Copyright: Copyright 1994 Rick Green
Citation: InWatch Help file.


Contents

To get help on an item, click the underlined text. For more information on how to use Help, press F1 or choose How to Use Help from the Help menu.

InWatch General Info:

OverView

Quick Start

Registration

InWatch Functions:

About Button

Backup Button

Brief Checkbox

Compare Button

Date/Time of Backup found

Directory path settings

Edit files Button

Enable AutoTrak Checkbox

Exit Button

Optimize Button

Save Settings Button

Uninstall Button

View files Button

Configuration files:

Autoexec.bat file

Config.sys file

System.ini file

Win.ini file

InWatch.ini file


InWatch Registration

Inwatch is SHAREWARE.

What is SHAREWARE?  ShareWare is software that is freely distributed to people so they can try it before they buy it.  When you receive a copy of a shareware program, you are given a specified period of time, in which you may decide if you like the program and find it useful.  If you do like the program, or continue to use the program past the specified period of time, you MUST send a registration fee to the author of the program.

When you register InWatch, you will receive an updated version of the program on disk and printed documentation.  The updated version will include the Optimize feature, which looks at your configuration files and tells you what settings might work better for your setup, or what settings are available only through in-depth knowledge of these files.

InWatch is not free, it is copyrighted  1994 by Rick Green. All rights reserved.

 InWatch registration is US$14.95 or CAN$19.95, S&H INCLUDED. You may try this program for 30 days, at the end of which you MUST register it or discontinue using it.  You are free to pass this program, in its original, unmodified form, to anyone you wish.  If you find this program useful, or use it past the 30 day limit, please send a check or money order for the above amount to:

Rick Green

513 Riverdale Ave.

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

K1S 1S3

Please specify 3 1/2" or 5 1/4" floppy disk format.

You can print out the file ORDER.FRM to place your order, or click on the Register button on the InWatch main screen.

If you have any questions, or comments regarding InWatch, please write to the above address.


InWatch Overview

Inwatch (Installation Watcher) 'Watches' your configuration files when you install a new Windows application.

NOTE: To use this program you should have at least a basic understanding of what your configuration files are, how they work, and basically what they are for.  For a brief explanation of these files, search help for  autoexec.bat , config.sys , win.ini and system.ini .

Typically, when you install a windows application it will make modifications to your configuration files , usually without telling you what changes it is making.  Even if you are aware of all the changes that have been made to your configuration files , unless you write down all these changes, you won't know what changes have been made later on.  If you decide you don't want this application on your hard disk any longer, deleting the application files from your hard disk usually doesn't remove all traces of this application.  Some applications add as many as 100 lines to your WIN.INI file. The WIN.INI is loaded into memory in entirety when you run windows, therefore the more lines in your WIN.INI, the larger this file is, and less memory and resources you will have available to you in windows.

Before you install an application, use the backup feature of InWatch to back up your configuration files .  After you install the application, use the compare feature to compare the backup files to the new, possibly altered files.  InWatch will create a comparison file that you can inspect and save for later reference.  The comparison file will show you every line that has changed in your configuration files .

As an added bonus, InWatch will also inform you of all the files and/or directories that have been added to or updated in (Same name, different date) your root windows and windows system directories.  This feature is useful if you wish to remove an application from your hard disk, for it will show you all files that were modified or added to your windows directories.  Many applications will add files (such as .DLL's, and .INI's) to your windows and windows system directories.  After installing several applications, your directories may contain many, many files that will usually remain after deleting an application from your hard drive.  Even if your intention is not to properly delete applications, it is useful to know where all the files in you windows directories came from, and what application they are associated with.

If, after using the Backup and Compare functions of InWatch, you decide you no longer want this program on your hard disk, click on the UnInstall button. Uninstall will add/remove/change lines in your SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI files, to remove the changes made by the installed application. UnInstall will also remove all files and directories (and their subdirectories) ADDED by this application to your root (C:\), Windows (\Windows) and System (\Windows\System) directories.

InWatch was written in Turbo C++ and Objectwindows (Copyright Borland International).

I would like to give special thanks to my wife for putting up with me while I was writing this program.


InWatch QuickStart

Follow these steps to get up and running quickly with InWatch:

1. Select the backup directory (this is where your configuration files  will be backed up.) Usually this is where InWatch is installed.

2. Click on the Backup button (this makes backup copies, which are used as a 'before' snapshot, of your configuration files  and main directories.)

3. Install the selected Application (DOS or Windows).

4. Click on the Compare button (this compares your backup files with the current files and creates an ASCII(text) file listing all the modifications/additions/deletions found.)

5. Click on the UnInstall button if you no longer want a specific application installed on your computer. UnInstall ONLY works if you followed the above steps for the application you want to uninstall. Also note that you should use care when uninstalling, InWatch will restore your configuration to the way it was BEFORE the specified application was installed; If this application changed an entry in one of your INI files, which you subsequently changed to something else, uninstall will restore that entry to the state it was in BEFORE the application was installed. After clicking on the UnInstall button, select the compare file associated with the application you want uninstalled from the list and click on uninstall. You then can select all, or some of the listed uninstall actions to be completed.


Save Settings Button

Pressing the Save Settings Button will save the directory path you have selected for the Backup directory in the file INWATCH.INI.


Directory path settings

InWatch needs to know where you want the backup files to be placed and read from.

To select a directory, click once on the directory name.  To view sub-directories below the current directory, double-click on a directory name.  To view directories above the current directory, double-click on the '\..' entry at the top of the list (i.e. double-clicking on 'C:\WINDOWS\COMPARES\..' would move to the 'C:\WINDOWS' directory)

See also:

Save Settings


Optimize Button

The Optimize feature has not been implemented in this version of InWatch.  Since this version is a SHAREWARE evaluation version, the Optimize feature has not been included.  When you register InWatch, you will receive the registered version of InWatch along with the Optimize feature.  In the registered version, this feature will optimize your configuration files.  Optimize will search for key lines in these files and give you advice on how to change these files to improve performance and reliability.

See also:

InWatch Shareware Registration


Edit files Button

Pressing on the Edit files button will execute the SYSEDIT.EXE program, which allows you to directly edit your configuration files.  Use this feature with care, for some changes can be made which will not allow either windows or your computer to run properly.  When you change and save a file in sysedit, sysedit will save the old file with an extension of .SYD.  If for some reason you need to revert to the old configuration file, simply rename the .SYD file with the original extension (old version of autoexec.bat saved as  autoexec.syd by SYSEDIT; rename it back to autoexec.bat, and your computer should work properly).

See also:

Autoexec.bat file

Config.sys file

System.ini file

Win.ini file


Backup found

The Backup found box displays the date and time of the last backup found in the selected directory.  If the selected directory in the Backup Directory list does not contain InWatch backup files, the Backup found box will display 'No Backup Found'.  The time is displayed in 24-hour format, and displayed in hour:minute format.


Exit

Pressing on the Exit button will allow you to close the InWatch Application.


Brief Checkbox

When comparing files, the last dialog box in the compare files function contains a checkbox labeled 'Brief.'  If you put a check in this box, the ASCII file output by InWatch will be shorter, including less descriptive information, and fewer separating blank lines. If you like the more descriptive format, leave this checkbox blank, whereas if you like the compare file short, place a check in this box.


About Button

Pressing the About Button will show information about InWatch, including the version number, author and the creation date.


Backup Button

Pressing the Backup Button will create copies of the following files: AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS, WIN.INI, SYSTEM.INI, and create a listing of all files and directories in the Root directory, Windows directory and Windows System directory.  The copies of these files will be named: AUTOEXEC.IWB, CONFIG.IWB, WIN.IWB, SYSTEM.IWB, and the directory listings will be named ROOTDIR.IWB, WINDIR.IWB and SYSDIR.IWB, respectively.

These files will be placed in the Backup Directory specified.  You will be notified if the Backup directory path is incorrect, or if there are any problems copying the files.  The AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS are found in the root directory (Normally C:\) of your hard drive, and the WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI are found in the Windows directory (Normally C:\WINDOWS).

You should use the Backup button to backup these files BEFORE you install a new windows program.  After you have installed the program, use the Compare button to show you what settings the new windows program changed when it was installed.


Compare Button

Pressing the Compare Button will compare your current configuration files and the directories and files in your Root, Windows and Windows System directories with the backup files.  You MUST use the Backup feature prior to using the compare feature.

Before comparing the files, you will be asked for a description and filename. The description is placed in the COMPARE file. The description is useful, since the filename of the COMPARE file is limited to 8 characters, which is not very descriptive. The Description is limited to 80 characters in length.  The filename must be a standard valid filename.  The three-letter extension IWC will be added automatically to the filename when the COMPARE file is created.

The current configuration files will be compared to the backup files created with the Backup feature, with the results being placed in a text file, in the backup directory specified,  with the name you specify. The COMPARE file will show every line that has been added, deleted or changed.  When comparing WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI files, the section heading ([boot] or [fonts] etc.) will appear above the line listed that has changed/deleted/added. The COMPARE file will also show which, if any, files or directories have been added to or updated in the Root Windows or Windows System directories.

Just before comparing files, you will be presented with a dialog box which includes the Brief checkbox, along with OK and CANCEL buttons. When the compare process is finished you will be left in notepad.exe, with the COMPARE file opened for you to view.  The COMPARE file shows what lines have been added, deleted or changed in your configuration files , as well as showing what files and/or directories have been added/updated in your root, windows and windows system directories.

Notes on using the COMPARE file:

The COMPARE file is generated by comparing your backup files and the current files.  First InWatch compares your AUTOEXEC.BAT file with the backup AUTOEXEC.IWB. This first step will find lines that have either changed or been added since you did the backup.  The process is then reversed, reading one line from AUTOEXEC.IWB and comparing it to every line in AUTOEXEC.BAT.  Any lines in AUTOEXEC.IWB not found in AUTOEXEC.BAT are lines that have changed or been deleted since the backup.  Any lines that have simply been changed (Not added or deleted entirely) will show up under both headings in the COMPARE file. By visually comparing both occurences, you can tell what changes have been made.  For example if the first comparison showed this line as not found:

SMARTDRV.EXE 3000

and the second comparison showed this line:

SMARTDRV.EXE 2000

you would know that originally smartdrive was set for a 2000 byte cache, then changed to 3000 bytes.

InWatch then compares the CONFIG.SYS, WIN.INI, SYSTEM.INI and Windows, System, and Root directories, appending the results of these comparisons to the compare file. Since INI files are (much) more structered than AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS, the compare results for your INI files are easier to follow, and more exact. The compare results for INI files will show if a line was ADDED, DELETED or CHANGED, showing the value of the line originally and after the comparison.

See also:

Backup Button

Brief Checkbox

View Compare Files

Uninstall Button


Uninstall Button

Pressing the Uninstall Button will restore your configuration to the state it was in before it was altered by the installation of a selected application.  Uninstall only works if you followed the procedures for doing the backup first, then installed the application, then used the compare function. Also note that Uninstall only works with Compare files (.iwc, .atc) created with version 1.9 (or higher) of InWatch. Uninstall uses the .IWU file, with the same 8 letter name as the compare file, to accomplish its uninstall: You should NEVER edit any .IWU file. Uninstall ONLY uninstalls applications that you have created a COMPARE file for using the Compare function.

Once you press the UnInstall button you will be presented with a dialog box, listing all the compare (.IWC, .ATC) files found in the selected backup directory. To View a compare file, select the file and click on View. To uninstall a program, select the compare file from the list for the program you want to uninstall and click on UnInstall. After clicking on this button, a list will display, showing all the actions that are necessary to complete the uninstall. Click on cancel to cancel the uninstall, Uninstall to carry out the UnInstallation. The list of uninstall actions may include: REMOVE (removes an entry from an INI file)., ADD (adds an entry to an INI file), CHANGE (changes an entry in an INI file to the value following 'TO:'), REMOVEFILE (deletes the specified file from the directory shown.)  If the 'Verify Every Action' checkbox is checked, InWatch will ask for verification before completing each and every action listed. This can be very useful if the program added lines that you want to remain as they are. To verify an action, click on YES; clicking on YES TO ALL with complete all remaining actions WITHOUT further interaction. Click on NO to skip this one step, and click on CANCEL to stop the uninstall at this point. Note that cancel will NOT undo the actions you have already verified, it simply stops the uninstall process where it is. A text file will be created after you complete (or cancel) the uninstall process. This text file will have the name of the compare file plus the extension .LOG, and lists all actions DONE and NOTDONE so you have a log of the actions you completed.

NOTE that you should use caution when uninstalling applications, since InWatch will restore modified INI lines to the value they were BEFORE the application was installed. Therefore, if you use Backup, then install an application, then happen to modify an entry in an INI file that this installed application modified when it was installed, InWatch will change the INI entry back to the value it held BEFORE the application was installed, ignoring the change you had made to the line. You should also take care with DLL (Dynamic Link Library) files, since many of these are shared with other applications. InWatch is careful about this, since it will only delete files that were ADDED, not updated. You should still use caution when deleting files in the Windows System directory; If, for example, you installed a program that copied BWCC.DLL (Borland Windows Custom Controls DLL) to the Windows System directory, then installed a second application that also uses BWCC.DLL, then uninstalled the first application, BWCC.DLL would be deleted, causing the second application to not work.

See also:

Backup Button

Compare Button

View Compare Files


View Compare Files Button

Pressing the View Files Button will display a dialog box with a list of all the InWatch compare files (all with .IWC or .ATC extension) found in the directory that is selected as the Backup Directory in the Directory path settings.  You may use this dialog box to simply view what compare files you have, or you may edit any of the files listed by clicking on the name with the mouse, then clicking on the View button.  When finished viewing/editing/printing the file, use the FILE/EXIT menu option to exit. You can also delete files from this dialog box by selecting the filename you want deleted and clicking on the Delete button. The delete is useful for getting rid of compare files, which can accumulate if you use the AutoTrak feature, that are no longer needed, or only show a very minor change to your files.

*NOTE- You must use the .IWC or .ATC file name extension when you save a file.  Without this extension, InWatch will not be able to identify this file as an InWatch compare file, and you will not be able to view these compare files from InWatch using the 'View Files' Button.


Enable AutoTrak Checkbox

This Checkbox allows you to enable or disable the AutoTrak function.

AutoTrak is a program that, when enabled, will automatically run when you start windows. AutoTrak will, exactly like the InWatch function Backup, create backups of your autoexec.bat, config.sys, win.ini, system.ini and a list of files/directories in your windows and system directories.  When you exit windows, AutoTrak will do a comparison of your current configuration files  with the backup files, just like the InWatch Compare function. Autotrak will save the resulting compare file using a filename consisting of the month, day, hour and minute, in this format MMDDHHMM.ATC. AutoTrak uses the ATC filename extension to distinguish AutoTrak compare files from InWatch compare files.

AutoTrak doesn't typically replace the normal Backup and Compare functions of InWatch, but rather supplements them. AutoTrak will track changes made during a windows session; A session starts when you load windows, and stops when you exit windows using the Exit Windows option from Program Manager.

Use Backup and Compare just before and just after installing a program, to track the changes that program makes when it is installed. Use AutoTrak to track changes made by you, and programs you run during a windows session. AutoTrak is particularly useful in this manner because it will automatically keep a record of changes you have made, so if you make some configuration changes that adversely affect the operation or performance of your system, AutoTrak will keep a record of these changes. Each time you exit windows, AutoTrak does a comparison of your files, exactly like the InWatch Compare function.

Enabling/Disabling AutoTrak adds/removes the reference to AutoTrak.exe, located in the C:\inwatch directory, in the RUN= line of the [Windows] section in your WIN.INI file. If you disable the AutoTrak feature, and decide NOT to use it, you can delete all the *.ATB (AutoTrak Backup) files in the C:\inwatch directory. However, do NOT delete these files during a windows session if your are still using AutoTrak, since AutoTrak needs these files to operate.

Note that if AutoTrak is running and you Disable AutoTrak from InWatch, this will only disable it from starting the next time you start windows, but won't close the program for the current session. If you DON'T want AutoTrak to run at the end of the current session, click once on the AutoTrak icon, select CLOSE from the menu, then select OK from the next menu. The reverse is also true, if AutoTrak is NOT running and you enable it from InWatch, it won't load immediately, rather the next time you start windows.

If/when you want to view the compare file after you exit windows, you can use any text-only word processor, or view program to browse through the compare results. You are not given an option of viewing the compare file after AutoTrak does the compare, since this is done during windows shutdown. You may want to view the file after you start your next windows session, using the View button of InWatch.


Autoexec.bat file

The autoexec.bat contains commands that the computer carries out to configure your computer.  The autoexec.bat is carried out, when you start your system, immediately after the config.sys file.  Autoexec.bat can contain commands that set environment variables, set the screen prompt, load Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR) programs, or run executable files, load CD-ROM extensions, etc.

If you have version 6.0 or later of DOS, and have set up your autoexec.bat file to use the multi-config option, your autoexec.bat will be broken up into sections.  These sections are separated by the character ':' and a word, i.e. :dos or :games.

See also:

Config.sys file

System.ini file

Win.ini file


Config.sys file

The config.sys file contains commands that the computer carries out to configure your computer's hardware.  The config.sys is carried out when you start your system, and is immediately followed by the autoexec.bat file.  Config.sys can contain commands that specify where DOS should be loaded, what language conventions to use, how much memory to reserve for transferring information to and from disks, how many disk files can be open at one time, or to load device drivers such as a mouse or CD-ROM driver etc.

If you have version 6.0 or later of DOS, and have set up your config.sys file to use the multi-config option, your config.sys will be broken up into sections.  These sections are separated by the characters '[' and ']' with a word in between, i.e. [dos] or [games].

See also:

Autoexec.bat file

System.ini file

Win.ini file


System.ini file

The System.ini file contains configuration information about your computer system hardware and setup.  System.ini is used by windows when it starts up so it can determine what your hardware setup is and what hardware settings to use.  This file contains several headings, such as [Boot] or [Keyboard], with each heading seperating the file into distinct sections.  The system.ini file will contain information such as: the video driver to use, the mouse driver to use, the keyboard type, system-level settings and so forth.

See also:

Autoexec.bat file

Config.sys file

Win.ini file


Win.ini file

The Win.ini file contains configuration information about how windows is configured.  Win.ini is loaded into memory when you start windows.  This file contains several headings, such as [Windows] or [Desktop], with each heading seperating the file into distinct sections.  The win.ini file will contain information dealing with the way windows is setup, including color settings, keyboard repeat rates, international settings, installed printers, installed fonts, and desktop settings like wallpaper and icon spacing.  Many applications add lines to this file that contain configuration information for the application.  As more applications are installed, often the size of your win.ini file will greatly increase.

See also:

Autoexec.bat file

Config.sys file

System.ini file


InWatch.ini file

The InWatch.ini file contains configuration information that InWatch needs.  The InWatch.ini file contains five items, the backup directory path, whether AutoTrak is enabled, the location of InWatch, whether to use brief compare files, and if the Verify all actions is checked or not.  The InWatch.ini file is found in the Windows directory.

See also:

Save Settings


Configuration Files

Configuration files are: AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS (DOS configuration files, located in the root directory), SYSTEM.INI, WIN.INI (Windows configuration Files, located in the Windows directory).