WINSTART.EXE and WINGO.COM (Version 1.0)

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Douglas Boling June 30, 1992 (Utilities)
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WINSTART & WINGO:
WINSTART and its companion program WINGO let you start Windows
programs from the DOS command line. WINGO is a small DOS TSR that you
install before Windows; WINSTART is a Windows application that gives
WINGO access to the necessary Windows API (application programming
interface) functions. The two programs communicate with each other to
provide the WINSTART functionality. The two programs communicate with
each other to provide the WINSTART functionality. Because the design
of Windows, you can only use the WINSTART/WINGO combination if you run
Windows in Enhanced mode.

Using WINSTART/WINGO is simple, and once installed, the programs
are transparent to the user. WINGO is best installed by a statement in
the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Once installed, WINGO examines every program you
execute from the DOS command line. If you attempt to launch a Windows
program, it automatically starts Windows. Once Windows is running, WINGO
needs a way to tell Windows that a program needs to be launched on the
desktop. This is where WINSTART comes into play.

WINSTART is best launched using the LOAD= line in WIN.INI or in
Windows 3.1 by placing the WINSTART icon in the start-up Group in the
Program Manager. Once launched, WINSTART sits quietly as an icon at the
bottom of the Windows desktop.

Once both programs are running, typing any Windows program name at
a DOS prompt will cause Windows to switch to the desktop and start that
program. Since Windows is started in parallel with the running of the
DOS box, the DOS prompt will return and a second or two will elapse
before the screen is switched to the desktop. This delay occurs because
Windows is swapping the DOS session to the disk and restoring the desktop.


You can disable and reenable WINGO and WINSTART when you want. To
disable the combination at the DOS prompt (regardless of whether Windows
is running), simply type

WINGO /D

Using the /E option reenables WINGO. If you are in Windows, you can
disable the programs via the Disable option on the WINSTART icon's System
menu and reenable WINSTART with the Enable option. Since WINSTART and
WINGO work as a pair, disabling one disables the other and enabling one
enables the other. Disabling WINGO/WINSTART is handy when you are running
the Windows SETUP program from the DOS command line. If you do not disable
the programs, the Windows part of SETUP will run instead of the desired
DOS-based Windows SETUP.

An About option on the WINSTART icon System menu displays the
WINSTART About box containing the copyright notice. Double clicking the
WINSTART icon also displays the About box. The WINSTART icon never
restores to a full window. When you terminate Windows, you can unload
WINGO using the /U command-line option.

Douglas Boling is a contributing editor of PC Magazine.