ZIP'R Pro For DOS Version 2.24 Copyright c 1993-1995 by Stevenson Technical Services, Incorporated 108 Second Avenue West PO Box 297 Bertha MN 56437-0297 USA Phone/FAX: 218-924-2050 The STSI BBS: 218-924-2060 Internet: cstevens@bertha.polaristel.net Welcome! ZIP'R Pro is a hard drive utility designed to automatically decompress an entire program before it is executed, and compress it after it is exited. This process saves valuable hard drive space by storing programs in compressed form when they are not in use. ZIP'R Pro is unique because it not only compresses and decompresses entire programs, but it launches them as well! This feature makes it possible to fully integrate ZIP'R Pro into most, if not all menuing systems. ZIP'R Pro can use an existing compression program such as PKZIP / PKUNZIP, ARJ, or LHA, or it can use internal compression routines that are compatible with PKZIP 2.0! If you appreciate ZIP'R Pro For DOS, you are encouraged to call The STSI BBS at (218) 924-2060, and let us know! Comments, suggestions, and enhancement requests are always welcome! Requirements To run ZIP'R Pro reliably, you will need the following: ú DOS 3.3 or Higher ú IBM PC, PC-Compatible or MS-DOS Computer ú Hard Drive and 640K RAM Quick-Start Instructions To get ZIP'R Pro up and running in a hurry, follow these Quick- Start instructions: 1. Run the Install program by typing "INSTALL" at the DOS prompt. 2. Reboot your machine to ensure that any changes made by the Install program to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file have taken effect. 3. Execute the ZIF Editor Pro from the \ZIPRPRO sub-directory (or wherever you installed ZIP'R Pro) by typing "ZIFPRO", and create a new .ZPD file for the program you want to compress and launch through ZIP'R Pro. 4. once you have created a .ZPD file, exit the ZIF Editor Pro, make sure you are still located in the ZIP'R Pro program directory, and type "ZIPRPRO PROGRAM". Examples of potential command lines could be: ZIPRPRO PCSHELL ZIPRPRO PSDELUXE 5. If the fields of the .ZPD file have been entered correctly, ZIP'R Pro will display the prelog screen, and then execute the program you designated in the .ZPD file. When you exit the program, ZIP'R Pro will use the compression type you selected to compress the program directory (including all sub-directories). When it is completed, unregistered users will see a shareware nag screen before ZIP'R Pro returns to a DOS prompt or the menu system being used. 6. The next time you want to run this program, use the same command line. ZIP'R Pro will display the prelog screen, decompress the program, and execute it normally. Once again, after exiting the program, ZIP'R Pro will compress the program and exit. 7. To calculate how much disk space you are gaining by using ZIP'R Pro, check the free hard drive space prior to compressing a program, and again after compressing the program. Subtract the two numbers, and the total will be the disk space saved through using ZIP'R Pro. The more programs you choose to compress, the greater the savings will be! Disclaimer / License Agreement What is shareware? Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are expected to register. Individual programs differ on details - some request registration while others require it, some specify a maximum trial period. With registration, you get anything from the simple right to continue using the software to an updated program with printed manual. Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just like commercial authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the software, either to all or to a specific group. For example, some authors require written permission before a commercial disk vendor may copy their Shareware. Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy. And because the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee - if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it. Disclaimer - Agreement By using ZIP'R Professional For DOS, users indicate their acceptance of the following terms: "ZIP'R Professional For DOS is supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. Neither STSI, The STSI BBS, or any STSI employees will be held responsible for any damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of ZIP'R Professional For DOS." "Information in this documentation is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of STSI. STSI may make improvements and/or changes in this documentation or in the products and/or programs described in this documentation at any time." ZIP'R Professional For DOS is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system. The essence of "user- supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products. If you find this program useful and find that you are using ZIP'R Pro and continue to use ZIP'R Pro after a reasonable trial period, you must make a registration payment of $49.95 (+S&H) to Stevenson Technical Services, Inc. (STSI). This registration fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one time. You must treat this software just like a book. An example is that this software may be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility of it being used at one location while it's being used at another. Just as a book cannot be read by two different persons at the same time, ZIP'R Pro should not be used on two different computers at the same time. Commercial users of ZIP'R Professional For DOS must register and pay for their copies of ZIP'R Professional For DOS within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn. Site-License arrangements may be made by contacting STSI at (218) 924-2050. Anyone distributing ZIP'R Pro for any kind of remuneration must first contact STSI for authorization. This authorization will be automatically granted to distributors recognized by the (ASP) as adhering to its guidelines for shareware distributors, and such distributors may begin offering ZIP'R Pro immediately. (However STSI must still be advised so that the distributor can be kept up- to-date with the latest version of ZIP'R Pro.) You are encouraged to pass a copy of ZIP'R Pro along to your friends for evaluation. Please encourage them to register their copy if they find that they can use it. All registered users will receive a copy of the latest version of the ZIP'R Pro, along with a printed manual and bonus disks. ASP Notice: STSI is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536. Registration ZIP'R Pro is distributed under the shareware concept. You may try ZIP'R Pro for a period of two weeks. After this period, you must either discontinue using it, or register it. A single-user license is only $49.95 (+$5.00 S&H in the U.S., or $12.50 S&H on Foreign Orders). This price includes a printed manual, 3 1/2" and 5 1/4" diskettes, along with a Registration Name and Number allowing you to register your copy of ZIP'R Pro. To receive a temporary registration number over the telephone, call STSI at (218) 924-2050, and charge it to your Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover credit card. Upon request, you will receive a temporary registration name and number over the telephone. This will allow the modification and/or removal of the prelog delay time, along with any nag screens. Note: For registered users of the original ZIP'R For DOS, there is an upgrade path available. A $20.00 upgrade fee will cover the difference in price between the two products, as well as the cost to produce a new manual and ship the complete package to you. For further registration information and pricing, please read the REGISTER.DOC file included with ZIP'R Pro. There is also a registration form contained at the end of this documentation file. If you have already registered ZIP'R Pro, information is contained in this manual about how to register your copy of ZIP'R Pro to remove any delay or information screens. How To Order To register, do ONE of the following (whichever you prefer): 1. Call The STSI BBS at (218) 924-2060 and register online. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover credit cards. This method of registration can be performed 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. (Registering this way is fast and easy, allowing us to process your registration quickly.) 2. To register using our voice line, call (218) 924-2050. Please have your credit card handy. 3. You can FAX your registration to (218) 924-2050. Simply fill out the registration form provided (REGISTER.DOC), include your credit card information on the bottom of the form, and sign it. (Most FAX transmissions will be automatically routed to the FAX machine. If you have problems reaching our FAX machine, wait until after the first ring, press 11, and then begin transmitting.) 4. Mail the registration form along with your payment to STSI at 108 2nd Avenue West, PO Box 297, Bertha, MN 56437-0297 USA. Technical Support: Technical support is available through the following means: The STSI BBS: New versions of this program will be posted here as soon as they are available. The STSI BBS uses a U.S. Robotics V.Everything modem, which is capable of V.FAST, V.32bis, V.32, and 2400 baud connect speeds. The access number for The STSI BBS is (218)-924-2060. Technical support questions posted on the bulletin board system should be addressed to Craig Stevenson. STSI FAX: STSI has a FAX machine on-line 24 hours-a-day to accept FAX transmissions. Technical support questions / problems may be faxed to (218) 924-2050. Most FAX transmissions will be automatically routed to the FAX machine. If you have problems reaching our FAX machine, wait until after the first ring, press 11, and then begin transmitting. Internet Mail: STSI will respond to messages sent via the Internet. Send any tech support related questions, comments, or suggestions to cstevens@bertha.polaristel.net. Telephone: Technical support calls may be placed at (218) 924-2050. Office hours are from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday thru Friday, and 8:00 am - 11:00 am on Saturday. Please read the following before placing a technical support call to STSI: 1. Read the documentation files (and the help screens, if available). Most questions can be answered by simply reading the docs. 2. If you have a modem, call The STSI BBS and download the latest version. (Read Bulletin #1 on our BBS to find out the latest version and release date of this program. When downloading a file, keep in mind that STSI's programs are always posted in area 27.) After you download the latest version, try it and see if you are still experiencing the same problem. We attempt to fix problems as soon as we become aware of them, and post the updated versions on the bulletin board system. (Check the .REV revision file for information on feature enhancements and bug-fixes.) 3. If you still cannot find an answer, contact us through one of the means outlined above. We will do our best to assist you and answer any questions you may have. 4. When calling or leaving a message, please be prepared to answer the following questions: What version of this program are you using? What problem(s) are you having, if any? What type of computer CPU do you have (486DX2-66, etc.)? What version of DOS are you using? Please be as specific as possible. The more specific you are, the faster we will be able to assist you. 5. When placing a technical support call via telephone, please be seated behind your computer. We may ask you to perform a couple of simple tasks in order to help us narrow down any potential problems. 6. When speaking with any of our employees, please be considerate. Speak clearly, explaining your problem as carefully as possible. Please do not use any harsh or inappropriate (profane) language. 7. If one of our employees is able to help you, and you continue to use this program, register it! We cannot continue to produce quality programs without the continuing support of our users. What Is ZIP'R Pro? ZIP'R (pronounced "zipper") Pro is a hard drive utility designed to automatically decompress an entire program before it is executed, and compress it after it is exited. This process saves valuable hard drive space by storing programs in compressed form when they are not in use. ZIP'R Pro even achieves a substantial amount of compression on hard drives that already use an on-the- fly compression program, such as Stacker, SuperStor, or DoubleSpace! ZIP'R Pro is unique because it not only compresses and decompresses entire programs, but it launches them as well! This feature makes it possible to fully integrate ZIP'R Pro into most, if not all menuing systems. ZIP'R Pro can use an existing compression program such as PKZIP / PKUNZIP, ARJ, or LHA, or it can use internal compression routines that are compatible with PKZIP 2.0! ZIP'R Pro Feature List ZIP'R Pro is a spin-off of the popular ZIP'R For DOS product. ZIP'R Pro contains most or all of the features found in ZIP'R, and adds other powerful features as well. If you like all the extra bells and whistles, you'll love ZIP'R Pro! The following list shows a comparison of the two products, and details some of the highlights of ZIP'R Pro: Feature ZIP'R ZIP'R Pro Automatic Compression Yes Yes Automatic Decompression Yes Yes Automatic Program Launching Yes Yes Query Option (Optional Compression) Yes Yes Update Option (Fast Recompression) Yes Yes Sorted Extraction (PKUNZIP Only) Yes Yes Built-In Compression Routines No Yes Compression to Floppy Disks (PKZIP Only) No Yes Store Compressed Files On Any No Yes Drive/Directory Compress/Decompress Only Option No Yes Automatic Cluster Size Detection No Yes Automatic Network/Multitasker Detection No Yes Atomic Lock Files Used (To Avoid Network No Yes Conflicts) Windowed Compression/Decompression No Yes Heap Compaction (Eliminates Unnecessary No Yes Swapping) On-Line Context-Sensitive Help Available No Yes In ZIF Editor IN/OUT Commands Handled In ZIF Files No Yes Special Area To Handle TSR's In ZIF Files No Yes Swap To EMS Or Disk Only When Necessary No Yes Option To Test Archive Integrity No Yes Selective Extraction / Exclusion No Yes Improvements From ZIP'R To ZIP'R Pro: ú Significant speed enhancements in Update mode ú ZIP'R Pro is smaller and faster than ZIP'R ú Improved (more extensive) error trapping in ZIP'R Pro 10 Reasons To Use ZIP'R Pro 1. Saves Valuable Hard Drive Space! Even though hard drive prices have dropped substantially in the past year, the prices are still out of range for many computer users. In addition, computer programs have become much larger, requiring far more space than they used to. ZIP'R Pro can double, and in some cases triple, the amount of data that can be stored on a hard drive. Programs like SuperStor, Stacker, and DoubleSpace typically achieve compression ratios around 30 - 35%. Even hard drives that use these on-the-fly compression programs can usuallly save an extra 20% or more. 2. Does Not Require 40 - 50K Of Valuable Memory! Programs like SuperStor, Stacker, and DoubleSpace require that you surrender 40 - 50K of valuable conventional memory to use their services. ZIP'R Pro does not! For users who are already cramped for conventional memory, ZIP'R Pro is clearly the way to go. 3. Automatically Executes Programs After Decompressing Them. ZIP'R Pro automatically launches programs after they are decompressed. This allows you to continue with your work while ZIP'R Pro takes care of the rest. Rather than manually decompressing, launching, and recompressing your program, ZIP'R Pro makes the entire process automatic. 4. Works On Networks And Under Multitaskers. ZIP'R Pro has the built-in ability to detect when program execution is occurring in a network environment and under a multitasker. ZIP'R Pro takes extra steps to protect your data, such as making sure that no one else can access your program at the same time you are using it. Potentially dangerous situations are monitored and handled elegantly by ZIP'R Pro. 5. Safe and Reliable! One comment we receive regularly from our users is that ZIP'R is "safe and reliable". We have carried that same reliability into ZIP'R Pro! 6. Store Compressed Programs On Any Drive And In Any Subdirectory. One new feature of ZIP'R Pro is the ability to store compressed files on any drive and in any subdirectory. This is a powerful feature, giving you complete control of the compression and decompression processes. 7. Compress Programs To Floppy Diskettes (PKZIP only) Having the ability to store compressed files on floppy diskettes gives you more flexibility, allowing you to completely remove programs from your hard drive, if necessary. A special switch within the ZIF Editor Pro allows you to turn on DOS Verify, ensuring the integrity of your data. 8. Much Cheaper Than Buying A New Hard Drive! ZIP'R Pro is a great way to double your hard drive capacity without breaking your budget. Priced at just $49.95, ZIP'R Pro gives you the extra space you need to delay the purchase of that next hard drive. 9. Compress programs at will using Query option. Using ZIP'R Pro's Query option, users can decide on-the-fly whether or not to compress a program. With a simple keypress, ZIP'R Pro either recompresses the program, or leaves it uncompressed during times when you're in-and-out more than usual. 10. Update option makes program recompression fast and easy! Using the Update option, (available only with PKZIP), ZIP'R Pro can significantly speed up the recompression process. Rather than waiting for a completely new compressed file to be created, the old file is updated with any changes that have occurred since the file was decompressed. You'll be amazed at the dramatic difference in speed! How Does ZIP'R Pro Work? ZIP'R Pro works in combination with existing compression programs to compress directories, sub-directories, and the files they contain into one smaller, compressed file on the hard drive. This allows an entire directory filled with files to be stored in compressed form when not in use, saving a substantial amount of hard drive space. When a program is executed, ZIP'R Pro invokes the proper compression program to decompress the desired directory, and executes the requested program. During this time ZIP'R Pro swaps itself to disk or EMS memory, leaving behind only about 2.5K plus the size of the command processor and its environment. This usually is less than 10K. When the program is exited, ZIP'R Pro invokes the chosen compression program to compress the entire directory. Installing ZIP'R Pro The first step in testing a new piece of software is to perform a backup and test its integrity. Since ZIP'R Pro will compress entire directories into a single file, your potential losses are much greater if this file becomes lost or corrupted. Log to the drive where you are installing ZIP'R Pro from, and type "INSTALL". The ZIP'R Pro For DOS installation program will ask you where you are installing ZIP'R Pro from (usually, the current directory), and the location where the program files should be stored. (The default destination directory is C:\ZIPRPRO.) If you are upgrading from a previous version, ZIP'R Pro will issue a warning before overwriting the ZIPRPRO.INI file. If you have already set up your registration information and user preferences in the ZIPRPRO.INI file, answer "N" (No) to instruct ZIP'R Pro not to overwrite this file. When the installation is complete, ZIP'R Pro will display a completion message and return to the operating system. ZIP'R Pro can be installed on any drive in your system, including network drives. Important! Be sure to include a SET ZIPRPRO=N:\ZIPRPRO statement (or wherever you put ZIP'R Pro), in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If this environment variable is not found, ZIP'R Pro defaults to using the C:\ZIPRPRO sub-directory. (If either of those directories cannot be found on your system, the current directory is used.) Using The ZIF Editor Pro The ZIF (ZIP'R Information File) Editor Pro is a user-friendly interface that was created to assist ZIP'R Pro users in the maintenance of .ZPD files, and ZIP'R Pro configuration files. The ZIF Editor Pro allows the direct editing of the following files: .ZPD Files ZIP'R Pro For DOS Information Files (.ZPD Files) contain program specific information that instruct ZIP'R Pro how to execute a particular program, and what archiving utility should be used. This information is used to decompress, execute, and re-compress program files and their sub- directories. These .ZPD files are referenced from the ZIP'R Pro command line, and make ZIP'R Pro an easy-to-use utility for novice and experienced users alike. ZIPRPRO.INI File This file contains program defaults for ZIP'R Pro. From within the ZIF Editor Pro, users can enter their registration name and number, and alter several program settings described later in this documentation. The following are a few technical notes about specific editing features within the ZIF Editor Pro. Editing Keys: The following keys are available to edit or type new text into most text fields. HOME Move to beginning of field CTRL+HOME Move to beginning of field END Move to end of field CTRL+END Move to end of field INSERT Insert Mode / Overstrike Mode DELETE Remove character over the cursor BACKSPACE Remove character left of the cursor LEFT ARROW Move cursor one character to the left RIGHT ARROW Move cursor one character to the right TAB Move cursor to next field SHIFT+TAB Move cursor to previous field ENTER Move cursor to next field SPACE BAR Highlight file in file list box Upper Case Characters: When new field entries are added to the ZIF Editor Pro's editing screens, the ZIF Editor Pro will automatically convert them to UPPER CASE characters. This speeds up the typing process and provides consistency within the ZIF Editor Pro. The only field that serves as an exception to this rule is the "Parameters:" field. Some programs are case sensitive when accepting passed parameters, so the ZIF Editor Pro does not convert the characters in this field to upper case. Executing The ZIF Editor Pro To invoke the ZIF Editor Pro, type "ZIFPRO" from the \ZIPRPRO sub- directory (or wherever you store ZIP'R Pro), and press [ENTER]. The ZIF Editor Pro's desktop space will display a logo containing version and copyright information. Editing .ZPD Files The main menu allows users to create, open, and delete .ZPD files, modify ZIP'R Pro default settings, register, and view information about the ZIF Editor Pro. By creating or opening a file from the main menu, users have access to the fields described below. Special note about the user interface: Depending on which user interface is being used (Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced), certain fields may not be available. For example, the Beginner interface will only display the ZIF Filename, Executable Filename, and Parameters fields listed below. When Beginner is selected, the default compression to be used will always be Internal ZIP, making ZIP'R Pro extremely easy to use.) ZIF (ZIP'R Information File) Filename The entry typed in this field will be the name of the .ZPD file used to contain the program preferences entered on this screen. This file will be referenced on the ZIP'R Pro command line to execute this program. This filename should reflect the name of the program being executed. A full path is required. Executable File: This field should contain the full path and filename of the file to be executed. You must add the correct extension of the file you wish to execute. If you specify an incorrect extension, ZIP'R Pro will not be able to find the correct file. Parameters: This field can optionally contain any necessary parameters that should be passed to the program being executed. These parameters are passed as one variable, and since some programs require case sensitive program parameters, ZIP'R Pro does not automatically convert the text in this field to upper case. Maximum Users If you are using ZIP'R Pro in a network environment or under a multitasker such as Windows or DESQview, specify the maximum number of concurrent users (or accesses) that should be allowed for this program. For example, if a network program is only licensed for five users, you will want to enter 5 in this field. This tells ZIP'R Pro not to allow more than 5 users into this particular program at the same time. If you are running a multitasker, you may run the risk of opening multiple sessions of the same program at the same time. It would be to your benefit to enter 1 in this field. That way, ZIP'R Pro will only allow you to execute one copy of this program at a time. The default for this field is 1. (Special Note: The unregistered version of ZIP'R Pro only supports a maximum of 2 concurrent users in one program at the same time. In order to have access for more than 2 users, you must register ZIP'R Pro.) Compressed File Enter the full path and filename of the compressed file that will be created and used by ZIP'R Pro in this field. After you exit from the chosen program, ZIP'R Pro creates the compressed file in the location specified in this field, along with the filename you specify. Do not add an extension to the filename you type. When ZIP'R Pro creates the compressed file, it will append a .ZIP extension for files created with PKZIP or Internal ZIP compression, a .ARJ extension for files created with ARJ, or a .LZH extension for files created with LHA. Note: The compressed file can be created on any drive and in any sub-directory, including floppy diskettes. Common locations for the compressed file include the directory where the program is executed from, a special archive directory on your hard drive, a floppy diskette (only available with PKZIP), or a network drive. Compression Type This field should contain the name of the compression program you want to use to compress the specified program and its sub- directories. The following table shows the compression utilities currently supported by ZIP'R Pro, and the corresponding entry for this field. Compression Utility Field Entry ARJ ARJ Internal (Built-In) Compression Internal ZIP LHA LHA No Compression NONE PKZip Version 1.10 ZIP PKZip Versions 2.04c, 2.04e, and ZIP 2.04g The default entry for this field is "PKZIP" when using the Intermediate or Advanced user interface. If the Beginner interface is used, the default entry is "Internal ZIP". To change this entry, use the mouse to click on the corresponding control, or use the up and down arrow keys to highlight it. Test Integrity When Test Integrity is checked, ZIP'R Pro will tell the compression program being used to perform an integrity check on the archived files. Query Option The "Query" option is a ZIP'R Pro feature that allows users to choose, after the program is exited, whether or not it should be compressed. If this box is checked, ZIP'R Pro will query (ask) the user whether or not the program should be compressed each time it is exited. This allows the user to have more control over the compression process, instead of having to decide in advance whether a program should be compressed. Update Option (PKZIP and Internal ZIP Compression Only) The "Update" option is a ZIP'R Pro feature which can significantly reduce the time required to recompress a program. Normally, when ZIP'R Pro decompresses a program, it extracts all of the program files and sub- directories, and deletes the old compressed file. During the compression process, ZIP'R Pro creates a new compressed file, and moves all of the program files and sub-directories into it. This method makes the most efficient use of hard disk space, but can require a significant amount of time to recompress the program, depending on the number and size of files that need to be compressed. The "Update" option of ZIP'R Pro can save a tremendous amount of time in this process. Instead of deleting the old compressed file when the program files and sub-directories are extracted, ZIP'R Pro leaves it in its original location. When the compression process starts, ZIP'R Pro uses PKZIP (or the Internal ZIP compression) to update any files and/or sub- directories that have been added or changed, and deletes any files and/or sub-directories that have been deleted since the program was extracted. In essence, if no files or sub- directories were added, changed, or deleted since the program was decompressed, ZIP'R Pro does not need to update any files. The old compressed file is left in the directory and the program's files and sub-directories are deleted. Placing a check mark in this box instructs ZIP'R Pro to use the "Update" method when compressing this program. (Note: The "Update" option is only available for PKZIP / PKUNZIP or the Internal ZIP compression.) The amount of time that can be saved when using the "Update" option varies between programs. I encourage you to try this option on a few of your own programs. Here are a few hints that I've figured out from experimenting with this option. 1. The greatest difference in speed will be noticed on programs that have large files and/or files that have not changed. It takes a very long time to compress large files using the normal compression method. With the update method, if ZIP'R Pro detects that these large files are identical to the ones already maintained in the compressed file, all it needs to do is delete these files out of the directory, and the recompression process is complete! 2. You may notice that any lower-level sub-directories within the program are always updated when the update option is enabled. Since directories are deleted when a program is compressed, PKZIP must create these directories before decompressing the program. When PKZIP attempts to update the compressed file, it detects that the directories have "changed", and therefore, is forced to update them in the compressed file. 3. This option is useful to speed up the recompression process on most programs, but it may actually increase the time of compression on others. The programs that may not compress as quickly with the update method are ones that have large numbers of small files and/or ones that have many files added, changed, or deleted during each session. If you're not sure, use a watch and time each method to see which way would save the most time. Advanced Options (Advanced ZIF Options) Compress / Decompress Program Only (Do Not Execute) This advanced feature of ZIP'R Pro allows you to specify whether or not ZIP'R Pro should attempt to execute the program file once the program has been decompressed. If this box is checked, ZIP'R Pro will only decompress the program if it is in compressed format, and only compress the program if it is in non-compressed format. This option is potentially dangerous to the novice user. Caution is advised. Use Command Processor To Execute Program This option allows users to specify whether or not ZIP'R Pro will load a secondary command processor before executing the selected program. If this is disabled, a command processor will not be loaded, resulting in an extra 3 - 5K of free memory. The default is on, indicating that ZIP'R Pro will load a secondary command processor before executing the program. (Files with a .BAT extension (or .BTM extension for 4DOS) MUST be executed with this switch turned on. ZIP'R Pro contains fail-safe code to ensure that this happens.) Use Alternate Directory as Program Parent Directory When this box is checked, the Program Parent Directory field is enabled for entering the parent directory for the program being compressed. Program Parent Directory Advanced users will want to use this optional field for programs with unique requirements. While most programs locate their primary executable file in the parent program directory, some programs locate their primary executable file in a lower-level sub-directory. A good example of this problem is found with Borland Pascal 7.0. Borland Pascal uses a master directory called C:\BP. Underneath this directory are several more lower-level sub- directories. Instead of placing the executable file BP.EXE in the C:\BP sub-directory, as most programs would do, Borland Pascal places this executable file in the C:\BP\BIN (one of the lower-level sub-directories mentioned above). In order to compensate for situations like this, ZIP'R Pro allows users to specify a parent directory for the program. In the case of Borland Pascal, the Executable File field given on the front screen would contain "C:\BP\BIN\BP.EXE". To compress all files and directories from the main subdirectory (C:\BP and below), the Program Parent Directory field would contain "C:\BP". Use Alternate Directory To Launch Executable Program When this box is checked, the Launch Directory field is enabled for entering the directory where the program will be launched, or executed, from. Launch Directory This field allows users to optionally enter the directory where the selected program will be executed from, if it is a directory other than the one where the program resides. For example, the program Microsoft Works (C:\WORKS\WORKS.EXE) could be executed from a directory such as C:\DOCS. This would allow Microsoft Works to edit files in the C:\DOCS sub- directory without the need to change to that directory from within the program. Swapping The three fields, labeled "Program Swapping", "IN File Swapping", and "OUT File Swapping" allow you to specify when ZIP'R Pro should swap itself to EMS, XMS, or disk. If ZIP'R Pro does not have to swap, execution of the Program, IN Commands, and/or OUT Commands occurs much more rapidly than if swapping is necessary. There are four options available for these fields. Default Swap This instructs ZIP'R Pro to use built-in trip points for swapping. To view these built-in trip points, select the "View Trip Point Values" command button. Automatic Swap This instructs ZIP'R Pro to swap itself to EMS, XMS, or disk ONLY if there is not enough memory available, as specified by the corresponding Trip Point. Always Swap This option instructs ZIP'R Pro to always swap itself to EMS, XMS, or disk, no matter how much memory is available. This is the safest method for executing programs and/or DOS commands, although it can consume more time. Never Swap This instructs ZIP'R Pro that it should never swap to EMS, XMS, or disk, no matter how much (or how little) memory is actually available. Use this option carefully, as it could cause programs and DOS commands to issue out of memory error messages. Trip Point This option allows users to specify the trip point (or memory availability requirement) that should be used for ZIP'R Pro to decide when it should swap itself to EMS, XMS, or disk. The trip point only works when "Automatic Swap" is selected as the swapping type. Compression Options These PKZIP / PKUNZIP options may be used to choose less compression in exchange for more speed, or more compression in exchange for less speed. Advanced ZIP Options: ZIP -e0 switch. (PKZIP 2.0 Only) ZIP -es switch. (PKZIP 1.1 or 2.0) ZIP -ef switch. (PKZIP 2.0 Only) ZIP -en switch. (PKZIP 2.0 Only) ZIP -ex switch. (PKZIP 1.1 or 2.0) These figures were generated using PKZIP 2.04c. No ZIP Results Compression Compression PKZIP -e0 2,980,853 2,985,751 0% PKZIP -es 2,980,853 1,535,935 48% PKZIP -ef 2,980,853 1,432,248 52% PKZIP -en 2,980,853 1,401,026 53% PKZIP -ex 2,980,853 1,392,625 53% In addition to these options, additional parameters may be added to the PKZIP 2.04c, 2.04e, and 2.04g command lines to solve specific hardware and software compatibility problems. These extra parameters are as follows: 3 Disable 32-bit Instruction Usage. ) Disable DPMI Support. ( Use "Slow" MemCopy. + Disable EMS Usage. - Disable UMB Usage. ~ Disable Network Detection. Each of these parameters is explained in the troubleshooting section of the PKZIP documentation. To use any of these options, place a check mark beside the corresponding entry on the Compression Options screen. The following compression options are available for people using ARJ.EXE to compress / decompress programs. The default ARJ compression setting is to use the -m1 switch. Advanced ARJ Options ARJ -m0 switch. ARJ -m1 switch. ARJ -m2 switch. ARJ -m3 switch. ARJ -m4 switch. ARJ -m1 -jm switches. ARJ -m2 -jm switches. ARJ -m1 -jm1 switches. ARJ -m2 -jm1 switches. These figures were generated with ARJ 2.30. No ARJ Compression Compression Results ARJ -m0 2,980,853 2,983,500 0% ARJ -m1 2,980,853 1,406,625 53% ARJ -m2 2,980,853 1,414,245 53% ARJ -m3 2,980,853 1,444,400 52% ARJ -m4 2,980,853 1,593,074 47% ARJ -m1 -jm 2,980,853 1,403,524 53% ARJ -m2 -jm 2,980,853 1,403,524 53% ARJ -m1 -jm1 2,980,853 1,404,949 53% ARJ -m2 -jm1 2,980,853 1,404,949 53% Test Temporary Archive In addition to these options, ARJ allows users to test the temporary archive that is created when compressing files. To do this, place a check mark in the "Test Temporary Archive" check box. The following compression options are available when using Internal ZIP compression: Compression Method When using Internal ZIP, you can specify if files should be compressed using the Deflate, Implode, Shrink, or Store methods, or you can let ZIP'R Pro use the Best method, depending on each file. The best compression ratios can be achieved using the Deflate method, while the least effective is Store, which simply stores the program file inside the .ZIP file without compressing it. Deflate Level When the deflate compression method is being used by the Internal ZIP compression routines, a deflate level can be specified to improve the overall compression. The range of values is from 1 to 9, with 1 being the least compression, and 9 being the most. The higher this value is set, the more time will be required to compress the program. Implode Match Length & Implode Repetitions The implode match length and repetitions settings can be adjusted to improve compression or speed on files that are imploded. The match length must be in the range of 4 to 288, and the repetitions much be in the range of 4 to 960. The default value for both fields is 4. The higher the numbers, the greater the compression will be on imploded files. Special Features Use Selective Extraction (PKUNZIP Only) When this box is checked, Selective Extraction is turned on, and only the files listed in the Selective Extraction File List will be extracted from the .ZIP file when this program is decompressed. The original .ZIP file is preserved (similar to the process used when Update Option is enabled). After the program is exited, the original .ZIP file is updated with any changes that were made during the current session. When Selective Extraction is enabled, Query Option is ignored, and the Update Option is always used. All multiple-user access features are disabled when using Selective Extraction. Only one user is allowed into a program at a time when Selective Extraction is enabled. To edit the Selective Extraction Files, select the corresponding Edit button. Selective Extraction File List This box contains a list of the files that should be extracted from the .ZIP archive when the program is decompressed. Rather than extracting an entire archive, you can choose to decompress only the files that are needed for program execution. This can dramatically speed up the compression and decompression process. For example, to run the Norton Utilities SFORMAT.EXE, the only files needed are SFORMAT.EXE and NORTON.INI. By entering these two files, PKUNZIP will only extract the two files specified before executing SFORMAT.EXE. When entering filenames into this file list, wild cards may be used, such as *.EXE, *.DOC, ???.CFG, etc. If a filename is entered that does not exist in the .ZIP file, PKUNZIP.EXE will not attempt to extract it, and it will not issue an error message. Be very careful when using this option! If you forget to extract a file necessary for proper program execution, your program could terminate unexpectedly or issue error messages. Use Selective Exclusion (PKUNZIP Only) When this box is checked, Selective Exclusion is turned on, and all files listed in the Selective Extraction File List will be excluded from the extraction process when the .ZIP file is decompressed. When Selective Exclusion is enabled, Query Option is ignored, and the Update Option is always used. All multiple-user access features are disabled when using Selective Exclusion. Only one user is allowed into a program at a time when Selective Exclusion is enabled. To edit the Selective Extraction Files, select the corresponding Edit button. Selective Exclusion File List This box contains a list of the files that should be excluded from the extraction process when the .ZIP archive is decompressed. Rather than extracting an entire archive, you can choose to exclude certain files that are not needed for program execution or operation. This can dramatically speed up the compression and decompression process. For example, most programs do not require *.DOC files to be present in order to run successfully. By entering "*.DOC" into the Selective Exclusion File List, PKUNZIP will not extract these files, saving time during the compression and decompression processes, and disk space while the program is running. When entering filenames into this file list, wild cards may be used, such as *.EXE, *.DOC, ???.CFG, etc. Be very careful when using this option! Excluding a file that is necessary for proper program execution could cause your program to terminate unexpectedly or issue error messages. Also remember that if Selective Extraction AND Selective Exclusion are both enabled, Selective Exclusion files take precedence. That means that if PROGRAM.EXE is listed in both file lists, it will always be excluded. Use IN Commands When this box is checked, IN Commands are enabled, and any DOS commands listed in the IN Commands memo field will be executed prior to executing the selected program. To edit the IN Commands, select the corresponding Edit button. IN Commands IN Commands are DOS commands that are executed prior to running the selected program. An example of this would be to swap a printer port prior to executing the program. Another example would be to flush and disable write caching before running a disk utility program. To use this feature, enter any necessary DOS commands that should be executed prior to going "IN" to the program in the corresponding memo field. Important! Do NOT attempt to invoke or remove TSR (Terminate and Stay-Resident) programs from memory with IN or OUT DOS commands. This is virtually guaranteed to cause conflicts with ZIP'R Pro. If you need to invoke a TSR before running a program, or remove one after exiting a program, see the section on TSR's. Use OUT Commands When this box is checked, OUT Commands are enabled, and any DOS commands listed in the OUT Commands memo field will be executed after the selected program has been exited or terminated. To edit the OUT Commands, select the corresponding Edit button. OUT Commands OUT Commands are DOS commands that are executed after exiting the selected program. An example of this would be to swap a printer port back to its original state after exiting from the program. Another example would be to re-enable write caching, if it had been previously disabled using the IN Commands, after exiting from a disk utility program. To use this feature, enter any necessary DOS commands that should be executed after going "OUT" of the program in the corresponding memo field. Important! Do NOT attempt to invoke or remove TSR (Terminate and Stay-Resident) programs from memory with IN or OUT DOS commands. This is virtually guaranteed to cause conflicts with ZIP'R Pro. If you need to invoke a TSR before running a program, or remove one after exiting a program, see the section on TSR's. Use TSR Pre Commands When this box is checked, TSR Pre-Program Commands are enabled, and any DOS commands listed in the TSR Pre-Program Commands memo field will be executed prior to executing the selected program. To edit the TSR Pre-Program Commands, select the corresponding Edit TSR Pre-Program Commands Just like IN Commands, TSR Pre-Program Commands are DOS commands that executed prior to executing the selected program. The main difference is that TSR Pre-Program Commands invoke one or more TSR (Terminate-and-Stay-Resident) programs. TSR's can be a bit tricky to handle due to the fact that ZIP'R Professional cannot tell what memory has been used by any TSR's that load later. But ZIP'R Professional makes TSR's easier to manage by creating a "TSR Container File". This file is simply a temporary batch file that contains commands that surround the command line used to execute the program with the TSR (Pre) and TSR (Post) commands. When the program is executed, this batch file is executed instead of the program, allowing TSR's to load and unload while ZIP'R Professional is dormant. No user intervention is required. ZIP'R Professional automatically creates, and then deletes this temporary batch file. TSR's that can be loaded and unloaded via command line parameters can usually be invoked successfully with this method. The key point to remember is to unload TSR's in the REVERSE order that they were loaded. The following example illustrates this concept more clearly. TSR (Pre) Commands : TSR1 (Load) TSR2 (Load) TSR (Post) Commands: TSR2 (Unload) TSR1 (Unload) TSR2 must be unloaded first, since it was the last TSR loaded, and is loaded last in memory. Once TSR2 is unloaded, TSR1 may be safely unloaded, because it is now the last TSR in memory. The important point to remember is that if you load a TSR before executing the program, you MUST unload it after exiting the program. Otherwise, control will not be returned to ZIP'R Pro. When this happens, ZIP'R Pro will not perform the compression process, resulting in several problems. If the Update option was enabled, the compressed file will still be in the compressed file directory, and the program files will still be in the program directory. This could be dangerous, if you don't know what you're doing. It is recommended that you delete the compressed file before attempting to execute the program again. You may also find some files in the \ZIPRPRO sub-directory with a .U00 or .P00 extension. If no one else is accessing the program at the time, you should delete them. To avoid such problems as these, either don't load TSR's at all, or make sure that you unload them using the TSR (Post) Commands. Use TSR Post Commands When this box is checked, TSR Post-Program Commands are enabled, and any DOS commands listed in the TSR Post-Program Commands memo field will be executed after exiting from, or terminating, the selected program. To edit the TSR Post-Program Commands, select the corresponding Edit button. TSR Post-Program Commands Just like OUT Commands, TSR Post-Program Commands are DOS commands that executed after exiting from, or terminating, the selected program. The main difference is that TSR Post- Program Commands remove one or more TSR (Terminate-and-Stay- Resident) programs from memory. TSR's can be a bit tricky to handle due to the fact that ZIP'R Professional cannot tell what memory has been used by any TSR's that load later. But ZIP'R Professional makes TSR's easier to manage by creating a "TSR Container File". This file is simply a temporary batch file that contains commands that surround the command line used to execute the program with the TSR (Pre) and TSR (Post) commands. When the program is executed, this batch file is executed instead of the program, allowing TSR's to load and unload while ZIP'R Professional is dormant. No user intervention is required. ZIP'R Professional automatically creates, and then deletes this temporary batch file. TSR's that can be loaded and unloaded via command line parameters can usually be invoked successfully with this method. The key point to remember is to unload TSR's in the REVERSE order that they were loaded. The following example illustrates this concept more clearly. TSR (Pre) Commands: TSR1 (Load) TSR2 (Load) TSR (Post) Commands: TSR2 (Unload) TSR1 (Unload) TSR2 must be unloaded first, since it was the last TSR loaded, and is loaded last in memory. Once TSR2 is unloaded, TSR1 may be safely unloaded, because it is now the last TSR in memory. The important point to remember is that if you load a TSR before executing the program, you MUST unload it after exiting the program. Otherwise, control will not be returned to ZIP'R Pro. When this happens, ZIP'R Pro will not perform the compression process, resulting in several problems. If the Update option was enabled, the compressed file will still be in the compressed file directory, and the program files will still be in the program directory. This could be dangerous, if you don't know what you're doing. It is recommended that you delete the compressed file before attempting to execute the program again. You may also find some files in the \ZIPRPRO sub-directory with a .U00 or .P00 extension. If no one else is accessing the program at the time, you should delete them. To avoid such problems as these, either don't load TSR's at all, or make sure that you unload them using the TSR (Post) Commands. Floppy Options This screen contains allows users to select options to be invoked when creating a compressed file on a floppy diskette. Important Note: Options for floppy diskette compression will only work when PKZIP / PKUNZIP is used as the compression program. Also note that the Update option can NOT be used when compression is occurring to floppy diskettes. One of the following options can be selected as the default when creating a compressed file on a floppy diskette. No Action (Do Not Erase Files and Directories) Erase All Files and Sub-Directories Format Destination Diskette (Quick Format) Format Destination Diskette (Full Format) Format Low-Density Disk in High-Density Drive (Quick Format) Format Low-Density Disk in High-Density Drive (Full Format) For an explanation of these options, see the Backup Guide supplied with PKZIP 2.0. Use DOS Verify If you want DOS Verify to be turned on when compressing files to a floppy diskette, place a check mark in the "Use DOS Verify" check box. This adds an extra level of security to make sure that files are created error-free. Browse (Browse for Executable File) One powerful feature of the ZIF Editor Pro is the ability to browse for files using file and directory list boxes. Selecting the "Browse" button will display a file browsing screen to allow you to search for the executable file for the designated program. Once a file is selected from this screen, the drive, directory, and executable file will be automatically pasted into the "Executable File" field. Opening And Deleting Files Also available from the main menu is the ability to open or delete a previously created .ZPD file. Use the "Open An Existing File" screen to search through available drives and directories for the .ZPD file you want to edit. Once you've located the file you want to open, click on it with the mouse, or press [ENTER] when it is selected with the highlight bar, and the ZIF Editor Pro will read the information and import it into the editing screen to be viewed or modified. If you choose "Delete An Existing File" from the main menu, a similar dialog box will appear, allowing you to search through available drives and directories for the .ZPD file you want to delete. When you find it, click on it, or press [ENTER] when it is selected with the highlight bar. A confirmation dialog box will be displayed to confirm that you want to delete the selected file. ZIP'R Pro Settings From the ZIP'R Pro Settings menu, users can have access to the default settings for ZIP'R Pro. Advanced Options Network/Multitasker Execution (Yes, No, Auto) For users who intend on using ZIP'R Pro under a multitasker or in a network environment, ZIP'R Pro has automatic network/multitasker detection. (For a list of current networks/multitaskers supported, see Question #2 at the end of this documentation.) When this option is set to Yes, ZIP'R Pro always assumes that the advanced network/multitasker features should be used. If this option is set to No, ZIP'R Pro will never use the advanced network multitasker features. The default setting is Auto, which instructs ZIP'R Pro to automatically detect whether or not execution is occurring in a network environment or under a multitasker. Manually Create Sub-Directories Under OS/2 Users who are running ZIP'R Pro under OS/2 in combination with Novell NetWare will want to enable this option. Problems have been reported when using PKUNZIP in a global network session, where PKUNZIP cannot create the sub- directories properly during the decompression process. (This problem has been reported to PKWare.) When this option is enabled, ZIP'R Pro will manually created the needed sub- directories before instructing PKUNZIP to decompress the compressed file. Use Atomic Lock Files When the network/multitasker features of ZIP'R Pro are being used, users can specify whether or not atomic lock files are used. For a discussion on atomic lock files, see the "Networks / Multitaskers" section of this documentation. Sorted Extraction (PKUNZIP Only) When Sorted Extraction is set to "Yes", ZIP'R Pro will extract files from the .ZIP archive in alphabetical order. This feature is especially useful on network drives that generally prevent utilities of this nature from working. If this option is set to "No", files are extracted in the order in which they appear in the file. Sub-Directory Deletion (PKZIP 2.04g Only) Disabling sub-directory deletion will instruct PKZIP 2.04g not to delete any of the program's sub-directories (located under the parent directory) when compressing a program. The default is On, which means that PKZIP will automatically delete the lower level sub-directories once the compression process is complete. Windowed Compression (Yes, No) When Windowed Compression is set to on, ZIP'R Pro will attempt to execute the program compression process within the limits of a window. Otherwise, program compression will occur on a full DOS screen. Windowed Decompression (Yes, No) When Windowed Decompression is set to on, ZIP'R Pro will attempt to execute the program decompression process within the limits of a window. Otherwise, program decompression will occur on a full DOS screen. Cleanup Password Menu Item Is Protected! Before modifying the cleanup password for ZIP'R Pro, you must enter the cleanup password for verification that you have authorization to perform this action. If the cleanup password is blank, or has not been set up, this dialog box will not appear. Cleanup Password Enter the new password that must be entered before a user can execute the Cleanup Files option. Cleanup Files Menu Item Is Protected! Before executing the Cleanup Files option, you must enter the cleanup password for verification that you have authorization to perform this action. If the cleanup password is blank, or has not been set up, this dialog box will not appear. Signal File Cleanup This dialog box warns you that all signal files created by ZIP'R Pro during normal network or multitasker operation will be deleted, or cleaned up, from the ZIP'R Pro sub-directory. If your machine has ever hung while running a program through ZIP'R Pro, or if unusual errors have taken place during the compression or decompression processes, you probably have old signal files left over in the ZIP'R Pro sub-directory. It is a good idea to perform this operation occasionally. Make sure ZIP'R Pro is not being used by any other programs or network workstations before performing this operation! Compression Paths ARJ Path Enter the appropriate path to the file ARJ.EXE in the format "C:\ARJ\". Do not add the actual filename or extension. If this field is left blank, or if ZIP'R Pro cannot find ARJ.EXE in the path entered, it will search the ZIP'R Pro sub- directory. If it is still unable to locate ARJ.EXE, it will search the DOS Path. If ARJ.EXE is not located, an error message will be issued. ARJ Version Enter the version of ARJ that you will be using. Currently, ZIP'R Pro supports version 2.41 of ARJ. LHA Path Enter the appropriate path to the file LHA.EXE in the format "C:\LHA\". Do not add the actual filename or extension. If this field is left blank, or if ZIP'R Pro cannot find LHA.EXE in the path entered, it will search the ZIP'R Pro sub- directory. If it is still unable to locate LHA.EXE, it will search the DOS Path. If LHA.EXE is not located, an error message will be issued. LHA Version Enter the version of LHA that you will be using. Currently, ZIP'R Pro supports version 2.13 of LHA. ZIP Path Enter the appropriate path to the files PKZIP.EXE and PKUNZIP.EXE in the format "C:\PKZIP\". Do not add the actual filename or extension. Both of these files must be located in the same sub-directory. If this field is left blank, or if ZIP'R Pro cannot find either of these two files in the path entered, it will search the ZIP'R Pro sub-directory. If it is still unable to locate them, it will search the DOS Path. If PKZIP.EXE or PKUNZIP.EXE is not located, an error message will be issued. ZIP Version Enter the version of PKZIP/PKUNZIP that you will be using. Currently, ZIP'R Pro supports versions 1.1 and 2.04G. Delays Non-registered copies of ZIP'R Pro will ignore any changes on this screen and use the default settings. Registering ZIP'R Pro with the author will allow you to completely remove the prelog pause and delay. Pause during Prelog Place a check mark in this box if you want ZIP'R Pro to pause with a "Press Any Key" message when the prelog screen is displayed. Delay during Prelog Place a check mark in this box if you want ZIP'R Pro to delay when the prelog screen is displayed. Enter the amount of the delay in the Prelog Delay field. Prelog Delay Enter the number of seconds ZIP'R Pro should pause on the prelog screen before ZIP'R Pro attempts to execute the selected program. This field is only valid if the "Delay during Prelog" box has a check mark in it. Experienced ZIP'R Pro users can set this field to 0, which will prevent ZIP'R Pro from displaying the prelog screen. Novice users may want to set this field to 4, to allow a short time to view the information displayed on the prelog screen. Swapping Compression / Decompression Swap (Default, Automatic, Always, Never) This option allows you to specify whether or not ZIP'R Pro swaps to EMS, XMS, or disk when it attempts to compress a program. There are four options available for this field: Default Swap This instructs ZIP'R Pro to use built-in trip points for swapping. To view these built-in trip points, select the "View Trip Point Values" command button. Automatic Swap This instructs ZIP'R Pro to swap itself to EMS, XMS, or disk ONLY if there is not enough memory available, as specified by the corresponding Trip Point. Always Swap This option instructs ZIP'R Pro to always swap itself to EMS, XMS, or disk, no matter how much memory is available. This is the safest method for executing programs and/or DOS commands, although it can consume more time. Never Swap This instructs ZIP'R Pro that it should never swap to EMS, XMS, or disk, no matter how much (or how little) memory is actually available. Use this option carefully, as it could cause programs and DOS commands to issue out of memory error messages. Since swapping generally slows a program down, it is best to let ZIP'R Pro decide when to swap by using the "Automatic Swap" or "Default Swap" options. Compression / Decompression Trip Point: This option allows users to specify the trip point (or memory availability requirement) that should be used for ZIP'R Pro to decide when it should swap itself to EMS, XMS, or disk. The trip point only works when "Automatic Swap" is selected as the swapping type. Swapping Preferences Use EMS For Swapping This check box allows you to specify whether or not ZIP'R Pro should attempt to use EMS for swapping on your computer. Use XMS For Swapping This check box allows you to specify whether or not ZIP'R Pro should attempt to use XMS for swapping on your computer. Swapping Priority Use EMS First If both EMS and XMS are enabled under Swapping Preferences, you can specify whether ZIP'R Pro should attempt to swap to EMS or XMS first. If this option is selected, ZIP'R Pro will try to swap to EMS before it swaps to XMS. Use XMS First If both EMS and XMS are enabled under Swapping Preferences, you can specify whether ZIP'R Pro should attempt to swap to EMS or XMS first. If this option is selected, ZIP'R Pro will try to swap to XMS before it swaps to EMS. View Trip Point Values When this command button is selected, a dialog box will be displayed showing the internal trip points that will be used for compression and decompression swapping when "Default Swap" is selected as the swapping type. TAME Options Use Custom TAME Batch File If this option is selected, ZIP'R Pro allows you to create a customized ZPROTAME.BAT batch file that can be used under Windows, OS/2, or DESQview to invoke TAME prior to running a program. TAME Path This field should contain the drive and path where TAME is located on your hard drive. This path you enter here will be hard-coded into the ZPROTAME.BAT batch file. Create Custom ZPROTAME.BAT Batch File When this button is pressed, ZIP'R Pro creates a ZPROTAME.BAT batch file in the ZIP'R Pro subdirectory. This can be used to execute programs under Windows, OS/2, and DESQview. Video Options Screen Writes (BIOS, Direct, Auto Detect) This option allows you to specify whether ZIP'R Pro should write information to the screen using BIOS or Direct. The default is Auto Detect. Scan Activity Indicator (File Count, Twirling Bars, None) The scan activity indicator is a small display that occurs on the top of the compression screen when ZIP'R Pro is scanning for added or deleted files. If File Count is selected, ZIP'R Pro will display the number of the current file that it is checking as it proceeds through the file list. If Twirling Bars is selected, a pair of twirling bars will spin, letting you know that there is continued activity on the part of ZIP'R Pro. Select None if you do not want either of these two options displayed. (Note: This process has been speeded up significantly from the original ZIP'R, and in most cases, you probably won't notice this indicator. It is most useful on extremely large archives with many files.) Register ZIP'R Pro Register Registration Name If you are a registered user of ZIP'R Pro, enter your registration name in the Registration Name field. The Registration Name cannot be longer than 36 characters. If you are not a registered user, please read the "Registration Terms" section below. Registration Number If you are a registered user of ZIP'R Pro, enter your registration number in the Registration Number field. If you are not a registered user, please read the "Registration Terms" section below. Network Users When you register ZIP'R Pro for a network license, you will receive a registration code that supports a specific number of network users. In order for your registration code to work properly, you must enter the exact number of stations your network license is registered for. If you are not using ZIP'R Pro on a network, simply leave this field blank. User Interface One of the most useful features of the ZIF Editor Pro is the ability to specify a user interface. The user interface level determines what features will be available when editing a .ZPD file and modifying the default settings for ZIP'R Pro. Here's a general overview of the benefits of each of the user interface levels: Beginner The Beginner interface is for novice users who want to be sheltered from all of the complexities of ZIP'R Pro. With the Beginner level, users can simply enter the name of the .ZPD file being created, the executable program, and any needed parameters. All advanced options are hidden from view, making ZIP'R Pro less intimidating. When Beginner is selected, Internal ZIP compression is used on programs, meaning that no outside programs are needed to operate ZIP'R Pro. To modify default ZIP'R Pro settings, Beginner level users have access to the Delays screen, as well as the Registration screens. Intermediate The Intermediate interface is for users who want to use an external compression program, such as ARJ, LHA, or PKZIP, or who want to specify the settings for the Test Integrity, Query Option, or Update Option fields. While these options are hidden from view on the Beginner level interface, these options are accessible to intermediate users. To modify default ZIP'R Pro settings, Intermediate level users have access to the Compression Paths screen, in addition to the screens mentioned under the Beginner interface level described above. Advanced The Advanced interface is for users who want to have access to all of the features available in ZIP'R Pro. All of the desired "bells and whistles" can be accessed when using the Advanced interface. This includes Selective Extraction and Exclusion, IN and OUT commands, TSR commands, Advanced Options, Compression Options, and Floppy Compression Options. Advanced users can specify the name and location of the compressed file, storing it on any available drive and directory. Advanced level users also have access to all of the available ZIP'R Pro settings. The settings available to Advanced users should only be modified after reading this documentation and understanding their impact on ZIP'R Pro. The user interface level can be changed at any time. Beginner users can step up to an intermediate or advanced interface, and advanced users can step down to an intermediate or beginner interface. Files created within one interface can be opened using another interface. This will not affect the integrity of the .ZPD file being edited. Using ZIP'R Pro Once ZIP'R Pro system preferences have been set up in the ZIF Editor Pro, and .ZPD files have been created for each program, you are ready to use ZIP'R Pro. Log to the ZIP'R Pro program sub- directory, type "ZIPRPRO", append a space, and add the name of the .ZPD file to be referenced. The command line structure should look similar to the following examples: ZIP'R Pro Examples: ZIPRPRO PCSHELL ZIPRPRO PW ZIPRPRO PSDELUXE ZIPRPRO LOTUS123 ZIPRPRO THEDRAW Compressing To Floppy Disks There are several items to consider carefully before compressing any program(s) to a floppy diskette. PKZIP Only Compression to floppy diskettes is only available when PKZIP/PKUNZIP is used as the compression program. Compressing programs to a floppy diskette using ARJ, LHA, or Internal ZIP is not supported at this time. Store ZIP Files In The Root Directory Compressed files must be stored in the root directory of the floppy diskette. Creating files in compressed form in a sub- directory on a floppy drive is NOT supported. Beware Of Bad Floppies Keep in mind that floppy disks can fail frequently. We recommend that you do not store any mission-critical programs on floppy disks. Use them only for non-essential programs. Danger Areas When compressing a file to a floppy diskette, the default "Floppy Option" is to "Erase All Files and Sub-Directories". When this option is turned on, you cannot use one disk to store multiple compressed programs. If you attempt to do this, PKZIP will erase any existing files on the disk before creating the new file, causing you to lose any other compressed files you stored on that same disk. If this is confusing to you, simply follow this rule: Only compress one program on a floppy disk (or set of disks, if your compressed file consumes more than 1 disk). Version 2.21 of ZIP'R Pro added another option to the "Floppy Options" screen. This option, called "No Action (Do Not Erase Files and Directories)", does not allow PKZIP to erase the contents of a disk before creating the new compressed file. This option may be desired in cases where you want to store several compressed programs on the same diskette (as long as all of the programs can fit on one disk). However, this feature can also be dangerous if you don't fully understand what takes place. Consider the following example: Program 1 is very large, and requires a 2-disk set in order for PKZIP to successfully create the compressed file. As PKZIP creates the compressed file, it places a volume label on the first disk with the text "PKBACK# 001" and a volume label on the second disk with the text "PKBACK# 002". Program 2 is then compressed onto the end of disk 2 in the previous set. However, since this is a new compressed file, PKZIP re-labels the volume on the disk as "PKBACK# 001". When you attempt to decompress Program 1 back onto your hard drive for execution, PKZIP will not be able to recognize the second disk in the set, because its volume label has been changed! As you can see, this could cause some very sticky problems. If you decide to use the "No Action" feature, we recommend that you only place programs on the same disk if they all use the same volume label. In essence, if you have three compressed files that would all fit on one disk, you should be able to use this feature without a problem. Using ZIP'R Pro With A Menuing System To use ZIP'R Pro with a menuing system, you must modify the location and program name specified for each program that will be run through ZIP'R Pro. QuikMenu Example OLD Location: C:\PFS Command: PW NEW Location: C:\ZIPRPRO Command: ZIPRPRO PW AutoMenu Example OLD C: CD\PFS PW CD\ AUTO NEW C: CD\ZIPRPRO ZIPRPRO PW CD\ AUTO All programs that are executed through ZIP'R Pro must have C:\ZIPRPRO (or the actual location of the ZIP'R Pro files) specified as the path. The location of the program to be executed is specified in the .ZPD file that was created with the ZIF Editor. ZIP'R Pro automatically changes to the proper directory before executing the desired program. What Happens When I Execute ZIP'R Pro? Several things take place through the course of using ZIP'R Pro. Here is a brief summary of what ZIP'R Pro does, and what you can expect to see on the screen: When using the following variable on the ZIF Editor's .ZPD editing screen: ZIF Filename: C:\ZIPRPRO\PCSHELL.ZPD Executable File: C:\PCTOOLS\PCSHELL.EXE Parameters: Maximum Users: 1 Compressed File: C:\PCTOOLS\PCTOOLS Compression Type: ZIP and entering the command line: ZIPRPRO PCSHELL the following events would take place: 1. ZIP'R Pro checks for the existence of the .ZPD file. If the .ZPD file cannot be found, ZIP'R Pro issues an error message. If ZIP'R Pro was able to locate the .ZPD file, ZIP'R Pro proceeds to step #2. 2. ZIP'R Pro displays the prelog screen. The unregistered version of ZIP'R Pro will pause for 10 seconds while this screen displays. Registered users may reduce the delay period, or remove it entirely by using the ZIP'R Pro Defaults screen within the ZIF Editor. (For more information, see "ZIP'R Pro Default Settings".) This screen contains a wealth of information for users with different system configurations. The following is a summary of this information, and what it means. Conventional Displays the amount of available conventional memory. Heap Display the amount of heap available. EMS Displays the amount of available EMS memory. Virtual Displays the amount of free disk space on the drive where ZIP'R Pro is being executed from. Environment Displays the amount of available environment space. Free Space Displays the amount of free disk space on the drive where the program is being executed from. Cluster Size Detects the Cluster Size being used on the drive where the program is being executed from. Update Displays a check mark if Update mode is enabled in the specified .ZPD file. Query Displays a check mark if Query mode is enabled in the specified .ZPD file. Test Archive Displays a check mark if the Test Archive Integrity feature was enabled for the current program. Multitasker Displays a check mark if ZIP'R Pro detects the presence of a multitasker. Network Displays a check mark if ZIP'R Pro detects the presence of a network. Program Path/Name Displays the program path and executable filename as set up in the specified .ZPD file. Parameters Displays any parameters that will be passed to the program being executed, as set up in the specified .ZPD file. Compressed Filename Displays the path and filename of the compressed file that will be created when ZIP'R Pro compresses the program. The extension that appears on this field should reflect the name of the compression program being used. (PKZIP will use .ZIP, ARJ will use .ARJ, LHA will use .LZH, and NONE will not display an extension.) 3. After displaying the prelog screen, ZIP'R Pro checks the validity of the drive and path that was entered in the .ZPD file. If ZIP'R Pro cannot find the drive and/or path, it issues an error message. If ZIP'R Pro is able to locate the drive and path specified, it then checks for the existence of a compressed file, bearing the name entered in the "Compressed FileName" field of the .ZPD editing screen. ZIP'R Pro checks for the existence of the compressed file, and if it is found, attempts to decompress it using the corresponding decompression utility (step #4). If ZIP'R Pro does not find a compressed file, it skips the decompression process and begins to execute the program (step #5). 4. ZIP'R Pro begins the decompression process by viewing the compressed file and calculating the disk space required to decompress the entire file. If ZIP'R Pro determines that there is not enough disk space available to decompress the entire file, a warning message will be issued. If ZIP'R Pro determines that sufficient disk space is available to decompress the entire file, it executes the necessary decompression program to decompress the file. 5. The next step performed by ZIP'R Pro is automatic execution of the specified program. This step makes ZIP'R Pro unique from most other compression / decompression utilities. Rather than forcing users to compress and decompress programs separately, ZIP'R Pro does it all automatically. If ZIP'R Pro is not able to locate the executable file, it issues an error message stating the problem. If ZIP'R Pro is able to locate the executable file, it executes the program normally, along with any parameters set up in the .ZPD file. 6. If Query Mode is enabled, ZIP'R Pro pops up a screen prompting you whether or not you want to compress the program you just exited. If you answer Yes, ZIP'R Pro continues with step #7. If you answer No, ZIP'R Pro skips to step #8. 7. Once the program is exited, ZIP'R Pro begins to compress (or- recompress) the program directory using the compression utility specified in the .ZPD file. The amount of time this takes depends on the number and size of the files being compressed. If Update Mode is enabled, ZIP'R Pro simply updates the archive file with any changes that have occurred since the file was decompressed. New files are added to the compressed file, modified files are updated in the compressed file, and deleted files are removed from the compressed file. 8. After the compressed file has been successfully created, ZIP'R Pro displays a delay screen for unregistered users. To remove this delay, please read the file REGISTER.DOC to find out how to register ZIP'R Pro. Once this is complete, ZIP'R Pro returns control of the computer back to a DOS prompt or the menuing system you are using. Networks / Multitaskers ZIP'R Pro has advanced features available to deal with program execution, compression, and decompression under multitaskers and in network environments. Currently, ZIP'R Pro recognizes Windows, DESQview, OS/2, and Novell operating systems / environments. ZIP'R Pro has an additional feature that the original ZIP'R did not have. It's called atomic lock files. When the Network / Multitasker option of ZIP'R Pro is enabled, ZIP'R Pro creates special token files to make sure that two users do not attempt to compress or decompress a program at the same time. Normally, ZIP'R Pro would check for a token file, and create it only if it did not exist already. However, it is possible that another user could create the file between the time that ZIP'R Pro checked for it and the time that it actually created it. This situation is rare, but could happen, and could be dangerous. That's where atomic lock files are useful. Atomic lock files ensure that a file by the same name cannot be in existence AS IT IS CREATING IT. If you are using ZIP'R Pro under a multitasker or in a network environment, make sure that "Network/Multitasker Execution" is set to "Yes" (or "Auto", for Auto-Detection), under Advanced Options on the Settings menu of the ZIF Editor. Also make sure that "Use Atomic Lock Files" is set to "Yes". This will provide the maximum amount of security against potential problems. DESQview Tips & Techniques To set up ZIP'R Pro under DESQview, use the following examples: DESQview .DVP Example OLD Program: PW Parameters: Directory: C:\PFS NEW Program: ZIPRPRO Parameters: PW Directory: C:\ZIPRPRO If you are a Tame user, use the ZIF Editor to specify the correct path for the TAME directory on your hard drive, and create a custom ZPROTAME.BAT batch file. This file invokes TAME-RES.COM prior to executing ZIP'R Pro. To run the previous example program, the .DVP command lines would be changed as shown below: DESQview .DVP Example (Invoking Tame): OLD Program: ZIPRPRO Parameters: PW Directory: C:\ZIPRPRO NEW Program: ZPROTAME Parameters: ZIPRPRO PW Directory: C:\ZIPRPRO Since ZPROTAME.BAT is a batch file containing an EXIT statement, you should also make the following change to your .DVP file: DESQview Change a Program Advanced Options OLD Close on exit (Y,N,blank)......: [Y] NEW Close on exit (Y,N,blank)......: [N] This change allows control to return to the ZPROTAME.BAT file after ZIP'R Pro completes its operation. Allocating about 300K of EMS memory to programs executed through ZIP'R Pro will allow ZIP'R Pro to swap itself to EMS memory, rather than disk. This speeds up the swapping process somewhat. If you are already allocating EMS memory to the program, increasing the amount by 300K will provide extra room for the swap file. The opening ZIP'R Pro screen will indicate how much EMS memory is available to ZIP'R Pro. If this figure is less than 300K, increase the amount of EMS memory allocated. Since PKZIP 2.0 can also use EMS memory, additional memory should be set aside as swap space for PKZIP. When using ZIPRPRO (without TAME), you can save about 8K of memory by specifying the .EXE extension for ZIPRPRO as shown in the following example: DESQview .DVP Example (Saves about 8K of memory.) OLD Program: ZIPRPRO Parameters: PW Directory: C:\ZIPRPRO NEW Program: ZIPRPRO.EXE Parameters: PW Directory: C:\ZIPRPRO This saves about 8K of memory by allowing DESQview to execute ZIP'R Pro directly, rather than loading a secondary command processor. Using ZIP'R Pro With Windows ZIP'R Pro is only effective when running DOS programs under Windows. It will NOT work with Windows specific programs! Windows Program Item Properties Example OLD Description: PFS Pro-Write Command Line: PW Working Directory: C:\PFS NEW Description: PFS Pro-Write Command Line: ZIPRPRO PW Working Directory: C:\ZIPRPRO Windows .PIF Example OLD Program Filename: PW.COM Window Title: PFS Pro-Write Optional Parameters: Start-up Directory: C:\PFS NEW Program Filename: ZIPRPRO.EXE Window Title: PFS Pro-Write Optional Parameters: PW Start-up Directory: C:\ZIPRPRO TAME may also be used in combination with ZIP'R Pro under Windows. If you are a Tame user, use the ZIF Editor to specify the correct path for the TAME directory on your hard drive, and create a custom ZPROTAME.BAT batch file. This file invokes TAME- RES.COM prior to executing ZIP'R Pro. To run the previous example program, the Windows command lines would be changed as shown below: Windows Program Item Properties Example (Invoking Tame) OLD Description: PFS Pro-Write Command Line: ZIPRPRO PW Working Directory: C:\ZIPRPRO NEW Description: PFS Pro-Write Command Line: ZPROTAME ZIPRPRO PW Working Directory: C:\ZIPRPRO Windows .PIF Example (Invoking Tame) OLD Program Filename: ZIPRPRO.EXE Window Title: PFS Pro-Write Optional Parameters: PW Start-up Directory: C:\ZIPRPRO NEW Program Filename: ZPROTAME.BAT Window Title: PFS Pro-Write Optional Parameters: ZIPRPRO PW Start-up Directory: C:\ZIPRPRO How Effective Is ZIP'R Pro? ZIP'R Pro can save a typical computer user a substantial amount of hard drive space. Most users have several programs on their hard drives that are seldom used, but take up a tremendous amount of hard disk real-estate. Rather than deleting these programs completely, ZIP'R Pro allows these programs to be accessed when needed, storing them in a compressed form when they are not in use. The amount of hard drive space saved depends totally on the effectiveness of the compression program used by ZIP'R Pro. As compression programs improve, so will the ratios that ZIP'R Pro is able to achieve. The compression programs used by ZIP'R Pro do not provide "on-the- fly" data compression. As a result, there is a time delay during the compression and decompression processes. However, ZIP'R Pro does not require 50K of valuable memory, either. In addition, ZIP'R Pro does not degrade the performance of the computer system as the "on-the-fly" data compression programs do. A performance comparison of the three compression programs currently supported by ZIP'R Pro is shown in the following table. The test directory consisted of 33 files, plus a sub-directory which contained an additional 17 files. Test Directory Size Using Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0 Compression Type Bytes Compression Overall Compression Original Baseline 2,980,853 - - MS-DOS 2,980,853 0% 0% New Baseline 2,980,853 - 0% Additional compression obtained using ZIP'R Pro: Compression Type Bytes Compression Overall Compression No Compression 2,980,853 0% 0% (NONE) PKZIP 1.1 1,536,688 48% 48% Compression (ZIP) PKZIP 2.0 1,401,026 53% 53% Compression (ZIP) LHA Compression 1,428,393 52% 52% (LHA) ARJ Compression 1,406,625 53% 53% (ARJ) Test Directory Size Using DR DOS 6.0 (with SuperStor) Compression Type Bytes Compression Overall Compression Original Baseline 2,980,853 - - DR DOS w/SuperStor 1,992,704 33% 33% New Baseline 1,992,704 - 33% Additional compression obtained using ZIP'R Pro: Compression Type Bytes Compression Overall Compression No Compression 1,992,704 0% 33% (NONE) PKZIP 1.1 1,551,360 22% 48% Compression (ZIP) PKZIP 2.0 1,408,512 29% 53% Compression (ZIP) LHA Compression 1,444,864 27% 52% ARJ Compression 1,423,872 29% 52% (ARJ) You can see by this table that SuperStor was only achieving an overall compression ratio of 33%. Using ZIP'R Pro with PKZIP 2.0 allowed an extra 20% savings on hard drive space! Cautions When Using ZIP'R Pro Do NOT attempt to use ZIP'R Pro to compress any directories containing files that are referenced in your CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT. If you wish to compress the DOS sub-directory, copy any such files to the root directory of the hard drive, and update the paths in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT. Also be cautious when compressing directories that contain memory managers, caches, and utilities that may be needed to boot your machine. These directories may be compressed, but any files needed for booting the machine must be copied to the root directory, and the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT paths updated. Keep in mind that in order to properly decompress a program, there must be enough free space on the hard drive to contain all the extracted files in addition to the original compressed file. After the files have been successfully extracted, the compressed file is deleted. Likewise, when compressing a program, sufficient space must be available for the original program files and the newly created compressed file. After the compressed file has been successfully created, the original program files are deleted. Multitaskers such as DESQview and Windows put additional stress on the disk I/O systems of the computer. If you have any doubts about the stability of your system, use the Test Integrity option in the .ZPD file to force the compression program to verify the integrity of the archive. When running on a network or under a multitasker, make sure that "Network/Multitasker Execution" is set to "Yes" or "Auto", and "Use Atomic Lock Files" is set to "Yes". When upgrading to PKZIP 2.0, test the reliability of the compression and decompression processes before trusting it with your data! PKZIP 2.0 has some documented problems with fast machines (486/25 and up) using external CPU memory caches. Read the troubleshooting section of the PKZIP 2.0 documentation for more information. There is one circumstance where data loss is possible (or even likely). Be very careful when setting or changing the time on your computer's internal clock. If you are using the Update option (for PKZIP) on your programs, setting the time back on your clock could cause PKZIP not to update files that are newer, since the date and time may be older than the date/time stamp stored in the .ZIP file. One of our users reported this problem on his machine after resetting his computer date to 1-1-80. Basically, if you set your date and/or time back for any reason, you are in potential danger. Consider the situation carefully before making changes! Troubleshooting / Common Problems Problem #1: The most common problem among ZIP'R Pro users is incorrect setup of the .ZPD file being used. The following list gives some hints and tips for filling in each field when editing a .ZPD file through the ZIF Editor. ZIP'R Pro Filename Make sure that this field contains only characters that can be used as part of a filename. To find out which characters may or may not be used as part of a DOS filename, see your DOS reference manual. Executable File You must place the correct extension of the program to be executed on the filename. If ZIP'R Pro issues an error message that it contain find the program, make sure you have check the extension on this field. Parameters Since some programs require case sensitive passed parameters, the ZIF Editor does not automatically convert this field to UPPER CASE. Enter any parameters exactly as you would enter them after the program name, if you were using a DOS command line. Maximum Users Make sure that the maximum number of concurrent users does not exceed 256. ZIP'R Pro will only allow 256 users in one program at the same time. Compressed Filename Do not place an extension for the compressed file in this field. ZIP'R Pro automatically adds the correct extension at run time. If the compression program is PKZIP or Internal ZIP compression, the extension will be .ZIP. If the compression program in ARJ, the extension will be .ARJ, and likewise, if the compression program is LHA, the extension will be .LZH. Compression Type If you want to decompress a previously compressed program without recompressing it, use the Query option. Test Integrity Check this box ONLY if you want the compression program to perform an integrity check on the archived files once they have been compressed. Query Option Check this field when you want ZIP'R Pro to prompt you before compressing a program. This allows you to specify whether a program should be compressed "on-the-fly". Update Option This option is only available for use when ZIP (PKZIP / PKUNZIP) is selected as the Compression Type. If any other option is selected, the Update Option field will be grayed and disabled. Problem #2: If you receive the error message, "Unable to run COMMAND /C ...", you are probably running DR DOS, and do not have COMMAND.COM available on your path. For some reason, DR DOS does not copy COMMAND.COM into the \DRDOS sub- directory at installation time, making it unavailable on the path. The solution here is simply to copy COMMAND.COM from the root directory into the \DRDOS sub- directory. Another alternative is to add the root directory to the PATH= statement in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. ZIP'R Pro is able to detect if COMMAND.COM cannot be found, and therefore issues a warning message. Problem #3: If ZIP'R Pro won't compress the program's files and sub- directories after it is exited, check the .ZPD file. If the fields are all correct, check the \ZIPRPRO sub-directory for files with any of the following extensions: .U00 through .UFF .P00 through .PFF .N00 through .NFF .CSF .DSF .SXF .SXT .ZSF These are token files created by ZIP'R Pro to track concurrent access to a compressed file on networks and under multitaskers. Normally, these files are deleted when the program is exited. However, if the computer hangs, these files will not be deleted, and will prevent ZIP'R Pro from compressing the program's files and sub-directories. The filename should match the name of the compressed file specified in the .ZPD file. ZIP'R Pro provides a quick and easy solution to the problem of leftover signal files. Make sure that ZIP'R Pro is not being used on any active programs, run the ZIF Editor by typing "ZIFPRO", and executing the Cleanup Files option from the ZIP'R Pro Settings menu. The Cleanup Files option is used to erase all signal files in the ZIP'R Pro sub-directory. This option should be used with care to ensure that no other processes are using ZIP'R Professional. (Erasing signal files that are in use by other programs could cause "weird" behavior.) The most common reason that any of these types of files would be left behind is usually due to a computer hang. When the computer hangs, control is not returned to ZIP'R Pro, so ZIP'R Pro cannot delete them as part of the cleanup process. They can also be left behind due to a TSR not be unloaded in the TSR (Post) Command process if it was loaded in the TSR (Pre) Command process. As mentioned earlier, this can also cause control to not be returned to ZIP'R Pro, in which case, these files would not be deleted. Problem #4 If ZIP'R Pro will not recognize your registration name and number and continues to issue an "UNREGISTERED" message on the prelog screen, check the file ZIPRPRO.INI. If you manually edited this file without using the ZIF Editor, it is possible the text editor you were using allowed additional spaces to be saved at the end of both the registration name and number. To solve this problem, use the ZIF Editor to modify these entries. The ZIF Editor makes sure that all extra spaces are trimmed before saving these fields to the .ZPD file. If you cannot use the ZIF Editor, use a text editor that allows you to view and trim any extra spaces, or use a text editor that automatically trims extraneous spaces from the end of a line. Problem #5 If you are having trouble getting ZIP'R Pro to run properly, there is a special "/TEST" parameter that can aid you in diagnosing your problem. When typing the command line to run ZIP'R Pro, instead of typing "ZIPRPRO FILENAME", you can type "ZIPRPRO FILENAME /TEST". This extra parameter will allow you to view several screens of parameters. These parameters contain information that ZIP'R Pro is reading from the system, the ZIPRPRO.INI file, and the individual .ZPD file. This can be used to find out if ZIP'R Pro is reading the necessary files accurately. If you detect a problem when using the /TEST parameter, please contact STSI at (218) 924-2050. Note: The keys (CTRL + Break) can be used on the ZIP'R Pro prelog screen to exit from ZIP'R Pro. Although this is not recommended, it will enable users to stop execution in an emergency situation. Problem #6 When using OS/2 Version 2.1 in combination with Novell NetWare, PKUNZIP cannot re-create lower-level sub-directories when decompressing a program. (This problem only appears in a global session.) If you are experiencing these types of problems, disable sub-directory deletion on the Advanced Options screen of the ZIF Editor, or use the Manual Sub-Directory Creation Under OS/2 switch on the same screen. Questions & Answers Question: Can ZIP'R Pro leave a program uncompressed after it has been previously compressed with ZIP'R Pro? Answer: Yes! Simply use the "Query" option on the program. Before ZIP'R Pro attempts to recompress the program, it will ask you if you want to compress it. Answer "No" to the prompt, and the program will remain uncompressed. Another option is to use the Compress / Decompress Only option, located on the Advanced ZIF Options screen. This will quickly compress or decompress your program (based on its current state), and exit without attempting to execute or recompress the program. Question: What networks / multitaskers does ZIP'R Pro recognize? Answer: ZIP'R Pro currently recognizes/supports the following operating systems / environments: Windows OS/2 DESQView / DESQview/X Novell LANtastic 10Net Comments From ZIP'R Users The following list shows samples of some of the comments we have received on ZIP'R / ZIP'R Pro: "ZIP'R Pro (is) an archive automator that adds attractive menus, hotkeys, and help screens. Best of all, you don't need to know a thing about batch programming to use it." - Computer Shopper April 1994 "Works as advertised. Seamless integration.... I think you have a superb product." - Toronto, Ontario "ZIP'R is going to save you money, and more important hard disk storage space. It will save you money AND headaches by not having to purchase a disk compression program such as Stacker or SuperStor.... Support shareware and give this program a try. I know you will use it, NO ONE ever has enough hard disk space." - Throughput (The S.W.I.P.C.C. Inc. Journal) March 1993 "Really neat program." - Dresden, Tennessee "There is an excellent interface for setting up each program within ZIP'R... Once a program has been set up, it's operation within ZIP'R is transparent to the user. One advantage to those who can't afford the 40 to 50 K of RAM required by other compression programs is that ZIP'R only requires 2.5K RAM when it has finished loading your program. When you have become familiar with the program you will wonder how you ever managed without it." - read.me (The Personal Computer Club of Toronto) October 1993 "...thanks for a great product." - Edgewood, New Mexico "It's (ZIP'R is) a program of professional quality, worth registering ... It helps me to avoid Double Space..." - The Netherlands Products By STSI Stevenson Technical Services, Inc. 108 Second Avenue West Bertha MN 56437-0297 Phone / FAX: (218) 924-2050 The STSI BBS: (218) 924-2060 Internet Mail: cstevens@bertha.polaristel.net (Visa, MC, American Express, & Discover Accepted) ú BBS Informant Comprehensive BBS List / Search Door! BBS Informant is a comprehensive BBS door used for adding, listing, and searching through BBS names and numbers. BBS Informant stores over 40 fields of data on each BBS! Store up to 3 phone numbers, software & version, sysop, emphasis, rate, location, number of lines, storage space, CD-ROMS, date of origin, services offered, summary, and much more! Network support is included! BBS Informant works on Wildcat, PCBoard, and any BBS that supports DOOR.SYS. Registration Fee: $49.95 ú BOOT'R -DOS Multiple Configuration Manager BOOT'R allows the management of multiple configurations on a single machine. BOOT'R can modify the CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT, and more. Modify up to 5 files for each configuration. Useful for changing files such as NET.CFG too! Ideal for creating custom configurations for memory-hungry games. Easy to use push-button interface w/mouse support! Online reference tools! Registration Fee: $34.95 ú CompuSlave Master Your Messages! CompuSlave imports CompuServe forum capture files into a database, converting them to individual messages. Add, delete, edit, and search the entire database for key words or phrases. Make those messages work for you! Create your own technical support resource. Ideal for power users, programmers, and network administrators. Network support is included. Easy to use push- button interface with mouse support! (286 or higher) Sample import file is included. Documentation contains helpful hints on how to create a CompuServe message forum capture file. Registration Fee: $49.95 ú Infodex - Multipurpose Database! Infodex is a versatile database manager used to keep track of names and addresses, equipment, computer software, books, and much more! Includes a FREE-FORM layout. Add, delete, or rearrange fields EASILY! Search for text in any field. Import and export to a delimited text file. Quickly browse through a list of records. Easy push button interface! Both protected- mode and real-mode versions are included to support various memory requirements. Registration Fee: $34.95 ú Programmer's Project Manager PPM is a project manager that allows Builder or BASIC users to have complete control over their program's development. Edit source files using the PPM Editor, or specify your own favorite editor. Compile, link using multiple libraries, compress the EXE, scan for viruses, date/time stamp, and then compress the entire project, all under the control of PPM. Registration Fee: $49.95 ú QwkSlave - QWK Packet Message Database! QwkSlave imports QWK mail packets, storing each message as a database record. Add, edit, delete, print, browse, sort, & search through messages. Cross referencing makes finding an original message and its response as easy as a mouse-click. Ideal as a technical support reference tool. Network support is included. Easy to use push-button interface! Registration Fee: $49.95 ú Replicator - The Diskette Database / Replicator! Replicator is a disk image utility designed to create images of diskettes and catalog them in a database. Use optional compression to reduce the image size. Recreate disks as needed. Store up to 10 lines of descriptive text for each disk image in the database. Database entries can be modified at any time. Easy push button interface! (286 or higher) Registration Fee: $49.95 ú Subber - The BBS Character Subber! Subber is designed to substitute characters in a WildCat! bulletin, menu, or other .BBS display file. Create a generic background using WCDraw or TheDraw, and create text using your favorite text editor. Use Subber to combine the two together! Ideal for BBS system notices, news, & info screens that need to be changed frequently. Registration Fee: $29.95 ú ZIP'R Pro For DOS - Hard Drive Tripler For DOS! ZIP'R Pro stores programs in compressed form when they are not being used. Use ZIP'R Pro to automatically decompress a program, execute it, and recompress it again. Uses ARJ, LHA, PKZIP, or built-in compression. Integrate with a menu system, or use ZIP'R Pro's button menu. Works with networks & multitaskers. Easy to use push-button interface with mouse support! Registration Fee: $49.95 ú ZIP'R Pro For Windows - Hard Drive Tripler For Windows! ZIP'R Pro stores programs in compressed form when they are not being used. Use ZIP'R Pro to automatically decompress a program, execute it, and recompress it again. Uses ARJ, LHA, PKZIP, or built-in compression. Integrate with a Windows icon, or use ZIP'R Pro's desktop to launch the program of your choice. Network/Multi-user support is included. Registration Fee: $49.95 Programs Mentioned ARJ is copyrighted by Robert K Jung. AutoMenu is copyrighted by Magee Enterprises. DESQview is copyrighted by Quarterdeck Office Systems. DR DOS is copyrighted by Digital Research Inc. LANtastic is copyrighted by Artisoft, Inc. LHA is copyrighted by Haruyasu Yoshizaki. MS-DOS is copyrighted by Microsoft. Novell is copyrighted by Novell. OS/2 is copyrighted by IBM. PKZIP is copyrighted by PKWARE, Inc. PKUNZIP is copyrighted by PKWARE, Inc. QEMM is copyrighted by Quarterdeck Office Systems. QuikMenu is copyrighted by OSCS Software Development, Inc. Stacker is copyrighted by Stac Electronics, Inc. SuperStor is copyrighted by AddStor, Inc. Tame is copyrighted by PowerSoft, Inc. and David G. Thomas. Windows is copyrighted by Microsoft Corporation. ZIP'R is copyrighted by Stevenson Technical Services, Inc.