Collection of Tools & Utilities/Collection of Tools and Utilities.iso/system/hours15.zip/README

Text File | 1990-10-01 | 10KB | 214 lines

         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
         ~                 HOURS Version 1.5               ~
         ~      (c) Copyright  Andy Spiegl Munich 1990     ~
         ~               All rights reserved               ~
         ~                                                 ~
         ~                October, 1st 1990                ~
         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


                   Documentation for "HOURS.EXE":
                   ------------------------------

 You can call the program with the following parameters
  ∙  'ON'  (after booting (or reset) the computer) or
  ∙  'OFF' (before turning the computer off).
  ∙  as second parameter you CAN add a path (see below). (e.g. C:\START\)

 This program manages the not easy of counting the the elapsed time your
 compuiter has been operating. (That's more difficult than you may think!)

 For whatever reason, if the system time or date changed since the
 last reading in such a way that the increment of elapsed time is negative,
 HOURS will immediately give you a chance to correct the clock data.
 If you are not a lucky owner of a battery-backed clock, your AUTOEXEC.BAT
 will require the DOS commands TIME and DATE before you call HOURS.EXE.
 However, if you forget, HOURS asks for the correct time and date itself, but
 with an unpleasant beeeeep.
________________________________________________________________________________

 NOTE CAREFULLY:
 The data HOURS needs for working properly are saved in the files HOURS.DAT
 and HOURS.BAK, which must either be in the current directory when HOURS
 is executed or you have to include the path to them in a second parameter
 (after ON or OFF, see useage syntax above).  These two files are created
 and initialized by RESETHRS.EXE, which you must execute when you first
 begin the count of elapsed operating time.
________________________________________________________________________________


 EDIT_HRS.EXE is an additional tool that might come in handy in case that you
 want to take a look at the data in HOURS.DAT or if you need to revise it.
 To prevent other users from upsetting the elapsed time accuracy, and to
 force you to think twice about revisions, the program has a simple security
 check at the beginning:

 After you call EDIT_HRS.EXE you have to type in the ASCII code for the
 character 255.  This is an unprintable character and it has the effect
 of an invisible space on your monitor. You have to type it in using the
 ALT key.  While holding down the ALT key, type in the numbers 2 5 5 of the
 numeric keypad. Then let go of the ALT key, and there you are!
 (With this method you can type in any key; e.g. type  2 5 0  for a dot: '·' )

 Now suppose you want to decrease the elapsed time by 20 hours:
 After calling EDIT_HRS.EXE enter when requested the new reduced value,
 or just type in -20.

 CAUTION!  This program does not check whether your revision is logical.

________________________________________________________________________________


 There is an example for your AUTOEXEC.BAT in this package (AUTOEXEC.EXP),
 so that you can see how the program is called correctly.

 There should also be the files DOWN.BAT and DOWN_NOR.BAT. (If not please let
 me know). They are proposed methods for implementing the call of HOURS before
 turning off your computer. DOWN_NOR.BAT is the more elegant way, but it only
 works if you are the happy owner of the Norton Utilities 4.50 (or later),
 as it uses the Batch Enhancer BE.

 Finally, for users of PC's whose hard disks do not have automatic head
 retraction, I have included a very useful, but short and simple program.
 (unfortunately most useful programs are so huge, nowadays.)
 PARK.COM parks the heads of your hard drives. It is included in the two
 batch files DOWN.BAT and DOWN_NOR.BAT.

 I don't know who the author of this public domain program is and disclaim
 responsibility for anything that this program does or does not do with any
 hard drive. But I can tell you, it has been working on my and my friends
 computers for years without destroying anything at all.

 DO NOT FORGET to enter the command DOWN or DOWN_NOR before you turn your
 computer off. Alternatively, from the DOS command line you can type:

 hours off

 If you forget, time is counted until you call 'hours off' the next time,
 even if the computer is not running!  Here is a case for using EDIT_HRS
 to subtract the incorrect intervening hours.

 H A V E   F U N   counting the hours and don't be surprised at the amount!

           Your  Andy Spiegl (from Munich, Bavaria, Germany)



 P.S.: Any questions to Andy Spiegl, Kirchweg 11a, 8000 München 70.
       Or E-mail me: [e-mail]

 P.P.S.: HOURS is a shareware program by Andy Spiegl of

                -->   MIRROR PC TECHNICS   <--

 As shareware, you are entitled to try HOURS out for 15 days free, feel free to
 upload it to online services and give copies to friends, provided you follow
 these rules:

 1) A lot of time and effort went into writing and testing HOURS. If you don't
    use it, throw it out. If you do use it, pay the modest shareware fee of
    $15 US (or equivalent) to the author. By paying the shareware fee, you
    will become a registered user of HOURS and receive notice of all upgrades.

    Paying the shareware fee for something you find useful encourages the free
    exchange of information currently enjoyed by the software community.
    It also encourages me, the author, to support and upgrade the program. If
    you don't want to pay, don't do it, but remember:
        I WON'T PAY FOR YOUR SHAREWARE PROGRAM EITHER !!!

    But as I am a friend of mankind I offer another way of becoming a registered
    user of HOURS:
   ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
   │ If you send me constructive criticism or any useful programming hints I │
   │ will consider offering you to become a R.U. without paying.             │
   └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

 2) You may give an evaluation copy (non-personalized) of HOURS to others, but
    you are not allowed to distribute HOURS for direct or indirect profit by any
    means.

 3) When distributing HOURS, you may not alter HOURS15.ZIP including this
    documentation in any way.

 4) While every effort has been made to test HOURS in various environments,
    neither the author nor MIRROR PC TECHNICS is liable for any damages caused
    directly or indirectly through the use or misuse of HOURS and any tools.
    I provide HOURS *as is*, and give no guarantee that any specific features
    will be added in the future.  I do not guarantee that there will be future
    versions of HOURS, but this is very probable if I receive user support
    through shareware, constructive critisism or any programming hint.


 The Shareware Fee
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 To register as an authorized user of HOURS, send me the modest shareware fee.
 If you send me $15 US, you will be registered and I will notify you of all
 upgrades (in advance of their release).
 Users who have already sent me $15 US are still registered, but if you send an
 additional $5 (to cover the cost of the disk and shipping) I will send you a
 copy of the latest version of HOURS.
 Due to my friendliness, I offer group licenses for sites or LANs that have
 many HOURS users. The sliding fee scale makes HOURS less expensive per user as
 the size of your site increases.  The fee scale is as follows:

 # of Units  Cost per Unit (US)

 1-9         $15
 10-49       $12
 50 or more  $10

 All licenses of 2 or more units include 1 disk.  Please add $5 US to any order
 for each additional master disk you require.  Also, please specify the size and
 format (DSDD 3.5 inch, for example) of the disks you need. If you do not pro-
 vide your disk preference, I will use DSDD 5 1/4 inch disks.

 Once you receive your copy of HOURS, you will be able to upd