Night Owl 6/Night Owl's Shareware - PDSI-006 - Night Owl Corp (1990).iso/008a/qdeckdos.zip/QDECKDOS

Text File | 1991-10-20 | 15KB | 304 lines

     DOS 5 AND QUARTERDECK PRODUCTS

The shipping versions of all Quarterdeck products are essentially
compatible with DOS 5. Some shipping Quarterdeck products have
already been modified with DOS 5 compatibility in mind; others will
contain changes in future releases to enhance DOS 5 support.

DOS 5 contains a number of enhancements over previous versions.
Among the most notable features is more advanced memory management
- specifically, the ability to create and use DOS"High Memory"
regions above 64OK. These high-memory regions can be used for
loading resident programs, drivers and parts of DOS itself.

In many ways, the facilities for managing memory, which are built
into DOS 5 are similar to those, first made available to users of
DOS 2.x, 3.x and 4.x by version 4.1O or QEMM-386, released in the
spring of 1988. QEMM-386, which is now at version 5.13 has evolved
considerably from that original product, incorporating improvements
with each new version. These improvements have progressively
resulted in more available memory for the user, higher reliability
and enhanced ease of use. Quarterdeck also makes this technology
available to users of 8088 and 80286 computers with EMS 4 or Shadow
RAM, through its QRAM and QEMM-50/60 products.

While the memory management features of DOS 5 represent an advance
for DOS, using Quarterdeck's memory managers stlll retains
significant advantages for most users, The differences between the
current release of Quarterdeck memory managers and those built into
DOS 5 are as follows:

1) The combined size of DOS 5's memory managers (HIMEM.SYS and
EMM386.SYS) is 8.4 to 10.4K. QEMM-386, provides the facilities of
both these drivers in 2.4 to 3.4K. Therefore, even with optimally
configured DOS memory managers, QEMM should retain a 7K advantage
below 64OK.

2) QEMM-386 typically provides 96K MORE High RAM by default than
The DOS 5 memory manager on non-PS/2 systems, and 32K MORE by
default on PS/2 systems. The DOS 5 memory manager allows these
areas to be included manually, but this requires some expertise.

3) DOS 5 has no equivalent to Quarterdeck's Manifest program.
Manifest is a memory analysis program which currently is included
FREE, with QEMM-386. It provides extensive information about the
computer it is running on and is an invaluable tool when optimizing
a system or diagnosing a memory problem or conflict.

4) The DOS 5 memory manager has no OPTIMIZE program to
automatically load TSR's and device drivers into the optimum
regions of upper memory. Novice users may experience considerable
difficulty achieving good results from the DOS 5 LOADHIGH program,
but even advanced users will appreciate the speed and accuracy with
which OPTIMIZE sets up a system.

5) The DOS 5 memory manager provides no Analysis feature. QEMM's
Analysis is an extremely useful tool, that can be used to determine
the areas of high memory that can safely be used, when the memory
manager cannot make this determination on it's own. Analysis also
lets QEMM-386 users reclaim unused addresses in the system ROM and
in other areas in high memory -- a great advantage to memory-hungry
users.

6) The DOS 5 memory manager can't map ROM's into faster RAM.
QEMM-386 has the option of mapping ROM's into fast RAM -- a feature
which often results in substantially better performance, especially
where screen update speed is important.

7) The DOS 5 memory managers have no facility to sort memory. On
machines where some sections of memory runs slower than other
sections, QEMM-386 sorts the memory so that the fastest memory will
be used first.

8) The DOS 5 memory manager cannot manage ShadowRAM or Top Memory,
a feature QEMM-386 users on limited-memory systems depend heavily
upon, Many one-meg systems turn 384K of the first megabyte of
memory into ShadowRAM or Top Memory. This memory is unavailable
when using the DOS 5 memory managers.

9) Microsoft Windows 3.0 Standard mode won't run under the DOS 5
memory manager when the memory manager is active (in virtual 8086
mode), for example when using a disk cache. QEMM-386 can run
Windows 3.0 in all three modes: Real, Standard or Enhanced, whether
or not QEMM-386 is active.

10) The DOS 5 memory manager provides no control over the region of
High RAM that can be used to load programs high. This means that
even expert users may be unable to use High RAM efficiently in
situations where TSR's and drivers must be loaded in a specific
order. The Quarterdeck LOADHI programs allow TSR's or drivers to be
directed to specific high memory locations, giving complete control
to the user, Of course, as mentioned before, this feature is used
expertly by the OPTIMIZE program in order to provide the optimum
configuration.

11) On PS/2's and other microchannel systems, QEMM-386 can
automatically detect the addresses used by any adapter listed in
our MCA.ADL file. This is especially valuable on systems with
adapter RAM (used by many network cards, among other adapters),
Adapter RAM can be particularly hard for 386 memory managers to
detect. The DOS 5 memory manager has no such feature. As the
addresses used by network cards vary from machine to machine and
card to card, QEMM-386's MCA.ADL file can save considerable work
for network administrators in companies with large installations of
PS/2's or microchannel compatibles on networks. Users of PS/2
machines which are not on a network will also benefit from this
"ease of use" feature.

12) DOS 5 has no equivalent for the VIDRAM utility, which allows
users to extend conventional memory on EGA/VGA systems that aren't
using EGA/VGA graphics.

13) The DOS 5 Memory Manager is less flexible for configuring
expanded memory (EMS), Many DOS programs support EMS memory; others
use XMS. To have both types of memory, the DOS memory manager
requires you to divide extended memory -- part as EMS, part as XMS.
To change the amounts available, you must edit your CONFIG.SYS file
and reboot. QEMM-386 allows EMS and XMS to"share" extended memory.
With QEMM-386, applications can use up to the maximum amount of
memory available as EMS, XMS, or a combination of the two --
without reconfiguring or rebooting the system.

14) DOS 5.0 provides no software for managing Upper Memory Blocks
(UMBs) on 8088 or 80286 machines with EMS 4 or shadow RAM.
Quarterdeck's QRAM and QEMM-50/60 provide a path for users of these
machines to use "LOADHI" technology (Quarterdeck's or DOS 5's),
while maintaining an interface which is consistent with 386 and 486
machines which are running QEMM-386 and DOS 5, or earlier versions
of DOS.

15) QEMM-386 is required to support DESQview 386. While DESQview
can run with the DOS 5 memory managers, as it can with other EMS
drivers. only by using QEMM-386 can you get the special features of
DESQview 386 which provide for memory protection and the
multi-tasking of "ill-behaved" DOS programs.

     UPGRADING - THE EASY PATH

If you are installing DOS 5 on a system that already has QEMM or
QRAM installed, simply leave the Quarterdeck memory managers in
place and run the DOS SETUP program. SETUP will install your DOS
upgrade and create an UNINSTALL disk to use if you decide to go
back to your old DOS. SETUP typically makes two changes to your
CONFIG.SYS file. It places a "DEVICE=SETVER.EXE" statement at the
beginning of your CONFIG.SYS (before QEMM or QRAM) and puts
"DOS=HIGH" at the end of the CONFIG.SYS. It will also put a
"SHELL=COMMAND.COM statement in the file if there is not one
already. For our purposes, you can leave that, "as-is".

If you like, you can move the line which loads SETVER.EXE below the
line that loads QEMM-386 (or QRAM) and run OPTIMIZE. OPTIMIZE will
take care of loading SETVER high. The default size of SETVER is
.4K, so even if you leave it alone, it will not make a big impact
on your memory. Of course, if you don't have any programs that
require it (run SETVER with no parameters to see the list), you can
take it out entirely.

If you are running DESQview, remove the "DOS=HIGH" from the end of
the CONFIG.SYS file. DESQview can use the high memory space and
will use more of it than can DOS, so you are generally better off
removing the statement. If you are not running DESQview, you may
leave "DOS=HIGH" in place.

If you are upgrading from DOS 2 or 3 and have the statement
"BUFFERS=1" in your CONFIG.SYS, you should change it to
"BUFFERS=15" (or whatever number of buffers you desire). Then
remove the line which loads "BUFFERS.COM" from your AUTOEXEC.BAT,
and re-run OPTIMIZE to optimize your system. The BUFFERS.COM
program cannot support DOS 5 style buffers and without this change,
you are likely to experience a system slowdown when BUFFERS.COM
fails to load additional buffers.

At this point, you are done and your system should be optimized. DO
NOT bother "going through the optimize procedures listed in the DOS
5.0 manual", as suggested by SETUP. QEMM's LOADHI and OPTIMIZE
procedures have already done this for you. Specifically, you should
avoid the use of the DOS=UMB parameter. While this parameter is not
incompatible with Quarterdeck memory managers, it makes high memory
unavailable to our current LOADHI programs. In a "best csse
scenario "you will lose 7K in DOS, using DOS 5's "loadhigh"
features. In a "worst case scenario", it could be much more.

If you have any questions about whether your system is optimized or
if you have added or subtracted any TSR's or drivers during the
upgrade, check the "Hints" given by Manifest and re-run the
OPTIMIZE program.

     SPECIFIC COMPATIBILITY ISSUES

The following are specific compatibility issues related to current
versions of Quarterdeck software and the use of DOS 5.

1) For QRAM or QEMM 50/60 users who are using QEXT.SYS:

If you are a DESQview user, use the QEXT.SYS that came with your
software and do not use the "DOS=HIGH" option. As mentioned
earlier, DESQview makes use of more efficient use of this memory
than DOS.

If you are not a DESQview user and wish to use the DOS=HIGH option,
use DOS's HIMEM.SYS to provide the High Memory Area for "DOS=HIGH"
or obtain a version of Quarterdeck's QEXT.SYS dated later than May,
1991. Earlier versions do not work with the "DOS=HIGH" option. A
version which will work is currently available on the Quarterdeck
Electronic Bulletin Board system (213-396-3904) and will be shipped
with future versions of Quarterdeck software.

If you are using the DOS 5 RAMDRIVE.SYS or SMARTDRV.SYS and they
fail to load, move the line which loads QEXT.SYS so that it loads
BEFORE the QEMM 50/60 driver or QRAM in your CONFIG.SYS file. The
version of QEXT.SYS that is on the Quarterdeck Bulletin Board also
solves this problem.

2) If you use DOS 5's DOSKEY utility and run DESQview:

Obtain DESQview 2.34 from Quarterdeck orders department. The DOSKEY
utility will conflict with DESQview's DOS Services program if
loaded before DESQview. To use DOSKEY in a DESQview DOS window,
modify the "Program" line or the program information file using
"Change a Program" to load "DOSKEY" and configure the "Parameters"
line with "/REINSTALL" so that each DOS window will have its own,
unique set of stacked commands.

3) If you run Microsoft Windows 3.0 in Standard mode, inside
DESQview:

Obtain DESQview 2.34 from Quarterdeck orders department. Earlier
versions of DESQview run Windows unreliably in Standard mode when
DOS 5 is present. There is not a problem running Windows Real mode.

4) If you run Microsoft Windows 3.0 in Enhanced mode:

If you run Microsoft Windows in Enhanced mode and plan to use the
DOS=HIGH parameter, you must take care that you do not use the
"EXT=" or "MEM=" parameters to QEMM-386. Doing so will prevent
Windows from being able to start in Enhanced mode. It will not
affect operation in Real or Standard modes.

5) If you run DOS 5's DOSSHELL program:

The DOSSHELL program works fine with Quarterdeck's memory
management software. It is also possible to start DESQview from the
shell, however you cannot task switch away from versions of
DESQview prior to 2.34 or the system will hang. DESQview 2.34
prevents this problem, however it is presumed that most users
who use more advanced DOS environments, such as DESQview or Windows
will not be using DOSSHELL.

6) If you run DESQview and use SETVER.EXE:

SETVER, does not take effect when run inside DESQview 2.33 or
earlier. Because SETVER does not work inside DESQview 2.33 and
earlier, programs that require SETVER may malfunction when run
under these versions of DESQview. A list of the programs which
require SETVER is available by typing "SETVER" to the DOS prompt.
If you have programs which require the use of SETVER in DOS and
want to run them in DESQview, contact the Quarterdeck Orders
Department for an upgrade of your DESQview to version 2.34

7) If your system requires the DOS DISPLAY.SYS or PRINTER.SYS
drivers:

The DOS 5 utilities, DISPLAY.SYS and PRINTER.SYS cannot be
successfully loaded into upper memory by the LOADHI.SYS that ships
with QEMM-386 5.13 and earlier, QEMM-50/60 5.00 and earlier, and
QRAM 1.01 and earlier. Future versions of LOADHI.SYS are expected
to be able to load these drivers into upper memory.

You can load these drivers into low memory or, if you do not
require Quarterdeck's LOADHI programs to load larger TSRs or
drivers, it is possible to add DOS=UMB to your CONFIG.SYS file and
use DEVICEHIGH to load them. As mentioned before, the "DOS=UMB"
parameter currently makes high memory unavailable to Quarterdeck's
LOADHI programs.

8) If you run DESQview and get the message, "packed file is
corrupt", when you open a window:

The EXEPACK utility that came with versions of DOS before DOS 5
contained a bug that resulted in the error message "packed file is
corrupt" being given when a packed .EXE file was executed in the
first 64K of conventional memory. DOS 5 pathces the files in memory
so that they can be successfully unpacked and executed. However,
since DESQview takes over much of the program-loading process from
DOS, this patch does not take effect in DESQview versions before
2.34. If you encounter this error, openeing a window in DESQview,
contact Quarterdeck Orders Department for an upgrade your DESQview.

For Reference:

Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052
Microsoft automated support for DOS 5   [phone].
Microsoft "90-day, free support"        [phone].
Microsoft "after 90 days, support"      [phone] ($2 per min.)
or                                      [phone] ($20 per
call)

Quarterdeck Office Systems, 150 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405
Technical Support (Voice)               [phone]
Orders and Upgrade Hotline              [phone]
Q/FAX  - Automated FAX Request Line:    [phone]
          Copyright (C) 1991 by Quarterdeck Office Systems