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