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1995-01-23
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Replicator Version 1.20
The Diskette Database
Copyright 1994-1995
by
Stevenson Technical Services, Inc. (STSI)
108 Second Avenue West
Bertha MN 56437-0297
Phone: (218) 924-2050
FAX: (218) 924-2050 (Ext. 11)
The STSI BBS: (218) 924-2060, 8,N,1
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Welcome! │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Thank you for trying Replicator! Replicator is a disk image utility
designed to create images of diskettes and catalog them in a database.
Optional compression routines can be used to reduce the image size.
The database stores up to 10 lines of descriptive text, the date the file
was created, and a complete list of all files contained on the original
diskette! Database entries can be modified at any time. Replicator has
an easy push button interface to make it fast and user-friendly! Network
support is included!
If you appreciate Replicator, you are encouraged to call The STSI BBS at
(218) 924-2060, and let us know! Comments, suggestions, and enhancement
requests are always welcome!
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Requirements │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
To run Replicator reliably, you will need the following:
∙ DOS 3.3 or Higher
∙ IBM PC, PC-Compatible or MS-DOS Computer with an 80286 Processor or
Higher, Hard Drive, and 640K RAM
Page 1
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Table of Contents: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1
Disclaimer / License Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3
ASP Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4
Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4
Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5
What Is Replicator? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5
Why Use Replicator? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6
Installing Replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7
Copy Disk To File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8
Copy File To Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10
Database Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11
Format A Diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 16
Upgrade From Replica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 17
Network Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18
Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 19
Register Replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 20
Using UNREP.EXE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 21
Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 22
Troubleshooting / Common Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 22
Replicator Registration Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 23
Page 2
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Disclaimer / License Agreement │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
What is shareware?
Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before buying
it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are
expected to register. Individual programs differ on details - some
request registration while others require it, some specify a maximum trial
period. With registration, you get anything from the simple right to
continue using the software to an updated program with printed manual.
Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and the
copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as
stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just like
commercial authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In both
cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in
the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to
copy and distribute the software, either to all or to a specific group.
For example, some authors require written permission before a commercial
disk vendor may copy their Shareware.
Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should
find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's
commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your needs
easier, because you can try before you buy. And because the overhead is
low, prices are low also. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee
- if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it.
Disclaimer - Agreement
By using Replicator, users indicate their acceptance of the following
terms:
"Replicator is supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties,
expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of
merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. Neither STSI, The STSI
BBS, or any STSI employees will be held responsible for any damages,
direct or consequential, which may result from the use of Replicator."
"Information in this documentation is subject to change without notice and
does not represent a commitment on the part of STSI. STSI may make
improvements and/or changes in this documentation or in the products
and/or programs described in this documentation at any time."
Replicator is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the
user for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your friends, but please
do not give it away altered or as part of another system. The essence of
"user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with
quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for
programmers to continue to develop new products. If you find this program
useful and find that you are using Replicator and continue to use
Replicator after a reasonable trial period, you must make a registration
payment of $49.95 (+S&H) to Stevenson Technical Services, Inc. (STSI).
This registration fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at
Page 3
any one time. You must treat this software just like a book. An example
is that this software may be used by any number of people and may be
freely moved from one computer location to another, so long as there is no
possibility of it being used at one location while it's being used at
another. Just as a book cannot be read by two different persons at the
same time, Replicator should not be used on two different computers at the
same time.
Commercial users of Replicator must register and pay for their copies of
Replicator within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn.
Site-License arrangements may be made by contacting STSI at (218) 924-
2050.
Anyone distributing Replicator for any kind of remuneration must first
contact STSI for authorization. This authorization will be automatically
granted to distributors recognized by the (ASP) as adhering to its
guidelines for shareware distributors, and such distributors may begin
offering Replicator immediately. (However STSI must still be advised so
that the distributor can be kept up-to-date with the latest version of
Replicator.)
You are encouraged to pass a copy of Replicator along to your friends for
evaluation. Please encourage them to register their copy if they find
that they can use it. All registered users will receive a copy of the
latest version of the Replicator, along with a printed manual and bonus
disks.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ ASP Notice: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
STSI is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP
wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are
unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by
contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP
Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member,
but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please
write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427
USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to
ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Registration: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Replicator is distributed under the shareware concept. You may try
Replicator for a period of two weeks. After this period, you must either
discontinue using it, or register it. A single-user license is only
$49.95 (+$5.00 Shipping & Handling in the U.S., or $10.00 Shipping &
Handling on Foreign Orders). (For network or site-license pricing, see
the file REGISTER.DOC.) This price includes a printed manual, 3 1/2" and
5 1/4" diskettes, removal of nag screens and the 25-record database limit,
along with a Registration Name and Number allowing you to register your
copy of Replicator.
Page 4
To register over the telephone, call STSI at (218) 924-2050, and charge it
to your Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover credit card. Once
registered, you will no longer see the nag screens, reminding you to
register Replicator.
For further registration information and pricing, please read the
REGISTER.DOC file included with Replicator. There is also a registration
form contained at the end of this documentation file.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Technical Support: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Technical support is available to Replicator users through the following
means:
The STSI BBS: New versions of Replicator will be posted here as soon
as they are available. The STSI BBS uses a U.S.
Robotics V.Everything Modem, which is capable of
V.FAST, V.32bis, V.32, and 2400 baud connect speeds.
The access number for The STSI BBS is (218)-924-2060.
Technical support questions should be addressed to the
SYSOP.
STSI FAX: STSI has a FAX machine on-line 24 hours-a-day to accept
FAX transmissions. Technical support questions /
problems may be faxed to (218) 924-2050. Most FAX
transmissions will be automatically routed to the FAX
machine. If you have problems reaching our FAX
machine, wait until after the first ring, press 11, and
then begin transmitting.
Telephone: Technical support calls may be placed at (218) 924-
2050.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ What Is Replicator? │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Thank you for trying Replicator! Replicator is a disk image utility
designed to create images of diskettes and catalog them in a database.
Optional compression routines (compatible with PKZIP 2.0) can be used to
reduce the image size. The database stores up to 10 lines of descriptive
text, the date the file was created, and a complete list of all files
contained on the original diskette! Database entries can be modified at
any time. Replicator has an easy push button interface to make it fast
and user-friendly! Network support is included!
Page 5
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Why Use Replicator? │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
When I first became involved in computers, keeping track of program
diskettes wasn't really a problem. I put the DOS disks in a three-ring
binder sleeve, and the Lotus 1-2-3 disks in two sleeves. I placed the
three sleeves into the binder containing the operating manual for my
computer, and everything was in one place. As computer software has
become more complex, this technique has proven to be impractical, if not
impossible. When I purchased OS/2, it arrived on twenty-one 3 1/2" high-
density diskettes! If I were to put all of the original program diskettes
for every piece of software that I own into a three-ring binder, I'm sure
I couldn't even lift it!
Another situation that I run into occasionally is that an original program
diskette will go bad. Of course I never know that the diskette has gone
bad until I desperately need it, and then it is too late.
In our business, we use a wide variety of software on a regular basis.
Since our hardware changes frequently, it is necessary to update drivers
periodically. This creates a problem, since we store original program
diskettes off-site to prevent against fire loss. Programs installed on my
computer at home have the original diskettes store at our office and
programs installed on the computer at our office have the original
diskettes stored at home. I have probably made enough trips to the office
and back to qualify for frequent flyer mileage.
Replicator is a program designed to take a "snap-shot" of a floppy
diskette, and store the information in an image file. This image file
contains all of the information stored on the original diskette, including
DOS, directories and sub-directories, programs, and data. The image file
can be stored on a hard disk, and even transferred over a modem. When the
diskette is needed at some future date, Replicator decompresses the image
file onto a blank (formatted) diskette, creating a look-alike version of
the original.
When the image file is created, Replicator add a record to the database
containing information about the archived diskette. The database stores
up to 10 lines of descriptive text, the date the file was created, and a
complete list of all files contained on the original diskette! Database
entries can be modified at any time. Replicator has an easy push button
interface that includes simple browsing, printing support, and extensive
searching capability. Network users will also appreciate Replicator's
ability to manage the database files in a network environment.
Now, when a new program arrives at our office, the original disks are
replicated using Replicator, and the image files are stored off-site in a
diskette archive. The original disks are available locally if needed, but
can be reproduced by Replicator if disaster strikes.
One obvious application for Replicator is for network supervisors who need
to access original program diskettes from any workstation on a network.
If the Replicator diskette images are maintained on a network drive, any
workstation can have access to the images, allowing the recreation of
Page 6
program diskettes that contain special printer drivers or other needed
configuration files.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Installing Replicator │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
The installation procedure for Replicator is quite simple. The
package includes a program, "INSTALL.EXE", which automates the
entire process. You will need about 1 megabyte of available disk space
on the hard drive on which you plan to install Replicator.
The exact steps you need to take will depend on how you received
Replicator.
INSTALLING FROM DISKETTES
To install from diskette(s), you need to perform the following steps.
1. Place Replicator distribution diskette "Disk 1" in the
appropriate diskette drive.
2. Execute the "INSTALL.EXE" program on the distribution diskette.
For example, if the distribution diskette is on drive A:, type
the MS-DOS command, "a:install".
3. Follow the instructions presented by the installation program.
You will have a chance to approve installation before any changes
are actually made to the contents of your hard drive. The
program will ask you for a destination directory, and will copy
the Replicator files to that directory. If you received
Replicator on two diskettes, you will need to insert Disk 2 in the
diskette drive when asked to do so. If you so direct it, the
installation program will install executable programs and
documentation in other directories of your choice.
INSTALLING FROM A HARD DRIVE
If you downloaded Replicator from a BBS (or received it in the form of
archive files from some other source), you will need to perform the
following steps.
1. Extract the contents of the archive file(s) in a temporary
directory on your hard drive. The procedure for doing this
varies, depending on the form in which you received the package.
In all likelihood, the fact that you are reading this text means
that you already have the necessary tools and knowledge to
perform this step. If not, you should be able to obtain
directions for this from the same source from which you received
the package.
2. Execute the "INSTALL.EXE" program which you have extracted. For
example, if the temporary directory into which you have extracted
Page 7
the program files is C:\TEMPDIR, you would execute the MS-DOS
command, "c:\tempdir\install".
3. Follow the instructions presented by the installation program.
You will have a chance to approve installation before any changes
are actually made to the contents of your hard drive. The
program will ask you for a destination directory, and will copy
the Replicator files to that directory. If you so direct it, the
installation program will install executable programs and
documentation in other directories of your choice.
When you're satisfied that the installation was successful, you should
delete the temporary directory FROM which you installed the program
files, (C:\TEMPDIR, in the above discussion), including all its
contents.
Note : If you are upgrading from a previous version, Replicator will
issue a warning before overwriting the file REPLICAT.INI. If you have
already set up your registration information and user preferences in the
REPLICAT.INI file, answer "N" (No) to instruct the installation program
not to overwrite this file. When the installation is complete, you will
be returned to the operating system. (Replicator can be installed on any
drive in your system, including network drives.)
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Copy Disk To File │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
┌─[■]─────────────── Copy Disk To File ────────────────────┐ ┌───────────┐
│ │ │ │
│ Drive...........: [A] │ │ Ok ▄ │
│ Disk Detection..: [X] Auto Detect Diskette Size │ │ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
│ Disk Type.......: (*) 1.44M ( ) 1.2M ( ) 720K ( ) 360K │ │ Cancel ▄ │
│ │ │ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
│ File To Create..: [Q:\REPLICAT\DISKS\ ] │ │ Clear ▄ │
│ │ │ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
│ Compress File?..: [Y] │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ Description # 1.: [ ] │ │ │
│ Description # 2.: [ ] │ │ │
│ Description # 3.: [ ] │ │ │
│ Description # 4.: [ ] │ │ │
│ Description # 5.: [ ] │ │ │
│ Description # 6.: [ ] │ │ │
│ Description # 7.: [ ] │ │ │
│ Description # 8.: [ ] │ │ │
│ Description # 9.: [ ] │ │ │
│ Description #10.: [ ] │ │ │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ └───────────┘
Description: This screens allows you to enter the information
needed to create a Replicator image file (.RIF) file.
If this is the first image file you are creating
Page 8
during this session of Replicator, the default
settings will be used. After the first image file has
been created during a session, Replicator will
remember the information provided for the previous
disk image, and place it into the appropriate fields.
This is useful when creating image files for a disk
set, such as Microsoft Windows. Instead of retyping
the title, "Microsoft Windows 3.1" into one of the
description fields each time, Replicator will remember
your settings, saving you keystrokes. To clear the
settings and reset them to the defaults, select the
"Clear" button.
Drive: This field should contain the drive letter of the
diskette that will be copied to an image file. The
letter in this field must be A or B.
Disk Detection: The Auto Detect Diskette Size option allows you to
specify whether or not Replicator should attempt to
automatically detect the type of disk in the specified
disk drive when creating the image file. (This option
is disabled under OS/2 due to certain
incompatibilities when using floppy disk routines. If
you are using OS/2 you must MANUALLY specify which
disk type you are using.)
Disk Type: Select the type of floppy disk that you are using to
create the disk image file. Users only need to select
the floppy disk type manually if the automatic
detection feature outlined above is not being used.
File To Create: Enter the name of the disk image file that should be
created. A path designation is optional. An
extension of .RIF (which stands for Replicator Image
File) is appended to the filename automatically.
Compress File?: Enter Y (Yes) or N (No) to specify whether or not
Replicator should compress the image file after it has
been created. If compression is specified, Replicator
will use built-in compression routines to store the
image file in a PKZIP 2.0 compatible ZIP file.
Description 1..10: Enter up to 10 lines of descriptive text about the
disk image that will be created. This text is stored
in the database, and allows you to more easily locate
a needed file in the future. For example, you may
want to store the name of the program that was
contained on the disk, its original author, the disk
sequence (disk 1 of 5), and any registration or serial
numbers assigned to the program.
Ok: When the Ok button is selected, Replicator will
attempt to read the disk in the specified disk drive
and create an image file. If the image file was
successfully created and compression was specified,
Replicator will attempt to compress the image file
into PKZIP 2.0 format. If this process is successful,
the record will be added to the database.
Page 9
Cancel: Selecting the Cancel button causes Replicator to close
the displayed dialog and return to the main menu.
Clear: The Clear button can be used to erase all of the text
in the description fields and reset the drive, path,
and compression settings to the defaults.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Copy File To Disk │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
┌─[■]──────────────────── Copy File To Disk ────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ File To Read: Q:\REPLICAT\DISKS\ Browse ▄ │
│ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
│ Target Drive: A │
│ Disk Type...: (*) 1.44M ( ) 1.2M ( ) 720K ( ) 360K │
│ │
│ Verify Disk?: Y │
│ │
│ │
│ Ok ▄ Cancel ▄ │
│ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
File To Read: Enter the name of the image file that should be
restored to the specified disk. This file does not
need to exist in the database in order for Replicator
to restore it. If the file is in compressed format,
Replicator will decompress it prior to creating the
disk image. If the file is not in compressed format,
Replicator will automatically begin creating the disk
image.
Target Drive: This field should contain the drive letter of the
diskette that will be created from the existing image
file. The letter in this field must be A or B.
Disk Type: Select the type of floppy disk that you are going to
restore the disk image to.
Verify Disk?: Enter Y (Yes) or N (No) to specify whether or not
Replicator should verify the tracks on the diskette
after they have all been written. If this option is
set to Yes, Replicator will write all of the
information to the diskette and make a second pass in
order to verify the tracks.
Browse: When the Browse button is selected, the database
browsing screen is displayed. The database contains
information about each disk image file that has been
created using Replicator. To move around in the
Page 10
browsing screen, use the Home, End, PgUp, PgDn, and
arrow keys. Pressing a letter will move the highlight
bar to the beginning of the corresponding section.
For example, pressing the letter "B" will move the
highlight bar to the first filename that starts with
B, and pressing the letter "S" will move the highlight
bar to the first filename that starts with S.
If you want to restore the file that is currently
highlighted, press ENTER on it, and the location and
filename will be pasted into the File To Read field,
and the original disk type will be selected in the
Disk Type field.
Ok: When the Ok button is selected, Replicator will search
for the image file. If it exists, it will attempt to
write it to the specified disk drive, creating an
image of the original disk. If Replicator cannot find
the image file with a .RIF extension, it will search
for the same file using a .ZIP extension, indicating
that it is in compressed format. If the compressed
file exists, Replicator will decompress it and then
attempt to write it to the specified disk drive.
Cancel: Selecting the Cancel button causes Replicator to close
the displayed dialog and return to the main menu.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Database Management │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
┌─[■]──── Database Management ──────── Total Records: 354 ─┐ ┌───────────┐
│ │ │ │
│ Filename.......: [AMIUP_1.ZIP ] Created: [21-Jan-1995] │ │ New ▄ │
│ Location.......: [Q:\REPLICAT\DISKS\ ] │ │ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
│ │ │ Edit ▄ │
│ Description # 1: [Ami Pro v3.0a Update ] │ │ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
│ Description # 2: [Disk 1 Of 4 ] │ │ Delete ▄ │
│ Description # 3: [ ] │ │ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
│ Description # 4: [ ] │ │ Browse ▄ │
│ Description # 5: [ ] │ │ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
│ Description # 6: [ ] │ │ Search ▄ │
│ Description # 7: [ ] │ │ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
│ Description # 8: [ ] │ │ Other ▄ │
│ Description # 9: [ ] │ │ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
│ Description #10: [ ] │ │ Quit ▄ │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
│ │AMIMACRO.DL$ 99,465 23-Feb-1993 00:16 \ ^ │ │ Next ▄ │
│ │AMINET.DL$ 3,757 31-Jan-1993 19:17 \ █ │ │ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
│ │AMIIMAGE.DL$ 92,912 12-May-1993 16:12 \ ░ │ │ Prev ▄ │
│ │LOTUS.BMP 4,654 12-Mar-1993 08:50 \ ░ │ │ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
│ │AMIPRO.EX$ 771,536 17-Jun-1993 17:33 \ ^ │ │ ^ ▄ ^ ▄ │
│ └<█░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░>┘ │ │ ▀▀▀ ▀▀▀ │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ └───────────┘
Page 11
Description: The database management screen allows users to view and
modify records of disk images that have been created with
Replicator. While the filename, date, location, and
description fields may be modified directly, some of the
other fields maintained with each record (such as the
total files on the disk, bytes consumed, bytes free,
volume label, and file list) may only be modified by
updating the disk record as explained below.
New: When this button is pushed, Replicator goes into "edit
mode", and allows you to enter a new record. When
Replicator is in edit mode, you cannot move between
records, delete records, call up the browser, or search
for data. Once you have finished adding the new record,
click on "Save" to save it into the database, or select
"Cancel" to exit from edit Mode. If you have made any
changes, Replicator will issue a prompt to check whether
or not you want to save any changes before leaving.
Note: While it is possible to add new records to the
database in this manner, it is recommended that you
actually perform the Copy Disk To File routine. When the
disk image is created, a new record is created in the
database with the information you enter on that screen.
Edit: When this button is pushed, Replicator goes into "edit
mode", and allows you to modify the current record. When
Replicator is in edit mode, you cannot move between
records, delete records, call up the browser, or search
for data. Once you have finished modifying the current
record, click on "Save" to save the modified record into
the database, or select "Cancel" to exit from edit mode.
If you have made any changes, Replicator will issue a
prompt to make sure that you don't want to save any
changes before leaving. Editing an existing record is
extremely handy for changing the location of a particular
file, or modifying the description lines associated with
the record.
Delete: When the Delete button is selected, Replicator issues a
prompt to confirm that you want to delete the current
record from the database. When you choose "Yes" at the
prompt, the record is deleted, and Replicator resets the
record display to the first record in the database.
At this point, Replicator also prompts you whether or not
you want to the delete the actual file from the hard
drive, if it exists. If you answer Yes, Replicator will
search for and delete the associated file.
Browse: When this button is pushed, Replicator displays a
browsing screen that contains all of the records in the
database. To scroll through the browser, use the Up
Arrow, Down Arrow, PgUp, and PgDn keys, or the mouse to
scroll through all of the records. Pressing a key such
as "N" will move the highlight bar to the beginning of
the records beginning with the letter "N". Pressing
Escape will erase the browser and redisplay the editing
Page 12
screen. Pressing ENTER on the highlighted record will
erase the browser and cause Replicator to display the
selected record on the editing screen for viewing,
editing, or deleting.
Search: When Search is selected, Replicator displays a dialog box
giving you the option of the type of search to perform.
┌─[■]───────── Select Search Type ──────────────┐
│ │
│ Search Type.: (*) Search One Field Only │
│ ( ) Range Search │
│ ( ) Search Entire Record │
│ │
│ │
│ Ok ▄ Cancel ▄ │
│ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────┘
There are three types of searches to perform on a
Replicator database. The first two types are extremely
fast and efficient, while the third is much slower,
although it is much more thorough.
When "Search One Field Only" is selected, Replicator
allows you to search for a text string in any one of the
following seven fields: Filename, Location, Desciption 1
through Description 5. The search string must be located
at the beginning of the field you decide to search. If
Replicator cannot find a record with the specified text,
it issues an error message. Otherwise it displays the
browser screen containing all of the entries that matched
the search criteria. Since the seven fields mentioned
above are all indexed fields, the search can be completed
very rapidly.
When "Range Search" is selected, Replicator allows you to
perform a search where the only records that are found
must be within the a specified range of values. For
example, if you wanted to locate all records whose
filename was (alphabetically) between the values WIN31
and WINNT, you could enter these two values as the
starting and ending search values, and select the
filename field as the field to search. If no records
could be found within that range, an error message would
be issued. Otherwise, all records within that range
would be displayed. As with the first search method, the
range search allows you to find a text string at the
beginning of any one of the seven indexed fields (see
previous paragraph for the names of these fields).
When "Search Entire Record" is selected, Replicator will
perform a search of the entire database for a specified
text string. The search can be performed as a case-
sensitive or case-insensitive search, with case-
insensitive being the default. The text string you enter
can be located at ANY location within the record. It
Page 13
does not have to be at the start of an indexed field. If
Replicator locates the text anywhere within the record
(including all individual fields and the file list), it
is included in the search results.
When Replicator starts the search process, it creates a
temporary database. When a record is found that contains
the search string, it is added to the temporary database.
After the search has been completed, you can browse
through the filtered records. If you wish to narrow down
the search criteria even further, you can perform a
secondary search on the database. At this point, when
you select "Search Entire Record", you will only be
searching for a text string located in records that have
been placed in the filtered database. For example, if
you search the database for the keyword "WINDOWS", and
then perform a secondary search for "SETUP.EXE", your
resulting search would only find records that contained
BOTH of the specified keywords. You can continue to
perform a filtered search as long as necessary, thus
narrowing the search criteria every time. (Each
consecutive search should also be less time consuming,
since it does not need to search as many records for the
specified text.)
Once this type of search is complete, you can browse
through the filtered records by using the browser, or by
selecting Next, Prev, First, and Last. When you select
Quit at this point, the search will be cancelled, and you
will return to the previous editing screen, allowing you
to view all of the records in your original database.
Other: When the Other button is selected, Replicator displays a
secondary menu of options. These options are Info,
Paths, Print, and Update. These options are explained
below:
Info: This button, located on the Other Options dialog box,
allows you to view specific information about the
original diskette used to create the disk image. When
the Info button is selected, you can view the Total Files
on the original disk, the total bytes consumes, the total
bytes free, the volume label, and the original disk size.
Paths: By using the Paths button, users can enter a new path
(Location) for every record in the database. After
entering a new path and selecting Ok, Replicator asks for
confirmation, and then changes the Location field of
every record to the path you specified. Use this option
when you want to move all of the image files to a common
location, such as "C:\REPLICAT\IMAGES\".
Note: This procedure does NOT move files to a new
destination on your hard drive. It simply updates the
"Location" field in the database. If you need to move
the image files, you must use a separate utility designed
for this purpose.
Page 14
Print: The record that is currently being viewed on the screen
can be printed by using the Print option.
┌─[■]─────────── Print Records ───────────────┐
│ │
│ Range...: (*) Current Record │
│ ( ) All Records │
│ │
│ Print To: (*) LPT1: │
│ ( ) LPT2: │
│ ( ) LPT3: │
│ ( ) File: │
│ │
│ Filename: │
│ │
│ │
│ Ok ▄ Cancel ▄ │
│ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Using the print option, you can print the current record,
or all records in the database. If you have just
executed an "entire record" search of the database,
printing all of the records will cause all of the
matching records to be printed. Replicator supports
printer ports LPT1 through LPT3, as well as printing to a
file.
Update: This option allows users to update the fields of the
database record by viewing the contents of a disk. When
the Update feature is used, Replicator updates the file
list, total files, bytes consumed, bytes free, and volume
label fields of the current record. This feature is
useful for users who are upgrading from a version of
Replicator prior to 1.20. (Since these database fields
were only added in version 1.20, they are zeroed out when
the database is upgraded to the current version. If it
is desired, users of previous versions may want to
perform this simple update to maintain a record of the
files on each disk, etc. However, updating the record in
this manner is completely optional.)
Note: Using this feature does NOT update the image file
on the hard drive. It only updates the database record
to contain the current disk information.
Quit: Selecting Quit will close the Database Management screen
and return to the main menu. If you have just completed
a search through the "Search Entire Record" process, Quit
will close the Search results screen and return to the
main Database Management screen.
Next: Pushing the Next button will cause the record subsequent
to the current record to be displayed.
Prev: Pushing the Prev button will cause the record previous to
the current record to be displayed.
Page 15
Up Triangle: Pushing the Up Triangle button will cause the first
record in the database to be displayed.
Down Triangle: Pushing the Down Triangle button will cause the last
record in the database to be displayed.
Cancel: The Cancel button is only displayed when Replicator is in
edit mode, and when it is selected, Replicator will
Cancel the editing process, exit from edit mode, and
redisplay the current record.
F1: By pressing the F1 function key, users can have access to
the Replicator help system. The F1 key is available at
any time within Replicator, and will offer helpful
information and instructions.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Format A Diskette │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
┌─[■]───────────── Disk Formatting Options ─────────────────┐
│ │
│ Drive.........: A │
│ Disk Type.....: (*) 1.44 ( ) 1.2M ( ) 720K ( ) 360K │
│ │
│ Verify Disk?..: Y │
│ │
│ Volume Label..: │
│ │
│ │
│ Ok ▄ Cancel ▄ │
│ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Drive: This field should contain the drive letter of the
diskette that will be formatted. The letter in this
field must be A or B.
Disk Type: Select the type of floppy disk that you are using to
format the specified disk.
Verify Disk?: Enter Y (Yes) or N (No) to specify whether or not
Replicator should verify the tracks on the diskette
when it is formatted.
Volume Label: Enter the volume label that should be placed on the
diskette that will be formatted.
Ok: When the Ok button is selected, Replicator begins to
format the diskette you specified.
Cancel: Selecting the Cancel button causes Replicator to close
the displayed dialog and return to the main menu.
Page 16
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Upgrade From Replica │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
┌─[■]───────── Upgrade Replica To Replicator ──────────────┐
│ │
│ Path To Old Version.....: C:\REPLICA\ │
│ │
│ Path To New Version.....: C:\REPLICAT\ │
│ │
│ Remove Old SET Statement: Y │
│ Use Old Database Files..: Y │
│ │
│ │
│ Ok ▄ Cancel ▄ │
│ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Description: Users upgrading from Replica version 1.00,
1.01, or 1.02 will want to use this screen to
convert their data files and perform any
desired cleanup action. Replicator (originally
named Replica) underwent a name change between
versions 1.02 and 1.10. To update the data
files to the new naming convention, this
procedure must be run.
Path To Old Version: Enter the path to the old data files. If you
had originally installed Replica in the
directory C:\REPLICA, this would be the text to
enter in this field.
Path To New Version: Enter the path to the new program files. This
is typically the directory where you are
executing Replicator from. If you accepted the
defaults during the installation process, this
path would be C:\REPLICAT.
Remove Old SET Statement: Enter a "Y" (Yes) or "N" (No) to indicate
whether or not Replicator should remove the old
SET statement from your C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
If you allowed the installation program (for
Replica) to place a SET statement (such as SET
REPLICA=C:\REPLICA) in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file,
this should be removed.
Use Old Database Files: Due to the new naming convention, Replicator
will rename old data files and move them into
the new Replicator program directory. This
will ensure that you do not lose the database
of your previously created image files.
Page 17
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Network Options │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
┌─[■]───────────── Network Options ──────────────────┐
│ │
│ Optimization.: (*) Optimize For Data Integrity │
│ ( ) Optimize For Speed │
│ │
│ Network Type.: ( ) None │
│ (*) Novell NetWare │
│ ( ) MS-Net Compatible │
│ │
│ Refresh Delay: 5 │
│ │
│ Fast Search..: ( ) Yes │
│ ( ) No │
│ │
│ Ok ▄ Cancel ▄ │
│ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Description: The options on this screen determine the default behavior
of Replicator on your computer system.
Optimization: This option is used to specify whether Replicator should
optimize database management for Data Integrity or Speed.
If Optimize For Data Integrity is chosen, access to
certain routines may be impacted by a slight reduction in
speed. If Optimize For Speed is chosen, Replicator will
attempt to optimize access to routines without a
reduction in speed. To ensure data integrity, Optimize
For Data Integrity is recommended.
Network Type: If you will not be using Replicator on a network or in a
multi-user environment, select "None" for this option.
If you are using Replicator on a Novell network, select
the "Novell NetWare" option, and if you are using any
other type of network, select the "MS-Net Compatible"
option.
Refresh Delay: This number specifies the number of seconds that
Replicator will use as an update interval when displaying
the browser screen. If this value is set to 5,
Replicator will update the browser screen every 5 seconds
with any changes that have made from other workstations
working on the same database file.
Fast Search: When the Fast Search option is enabled, the search speed
for the "Search Entire Record" option is increased
substantially. To do this, Replicator places a "Read
Lock" on the entire database to prevent other users from
writing to it. This can produce search speeds up to 3
times as fast as when Fast Search is disabled. However,
if Fast Search is enabled, other users CANNOT make
changes to the database when another user is performing
Page 18
this type of search. Network supervisors should consider
this situation carefully before enabling the Fast Search
option.
Ok: When Ok is selected, Replicator saves the options on this
screen to the file REPLICAT.INI.
Cancel: Selecting Cancel leaves all options on this screen in the
state they were set to when this screen was initially
displayed.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Defaults │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
┌─[■]──────────────── Replicator Defaults ────────────────────┐
│ │
│ Drive..........: A │
│ Disk Type......: (*) 1.44 ( ) 1.2M ( ) 720K ( ) 360K │
│ │
│ Image Path.....: Q:\REPLICAT\DISKS\ │
│ │
│ Auto Detect?...: Y │
│ Compress File?.: Y │
│ Beep When Done?: Y │
│ │
│ Explode Delay..: 3 │
│ │
│ Ok ▄ Cancel ▄ │
│ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Description: The fields on this screen specify the default values
that will be used for Replicator when it displays the
Copy Disk To File screen, Copy File To Disk screen,
and Format A Diskette screen.
Drive: This field should contain the drive letter of the
diskette drive that will be used most often. The
letter in this field must be A or B.
Disk Type: Select the type of floppy disk that you will be using
most often.
Image Path: This field should contain the default path where your
disk image files should be stored. In most cases, you
will want to maintain the image files in the \REPLICAT
sub-directory.
Auto Detect?: Enter Y (Yes) or N (No) as a default value to specify
whether or not Replicator should automatically detect
a disk's size when the Copy Disk To File option is
being used.
Page 19
Compress File?: Enter Y (Yes) or N (No) as a default value to specify
whether or not Replicator should compress the image
file after it has been created. If compression is
specified, Replicator will use built-in compression
routines to store the image file in a PKZIP 2.0
compatible ZIP file.
Beep When Done? Enter Y (Yes) or N (No) to specify whether or not
Replicator should beep when it is done copying a disk
to file, copying an image file to disk, and formatting
a diskette.
Explode Delay: This number specifies the number of seconds used as an
"Explode Delay" for dialog boxes within Replicator.
To eliminate all exploding effects, set the number in
this field to 0.
Ok: When Ok is selected, Replicator saves the options on
this screen to the file REPLICAT.INI.
Cancel: Selecting Cancel leaves all options on this screen in
the state they were set to when this screen was
initially displayed.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Register Replicator │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
┌─[■]─────────────── Register Replicator ───────────────────┐
│ │
│ Registration Name..: John Doe │
│ │
│ Registration Number: XX-0123456789 │
│ │
│ Network Users......: 0 │
│ │
│ Ok ▄ Cancel ▄ │
│ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Description: Once you register Replicator and pay the requested
fee to STSI for registering, you will receive a
registration name and number. Enter your name and
number in the fields shown on this screen, and
Replicator will be registered to you. You will no
longer see "nag screens" or "reminders" pressuring
you to register. If your name and number are
entered accurately, Replicator will display a thank-
you message. Otherwise, Replicator will warn you
that the registration number you entered was not
valid.
Page 20
Registration Name: The Registration Name text field allows users to
enter their personal name or the name of their
company or organization.
Registration Number: The Registration Number text field allows users to
enter the registration number they received from
STSI upon registering Replicator. For information
on how to register, please see the "Registration"
section near the top of this documentation file.
Network Users: This field contains the numbers of network users for
Replicator. To receive a registration number that
provides support for network users, see the file
REGISTER.DOC. If you are registering a single-user
version of Replicator, enter 0 in this field.
Ok: Selecting Ok instructs Replicator to save this
configuration information to the file REPLICAT.INI.
Cancel: Selecting Cancel instructs Replicator to ignore any
changes that have been made to the previous
settings, and return to the main menu.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Using UNREP.EXE │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
The program UNREP.EXE is a small command line utility designed to recreate
a disk file from the command line. In order to use UNREP.EXE, you simply
need a .RIF file created with Replicator and the file UNREP.EXE.
Command Line Parameters:
UNREP FILENAME DRIVE
FILENAME = .RIF File To Extract
DRIVE = Extract File To Which Drive?
Example : UNREP DRIVERS.RIF A:
Note: UNREP.EXE cannot be used on .ZIP files created by Replicator. The
file must have a .RIF extension! (This "limitation" allows us to keep the
executable file extremely small, since we do not need to include the
decompression code.) UNREP will recreate the disk using the disk image
file specified on the command line.
License Information For UNREP.EXE
Companies wishing to use Replicator to create disk image files for
widespread distribution can use and distribute UNREP.EXE freely, as long
as they have registered their copy of Replicator. For more information,
please contact STSI at (218) 924-2050.
Page 21
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Cautions! │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Do not attempt to use Replicator with 2.88 Megabyte floppy diskette
drives. Replicator only supports 360K, 720K, 1.2MB, and 1.44MB floppy
drives.
Do not attempt to use Replicator on copy-protected diskettes. Using
Replicator on these type of diskettes could cause unpredictable results.
Be careful when using Replicator under OS/2 v2.x. We have noted several
peculiarities under OS/2 that do not exist under DOS. See the
troubleshooting section for more information.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Troubleshooting / Common Problems: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
One known problem when using Replicator is its operation under OS/2 v2.x.
When verify is turned on, the verifying process will start out going very
fast, and slow down progressively as the process continues. This is
because the drive is being recalibrated after every track under OS/2. We
have also noted occasional erroneous error messages, such as "Disk Bad"
after formatting a diskette. We are currently investigating the root of
these problems, and hope to have them solved in a future version.
Page 22
Stevenson Technical Services, Inc. (STSI)
108 Second Avenue West
Bertha, MN 56437-0297
Phone/FAX: (218) 924-2050
The STSI BBS: (218) 924-2060, N,8,1
Replicator 1.20 Registration Form
Qty Description Price Each Total
_____ Replicator 1.20 Single-User Registration $49.95 ________
Includes a printed manual, 3 1/2" & 5 1/4" diskettes,
removal of nag screens and 25-record database limit,
and a registration number good for all version 1.x
releases.
_____ Replicator 1.20 Site-License (Users? ___) ______ ________
(Same price breaks apply for site-licensing.)
# of Users Price # of Users Price
---------- ------- ---------- -------
5 -> $150.00 50 -> $600.00
10 -> $300.00 100 -> $750.00
20 -> $450.00 More? -> CALL
Sub-Total: ________
Minnesota Residents Add 6.5% Sales Tax: ________
Shipping/Handling (USA/Canada = $5.00, Foreign = $10.00): ________
Total: ________
Name: ____________________________ Company: __________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________________
City: ___________________________ State: _____ Zip Code: ____________
Country: ___________________________ Phone: ______________________
Please Register Replicator To This Name: _______________________________
Method of Payment: ___ Visa/MC ___ American Express ___ Discover
___ Check/Money Order Enclosed
(Checks/MO's must be in U.S. Funds drawn on a U.S. Bank!)
Credit Card #: _________________________________ Expiration Date: ___/___
Name on Card: _______________________ Signature: ________________________
Comments / Suggestions: __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Page 23
Please take a minute to answer the following questions. Your answers
will assist us in improving and marketing Replicator. (Check all that
apply.)
Where did you hear about Replicator?
[ ] BBS [ ] Catalog/Magazine [ ] Friend/Relative
[ ] Rack Vendor [ ] User's Group [ ] Other _______________
Please provide name of BBS/Catalog/Magazine/User's Group, (if possible)
______________________________________________________________________
What operating systems / environments do you use?
[ ] DOS [ ] Windows [ ] OS/2 [ ] DESQview/DESQview/X
What do you use Replicator for? _________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
What feature(s) do you like the most about Replicator? __________________
__________________________________________________________________________
What feature(s) would you like to see added to Replicator? ______________
__________________________________________________________________________
Additional Comments: ____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
May We Quote You? [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Doesn't Matter
Page 24
