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Monster Media 1996 #15
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Monster Media Number 15 (Monster Media)(July 1996).ISO
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win_utl1
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35secw41.zip
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35DOC.TXT
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1996-03-05
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15KB
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294 lines
_NOTE:_ This program is compatible with enhanced mode Windows 3.1 and
Windows95. (Even when Virtual memory is enabled.)
Common knowledge says, that it is possible to speed-up installation process
of big programs by copying installation disks on hard-drive. It's good thing
to do, because when you speed-up installation two times (by this trick), you
can save up-to half an hour. (Yes. There are programs, which took 60 minutes
to install.)
35sec package offers something even better: With 35sec floppy-disk
accelerator it is possible to read/write floppy-disks on background - You'll
save even more time and you will not need any hard-disk space.
And 35sec provides even more...
You are working in your favourite text editor, when friend comes with 1.44MB
of texts, you are interested in. You will not stop working with text-editor,
you just press some sequence of key combinations (^^A 1 in case that disk fits
into A:) and continue working with editor. Disk is being read on background.
After 35 seconds, computer beeps, indicating you that disk's memory image is
ready. Now you can decide, if you want to see that texts (access to them is
now as extremely fast - as fast as ram-drive). If you decide to do some
changes, you can, but before removing floppy you need to save them back. You
can do also other things: for example you can make diskcopy of that disk
without need to read it again.
35 seconds package
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█
Version 1.41
The ultimate floppy-disk caching program
35sec disk accelerator is able to read floppy disks completely on
background. It is nice feature, which can save you lot of time. Computer is
slowed down only by some 10%, difference is unnoticeable (when not running
benchmarks). You can even remove floppy from drive (if disk is error-free).
You can work on it, and it is as fast as ram-drive. You can even make changes
on it. Than you can write memory image onto floppy, you can decide to discard
changes, can make copies of that disk, everything completely on background.
When there are some problems with reading floppy, remember to leave it
inserted in drive. When 35sec is not able to read something (it will tell you
after reading), you should leave floppy inserted. BIOS may still be able to
read that data. Be sure to retire such floppies, as they became slow and
unreliable.
Warning about bad discs
════════════════════════╝
Please be carefull when using 35sec with bad disks (disks that are not read
completely). In case 35sec can not read entire floppy, it reads only its
parts, and when data are requested from unreadable part, it tries to read them
through bios. So if operation is done but with errors, be sure _not_ _to_
_remove_ floppy from drive.
35sec.com - kernel
═══════════════════╝
35sec.com should be loaded from your autoexec.bat file. It is resident and
takes about 3KB of RAM. It may be loaded high by your memory manager in order
to save memory. 35sec.com contains kernel, which is responsible for doing all
low-level operations. This kernel provides services to other programs from
35sec package. Interface between 35sec.com and other programs is described in
35tech.txt. If you decide to use that interface, please let me know. Note,
that you can't distribute 35sec along with your own programs (see 35lic.txt).
35secW.com - Windows compatible kernel
═══════════════════════════════════════╝
35secW.com is equivalent of 35sec.com, except that it is compatible with
enhanced mode Windows.
35secW requires mem.386 VxD to be running on machine, and requires
Microsoft's VFD to be replaced by slightly modified version of VFD (3.1) or
Standart Floppy disk controller to be disabled (95). See instalation section
for details. 35secW no longer works under DOS. If you want to use 35sec under
both DOS and Windows, you have to load both 35sec and 35secW. 35secW is no
longer compatible with Standard mode Windows.
35cache?.com - cache interfaces
════════════════════════════════╝
After loading 35sec.com, you need some program to call its services. You can
select from 3 versions of this program (called 35caches.com, 35cacheo.com and
35cacheb.com). All these shells should be loaded from autoexec.bat. They have
all same keyboard controlls - they differs only in responses they give to you.
You can even decide not to install 35cache? and control 35sec from command
line using 35mon, but it is not really comfortable and it is slow.
_35cacheb.com_ - gives information by beeps. Problem about this is, that it
may be hard to recognize what information does it want to give you. Generally,
two same beeps mean that something is O.K. and accepted, two (or more)
different beeps mean that something went wrong. It is the smallest one.
_35caches.com_ - gives information in text form only. Window in center of
screen pops up informing you on what happend. Then, you are expected to press
any key to continue. The message pops up even if you are in graphics mode (and
you will not be able to see it), so this is not recommended to install when
you use graphics mode application frequently.
_35cacheo.com_ - gives information by beeps and in text form. Text message
appears after you press report last message (^^C) combination (see below), so
there are no problems with graphics modes.
All 35cache? programs require parameters: you have to specify what shifts do
you want to use. I recomend you to use 35cache? ac to select Alt+Control+????
as hotkey. Run 35cache? without parameters to get help.
Buffer selection Deselect
┌───┬───┬───┬───┬ ┬───┬
│1 │2 │3 │4 │ │0 │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │
└┬──┴┬──┴┬──┴┬──┴┬ ┴───┴
└┬──┴┬──┴┬──┴┬──┴┬
│Q │W │E │R │
│ │ │ │ │ B:
└┬──┴┬──┴┬──┴┬──┴┬
│A │S │D │F │
│ │ │ │ │ A:
└┬──┴┬──┴┬──┴┬──┴┬
^ ^ ^ ^
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ └─ Write whole memory image onto floppy
│ │ └─ Write chaged parts of memory image onto floppy
│ └─ Assign buffer to drive
└─ Read buffer from drive
└┬──┴┬──┴┬──┴┬──┴┬
│Z │X │C │V │
│ │ │ │ │
└───┴───┴───┴───┴
^ ^ ^ ^
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ └─ Cancel current operation
│ │ └─ Report last message (not in 35cacheb)
│ └─ Report progress of current operation (not in 35cacheb)
└─ Free buffer
*Note* , that if you install 35short.com , you can get above picture any
time by pressing hotkey Alt-Shift-D.
Commands are Ctrl-Alt-Letter (Ctrl-Alt-??? can be overriden to something
else on command line) followed by buffer number (if required).
Well, few more comments about commands. ^^V (Cancel current operation) has a
little bit problems: First cancel operation, _then_ remove floppy from drive.
For ilustrative pictures, run README.bat.
35mon
══════╝
35mon is event-driven utility that allows you to view state of 35sec floppy
accelerator. It can send commands to 35sec, so you could use instead of
35cache? interfaces. It can be controlled from command line, use 35mon /? to
get help. Mount and UnMount batches are examples of 35mons usage.
35monW
═══════╝
35monW is interface for usage of 35secW under Windows. It is pretty self
explanatory, I hope. Remember to select buffers between starting operations. I
hope incompatibility with virtual memory is not really critical - you don't
need much memory when installing new software (that is probably best time to
use 35secW).
eXtended Disk Copy
═══════════════════╝
eXtended Disk Copy (XDC) allows you to copy floppies (as it's name implies),
but it is not its main purpose - 35cache can do that to. It can copy floppies
to files and can work with 35sec floppy images.
eXtended Disk Copy to copy files from/to:
Standart disks (A:)
Files (C:\TMP\IMAGE.DAT)
35sec's buffers (1:)
As an example of using XDC, I prepared a batch file ( empty.bat ) which will
create empty 1.44MB floppy image for you into buffer 1. You can copy files
onto it (works like ramdrive), but if you decide to, you can save it on floppy
( ^^F 1 to save it onto A:). And you can even save only changed areas (using
^^D 1 to save onto A:).
Note that you can create your own images of empty diskettes using xdc A:
{filename} /1 , images of full floppys by xdc A: {filename} . Such images are
then used in way similar to empty.bat : xdc {filename} {buffer_number}: [/1] .
Compatibility
══════════════╝
35sec is compatible with FDformat/FDread . It is not compatible with
programs that use other sector size than 512 bytes (such as 2M package).
35sec requires 386SX or better, with FDC compatible to my FDC, just try it
(no-name computers are probably O.K.). Requirement of 386+ is not essential,
but I'm too lazy to do 32-bit aritmetics on 286-. If that is problem for you
(i.e. you own 286 or even XT), please let me know, but I don't think I'll help
you.
Please do NOT use 35sec for disks with non-DOS file system (like LINUX
disks), it can cause 'Division by zero' in foreground application.
Installation
═════════════╝
Copy all files to hard-drive. Install 35sec.com and one of 35cache?.com
(you'll need shift keys, ac is default) in autoexec.bat file. 35sec.com
(and/or 35secW, if you are windows user) must be loaded after XMS memory
manager and before any inteligent disk-cache program.
Windows 3.1 installation
─────────────────────────┘
35secW requires mem.386 VxD (it will load automagicaly) to be running on
machine, and requires Microsoft's VFD to be replaced by slightly modified
version of VFD.
That is done by replacing
device=*vfd
line in system.ini file with
device=c:\some...path...\vfd.386
Windows 95 installation
────────────────────────┘
Under Windows95, you must disable "Standart Floppy disk controller" virtual
device and place 35secw.COM into Ios.ini file. To do this:
1. Double-click 'My computer', double-click 'Control Panel', double-click
'System', click 'Device manager', expand 'Floppy disk controllers' group,
double-click 'Standard Floppy Disk Controller'. Unmark 'Device usage' in all
configurations.
Then open notepad, open 'IOS.INI' and add two lines " 35secW " and " 35sec "
just below [SafeList] line.
Example AUTOEXEC.BAT
─────────────────────┘
d:\win\xmsmmgr
c:\utl\35sec
c:\utl\35cacheo ac
c:\utl\hyperdkx ...
Registration
═════════════╝
After 21 days evalution period, you must register. Registration means, that
you will send me $10 and I will send you registered copy of 35sec accelerator.
(Just put money into envelope so they are not visible from outside and send it
to my snail-mail adress. Send me note if you are able to. Or do you have some
better idea how to deliver me $10?) By registering, you allow me to create new
versions and other (hopefully good) programs.
After registering, you'll get much smaller version (even with smaller
resident kernel). Pause on start-up will disappear, too.
Note for people from Czech republic: Vzhledem k tomu, ze od nikoho z vas
neocekavam, ze mi poslete deset dolaru, bude bohate stacit, kdyz mi poslete
stopadesat korun, nejlepe slozenkou na nize uvedenou adresu.
Note for hackers
═════════════════╝
This program should be un-crackable.
Note for advanced hackers
══════════════════════════╝
This program of course is NOT un-crackable, but don't try that.
(Previous line can save much of your time.)
Note for *really* advanced hackers
═══════════════════════════════════╝
If you'll successfully crack 35sec.com and if you tell me about it, you may
become registered user of 35sec.
Versions
═════════╝
There are 3 separate versions of 35sec - first for usage under DOS, second
for use under Windows (w/o virtual memory, w/o dos boxes) and third
(registered) version for both environments.
History
════════╝
1.41 - 35secW is now compatible with Windows 95
1.40 - 35secW is now FULLY COMPATIBLE with Enhanced mode Windows 3.1
35secW no longer works under DOS
35secW now allows you to run DOS applications in same
9 buffers now supported
any key ends report (instead of Alt-RShift)
when empty buffer is assigned to drive, speeded up
added 35short resident with description of function keys
added detection if requested program is not already there
1.30 - fixed problem with using A: & B: at same time
fixed problem with attempt to read/write when reading/writing
added XDC program, create empty floppy images
default sector sliding set to 2 for A: & B:
buffer for A: is set to 1 and for B: to 2 by default
1.20 - added cancel function
added MOUNT / UNMOUT batches
added 35mon program
added 35monW program, Windows interface for 35sec
added 35secW program, Windows compatible kernel
hotkey selection allowed
1.10 - added detection of installed disk drives
removed problem with freeing memory while reading/writing
1.01 - minor documentation changes
1.00 - first released version
Comments
═════════╝
Any comments are welcome, even from non-registered users. This is not
version 1.0, but some bugs may have survived. Please report me, if you find
one.
My adress is:
Pavel Machek
Volkova 1131
198 00 Praha 9 - Cerny Most
Czech republic
Phone: +42-2-866 233
E-mail: machek@k332.feld.cvut.cz