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1996-05-08
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╔═════════════════════════════════╗
║ MASTERBOOTER v1.3 DOCUMENTATION ║
║ (C) Nagy Dániel 05-08-96 ║
╚═════════════════════════════════╝
SHAREWARE VERSION
┌──────────┐
│ CONTENTS │
└──────────┘
Disclaimer............................ 1
Copyright............................. 2
Introduction.......................... 3
Files in package...................... 4
Features.............................. 5
Compatibility......................... 6
Usage................................. 7
History............................... 8
Technical information................. 9
Registration......................... 10
Contact.............................. 11
┌────────────┐
│ DISCLAIMER ├──────────────────────── 1 ─────────────────────────────────────
└────────────┘
Using this program comes without any warranty. The author
and distributors will not accept responsibility for any
damage incurred directly or indirectly through use of this
program.
Use at your own risk!
┌───────────┐
│ COPYRIGHT ├───────────────────────── 2 ─────────────────────────────────────
└───────────┘
This program is copyright (c) Nagy Dániel. This program is shareware.
You are free to distribute it by electronic means and make as
many copies as you want on electronic or magnetic media, as long
as the files of this package remain unmodified, with copyright
notices intact. Distributing parts separtely is not allowed!
Selling for money is prohibited without the author's prior
permission.
┌──────────────┐
│ INTRODUCTION ├────────────────────── 3 ─────────────────────────────────────
└──────────────┘
MasterBooter is a very powerful utility which enables your
computer to use multiple operation systems without changing
harddisks or messing with boot floppies.
You can choose among up to three operating systems at boot time
(four in the registered verison).
MasterBooter is compatible with many operating systems.
┌──────────────────┐
│ FILES IN PACKAGE ├────────────────── 4 ─────────────────────────────────────
└──────────────────┘
EFDISK.EXE - Extended FDISK partitioning program
EFDISK.DOC - EFDISK documentation
EFDHUN.DOC - Hungarian EFDISK documentation
FILE_ID.DIZ - Description for BBS systems
MRBOOTER.EXE - MasterBooter executable
MRBOOTER.DOC - MasterBooter documentation
MRBTHUN.DOC - Hungarian MasterBooter documentation
MRESCUE.COM - Rescue disk maker utility
REGISTER.FRM - Registration form
┌──────────┐
│ FEATURES ├────────────────────────── 5 ─────────────────────────────────────
└──────────┘
- Cabapility of booting from any disk's any primary partition
- Compatibility with many operating systems:
MS-DOS
Novell DOS (*)
Linux
OS/2
Windows95 (*)
Unknown OS with 'standard' boot process (*)
- Programmable delay time (*)
- Up to three operating systems on a single computer without
the hassle of boot disks! (Registered version allows four!)
- VERY small memory and harddisk space requirement
- Safety and easy-to-use user interface
(*) registered version only
┌───────────────┐
│ COMPATIBILITY ├───────────────────── 6 ─────────────────────────────────────
└───────────────┘
Requirements: - 80286 processor or up
- MS-DOS or compatible operating system
(for installation only)
- At least one harddisk
- Keyboard
- VGA adapter
- If you have a harddisk with capacity more
than 540MB, then your mainboard MUST have
a new BIOS (EBIOS) which supports large drives,
else you won't be able to use MasterBooter
This program souldn't conflict with any other programs which
don't alter your disks Master Boot Record.
Known programs which alter harddisks' MBR (and therefore can't
be used with MasterBooter):
- LILO (Linux's booter) if installed in MBR. Note that if LILO
is installed in a partition's boot sector, then MasterBooter
CAN coexist with LILO!
- MicroHouse's EZ-Drive
- OnTrack's Disk Manager
- IBM OS/2's Boot Manager
- PC Vault
┌───────┐
│ USAGE ├───────────────────────────── 7 ─────────────────────────────────────
└───────┘
1) Installation
You can copy these files (the docs and the executables) together
wherever you like. This program doesn't need any additional
settings. Just run it and have fun.
It's a good idea to copy the files to a system diskette.
2) Usage information
a, Install all operating systems you wish to use
You can use EFDISK to partition you harddisk. It will allow
you what DOS FDISK doesn't: multiple primary DOS partitions!
See EFDISK.DOC for deatils.
b, Make a rescue disk with MRESCUE.COM
c, Run MasterBooter and select the systems you wish to boot
d, Reboot the computer and enjoy!
- Use this program AFTER you have installed all operating systems.
- Before using this program be sure to disable the virus warning
option in your system's BIOS (if it has this option), else the
BIOS won't let MasterBooter to modify your harddisk's MBR!
- If you want to add a partition later, don't hesitate, but
after doing so you must re-run MasterBooter to update the
new system.
First, make a rescue disk. If anything goes wrong, you will be
able to restore your configuration. You have to do the
following steps:
1) Make a system disk. Type: format a: (PRESS ENTER)
sys c: a: (PRESS ENTER)
2) Run the program MRESCUE.COM. Choose the 'Create rescue disk'
option. It will copy important information about your disks
and the MRESCUE.COM itself to floppy, so you can restore your
previous configuration later if necessary.
3) Now you can safely run MasterBooter. If anything unexpectable
happens (ie. your computer halts when booting, or produces
an error message), boot from the floppy you've just created,
run MRESCUE.COM and choose 'Restore original configuration'.
This will reset all modifications.
Send me a mail if something is not working, and write
all steps you've done unless I won't be able to correct the
problem. Thank You!
Before running MasterBooter quit all multitasking environments
(ie. Windows or OS/2 DOS box) and run plain DOS, because
after the program writes the modifications to your harddisk,
the system needs to be rebooted.
When executing, MasterBooter will gather many information
about your disks and partitions. Then you will be provided
a list of available bootable partitions. From this list you
can choose up to three partitions (four in the registered version),
which you wish to boot an OS from.
You have to provide a name for each system you select. These
names can be 16 characters max. During booting, these names
will appear, and you can select the partition you wish to
boot by pressing the corresponding number. The booter program
will wait for a keypress for 5 secs. If you don't press any
number, the first system gets booted.
(In the registered version you can also set the delaying time and
the default partition to boot from.)
┌─────────┐
│ HISTORY ├─────────────────────────── 8 ─────────────────────────────────────
└─────────┘
Version:
1.0b - First official test release
1.1 - Both versions: Added EFDISK partitioning program to package
Fixed typos in documentations
Removed 'by NagyD' string from loader
Improved 'string input' routine
Added Hungarian documentatiom
Registered: Minor bug fixes
Added support for unknown file system
Added infinite boot delay time
Shareware: Minor bug fixes
1.2 - Both versions: Less useless MBR writes (better loader routine)
If an OS is not on the first harddisk, then
MasterBooter will examine that the 'physical
drive number' value in the boot sector is
correct. If not, it will be corrected.
For example OS/2 cannot boot if this value is
incorrect.
OS/2's Boot Manager doesn't patch the MBR (this
was an error in the documentation of
MasterBooter), so it can coexist with
MasterBooter (but unnecessary).
1.3 - Both versions: Fixed a small bug in the Boot Sector patcher
Added LILO detection in the MBR
Loader now clears screen if necessary
System names can be up to 16 characters long
┌───────────────────────┐
│ TECHNICAL INFORMATION ├───────────── 9 ─────────────────────────────────────
└───────────────────────┘
Every time you turn on your computer, the BIOS executes a small
program, which resides in the very first sector of your harddisk.
This sector is the so-called Master Boot Record (MBR). This small
program examines the partitions, and loads the operating system
of the partition which has the 'active' flag. A harddisk can
contain up to four primary partitions, but only one can be
active at a time. This flexibile technique provides that many
operating systems can be used on a PC. However, these systems
has their own unique loader code, and won't let you use other
systems, unless you know tricky methods to get past this.
MasterBooter works by replacing the program in the MBR with a
unique loader code, which is able to select from any installed
operating systems.
Note: DOS based systems (therefore Windows 95) can only boot from
a primary partition of the first harddisk!
┌──────────────┐
│ REGISTRATION ├───────────────────── 10 ─────────────────────────────────────
└──────────────┘
The registration benefits the following:
- Novell DOS support
- Windows95 support
- Unknown OS support
- Programmable delay time
- Programmable default system
- Up to four choosable operation systems (not three)
Registration fee: 20 USD / 2500 HUF for private use
50 USD / 8000 HUF for institutional use
Print the registration form (the file REGISTER.FRM), fill it
and send it to:
Nagy Dániel
2011 Budakalász
Ciklámen u. 19.
HUNGARY
! Registration via E-mail is NOT accepted, since your signature
! is required!
Upon registering you'll get the latest registered version of
MasterBooter and information about future releases when available.
You can register in two ways:
────────────────────────────
1) Send cheqe or money order to: Nagy Dániel
Use registered mail only. 2011 Budakalász
Don't send coins! Ciklámen u. 19.
HUNGARY
2a) Bank transfer from Hungary:
Address: Mezöbank Rt.
8200 Veszprém
Egyetemi fiók 1.
Account No.: 10600546-71910011
2b) Bank transfer from other country:
Address: OTP Veszprémi Körzeti fiók
8200 Veszprém
Account No.: B114220
Credit cards are NOT accepted!
Getting the software:
────────────────────
You can order your copy on a 720Kb or on a 360Kb floppy disk.
In this case you have to pay additional 5 USD / 300 HUF for
postage and package.
You can also order via E-mail transfer (preferred). Then you'll
get your copy attached to an E-mail.
Warning!
───────
You're not allowed to copy or distribute the registered version
of this software. If you do so, please consider that my whole work
(many weeks I can say...) will be almost wasted time.
Please support shareware!
┌─────────┐
│ CONTACT ├────────────────────────── 11 ─────────────────────────────────────
└─────────┘
If you have any problems, questions or suggestions you can
contact me through mail or Internet E-mail.
Bug reports, ideas also welcomed!
Postal address: Internet E-mail address:
────────────── ───────────────────────
Nagy Dániel nagyd@almos.vein.hu
2011 Budakalász
Ciklámen u. 19 at the University of Veszprém
HUNGARY
Tel/Fax/Modem: (36) 26 340-472