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1993-03-09
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ZIP'R Version 3.0
Copyright 1993
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 Bertha BBS: (218) 924-2060, 8,N,1
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Welcome! │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Thank you for trying ZIP'R Version 3.0! ZIP'R is a program designed to use an
existing compression program, such as PKZIP/PKUNZIP, ARJ, LHA, or SQZ to
automatically compress entire programs (including sub-directories) when
programs are exited, and decompress them prior to execution. This process
saves valuable hard drive space by compressing program when they are not in
use. ZIP'R even achieves a substantial amount of compression on hard drives
that already use an on-the-fly compression program, such as SuperStor or
Stacker! ZIP'R is unique because it not only compresses and decompresses
entire programs, but it launches them as well! This feature makes it possible
to fully integrate ZIP'R into most, if not all menuing systems.
If you appreciate ZIP'R, you are encouraged to call The Bertha BBS at (218)
924-2060, and let us know! Comments, suggestions, and enhancement requests
are always welcome!
Page 1
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Table of Contents: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Quick-Start Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3
Disclaimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4
Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4
Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5
What Is ZIP'R? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5
Why Was ZIP'R Created? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5
How Does ZIP'R Work? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6
Installing ZIP'R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6
Using ZIP'R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6
What Happens When I Execute ZIP'R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8
Help Screens And Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11
Using ZIP'R With A Menu System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13
What Are The Benefits Of Using ZIP'R? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14
Advanced ZIP'R Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 15
The ZIPR.INI File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 17
Advanced Compression Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18
Using ZIP'R With DESQview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 20
DESQview Tips & Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 21
Using ZIP'R With Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 21
Using ZIP'R With Doorway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 22
Cautions! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 23
Troubleshooting / Common Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 23
Programs Mentioned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 25
ZIP'R Registration Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 26
Page 2
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Quick-Start Information: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
If you are in a hurry to get ZIP'R up and running, follow these Quick-Start
steps:
1. Create a sub-directory on your hard drive, preferably C:\ZIPR.
2. If the new sub-directory is not C:\ZIPR, edit your AUTOEXEC.BAT file
and add the following statement:
SET ZIPR=DRIVE:\PATH (Replace with your drive and path.)
(This statement instructs ZIP'R to find its program files in this
directory.)
3. Reboot your machine to assure that the new changes to your AUTOEXEC.BAT
file have taken effect.
4. Copy the compression program of your choice into the ZIP'R sub-directory.
If you use ZIP, copy the files PKZIP.EXE and PKUNZIP.EXE into the ZIP'R
sub-directory. If you use ARJ, copy the file ARJ.EXE into the ZIP'R sub-
directory. If you use LHA, copy the file LHA.EXE into the ZIP'R sub-
directory, and if you use SQZ, copy the file SQZ.EXE into the ZIP'R sub-
directory. (Registered ZIP'R users may store the compression programs in
any drive and sub-directory; see the [Options] paragraph of the section
entitled "The ZIPR.INI File" in this file.)
5. Select a program to test ZIP'R on. Make a backup of this directory to
ensure that files don't become corrupt as a result of using ZIP'R or
the compression program you have selected.
6. Log to the drive and directory where ZIP'R resides. Type a command
line with a structure similar to the following:
ZIPR(N) DRIVE: \PATH ZIPNAME COMPRESSION FILENAME P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8
Examples:
ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP PCSHELL
ZIPRN N: \PSDELUXE PSDELUXE LHA PSD
If you need extra information about what these parameters represent, type ZIPR
/H or ZIPR /? from the ZIP'R sub-directory.
7. If everything has been typed correctly, ZIP'R will show a prelog delay
screen for 10 seconds, and will then execute the program you designated on
the command line. When you exit the program, ZIP'R will use the selected
compression method to compress the program directory (including all sub-
directories), and will display a 10 second epilog delay before returning
Page 3
to a DOS prompt or the menu system you are using. (Registered users may
reduce or completely eliminate these delay screens.)
8. The next time you want to run the selected program, type the exact same
command line. ZIP'R will display the prelog delay screen, decompress the
program, and execute it as normal. Once again, after exiting the program,
ZIP'R will compress the program, display the epilog delay, and exit.
9. Once you get a program running correctly using the command line
parameters, try the ZIF Editor, and find out how easy it is to use ZIP'R!
(For more information on the ZIF Editor, please read the ZIFEDIT.DOC file
included with this version of ZIP'R.)
10. To calculate how much disk space you are gaining by using ZIP'R, check the
free hard drive space prior to compressing a program, and again after
compressing the program. Subtract the two numbers, and the total will be
the disk space saved through using ZIP'R. The more programs you choose to
compress, the greater the savings will be!
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Disclaimer: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Users of ZIP'R and/or the ZIF Editor must accept the following disclaimer of
warranty:
"ZIP'R and the ZIF Editor are supplied as is. The author disclaims all
warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the
warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. The author
assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result
from the use of ZIP'R and/or the ZIF Editor."
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Registration: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R is distributed under the shareware concept. You may try ZIP'R for a
period of two weeks. After this period, you must either discontinue using
ZIP'R, or register it. A single-user license is only $39.95 (+$5.00 S&H in
the U.S., or $12.50 S&H on Foreign Orders). This price includes printed
documentation, 3 1/2" and 5 1/4" diskettes, along with a Registration Name and
Number allowing you to register all future versions of ZIP'R. If you are in a
hurry to get a registered version, call STSI at (218) 924-2050, charge it to
your Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover, and receive a temporary
registration name and number over the telephone. This will allow the
modification of all of the ZIP'R Program Defaults, thus removing the delay
screens, if desired. For further registration information and pricing, please
read the REGISTER.DOC file included with ZIP'R.
If you have already registered ZIP'R, feel free to use the ZIF Editor to
simplify your ZIP'R command line. I am confident you will find it very easy
to use, and much less cumbersome than trying to remember all of the necessary
command line parameters. ZIP'R and the ZIF Editor are distributed as one
product. Registered users of ZIP'R are automatically registered to use the
ZIF Editor.
Page 4
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Technical Support: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Technical support is available to ZIP'R users through the following means:
The Bertha BBS: New versions of ZIP'R will be posted here as soon as they
are available. The Bertha BBS uses a U.S. Robotics Dual-
Standard Modem, which is capable of V.32bis, V.32, HST, and
2400 baud connect speeds. The access number for The Bertha
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 ZIP'R? │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R is a program designed to use an existing compression program, such as
PKZIP/PKUNZIP, ARJ, LHA, or SQZ to automatically compress entire programs
(including sub-directories) when programs are exited, and decompress them
prior to execution. This process saves valuable hard drive space by
compressing program when they are not in use. ZIP'R even achieves a
substantial amount of compression on hard drives that already use an on-the-
fly compression program, such as SuperStor or Stacker! ZIP'R is unique
because it not only compresses and decompresses entire programs, but it
launches them as well! This feature makes it possible to fully integrate
ZIP'R into most, if not all menuing systems.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Why Was ZIP'R Created? │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
My business never seems to have enough hard drive space. Even on-the-fly data
compression utilities such as SuperStor and Stacker aren't sufficient, since
the compression ratios achieved are not as high as any of the archiving
utilities. Since neither SuperStor or Stacker will work on a Novell file
server, disk space there is especially tight. By utilizing the
network/multitasker version of ZIP'R (ZIPRN), seldom used, but necessary
programs can be stored in a tightly compressed form, taking up far less hard
drive space. This effectively increases the storage capacity of the server
hard drive, extending its useful life. ZIP'R is also useful on local hard
drives, even if they are already using SuperStor or Stacker.
Page 5
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ How Does ZIP'R Work? │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R works in combination with existing compression programs to compress
directories, sub-directories, and the files they contain into one smaller,
compressed file on the hard drive. This allows an entire directory filled
with files to be stored in compressed form when not in use, saving a
substantial amount of hard drive space.
When a program is executed, ZIP'R invokes the proper compression program to
decompress the desired directory, and executes the requested program. During
this time ZIP'R swaps itself to disk or EMS memory, leaving behind only about
2.5K plus the size of the command processor and its environment. This usually
is less than 10K. When the program is exited, ZIP'R invokes the chosen
compression program to compress the entire directory.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Installing ZIP'R: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
The first step in testing a new piece of software is to perform a backup and
test its integrity. Since ZIP'R will compress entire directories into a
single file, your potential losses are much greater if this file becomes lost
or corrupted.
Create a C:\ZIPR sub-directory and extract all of the ZIP'R related files into
this sub-directory. Copy the compression program(s) of your choice into this
sub-directory. If you decide to use PKZip, you will need the files PKZIP.EXE
and PKUNZIP.EXE. If you use ARJ, you will need the file ARJ.EXE. If you use
LHA, you will need the file LHA.EXE, and if you use SQZ, you will need the
file SQZ.EXE. ZIP'R has been tested with PKZip versions 1.10 and 2.04g, ARJ
version 2.30, LHA version 2.13, and SQZ version 1.08.3. ARJ consistently
provides the tightest archives, but is not nearly as fast as ZIP. ARJ also
has the ability to test the integrity of the archive, which is useful when
running ZIP'R under a multitasker, such as DESQview or Windows. (Since my
company uses PKZip internally, more extensive testing has been performed with
ZIP than with ARJ, LHA, or SQZ.)
ZIP'R can be installed on any drive in your system, including network drives.
Important! Be sure to include a SET ZIPR=N:\ZIPR statement (or wherever you
put ZIP'R), in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If this environment
variable is not found, ZIP'R defaults to using the C:\ZIPR sub-
directory.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Using ZIP'R: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R operates by using command line parameters. To run a program using
ZIP'R, you must know the directory in which it resides and the name of the
file to be executed. (This must be a file with a .COM, .EXE, or a .BAT
extension.) You must also decide whether to compress the program's sub-
directory after execution. If you choose to use the compression feature, you
must choose between ZIP, ARJ, LHA, or SQZ, depending on which program you own.
The ZIP'R command line structure looks like this:
Page 6
ZIPR(N) DRIVE: \PATH ZIPNAME COMPRESSION FILENAME P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8
ZIPR(N) - ZIPR should always be the first entry entered on the command
line. All command line entries should be in UPPER CASE, and
should be separated by a single space. If you are using the
network/multitasker version of ZIP'R, this entry should be
ZIPRN.
DRIVE: - This entry should contain the drive letter (with colon) of the
drive containing the program to be executed.
\PATH - This entry should contain the path to the program that will be
executed. (The backslash is required!) Do NOT specify the root
directory, or you could compress your entire hard disk into one
file, which would cause your hard drive to be unbootable.
ZIPNAME - This is the name of the compressed file that will be created or
used by ZIP'R. Normally, this is the sub-directory name, but
this is not a requirement. Do NOT enter an extension after the
ZIPNAME. ZIP'R will automatically append the proper extension,
depending on the type of compression selected. This entry must
be eight characters or less in length.
COMPRESSION - This entry specifies the type of compression that ZIP'R will
attempt to use. Valid choices are ZIP, ARJ, LHA, or NONE. If
NONE is selected, ZIP'R will decompress an existing compressed
file prior to executing the desired program, but will not
compress the directory after the program is exited. Advanced
compression options are explained in the "Advanced Compression
Options" section of the documentation.
FILENAME - This entry should contain the name of the file to be executed.
Do NOT specify an extension. ZIP'R checks for the existence of
a .BAT, .COM, or .EXE file and executes it.
P1 - This entry is optional, and contains the first parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
P2 - This entry is optional, and contains the second parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
P3 - This entry is optional, and contains the third parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
P4 - This entry is optional, and contains the fourth parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
P5 - This entry is optional, and contains the fifth parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
Page 7
P6 - This entry is optional, and contains the sixth parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
P7 - This entry is optional, and contains the seventh parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
P8 - This entry is optional, and contains the eighth parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
ZIP'R Examples:
ZIPR C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP PCSHELL /LCD
ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP-07 PCSHELL
ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ARJ DESKTOP
ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS NONE SI
ZIPR C: \PSDELUXE DELUXE LHA PSD
ZIP'R (Network/Multitasker) Examples:
ZIPRN C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
ZIPRN C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP PCSHELL /LCD
ZIPRN C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP-07 PCSHELL
ZIPRN C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ARJ DESKTOP
ZIPRN C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS NONE SI
ZIPRN C: \PSDELUXE DELUXE LHA PSD
Important Note! The first time you use ZIP'R on a specific program, it is
not necessary to compress the directory or directories
first. ZIP'R will automatically compress them AFTER the
program is exited.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ What Happens When I Execute ZIP'R? │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Several things take place through the course of using ZIP'R. Here is a brief
summary of what ZIP'R does, and what you can expect to see on the screen:
Using the command line:
ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP PCSHELL
... the following events would take place:
1. ZIP'R checks for the existence of all five necessary command line
parameters. If they do not exist, ZIP'R issues an error message, as
described in the following section, "Help Screens And Error Messages". If
they do exist, ZIP'R proceeds to step #2.
2. ZIP'R displays the prelog screen. The unregistered version of ZIP'R will
pause for 10 seconds while this screen displays. Registered users may
reduce this period of this delay, or remove it entirely through the use of
Page 8
the ZIPR.INI file. (For more information, see "The ZIPR.INI File", later
in this documentation.) An example of the prelog screen is shown below.
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ ZIP'R 3.0 (Single-User) ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ Copyright 1993 by Stevenson Technical Services, Inc. ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────── ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ This is an UNREGISTERED copy of ZIP'R! ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ Registration allows the removal of all delays. ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ Please read REGISTER.DOC for registration information.║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░┌─────────────────────────┬────────────────────────┬────────────────────────┐░
░│ Conventional: 332,144 │ VCPI..: No │ DESQview: No │░
░│ Environment.: 826 │ DPMI..: Yes (v0.90) │ Windows.: Yes (v3.10) │░
░│ EMS.........: 180,224 │ EMS...: Yes (v4.0) │ QEMM....: Yes (v0.00) │░
░│ XMS.........: 192,512 │ XMS...: Yes (v2.0) │ 386MAX..: No │░
░└─────────────────────────┴────────────────────────┴────────────────────────┘░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐░
░│ ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP PCSHELL │░
░└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
This screen contains a wealth of information for users with different system
configurations. The following is a summary of this information, and what it
means.
The Prelog Screen
Conventional: Displays the amount of available conventional memory.
Environment: Displays the amount of available environment space.
EMS: Displays the amount of available EMS memory.
XMS: Displays the amount of available XMS memory.
VCPI: Detects whether or not Virtual Control Program Interface is
installed, and if so, displays the version number being used.
DPMI: Detects whether or not a DPMI host is present, and if so,
displays the version number being used.
EMS: Detects whether or not an EMS memory manager is present, and
if so, displays the version number being used.
Page 9
XMS: Detects whether or not an XMS memory manager is present, and
if so, displays the version number being used.
DESQview: Detects whether or not this program is being run under
DESQview, and if so, displays the version number of DESQview
that is being used.
Windows: Detects whether or not this program is being run under
Windows, and if so, displays the version number of Windows
that is being used.
QEMM: Detects whether or not QEMM is installed, and if so, displays
the version number being used.
386MAX: Detects whether or not 386-to-the-Max is installed, and if so,
displays the version number being used.
3. After displaying the prelog delay screen, ZIP'R checks the validity of the
drive and path that you entered on the command line. If ZIP'R cannot find
the drive and/or path, it issues an error message. If ZIP'R is able
to locate the drive and path you specified, it then checks for the
existence of a compressed file. Since we entered the command line, "ZIPR
C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP PCSHELL /LCD", ZIP'R will check for a file named:
PCTOOLS.ARJ, PCTOOLS.LHA, PCTOOLS.SQZ, or PCTOOLS.ZIP. If ZIP'R finds one
of these files, it begins the decompression process (step #4). If ZIP'R
does not find a compressed file, it skips the decompression process and
begins to execute the program (step #5).
4. ZIP'R begins the decompression process by viewing the compressed file and
calculating the disk space required to decompress the entire file. While
this happens, ZIP'R displays a one-line message on top of the screen,
stating "Calculating disk space required for decompression. Please wait!"
If ZIP'R determines that there is not enough disk space available to
decompress the entire file, a warning message will be issued. If ZIP'R
determines that sufficient disk space is available to decompress the
entire file, it invokes the necessary decompression program to decompress
the file.
5. The next step performed by ZIP'R is automatic execution of the specified
program. This step makes ZIP'R unique from most other compression /
decompression utilities. Rather than forcing users to compress and
decompress programs separately, ZIP'R does it all automatically. If ZIP'R
is not able to locate the executable file specified on the command line,
it issues an error message stating the problem. If ZIP'R is able to
locate the executable file, it executes the program normally.
6. Once the program is exited, ZIP'R begins to compress (or-recompress) the
program directory using the compression utility specified on the command
line. The amount of time this takes depends on the number and size of the
files being compressed. During this process, you should see the
Page 10
compression utility you chose compressing the files and/or sub-directories
related to the executable program.
7. Once the compression process has been completed, ZIP'R displays the epilog
screen shown below:
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ ZIP'R 3.0 (Single-User) ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ Copyright 1993 by Stevenson Technical Services, Inc. ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────── ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ This is an UNREGISTERED copy of ZIP'R! ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ Registration allows the removal of all delays. ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ Please read REGISTER.DOC for registration information.║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ Delaying... 2 ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
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This screen delays for 10 seconds on the unregistered version. Registered
users may reduce the time of the delay, or they may eliminate this screen
entirely.
8. After displays the epilog screen, ZIP'R returns control of the computer
back to a DOS prompt or the menuing system you are using.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Help Screens And Error Messages │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
When you execute ZIP'R, you will notice prelog and epilog screens, help and
error messages, as well as warning messages when compression or decompression
is in progress. Help is available from the command line by typing ZIPR /H or
ZIPR /?. The following screen shows the help screen for the single-user
version of ZIP'R.
Page 11
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ░░░░
░░ │ ZIP'R 3.0 (Single-User) │ ░░
░░ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ░░
░░░░ ░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ░░░░
░░ │ ZIPR DRIVE: \PATH ZIPNAME COMPRESSION FILENAME P1 P2 P3 P4 ... │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ ZIPR - The ZIPR.EXE program. │ ░░
░░ │ DRIVE: - Drive where program to be executed is located. │ ░░
░░ │ \PATH - Location of program to be executed (Backslash first). │ ░░
░░ │ ZIPNAME - Name of compressed file to be used (No extension). │ ░░
░░ │ COMPRESSION - Type of compression (ARJ, LHA, NONE, SQZ, or ZIP). │ ░░
░░ │ FILENAME - Name of file to be executed (No extension). │ ░░
░░ │ P1 - P8 - Passed parameters to program (Optional). │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ Example 1 - ZIPR C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW │ ░░
░░ │ Example 2 - ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ARJ PCSHELL /LCD │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ Press Any Key To Continue... │ ░░
░░ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ░░
░░░░ ░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
Once you've entered the proper command line to compress the program of your
choice, several things take place. First ZIP'R checks to make sure that there
are at least five passed parameters for ZIP'R. Without these five parameters,
ZIP'R will issue an error message, as shown in the following screen:
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ░░░░
░░ │ ZIP'R 3.0 (Single-User) │ ░░
░░ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ░░
░░░░ ░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ░░░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ You did not specify a program name. │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ You must specify the executable filename of the │ ░░
░░ │ program you wish to execute. (No Extension!) │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ Example: PCSHELL │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ The Command Line You Entered Was: │ ░░
░░ │ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ ░░
░░ │ │ ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP │ │ ░░
░░ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ ░░
░░ │ Press Any Key To Continue... │ ░░
░░ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ░░
░░░░ ░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
ZIP'R also contains special error trapping for users who might attempt to
compress their entire hard drive. If users mistakenly specify that they want
to compress the root directory, ZIP'R displays the error message shown on
the following screen:
Page 12
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ░░░░
░░ │ ZIP'R 3.0 (Single-User) │ ░░
░░ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ░░
░░░░ ░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ░░░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ You cannot compress the entire drive! │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ Do NOT specify the ROOT directory! If you │ ░░
░░ │ do this, you won't be able to access ZIP'R! │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ See the ZIP'R help screen for more information. │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ The Command Line You Entered Was: │ ░░
░░ │ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ ░░
░░ │ │ ZIPR C: \ XXX ZIP XXX │ │ ░░
░░ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ ░░
░░ │ Press Any Key To Continue... │ ░░
░░ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ░░
░░░░ ░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
The error-trapping capability of ZIP'R is quite extensive. Most of the error
messages and accompanying help screens are self-explanatory. If you are
having trouble with a specific error message, see the "Troubleshooting /
Common Problems" section near the end of this documentation. If you still
need assistance, see the "Technical Support" section of this documentation.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Using ZIP'R With A Menu System: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
To use ZIP'R with a menu system, you must modify the location and program name
specified for each program that will be run through ZIP'R.
QuikMenu Example:
OLD Location: C:\PFS
Command: PW
NEW Location: C:\ZIPR
Command: ZIPR C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
AutoMenu Example:
OLD C:
CD\PFS
PW
CD\
AUTO
NEW C:
CD\ZIPR
ZIPR C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
CD\
AUTO
Page 13
All programs that are executed through ZIP'R must have C:\ZIPR (or the actual
location of the ZIP'R files) specified as the path. The actual location of
the program to be executed is specified on the ZIP'R command line, as shown
above. ZIP'R automatically changes to this directory before executing the
desired program.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ What Are The Benefits Of Using ZIP'R? │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R can save a typical computer user a substantial amount of hard drive
space. Most users have several programs on their hard drives that are seldom
used, but take up a tremendous amount of hard disk real-estate. Rather than
deleting these programs completely, ZIP'R allows these programs to be accessed
when needed, storing them in a compressed form when they are not in use. The
amount of hard drive space saved depends totally on the effectiveness of the
compression program used by ZIP'R. As compression programs improve, so will
the ratios that ZIP'R is able to achieve.
The compression programs used by ZIP'R do not provide "on-the-fly" data
compression. As a result, there is a time delay during the compression and
decompression processes. However, ZIP'R does not require 50K of valuable
memory, either. In addition, ZIP'R does not degrade the performance of the
computer system as the "on-the-fly" data compression programs do.
A performance comparison of the three compression programs currently supported
by ZIP'R is shown in the following table. The test directory consisted of 33
files, plus a sub-directory which contained an additional 17 files.
OVERALL
COMPRESSION TYPE BYTES COMPRESSION COMPRESSION
------------------------------------------------------------------
Original Baseline 2,980,853 - -
MS-DOS 2,980,853 0% 0%
New Baseline 2,980,853 - 0%
Additional compression obtained using ZIP'R:
No Compression (NONE) 2,980,853 0% 0%
PKZIP 1.1 Compression (ZIP) 1,536,688 48% 48%
PKZIP 2.0 Compression (ZIP) 1,401,026 53% 53%
LHA Compression (LHA) 1,428,393 52% 52%
ARJ Compression (ARJ) 1,406,625 53% 53%
OVERALL
COMPRESSION TYPE BYTES COMPRESSION COMPRESSION
------------------------------------------------------------------
Original Baseline 2,980,853 - -
DRDOS w/SuperStor 1,992,704 33% 33%
New Baseline 1,992,704 - 33%
Additional compression obtained using ZIP'R:
No Compression (NONE) 1,992,704 0% 33%
PKZIP 1.1 Compression (ZIP) 1,551,360 22% 48%
PKZIP 2.0 Compression (ZIP) 1,408,512 29% 53%
LHA Compression (LHA) 1,444,864 27% 52%
ARJ Compression (ARJ) 1,423,872 29% 52%
Page 14
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Advanced ZIP'R Features: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Advanced Feature #1: Executing commands or programs prior and subsequent to
the desired program.
ZIP'R has the ability to execute a series of commands before and after the
desired program is executed. This feature is useful for flushing and
disabling a cache or swapping a printer port prior to executing a particular
program. After the program is executed, the cache can be enabled or the
printer ports can be returned to their original settings.
In order to use this feature of ZIP'R, two files must be created in the \ZIPR
sub-directory. The file containing the commands to be executed prior to the
desired program must have a .IN extension. This extension indicates that the
commands in this file are to be used when going "IN" to the program. The file
containing the commands to be executed after the desired program is exited
must have a .OUT extension. This extension indicates that the commands in
this file are to be used when going "OUT" of the program. The filename of the
.IN and .OUT files must match the ZIPNAME for the desired program on the ZIP'R
command line. The commands within this file should specify the full path to
the desired program, unless the program is available on the path.
To illustrate this concept more clearly, I will use two real-world examples
from my own business. Since my business uses a Novell network, I use the
network/multitasker version of ZIP'R (ZIPRN). I run a program called
Stowaway, which archives seldom-used files off-line. If Stowaway is run with
floppy disk caching enabled, Stowaway can't reliably verify the data written
to the floppy disk. To circumvent this problem, the cache must be flushed and
disabled prior to executing Stowaway, and enabled after Stowaway is finished.
The command line used to execute Stowaway through ZIP'R looks like this:
ZIPRN N: \STOWAWAY STOWAWAY ZIP STOW
Since the ZIPNAME here is "STOWAWAY", the first file would be called
STOWAWAY.IN, and the second file would be called STOWAWAY.OUT. The contents
of STOWAWAY.IN are as follows:
C:\PCKWIK\SUPERPCK /F /D
This command line is executed by ZIP'R prior to executing Stowaway, flushing
and disabling the cache. After Stowaway exits, the commands in STOWAWAY.OUT
are executed. STOWAWAY.OUT contains the following commands:
C:\PCKWIK\SUPERPCK /E
This command line simply enables the cache, without changing any of its
parameters.
The second example involves QmodemPro. I use the DOS 5 editor instead of the
QmodemPro editor. My computer accesses printers via a Novell network. The
network is set up with a laser printer as LPT1: and a dot-matrix printer as
LPT2:. Unfortunately, the DOS 5 editor does not have the capability of
printing to LPT2:. To circumvent this problem, the Novell CAPTURE utility is
used to change the printer port queue assignments. My QmodemPro command line
is as follows:
ZIPRN N: \QMPRO QMPRO NONE QMPRO
Since the ZIPNAME here is "QMPRO", the two files that need to be created are
Page 15
QMPRO.IN and QMPRO.OUT. The contents of QMPRO.IN are as follows:
CAPTURE /L=1 /Q=PRINTQ_2 /NB /TI=10
This command routes the LPT1: information to PRINTQ_2, which is the queue for
the dot-matrix printer on the server.
The contents of QMPRO.OUT are as follows:
CAPTURE /L=1 /Q=PRINTQ_1 /NB /TI=10
This command routes the LPT1: information back to PRINTQ_1, which is the queue
for the laser printer on the server. Notice in this example that ZIP'R is not
being used to compress this particular program.
Advanced Feature #2: Specifying a location for the program that is a sub-
directory of the location of the compressed file.
ZIP'R has the capability of specifying a location for the executable file,
which is one sub-directory below the location of the compressed file. While
most programs maintain the executable file in the parent program directory,
some programs maintain the executable file in a lower-level sub-directory. A
good example of this problem is found with Borland Pascal 7.0.
The following diagrams shows Borland Pascal's top two sub-directory levels,
located off the root directory of the C: drive.
C:\
└─BP <---- Most executable files are typically
├─PASCAL located in this sub-directory.
├─DOC
├─BIN
├─BGI
├─EXAMPLES
├─RTL
├─UNITS
└─PENWIN
C:\
└─BP
├─PASCAL
├─DOC
├─BIN <---- Borland Pascal places the file BP.EXE
├─BGI in the C:\BP\BIN sub-directory.
├─EXAMPLES
├─RTL
├─UNITS
└─PENWIN
In order to compensate for occurrences such as this one, ZIP'R allows users to
specify an alternate sub-directory for the executable file. To use this
feature, prepend the directory name (surrounded by backslashes) to the
executable filename. For example, to execute Borland Pascal 7.0, the proper
ZIP'R command line would be:
ZIPR C: \BP BP ZIP \BIN\BP
Notice that the directory name is given as referenced to the C:\BP sub-
directory, and this is where the compressed file BP.ZIP will be created.
However, the program BP.EXE will be executed from the C:\BP\BIN sub-directory.
Page 16
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ The ZIPR.INI File: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
The ZIPR.INI file is an ASCII text file, created in the \ZIPR sub-directory.
The format of this file is as follows:
[REGISTRATION]
John Doe
XYZ-1234-567
[DELAYS]
PrelogDelay=10
EpilogDelay=10
[OPTIONS]
AccurateFileSizeCalculation=YES
ClusterSize=4096
SortedExtraction=YES
ARJ=C:\COMPRESS\ARJ\
LHA=C:\COMPRESS\LHA\
SQZ=C:\COMPRESS\SQZ\
ZIP=C:\COMPRESS\ZIP\
There must be a blank line between each section, but the sections can be in
any desired order. Each statement in a section must be on a separate line.
The [REGISTRATION] section contains the name of the individual or company that
registered ZIP'R. The name must appear first and the registration number
second. Both of these items are CASE SENSITIVE. If a valid registration name
and number are not entered here, the remaining items in the ZIPR.INI file will
not function.
The [DELAYS] section allows registered ZIP'R users to specify the length of
time that the Prelog and Epilog screens are displayed. Most users will likely
use EpilogDelay=0, which will force ZIP'R to not display the Epilog screen at
all. Experienced ZIP'R users can set PrelogDelay=0, which will prevent ZIP'R
from displaying the Prelog screen. Novice users may want to use PrelogDelay=4
to allow a short time to view the information displayed on the Prelog screen.
The [OPTIONS] section allows registered ZIP'R users to specify various options
that affect the operation of ZIP'R.
AccurateFileSizeCalculation=YES/NO instructs ZIP'R whether to use the accurate
file size calculation feature of ZIP'R. When this feature is enabled, ZIP'R
examines the compressed file to determine the exact amount of hard drive space
required to decompress it successfully. Although this is an extremely safe
method, it does require a short time to complete. If this delay is
unacceptable, registered users may disable this feature by using
AccurateFileSizeCalculation=NO in this section. The default setting is
AccurateFileSizeCalculation=YES, which enables this feature.
ClusterSize= instructs ZIP'R of the cluster size (or allocation unit) to use
when performing the accurate file size calculation. ZIP'R will estimate the
amount of wasted space, based on the cluster size, when calculating the amount
of disk space that will be required to successfully decompress the compressed
file. The default value is ClusterSize=4096. Valid cluster sizes are 512,
1024, 2048, 4096, and 8192.
SortedExtraction=YES/NO instructs ZIP'R whether to extract files from the
compressed file in "name" order. This has the effect of sorting the files in
Page 17
alphabetical order. This feature is especially useful on network drives that
generally prevent utilities of this nature from working. The default setting
is SortedExtraction=NO, which disables this feature. Sorted extraction is
only available for PKZIP/PKUNZIP version 1.1, 2.04c, and 2.04e users at this
time.
ARJ= allows ARJ users to specify an alternate location for the ARJ.EXE file.
This entry must have a trailing backslash. The default setting is to look for
this file in the same directory where ZIP'R is located.
LHA= allows LHA users to specify an alternate location for the LHA.EXE file.
This entry must have a trailing backslash. The default setting is to look for
this file in the same directory where ZIP'R is located.
SQZ= allows SQZ users to specify an alternate location for the SQZ.EXE file.
This entry must have a trailing backslash. The default setting is to look for
this file in the same directory where ZIP'R is located.
ZIP= allows PKZIP users to specify an alternate location for the PKZIP.EXE AND
PKUNZIP.EXE files. This entry must have a trailing backslash. The default
setting is to look for these files in the same directory where ZIP'R is
located.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Advanced Compression Options: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Advanced ARJ options:
ARJT = Test archive integrity before deleting files.
ARJ0 = ARJ -m0 switch.
ARJ1 = ARJ -m1 switch.
ARJ2 = ARJ -m2 switch.
ARJ3 = ARJ -m3 switch.
ARJ4 = ARJ -m4 switch.
ARJ5 = ARJ -m1 -jm switches.
ARJ6 = ARJ -m2 -jm switches.
ARJ7 = ARJ -m1 -jm1 switches.
ARJ8 = ARJ -m2 -jm1 switches.
These figures were generated with ARJ 2.30.
No Compression ARJ Results Compression
ARJ0 2,980,853 2,983,500 0%
ARJ1 2,980,853 1,406,625 53%
ARJ2 2,980,853 1,414,245 53%
ARJ3 2,980,853 1,444,400 52%
ARJ4 2,980,853 1,593,074 47%
ARJ5 2,980,853 1,403,524 53%
ARJ6 2,980,853 1,403,524 53%
ARJ7 2,980,853 1,404,949 53%
ARJ8 2,980,853 1,404,949 53%
ARJT is used to provide an extra level of assurance that the files have been
stored correctly in the archive. When this switch is used, ARJ will verify
the integrity of the archive before deleting any files. Other ARJ options may
be used to choose less compression in exchange for more speed, or more
compression in exchange for less speed. The default ARJ compression setting
is to use the -m1 switch. (Use ARJ or ARJ1.)
Page 18
Advanced ZIP options:
ZIP0 = ZIP -e0 switch. (PKZIP 2.0 Only)
ZIP1 = ZIP -es switch. (PKZIP 1.1 or 2.0)
ZIP2 = ZIP -ef switch. (PKZIP 2.0 Only)
ZIP3 = ZIP -en switch. (PKZIP 2.0 Only)
ZIP4 = ZIP -ex switch. (PKZIP 1.1 or 2.0)
These figures were generated using PKZIP 2.04c.
No Compression ZIP Results Compression
ZIP0 2,980,853 2,985,751 0%
ZIP1 2,980,853 1,535,935 48%
ZIP2 2,980,853 1,432,248 52%
ZIP3 2,980,853 1,401,026 53%
ZIP4 2,980,853 1,392,625 53%
These options may be used to trade lower compression for greater speed and
vice-versa.
In addition to these options, additional parameters may be added to the PKZIP
2.04c, 2.04e, and 2.04g command lines to solve specific problems. These extra
parameters are as follows:
3 -> Disable 32-bit Instruction Usage.
) -> Disable DPMI Support.
( -> Use "Slow" MemCopy.
+ -> Disable EMS Usage.
- -> Disable XMS/UMB Usage.
~ -> Disable Network Detection.
Each of these parameters is explained completely in the troubleshooting
section of the PKZIP documentation.
The format that must be used to pass these parameters to ZIP'R is ZIP-??. The
question marks should be replaced by a two digit code chosen from the
following table. The code is selected based on the combination of parameters
necessary to run PKZIP reliably on your machine. For example, to disable 32-
bit instruction usage and use "slow" memcopy, the code "07" would be chosen.
The command line parameter for ZIP'R would be ZIP-07.
ZIP'R / PKZIP v2.0 Parameter Matrix
┌──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┐
│ 00 > 3 │ 10 > 3(- │ 20 > 3)(+~ │ 30 > )(+~ │
│ 01 > ) │ 11 > 3(~ │ 21 > 3)(-~ │ 31 > )(-~ │
│ 02 > ( │ 12 > 3+- │ 22 > 3)+-~ │ 32 > )(+-~ │
│ 03 > + │ 13 > 3+~ │ 23 > 3(+-~ │ 33 > (+ │
│ 04 > - │ 14 > 3-~ │ 24 > 3)(+-~ │ 34 > (- │
│ 05 > ~ │ 15 > 3)(+ │ 25 > )( │ 35 > (~ │
│ 06 > 3) │ 16 > 3)(- │ 26 > )+ │ 36 > (+- │
│ 07 > 3( │ 17 > 3)(~ │ 27 > )- │ 37 > (+~ │
│ 08 > 3+ │ 18 > 3)+- │ 28 > )~ │ 38 > (-~ │
│ 09 > 3- │ 19 > 3)+~ │ 29 > )(+ │ 39 > (+-~ │
│ 0A > 3~ │ 1A > 3)-~ │ 2A > )(- │ 3A > +- │
│ 0B > 3)( │ 1B > 3(+- │ 2B > )(~ │ 3B > +~ │
│ 0C > 3)+ │ 1C > 3(+~ │ 2C > )+- │ 3C > +-~ │
│ 0D > 3)- │ 1D > 3(-~ │ 2D > )+~ │ 3D > -~ │
│ 0E > 3)~ │ 1E > 3+-~ │ 2E > )-~ │ │
│ 0F > 3(+ │ 1F > 3)(+- │ 2F > )(+- │ │
└──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┘
Page 19
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Using ZIP'R with DESQview: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R has been tested under DESQview. However, caution is advised since it is
possible under any multitasker to have two or more windows attempting to
compress or decompress the same file at the same time. This scenario can
cause data corruption. The network/multitasker version of ZIP'R (ZIPRN.EXE)
has additional features which limit simultaneous access during the compression
and decompression phases.
DESQview .DVP Example:
OLD Program...: PW
Parameters:
Directory.: C:\PFS
NEW Program...: ZIPRN
Parameters: C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Directory.: C:\ZIPR
If you are a Tame user, copy the files TAME-RES.COM, and TAME.EXE into the
ZIP'R sub-directory. Use the ZIPRTAME.BAT file supplied with ZIP'R to invoke
TAME-RES.COM before executing ZIP'R. To run the previous example program, the
.DVP command lines would be changed as shown below:
DESQview .DVP Example (Invoking Tame):
OLD Program...: ZIPRN
Parameters: C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Directory.: C:\ZIPR
NEW Program...: ZIPRTAME
Parameters: ZIPRN C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Directory.: C:\ZIPR
Since ZIPRTAME.BAT is a batch file containing an EXIT statement, you should
also make the following change to your .DVP:
Change a Program Advanced Options
OLD Close on exit (Y,N,blank)......: [Y]
NEW Close on exit (Y,N,blank)......: [N]
This change allows control to return to the ZIPRTAME.BAT file after ZIP'R
completes its operation.
ZIPRTAME.BAT is a modified TAME-RUN.BAT batch file containing the proper paths
to TAME-RES.COM and TAME.EXE. Stay tuned! There will be more ZIP'R
enhancements working in combination with Tame.
Page 20
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ DESQview Tips & Techniques: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Allocating about 280K of EMS memory to programs executed through ZIP'R will
allow ZIP'R to swap itself to EMS memory, rather than disk. This speeds up
the swapping process somewhat. If you are already allocating EMS memory to
the program, increasing the amount by 280K will provide extra room for the
swap file.
The opening ZIP'R screen will indicate how much EMS memory is available to
ZIP'R. If this figure is less than 280K, increase the amount of EMS memory
allocated.
Since PKZIP 2.0 can also use EMS memory, additional memory should be set aside
as swap space for PKZIP.
When using ZIPRN (without Tame), you can save about 8K of memory by specifying
the .EXE extension for ZIPRN as shown in the following example:
DESQview .DVP Example (Saves about 8K of memory.):
OLD Program...: ZIPRN
Parameters: C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Directory.: C:\ZIPR
NEW Program...: ZIPRN.EXE
Parameters: C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Directory.: C:\ZIPR
This saves about 8K of memory by allowing DESQview to execute ZIP'R directly,
rather than loading a secondary command processor.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Using ZIP'R with Windows: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R is only effective when running DOS programs under Windows. It will NOT
work with Windows specific programs!
ZIP'R has been tested under Windows, but the same cautions that apply to
DESQview apply to Windows. Since Windows is a multitasker, it is possible to
have two or more windows attempting to compress or decompress the same file at
the same time. This scenario can cause data corruption. The
network/multitasker version of ZIP'R (ZIPRN.EXE) has additional features which
limit simultaneous access during the compression and decompression phases.
Windows Program Item Properties Example:
OLD Description: PFS Pro-Write
Command Line: PW
Working Directory: C:\PFS
NEW Description: PFS Pro-Write
Command Line: ZIPRN C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Working Directory: C:\ZIPR
Page 21
Windows .PIF Example:
OLD Program Filename: PW.COM
Window Title: PFS Pro-Write
Optional Parameters:
Start-up Directory: C:\PFS
NEW Program Filename: ZIPRN.EXE
Window Title: PFS Pro-Write
Optional Parameters: C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Start-up Directory: C:\ZIPR
Tame may also be used in combination with ZIP'R under Windows. If you are a
Tame user, copy the files TAME-RES.COM, and TAME.EXE into the ZIP'R sub-
directory. Use the ZIPRTAME.BAT file supplied with ZIP'R to invoke TAME-
RES.COM before executing ZIP'R. To run the previous example program, the
Windows command lines would be changed as shown below:
Windows Program Item Properties Example (Invoking Tame):
OLD Description: PFS Pro-Write
Command Line: ZIPRN C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Working Directory: C:\ZIPR
NEW Description: PFS Pro-Write
Command Line: ZIPRTAME ZIPRN C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW Working
Directory: C:\ZIPR
Windows .PIF Example (Invoking Tame):
OLD Program Filename: ZIPRN.EXE
Window Title: PFS Pro-Write
Optional Parameters: C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Start-up Directory: C:\ZIPR
NEW Program Filename: ZIPRTAME.BAT
Window Title: PFS Pro-Write
Optional Parameters: ZIPRN C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Start-up Directory: C:\ZIPR
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Using ZIP'R with DoorWay: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R has been tested in combination with DoorWay. However, the command line
structure must be changed slightly. DoorWay requires the .EXE extension to
appear on the command line. An example of an actual DoorWay command line is
as follows:
/P:C:\ZIPR\ZIPR.EXE D: \THEDRAW THEDRAW ZIP THEDRAW
Page 22
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Cautions! │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Do NOT attempt to use ZIP'R to compress any directories containing files that
are referenced in your CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT. If you wish to compress
the DOS sub-directory, copy any such files to the root directory of the hard
drive, and update the paths in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT. Also be
cautious when compressing directories that contain memory managers, caches,
and utilities that may be needed to boot your machine. These directories may
be compressed, but any files needed for booting the machine must be copied to
the root directory, and the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT paths updated.
Do NOT specify a backslash (\) for parameter #2 and therefore try to compress
your entire hard drive. If you do, it is conceivable that you could have a
machine that refuses to boot. I have added a special precautionary measure to
ZIP'R which will not allow users to do this, but that doesn't mean that the
possibility is non-existent.
Keep in mind that in order to properly decompress a program, there must be
enough free space on the hard drive to contain all the extracted files in
addition to the original compressed file. After the files have been
successfully extracted, the compressed file is deleted. Likewise, when
compressing a program, sufficient space must be available for the original
program files and the newly created compressed file. After the compressed
file has been successfully created, the original program files are deleted.
Multitaskers such as DESQview and Windows put additional stress on the disk
I/O systems of the computer. If you have any doubts about the stability of
your system, either don't use ZIP'R in the first place, or use the ARJT option
to force ARJ to verify the integrity of the archive before files are deleted.
When running on a network, or using a multitasker, ZIPRN should be used to
reduce conflicts when compressing and decompressing files.
When upgrading to PKZIP 2.0, test the reliability of the compression and
decompression processes before trusting it with your data! PKZIP 2.0 has some
documented problems with fast machines (486/25 and up) using external CPU
memory caches. Read the troubleshooting section of the PKZIP 2.0
documentation for more information.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Troubleshooting / Common Problems: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Problem #1:
The most common problem among ZIP'R users is incorrect command line
parameters. In order to effectively use ZIP'R, you need to know five things:
1. The drive that the program you wish to run is located on.
2. The directory that the program you wish to run is located in.
3. The name of the compressed file that will be created or used.
4. The type of compression you want to use.
5. The name of the executable file that you want to run.
Page 23
As an example, suppose that you want to run the program PCSHELL.EXE, which is
located in the PCTOOLS sub-directory on the D: drive. After this program is
executed, you want the entire PCTOOLS sub-directory (and all of its sub-
directories) compressed using PKZIP. Fill in the required five parameters as
follows:
1. D: (Colon required.)
2. \PCTOOLS (Backslash required.)
3. PCTOOLS (This is a name you make up. No extension.)
4. ZIP (This is the type of compression you want to use.)
5. PCSHELL (No extension. ZIP'R searches for an executable file.)
So, in this example the final ZIP'R command line would be:
ZIPR D: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP PCSHELL
If you were using the network/multitasker version of ZIP'R (ZIPRN), the
command line would be:
ZIPRN D: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP PCSHELL
Problem #2:
If you receive the error message, "Unable to run COMMAND /C ...", you are
probably running DR DOS, and do not have COMMAND.COM available on your path.
For some reason, DR DOS does not copy COMMAND.COM into the \DRDOS sub-
directory at installation time, making it unavailable on the path. The
solution here is simply to copy COMMAND.COM from the root directory into the
\DRDOS sub-directory. Another alternative is to add the root directory to the
PATH= statement in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
ZIP'R detects this problem and issues a warning message.
Problem #3:
If ZIP'R won't compress the program's files and sub-directories after it is
exited, check the ZIP'R command line parameters. If these are all correct,
check the \ZIPR sub-directory for any files with a .U00 or .U01 extension.
These are token files created by ZIPRN to track concurrent access to a
compressed file. Normally, these files are deleted when the program is
exited. However, if the computer hangs, these files will not be deleted, and
will prevent ZIP'R from compressing the program's files and sub-directories.
The filename will match the name given to the compressed file on the ZIP'R
command line. For example, the command line "ZIPRN C: \PCTOOLS6 PCTOOLS6 ZIP
PCSHELL" would create a file called PCTOOLS6.U00 or PCTOOLS6.U01. To make
ZIP'R operate correctly, make sure that the program is not being used, and
delete either or both of these files from the \ZIPR sub-directory.
Page 24
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Programs mentioned: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
386-to-the-Max is copyrighted by Qualitas.
ARJ is copyrighted by Robert K Jung.
AutoMenu is copyrighted by Magee Enterprises.
DESQview is copyrighted by Quarterdeck Office Systems.
DoorWay is copyrighted by Marshall Dudley.
DR DOS is copyrighted by Digital Research Inc.
LHA is copyrighted by Haruyasu Yoshizaki.
PKZIP is copyrighted by PKWARE, Inc.
PKUNZIP is copyrighted by PKWARE, Inc.
QEMM is copyrighted by Quarterdeck Office Systems.
QuikMenu is copyrighted by OSCS Software Development, Inc.
SQZ is copyrighted by Jonas I Hammarberg.
Tame is copyrighted by PowerSoft, Inc. and David G. Thomas.
Windows is copyrighted by Microsoft.
Page 25
Stevenson Technical Services, Inc. (STSI)
108 Second Avenue West
Bertha, MN 56437-0297
Phone: (218) 924-2050
The Bertha BBS: (218) 924-2060
ZIP'R 3.0 Registration Form
Qty Description Price Each Total
_____ ZIP'R 3.0 Single-User Registration $39.95 ________
Includes Printed Manual, 3 1/2" & 5 1/4" Diskette
_____ ZIP'R 3.0 Network Registration (5 - User) $100.00 ________
_____ ZIP'R 3.0 Network Registration (10 - User) $200.00 ________
_____ ZIP'R 3.0 Network Registration (20 - User) $300.00 ________
_____ ZIP'R 3.0 Network Registration (50 - User) $400.00 ________
_____ ZIP'R 3.0 Network Registration (100 - User) $500.00 ________
_____ Additional Copies of Printed Manual $10.00 ________
Sub-Total: ________
Minnesota Residents Add 6.5% Sales Tax: ________
Shipping/Handling (U.S. = $5.00, Foreign Orders = $12.50): ________
Total: ________
Name: ___________________________________ Title: ______________________
Company: __________________________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________ City: ____________________________
State: ___________ Zip Code: _______________ Phone: ___________________
Please Register ZIP'R 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 26