Save this newly created Autoexec.bat to your floppy in the A:\ drive. Here
is an example:
Open C:\Config.sys and print out a copy. Remove all of the Rem statements
Win 95 created and remove all of the directory switches. (I.e.rem
devicehigh=c:\dos\mouse.sys becomes devicehigh=mouse.sys) Save this new
Config.sys to your floppy in the A:\ drive. Here is an example:
Take the two printouts for your Autoexec.bat and Config.sys and open
Explorer. Reading line by line, copy each driver needed from your C:\
drive to your A:\ drive. ( copyC:\windows\command\mscdex.exe to the floppy
in your A:\ drive.) You will find emm.386 and himem.sys in your C:\Windows
directory.
Test out your Emergency System Disk. Exit Windows and shut off your
machine. Restart with your Emergency System Disk in the A:\ drive. When
you see Starting Windows 95 press the F8 function key. Step through each
config.sys and autoexec.bat line on the floppy. Be sure each driver loads
properly and then fine tune accordingly. Once everything seems to be
working properly, we can continue.
WIN 95 BACKUP IN DOS
1. Download a free program called DOSLFNBK v 1.0 by Duncan Murdoch. You
can ftp it from
ftp://ftp.cica.indiana.edu/pub/pc/win95/sysutil/doslfn10.zip. This program
is an adaptation of LFNBK.EXE included on the Win95 CD. If for some reason
you do not have the ability to download DOSLFNBK.EXE, you can follow the
readme included on the CD. (CD:\ADMIN\APPTOOLS\LFNBACK\Lfnbk.exe &
Lfnbk.txt)
2. Exit Windows and restart in DOS. Do not just shell to DOS. Create
backup copies of all of your Long File Names by running DOSLFNBK.EXE for
each hard drive on your system. You can create a small batch if you
prefer. You can leave the backup created on the hard drive so that it ends
up on the backup tape. You do not need to keep DOSLFNBK.EXE on the
Emergency System Disk.
To Back Up Long File Names on your C:\ Drive to the file name
C:\BACKUP.LFN: At the C:\ drive type DOSLFNBK C:\ /V To Back Up Long File
Names on your D:\ Drive to the file name D:\BACKUP.LFN:
At the D:\ drive type DOSLFNBK D:\ /V
3. Start your DOS based Backup program and prepare your backup.
Tip: Be sure to select all Hidden, System and Read Only Files.
Tip: Be careful not to overwrite Backup.lfn. Keep each drive separate.
WIN 95 RECOVERY IN DOS
1. Start your system with the Emergency System Disk in the A:\ drive.
2. FDISK to partition the drive.
3. Type "Format C: /s" to format and transfer the system.
4. Install your tape backup software.
5. Restore all the files on your system from your backup tape in DOS.
IMPORTANT:
You should not overwrite IO.SYS, but you SHOULD overwrite
MSDOS.SYS. It is a hidden read-only system file in your root direc-tory. A
good way is to erase MSDOS.SYS before starting the restore use ATTRIB from
the startup disk to remove the system, hidden, read-only attributes. Type
in ATTRIB MSDOS.SYS -H -S -R then DEL MSDOS.SYS). Then tell your backup
program not to overwrite existing files.
6. Restore your Long File Names
LOCK C:
DOSLFNBK C:\ /R /V
and if you have a D:\ partition:
LOCK D:
DOSLFNBK D:\ /R /V
Reboot your system and things should be back as they were.
WIN 95 BACKUP AND RECOVERY FROM WITHIN WINDOW
The other option you have is to restore Win 95 with the backup utility
Microsoft Backup, included with Windows 95. This procedure requires that
you re-install Windows 95 and then restore your backup tape. Although
backing up a system in DOS is as easy as backing up a system in Windows,
it is certainly easier to restore a system from Windows than it is to
restore a system from DOS. This option is not always available to everyone
due to incompatible tape drives.
1. Start your system with the "Emergency System Disk" in the A:\
drive.
2. FDISK to partition the drive.
3. Type "Format C: /s" to format and transfer the system.
4. If you have the CD version of Win95 to install, select that drive
and type SETUP and enter. If you have the floppy version, install
the first disk in the A:\ drive, select the A:\ drive and type SETUP
and enter. Install Windows95.
5. In Windows, select Microsoft Backup and restore your system.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It is important to be prepared for a disaster. Unlike previous versions of
Windows, you can not simply copy your system from one drive to another
without losing all of the hundreds of Long File Names present on a typical
Win95 system. Therefore you must prepare a strategy. You should test out
the strategy in the event of a disaster. This only makes good computer
sense. Enjoy!
PHIL'S WIN 95 TIP OF THE MONTH
Make the Win 95 START MENU really work for you. Instead of just adding
shortcuts to the START MENU, add new FOLDERS. When you add a folder to the
START MENU it creates a cascading effect. Folders within folders create
menus within menus. Right click on the START BUTTON | OPEN | NEW | FOLDER
and fill in a menu name. Open the new folder, and either drag in
shortcuts, create new short-cuts, or add more folders. Now you have plenty
of room for program descriptions up to 70 characters long. When naming
programs, add a space in between each L E T T E R like so. Move all of
your frequent-ly used programs here. No more sifting through Program
Manager Folders and menus. Programs you use most often are instantly
avail-able at all times. And there is no limit to the number of programs
or folders you can add. Stay tuned next month for my Win95 Tip of The
Month.
Phil Leonard continues to come up with these pithy road maps which solve
problems. This backup routine is no exception. Phil is a regular
WindoWatch contributor and is a Comptroller during the rest of the time.
ww
* * * * *
Secrets of the Windows95 Registry
WINDOWS 95 REGISTRY F.A.Q
Things You Need To Know About The Registry!
by Kent Daniel Bentkowski
Perfik Graphix - Buffalo, New York
August 11, 1995
Based on Win95 Pre-release Version 0.95 ßeta
(c) 1995 Kent Daniel Bentkowski and Perfik Graphix
Post-Win95-FAQ--v1.0a: Released August 24, 1995
The WindoWatch Edition released December 1995
TABLE OF CONTENTS
[1] Legal Mumbo Jumbo . . . .
[1-1] Disclaimer - Use this FAQ at your own risk!
[1-2] Trademark Information
[1-3] Copyright Notice
[1-4] Suggestions, Contributions, and E-Mail
[2] Introduction
[2-1] A word from the author
[2-2] About the Windows 95 Registry FAQ
[2-3] Getting the Windows 95 Registry FAQ
[2-4] Adding to the FAQ
[2-5] Acknowledgments
[2-6] Technical Support? Surely, you jest!
[2-7] Conventions used in this FAQ
[3] Registry Architecture
[3-1] What exactly is the Windows 95 Registry?
[3-2] Recovering Registry Data
[3-3] Configuration Backup
[3-4] The Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE)
[3-5] The six Hkey Handles of the Registry
[3-5-1] Hkey_Local_Machine
[3-5-2] Hkey_Current_Config
[3-5-3] Hkey_Dyn_Data
[3-5-4] Hkey_Classes_Root
[3-5-5] Hkey_Users
[3-5-6] Hkey_Current_User
[3-6] SubKeys of the six Hkey Handles
[3-6-1] Hkey_Local_Machine
[3-6-1.1] Hkey_Local_Machine\Config
[3-6-1.2] Hkey_Local_Machine\Enum
[3-6-1.3] Hkey_Local_Machine\Hardware
[3-6-1.4] Hkey_Local_Machine\Network
[3-6-1.5] Hkey_Local_Machine\Security
[3-6-1.6] Hkey_Local_Machine\Software
[3-6-1.7] Hkey_Local_Machine\System
[3-6-2] Hkey_Current_Config
[3-6-3] Hkey_Dyn_Data
[3-6-4] Hkey_Classes_Root
[3-6-5] Hkey_Users
[3-6-6] Hkey_Current_User
[4] Customizing Windows 95
[4-1] Icons from the actual bitmaps
[4-2] Drag shortcuts onto the Desktop
[4-3] Change the Desktop folders Default.Icon
[4-4] Add the Control Panel to the Start Menu
[4-5] Control Panel power at your fingertips!
[4-5-1] Still More Control Panel Power!
[4-6] What you need to know to edit the Recycle Bin
[4-7] Removing unwanted items from the Desktop
[4-8] How to change the My Computer Default icon
[4-9] Renaming "My Computer"
[4-10] Dragging "Scraps" to the Desktop
[4-11] Change the Desktop's default folder
[5] Fine Tuning Windows 95
[5-1] New design for the Start-Up screen
[5-2] Turn off the Windows 95 Start-Up Logo
[5-3] New designs for the Log Off screens
[5-4] Edit essential folders
[5-5] Boot to MS-DOS 7.0 instead of Windows 95
[5-6] Quickly clearing the Recent Documents Menu
[5-7] To change font size on Taskbar buttons
[6] Problem Solving in Windows 95
[6-1] If an application cannot find its' Help File
[6-2] A tip for Multi-Boot users
[7] Registry Tricks
[7-1] Speed-up the Start Menu!
[7-2] My city isn't on the time zone map!!!
[7-3] Editing the Windows TIPS at start-up
[7-4] Friendly "Short" Names
[7-5] 3-D Objects: Highlights and Shadows
[7-6] Reappearing values in the Registry?
[7-7] Adding sounds to application events
[8] Windows95 Registry Binary Value Reference List
[8-1] Control Panel
[8-2] Printers
[8-3] Recycle Bin
[8-4] My Computer
[8-5] Dial-Up Networking
[8-6] Network Neighborhood
[8-7] Inbox
[8-8] Desktop
[8-9] Shortcut
[9] Registry Editor Command Reference
[1] Legal Mumbo Jumbo . . . .
[1-1] DISCLAIMER: Use this FAQ at your own RISK!!!
This FAQ is intended to help inform the public about the Windows 95
Registry, and about how to edit the Registry files. In no way should this
provoke you to actually edit the Registry. The information contained
herein is offered without warranty and/or liability. In other words, if
you use this information, you are on your own.
Additionally, Kent Daniel Bentkowski and WindoWatch claim NO
responsibility regarding ANY activities relating to this FAQ, either
directly or indirectly. The information contained in this FAQ reflects
Microsoft Corporation only indirectly, and questioning it regarding any
information in this FAQ is not recommended.
EDIT THE REGISTRY AT YOUR OWN RISK!! Microsoft Corporation is not
supporting the Registry as part of their Windows 95 end user technical
support. BEFORE you proceed, please have the good sense to read the
section of this FAQ regarding the back-up and restoration of the Registry
files.[Editor's Note: Also look at Microsoft's help for the Regedit
program.
[1-2] TRADEMARK INFORMATION:
All rights reserved. This document is provided for informational purposes
only, and neither Kent Daniel Bentkowski, Perfik Graphix, WindoWatch or
Microsoft Corporation makes any warranties, either express or implied, in
this document. The entire risk of the use or the results of the use of
this document remains with the user.
Companies, names, and data used in examples herein are fictitious unless
otherwise noted. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose,
without the express written permission of Kent Daniel Bentkowski and
Perfik Graphix.
All specific names included herein are trademarks and are so acknowledged:
Windows 95, Windows 3.11 For Workgroups, WFWG, Windows 3.1, MS-DOS 6.x,
MS-DOS 7.0, Windows 4.0, Microsoft, DoubleSpace, Microsoft Press, MS, and
Win32 are registered trademarks, and DriveSpace, Microsoft At Work,
Natural Keyboard, SQL Server, and Windows NT are trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation in the USA and other countries.
[1-3] COPYRIGHT NOTICE:
This FAQ is Copyright 1995 by Kent Daniel Bentkowski and Perfik Graphix. All rights reserved.
You are granted the following rights:
I. To make copies of this work in original form, so long as
(a) the copies are exact and complete;
(b> the copies include the copyright notice and these paragraphs in
their entirety;
(c) the copies give obvious credit to the author, Kent Daniel
Bentkowski;
(d) the copies are in electronic form.
II. To distribute this work, or copies made under the provisions above, so
long as
(a) this is the original work and not a derivative form;
(b) you do not charge a fee for copying or for distribution;
(c) you ensure that the distributed form includes the copyright notice,
this
paragraph, the disclaimer of warranty in their entirety and credit
to the author;
(d) the distributed form is not in an electronic magazine or within
computer software (prior explicit permission MUST be obtained from
Kent Daniel Bentkowski);
(e) the distributed form is the NEWEST version of the FAQ to the best
of the knowledge of the distributor;
(f) the distributed form is electronic.
You may NOT distribute this work by any non-electronic media, including but not limited to books, newsletters, magazines, manuals, catalogs, and speech. You may not distribute this work in electronic magazines or within computer software without prior written explicit permission. These rights are temporary and revocable upon written, oral, or other notice by Kent Daniel Bentkowski. This copyright notice shall be governed by the laws of the state of New York, and of the United States of America.
If you would like additional rights beyond those granted above, write to the author at "KentDB9438@aol.com" on the Internet.
[1-4] Suggestions, Contributions, and E-Mail:
If any reader of this Windows 95 Registry FAQ would like to send the author comments, corrections, updates, or suggestions, please follow the procedures listed below. It is the ONLY way that we can process the vast amount of mail that this FAQ may generate.
Any mail that relates to this FAQ must be sent to the FAQ's e-mail
address, which is "regeditFAQ@aol.com". Any e-mail that is sent to the
author regarding issues of this FAQ, cannot be answered. Please save us
both some grief, and send your e-mail to the FAQ directly.
How your mail will be dealt with will depend on what the Subject line
reads. Please follow these simple steps:
MAIL Send ALL MAIL to the FAQ at: regeditFAQ@aol.com
SUBJECT LINE Please place one of the following commands in the SUBJECT
line,depending on the nature of the message.
COMMENT - If you wish to tell us how you like the FAQ.
CORRECTION - If you discover that information in this FAQ is
incorrect, please tell me. I am only human, and will make a few
mistakes. If you are able to verify your correction, I will
acknowledge your contribution in the next update of the FAQ.
SUGGESTION - If there is something particular you would like to
see covered in this FAQ, send us a suggestion. If we incorporate it
into a future edition of the FAQ, you will become famous by seeing
your name in print here.
TIPS & TRICKS - If you know of an undocumented feature or discover
one of Windows 95's many well hidden secrets, please give us a
holler! If your TIPS & TRICKS submission is used,you will receive
thanks and acknowledg-ment in a future FAQ.
Any e-mail that doesn't follow these simple guidelines will be returned
unread. I am expecting a high volume with this FAQ, and this is the ONLY
way to correspond with us.
You can download this article from the WindoWatch Home Page or other
places as indicated by the author.
Thank you in advance for your compliance . . .
[2] INTRODUCTION
[2-1] A Word From The Author
Try mentioning the word Registry on the Windows95 Technical Support
telephone line, and the support technician will tell you in no uncertain
terms that Microsoft isn't supporting that feature to end users.
Additionally, they will try to convince you that you'll trash your entire
system if you try to edit one single Registry entry!
Nonetheless, it is the single feature in all of Windows95 that brings
total system control to the user. If only they would tell us how it
works! The Windows95 Resource Kit, which is a powerhouse technical manual
the size of a phone book,contains a scant eighteen pages on the Registry.
Believe it or not. However, the Resource Kit contains nearly as much
information about their new online service.
Accepting the challenge, I plugged in the Configuration Backup utility
that comes with the Resource Kit, and began poking and prodding the
various Registry entries. I discovered small and mundane techniques, like
renaming the Recycle Bin, remapping icon files so that the corresponding
bitmaps are displayed instead, and the secret to removing the Exchange
Inbox from the Desktop --and more!
But still, no official documentation to speak of, until now, that is.
Enjoy! But be careful.
[2-2] About the Windows 95 Registry FAQ
The Windows 95 Registry FAQ is my attempt to fill in an enormous void of
information from Microsoft. This is the first version of the FAQ, with
much more to come. Among my future plans are to get the complete Registry
API Command Reference, and rewrite it into English, so that many more
people can understand this gibberish.
Be sure to read this entire document so that you do not trash your
system. There are plenty of warnings and instructions to prepare you for
the task at hand. Take heed of these warnings to prevent a terrible mess,
loss of data and time.
Updates to the Registry FAQ will be released approximately once every
thirty days. As soon as the Windows95 Registry FAQ Home Page is finished,
I will post the URL widely.
[2-3] Getting the Windows 95 Registry FAQ
Until further notice, send an e-mail request to the following address, to
receive the Windows95 Registry FAQ: regeditFAQ@aol.com
This document is freeware for the time being or until the book is published. Until then,those who wish to post this FAQ to their World Wide Web home page, FTP site or BBS, please do so, with my blessings.
However, PLEASE send an e-mail to the address listed above so that I can
compile a list, and keep it up to date.
[2-4] Adding to the FAQ
For complete information on how you can submit information to be included
in the Windows95 Regi-stry FAQ, please refer to section [1-4]
Suggestions, Contributions, and E-Mail.It is there you will find the
procedures that you must follow to add your voice to the Windows95
Registry FAQ.
[2-5] Acknowledgments
The following people privided intellectual leadership, help, and general
all-around support in the creation of the Windows 95 Registry FAQ. A
project of this scope would not have been completed without them.
Bill Gates "billg@microsoft.com"
Thank you for having the dream of a computer on every desk and one in
every home.
Rob Maciok "Delphiwiz@aol.com"
For getting me started on this whole fantastic journey in the first
place! My life hasn't been the same ever since! Thanks for everything,
boss!
Andy Satori "KangaDru@aol.com"
Without a doubt, one of the most knowledgeable programmers that I've ever
known. Answers all questions with a smile!
Glenn Stewart "s2156495@cse.unsw.edu.au"
My BEST FRIEND from down under! It is Glenn who actually gave me the idea
to write the FAQ in the first place, by his listing a small list of Win95
tips on the Internet. Since he is busy at Uni, I had the time, so I did
the work, and brought out this FAQ. Thanks for the inspiration, Glenn!!
Brian Livingston "brian livingstone@InfoWorld.com"
For the indispensable advice in his excellent weekly Window Manager
columns, which I NEVER miss! A double helluva thanx to Brian for writing
the excellent and also indispensable book, "Windows 95 Secrets" published
by IDG Books.
[2-7] Technical Support? Surely, you jest . . . !
Please be forewarned that neither Microsoft or the author of this FAQ is
offering end-user technical support on the Registry at this time. Don't
waste your time or money calling Microsoft Technical Support with
questions regarding the Registry. They will REFUSE to offer assistance OF
ANY KIND.
Please DO NOT send any e-mail to the author asking for advice concerning
technical support issues regarding the Registry and the editing thereof.
Any such e-mail will go unanswered, and will be immediately discarded.
Neither Kent Daniel Bentkowski or Perfik Graphix is offering Windows 95
Registry Technical Support!!!
Having said that, if you insist on venturing into the uncharted waters of
the Windows95 Registry Editor, please use common sense and do the
following before you begin EACH ONE of your editing sessions:
1. Take two formatted 3.5 floppies, and make floppy-based back-ups of
the Registry files:
SYSTEM.DAT SYSTEM.DA0
USER.DAT USER.DA0
It is a good idea to update these back-ups immediately preceding each and
every Registry editing session. That way, if a problem occurs, you have a
safe back-up.
DO NOT USE the Windows95 BACKUP.EXE TO MAKE THESE BACK-UPS!!!
Simply copy these files to a floppy directly from Explorer.
That way, you can quickly and SAFELY return to the configuration that was
last working properly.
If you have the Windows95 Resource Kit, make sure you have the
Configuration Backup installed in your system, and that it is used on a
regular basis prior to each editing session. As a final warning, you are
completely on your own. Be careful and best of luck to you! Enjoy!
[2-8] Conventions used in this FAQ
In the creation of this document, certain abbrev-iations and symbols are
used in place of the long form name. You should have little problem
figuring this out. However, there are several commands that pertain to
the mouse and keyboard where I've used an alternate form to save space:
Abbreviation and What They Mean!
d.click Double click the mouse
r.click Click the right mouse button
shift+click Press the shift while clicking the mouse
shift+r.click Shift and clicking right mouse button
Right-Shift Shift and right mouse again
CTRL+D/r.click Press CTRL, D, and r.mouse all at once
r.mouse Right Mouse button
l.mouse Left Mouse button
keypad Refers to the numeric keypad on
the side of the keys, not across
the top of them
ARROW keys These are the directional arrow keys
Parent The main window or folder in a group
Child The window within a window in a group
[3] Registry Architecture
[3-1] What exactly is the Windows 95 Registry?
The Registry is a central database that is created by Windows 95 during
installation. The entries in that database consist of the hardware,
software, users, and preferences data for a single PC, or any PC on a
network. Whenever the user makes changes to the Control Panel settings,
File Associations, System Policies, or installed soft-ware, the changes
are reflected in the Registry. These Registry settings can be viewed
with the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE), which is installed in the
Windows\System folder ONLY when Windows 95 is installed from CD-ROM.
By default, REGEDIT.EXE will NOT appear on any of the system's menus, or
in the Start menu. You will have to add your own shortcut, or you can
use the START button, select RUN, type REGEDIT and press ENTER. If the
Registry Editor is installed on your system, it will appear ready to
use.
The Registry replaces the dreaded INI files from Windows 3.1, and
because the information is pre-sented in hierarchical form, the Registry
supports nested folders, which .INI files do not support. One of the
many benefits of this is that in a net-work environment, users can log
onto any PC in the network, just as it were the PC on their desk. In
addition, several users can store configuration data on a single
machine.
POWER TIP You can add an icon shortcut for
the Registry Editor to your
desktop by using the right mouse
button to drag the file REGEDIT.EXE
from Explorer to the desktop.
Registry Editor displays the contents of the Registry in six subtrees
called Keys. Keys can contain data strings, as well as SubKeys. Each of
these six Keys begins with Hkey_ which indicates it can be used by a
program to access resources. When you first look at the Registry Editor,
this structure looks complicated. Think of the Registry Editor as another
type of Windows Explorer, only this one ventures into the uncharted
waters of your system's configuration!
[3-2] Recovering Registry Data
In Windows95, data is written to the Registry only when a flush occurs -
that is, when something happens after changed data has aged more than a
few seconds or when an application intentionally flushes the data to the
hard disk.
Each time Windows95 successfully starts, the oper-ating system backs up
the Registry by copying the current SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT files to
SYSTEM.DA0 and USER.DA0, respectively. If Windows 95 fails to start, the
backed-up Registry from the last successful startup can be copied over
the current Registry. This method recovers the last successful settings
after a system failure.
If the Registry should ever become damaged, it can be salvaged WITHOUT
reinstalling Windows95. All you have to do is look for a hidden system
file called SYSTEM.1ST in the root directory of the drive on which
Windows95 is located. This file is a copy of the Registry that was
created when the Windows 95 setup was first deemed successful.
However, you must change the file attributes of the file by locating it
in the Windows95 Explorer, and right clicking on it. Choose properties
and the General Properties dialog appears. Change the file attributes
from READ-ONLY and HIDDEN to ARCHIVE and copy it to the Windows95
subdirectory.
You must then, rename the file from SYSTEM.1ST to SYSTEM.DAT, over
writing the corrupt file, and replacing it with workable system profiles.
POWER TIP You can also maintain back-ups of
the Registry with the Configuration
Backup utility on the Windows95
Resource Kit diskette
To Restore the Registry
1. Click the Start button, and then click Shut Down.
2. Click Restart The Computer In MS-DOS Mode, then click "Yes".
3. Change directory to your Windows directory.
4. Give the following six commands. (Note that
SYSTEM.DA0 and USER.DA0 contain the number 0.)
attrib -h -r -s system.dat
attrib -h -r -s system.da0
copy system.da0 system.dat
attrib -h -r -s user.dat
attrib -h -r -s user.da0
copy user.da0 user.dat
5. Restart your computer again, this time in Windows.
This procedure restores your registry to its state when you last
successfully started it--before you made the changes in the registry.
For additional safety, there is the file named SYSTEM.1ST mentioned
above. You can change its attributes from read-only and hidden to archive
and copy it to SYSTEM.DAT.
[3-3] Configuration Backup
It is sheer suicide to attempt to edit the Windows 95 Registry without
backing up the necessary files before you begin. There is a little
life-saver of a utility that comes with the Resource Kit called
Configuration Backup (cfgback.exe). It not only lets you backup the
Registry data, but also allows the complete backup, restoration, and
storage of up to NINE SEPARATE system configurations!
Before you edit the Registry, I strongly recommend also backing up your
present configuration. Name it something meaningful, so that you can
recognize it in case it needs to be restored at some point. Then, if a
mistake is made in editing the Registry, or if your changes lead to
undesirable or disastrous effects, you simply open up the Configuration
Backup and select RESTORE. When you reboot your machine, the restored
configuration returns your system to the settings just BEFORE the problem
occurred.
The result is that regular use of this utility minimizes the danger
involved in editing the Registry, and lets you return to an earlier
configuration of your choice.
[3-4] The Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE)
The Registry Editor is a powerful tool that con-figures and edits your
Windows 95 system settings. It can be used to view or modify a Registry
on a local computer or on another computer on the net-work. However, both
the administrator's computer and the remote computer require the
Microsoft Remote Registry service to have remote Registry access.
When you run the Registry Editor, it displays its' data in two panes. On
the left side, you have the six Keys, which are shown as folders in "My
Computer." Each key can have a set of values. Each value entry is
comprised of three parts: the name of the key, its' data type, and the
value itself.
The Registry Editor stores this information in .REG files, which are
essentially text files containing the data in a specific format. If there
is a small plus sign next to a key, then it will have further data below
called a SubKey, more commonly known as nested folders. This simply means
that folders can themselves contain other folders.
The value entries in the right hand pane are associated with the selected
key in the left pane. A value entry has three parts: the data type of the
value (which appears as an icon), the name of the value, and the value
itself. A value entry must limit itself to 64k or less, while the size of
the actual total Registry is dependent on available hard disk space.
Data types can either be Binary numerical data or readable text. Most of
the hardware information is stored as binary data, and can be displayed
as either binary or hexadecimal information.
Right-click anywhere in the Registry Editor, and you can create a NEW Key
(or subkey), string value, binary value, or DWORD value.
[3-5] The Six Hkey_ handles
[3-5-1] Hkey_Local_Machine
Contains computer specific information about the type of hardware,
software, and other preferences on a given PC. This information is used
for all users who log onto this computer.
[3-5-2] Hkey_Current_Config
This Key points to a branch of the Key Hkey_Local_Machine\Config
containing information about the current hardware configuration.
[3-5-3] Hkey_Dyn_Data
This Key points to a branch of Hkey_Local_Machine that contains various
bits of information regarding the system Plug and Play configuration.
This information is DYNAMIC, meaning that it may change as devices are
added to or removed from the computer.
[3-5-4] Hkey_Classes_Root
This Key points to a branch of Hkey_Local_Machine that describes certain
software settings. It contains essential information about OLE and drag
and drop operations, shortcuts, and core aspects of the Windows95 GUI.
[3-5-5] Hkey_Users
This Key contains information about the users who log onto the computer.
Both generic and user-specific information is used, and each user of the
system has their own Subkey.
[3-5-6] Hkey_Current_User
This Key points to a branch of Hkey_Users for the user who is currently
logged onto the system.
[3-6] SubKeys of the six Hkey Handles
[3-6-1] Hkey_Local_Machine may contain the following Subkeys
SubKey Description
Config - A collection of configurations for the local computer.
Enum - Information on the system's installed hardware devices.
Hardware - Info on the ports and modems used with HyperTerminal.
Network - Information created when a user logs on to a networked PC.
Security - Information on network security and remote administration.
Software - Information about software and it's configuration on a system.
System - Database that controls system start-up, device driver
loading, Windows 95 services, and OS behavior
[3-6-1.1] Hkey_Local_Machine\Config
This subtree contains information about alternate hardware
configurations for the computer. For example, it can contain
information about multiple configurations to be used when the computer
is connected to a network, and when it is undocked from a docking
station, etc. Each alternate configuration is assigned a unique
identifier, and this configuration ID has a subkey under the Config
key. Each configuration appears in the list of hardware profiles in
the System option in the Control Panel.
When Windows95 checks the hardware configuration at system startup,
one of three things occurs.
==> In most situations, the configuration ID is mapped to a unique
configuration. Windows 95 selects the appropriate one automatically, and
the settings for the related Config subkey are used for system
configuration.
==> If the computer is started for the first time with new hardware
components, Windows95 creates a new configuration for the new
configuration ID, and a new Config subkey is added to the Registry.
==> If the configuration ID is mapped to more than one configuration (for
example, because Windows 95 cannot distinguish between two
configurations), the user is prompted to choose which one to use.
[3-6-1.2] Hkey_Local_Machine\Enum
Windows95 bus enumerators are responsible for building the hardware
tree. This includes assign-ing an identification code to each device on
its bus and retrieving the device's configuration information, either
directly from the device or from the Registry. For more information
about the hardware tree and bus enumerators, see Introduc-tion to
System Configuration, and Windows95 Architecture.
Bus enumeration information is stored in the Hkey_Local_Machine\Enum
subtree. For all types of devices, subkeys contain information such as
device type, assigned drive letter, hardware ID, and device
manufacturer, plus driver-related information for network components.
The following table shows which devices are enumerated in typical
subkeys.
Subkey Device enumeration
ESDI Fixed disk devices
FLOP Floppy disk devices
ISAPNP Plug and Play devices on an ISA bus
Monitor Monitor devices
Network Network protocol, server, and bindings
Root Legacy devices
[3-6-1.3] Hkey_Local_Machine\Hardware
Information about serial ports and modems used with the HyperTerminal
program.
[3-6-1.4] Hkey_Local_Machine\Network
Network information created when a user logs onto a networked computer,
including the user name, primary network provider, whether the logon
was validated by a server, and information about the system policies
processor.
[3-6-1.5] Hkey_Local_Machine\Security
Information about the network security provider and remote
administration capabilities.
[3-6-1.6] Hkey_Local_Machine\Software
This subtree contains configuration information about all installed
software that can write information in the Registry. The entries in
this key apply for anyone using this computer, and include definitions
for file associations and OLE information. The software subkey
contains, for example, the information you add when registering an
application to use a specific filename extension and information added
during install-ation of Windows-based applications.
This subtree also contains several subkeys, including the Classes
subkey, plus description subkeys for all installed software that can
write to the Registry, as described in the following sections.
[3-6-1.7] Hkey_Local_Machine\System
The data in this subtree is organized into control sets that contain a complete set of parameters for device drivers and services that can be loaded with Windows95. All data that controls startup is described in the CurrentControlSet subtree under this key. This control set has two parts:
==> The Control key contains information used to control system startup,
including the computer's network name and the subsystems to start.
==> The Services key contains information to control the loading and
configuration of drivers, file systems, etc. The data in the Services key
also controls how these services call each other.
The following will be included in future versions of the FAQ.
[3-6-2] Hkey_Current_Config may contain the following Subkeys
[3-6-3] Hkey_Dyn_Data may contain the following Subkeys
[3-6-4] Hkey_Classes_Root may contain the following Subkeys
[3-6-5] Hkey_Users may contain the following Subkeys
[3-6-6] Hkey_Current_User may contain the following Subkeys
[4] Customizing Windows 95
4-1] Creating Icons from the actual bitmaps
Did you know that you can make the icons of bitmap files from the actual
bitmap? With OLE 2, they can also automatically update themselves, as
they are edited.
Here's all you have to do:
1. Run the Registry Editor (regedit.exe)
2. Open the HKey_Classes_Root key
3. Open the Paint.Picture folder.
4. If there isn't a DefaultIcon folder, you will have
to create one. You can do that by selecting the
Key Paint.Picture, and right clicking on it.
Select New, and then select KEY. What will happen next is that
new folder will appear under the Paint.Picture folder.
5. Rename this new folder "DefaultIcon".
6. Open the new DefaultIcon folder that you just created.
7. Double-click on the "default" item.
8. Change the value to "%1"
9. Exit the Registry Editor.
That is all there is to it! Now you have some KILLER .BMP icons! They may
display a little more slowly than regular icons but the effect is
stunning. The files are lots easier to identify when you are in Windows95
Explorer.
Try it and see for yourself!
[4-2] Drag shortcuts onto Desktop
Any OLE 2.0 compatible application, that lets you drag text or other
objects, will let you drag onto the Windows95 desktop. These shortcuts
appear as icons on the desktop. Shortcuts can be dragged back into any
OLE 2.0 application.
The result is another way of cutting and pasting that is very easy and
very handy. You can have as many shortcuts on the desktop as you like.
You can have shortcuts to files, folders, disk drives, printers, help
files, programs, just to name a few examples.
[4-3] Change the Desktop Folders Default.Icon
In the registry find this Key:
HkEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\DefaultIcon
The default value should read something like this example:
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\shell32.dll,3
This value points to the 4th icon (0,1,2,3) in the file Shell32.dll. To
change this you need to replace this default value with the full path to
the icon file. If the icon is imbedded in a .dll like the current icon,
you need to know its placement in the sequence. The first icon in a dll
is always 0, the next is 1, etc.
[4-4] A simple way to add the Control Panel to the Start Menu
All you have to do is drag a shortcut to the control panel onto the start
button. The result is that the Control Panel will appear as a selection
on the start menu. It is a very nice trick but it is extremely limited
and inconvenient.
[4-5] Control Panel Power at your fingertips!
The above tip requires you to go through the Start Button, select Control
Panel, and click your way through any number of Properties Dialogs and
Settings tabs. You have only created a shortcut to the Control Panel, a
pointer that opens a regular folder window from which you still must
choose a Control Panel applet.
With this second technique, you'll get a cascading menu off the main
Control panel item. Here, all applets are presented as choices in this
submenu. When in the normal main Control Panel window, you cannot select
which applets you'd like to display (or even remove), while here the
choices are completely customizable.
I suggest that you try both, let the menu selections coexist, and see
which is a better for you. I'm pretty positive that you will agree that
the second idea is the way to go.
1. Right click the Start Button. Choose EXPLORE.
2. Explorer opens with a view of the Start Menu.
3. Right click in the right-hand pane.
4. Left click "New" and then "Folder".
5. This will create an icon called "New Folder".
6. Type the Binary I.D. # for Control Panel to create a name for
(ftp.mcafee.com), or getting program updates, such as Colorado's latest
free upgrade for its Windows 95 tape backup program (ftp.hp.com). Another
Internet tool you'll get from a full provider is Telnet, which lets you
operate other computers as if you're in front of them. I amused myself
with looking at the card catalogues of the Library of Congress and the
Harvard On Line Library Services looking for specific books. Unless you
really need to know what's been published, or expect to take a trip to
either place to look at a rare book, chances are you won't use it much
either. I know there are many other places that have Telnet sites, but
have limited needs so rarely ever use them.
Of course the most popular feature on the Internet is e-mail. You can
send messages across the country or the world, knowing they'll arrive in
seconds. It may well be the thing you use most on the Internet. Of
course even the joys of e-mail have been hyped to some degree. Your
friends in Paris won't get your messages right away unless they dial up
their provider within a few minutes of time from when you send it. You
won't get theirs, either, without doing the same. Many BBSes provide
Internet e-mail far less expensively than the $20 a month you're likely to
pay for your access. Still, it's certainly quicker than letters, easier
than writing something on paper or trundling it off to the mail box.
Last, I suppose I should mention what may motivate some to get on the Net.
You no doubt saw news stories about hearings in the Senate about all the
pornography infesting the Internet. To hear them talk you would think you
couldn't spend ten minutes online without being exposed to scenes of
unimaginable depravity. Of course there are such scenes, but you really
have to go looking for them to see anything remotely deviant. And if you
do spend the time to download any of the stuff, what you end up with are
pictures you see on a computer screen, not nearly as clear as photographs
or video tapes, which is where most of them were scanned to start with.
Like everything else on the Internet, it sounds more titillating to hear
Senator Helms rail against bestiality and lesbian nuns or whatever, than
to actually see the often grainy images uploaded by some over active
teenager.
You've had to notice a theme running through this account. You'll be
excited when you first log on to this vast new venture, and you should be.
It's undeniably exciting to reach across the world to hear the President
greet you at your desktop, to send messages thousands of miles in
milliseconds, or to meet people with similar interests. But like all
novelties, the excitement wears off. You'll spend less time online, but
you'll be equipped to do far more things much more quickly than you ever
did them before. You'll become one of the citizens of cyber-space,
cruising down the Information Superhighway. After a few joy rides, your
modem will stay in the garage most of the time. But like your car, your
modem will be a vehicle for freedom, ready to trans-port you across the
world at a second's notice. You'll make friends, find jobs, get news,
play games, and of course, feed your computer all the software it demands.
It will become another of those life-changing technologies that change
your life, like radio, telephone, TV, automo-biles and jet travel once
did. And like them you'll come to take it for granted as a fact of life.
Kyle Freeman is a regular contributor to WindoWatch. A former teacher, he
now practices his computer craft in San Francisco as a consultant. I asked
him to take us on a tour of the Internet and this visual feast is the
result.
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Surfing the Net From the Sticks!
Rural Access to the Internet
Copyright 1995 by John M. Campbell
The big online service brag is that over 90% of the population is just a
local call away! So - what about the rest of us? I live in a rural
area, where CompuServe (CIS), America Online (AOL), Prodigy, Pipeline,
etal. require a long distance call. The WindoWatch editor lives even
further out in the boonies - about thirty miles from me. How do we rural
folks, and more specifically business, teachers, parents and students
access the urban riches offered by the major online services and the
Internet?
The answer, for many of us, is an enterprise that has been making its way
into smaller areas - the Local Internet Service Provider. These
businesses are now springing up in the most unlikely places as the thirst
for Internet access increases. Typically, ISPs are relatively small
business operations having local servers and high-speed connections to a
distant mainframe computer that, in turn, has a direct Internet
connection. For example, my ISP uses a host MicroVAX mini-computer,
connected to a Bell Atlantic 56K frame relay link to MountainNet
Integrated Services, a commercial Internet provider for business and
education located 70 miles away in Morgantown, WV.
What's a Deal and What's the Best Deal?
When there are several local ISPs in an area, it becomes important to
examine the services each has to offer. Even when only a single ISP is
within a local calling area, certain questions should be asked before
deciding whether to subscribe, since some services may be too limited to
be worth the subscription fee. Important questions to ask before signing
on are:
1. What services do I get for my money?
Most providers offer at least an email address and usually, limited
storage space on their server for incoming mail. The provider should have
a POP3 server for incoming mail, and a SMTP server for out-going mail.
Its a good idea to inquire whether the provider plans to allow each user
storage space on their server for a personal Web page. If so, consider
this a value-added service.
Of course, some sort of Internet connection is the primary attraction.
This connection may take the form of SLIP, PPP, SHELL, or some combination
of these. When available, a PPP connection is the most desirable, since
it is usually the easiest to configure on one's computer. SHELL
connections, once the rule, are to be avoided. With only a SHELL account,
one is dumped at the UNIX prompt, and most Windows-based Internet software
becomes unusable. It then becomes necessary to obtain, and learn to use,
UNIX-style text-based utilities. This is very uncool for the average
person because the language is completely unfriendly and becomes part of
a struggle for the new user trying to learn online skills. There is a
joke to the effect that the Berkeley campus at the University of
California is best known for two exports, UNIX and LSD, and that this
combination is not a coincidence.
An Internet provider should provide 28.8K modem lines - the more the
better. Anything less that an 28.8 connection slows Web browsers to a
crawl, and some of the newer technologies, such as the Cuseeme video
conferencing scheme, won't work at all at lower modem speeds. A
sufficient number of lines is required to meet the demands of
sub-scribers. If the user too often is greeted by a busy signal, the
service might as well not exist.
Ask if the provider provides customer support. Setting up a SLIP/PPP
connection on a computer is not easy. Regardless of what dialer/Winsock
is employed on the user's machine, there are a number of settings that
must be configured properly. Does the provider furnish connection scripts
for Trumpet and Windows 95? Is a user manual available? The provider
can't be expected to teach basic computer operation, but there will be
questions to be answered, especially during the initial setup. Another
question that should be asked is whether the provider furnishes the basic
tools needed for Internet access, such as shareware Winsocks, mail
readers, FTP utilities and Web browsers. While these can be obtained
from other sources, the provider who makes them available to customers is
performing an extra service.
2. What will it cost me?
Normally, ISPs will charge a monthly fee for their services. In addition,
there is often a one-time setup fee. The provider may levy add-itional
charges for time used over and above a stated monthly allow-ance. Storage
space for your own Web page may be an extra cost item. My ISP currently
charges a $10 setup fee, and $25 per month for combined SLIP/PPP Internet
access and a SHELL account. They do not set a time limit. This pricing
probably is on the generous side, but other providers should be in the
same ball park, price-wise. If you can comparison shop, find out about
down-time. Ask customers of competing local ISPs what their experience
has been. A lower rate is not a bargain if the provider has considerable
down time, or lacks an experienced technician(s) to provide customer
assistance.
Also, you should compare the cost of a local Internet connection with what
you would have pay to reach your favorite online service, or major
Internet provider, by calling one of their own nodes long-distance.
Consider how frequently you use the Internet. PSI Pipeline offers
unlimited Internet access for only $20 per month.
Add to this basic cost, whatever you must pay the phone company for
long-distance calls. If you don't cruise the Net that often, the $25 or
more you would have to pay a local ISP monthly may not be such a bargain.
On the other hand, an ISP may make sense even if you live in an area where
an online service has a local node. The last time I checked, CIS offered
only a 2400 bps node in Charleston, WV. A person living in that city
might well be ahead to pay a local ISP for a higher speed PPP connection
to CIS in preference to the slow local node. There are many factors to
consider in determining cost-effectiveness.
So now you have chosen a local ISP, and you have managed to con-figure
Trumpet or Windows 95's Slip/PPP module (congratulations - not an easy
task) to connect with the service. What tools do you need, and where to
find them?
The Internet is information. To access that information, you will want to
consider the following tools:
1. A Web Browser
2. A Usenet News reader
3. Telnet capability
4. An FTP utility
5. An Archie utility
6. An IRC utility
7. An Email reader
The first decision to make is whether you want all of the above, and
perhaps other capabilities available under a common interface, or as
separate software packages. The first approach is probably the best for
new users, and there are an increasing number of pre-packaged Suites on
the market. Of course, the major online services offer Internet access
via the same propriatory front-end software that connects the user to
their own services, and that software can be used via your local Internet
provider. But this route to The Internet can be expensive. In effect,
you are paying Compuserve, Prodigy or AOL to provide you with much of what
you already have access to, at no additional cost, by virtue of your ISP.
Before going this route, investigate the Internet suites that are
available. Examples of the newest include CyberJack (Delrina), Emissary
(Wollensock), and the Internet Suite from Quarterdeck.
I have used trial versions of all of the above, so I know that they offer
a Web Browser, Telnet, News, Email, FTP and IRC, and can be used via a PPP
connection provided by a local Internet provider. The only additional
service that might be needed is access to a Usenet news feed. (More on
this later.) These products do differ in interface and ease of
configuration. I can offer no guidance as to which is best. What is
right for one user may be wrong for another. My advice is to seek out
others who are using these tools, and ask questions. Or, find out what
others consider the strong and weak function of each program by hanging
out on the online conferences devoted to such issues.
The greatest flexibility is offered by separate Internet utilities, each
devoted to a single purpose, or in the case of Web Browsers, several uses.
Many of these separates have the added virtue of being freeware or
low-cost shareware. The most popular Web Browser is Netscape. The latest
beta version is free, and the program is updated frequently. If you want
the latest, greatest, cutting-edge technology, Netscape is really the only
choice at the moment. Various flavors of Mosaic are also popular. The
most popular browsers also offer email and news capability, although these
functions are not the equals of separate mail and news programs. FTP is a
given with browsers. Telnet capability, so far, requires a helper
application. (see below.)
People have a tendency to defend their choice of email and news readers
with a ferocity one normally associates with baseball fanatics at World
Series time. You should look for programs that handle both reading and
posting mail and news offline. It doesn't make sense to tie up your local
providers lines with tasks that can be done offline. In this regard, be
wary of the suites and Net Browsers discussed above. Some have email and
news modules that only operate online. Here, I am going to give some
advice. Look at Forte's Agent and its less capable but still excellent
free version (Free Agent). It's an excellent Usenet news program, and the
commercial version ($30) does a decent job with email, thus killing two
birds with one stone.
Before proceeding to other Internet tools, it's time to consider the
problem of finding a decent Usenet news provider. In many cases your local
ISP makes a nearby news source available at no extra charge. However, most
local Usenet sources only carry selected groups, and their feeds often are
delayed by several days, or longer. There are over 30,000 newsgroups out
there. If the ones you want aren't available through the local provider,
or are outdated when you receive them, you must look elsewhere, and be
willing to pay extra.
I discovered that, surprisingly, information about the locations of Usenet
providers is difficult to find. A Web search only yielded a few
commercial outfits, along with numerous public access sources. I take
public access to mean free. I suspect that many of these are not
reachable through a PPP/Slip connection, and those that are probably do
not carry the full Usenet feed. What about commercial news pro-viders? I
finally tracked down some through dfw.internet.providers news group. I'm
not going to name those I did uncover, since some of the smaller providers
do not appreciate publicity that might bring hordes of new customers they
are ill-equiped to handle. Expect to pay $10 to $30 monthly for a
subscription to one of these commercial Usenet servers. After you locate
one, but before committing yourself, ask how many groups they carry and
how current their feed is.
Remember, subscribing to a major online service, like AOL, gives you
access to most of the Usenet groups. The downside is that you are limited
to using the service's front-end software if you connect via PPP/Slip from
a local ISP. You can't use your choice of news readers unless you connect
with the service by dialing one of it's own nodes, where user names and
passwords are checked before the Internet connection is established.
Doing this, of course, negates the notion of saving long-distance charges
by subscribing to a local ISP. More information about Usenet providers can
be found on the Web at: http;//library.usask.ca/hytelnet/sites2.html
You probably will want a Telnet application. There is a popular pro-gram
called Ewan, and its free. But Ewan, like some other freeware Telnet
applications, lacks the ability to upload or download anything from the
system you connect to. It only permits looking at the remote screen,
making it rather useless for connecting to, say Channel1. Make certain any
such app you consider does allow file transfers. One that does meet this
requirement is a shareware program NetTerm. Another is QmodemPro for
Windows 95. This is a commercial communications package that offers about
all of the Telnet bells and whistles one could ask for.
Archie and FTP utilities work together. The first searches the Internet
for files; the second retrieves them. There any number of good ones
available. If you like the idea of using the Internet as a CB Radio, you
will also want to investigate IRC utilities. I have no advice to offer
here.
The best place I have found to learn about what's available in the way of
Internet utilities is the excellent Shroud's CSWApps List, on the Web at:
http://cwapps.texas.net
Another good source on the Web is The Ultimate Collection of Windsock Software, at:
http://www.tucows.com/
Between these two sources, you will find a gold mine of Internet
applications and other goodies. Shroud provides complete
descriptions and ratings, as well as links to the sites from which
the programs can be downloaded.
Hopefully, this article has provided some insight into the Internet
solutions that are now available for those of us who live in places
that were deemed unprofitable by the big online services and Internet providers when they chose where to place local nodes. We may not ---have to continue enriching AT&T, MCI et al. to surf the net. The local Internet provider is a resource well worth investigating.
John M. Campbell, a regular contributor to WindoWatch, is the author of a number of informative and humorous articles which have appeared in WindoWatch. He is employed as the Manager of the Elkins, WV Unemployment Compensation office.
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DriveSpace 3
DriveSpace 3 - The Advanced File System for Windows 95
Copyright 1995 by Jim Gunn
Okay, you were a Doublespaceaphobiac, and a Stack monster ate your disk -
er...maybe, and DriveSpace brought aliens from the planet Gumupenderworks
through a weird void and destroyed all your data! I guess there are other
popular myths about computers too. But really, compression routines have
matured.
We now have version three of the Microsoft compression gadget. This new
kid on the block is included with the PLUS! pack. Its name is DriveSpace
3 and there is a lot to it - a whole lot! Now before you yell compression
- arrgh, read on and feel free to try it a bit at a time until you have
the security blanket comfy up under your chin. Personally, I've been
using this beastie for months, and would never go back to plain old FAT.
* First of all, a wonderful feature of DriveSpace 3 is that you don't have
to compress any data at all to take advantage of its major but unpublished
features. * Second, and very important, the old myth about slow
performance has a number of new twists that are really worth looking into.
* Third, this is the advanced file system that Windows 95 deserved only
the authors didn't realize it at the time. * Fourth, the hue and cry about
the 110K driver business is easily rectified.
DriveSpace 3 requires that you put all of your data into a single file,
known as a CVF, or Compressed Volume File, just like the
DoubleSpace/DriveSpace shipped in the past. If you lost the FAT entries
on the host, or uncompressed volume, this file would be gone. How often
does that happen? People who whoop and holler about that seldom seem to
have remembered to make a backup. Nor do they consider that if their FAT
is destroyed, all their uncompressed files are gone bye-bye anyway. The
net result is the same.
This all in one basket CVF does buy us something extremely signi-ficant.
There is no longer a slack factor. There are no such things as clusters,
allocation units or even the simple minded old sector to deal with. Once
in a CVF, data is data, and all of that old DOS gibberish is history.
Data simply lives where it lands, and the old bugaboo about a 10 byte file
taking up a whole allocation unit is totally history. Even better, that
ten byte file no longer even takes up even a single 512 byte sector, but
now takes up simply 10 bytes, -period! The whole mess about clusters is
simply gone.
Now all of this part is strictly internal. DOS, Windows, and every-thing
external to the CVF swears that you have 32K clusters and all the slack
overhead of the FAT system. This is a pleasant lie and is simply for
compatibility because the old FAT system requires it. Rest assured, it is
nothing more than humoring the old way of doing things. And unlike
previous versions of compression programs, this one deals with up to 2GB
per CVF. It has no 512KB limitations.
But now, let's look at the actual compression part. As mentioned earlier,
you don't really have to compress anything in order to take
advantage of the allocation units are history part of DriveSpace 3. But
what if you (shudder!) do?
Well, if you let it do what it calls normal compression you will achieve
something on the order of 1.9:1 compression. That's way kewel, as my kids
would say, but there is a significant performance enhancement to be had
here, too.
It seems that if you are on a Pentium class machine, the processing
overhead required to do the dreaded decompression/compression deed is way
less than the physical transfer time of the uncompressed data through the
normal system bus. The net result is improved through-put. On a 486 class
system, throughput is about the same. But in either case you still get
the space savings of both compression and the elimination of the FAT
system allocation limitations.
Compression varies with the file type and content, of course. A .ZIP file
simply isn't going to compress as well as a text file. There are four
classes of compression in DriveSpace 3 and the ratios are simply averages
of testing with various file types:
1. None
2. The ever popular Normal (about 1.8 or 1.9:1)
3. Hi-pack (roughly 2:1)
4. Ultra-Pack (over 2:1)
A nice feature is that these can be mixed and matched. Unlike prev-ious
compression schemes, DriveSpace 3 comes with a gizmo called Compression
Agent. When you set it up, you can have a default compression scheme
specified. Then periodically, you can run Compression Agent and have it
make adjustments. A classic example is to have normal compression be your
default and yet have Compression Agent detect any file that has not been
accessed in more than 30 days and compress those files using Ultra-Pack.
If one of those files eventually gets accessed, using this example, the
next time Compression Agent is run, it will convert it back to Normal
compression. It displays a screen which keeps tabs on how much space is
being compressed and how much is being uncompressed or altered to a
different scheme.
Compression Agent is slow. At its best, it can take an hour or so per
gigabyte just to do a scan, even if no real activity is required. If
there are lots of changes to be made this can stretch out considerably.
Obviously, drive speed, controller type and throughput vary from system to
system and affect this part significantly. Another consider-ation is that
every time anything at all changes on the disk, that Compression Agent
itself didn't do, it starts over. Therefore it is not suitable for
running in any mode other than stand alone.
To the rescue comes another product included in the PLUS! pack. This one
is known as the System Agent. Among other things, it can be used to
schedule Compression Agent to run at off-peak times (computer jargon for
the middle of the night). This way, you can have it scheduled to do the
compression thing at say, two AM on Saturday mornings and all you have to
do is remember to leave the system running on Friday nights. You pick the
times that are suitable for your usage.
A justifiable complaint about DriveSpace 3 is the amount of memory
required in the lower 1MB to hold its real mode drivers. Let me tell you
how to avoid that problem all together. It seems that the default
installation updates your CONFIG.SYS file to include the line:
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\DRVSPACE.SYS /MOVE
This is a holdover from the original DoubleSpace/DriveSpace and is an
oddball thing. Even though the program is named with a .SYS extension, it
really never was a driver. All it ever did was determine the location of
the DBLSPACE.BIN or DRVSPACE.BIN file in memory. The /MOVE parameter told
it to locate it in upper memory, if available. After this statement is
executed, DRVSPACE.SYS goes away and no longer exists.
But, what happens is that the .BIN file still exists, and so do the real
mode drivers, until Windows 95 cranks up in GUI mode. At that point, it
replaces the real mode drivers with virtual equivalents. This all sounds
great in theory. The problem is that since some or all of this stuff has
been placed in upper memory (UMB space). When the virtual drivers finally
arrive on the scene, they can free up whatever portion was loaded in
conventional memory but cannot touch the parts that made it to upper
memory. This then becomes wasted space.
Another aspect of this problem is that when booting to the Command Prompt
Only part of Windows 95, none of the replacement of real mode vs. virtual
drivers has taken place yet. You are out up to 110K of this precious
limited lower 1MB memory. In either case, some memory is totally wasted.
It simply depends on the particular configuration, what else is loaded in
upper memory and all that stuff. But, this is not a desirable situation.
Once more, help is on the way, and you read it here. The solution is to
let the installation part do its thing. Now edit CONFIG.SYS and (drum
roll) comment out or remove the entire line referencing DRVSPACE.SYS. Now
reboot and that's all there is to it!
What now happens is that since you are no longer telling it to relocate
the .BIN file into upper memory, none of that gets done. Because of that,
there is no need for the real mode drivers. Instead, the common sense
thing happens. The virtual drivers load themselves into extend-ed memory
-where they belong and would end up anyway- at boot time. You will find
no trace of anything dealing with DriveSpace 3 in the first megabyte.
You can even dual boot to a previous version of DOS and it will be able to
access your compressed volume with no trace of drivers. The entire 110K
is history as far as you are concerned. True, it still exists somewhere
in extended memory, but I'll guarantee that you have a whole lot more
stuff loaded there than you would care to know about, so the 110K part
enters the world of who cares? pretty quickly. You can't see it, smell
it or touch it and it just melts quietly into the swapfile somewhere or
other.
This is a very flexible and functional product that reaches far beyond its
original intent. Even if you couldn't care less about compressing
anything, in essence, it provides the advanced file system that every-one
wishes Windows 95 had included, while still maintaining the complete FAT
system compatibility that we all need. I find it interesting that the
compression part of a compression program is simply an added bonus to its
otherwise unheralded features.
And don't forget to let it Ultra-Pack those files untouched in 30 days or
more, no matter how much physical disk space you have. It's the principle
of the thing.
Jim Gunn is president of Sterling Consulting in Salt Lake City, Utah and a
regular WindoWatch contributor. He publishes the Salt Puddle Pointless for
those lucky enough to get on his list. Jim can be reached at
72731,115@compuserve.com
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Why Wizards Aren't So Wonderful !
Windows95 Applications and Human Learning Styles
Copyright 1995 by Robin Mabry
I've spent the last three months, on and off, trying to learn three
Microsoft Windows 95 applications: MSN, WORKS and MONEY. I've been
writing, using and testing software for twenty years -- so I'm no novice.
Up until now, I've felt pretty good about my ability to take on new
software with even the most badly written documentation and become a power
user within a day to a week. The truth is that the new Microsoft
Windows95 applications have knocked me off my throne.
There is no documentation, - not even poorly written documentation - - and
there lies the problem! Take the Microsoft Network. Its' poor,
confusing and hodgepodge design cries out for a road map. Since one is
not provided, bring along some string. Tie the string securely to your
starting point and use it to guide yourself back out of the maze. Should
you find a place you might want to visit again, mark your trail well or
you'll never find it again. WORKS ? Other than writing this column, I
have not successfully completed any project including trying to write a
letter and have the return address automatically inserted, to creating
mailing labels, to just creating one sided post cards! I know my old 16
bit Windows applications like Print Shop and Word Perfect may not be sexy
but they are easy to use. As for MONEY, all I wanted to do was create a
budget so I could easily change numbers and then print it all out. After
a couple of tries, I did manage to get my online electronic pay ent
application completed and printed but as for the budget, a few days ago I
went back to paper and pencil!
While I am approaching middle age, I still have a few functioning brain
cells left and after giving this quite a bit of thought, I've decided the
problem is them and not me. In the brief period of time that personal
computing has been around, some software vendors like Microsoft have gone
from providing nice, thick manuals telling you more than you'd ever wanted
to know about their product to telling you nothing. Because, they claim
that their products are so easy to use, who needs a manual? Well I do and
more than likely so do you! Why? For most of us frustrated users, the
Help Screens don't seem to help and Wizards just whiz right by us without
leaving a hint. This is not because of lack of intelligence on our part
but rather because we are human.
Being human speaks to diverse learning styles and needs. My recent
experiences with Microsoft's Win95, Microsoft Works for Win95, Microsoft
Money for Win95 and the Microsoft Network have convinced me that a
return to the policy of including a good, thick manual is just what the
user, friendly doctor ordered.
Readers may remember when software applications came with two and sometime
three books. The first was the USER MANUAL -- preferably, a nice,
friendly and personable book on how to use the software to do everything
from A - Z. Good USER MANUALS included many examples and tutorials. And
some USER MANUALS incorporated an informal style as though the writer was
talking directly to the reader including humor, tips and off-subject
tangents. The second was the REFERENCE MANUAL which got into the
nitty-gritty details of how and why things worked so that if the
instructions in the USER MANUAL didn't work one could try to concoct
various solutions from information provided in the REFERENCE MANUAL. The
third book was the INTRODUCTION GETTING STARTED booklet designed for those
who don't need no stink'n manual; - just let them at it.
Current thinking, at least by Microsoft is to just give us the GETTING
STARTED and ignore all evidence that humans do learn differently. A good
USER MANUAL allowed for the differences in learning styles. About a
fourth of us are kinetic -also called tactile- learners; we learn by
doing. Task Wizards of which Microsoft has become overly fond, can be
quite useful to kinetic users because they are actually doing something as
the Wizards walks them step by step through a process. The problem is
that there is no manual to explain what commands were used to obtain the
given result. That could mean that many are forever doomed to live within
the pre-designed templates of the Wizard. They can't take the hands on
learning and combine it with written instructions to create their own
projects. The examples and step by step instructions of good USER MANUAL
addressed this need.
Next we have auditory learners or those who learn by hearing. The
prevailing wisdom for much of human history is that we, particularly
children, learn by listening. The teacher stands before us lecturing on
and on and we soak it up via our ear drums just like sponges. For about a
fourth of us, this is true. A personable, friendly often humorous
teacher talking directly to the reader, as a writings style, addresses
auditory learners. Whether the reader reads aloud or can hear the writer
voice in their head, the goal of talking to the learner is met. Many
third party USER MANUALS such as the Dummies and
Idiots series use this approach in addition to step by step examples.
Visual learners learn by seeing. If you can show them an example, a
picture or an object, they can make the leap. This is why teachers and
instructors write on blackboards, use posters and other visual aids. A
good USER MANUAL includes pictures of what each step should look like on
the screen as well as the end product. The little eighty-five page
booklet included with Microsoft Works had lots of great pictures of the
most common screen setups and of many types of documents the Task Wizard
could help you create. In terms of step by stop photos of how to do a
series of tasks, the booklet regularly referred to the text based
unhelpful Online Help.
Online Help are designed for the remaining quarter of the human population
including me, or abstract learners or thinkers. Abstract learners like to
read the instructions, usually in great detail, think about them and then
apply them. Help Screens are notoriously short on details but an even
larger shortcoming is the reader has to pick the right keywords to get
appropriate help. This is a lot more difficult then it seems. With a
good USER MANUAL, a user can begin with either the Table of Contents or
the Subject Index as starting point. Thumbing through the pages and
skimming paragraphs and examples until, in all likelihood, the user finds
the explanation they need. Help Screens tend to be circular leaving the
frustrated user right back where they started and no more enlightened.
Details in the help screen are sketchy and don't give one much to think
about or move forward with -- especially if you want to do something
slightly different or more than the Help Screen was designed to explain.
All of us, barring any physical disability, have the ability to use all
learning styles but we do have a preferred and dominant learning styles.
We now know that a good teacher tries to address all learning styles. My
two favorite windows applications are Print Shop Ensemble and WordPerfect.
Both come with substantial USER GUIDES and I think that in turn reflects
in their general ease of use. As one who has written complex computer
programs and the accompanying manuals, the writing of the manuals can be
quite helpful in spotting problems. At one point, we were required to
write both a USER MANUAL and a PROGRAMMERS REFERENCE GUIDE. USER MANUALS
are extremely useful in verifying whether a feature is really easy to use
or self-evident in its purpose. The PROGRAMMER GUIDE tended to illuminate
technical problems such as sloppy coding or poor system design. The
growing market of computer program documentation is evidence there is
strong user demand for good, solid, substantial documentation.
So why don't software vendors do themselves a favor and return to writing
user documentation? Look at it as quality control and beta testing. If
your writers can't explain or get others to make features work from their
written instructions, its a good bet this undocu- mentable feature is
another bug.
For additional information about learning styles, try these web sites:
Packard HP-UX 9.03 and above Windows NT 3.5 (or later), Windows 3.1,
and Windows 95 OS/2 2.11 or later in Windows compatibility mode.
One thing you should know is that release 2.1 does not change the format of
PDF files. Exchange and Reader 2.0 can open and view PDF files as before,
but some functionality has been added to the Reader to enable some Plug-ins
to work with it (see below). At this time I do not know if there is
anything new with Exchange or Distiller in Release 2.1. Once I get any
information on that I will pass it on.
Some info gleaned from Adobe's Acrobat Web area: Adobe's ATM technology
for rendering Type 1 fonts has been built into Acrobat Reader 2.1 for
Windows so it is no longer necessary to install ATM on Windows systems.
Previously, you needed ATM running to be able to use the Reader. Acrobat
Reader 2.1 accepts some specially enabled plug-ins, such as Weblink and
Movie. This allows Acrobat Reader users to take advantage of new
capabilities in PDF files created with Acrobat Exchange, for example
following WWW URL links or viewing QuickTime and AVI (Win only) movies
within a PDF document. Although Reader 2.1 is Win95 compatible, it is not
yet Win95 logo compliant. This means they will run under Win95 but may not
meet all of Microsoft's guidelines for complete Win95 compliance, such as
various user interface elements, long filenames, etc. A Win95
logo-compliant verions of Acrobat Reader is scheduled for early 1996.
For those with HP III printers (PCL) you should upgrade your printer
driver. You need the file HPPCL5.EXE available on CIS and from Microsoft's
download service (206-936-6735). Adobe is also offering a several new FREE
plug-ins for use with the Acrobat Reader 2.1 and Acrobat Exchange 2.x See
the Acrobat Web site for details (http://www.adobe.com/Acrobat)
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The Diversity of 'Twas!
'Twas the Night Before
Contributed by Derek Buchler
As written by a technical writer for a firm that does Government
contracting...
'Twas the nocturnal segment of the diurnal period preceding the annual
Yuletide celebration, and throughout our place of residence, kinetic
activity was not in evidence among the possessors of this potential,
including that species of domestic rodent known as Mus musculus. Hosiery
was meticulously suspended from the forward edge of the wood burning
caloric apparatus, pursuant to our anti-cipatory pleasure regarding an
imminent visitation from an eccentric philanthropist among whose folkloric
appellations is the honorific title of St. Nicholas.
The prepubescent siblings, comfortably ensconced in their respective
accommodations of repose, were experiencing subconscious visual
hallucinations of variegated fruit confections moving rhythmically through their cerebrums. My conjugal partner and I, attired in our nocturnal head coverings, were about to take slumberous advantage of the hibernal darkness when upon the avenaceous exterior portion of the grounds there ascended such a cacophony of dissonance that I felt compelled to arise with alacrity from my place of repose for the purpose of ascertaining the precise source thereof.
Hastening to the casement, I forthwith opened the barriers sealing this
fenestration, noting thereupon that the lunar brilliance without,
reflected as it was on the surface of a recent crystalline precipitation,
might be said to rival that of the solar meridian itself - thus permitting
my incredulous optical sensory organs to behold a miniature airborne
runnered conveyance drawn by eight diminutive specimens of the genus
Rangifer, piloted by a minuscule, aged chauffeur so ebullient and nimble
that it became instantly apparent to me that he was indeed our anticipated
caller.
With his ungulate motive power traveling at what may possibly have been
more vertiginous velocity than patriotic alar predators, he vociferated
loudly, expelled breath musically through contracted labia, and addressed
each of the octet by his or her respective cognomen - "Now Dasher, now
Dancer..." et al. - guiding them to the uppermost exterior level of our
abode, through which structure I could readily distinguish the
concatenations of each of the 32 cloven pedal extremities.
As I retracted my cranium from its erstwhile location, and was per-forming
a 180-degree pivot, our distinguished visitant achieved - with utmost
celerity and via a downward leap - entry by way of the smoke passage. He
was clad entirely in animal pelts soiled by the ebony residue from
oxidations of carboniferous fuels which had accumulated on the walls
thereof. His resemblance to a street vendor I attributed largely to the
plethora of assorted playthings which he bore dorsally in a commodious
cloth receptacle.
His orbs were scintillant with reflected luminosity, while his
sub-maxillarydermal indentations gave every evidence of engaging
amiability. The capillaries of his malar regions and nasal appurten-ance
were engorged with blood which suffused the subcutaneous layers, the
former approximating the coloration of Albion's floral emblem, the latter
that of the Prunus avium, or sweet cherry. His amusing sub- and
supralabials resembled nothing so much as a common loop knot, and their
ambient hirsute facial adornment appeared like small, tabular and columnar
crystals of frozen water.
Clenched firmly between his incisors was a smoking piece whose gray fumes,
forming a tenuous ellipse about his occiput, were suggestive of a
decorative seasonal circlet of holly. His visage was wider than it was
high, and when he waxed audibly mirthful, his corpulent abdominal region
undulated in the manner of impectinated fruit syrup in a hemi-spherical
container. He was, in short, neither more nor less than an obese, jocund,
multigenarian gnome, the optical perception of whom rendered me visibly
frolicsome despite every effort to refrain from so being. By rapidly
lowering and then elevating one eyelid and rotating his head slightly to
one side, he indicated that trepidation on my part was groundless.
Without utterance and with dispatch, he commenced filling the a
forementioned appended hosiery with various of the aforementioned articles
of merchandise extracted from his aforementioned previously dorsally
transported cloth receptacle. Upon completion of this task, he executed an
abrupt about-face, placed a single manual digit in lateral juxtaposition
to his olfactory organ, inclined his cranium forward in a gesture of
leave-taking, and forthwith effected his egress by reneg-otiating (in
reverse) the smoke passage. He then propelled himself in a short vector
onto his conveyance, directed a musical expulsion of air through his
contracted oral sphincter to the antlered quadrupeds of burden, and
proceeded to soar aloft in a movement hitherto observable chiefly among
the seed-bearing portions of a common weed. But I overheard his parting
exclamation, audible immediately prior to his vehiculation beyond the
limits of visibility: "Ecstatic Yuletide to the planetary constituency,
and to that self same assemblage, my sincerest wishes for a salubriously
beneficial and gratifyingly pleasurable period between sunset and dawn.
And there's more holiday nonsense. If you don't understand Yiddish, you
may not find this funny.
The Night Before Chanukah
'Twas the night before Chanukah, boichiks and maidels
Not a sound could be heard, not even the dreidels
The menorah was set by the chimney alight
In the kitchen, the Bubbie was hopping a bite
Salami, Pastrami, a glaisele tay
And zoyere pickles mit bagels-- Oy vay!
Gezint and geschmock the kinderlach felt
While dreaming of taiglach and Chanukah gelt
The alarm clock was sitting, a kloppin' and tickin'
And Bubbie was carving a shtickele chicken
A tummel arose, like the wildest k'duchas
Santa had fallen right on his tuchas!
I put on my slippers, ains, tzvay, drei
While Bubbie was eating herring on rye
I grabbed for my bathrobe and buttoned my gottkes
And Bubbie was just devouring the latkes
To the window I ran, and to my surprise
A little red yarmulka greeted my eyes.
When he got to the door and saw the menorah
"Yiddishe kinder," he cried, "Kenahorah!"
I thought I was in a Goyishe hoise!
As long as I'm here, I'll leave a few toys."
"Come into the kitchen, I'll get you a dish
Mit a gupel, a leffel, and a shtickele fish."
With smacks of delight he started his fressen
Chopped liver, knaidlach, and kreplach gegessen
Along with his meal he had a few schnapps
When it came to eating, this boy sure was tops
He asked for some knishes with pepper and salt
But they were so hot he yelled out "Gevalt!"
He loosened his hoysen and ran from the tish
"Your koshereh meals are simply delish!"
As he went through the door he said "See y'all later
I'll be back next Pesach in time for the seder!"
So, hutzmir and zeitzmir and "Bleibtz mir gezint"
he called out cheerily into the wind.
More rapid than eagles, his prancers they came
As he whistled and shouted and called them by name
"Come, Izzie, now Moishe, now Yossel and Sammy!
On Oyving, and Maxie, and Hymie and Manny!"
He gave a geshrai, as he drove out of sight
"A gut yontiff to all, and to all a good night!"
And then there were the people who toil every night until dawn:
`TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CRISIS
`Twas the night before crisis, and all through the house,
Not a program was working, not even a browse.
The programmers were wrung out, too mindless to care,
Knowing the chances of cutover hadn't a prayer.
The users were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of inquiries danced in their heads.
When out in the lobby, there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my tube to see what was the matter.
And what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a super programmer, oblivious to fear.
More rapid than eagles, his programs they came,
And he whistled and shouted and called they by name;
On Update! on Add! on Inquiry! on Delete!
On Batch Jobs, on Closing! on Functions Complete!
His eyes were glazed over, his fingers were lean,
From weekends and nights in front of a screen.
A wink of his eye, and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
Turning specs into code, then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger on the `ENTER' key,
The system came up and worked perfectly.
The Updates, updated, the Deletes, they deleted,
The Inquiries, inquired and the Closing completed.
He tested each whistle, and tested each bell,
With nary an abend, and all had gone well!
The system was finished, the tests were concluded.
The client's last changes were even included.
And the client exclaimed with a snarl and a taunt,
"It's just what I asked for, but it's not what I want!"
ANONYMOUS
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Musings on Netscape 2.0 and other ponderings....
Reflections of a ModemJunkie
Copyright 1995 by Leonard Grossman
I've been thinking lately that perhaps I should change the name of this
column. I talk about other things from time to time: Everything from new
software to the state of the world. And besides, I thought, I'm not
really addicted to communications. And then something happened!
I did a little outside work and had a couple of hundred dollars burning a
hole in my pocket, and after all, I only had a 14,400 modem. It was a
proud possession only a short time ago. Was it really that long ago that I
upgraded from 1200 to 2400 bps? So after doing a little, but probably not
enough research on line, I began my search for a new modem.
I went to Computer Central, the huge computer flea market at the College
of Dupage. But no one had anything under $200, except for the vendors
from Cleveland... After having been burned before I have rule: Never,
NEVER, buy from a Cleveland vendor unless, of course, you live in
Cleveland!
I was determined to buy an external modem because I'm frankly lost without
those lights. My choices were between the USR Sportster, the Supra and
the Cardinal. Calling around, I found a certain computer mail order house
(let's call it "ABC, Co." to protect the innocent) which had the Sportster
for $199. Their home office is in a Chicago suburb where they have a
huge showroom. So off I went as it's only a 45 minute drive. No
Sportster 28.8s were on the shelf. The sales person said they were out of
the Sportsters and offered me a "great buy" on a USR Courier which was,
of course, well over my budget. After a few minutes, when he realized
that I wasn't going to jump at the Courier, he looked at his computer
screen again. It's interesting to note that the customer can see the
screen through the glass in the counter, but its too blurry to read from
the customer's angle. "I must have been looking at the Macs," he said. "I
do have a Sportster in stock."
I didn't know there was a difference between modems for the different
platforms. I have switched my old modems between Macs and PCs with no
problems. But it wasn't until I got home that I thought I might have just
escaped being a victim of a bait and switch. Anyway, he knocked a dollar
off of the price and I took the Sportster home for $198 or $2 below
budget. Perhaps the difference is in the free software in the box not in
the modem... Would it really have made a difference if I got Mac disks for
America Online, C$erve, Genie, and Netcom to add to my DOS/WIN coaster
collection?
As soon I got home I hooked it up, logged on to the Internet and found the
comp.dcomp.modems news group which is something I should have done first.
Guess what? That afternoon USR announced a firmware upgrade for the
Sportster (V.34+ 33,600). I quickly learned I hadn't asked the right
questions either. I had asked if the Sportster was upgradable, I didn't
specify flash ROM. So here I was with a brand new modem... and already it
was out of date.
USR was making the new chip available for $25 and shipping. I called first
thing Monday morning. Tech support hadn't even heard about it yet, but
assured me they could ship overnight. They wouldn't let me pick it up at
the plant in Skokie which is only half as far from my house as is ABC.
"Let me think about it," I said. After all, with shipping it would now be
$30 over my budget while later purchasers would find the new chip
installed without being required to pay extra for the chip. And besides,
some contributors to the usenet group had already found that they had
purchased boxes with the new chip off the shelf-- there is no way to tell
from the box. I felt rooked. But I gave in.. after all I wanted the
latest and the fastest.
So I called back.. forty minutes to get through (that's what speaker
phones are for), only to learn that the overnight delivery had now turned
into at least a thirty day wait. Heck, I could return my unit and wait a
month and probably buy it off the shelf by then. So I said no. I'll
stick it out.
Most of my connections seemed to be at around 21 or 24 k. Even though the
carrier rate never reached 28.8, transfer rates were going much faster
than before. I was also learning just how much time on the Internet is
spent waiting for something to happen on someone else's server. Faster
modems can't change that. Remember how your floppy drives seemed to slow
down as you got faster processors? The faster transfer rates just
exaggerate the waiting time on the Net.
For a week I played and tuned, trying different initialization strings to
see if I could get faster data transmissions with greater frequency. I
was determined to go back to the store on Friday and trade for a new
machine. Maybe by then the new faster chip would have reached the shelves.
Friday morning, before returning to ABC, I tired one more change to my
Telix communications program setup. Voila!! After five years of
uninterrupted use of Telix, except to upgrade, I had blown the config. It
would no longer connect. Sometimes it wouldn't even dial. What had I
done?
Frustrated by my inability to regularly connect at 28.8 and now having
trashed my old DOS friend, I went back to ABC... But they didn't have any
Sportsters in stock. The didn't have the Supra either (due in a week,
they said). But there was the Cardinal for only $164 and it was flash rom
upgradable. (BTW: ABC was very cooperative on the trade in...I may have to
take back those thoughts about the bait and switch.)
So I have $38 in my pocket (including refunded sales tax) and the Cardinal
is hooked up. It is flash upgradable, but there is no sign that Cardinal
is going to go upgrade again at this time. The unit I bought already has
the latest upgrade. So what good does the flash do me?
Unfortunately the Cardinal uses a slightly different version of the Hayes
command set so I have spent several days trying to find the right modem
string. My SLIP connection to the Internet is fine but I haven't been
able to get Telix functioning yet. Fortunately, the Sysop on my home BBS
(Chicago Syslink) has something called Banana Com online for quick
download. I had recently d/ld a copy for a friend. It's a simple com
program-- already configured to dial Syslink.. So I can get through again
and play BBS King. But its been frustrating.
Should Powell have withdrawn? Should Gingrich and Clinton be taken to the
woodshed for the poker game they played with the budget? I don't know.
There are more important questions in the world. Should I have waited for
the upgrade chip.. or saved my money for the Courier, or waited for the
Supra with the helpful external display? These are the earth shaking
questions.
Did I say I was thinking of changing the name of this column?? Maybe I
was premature. And did I tell you?? My last connect was at 28.8!!. Now if
only I could make that constant...and if only I could get Telix connecting
again.
After completing the first draft of this column, I tried some alternative
phone numbers from my ISP. At two of the sites I now regularly connect at
28.8. If I had tried those at first, I probably would have been satisfied
with the Sportster.
As to Telix, I finally deleted the telix.cnf file and reopened the app. I
don't know what I had done wrong but it's working again. Whew!! Now I can
get some sleep. But wait-- today I received notice of a Telix upgrade to
v.3.5 from DeltaCom...
See you online...
Leonard Grossman is a lawyer for the Department of Labor. He is a regular
WindoWatch contributor and can be reached at leonard.grossman@mcs.com
Leonard makes the rest of us feel much better about our own puny computing
skills. The great service he performs is by making the rest of us heave a
sigh of relief for not being the lone knucklehead left in the online
world. All of this has a too familiar ring!
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The Last Word A WindoWatch Feature
Web Surfing Anyone?
Copyright 1995 by Ben M. Schorr
If you're reading this column you are obviously already familiar with the
underlying concepts of on-line communication. There has been a lot of
talk in recent months about the future of the Internet, parti-cularly as
it relates to the proposed $500 Internet-Box that some people are seeing
as the future wave of Internet computing.
Until fairly recently, today in fact, I was one of those people who firmly
believed that in the not-terribly-distant future we would see a
proliferation of cheap boxes with monitors, modems and mice that we would
use from our homes, and some offices, to access and surf the web. Various
applications being provided via the Internet on a subscription basis,
perhaps even a link to your local Kinko's to do full custom and color
printing of your documents thusly created.
However, today I ran head first into what I believe will be the greatest
obstacle to the Internet's success as a global network for serving more
than basic information. In a word it is BANDWIDTH. Yes, as I sat here at
my desk waiting for a connection to Yahoo...and waiting...and waiting (and
playing a spirited game of Solitaire while I was waiting) it took
literally more than five minutes before I finally gave up and went to do
something else, but nearly everywhere I turned I found sluggish response.
I have a machine well suited to Web surfing (a Pentium with 16M of RAM,
accelerated video card and 28.8Kbps modem) but still I found the poor
performance unbearable. I certainly don't see people enduring that to
receive applications or more than basic information.
If the web is going to be truly useful it has to be reliable and that
means that when you click on a link you shouldn't have to wait more that a
minute or so at the MOST to get your connection and be ready to move
through that page.
Now don't get me wrong; I use the Internet on a daily basis. I send and
receive E-Mail in huge quantities, I regularly go to Web and FTP sites to
get information from vendors and download the latest patches and drivers.
But rarely is that a time critical circumstance. If the response is
sluggish I can wait or call back later. If, on the other hand, I get my
Word Processor from Lotus via on-line subscription, that sluggishness will
be unavoidable and intolerable.
The critical word is bandwidth. We need to find and expand upon ways to
deliver Internet access more rapidly. We need to continue the growth of
ISDN deployment. In fact, those $500 boxes may need to have a $750 big
brother with an ISDN connection. We need to continue to develop more
robust and powerful Web servers and Web server software.
Smart Design Anyone?
Part of the problem is that some web pages aren't very intelligently
designed. There are still a lot of people using 14.4Kbps modems for
access and to force them to download huge graphics is to discourage them
from accessing the net at all. Even at 28.8Kbps there are some pages that
take forever and longer to load. The design solution is to use less
graphics. Keep them simple, don't use every color in the palette and test
your pages. Insert Text Links for those who just want to navigate the
page quickly without waiting for the 80K JPEG of your new office building
to load. Give the user the option of seeing the graphics or not. When
you test your page, test it with a 14.4Kbps modem and a moderately
configured PC with just 8M of RAM, an ISA video card, etc. Make sure the
pages load within an acceptable period of time.
More Design Tips E-Mail is a fabulous tool. I use it whenever possible
to communicate with vendors and manufacturers as well as friends and
clients. It never ceases to amaze me that companies will deploy elaborate
web pages with no obvious way to send them E-Mail. Insert a link so that
the user can click on it and send you a quick E-Mail message. Make it
easy to find, perhaps at the bottom of each page.
If you have an FTP server, consider having a README file in each
directory that gives a one or two line description of what each file in
the directory is. Don't expect users to know that 121HGTP4.EXE is your
company's latest video driver for Windows95.
Consider posting links to companies that provide complimentary products
and services. Ask them to return the favor.
If you have a special section for limited access, make the process of
registering for that section easy and make the verification process
reliable. A major computer magazine requires you to be a print subscriber
to gain access to their on-line forums. I am a print subscriber and after
completing what seemed like an easy registration process I was chagrined
to discover that my numerous attempts to enter the forums were only
successful just twice. The rest of the time the system returned an error
indicating that my username and/or password were incorrect. Occasionally
it will return that error before even prompting me to ENTER my information
and then leaves me with no way to enter it!
I type this username and password pretty often, so it's unlikely that I
could make that many mistakes on it. More likely, I think that their
security measures are just unreliable. To date, E-mail sent to that
publication trying to get the issue resolved has met with only a lukewarm
response.
The Internet is a great tool with a lot of promise, but we're already
starting to run ourselves into the ground with it. As usage increases and
the graphic designers start taking control away from the computer people,
the web is going to get slower and more cumber-some. Prettier, yes. But
slow; and I've played about all of the Solitaire that I really care to
today.
If you have any design tips for web pages or pages that you either love or
hate, drop me a note at ben.schorr@bcsbbs.com-
Ben Schorr is the Host of the Ilink Consultants conference and the
Director of Operations of Watson/Schorr Consulting of Canoga Park, CA .
Ben's consulting practice keeps him very close to what is happening and
being said on the street. He is a regular contributor to WindoWatch.
ww
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