FFFFFFFF FFFFFFFF FFFFFFFFF FFFFFFFF FFFFFFFF FFFFFFFFFF FFFFFFFFFF FFFFFFFFFF FFFFFFFFFF FFFFFFFFFF FFF FF FFF FFFFFFF FFFFFF FFF FFF FFF FFF FFFFFFF FFF F FFF FFFFFFF FFFFFF FFF FFF FFF FFF FFFFFFF FFF FFF FFFFFFFFFF FFFFFFFFFF FFFFFFFFFF FFFFFFFFFF FF FF FFFFFFFF FFFFFFFFF FFFFFFFF FFFFFFFF
Specific information……..
ððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððð
If you can't afford the big cluster size on large hd's (32k…) slice'em up with fdisk into two, three partitions.
There can exist ONE file only in each cluster.
ððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððð
If you experience files with spaces in them (20h), you might discover that is isn't so easy to delete them. Let's say we have a file called "game 94.exe". First rename it to something deleteable.
ren game?94.exe game_94.exe del game_94.exe
Of course, you might have to delete any files that blocks for a rename, like "game!94.exe", etc…..
ððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððð
If [program-name] *.* don't work, use
for %a in (*.*) [prog-name] %a ;or %%a for batch files (?)
instead. If you don't need *.*, use the wildcard that suits your problem…
-This is called a FOR loop.
ððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððð
If you ever use nonstandard floppy-disks and get hardware errors on them, you might discover that you can't run "Norton Disk Doctor" or another similar disk-error correcting utility on them.
The trick is to either use one of these solutions in your config.sys:
- Driver.sys and define a new logical drive
-NOT recommended because a LOT of programs fuck up with this driver.
- Drivparm= . This parameter redefines your physical drive, and
sets new information. HIGHLY recommended, works virtually everywhere!
SYNTAX:
drivparm= /D:[number] (/C) /F:[factor] /H:[heads] (/I) (/N) /S:[sectors]
/T:[tracks]
D - represents logical drive number, A:=0, B:=1, C:=2, and so on.
0-255, but real limit is drive Z.
C - Means that the drive has CHANGE LINE SUPPORT, which means
that the drive detects if you remove and and insert a disk. 5.¬ usually doesn't have Change Line Support, but 3.« usually does.
F - Form factor. Says what true device the new device should
emulate. 0- 160/180k, or 320/260k disk. 1- 1.2 MB disk. 2- 720k 3.5 inch disk. 5- Hard disk. 6- Tape Drive. 7- 1.44 MB 3.5 inch disk. 8- Read/Write optical disk. 9- 2.88 MB 3.5 inch disk.
The default is a 3.5 inch 720 kb disk.
H - Maximum head number. From 1 to 99. Default is 2.
I - Specifies that the device is 3.5 inch electrically-compatible.
Set this switch if your BIOS does not support 3.5 inch drives.
N - Specifies a non-removable block device.
S - Sectors per track. From 1 to 99. Default is 9.
(In most cases, if you set the track to the highest case in which you may experience, the device will usually still detect a less-sectored storage device, and properly use it) (Then again, it might not...hehehe)
T - Number of tracks PER SIDE of block device. From 1 to 999.
same ()'s goes as over.
This parameter can also be used to specify a 3.«" disk drive in a system which bios cannot handle that…..
ððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððð
At least set
c:\dos\mode con rate=32 delay=1
if you don't have the utility to set the rate higher, this is a setting to live with….
An alternate and better solution, but more technical, is to create a TSR that stuffs more characters into the keyboardbuffer whenever a key is pressed.
If you want an extended keyboardbuffer, it is really easy to create a program that changes the buffer to point to the USUALLY empty space between 0200 and 0300…
Note: USUALLY!
To help you with this, I have included a program in asm for you. If you have no compilator, don't worry, because I have also compilated it. You can find most info in the buffermv.1st file.
The asm, exe, and 1st files lies in the EXTRAS directory.
ððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððð
if the install program is stupid enough, use subst to SUBSTitute drive a: for a directory on your hd. This way you can install MUCH faster…
Use: subst a: [drive]:\[full path]
use a program to shell to dos between installing the disks, or just stuff all the disks into the directory
ððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððð
use a boot-menu if possible [dos 6.0 and higher]
ððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððð
of course, to save memory, the start of your config.sys would look something like this:
stacks=0,0 ;Unless you REALLY need stacks, keep them out!
;You can use a multiple-boot if you only need stacks for one program
fcbs=1 ;No-one uses fcbs's anymore, keep them low buffers=20,8 ;Only real impact on small&slow hd's and floppies
Turn higher if one of your devices tend to slow down The second number is the size of the secondary buffer.
lastdrive=c[d?] ;dos sets lastdrive at one drive more than you need.
When you don't planning on installing devices between reboots, set lastdrive to your REAL last drive
files=20 ;20 is enough for wp, which is about the only program
that use so many. You can usually live with 10, (or 8) Other programs, like bbs'es need more.... If you Task-switch, you might need much more!
ððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððð
Dos has several bugs you don't want to run in to. Be avare of command lines very long (, like 250 chars), which in addition to some keycodes hangs dos. A cold boot is the only cure. You might want to avoid pressing a lot of ctrl codes simoultanesly. (Who does that really? Me? Guess so…..)
ððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððð
Use smaller characters in dos sessions! Using a smaller characters generates a larger -real estate-, and gives you easier dos management. Normally, virtually everyone can use:
[config.sys] device=c:\dos\ansi.sys
[autoexec.bat] ;or another file containing the commands you c:\dos\mode con lines=50 ;normally would have had in that file
Other people, like me, would use a tsr to give you 80*60 or 100*40, or maybe something like the 160*64! (1mb, 1280*1024)
Generally, I use 80*60 for normal dos management, and 100*40 for reading text files.
ððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððð
If your hd is as complicated as mine, with 600+ directories, 10000-20000 files, and tree paths as big as 15 levels deep, you WANT to create additional drives with subst.
Let's say that your main and last drive is d: Then you really want to: subst e: d:\ subst f: d:\
and so on…..
If you can't afford the small memory the additional drives costs you, and you only have one Floppy Drive, replace b: which is not used, and only takes memory anyway…
this way you can be in d:\main\progs\main\dos\util\data\sound\players\dmp and copy a file, let's say readme.now to e: (which is really d:!) e:\second\datas\second\copy2\temp\delme\x\x\x\
then only a {copy d:readme.now .} is required!!!!!!!!
Windows notice!
Since windows is NOT compatible with subst, do as follows:
1. Rename WIN.COM to WINFILE.COM 2. Make a bat file {win.bat} containing this:
subst d: /D ;and e: b: f:, if you have more that one ;substed drive...
c:\windows\winfile.com
subst d: d:\ ;restore the subst'es to the original ;configuration
This works fine with me, and is as far as I know, the best solution to this problem… There IS a way to use SUBSTed drives in windows, but I will not explain this here.
You might want to restore your video configuration, since windows usually fucks up any exotic video mode. (like 80*60, which windows returns to 80*50)
You CAN however create subst'ed drives within a dos-window. The subst'ed drives will not be shared among the windows.
ððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððð