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OpenTrap (VERSION 1.00)
Copyright (c) 1997 Ziff-Davis Publishing Company
Written by Rick Knoblaugh and Gregory A. Wolking
First Published in PC Magazine, US Edition, July 1997.
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About  OpenTrap...

OpenTrap is a 32-bit application that runs only under Windows 95.
It lets you record file system activity so you can diagnose 
problems with your system, or just see what's going on behind the 
scenes as you work.

INSTALLATION:

Place the OpenTrap.EXE, OpenTrap.HLP, and OpenTrap.CNT files
files in the folder of your choice. You should move the FUNCTRAP.VXD 
file to your Windows SYSTEM directory, then create a shortcut to 
OpenTrap.EXE. To remove OpenTrap from your system, follow the 
instructions in the online help.

			  ***IMPORTANT NOTE***

If you also have our BigBin utility installed on your system, 
you should be aware that OpenTrap and BigBin share the FUNCTRAP.VXD 
virtual device driver. For both programs to work correctly, there 
must be exactly one copy of FUNCTRAP.VXD on your system, in your 
Windows SYSTEM directory.

USAGE:

OpenTrap's commands and functions are largely self-explanatory. 
If you have any questions, all of the program's controls and 
features are documented in the online help.

When you first launch OpenTrap, it will automatically register 
the .OTL extension used for its OpenTrap Event Log files unless 
you already have that extension associated with another 
application. This allows you to open or print an OpenTrap Event 
Log from Windows Explorer by right-clicking on the file and 
selecting the appropriate command from the pop-up menu.

By default, OpenTrap launches in its idle state, ready to begin 
logging file system events. Use the Start command on the 
Logging menu or click the traffic light icon in the toolbar 
to have OpenTrap begin recording events. Similarly, use the 
Stop command or the stop sign icon to have OpenTrap stop 
logging and display the events (if any) that it recorded. 
OpenTrap will stop logging automatically if its buffer fills.

To minimize its impact on your system's performance, OpenTrap 
does not display events while it is logging, only when it is 
idle. You can use the File/Save and File/Save As commands to 
save your log in OpenTrap's native format. The File/Save As 
Text command lets you export your logs as ASCII text (either 
as displayed in the main window or in comma-delimited format) 
for use by other programs.

Use the Logging Options dialog to control the size of OpenTrap's
buffer, which events it will record, and whether or not the 
main window will hide itself to a system tray icon while 
logging. Use the Filter Options dialog to limit the information 
that OpenTrap displays, such as files with a particular base 
name or extension, files accesses by a particular program
module, and so on. You may also select a custom font, which 
OpenTrap will use for both its screen display and printed 
output. The logging and filtering options can be saved 
independently for automatic use each time you start the 
program. OpenTrap automatically saves its window size and 
position, toolbar layout, and font setting when you exit 
the program.

Except for a custom font, all of OpenTrap's settings can be 
specified on the command line to facilitate automated operation 
(e.g. from a shortcut in your StartUp folder), including an 
"AutoStart" option to have OpenTrap begin logging immediately 
after you launch the program.

Support for OpenTrap:
Support for the free utilities offered by PC Magazine can be 
obtained electronically in the discussion area of PC Magazine's 
Web site and in the Utilities section of ZD Net's TIPS Forum 
on CompuServe.

For PC Magazine's Web site go to the 
URL http://www.pcmag.com/discuss/ and select the Utilities area. 
You can also access the Utilities discussion area from the 
utility's download page. The authors of current utilities 
generally monitor the discussion area every day.

You may find an answer to your question simply by reading the 
messages previously posted. If the author is not available and 
you have a question that the sysops can't answer, the editor of
the Utilities column, who also checks the area each day, will 
contact the author for you.

For ZD Net's TIPS Forum (GO ZNT:TIPS). The authors of current 
utilities generally visit this forum daily. You may find an 
answer to your question by reading the messages already posted 
in the forum. If the author is not available and the forum 
sysops can't answer your question, the Utilities column editor, 
who checks this forum each day, will contact the author for you.

Gregory A. Wolking is the primary sysop of the ZNT:TIPS Forum 
on ZDNet/CompuServe and the PC Magazine Utilities discussion 
area on the Web (www.pcmag.com/discuss.htm).
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