Windows Magazine - Win 95 the Complete Tour/Windows Magazine: Win 95 - The Complete Tour.iso/wt20/wt2faq2.txt

Text File | 1995-06-01 | 31KB | 623 lines

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) FOR WINTUNE 2.0
5/30/95

Please read through this file completely *before* sending e-mail or
otherwise attempting to contact the Wintune team for technical support.

If you need help setting up Wintune, search for the word SETUP.

If you have encountered an error message, search for the word
ERROR.

If Wintune is running, and you have a performance-related question,
search for the word PERFORMANCE.

If you are looking for general advice, search for the word GENERAL.

DO YOU HAVE THE LATEST UPDATE? DO YOU NEED IT?
Update #1 was posted 12/9/94 and fixed an error on systems with
more than 32MB RAM that caused DIVIDE-BY-ZERO or
OVERFLOW errors *after* all tests were complete (WTUPD1.ZIP).
Update #2 was posted 12/15/94, and fixed an error on certain systems
with less than 8MB RAM (usually 4MB systems ) which caused
Windows to lock up during the memory test (WTUPD2.ZIP).
Updates are cumulative--if you need Update #1, you can load Update
#2 and it will fix both problems.
Update #3 was posted XX/XX/XX and fixed OVERFLOW errors on start-up,
failure to detect floating-point units, CPU misidentification, and
print formatting errors.
IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO DOWNLOAD WT20.ZIP AGAIN--
just the update (currently WTUPD3.ZIP).
====================================
SETUP PROBLEMS:

SETUP: *** TRY THIS FIRST ***
If you're having a setup problem, try this before doing anything else: exit
Windows, type WIN and when you see the starting panel, PRESS
AND HOLD THE SHIFT KEY--this aborts any automatic startup
programs, such as screen savers. Once this is done, try setup again
(what sometimes happens is that a running application will interfere with
Wintune setup).

SETUP: System Requirements
Wintune 2.0 requires Windows 3.1 or higher, 4MB of RAM and 3--
4MB of disk space. It was designed for (and tested on)
386/486/Pentium class Intel-based computers. We did *not* test it on
286 (PC/AT-class) systems, and make no guarantee that it will run on
them.

Wintune will run, but will not issue performance tuning tips, on OS/2 2.1
and OS/2 Warp v.3, Windows NT 3.1 and 3.5, and Windows 95. On
all these systems, manual disk cache setting (using the /c command-line
switch documented in README.TXT) is necessary.

SETUP: Proper Wintune Downloading
Q:  How can I be sure I downloaded Wintune correctly?
A:  Wintune 2.0 is currently available only online, in a single .ZIP file
archive. The name, size and modification date of that archive are shown
as follows: WT20.ZIP 1,395,900 12/09/94. If your file size and
modification date don't match, then you probably have a bad download,
and will need to retrieve the .ZIP file again.

SETUP: Unzipping /Decompressing Wintune
Q:  What do I do with WT20.ZIP?
A:  WT20.ZIP is a .ZIP file archive. . Archive files contain other files.
Before you can install Wintune, you must extract the files , and place
them into a common directory.  You should the run the program
SETUP.EXE, which will be found in the common directory you'll
create.
    Create the directory that will hold the Wintune files.  We
suggest you create a directory on your hard disk named C:\WT20. To
do this, enter the following DOS command at any DOS prompt:

    MKDIR C:\WT20

Or select Create Directory from File Manager's File menu, and enter
C:\WT20 when asked for the name of the directory to be created.
    Extract the files contained in WT20.ZIP, and place the
extracted files in the C:\WT20 directory.

SETUP: AOL Users
If you downloaded WT20.ZIP from America Online (AOL), the
extraction may have already been done for you. AOL has an option that
causes it to automatically extract files from any .ZIP archives you
download.
In that case, you will find the contents of WT20.ZIP in the directory
C:\WAOL\DOWNLOAD\WT20.  If this is the case, you can simply
install Wintune directly from the WT20 directory.

SETUP: Other Downloaders
Several utility programs can extract the files contained in .ZIP archives.
PKUNZIP.EXE, a DOS-based shareware utility, is the most popular.
If you have a copy of PKUNZIP.EXE, the following DOS command
will extract the Wintune files and place them in C:\WT20:
    PKUNZIP WT20.ZIP C:\WT20
Another popular utility program is WinZip, a Windows-based
shareware program.  Like PKUNZIP, it is available from most bulletin
board systems, probably including the one where you obtained
Wintune.  WinZip includes instructions for its use.  Be sure to ask
WinZip to extract the files from WT20.ZIP.

SETUP: File Listing
Q:  How can I tell if the Wintune files were correctly extracted from the
.ZIP files?
A:There is a complete list of the file sizes and modification dates for all
Wintune files before *and* after setup in the README.TXT file
supplied with Wintune (and with any update files). Please check your
files against that list.

SETUP: Running SETUP.EXE
Q:  How do I run SETUP.EXE?
A:  SETUP.EXE must be run from Windows. Select Run from Program
Manager's File menu. When asked for a Command Line, enter:
    C:\WT20\SETUP.EXE
(assuming you've extracted all the Wintune files into the recommended
C:\WT20 directory--if not, click the BROWSE button from the Run
dialog box, and use the resulting file selector to locate SETUP.EXE in
the directory where you extracted the Wintune files). Click OK to run
Wintune setup.

SETUP: Manual Installation
Under certain conditions--especially if the WINDOWS directory isn't
located on drive C:--you may have to install Wintune manually. You can
do so by uncompressing each compressed Wintune setup file (the ones
with extensions ending in an underscore character) with
EXPAND.EXE. To do so, exit Windows, and from a DOS prompt,
expand each file, ie:

    expand WT20.EX_ WT20.EXE

(You can figure out what letter replaces the underscore by looking at
the list of installed files in README.TXT)

Then copy the expanded files to the directories specified in the list of
installed files in README.TXT.

When all expanded files have been copied to the correct directories
(double check against the list in README.TXT), start Windows. From
Program Manager, select File/New, Program Group, and type in
"Wintune 2.0" to create the program group. Then select File/New,
Program Item, and use the Browse button to select WT20.EXE from
your WT20 directory to create a Wintune 2.0 program item. Repeat
this process to create program items for the three .HLP files and
README.TXT. Wintune is then installed and should run correctly (if
you encounter an error starting Wintune, consult the ERRORS section
of this file for more help).
==============================================
ERRORS:

ERROR: Unable to load C:\WINDOWS\SETUP.EXE
This error indicates that you didn't type a full pathname for wintune
setup, which is located in C:\WT20 (or wherever else you downloaded
the files). Switch to Program Manager, select File/Run, click the
Browse button, and select SETUP.EXE from the directory into which
you downloaded and unzipped wintune. Click OK, and you will have
the correct pathname--and setup should run correctly.

ERROR: Unable to load WTSETUP.EXE
This error may indicate that you have an obsolete Wintune 1.0 file
already installed on your system. Search your WINDOWS and
WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory for WTSETUP.EXE, and--if you find
it--delete it. Then try setup again. If it still doesn't work, then you most
likely have a bad download--check the file sizes and dates against those
in README.TXT. If you find a file that doesn't match, you;'ll need to
download it again.

ERROR: Close Other Visual Basic Applications
Q:  During setup, I received this error message: "One or more Visual
Basic applications are running. Please close those applications, then
choose OK to continue." Why do I have to close my other applications
during Wintune setup?
A:  The installation of Wintune, like the installation of most VB
applications, updates some components of VB itself. Since this can't
occur while a VB program is running (executables can't be overwritten
while in use), the only way the install can succeed is if all VB apps are
shut down first.

ERROR: Wintune won't set up properly if Windows isn't installed on C:
We tested the Wintune setup on partitions other than C:, and it works--
but there may be problems installing if Windows itself is located on a
partition or disk other than C:. If that happens, you can still install
manually--see SETUP: Manual Installation, above.

ERROR: VBX File Out Of Date Message
Q:  I get a message that a .VBX file is "Out-of-Date."
A:  It's likely that a another program's installation procedure has placed
an out-of-date version of the .VBX file in your WINDOWS directory.
All *.VBX files should be placed in the WINDOWS\SYSTEM
directory, since Windows searches the path , WINDOWS, and then
WINDOWS\SYSTEM.  If an out-of-date .VBX file is erroneously
placed in the WINDOWS directory, newer, correctly installed .VBXs
(in WINDOWS) will be missed, while older, incorrectly installed (into
WINDOWS) .VBXs will be loaded and run.
To correct this problem,
    Back up the WINDOWS and WINDOWS\SYSTEM
directories. Then check your WINDOWS directory for the existence of
.VBX files.
    If a .VBX file is found in the WINDOWS directory, copy it
from the WINDOWS directory to the WINDOWS\SYSTEM
directory IF:
    The .VBX file in the WINDOWS directory is newer than one
by the same name in the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.
    There is now a .VBX file in the WINDOWS\SYSTEM
directory whose name matches that of the V.BX file in the WINDOWS
directory.
***What Not To Do***
Do not copy a V.BX FILE from WINDOWS to
WINDOWS\SYSTEM if the .VBX file in WINDOWS is older than
the .VBX file in WINDOWS\SYSTEM.  IT IS IMPORTANT NOT
TO COPY OLDER FILES OVER NEWER FILES!!!
When You're Done
Once the appropriate .VBX files (if any) have been copied from
WINDOWS to WINDOWS\SYSTEM
    Delete all .VBX file from the WINDOWS directory
    Exit Windows
    Restart Windows
    Run Wintune again.

ERROR: Cannot Create Redraw File
Q: I get a "cannot create redraw file" error. What does this mean?
A: It means you are short on both memory and disk space. Wintune's
user interface was built with Visual Basic 3.0, and uses VB's auto-
redraw feature. This requires opening a redraw file that contains copies
of the bitmaps used in the user interface, so that we can quickly restore
the display when you move a window or take other actions that require
redraw activity. When Wintune  can't find enough space to create the
redraw file, it can't run. Try freeing up some space on your hard disk.

ERROR: Invalid Property Value
Q: I get an "Invalid Property Value" error. What does this mean?
Usually, this means you have deleted a font required by Wintune.
Wintune (and Windows itself) requires certain fonts in order to run. Do
not delete the following fonts:
     Arial (TrueType)
     Arial Bold (TrueType)
     Arial Bold Italic (TrueType)
     Arial Italic (TrueType)
     Courier 10,12,15 (VGA res)
     Courier New (TrueType)
     Courier New Bold (TrueType)
     Courier New Bold Italic (TrueType)
     Courier New Italic (TrueType)
     Modern (Plotter)
     MS Sans Serif 8,10,12,14,18,24 (VGA res)
     MS Serif 8,10,12,14,18,24 (VGA res)
     Roman (Plotter)
     Script (Plotter)
     small fonts (VGA res)
     Symbol (TrueType)
     Symbol 8,10,12,14,18,24 (VGA res)
     Times New Roman (TrueType)
     Times New Roman Bold (TrueType)
     Times New Roman Bold Italic (TrueType)
     Times New Roman Italic (TrueType)
     Wingdings (TrueType)
Deleting these fonts, particularly MS Sans Serif, may result in an
"Invalid Property Value" error when attempting to start Wintune.

ERROR: Invalid File Format
Q: What do I do when I see a dialog that says "Invalid File Format"
during start-up?
A: Most likely, this indicates you have a bad download. Check your
files against the list under SETUP: Checking for Proper
Setup.faq_checking_for_proper_setup

ERROR: Please Close Visual Basic Applications
Q:  When I run Wintune, I get a message "One of more Visual Basic
applications are running.  Please close those applications, then choose
OK to continue."  What does this mean?
A:  Just what it says--Wintune needs to have total control over your
system while performing its low-level tests. It can't do that while Visual
Basic apps are running (for that matter, ideally Wintune  should be the
only program running--that's why we recommend that you always run it
first after starting a clean Windows session). Running it any other way
gives misleading results.

ERROR:General Protection Fault
Q: Wintune fails with a GPF (General Protection Fault). What's wrong?
A: There are two known condition that can cause a GPF when running
Wintune. If it occurs when Wintune is just starting to load, it generally
indicates a setup problem. Check the dates and sizes of all files against
the list in README.TXT--quite probably you'll find that one file is the
wrong size, and Wintune needs to be downloaded again. If it occurs
during the video test, then you probably need a new video driver. See
UPDATING VIDEO DRIVERS in the main helpfile for more
information.

ERROR: Divide By Zero/Overflow
If you get this error on a system with more than 32MB RAM, then you
need to download the current update (WTUPD2.ZIP) and apply it--
versions of Wintune 2.0 distributed prior to 12/9/94 had not been
tested under these conditions.

If you get the error during the floating-point unit (FPU) test, and you
have a 386-based system (or a 486SX) that's been upgraded by adding
a 387 (or 487) math coprocessor, this may indicate that the FPU is
incompatible with the CPU (probably it's not fast enough). To check:
    Use the Turbo switch (or fast/slow CMOS setting) to reset
your system to slow speed
    Run Wintune again
    If the divide-by-zero error goes away, this indicates that your
CPU is too fast for the coprocessor, and you need to replace the
coprocessor with a faster model.

If you get the error on startup, then you've encountered a bug that we
know about but don't understand. Please report the error to us per the
instructions in GENERAL:Still Stumped? at the bottom of this file.

ERROR:Unable To Load VBX/Newer Version of VBX
Q: When I try to run Wintune , I get an "unable to load ***.VBX"
error--or Wintune says that I need a newer version of ***.VBX...
A: See Checking for Proper Setup

ERROR: Need Graphics Server version 2.51 or Later
If you see this error, you probably have more than one copy of
GSW.EXE and GSWDLL.DLL on your system. You *should* have
only one copy of each file, in WINDOWS\SYSTEM. Search your hard
disk for additional copies (usually in the \WINDOWS directory), and
rename them, ie: GSW.EXE becomes GSW.EXX and GSWDLL.DLL
becomes GSWDLL.DLX. Please note that this is *not* due to an error
in Wintune setup--the problem is that certain other software puts these
files in the wrong directory.

ERROR: System locks up during memory test.
If your system has less than 8MB (usually 4MB) RAM, then the
problem is most likely a bug in an early version of WT20.EXE. If your
copy of WT20.EXE has a size of 276519 bytes, then it is the old
version. You need to download and apply the current update
(WTUPD2.ZIP), which will fix the problem.

ERROR:Failed To Open Graphics Server/Cannot Load DLL
Q:  When I run Wintune I get two error messages:
"Failed to open Graphics Server/GSW.EXE Must be available via the
DOS path"
and:
"Can't load custom control .DLL"/"C:\Windows\System\Graph.VBX"
What should I do?
A:  If you get a similar message to the ones above, it is almost a
guaranteed that you have a corrupted download.  The first message
indicates that Wintune is having a problem loading GSW.EXE, which is
necessary for Wintune's chart displays.  The second message comes
because the graphics server (GSW.EXE) was unable to load.
Check your files against Checking for Proper Setup after setup has
been completed!
===================================
PERFORMANCE ISSUES

PERFORMANCE (DISK): Slow Disk Performance
Q: Wintune says I have a slow hard disk --what can I do?
A: Several factors can affect disk performance (see Understanding Disk
Test Results in the main Wintune helpfile for more information); but the
most common by far is disk cache settings.  If your disk scores are in
the .1 to .3MB per second . range then you are almost certainly running
without cache, or with inadequate cache.
Wintune's disk test looks for the size of your WFWG 3.11 32BFA
cache or SMARTDrive cache, and runs two tests--one at 20 percent
of the cache size ("cached" test), and one at 10 percent  over the cache
size. Thus, for a 1MB cache size, we test at 200KB (cached) and
1.1MB (un-cached). If we find neither 32BFA nor SMARTDrive, then
we test cached performance at a 64KB file size, and uncached
performance at 50 percent  of the size of your system's RAM (if you
have 8MB of RAM, we run a 4MB test file). In any case, Wintune 2.0
creates the test file, then performs sequential and random reads and
writes in the file using 4KB blocks. We compute overall disk
performance for the front-panel indicator using a weighted average of
cached and uncached performance, weighted at 50 percent  each at a
2MB cache size. Increasing either the cache size or the disk
performance will improve both the Wintune disk score and overall
system performance in most cases Note:  Wintune's Disk Test will show
the best performance with both read and write caching enabled. Write
caching can be dangerous--if your system is shut down unexpectedly
between disk flushes you may lose data or even corrupt your disk. If
you are not certain that your system is reliable with write caching
enabled, turn it off.  Consult the documentation provided by your
manufacturer (for SMARTDrive and WFWG 3.11 32BFA, this is the
DOS/Windows documentation from Microsoft).

PERFORMANCE (DISK): Slow Disk Performance II
Q: I've reset my system to provide a reasonable disk cache, and
Wintune still says it's slow...
A: Now things get more complicated. A number of factors can affect
overall disk performance, including use of EMM386.EXE to provide
expanded memory for DOS applications (it's not needed for Windows
applications, and should be eliminated when not required),
fragmentation on your hard disk, use of a compression program such as
Stacker or DoubleSpace, and so on. See Disk Performance
Improvement Tips in the main Wintune helpfile for some suggestions.

PERFORMANCE (DISK): SCSI and Wintune
Q:  Why are my Wintune disk numbers so low on my SCSI disk in
WFWG 3.11?.
A:  There are some very strange things going on with caching, 32-bit
disk access and 32-bit file access in 3.11, and Wintune isn't the only
diagnostic that highlights them...
Nevertheless, the most common possible problem with SCSI disks is
that Windows will set SMARTDRV  /double_buffer in CONFIG.SYS.
This slows the effective disk access to a crawl, both in applications and
in the Wintune disk benchmarks. You need to
    install the correct ASPI driver for the SCSI card you are using,
which will enable you to use WFWG 3.11 32-bit file access on the
drive.
    remove the SMARTDRV  line for CONFIG.SYS  (or edit the
SMARTDRV  line to disable caching on your SCSI drive(s)--there's a
complete description of this under SMARTDRV SETTINGS in the
main Wintune helpfile.

PERFORMANCE (DISK): SMARTDRV  and Hard Disk
Performance
Q:  Can I improve the low overall disk performance on my compressed
drive (using Stacker, DoubleSace or SuperStor) by setting
SMARTDRV to cache it?
A:  Actually, you don't want to cache a compressed drive. You want to
cache the physical "host" drive, the one that's not compressed, but holds
the hidden file that comprises the compressed disk. Caching the
physical/host drive allows you to keep compressed data in the cache,
effectively doubling the apparent amount of RAM dedicated to caching,
and doubling the chances of finding needed data in the cache. Check
your SMARTDRV settings to assure that the compressed drive is not
cached--but the physical drive is compressed. Search for SMARTDRV
SETTINGS in the main Wintune helpfilel for more information.

PERFORMANCE (DISK): Memory and Disk Performance
Q:  I have a 4MB system and my disk numbers are low. What should I
do?
A:  Install more RAM. With only 4MB of RAM, your SMARTDrive
cache probably isn't set larger than 512KB. That means that large files
will be forced directly to disk, without the benefit of caching. Don't try
making SMARTDrive  larger without increasing RAM, though, that will
cause programs to thrash as they fight for the small amount of RAM
that's left. The simple fact is that 4MB isn't enough RAM to get optimal
performance from any current version of Windows.

PERFORMANCE (DISK): Hardware Cache Unrecognized
Q:  Wintune doesn't seem to recognize my hardware cache--it shows
my disk as being very slow.
A:  It ain't just Wintune that doesn't recognize your cache... it's
Windows itself.
We use the same file I/O functions (OpenFile, ReadFile, WriteFile,
CloseHandle) as any other Windows application. If we aren't seeing
your cache, neither will any other Windows app. Check with your drive
manufacturer to see if you're using the right drivers and settings to get
maximum performance under Windows.

PERFORMANCE (DISK): Windows NT Advice
If you have Windows NT, then caching is automatic (NT uses the
virtual memory system to provide a dynamic cache, which can be as
large as physical memory). If Wintune reports poor disk performance
on an NT system, it may indicate that you have insufficient RAM in the
NT machine. Repeat the test to verify your results, and then take steps
to free up as much RAM as possible. Such steps may include:
    eliminating unused device drivers
    shutting down unused services
    resetting the Network Server subsystem to use less memory
(Double-click on Control Panel/Network, select the Server item from
the Installed Software list, click on the Configure button--and reset the
Optimization to one that requires less RAM).
    increasing system page file size  (Double-click on Control
Panel/System, click on the Virtual Memory button, adjust the Paging
File initial and maximum sizes, and click on the Set button.
Consult your Windows NT System Guide and the Windows NT
Resource Kit for further suggestions.

PERFORMANCE (DISK): Windows 3.1 Advice
If you have Windows (or Windows for Workgroups) 3.1, then the
cache may be SMARTDrive, which is covered under Adjusting
SMARTDRV  Settings ), or a third-party disk cache (consult the
instructions that come with your  third-party cache software).

PERFORMANCE (DISK): Windows for Workgroups 3.11 Advice
If you have WFWG 3.11, then the cache situation depends on whether
you are able to use 32-bit file access. In Control Panel, click on the
Enhanced Icon, then select Virtual Memory and Change>>. If you see
a check box for Use 32-bit File Access, check it and set the cache size
to about 25 percent  of the total memory in your system (2MB on an
8MB system).
If you have a SMARTDrive line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file,
Windows automatically adjusts it downward when you select 32-bit file
access. If you have put SMARTDrive in another batch file or are using
a different cache, then you should either comment it out, or modify the
SMARTDrive settings to avoid caching the hard disks you're using with
32BFA. These issues are discussed in detail in the Microsoft Windows
for Workgroups Resource Kit, which is a must-have reference for
serious tuning.  The cost is approximately $30. Call Microsoft End User
Sales at 800-426-9400

PERFORMANCE (DISK): Laptops Are An Exception
The low disk performance figures for laptop and notebook computers
reflect the use of a smaller disk cache--you can't run 1MB of cache in a
4MB system without making the system swap frequently!

PERFORMANCE (CPU): 4MHz 486/Pentium ?!
Under certain conditions, Wintune will report a 486 or Pentium system
running at unreasonably low performance levels--such as 4MHz. This is
usually associated with low overall performance on all tests (all pointers
at or near the bottom of the screen) and it indicates a serious
configuration error--not a Wintune bug. The most likely causes are:
primary CPU cache disabled (see your system's CMOS configuration
screen), excessive RAM wait states (see your system's CMOS
configuration screen), turbo switch set OFF or cross-wired (reset the
switch and repeat the test), power management enabled (notebook
computers only), or use of a TSR/driver program that steals CPU
cycles (examples include EMM386 with EMS emulation enabled, and
the Chameleon TCP/IP TSR).

PERFORMANCE (CPU): Typical Performance Figures
We tested a number of reasonably well-tuned computers and
established what kind of performance you should expect from various
processors. Those examples are included in the WINTUNE.TRF
database that comes with Wintune 2.0. See README.TXT for more
information.

PERFORMANCE (VIDEO): Slow Video Tests
Q:  I just ran a Wintune test with the Full Test option selected. All the
video tests were extremely fast until the picture test started and then it
took several seconds to display.
A:  The 24-bit video test uses the Windows 3.1 SetDIBitsToDevice()
API call--which essentially hands the bitmap to the driver and tells it to
do the best job it can of rendering the image. We've seen wildly varying
results from this, ranging from near-instant display of a low-resolution
rendering up to displays that may take several *minutes* (not to
mention several cases where it crashes the video driver). Better
performance on this test depends on getting a better driver from your
video card vendor.
Now, with all that said--very few Windows applications actually call the
SetDIBitsToDevice() API--for obvious reasons. Unless you plan to use
your video system for something like 24-bit image editing (and probably
not even then), you needn't be concerned.

PERFORMANCE (GENERAL):Test Scores Vary
Q: I get different disk test scores when I run Wintune more than once--
what's up?
A: It's normal to see some variation in Wintune disk scores. We read
disk data through whatever cache is enabled (SMARTDrive, FastFAT,
etc.), and the precise score depends on the cache state. For maximum
accuracy, run the Full Test rather than the Quick Test, run it several
times, and average the results.
If the disk score appears to be changing when some other system
component not related to the disk (video driver, network drivers, etc.)
is changed, then this may indicate that some sort of delayed activity or
timer setting is interfering with the test. Try editing the command line to:
c:\wintune\wintune.exe  /t30
this will set a 30-second delay between tests, eliminating any possibility
that the video test affects the disk test.

PERFORMANCE (VIDEO): Video Problems
Q: When I start Wintune  I see a strange, ghostly outline of a graph.
How do I make this go away?
A: You've run into a bug in your video driver. We've observed this
problem with first-generation Diamond Viper video cards, and it might
happen on some other video systems as well. Contact your video card
vendor for information on updated drivers (see Updating Video Drivers
in the main Wintune helpfile for more information).

PERFORMANCE (VIDEO): Slow Diamond Viper Video
Performance
Q: Why am I am getting low video performance on my Diamond Viper
video card?
A recently issued Diamond Viper video card driver includes a new In
Control Windows utility. In order to obtain the best performance from
your card, you need to activate this utility, turn off  fast scrolling, close
Windows, restart Windows and reset fast scrolling to on.
===============================
GENERAL INFORMATION:

GENERAL: Less Free RAM Each Time
Q: Running Wintune  repeatedly, it shows less free RAM on each pass.
Is there something wrong?
A: This is normal. We execute a GlobalCompact command on start-up,
which forces Windows to go through its garbage collection cycle and
free up memory segments (we do this to predict swapping behavior in
small-footprint systems). Then we run a bunch of tests that  dirty those
segments--including a video test that uses lots of GDI heap resources. If
you run the test again, we start off with a GlobalCompact--which can't
get as much back as it did the first time because heap resources are in
use, etc. You'd probably get a more meaningful result if you:
    Run Wintune
    Exit
    Run it again

GENERAL: WINTUNE.TRF
Q: Now that I've run Wintune , what can I do with the information in
WINTUNE.TRF?
A: WINTUNE.TRF is the file in which results of Wintune 2.0 testing
are stored. The data in WINTUNE.TRF is stored in a proprietary
binary format, but may be saved in a Comma Separated Variable
format; with an extension of .CSV. Such files are also known as
comma-delimited ASCII, which is accepted as input by most
spreadsheet programs, and some databases. Try loading the comma-
delimited version of .TRF into a spreadsheet and graphing some of the
variables from test to test. This can provide a great way to see how
your system's performance changes over time!

GENERAL: How does the /t command-line switch work
You *must* have a space after WT20.EXE and before /t in order for
the command-line switch to work. ie:

    C:\WT20\WT20.EXE /t15

works, while:

    C:\WT20\WT20.EXE/t15

Does not.

=================================
GENERAL: Still Stumped?

If you've been through this file and still can't figure out your problem, we
will
try to help via e-mail (do mention that you already have this file!).
Explain the difficulty as completely as possible. If Wintune is running,
copy all text from the Details/All tab and append it to your message. If
you cannot get Wintune to run, include the EXACT language of any
error message you are seeing, and a Microsoft System Diagnostic
(MSD.EXE) dump for your system.

PLEASE EMBED THE MSD DUMP AND/OR DETAILS TEXT
DIRECTLY IN THE MESSAGE BODY, DO NOT ATTACH
THEM AS FILES (in some cases, attachments come through
unreadably).

Then send the message to [e-mail] please allow a couple of
days for a response.