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CHECKINI.TXT
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=== DISCLAIMER ===
I allow you to use and distribute CHECKINI freely under the condition
that I am in no way responsible for any damage or loss you may suffer.
You should take care when using these tools on new version of OS/2
since this program interprets data from the ini-files.
The internal structure of this data can change, and the programs might fail.
This was the case with the new OS/2 2.00.1 (or 2.01) version.
Henk Kelder
=== NOTES ON CHECKINI.EXE ===
Notes on version 1.1:
o Some checks were added:
PM_Workplace:PalettePos
PM_Workplace:Startup
Some other checkings were extended.
Notes on version 1.2:
o The check for PM_Workplace:Handles was moved so that it would be the
last test done.
o The frase 'DOES NOT EXIST' for file objects (files & directories) has
been changed to 'UNABLE TO ACCESS' since this is a better description
of what CHECKINI finds.
Notes on version 1.3:
o The only extra in this version is that it support OS/2 2.00.1 (beta
version) since in this version the internal structure of various
workplace shells object data has changed.
Notes on version 1.4:
o Not all the data checkini appearantly needs to exist. If some data
checkini checks does not exist, the test is skipped.
Notes on verion 1.5:
o Checkini now works properly after installing the servicepack dated
october 1992.
==== DESCRIPTION ===
CHECKINI checks for, and optionally corrects, some problems in OS2.INI and
OS2SYS.INI. CHECKINI only looks at information regarding the workplace
shell.
The main reason for CHECKINI is the growth that the both .INI files tend to
have if one uses the Workplace shell heavelly. Using CHECKINI in conjunction
with COPYINI helps to reduce the INI files sizes, which in turn should
increase the workplace shells performance.
Also CHECKINI helps to determine some possible cause's for workplace shell
failures like loosing workplace shell objects, or situations in which a
program object looses the proper executable name or current directory.
Obviously, the real cause for these problems must be in the workplace shell
itself, CHECKINI however could help you to determine the degree of damage
that has been done.
=== PM_Workplace:Handles ===
A special note is in place about a specific piece of information in the
INI-files called 'PM_Workplace:Handles'. The workplace shell uses some
obscure entity called object-handles to refer to objects. Object handles are
infact numbers.
A object-handle can refer to a abstract object (a object NOT on your
harddisk e.g. the color palette) and file-system objects (files & directories).
Abstract objects reside in the ini-files.
File-system objects reside on your harddisk.
Whenever you add a program object to your desktop and specify a programfile
the workplace shell determines if a handle was already assigned to the
programfile and if so, it uses this handle.
If no handle was assigned, the shell creates a handle and assignes it to
the programfile. In the definition of the program object (self an abstract
object) the handle for the programfile is stored.
When you start the program by clicking on the object the wps must have
a way to refer the stored handle back to the programfile.
This is done by using the 'PM_Workplace:Handles' information.
Unfortunately only handles are added to this information and they are not
removed when a (program)file is removed from your harddisk.
In theory the total amount of handle-to-file information could grow to
big and than without any warning you will loose information. The workplace
shell than shows nonsence or nothing at all in some of your program objects.
CHECKINI allows you to remove handles for files or directories that are no
longer present or inaccessable.
=== ORPHAN OBJECTS ===
An wide spread way to remove undeleteable objects is to move them to
a directory, and than, in a OS/2 or DOS session remove the directory. The
Workplace shell than no longer shows the objects.
They are infact NOT removed but they simply have no parent directory to
they will show in.
Also, sometimes it is possible that suddenly several objects are lost. A
reason for this could be a unintended removal of a desktop directory.
CHECKINI detect these 'orphan objects' and queries to user (when /C
specified) to move these objects to another (new) location. If this question
is answered with NO, another question is asked whether the objects should be
removed from the ini-files.
WARNING 1
if you are normally connected to a network and run CHECKINI when you are NOT
connected to this network, or when you are not logged in, CHECKINI will
report errors for references to network objects.
In the situation mentioned above and with the /C swith given, take care
when confirming deleting or correcting problems.
WARNING 2
Whenever you run CHECKINI with the /C switch you must be prepared to
shutdown immidiatly after you have run the program. This because the
workplace shell has a lot of info in memory and it you keep on working
some of the changes checkini has made will be overwritten by the desktop.
WARNING 3
Whenever corrections are made to PM_Workplace:Handles you'd better skip all
other tests and shutdown first. This because when your objects are checked
and objects are moved to another location the wps overwrites the changes
done in PM_Workplace:Handles.
NOTE on version 1.2: This is no longer necessairy since this specific test
has been moved to be the last test done!
WARNING 4
I do not know it all. The PM_Workplace:Handles record in the ini contains
some information I do not understand (yet). Still I decided on my own PC to
delete several lumbs of information in this record. I have done so several
times without any problems.
USING CHECKINI
From an OS/2 command prompt enter the command CHECKINI. Without any command
line options CHECKINI doesn't change anything to your ini-files.
COMMAND LINE OPTIONS
/C - Write corrections to ini-files. The default is to diagnose
only. If this option is specified the program will ask
confirmations for all changes it may want to do in your
ini-files.
/APath - Specify different location for ini-files to be checked. This
option is usefull if you have a copy of you ini files and
you would like these copies to be checked.
/Llogfilename - specify name of logfile. The default is CHECKINI.LOG in the
directory you start the program in.
/W - Write all output to logfile. Normally only problems are
written to the logfile. This option could help you to
inspect a lot about your workplace shell objects (actually
workplace shell objects instances).
/S - 'Silent run', only write logfile. Normally found errors are
reported directly.
/? - Show info.
HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS
While running CHECKINI displays all found information on the screen.
Whenever a problem is found, and the /S switch is not used the program
reports the problem. The problem itself is visible in the bottom lines
of the screen. Problems are always reported in CAPITALS.
some examples:
=================================================
PM_Workplace:Handles:BLOCK1
=================================================
3E2DA:CHECKINI.EXE =>E:\ICON\CHECKINI.EXE<-DOES NOT EXIST
395F8:COPYINI.EXE =>E:\ICON\COPYINI.EXE<-DOES NOT EXIST
39400:GETPROG.EXE =>E:\ICON\GETPROG.EXE<-DOES NOT EXIST
=================================================
PM_Abstract:Objects & PM_Abstract:FldrContents
=================================================
Object 13087, Class WPNetLink : A network folder
Linked to: \\SERVER09\SYS3\DIRECTORY1<-DOES NOT EXIST!
Object 140AD, Class WPNetLink : SYS3
Linked to: \\SERVER09\SYS3<-DOES NOT EXIST!
Object 15185, Class WPNetLink : SYS1
Linked to: \\SERVER09\SYS1<-DOES NOT EXIST!
Object 15956, Class WPNetLink : A network folder
Linked to: \\SERVER09\SYS3\DIRECTORY1<-DOES NOT EXIST!
=================================================
Checking AssocCheckSum
=================================================
PMWP_ASSOC_CHECKSUM:252153
points to 3D8F9 - E:\ICON\GETBLOCK.EXE<-DOES NOT EXIST
=================================================
Checking FolderPos
=================================================
PM_Workplace:FolderPos:252223@10
points to 3D93F - OBJECT DOES NOT EXIST
WHAT THE PROGRAM CHECKS
The following ini-records (Application - Key) are checked:
PM_Workplace:Handles - BLOCK1
(Checks consistency and existence of filesystem object-handles)
PM_Workplace:Location - (all keys)
(Checks existence of object where id-strings like <WP_DESKTOP> point to)
PM_Workplace:Folderpos - (all keys)
(Checks for obsolete saved object positions)
PM_Workplace:PalettePos - (all keys)
(Checks for obsolete save palette positions)
PM_Workplace:Templates - (all keys)
(Checks for template-records that refer to non-existing objects)
PM_Abstract:Objects - (all keys)
(Mainly checks WPProgram objects for consistency, but also checks for
'lost-objects' - objects moved to non-existing locations. Also checks
WPNetLink and WPShadow links.)
PM_Abstract:FldrContent - (all keys)
(Used for the check mentioned above for 'lost-objects')
PM_Abstract:Icons - (all keys)
(Checks for obsolete icons, icons for abstract objects that do not exist)
PMWP_ASSOC_FILTER - (all keys)
(Checks for associations with non-existing objects)
PMWP_ASSOC_TYPE - (all keys)
(Checks for associations with non-existing objects)
PMWP_ASSOC_CHECKSUM - (all keys)
(Checks for obsolete checksum record that point to non-existing objects)
PM_Workplace:Location - (all keys)
(Checks consistency of logical location names e.g. <WP_DESKTOP>)
PM_Workplace:Startup - (all keys)
(Checks the referenced folders are infact startup folders)