising out of or related to this agreement shall be brought only in the STATE or FEDERAL COURT of competent jurisdiction located in Henry County, Virginia. The parties hereby consent to in personam jurisdiction of said courts. T R A D E M A R K S Throughout this manual are commercial names of products made by other manufacturers or developers. Many of these product names are either registered or unregistered trademarks of their respective manufacturers or developers. The owners of these trademarks have never expressed any approval or disapproval of NEOCOM products, nor are they associated with POLYCOPY, NEOCOM Microspecialists, Inc., or Joseph M. Albanese in any way. IBM and OS/2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corp. MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft Corp. 2FILE and 2FLOPPY are Copyright (C)1990 by Ziff Communications Co. COREtape Light is a trademark of CORE International, Inc. QEMM is a trademark of Quarterdeck Office Systems. 386MAX is a trademark of Qualitus. Other products mentioned are trademarks ot their respective companies or corporations. I N T R O D U C T I O N WHAT IS POLYCOPY? POLYCOPY is an exceptionally easy to use program for making copies of diskettes with a single pass of the original. This feat is accomplished by using available RAM, XMS memory and/or HARD DISK space to store a complete "disk image." POLYCOPY is the ultimate replacement for the DOS DISKCOPY utility. NEW: This version supports 2file/2floppy-compatible ".FLP" and DiskDUP image files which may be compressed for archival purposes, or transmitted via modem for remote restoration. POLYCOPY is a highly advanced disk duplicating program which offers many significant advantages over DISKCOPY. Now, you don't have to have OS/2TM to benefit from extended memory (EMM driver such as HIMEM or QEMM required). FEATURES * Single-pass diskette copies using available RAM, XMS or hard disk. * Multiple copies from a single pass of the original diskette. * Creates and restores from 2FILETM-compatible ".FLP" image files. * DiskDUP (Copr. (C)1990 R. MacClean) image file restore capability. * TrashGuardTM RAM integrity protection. * Full parameter compatibility with DISKCOPY. * Read-back verify option. * Extended drive letter support. * High speed floppy support. * No setup! Automatic configuration. * Elapsed time display. * Automatic format. * Easy to use. Only one required parameter -- drive letter. * Supports 360K, 1.2M, 720K and 1.44M floppies. * Copies even bootable diskettes (like DISKCOPY). G E T T I N G S T A R T E D REQUIREMENTS o IBM or 100% compatible PC (XMS memory support requires 286 or higher) o DOS 3.x or higher (or equivalent) o About 200K of free RAM at the DOS prompt o Hard disk INSTALLATION As a practical matter, there is no "INSTALLATION"; however, it is usually a good idea to put a copy of the program "POLYCOPY.EXE" in a pathed directory. NOTES TO DOS 5.0 USERS POLYCOPY was tested exhaustively under DOS 5.0 and should work well under practically all circumstances. Again, however, if you experience problems, remove the "UMB" from your config.sys file to see if it makes a difference. IMPORTANT: Diskettes formatted by POLYCOPY under DOS 5.0 cannot be unformatted. This is because POLYCOPY issues the "/u" parameter to the DOS FORMAT utility when DOS 5.0 is detected. U S I N G P O L Y C O P Y Some of you may be a little confused by all the command line parameters and syntax show below; however, don't worry, because using POLYCOPY is exactly like using diskcopy. As a matter of fact, POLYCOPY is much easier to use than diskcopy in that only one drive letter is required (when copying from one floppy drive). You don't even have to use a colon unless you want to. Other shortcuts make POLYCOPY easier still, but we'll get to that later. The box below shows the abbreviated syntax, parameters and examples that are displayed if you attempt to run POLYCOPY from the DOS command line with no parameters. USAGE: C>polycopy [src<:>] [tgt<:>] [/i<s|r>:fspec] [/f] [/x] [/t] [/v] [/r] EXAMPLES: D>polycopy b: /f C>polycopy a b C>polycopy b /ir:d:\temp\disk (default extension = .FLP") C>polycopy e /is:disk1.flp C>polycopy /r > prn (prints registration form) PARMS: "/F" = Format mode "/X" = Disable XMS "/R" = Registration form "/I" = Image mode; makes POLYCOPY use 2FILE/2FLOPPY((C)1990 Ziff)- compatible image files (NOTE: "S"=STORE and "R"=RESTORE). "/T" = Toggles TrashGuard (RAM data integrity test) from default. "/V" = Verify mode. Reads/compares sectors after writing. "/R" = Registration form. Use "polycopy /r > prn" to print. NOTE: "< >" and "[ ]" delimit optional parameters. "|" separates choices. SIMPLE COPYING When using POLYCOPY to simply copy diskettes there are two main steps you must follow: 1. Make your fixed disk drive (or RAM disk) the default. For example, if drive "C:" is your hard drive, this can be accomplished by typing "C:" and pressing [ENTER]. NOTE: A temporary file called "DSKIMAGE.}-{" is created (assuming "/i" is not used) on the default drive during copying. It contains data that could not fit entirely into RAM. Under normal circumstances, this file is automatically deleted. 2. Type the program name, "POLYCOPY," followed by a SPACE, then the drive letter of the floppy drive(s) that will be doing the copying. For example: C>polycopy b: or C>polycopy a b [note the optional colon] or C>polycopy a /f [note: "/f" format parameter] Once POLYCOPY is off and running it's simply a matter of answering "Y" or "N" to prompts. Either you continue making copies of the original, or you answer "N" to stop copying. YOU CAN MAKE AS MANY COPIES OF THE ORIGINAL DISK AS YOU LIKE, WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO RE-INSERT THAT DISK. FORMATTING When "/f" is NOT specified, POLYCOPY attempts to determine if it should format the TARGET diskette prior to writing data. Most of the time that's all you have to worry about; nevertheless, under certain circumstances POLYCOPY cannot properly determine if a disk should be formatted. Hence, there are two circumstances wherein you might use the "/f" parameter: 1. When POLYCOPY has previously been unable to determine if formatting should be performed. 2. When you want to be sure that all disks are freshly formatted. When it is necessary to format a diskette, POLYCOPY shells into the DOS format utility "FORMAT.COM," so it is important that you have it pathed. For example: "PATH=C:\DOS" in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. IMAGE FILES As previously mentioned, POLYCOPY supports diskette image files. These are complete, sector-for-sector images of floppies stored as DOS files. There are many potential uses for image files and, as you will soon find, they are very easy to use. Below is a list of a few of the many possible uses for image files: - When you need to send bootable diskettes via modem to a friend or colleague in a remote location. - If you wish to keep images of bootable diskettes (old DOS versions, for example) on a stand-alone or network hard drive for easy retrieval. - Use POLYCOPY's image files to generate multiple, exact copies of program diskettes. It is often easier to keep track of .flp images files than master diskettes. - One well-known company uses POLYCOPY in its quality assurance department to test the effectiveness of its virus scan software on image files, which turns out to be much easier and faster to work with than dozens of individual floppies. - I personally use POLYCOPY to create images of commercial program diskettes that I rarely need (diskettes I rarely need -- not programs) and then save the images to magnetic tape. Then I recycle the physical diskettes for other purposes. STREAMING TAPE BACKUP USERS POLYCOPY image files and the COREtape LightTM are a powerful team when used together and in conjunction with the DOS device driver "CTLDF.SYS" to make the tape drive act like a very large (albeit slow) disk drive. With the tape drive configured in this way, you will find it is a much more intuitive and maintainable method for storing diskette image files for archival purposes. In particular, the pseudo-random access and ability to delete old files without erasing the entire tape make this method more desirable. Some other streaming tape systems come with logical DOS device drivers and work similarly to the COREtape Light. Consult your tape drive documentation for details on installing the DOS device driver, if one is supplied. IMAGE FILES USAGE Using POLYCOPY to create or restore image files isn't significantly different from using it to copy diskettes directly. A drive letter is still required, but only one, since either the SOURCE or TARGET is the image file itself. The only extra parameter is the filespec of the image file. By filespec we mean the optional drive letter and path, and the required filename. POLYCOPY infers automatically whether the drive letter you specified as a parameter is the SOURCE or TARGET based on whether the "/i" is followed by an "r" or "s." This does not mean, of course, that you cannot use a drive letter as an integral part of the image file path. Quite the contrary. Just don't specify a SOURCE and TARGET drive letter as parameters in addition to the image file path. For example: WRONG ==> C>POLYCOPY a d /is:\TEMP\POLY260 <== WRONG RIGHT ==> C>POLYCOPY a /is:D:\TEMP\POLY260 <== RIGHT Here are a few more examples of POLYCOPY image file usage: C>POLYCOPY a /is:DOS331 Creates a complete disk image file on the default drive (presumably C:) of the floppy in drive A: called "DOS331.FLP." NOTE: When no extension is specified, "FLP" is the default. C>POLYCOPY b /ir:STARTER.IMG /f Restores to a floppy in drive B:, after formatting, from an image file called "STARTER.IMG" located in the default directory of the default drive. C>POLYCOPY a /ir:D:\ARC\DOS5-1 Restores to a floppy in drive A: from an image file called "DOS5-1.FLP" on drive "D:" in directory "\ARC." These are but a fraction of the possible combinations of drives, paths and parameters that might be used with POLYCOPY; however, it should be enough to get you off to a good start. ELAPSED TIME DISPLAY A great new feature of POLYCOPY is the built-in elapsed time display. The elapsed time is displayed at the far right of the "percentage..." line when the process is finished (100%). The format is [XXm YYs], where "XX" is the number of minutes and "YY" is the number of seconds. This feature is particularly useful for doing comparisons. For example, you might want to find out if POLYCOPY works faster for a particular disk type under QEMM386 than it does for HIMEM and EMM386, or vice-versa. We have found the differences to be rather profound at times. Elapsed time is displayed for both reads and writes. Having the elapsed time is also useful for estimating the total time required to complete a duplication job. The possibilities are endless. MINIMUM ALLOCATION UNIT (MAU) Some of you may have noticed a new addition to the "EMM Driver Detected" line in this release. An example is depicted in the box above (4K MAU). MAU stands for Minimum Allocation Unit and is the smallest block of memory allocated by the EMM driver when 1K of XMS is requested. This value is determined by the EMM driver. As a matter of fact, it can be used to determine which driver is currently installed. When HIMEM is used, for example, a value of 1K MAU is displayed. Under QEMM our tests revealed a value of 16K. If you run POLYCOPY from a Windows' DOS shell you should see a 4K MAU value. If you switch between EMM drivers frequently you will find this feature convenient for determining which one currently is active. USING XMS MEMORY POLYCOPY automatically checks for the existence of an Extended Memory Manager (EMM), and will use all available XMS memory (handles permitting) for copying diskettes. This allows you to take advantage of memory above 640K for copying diskettes. It also allows you to copy an entire 1.44Mb diskette completely in RAM on machines with 80286 processors or higher, have sufficient extended memory and have HIMEM.SYS (or an equivalent XMS driver) installed. POLYCOPY requires a large number of XMS handles. Most EMM drivers have a default number of handles less than or equal to 64. POLYCOPY needs a full 128 handles to be able to copy an entire 80 track diskette in RAM. It needs one XMS handle for each side-track (160 for an 80 track diskette), which explains why you still need a certain amount of regular DOS RAM available to be able to copy an entire 80 track diskette in RAM. Therefore, in order to take full advantage of your existing extended memory, you must increase the number of available XMS handles. ======================================================================= HIMEM ======================================================================= If you are using HIMEM, add the statement "/NUMHANDLES=128" to the line in your CONFIG.SYS file that loads HIMEM. For example: DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /NUMHANDLES=128 The key element here is the "/NUMHANDLES=128" portion of the line. This tells the EMM driver to allow a maximum of 128 handles, rather than the default which is 32. NOTE: During testing we experienced fewer problems with HIMEM.SYS overall than we did with other EMM drivers. Hence, we recommend that you use HIMEM if at all possible. If you must use another EMM driver, such as QEMM, please be sure to read the appropriate section specific to your driver. ======================================================================= QEMM ======================================================================= For QEMM users, "HANDLES=128" or "HA=128" will increase the number of XMS handles. For example: DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS RAM ST:M X=B000-CFFF HA=128 It seems that there is a bug in QEMM386 that causes it to trash bytes of memory when not properly configured or when advanced features (i.e. StealthTM) are used on certain machines. We contacted Quarterdeck about the problem, but we were unable to resolve the problem prior to release. It is for this reason that we invented TrashGuardTM to protect our users against garbaged diskettes. For detailed information refer to the section on TrashGuard. TrashGuard doesn't correct errors that are caused by buggy EMM drivers; however, it does make you aware of any that do occur. This is important because if you know an error has occurred, you can take actions to correct the underlying problem. Here's a list of steps to try if you experience TrashGuard or other errors while using POLYCOPY in a QEMM environment: * Increase the number of available XMS handles. * Avoid using the "NOEMS" switch. * Avoid using Stealth * Exclude progressively larger areas of memory from QEMM386 until the problem subsides. Remember to exclude RAM areas using the "X=????-????" syntax as shown above. Also, you may use as many "X=" parameters as you like with QEMM386 so you don't necessarily have to exclude everything. Refer to the QEMM manuals for much more detailed troubleshooting information. QEMM is a complex tool and may require a considerable amount of fiddling to get comfortably installed. ======================================================================= 386MAX ======================================================================= We don't know a great deal about 386MAX, but one of our users who switched from QEMM (due to poor tech support) was kind enough to give us this information. 386MAX users must add: "XMSHNDL=128" to the 386MAX.PRO file. If you use 386MAX, I will assume you know what this means. ======================================================================= OTHER EMM DRIVERS ======================================================================= Other extended memory managers should have similar parameters for increasing the number of available XMS handles since the (LotuswIntelwMicrosoftwAST) extended memory specification requires it. PROBLEMS: In general, if you experience TrashGuard errors during copying you should try excluding larger and differing areas of memory from your driver. Every EMM driver we know of has some kind of exclude parameter for this purpose. TrashGuard RAM Integrity Protection As we discussed in previous sections, most EMM drivers can corrupt memory inadvertently when they are not properly configured for a particular computer system. By "system" we mean more than simply your computer. The BIOS and operating system are also parts of the system. Any of the components of the system can introduce problems which might ultimately result in unreliable copies. Hence, the RAM integrity protection system known as TrashGuard. CRC CHECKING TrashGuard advances far beyond conventional read/write verification techniques by performing a 32-bit CRCs (cyclic redundancy checks) on block or diskette data to insure its integrity while it remains in memory, and with extreme accuracy. As a matter of fact, TrashGuard can even catch errors caused by POLYCOPY itself. Not that there would be any, or course. Actually, TrashGuard was initially designed for testing purposes for that very reason. As it turned out TrashGuard was good at detecting all kinds of RAM-based errors. When POLYCOPY discovers "trashed RAM" it translates the information into disk SIDE and TRACK numbers that correspond exactly with those displayed by the DOS DISKCOMP utility. You should rarely -- if ever -- be required to perform a DISKCOMP when you're using TrashGuard. What all this simply means, to you as an end-user, is that you can feel very confident that duplicates made using POLYCOPY are the most reliable of any XMS sector copier currently available. WHAT'S THE CATCH? Truthfully, there is a small price. In some situations it takes slightly longer to copy a diskette with TrashGuard turned on. Most of the time it takes about the same time, but we recommend that you experiment with TrashGuard turned ON and OFF to see if it's faster turned off. It could be that there is no speed advantage copying 1.44Mb disks, but that there is a drastic improvement on 720Kb's. To toggle TrashGuard OFF/ON use the "/t" parameter. If you find that there is no difference, then you should by all means leave TrashGuard turned on all the time. What have you got to lose? Nothing! CAUTION Prior to disabling TrashGuard make test duplicates of each diskette size and density supported by your machine. This will insure there are no EMM driver (or other) problems that might be masked later on. Also, if you make any modifications to your EMM driver repeat the duplication testing process with TrashGuard ON. POLYCOPY normally defaults to TrashGuard being turned ON, but you can change this using the environment variable "TRASHGUARD". You can do this in either of two ways: 1. Add the line "SET TRASHGUARD=OFF" to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. 2. Type "SET TRASHGUARD=OFF" from the DOS command line. Of course if you choose the command line approach, you'll have to repeat the process each time you reboot your computer. With the environment variable set to "OFF" POLYCOPY will default to not using TrashGuard. Even with the TrashGuard environment variable set to "OFF" you can still use TrashGuard, simply by using the "/t" parameter. The nice thing about the "/t" or "/T" parameter is that it "toggles" TrashGuard. That is, it turns TrashGuard off if it is on or on if it is off. In a final note of precaution, don't turn off TrashGuard until you are positive everything's working correctly. And don't forget to test POLYCOPY with each type of disk you intend to copy. CTRL-BREAK HANDLER POLYCOPY has a robust CTRL-BREAK handler which traps the "Ctrl- Break" key combination. When a "Ctrl-Break" is detected, POLYCOPY closes all open files, frees up XMS and regular RAM, erases temporary files and returns you safely to DOS. It is all right to hit "Ctrl-Break" virtually anytime during a POLYCOPY session. S O F T W A R E R E G I S T R A T I O N WHAT DO I GET BY REGISTERING? For one thing, a clear conscience. People like me work very hard on programs like this. We do so under the assumption that if people like our programs they will (should, and hopefully will) register. In addition to the wonderful feeling you will enjoy, knowing that you are helping to perpetuate the shareware concept, as a registered user of POLYCOPY you will also gain the following: o Latest version of POLYCOPY o Professionally printed instruction booklet complete with index and table of contents. o Notification of new releases o Low cost upgrades o Technical support o FREE bulletin board access o FREE BONUS #1: VOLSER - A complimentary copy of the latest version of VOLSER(tm), the volume serial number utility. VOLSER is a companion program to POLYCOPY which allows you to "add", "view" and/or "change" DOS 4.xx and 5.xx serial numbers. Uses for VOLSER include: serializing floppy diskettes, serial number coding hard drives (theft protection). You can even view and enter disk serial numbers in DECIMAL as well as HEXIDECIMAL format. For serializing large quantities of disks, VOLSER has automatic increment, decrement and duplicating of serial numbers. o FREE BONUS #2: LED - A complimentary copy of the latest version of the world's greatest "All but" delete utility. It's the converse of the DOS "DEL" command. LED deletes all files in the target directory EXCEPT those you specify on the command line. It's completely command line compatible with DEL. You can even LED accross drives and direct- ories! This is a great utility, particularly if you do alot of archiving and un-archiving. If you like DELBUT, you'll love LED! As a registered user of POLYCOPY you will also be notified of other NEOCOM products, as they become available. ========================= ORDER/REGISTRATION FORM ============================ Send this completed form and registration fees to: POLYCOPY REGISTRATION - P.O. BOX 1126 - MARTINSVILLE, VA 24114 Indicate method of payment (payable to NEOCOM Microspecialists, Inc.): [ ] Check or Money Order (US Funds) [ ] MastCard [ ] VISA Exp. Date __/__ Acct#: ________________________ Signature: ____________________________ Credit card orders: 1-800-766-6861 or FAX 1-703-666-9534 (8am-5pm EST) For information, or any other reason, call our voice line: 1-703-666-9534 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SINGLE COPY REGISTRATION Disk with program and documentation: $24.95 + Postage and handling ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SITE LICENSE (MULTI-COPY) REGISTRATION Site license for the use of POLYCOPY. (Includes single disk & multiple docs) No. PCs Adjusted Price ------------------------------------------- 2 - 5 $22.50 each 6 - 19 $18.75 each 20 - 49 $16.25 each 50 - 99 $13.75 each 100 or more, $1,250 one time fee. (Call for details) NOTE: With site licenses postage and handling are waved; however, overseas order charges still apply. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Price: $_____.__ x Qty = $_____.__ Shipping & Hand.: $ 2.50 x Qty = $_____.__ (Site licenses exempt) Overseas or outside U.S.: $ 5.00 = $____5.00 (if applicable) Total enclosed: $_____.__ (U.S. funds) Company: ___________________________ Your Name: __________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________________________ City: _________________________________ State: ___ Zip: ______-____ Telephone: ( )___-____ Version you already have: _______ Preferred media (check one): [ ] 3½ diskette [ ] 5¼ diskette Computer: [ ] PC/XT or compatible [ ] AT Class [ ] 80386 [ ] 80486 EMM Driver: [ ] HIMEM [ ] QEMM386 [ ] 386MAX [ ] Other ___________ DOS or other operating system brand/version: _______________________________ How and where did you find out about POLYCOPY? ____________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Do you have any comments and/or suggestions? ______________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________