CONFIG.EXE PROGRAM DOCUMENTATION -------------------------- Version 7.00b 1.0 Description: CONFIG.EXE is a menu driven file manager that organizes multiple versions of the DOS CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. The program allows creation of a menu of up to 25 different configurations which consist of a menu entry, and its associated path and files. On startup, the program compares the present CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files to those listed in the users menu and indicates which of those configurations is presently installed (if any). If the user wishes to change to different system configuration, he can select it from the menu, install it and if desired, reboot the PC from the program to make it effective. 2.0 System Requirements: CONFIG.EXE is written in Borland C 2.0 and should run on any AT or XT compatible with a EGA or VGA color monitor. Possible compatibility problems could occur if direct video access doesn't work on the target machine (program does not use BIOS for video). A mouse is not currently needed or supported. The Reboot function performs a far jump to the BIOS warm start address F000:FFF0 which should restart most PC compatibles. To use report printing functions, a parallell printer on LPT1 is needed. 3.0 Getting Started: When first run, the program will check for its data file, CNFIG3.DAT which will normally not be present initially. The user is offered the option of creating a new datafile. Have a list of the files you will be using for your configurations along with the path where each is located. It is helpful to name these in a consistent way, such as CONFIG1.SYS, CONFIG2.SYS etc. Each file can be a variation of your standard CONFIG.SYS optimized for different programs, memory configurations, and driver combinations. Similarly, AUTOEXEC.BAT file versions can be linked to each menu entry if desired. The path given for that menu entry must contain both the config.sys and autoexec.bat files. For example, suppose you wanted to create an optimized setup to run Flight Simulator. You could modify your existing config.sys and autoexec.bat files in the root directory until they were perfect and then save them as 'CONFIGFS.SYS' and 'AEFS.BAT' in the flight simulator directory. Now create a configuration called 'Flight Simulator Setup', Pathname: C:\FS4\ Config Filename: CONFIGFS.SYS Autoexec Filename: AEFS.BAT. Whenever you want to run Flight Simulator, simply run CONFIG.EXE, select and Install this configuration, and reboot. 4.0 To Create a Configuration: Using the datafile editor you select the menu line you wish to complete, and then enter (1) the menu description, (2) the path where the file(s) are found (must end in a'\', for example c:\DOS\), (3) the Config filename (such as CONFIG1.SYS), and (4), optionally, the Autoexec filename. Once all four entries are complete, you are returned to the menu being developed which will show your new entry. Continue to add the other configurations you use to the menu in the same manner. If an entry needs to be checked or edited, select it on the menu and edit the four lines as necessary. When done editing the four fields for the configuration, press Escape to leave the Edit window and return to the edit menu. A total of 25 entries may be created. To add a new configuration to the list, pick any BLANK line. If creating a menu of configurations for the first time, simply click on the top line. In this version, you may use the F3 key to browse for files and to select the config and autoexec files you want from a scrolling directory. Just press F3 at the Line (2) Path: prompt. You can select any path on the current drive as the source for your config.sys files, but once chosen you must pick any autoexec.bat file you associate with the configuration from tha same path. At the Line(3) and Line (4) field prompts, F3 allows you to view to the currently selected files with the viewing window. The width of your widest title among the configurations you create determines the width of the menu box on the main screen, which lists all of your configurations. To make the menu appear wider, for aesthetic reasons you can use at least one long title or pad a title with spaces. Once you have finished constructing your menu of configurations, press Escape. To create the datafile, answer (Y)es at the prompt. The program will create the CNFIG3.DAT file in the same directory as CONFIG.EXE and return to the Main Menu which will now show your configuration list. To print a report listing your configurations and their associated files, Press or click on F2 at the Main Setup Screen. 5.0 Using The Program: The Main Menu display screen will display the current configuration found in your root directory if it matches one of the files on your configuration list. This is always true if you use CONFIG.EXE to install your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC files from the menu you created. If you have altered the root directory files file by other means, the program will indicate that it is unrecognized. Note that if two different configurations use the same config.sys source file, then only the first will be recognized by the program. To avoid this, make each config.sys variant unique by including a title Rem line that identifies it, as in: "Rem Standard Configuration File 03-04-94" etc. A Window in the upper lefthand corner of the Menu screen shows the available total program area, including the memory used by CONFIG.EXE, which the memory available for the present installed configuration at system boot. This is the same amount reported by MEM or CHKDSK. If a configuration is chosen from the Main Menu, the activities menu will be displayed which allows you to VIEW the file(s) storing that configuration, INSTALL them in your root directory, REBOOT your PC to make the installed files effective and Return to the Main Menu. As of version 6.00, the program will save the existing config.sys and autoexec.bat files already in the root directory as config.s~s and autoexec.b~t, in case you made a mistake and have no other copies of those files. However, only the most recent files are saved and the next time you run config.exe, they will copied over. WHEN RUNNING THE PROGRAM FOR THE FIRST TIME, PLEASE BE SURE YOU MAKE BACKUP COPIES OF YOUR EXISTING CONFIG.SYS AND AUTOEXEC.BAT if you think you will need them, since they will eventually be overwritten as you use the program. The quickest way to change configurations is to click on menu choice you want, and then click REBOOT at the File Menu, which copies the new files into the root directory and goes directly to the Reboot screen. If you select INSTALL, from the file menu, the new files will be copied but the program will return to the Main Menu. Function keys that are active are listed in the window at the screen bottom. From the Main Menu, F1 accesses ONLINE HELP in most areas. F2 displays information about your system. F3 displays the program version information and copyright notice. CONFIG.EXE is freeware and the conditions of use are presented as well. F4 allows viewing of the current CONFIG.SYS file in your root directory. F5 reboots the system (after a safety prompt). F6 access the datafile editor. Use this if you wish to change the Main Menu and related path and file information by modifying CNFIG3.DAT. F7 displays the current AUTOEXEC.BAT file. In version 4.0+, the Reboot option checks to see if Windows is running, and if so, recommends closing windows before attempting a system reboot. 6.0 Mouse Support: A Microsoft compatible mouse is now supported. You can use the mouse for all menu functions and to click on any displayed buttons. Buttons on each screen support all keyboard functions. Use of the mouse is optional, and it can be disabled with the command- line switch NOMOUSE when starting the program. 7.0 Final Note: If you encounter problems, the built-in Help screens accessed by pressing F1 explain most of the program operations. Instructions are also displayed in the lowest window on the screen in certain cases, as in the datafile editor. If you include files or paths that do not exist in your menu, an error window will pop-up every time the program tries to open or read that file. Check your datafile entries using the editor (F6) to be sure they are correct if this happens. Please let me know via EMAIL on compuserve of any major problems, comments, suggestions. 7.0 Summary of Changes in versions 5,6,7 - File viewer bugs corrected, now views text files up to 64K - F3 accesses file browse window from the data entry screen in the datafile editor. Files selected during datafile edit can also be viewed using F3. - System reboots are prevented if Windows is running. - the datafile format and name CNFIG3.DAT is unchanged from the prior version, 3.2 - Version 4.04, program now searches correctly for CNFIG3.DAT file in the same directory as the Config.exe program only. This should happen whether or not Config is run from the root directory (and found by Dos using Path) or run after actually changing to the correct directory 1st using CD. - Version 4.04, line entry routines in the Edit File Area now provide horizontal scrolling for text data entry. - Version 5.00, mouse support added. Other minor improvements. - Version 5.40, minor bug fixes, cosmetic changes to window appearance, if configuration changed but user doesn't reboot, program will provide warning window on exit. - Version 5.40, System Info window will now display additional information on CMOS settings on AT+ class machines (Bios ID Byte FC or higher). - Version 5.42, Reboot choice in file action menu will now install the selected configuration and then reboot the system in 1 step. Basic report printing features have been added. - VERSION 5.43, Fixes bug introduced in .42 caused by long path to program. - VERSION 6.00, saves backups of existing config.sys and autoexec.bat before copying new files to root directory. Includes better file viewer. - VERSION 7.00, Fixes bugs in file browser caused by Windows 95 long filenames. These no longer corrupt the directory listing. Also includes better processor ID function in System info. Some minor changes in appearance. 8.0 Additional Programs WINCFG.EXE is included with Config.exe version 7.00. This program allows easy switching between Windows 95 and Previous Dos Versions assuming W95 was installed correctly to allow dual booting. Howard Williams (The Trooper) for Underground Empire 1996