Category : Alternate Operating Systems - Quarterdeck DesqView, CP/M, etc
Archive   : QTEC9306.ZIP
Filename : PCTOOLS7.TEC

ID:P7 PC Tools Version 7
Quarterdeck Technical Note #225 Filename: PCTOOLS7.TEC
by Myke Keefe CompuServe: PCT7.ZIP
Last revised: 3/09/92 Category: SW3

Subject: Information on the use of Central Point's PC Tools Version 7 with
Quarterdeck products.


Following is some information that will help you optimally use Central Point's
PC Tools version 7 with Quarterdeck products.

Using PC Tools 7 with QEMM-386 5.1 - 6.0
========================================
Q: Can the PC-Tools utilities be loaded high?

A: Yes, some of them can but not all of them. QEMM-386 can load the SWAP
programs high, if you use this feature of PC Tools. This would free up 15K of
conventional memory. PC Shell and Desktop need at least 400K to initialize
before going resident.

This makes loading them high impossible because the TOTAL amount of memory
areas between 640K and 1024K is only 384K - and some of that is always in use.
See the section about DESQview for alternatives.

Deskcon, Mirror, PC-Cache, or VDEFEND can LOADHI if enough High RAM is
available.

DATAMON and COMMUTE load themselves high into UMBs if there is space available
between 640 and 1024K. This may cause problems for QEMM's Optimize program.
You can disable this feature of DATAMON with /LOW (load in low memory) and
COMMUTE /NU (no upper memory). Both Datamon and Commute use over 300K each to
initialize and will not LOADHI.

Thus, if you use them, the DATAMON and COMMUTE lines in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file
should look like this...

C:\PCTOOLS\DATAMON /LOW
C:\PCTOOLS\COMMUTE /NU

After running Optimize, you can remove these parameters and let the programs
try to use their own method to load into whatever High RAM is left over.

If you have chosen to run Shell or Desktop in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, they
will be invoked as usual during the Optimize process. Simply exit Shell or
Desktop (the F3 Key exits) to allow Optimize to continue.


Q: What is the best way to set up PC-Cache?

A: PC-Cache should be run in XMS Memory. This is particularly necessary if
you are a Microsoft Windows 3.0 user or using the Stealth feature of QEMM 6.0.


If you find it necessary to run the cache in Expanded, use the QEMM parameter
DiskBuffFrame=10. (The number 10 is chosen arbitrarily; smaller numbers
increase conventional memory, whereas larger numbers may improve performance.)
This will increase QEMM's usage of conventional memory but will allow QEMM to
buffer direct writes to the Page Frame while in Steath mode or when using
Windows 3.0. PC-Cache performs direct writes to the Page Frame.

Delayed Writes should be disabled when running Optimize or if you are planning
to use the DESQview environment. Add /WRITE=OFF to the PC-Cache command line.


Using PC-Tools 7 with DESQview and DESQview 386
===============================================
Running PC Tools programs inside DESQview has several advantages to using them
by themselves, namely that other programs will continue to run in background
when working in PC Tools, you have the ability to Mark and Transfer
information easily between programs without having to use the PC tools
Clipboard and finally, you can have "instant" access to other programs without
having to wait for PC Tools to swap them into and out of memory.

Q: How do I install PC-Tools in DESQview?

A: You should be able to select PC Tools Shell or PC Tools Desktop from the
"Add a Program" menu. If you are using DV 2.3 or earlier you should run
Change a Program and increase the field "Maximum Program Memory Size" to 470.

If DESQview is your primary environment, you should stay with the default of
Text Mode, and 25 Line display.

If you have already installed PC Tools with the Graphical Fonts, you can run
PCCONFIG and select TEXT mode and 25 Lines. You can also disable PC Tools
mouse support from PCCONFIG as well, thus allowing you to pop up the DV menu
with the mouse.


Q: Why do my DV screens and borders look strange when I run PC Tools programs?

A: PC Tools modifies the text fonts on your video graphics adapter in a manner
that DESQview cannot detect. This will alter the borders on your DESQview
windows and menus. Their alternate fonts can be suppressed with /NF (No font
switch) on the startup command line when the programs are invoked.

For example if you find that running VIEW in a DV DOS window causes screen
fonts to change, try VIEW /NF.

Unfortunately, once the fonts have been changed in DV, you must exit and
restart DV to restore the correct fonts.

Q: Characters are blinking when I run PC Tools programs in DV. How can I stop
this from occurring?

A: If you get blinking letters after hitting the DESQ key, you can rerun
PCCONFIG and choose non-high intensity colors. The blinking should go away
when the PC Tools program is brought back to the foreground in DV.

Or you may wish to tolerate the background blinking if you prefer high
intensity colors in the PC Tools window, and "Hide" the window when not in use
- that way you won't be distracted by the blinking. Use the Rearrange, Hide
command from the DESQview menu.

The DESQview Pallette program can be used to force DESQview to use high
intensity colors by selecting "Blink Enable" to make it stop blinking (the two
choices are to "blink" or "use high intensity colors"). Make sure Save the
Pallette setup if you want this change to be permanent.


Q: What PC Tools programs cannot be run in DESQview?

A: PC-Format detects DV and will not run. Try FORMAT! instead as DOS's
FORMAT.COM gets renamed by PC Tools installation to FORMAT!.COM. COMPRESS will
not run if it detects DV. Run it outside DESQview; otherwise you might be
using a file that is trying to be moved in the compression process - this
can't be done!

Q: Why did the DV mouse cursor disappear after installing PC TOOLS 7?

A: DATAMON's disk access light feature will interfere with the DV Mouse. DV
users should deactivate this feature with /LIGHT- on the DATAMON startup
command line.

For example: DATAMON /NU /LIGHT-


We hope these tips allow you to get the most out of PC Tools utilities and
Desktop. Thank You for using Quarterdeck Products!


************************************************************************
*This technical note may be copied and distributed freely as long as it*
*is distributed in its entirety and it is not distributed for profit. *
* Copyright (C) 1991 by Quarterdeck Office Systems *
************************ E N D O F F I L E *************************