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- FDREAD v 1.20cj
-
- This is a modification of the "FDREAD" that comes with FDFORMAT. Its
- operation is compatible with the original version. But new features have
- been added.
-
- Actually, it can be used with to make possible the operation of any of the
- diskette "over-formatting" programs, but it is meant as an improvement to
- the FDREAD that comes with FDFORMAT. If you don't have FDFORMAT, get it!
-
- FDREAD can be loaded either as a TSR or as a device driver.
-
- To load it as a device driver, put a "device=" statement in your CONFIG.SYS
- file that reads something like:
-
- DEVICE=<drive and/or path>FDREAD.EXE
-
- Don't leave off the ".EXE". The drive and path information is, as usual,
- as required. Since this version of FDREAD can be turned off and on,
- loading it as a device driver should not create the kinds problems that
- would require you to have several version of CONFIG.SYS from which you
- would be rebooting all the time.
-
- To load it as a TSR, just execute it from the command line with NO
- PARAMETERS.
-
- The first feature it has is that it will no longer load multiple copies of
- itself. If it is not already loaded, it will load. If it's already
- loaded, either as a TSR or as a device driver, it will just tell you
- whether it is "off" or "on".
-
- "Off" means that it is not doing anything, and you can't read or write
- over-formatted disks. When it is "on", you CAN read and write them.
-
- If you just want to know if FDREAD is, somehow, installed, just type in:
-
- FDREAD ?
-
- from the command line. If FDREAD is installed, it will tell you if it is
- "off" or "on"; if it's NOT installed, it will tell you that is isn't.
-
- To turn FDREAD "on", type:
-
- FDREAD ON
-
- from the command line.
-
- To turn if "off", type:
-
- FDREAD OFF
-
- from the command line.
-
- It's a lot like the DOS VERIFY command.
-
- If FDREAD is not installed, and you supply ANY kind of parameter, it
- will NOT install itself, but just inform you that it isn't installed.
- To install it as a TSR, you MUST enter the FDREAD command with NO
- parameters.
-
- FDREAD now returns an "error" code when it is executed from a batch command
- file:
- 0 - FDREAD is loaded and is OFF.
- 1 - FDREAD is loaded and is ON.
- 3 - FDREAD wasn't loaded, but now IS loaded (as a TSR), and is ON.
- 105 - FDREAD is not loaded (response from FDREAD with any parameter, but
- NEVER with NO parameter).
-
- The original version of FDREAD does not get along well with some formatting
- programs. (No, I don't ALWAYS use FDFORMAT!) For example, with the
- original FDREAD installed, PCSHELL v 5.x and, so far, 6.0 will not copy
- disks (disk copy function), nor will it format them (disk format function).
- This new version of FDREAD does not cause such problems.
-
- If some program you are running seems to have problems with FDREAD ON, you
- don't have to reboot -- just turn it OFF.
-
- And when you need it ON, you can just turn it on.
-
- For some technical notes, see the file "TECHIE.POO".
-
- June, 1990 -- Crazy Jack
-
-
- ----------------end-of-author's-documentation---------------
-
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