Copyright: ® Softstar Research, Inc.


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Contents

ReStart

Description

Display

Menus

Arguments

Options


Description

The Windows™ environment has added a new complexity to programming.  With the ability to run multiple programs at the same time, these programs must share resources that are available to all.  This often leads to the infamous 'General Protection Fault'.  About the only thing to do at this point, is shut down and ReStart™  the system.

The ReStart™ program makes doing this easier.  The program displays an icon at the bottom of the Windows desktop.  The user can either single or double click the ReStart icon with the left mouse button.  This displays the ReStart programs menu.  From the menu, the user has easy access to restarting Windows, Exiting Windows, and Rebooting the entire System.

While there are many ReStart utilities on the market, most just duplicate the functionality of closing Program Manager™.  The problem with this is 'DOS' applications.  Even in today's sophisticated environment, many user still run DOS applications.  Windows 3.1 running in enhanced mode make this a painless process.

However, if you've ever had a DOS programming running, and try to Close the Program Manager, the results can be tedious at best.

MS DOS Prompt

I'm sure this message has appeared more than once.  With one DOS application running, this can be just a nuisance.  With multiple DOS application running, it can be downright unnecessary.

The ReStart icon solves this problem by automatically closing all active DOS applications.  The program walks the 'task list' (the programs running in Windows), and checks to see if any of them is a DOS application.  If so, it performs a 'Terminate' function to shut the application down.


Display

The ReStart menu is activated by single or double clicking the ReStart icon.  This action displays the ReStart programs main menu.

ReStart Main Menu


Menus

ReStart Windows

ReBoot System

Exit Windows


ReStart Windows

This menu option is used to ReStart Windows.  It first tries to Terminate all active DOS applications.  Then it send a 'WM_CLOSE' message to all active Windows programs.  Finally it closes the Program Manager and completely restarts the Windows environment.


ReBoot System

This menu option is used to ReStart the Entire System.  It first tries to Terminate all active DOS applications.  Then it send a 'WM_CLOSE' message to all active Windows programs.  Finally it closes the Program Manager and completely reboots the computer.  This would be the equivalent of pressing the 'CTRL-ALT-DEL' key combination from DOS.


Exit Windows

This menu option is used to exit Windows..  It first tries to Terminate all active DOS applications.  Then it send a 'WM_CLOSE' message to all active Windows programs.  Finally it closes the Program Manager and returns the user to DOS.


Arguments

The program can be passed a command line argument.  By supplying a command line argument to the program, one of the ReStart option can be executed immediately.  This gives the user the ability to start the program and choose an option without having to go through the menu options.  Using command line arguments is the preferred usage if the program is being automatically started from another program.

There are three (3) command line arguments that can be used.

'R' - ReStart Windows

'B' - ReBoot System

'X' - Exit Windows

The case doesn't matter ('r' versus 'R'), the ReStart program can detect both lower and upper case arguments.  Be sure not to include the ' character(s) on the command line.  Simply include the desired command line option.


Options

The options dialog is used to configure the action of the right mouse button.  The option selected in this dialog is immediately run when the user clicks the right mouse button over the ReStart icon.

The user can also check the 'Always On Top' checkbox.  This will force the ReStart icon to always be displayed on top of any other windows.

ReStart Options Dialog


Glossary of Terms

DOS

General Protection Fault

ReStart

Task List

Windows

Windows Desktop


DOS

DOS Version 3.3 of greater.


General Protection Fault

A Windows error message indicating that a program has violated the system integrity.  In other words, something crashed and burned.


ReStart

ReStart program from Softstar Research, Inc.


Task List

The list of application currently running in the Windows environment.


Windows

Windows 3.1 or greater.


Windows Desktop

The main Windows display.  This is the area behind the program manger on the screen.