PsL Monthly 1993 November/PSL Monthly Shareware CD-ROM (November 1993).iso/reviews/u2_06

Text File | 1993-08-13 | 18.2 KB | 460 lines

U2-06:  Utility Sets


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2121 Multi-Task Utils          Small Programs Disk
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ActSK
   $?
is for people who run SideKick in a non-resident mode in a DESQview window.
ACTSK will automatically bring up the SK menu from a batch file.

DESQhlp
   Thompson, Roger C.
   $0
is a text file with helpful advice for getting the most out of DESQview 386. Our
only quibble is that he uses a very long path name so that he can access a lot
of programs from any directory. The problem is that if you do much work in DOS,
a long path definition will seriously degrade response time as DOS has to look
at too many files to find the right one. Better is to have a batch file (or even
better, a CED synonym) for each application you want to run that defines PATH to
include just the essential directories. When working in DOS, confine the PATH to
just your DOS and UTIL directories.

{DESQ} 1.20
   Allen, William E.
   $15
is a DESQview utility that, in effect, makes the DESQ key command-line driven.
This is primarily for use within batch files. Features include the ability to
open a list of windows; start a window with prompting for parameters; DV
submenus; hide/unhide a window; set the window Frame on or off; toggle the
Justify mode; wait a specified amount of time; resize and reposition a window;
make a window background or foreground; name mail boxes and check for a named
mail box; and more.

DV Commander 1.8 (DVCOMND)
   Allen, William E.
   $15
is a command line version of DESQview's ALT key functions. DV functions that
it can duplicate include opening a list of windows, including prompting for
parameters and directories, sound a beep, hide/show a window, wait for a
specified period of time, resize and reposition windows, make a window
background or foreground, name mail boxes and check for mail and more. (Not on
this disk. Ask for disk #8829.)

DV Open 1.1 (DVOPEN)
   Weaver, Michael D.
   $15
enhances DESQview's Open Window operations. You can create scripts to open a
window, or switch to it if already active, and access DV's built-in ability to
tame excessive keyboard polling of DOS programs, plus more.

DVScrip{t} (DVSCRIP)
     Weaver, Mark
     $0
simplifies the creating and changing of DESQview's scripts. We found the
documentation to be more than a little confusing, but managed to get through the
procedure the first time we tried by simply ignoring the parts we didn't
understand.

Multiple Choice 2.31 (MULTCH)
   Awesome Technology, Inc.
   $0
allows multiple programs in memory, and the ability to switch between programs
which are displayed and running. The memory of your computer is divided into
several channels, each like a separate computer with its own screen and ability
to run a program. (The authors are no longer at the address listed in the
documentation.)

QwikSwap 1.0 (QWIKSWP)
   Leading Edge Systems
   $29
is a 13K TSR task swapper. It uses EMS, XMS, hard disk or memory. The program
features rapid switching between up to nine tasks and four methods of cutting
and pasting text between applications.


2121 Utility Sets
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Ffour
   Unique Software ASP
   $20
contains the following four programs:  HELP 2.4.1 allows you to make your own
help files.  INKEY 1.3.1 is a batch file utility that lets you act upon a
keypress by the user.  MOVE 2.1 does a DOS MOVE within the same drive or a
copy and delete between different drives.  TD 1.2 is an educated change
directory (CD) command.

K9
   combines several divergent utilities into one program.  Included are a
keyboard typeahead buffer expander, a screen blanker, keys that let you scroll
back through your prior DOS commands, hard disk head parker, a function to
PrtSc to a disk file, AT keyboard speed adjustment, ASCII character set
display, toggle between QWERTY and DVORAK keyboard layouts, and an emergency
escape from some types of system lockups or program loops.

Mattv 2
   Briggs, Matthew E.
   $?
is a collection of utilities:  ASKER lets a batch file get input from user;
ASCII prints out an ASCII table on screen; COLOR allows you to change DOS
colors; CURSTAY keeps programs from modifying cursor; DELH deletes hidden and
system files; DIRWIZ a directory utility; FINDALL finds hidden files and
directories; HIDEIT allows you to hide files; SYSTEM returns system
configuration; UNHIDE unhides hidden files.

Power Utilities (POWERUT)
   Korhonenk, Aki
   $25
is a collection of 15 mostly system analysis type utilities. One unusual utility
turns your VGA screen cursor from blinking into pulsating. (Not on this disk.
Ask for disk #8718.)

QuickPC 1.12
   Baggs Technologies
   $25-$39
will enhance the performance of your PC with disk and screen speed up, screen
blanking, system lock, block cursor, clock, quick DOS beep, key click and more.

VSTutil
   Bross, Rick
   $10
is a set of seven useful utilities which include: Delall - search & delete,
Refresh - find optimum RAM refresh rate, Cputest3 - CPU id and benchmark,
Prime - speed check by searching for prime numbers, and more.

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END OF SMALL PROGRAMS DISK #2121
--------------------------------


DV Tree
   Weaver, Michael D.
   $35
   #3186
is a set of utilities for use with DESQview. DV Tree is a disk management tool
with several DV-specific bonuses. Features include support for non-US date
formats; CTRL key combinations to provide a third bank of keys for DESQview
functions; new command toggles; directory refresh; USERPIFS.ZIP archive to
provide example PIFs, batch files and utilities useful for DV Functions;
verification prompt for ESC (end split) command; print into an underlying
window; the ability to initiate scripts in target windows; and the ability to
bring an underlying application into the foreground. Also included are DVTXDI,
a TSR that keeps track of DESQview processes, and DVScript, an editing aid for
DESQview scripts.


JBT Tools
   JB Technology Inc.
   $15-$35
   #7528/3481 [2 disks]
is a set of eight utilities accessible from a common menu: EzDoss, a DOS
shell and ZIP file manager; EzEditor, a multi-window text editor; EzView, a
multi-window ASCII file viewer; EzLocate, a file finder; Find Duplicates,
which scans multiple drives, locates duplicate files and allows you to
interactively view, print, rename, or delete them; Back Off!, which eliminates
excessive backup files; and CopyCon, a small editor used for creating batch
files. A hard disk is required.


Lion Utilities
   Smith, Richard
   $20
   #3474
is a set of over 40 basic and advanced DOS utilities. Included are a
file finder, a replacement for DOS 5.0 Directory Utility, a copy utility, move
utility, binary file handling, sound effects and much more.


Armada Utilities #1
   Orman, Jack A.
   $20
   #7375/2069
is a collection of sixteen different utilities.  Among the more common ones
are ones for printing on two sides of paper, performing a warm boot, upper and
lower case conversion, add/remove linefeeds, change screen colors, control
cursor size and blink rate, a text-to-COM utility (limited to 24 lines of
text), an Epson printer controller, a text file formatter, and more.

Less common are several music related utilities, including a MIDI Popup. Also
a little more unique is TSRMaker 1.2, a menu-driven utility for making
single-screen, pop-up (2k) text files.


Baker's Dozen
   Buttonware ASP
   $65
   #7375/1009
is a set of 13+ utilities that can be run individually or called up from a
system menu. The set is comprised of a mini-spreadsheet, calendar, file
comparison utility, ASCII table, file search and text search utilities,
sideways printing utility, file sorter, utility for capturing printer output
to a file, directory tree deleter, screen color setter, screen capture
utility, utility to swap LPT1: and LPT2: as well as COM1: and COM2:, a disk
utility to unerase files, change file attributes, display cluster and sector
map, and more.

Most of these types of utilities are already available individually in the
library, but this is a nice package and allows you to get support for them all
from one place. The $65 seems a bit much at first glance, but if you totaled
up the fees of each of the similar stand-alone utilities, it would probably be
a lot more. Many people will probably be most interested in the file recovery
function, and it did indeed work well in testing.


Blaiz
   OurSoft
   $20-$26
   #7375/2653
includes a fast and safe move command, enhanced replacements for the DOS
commands copy, ren, and del as well as a fast editor optimized for small batch
files.

Also on the same disk is the following:

SupremeSoft Utilities
   SupremeSoft
   $10
   #7375/2653
is a set of four utilities including SupremeUtility 1.25, an integrated
copy/move/rename/delete utility, SupremeMove 1.35, a multiple file mover,
SupremeAsk 1.32, a Norton "Ask" clone, and SetAttribute 1.07, a global file
attribute changer.


DO Utilities
   Kleijn, J. A. M.
   $0
   #7375/2154
is a set of free utilities, including a tree window/menu, a file moving
utility, a list program, an intelligent copy program, a Find utility that will
search all the popular archive files, a fast directory changes, a calculator,
color setting utility, a timer, a time/date file log utility, and a password
protection for the PC. Windows, variables and load and saves options makes
this program a very powerful scientific calculation tool. This set came to us
from the Netherlands. The source code for most of the Do Utilities is
included. Also included is a conversion package for Zip, Lxh, Pak, and Arc.
Extended filepaths are now possible for DoCalc. Requires a hard disk.


FreePack
   Stilwell Software Products
   $39
   #2028
is a collection of six programs for managing a hard disk system. Included are
a menu program, a file manager, a file comparison utility, an "intelligent"
file copies, a text file viewer, and a file finder. Individually, these
programs are not the most powerful in the PsL, but together they make a handy
set of tools for people who do not want to have to search through the
utilities to put together a better set.


BlrUtil
   Rasmussen, Bud
   $0
   #7376/1349
is a set of utilities, including an A-and-B formatting utility, a backup
utility, a file cleanup utility (removes non-printable characters), a disk
eraser, a sector editor and more.  A color configuration file and a utility
menu program shell named EBU. An added feature allows all utilities that can
print (LPAF, LPD, LPS, LPTF, PAD and PSF) have had a test of the printer status
added and will halt if the printer is offline, out of paper, or powered off.


BlrUtil Source
   Rasmussen, Bud
   $0
   #7376/1348
is the assembler source code for BlrUtil, above.


FormGen Utility Pak #1
   MacLean, Randy ASP
   $25
   #7376/2896
is a set of 12 DOS utilities to move, search, manage and duplicate data and
program files, to copy large capacity disks without disk swapping, to securely
erase files, to encrypt and decrypt files, to pop up and send a form feed to
printer, to search for files based on contents, and more.


InfoSys Utility Disk
   Levey, Richard
   $20
   #7376/2557
is a set of four utilities:

TSRCalc is a calculator that can load into conventional DOS memory or LIM
Expanded memory. It has a virtual memory manager which uses disk files if
there is not enough DOS or Expanded memory available.

NoahsARC is a file compression utility which the author says creates smaller
compressed files than any other utility. It will only compress one file at a
time. On a 40k EXE file, NoahsARC took 5.77 seconds to get a 36.2k file while
LHarc (no speed burner, itself) took 2.8 seconds and also created a 36.2k
compressed file. On a 307k TIF file, it was 42.3 seconds, 105.8k and 14
seconds, 105.8k, respectively.

ScrBlank is a DOS menu program.

InfoSys displays a computer's configuration; numerous utilities and tests
are included.


Morton Utilities 1.0
   Morton, Robert L.
   $30
   #4769
is the Swiss Army knife of TSRs with over 40 utilities accessible from a
single pop-up menu. Among the functions are the ability to dim and
brighten a VGA display, format a disk in the background, encrypt/decrypt
files, blank the screen, dial a modem with background redialing, and
much more. It takes about 60k of DOS RAM, but can be loaded into EMS or
high memory instead. It also works in a DOS window in Windows 3.


Obs Toolkit
   Contrails, Inc. ASP
   $44
   #3763
replaces most of the DOS commands with more powerful ones. Features include
master, root, and parent environment editor; prune and graft directories, dump
files in hex, ASCII, strings only; smart change disk/directory; the ability to
list files in any order; move, copy, delete, and touch files; generate aliases;
get a directory tree with sizes and dates; detect duplicate, hidden, and old
files; multi-disk file finder; locate internal and external commands and more.
Requires DOS 3+ and above.


Patriquin's Hard Disk Utilities
   Patriquin, Norm ASP
   $45 for the set or $10-$20 each
   #7065/0551 [2 disks]
includes Palert (warns of low-disk space), Pattr 1.5 (change file
attributes), Pcopy 9.2c & Pmove (multi-featured utilities for
copying/moving files), Pdaily (allows a command to be executed only once
a day), Pdelete 4.4 (powerful delete utility), Pprint 5.5 (text file
printer), Psearch 5.2b (text file search utility) Ptouch 2.0 (modify a
file's date and time stamp), EasyDial 4.5 (dial a phone through a
modem), and PreBack (a backup preprocessor and interface).

The Patriquin Utilities have been recommended my most of the major PC
publications and are very popular with people who register software
through PsL.


PC-Util
   Abacus Computer Service
   $40
   #7377/1400
is a collection of programs that include batch file utilities, programmer's
utilities, a file editor for WordPerfect macros, hard disk utilities, a label
printing printing program, a program that prints ASCII files to your printer, a
program that makes and prints and index of files from floppy or hard disks, a
program that will show and strip control characters including printer controls
and a number of other useful programs.


Rock Utilities, Volume I
   Rock Systems
   $21
   #7377/2743 [2 disks]
is a set of over 30 utilities for use in DOS, including a directory lister
that also shows the contents of archived files, a graphic previewer of files
to be printed, a text searcher, visual tree, calendar printer, command-line
calculator and more. Also included is RockComm, a basic telecommunications
program.


The Next Tools
   Hardy, Thomas B.
   $15-$20
   #7377/2592
is a set of utilities for users with many files and directories. It includes a
very fast file finder, duplicate file finder, a directory branch pruner, a
utility that allows you to execute a command for all subdirectories (eg: delete
all *.BAK files on a hard disk), and more.


RO-Soft DOS Utilities 4.5
   RO-Soft ASP
   $10-$70
   #3678
is a collection of DOS utilities. There is a a DOS shell, file manager, text
editor, pop-up programmer's calculator, memory allocation report, disk directory
tree report, equipment lister, disk scan routines, TSR clock, calendar,
double-directory lister, DOS function key editor, screen color setter, directory
sorter, file finder, file undeleter, and more. Virus detection is featured in
all utilities.


SEE Utilities 3.0
   Pinnacle Software
   $0
   #12109
is a set of freeware utilities that let you view or print text files, create
smart DOS menus with unlimited entries, control video modes, create on-disk
books, document and integrate pro grams and more.


SBS Utility Pack
   Custom Software
   $5-$20 each
   #4441
is a set of seven different utility programs. It includes SBSPhone 2.3, a Popup
phone book that keeps numbers, names, notes, etc.; SBSPrint 1.5, a popup
controller for Epson compatible printers that changes modes, etc.; BreakZip 1.0,
zips files down to a specified size; VOC2W4S 1.0, converts .VOC files created
with the sound blaster to .SND files for use with Wired for Sound for Windows to
play VOC files through the PC speaker; HypSer 1.0, searches entire directories
or specified files for a search string; SBSBoot 1.2, allows computer to reboot
with any of 999 different AUTOEXEC or CONFIG files from a batch file or the DOS
command line; SBSCom 1.0, small telecommunications program supporting external
file transfers.


TIM Utilities 3.2
   Awanasi Software Incorporated
   $25-$200
   #7707/4117 [2 disks]
contains several useful DOS utilities. TIMSHELL is a full featured file and
directory manager with password protection, file viewing, screen blanking, and
application launching. It's resident memory usage is configurable from 0K to
10K, and can utilize EMS and disk swapping.

Other utilities include TIMPASS: a 10K popup password system, TIMVIEW: a 10K
popup file viewer, and TIMFIXSR: a program to help resolve conflicts between
memory resident utilities. TIMDEMO is also included to demonstrate how the TIM
interface can be customized to fit individual needs.


Utility Pack
   Peak InfoSystems, Inc.
   $75
   #7263/1725 [2 disks]
is a collection of UNIX-inspired utilities.  Some of the utilities include a
line (text) editor; the ability to print unduplicated lines from a file; update
the date/time stamp on a file; locate directories and files; concatenate, print,
and clear WordStar files; print the function calls made within a C source file;
renumber program lines; and much more.


MicroFirm Toolkit
   Stout, Robert B.
   $35
   #7263/1719 [2 disks]
is a collection of 28 Unix-like utilities intended to replace or supplement
DOS commands. The author says they "can be used within batch files, unlike DOS
internal commands." We were concerned about the quality of programs written by
someone who doesn't know that DIR and COPY can be used in a batch file, but
the set of utilities seems to be very worthwhile.

The following DOS commands are replaced, usually with more powerful
counterparts: CD, COMP, XCOPY, ATTRIB, COPY, DIR, SORT, TREE, REN, DEL, and
PRINT. Additional functions are file encryption, tree branch removal, text
file search, file splitting, word and line counting, and more.

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