ARCTOOL v8.0 from GDSOFT. The BEST
archive manager/shell handles EVERY
popular archiver including ZIP, ARJ,
ARC, PAK, ZOO, and even recognizes
"EXE" archives. Best of ALL, it
handles archives INSIDE of other
archives up to 5 layers. View, Print,
Extract and Convert archives to ANY
format, view ANSI files, ASSOCIATE
exts with ANY DOS program.
Edit FILE_ID.DIZ inside of Archives.
Graphical user interface. VERY FAST !!!

ARCTOOL Version 8.0
Copyright (c) 1990,1994 GDSOFT

MAJOR FEATURES OF ARCTOOL
-------------------------

... Graphical Interface !!
... Handles ALL versions of PKZIP INCLUDING any PKZ204.
... NEW ASSOCIATE feature allows you to associate any program with any
file extension.
... NEW View ANSI files from file viewer.
... Allows CUSTOM VIEWER of YOUR choice as an option.
... ARCTOOL now unpacks archives found in other archives. You can
go up to 5 LEVELS deep.
... Copy, Rename or Delete Archives from within ARCTOOL.
... NEW !!! Convert archives from one format to another.
... Virus SCAN option using your favorite virus control program.
... Directory pruning and creation inside ARCTOOL. Now UNLIMITED !!
New "ZAP" feature deletes ENTIRE directory in an INSTANT !!
... Recognition of MORE SFX headers in 'COM' and 'EXE' files and ODD
named ZIP files such as 'QWK' files.
... Use Of Configuration file for archive paths. Makes startup FAST !!
... Command line switches /N ( Do NOT use configuration file )
/S ( create configuration file from archive paths ) AND NEW !!
/D ( read files ONLY in the current directory. ).
... UNLIMITED (only by available memory) number of archives.
... Bug fixes for GOOFY machine BIOS (PS2, Zenith, Tandy) !!
... Network, NetBIOS, DeskView and WINDOWS COMPATIBLE !!!
... FASTER, Tighter code.
... NO CHANGE to the 'LOOK' and 'FEEL' so previous users won't be
freaked out. This is one of MY PET PEEVES when programmers update
their software. "I just got used to it, and they changed the whole
darn thing"
... added "quick" key search for file names. Just TYPE the name
and ARCTOOL will position on closet match.
... Changed COMMAND keys to ALT-CTRL combinations
... COMPETE Rodent support
... Added EGA/VGA 43/50 Line support
... SMALLER and FASTER .EXE file
... Edit FILE_ID.DIZ inside of archives

GETTING STARTED
---------------

ARCTOOL is a shell to the many of the most popular archive (compression)
programs available. ARCTOOL will support files compressed with PKZIP, ARC
(SEA), PKARC, LHARC, LHA, LHS, ARJ, ZOO, SQUEEZE, and PAK (Nogate).

ARCTOOL can support SFX files made with PAK, ARC, LHARC, and PKZIP. These
files are self-extracting, and have file extensions of 'COM' or 'EXE'.
ARCTOOL will try to determine if a file is an SFX file and include it for
your review if it is.

QUICK START
-----------

===========================================================================
ARCTOOL V8.0
Page 2
===========================================================================

Since ARCTOOL is a shell, you obviously must have a version of the
de-arcing software that you want to use somewhere on the same drive as
ARCTOOL. You may need to tell ARCTOOL where to find these external
programs. There are TWO ways to do it.

1. Create a TEXT file ( use any editor ) in the same directory as
ARCTOOL. Name it AT.CFG and add the following lines :

ARC=c:\WHATEVER\ARC.EXE
PAK=c:\SOMEPATH\PAK.EXE
ZIP=c:\UTILITY\PKUNZIP.EXE
LBR=c:\ARCHIVES\LUE.COM
ZOO=d:\UTILITY\ZOO.EXE
LZH=e:\ANYPATH\LHA.EXE
ARJ=c:\UTILITY\ARJ.EXE
PKA=d:\PKWARE\PKXARC.EXE

Change the paths to the EXACT location for each of these programs
that you will use with ARCTOOL. You DO NOT have to use all of these
formats. Just omit the one's that you DO NOT use.

2. Use the "Opts" function after running ARCTOOL, and select
ARCHIVER LOCATIONS. This is explained in detail later on.

ARCTOOL is executed for the DOS command line by entering AT. First, the
program will search your entire disk for files ending in the extension
'ARC','PAK','LZH','LBR','ZOO','ARJ','ZIP' and 'COM' and 'EXE' (SFX files).

ARCTOOL has TWO main windows that are referred to in the rest of this
document as the MAIN window or screen, and the ARCHIVE window.

THE MAIN SCREEN
---------------


===========================================================================
ARCTOOL V8.0
Page 3
===========================================================================
ARCTOOL 8.0

Files : 112 Volume : DDRIVE
Space Used : 24202640 Memory : 264616
Free Space : 78880768 Need : 0




$MENU ZIP D:\$MENU\ 1071230 12/13/93 11:07Am
$MENUFNT ZIP D:\$MENU\ 50544 12/19/93 09:42Am
ALLSWAGS ZIP D:\SWAG\ZIPS\ 1516099 11/26/93 07:38Am
ANSIJ ZIP D:\TURBO\ARCS\ 41388 07/14/92 10:10Am
AP ZIP D:\TURBO\ARCS\ 153713 03/27/93 06:20Pm
AP600A ZIP D:\TURBO\ARCS\ 184712 02/05/94 11:29Am
APRIL ZIP D:\LOG5\ 194438 05/26/93 10:29Am


-Up -Dn Copy Find Opts SetuP


Del DRive Sort Query Zed -View



SETTING ARCHIVER LOCATIONS
--------------------------

If you haven't used method #1 above to tell ARCTOOL where to find the
external archivers that you want to use, you need to do so NOW. Press 'O'
and you will see the MENU :

ARCTOOL Options

About
AssOciate Files
Archiver SetuP
Check SFX - OFF
Spacebar Tag - ON
Add Custom Viewer
Edit AT Config File
Colors
Drive Status
Screen Lines - 25



Select ARCHIVER LOCATIONS (ALT[O][P]).

The Archiver setup screen looks like this :


===========================================================================
ARCTOOL V8.0
Page 4
===========================================================================
ARCHIVE Setup


UNARC Program : D:\UTILITY\ARC.EXE
UNPAK Program : D:\UTILITY\PAK.EXE
UNZIP Program : D:\UTILITY\PKUNZIP.EXE
UNLZH Program : D:\UTILITY\LHA.EXE
UNARJ Program : D:\UTILITY\ARJ.EXE
UNZOO Program : D:\UTILITY\ZOO.EXE
UNLBR Program : D:\UTILITY\LUE.COM

,-Up/Down -Select F4-DIZ Info Esc-Exit


Enter the name of the program to use for each extension (i.e. PKXARC.EXE),
and if it is on the disk, ARCTOOL will find it. Of course, you can enter
the full path along with the filename (i.e. C:\UTILITY\PKXARC.EXE).

Next you will be asked to select a decompression format. The different
programs available have different command line switches that must be used.
The selection window looks like this :

Select An Archive Format
SEA : ARC {xepv}[ow] [filename]
PKWARE : PK[xarc,unpak] {epc}[r] [filen
PKWARE : PKUNZIP {epc} [o] [filename]
NOGATE : PAK {ep}[wa] [filename]
V.BUERG : LUE [filename]
R.DHESI : ZOO {ep}[o] [filename]
YOSHI : LHA[rc] {xepv}[n] [filename]
R.JUNG : ARJ {xepv}[o] [filename]


Select the appropriate format, and press 'RETURN'. You will then be asked
if you want to OVERWRITE existing files on extraction. Answer 'Y' or 'N'.
Proceed with this process until you have entered a program name for each
file extension. If you do not want to use a particular format, leave the
slot blank. ARCTOOL will fill in NOT USED in the slot for you.


===========================================================================
ARCTOOL V8.0
Page 5
===========================================================================
ARCHIVE Setup


UNARC Program : D:\UTILITY\ARC.EXE
UNPAK Program : D:\UTILITY\PAK.EXE
UNZIP Program : D:\UTILITY\PKUNZIP.EXE
UNLBR Program : D:\UTILITY\LUE.COM
UNZOO Program : D:\UTILITY\ZOO.EXE
UNLZH Program : D:\UTILITY\LHA.EXE
UNARJ Program : D:\UTILITY\ARJ.EXE

,-Up/Down -Select F4-DIZ Info Esc-Exit



Overwrite Files ?? (Y/N) Y




Press ESCAPE when you have finished this process. All of your choices will
be written out to disk, and may be changed again at anytime. From the main
window, you can again press '[ALT][O][L]' OR from the archive window, you
can use [CTRL][P].

Additionally, you will notice that the F4 key indicates that you can edit
the FILE_ID.DIZ Info. Using the CONVERT function explained later in this
document, ARCTOOL allows you to edit these description files found in
archives, and needs some information to be able to handle them properly.

ARCHIVE Setup


UNARC Program : D:\UTILITY\ARC.EXE
UNPAK Program : D:\UTILITY\PAK.EXE
UNZIP Program : D:\UTILITY\PKUNZIP.EXE
UNLZH Program : D:\UTILITY\LHA.EXE
UNARJ Program : D:\UTILITY\ARJ.EXE
UNZOO Program : D:\UTILITY\ZOO.EXE
UNLBR Program : D:\UTILITY\LUE.COM

,-Up/Down -Select F4-DIZ Info Esc-Exit



DIZ BBSAD :
DIZ CommentFile : D:\TURBO\ARCS\ZIPLOGO.TXT
DIZ Rightmargin : 40




===========================================================================
ARCTOOL V8.0
Page 6
===========================================================================

Enter the name of a text file that you might like to add to each archive as
they are converted. Next enter the name of a comment file that you want
used for ARJ and ZIP file comments. Finally, tell ARCTOOL the width of the
FILE_ID.DIZ editor that you want to be the default. Normally, this will be
40 characters. Up to 78 are allowed.

That's it on the SETUP !!

OTHER OPTIONS
-------------

FILE ASSOCIATION FEATURE [ALT][O][O]
------------------------------------

If you have used "WINDOWS", then you may already be familiar with the
concept of FILE associations. Actually, it's pretty simple, whenever the
key is pressed on a highlighted file, ARCTOOL will execute some
program that you associate with that files extension. To use this feature,
go to the SETUP menu, and press the "O" key. Enter the extension of the
file type, and a program that you want to execute when this file extension
is encountered. If the file can be found in your path, then it will be
displayed. You can enter up to 10 extensions and filenames. Press F1 when
you are finished to save your information. From then on, whenever you press
on one of the selected file extensions, your program file will be
executed for that file. This is really nice for viewing PCX, LOTUS,
WORDPERFECT or other files that ARCTOOL will not handle internally. Of
course, you need a "viewer" program such as "PCTOOLS VIEW.EXE".

TURNING SFX LOOKUP OFF [ALT][O][X]
----------------------------------

ARCTOOL by default looks at EVERY 'EXE' and 'COM' file to determine if the
file is an 'SFX' format file. If you have a directory with a LOT of these
files, this can take a while, sometimes, A LONG WHILE !!. Especially on
floppy disks, this can seem to take FOREVER !!!. You can turn this feature
off selection of this option on the OPTIONS menu or by using the 'CTRL O'
switch once inside of ARCTOOL. You will be given a message that the SFX
feature is now ON (or OFF) depending on the previous state.

Since this feature is a toggle, you will be changing it to the OPPOSITE of
what it now is. If it seems that ARCTOOL is slow on directories that have a
LOT of COM and EXE files, try pressing CTRL O and see if this speeds things
up. You WILL however LOSE the ability to identify SFX "COM" and "EXE'
files.


===========================================================================
ARCTOOL V8.0
Page 7
===========================================================================
Optionally, you may switch the SFX lookup from the CONFIGURATION file. To
do this, simple place a statement at the TOP of the file like this : SFX=OFF
or SFX=ON. From that point on, SFX lookup will be on/off. This is handy if
you have some directories that you want SFX on and others that you want it
off. Simply place SFX=ON BEFORE the directories that you want SFX lookup,
and SFX=OFF BEFORE the ones that you do not. This method of turning SFX on
or off will NOT be written to the EXE file.

SPACEBAR TAG [ALT][O][T]
------------------------

This options determines how ARCTOOL will handle tagging files with the
SPACEBAR. Once you open an archive for extraction or whatever, you may want
to TAG only certain files. You can use the 'T' (TAG) or 'U' (UNTAG) keys
for this purpose. By default, the SPACEBAR will also tag files and move to
the NEXT file down. This option allows you to determine if ARCTOOL will TAG
files when the spacebar is press or not.

CUSTOM VIEWER [ALT][O][V]
-------------------------

ARCTOOL has a built-in file viewer that is VERY fast. The caveat is that it
will ONLY view text files. Many people like the program LIST.COM or SEE.COM
and some like the fancy viewers like PCTOOLS VIEW.EXE. This option allows
the installation of an ALTERNATE viewer of your choice. Enter the program
name including the full path. If you choose to do this, ALL views for ALL
file extensions (UNLESS YOU HAVE ASSOCIATED THAT EXTENSION WITH SOME OTHER
PROGRAM) will be directed to your view program, and the internal viewer
will be disabled.

EDIT ARCTOOL CONFIGURATION FILE [ALT][O][F] (ALSO COMMAND LINE SWITCHES)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

This option SAVES the current directories containing archives to the
ARCTOOL configuration file and allows you to EDIT the choices.

As indicated earlier, you can MANUALLY create this configuration file which
MUST be named 'AT.CFG'. It can contain the pathnames where you want
'ARCTOOL' to search for archives. If ARCTOOL can find this file, by
default, it WILL NOT search EVERY drive on your disk for the presence of
archives. This can make the startup process VERY fast if you are only
placing archives in one or two directories but have a LOT of paths on your
hard drive.

Additionally, you can tell ARCTOOL where to find the appropriate archive
programs that you will use.

The configuration file must be an ASCII text file, and can be created with
any text editor. Items must be ONE PER LINE, and can be any path on your
disk. Blank lines are ignored.


===========================================================================
ARCTOOL V8.0
Page 8
===========================================================================
EXAMPLE :

C:\
SFX=ON
D:\ARCHIVES\SFX=OFF
\ZIPFILES\
Z:\PAHTNAME\SFX=ON

You can include ANY path on any physical drive, as long as the physical
drive exists. Notice the SFX=ON,OFF. This tells ARCTOOL to turn the search
for SFX files ON or OFF for this directory. It can be on the same line as
the file path as shown in the example, or on a separate line.

If you choose to use the OPTION menu choice to save the configuration, then
you will be presented with a list of current files ALREADY tagged for
saving. You can ('U') Untag the ones you don't want and use F4 to turn
SFX=ON or F5 to turn SFX=OFF. When you have the list correct, you MUST
press F10 to save the file.

COLORS [ALT][O][C]
------------------

ARCTOOL allows you set the colors to anything you desire. This function is
pretty intuitive, so play around until you get the screen to look like you
want it to. You can return to the DEFAULT colors by pressing [CTRL][R] when
in the color setup. You can also access the color setup from the main
screen by pressing the SCROLL LOCK.

DRIVE STATUS ALT[O][D]
----------------------

Often, you might want to check disk space on a drive to make sure that you
have enough room to unpack the archive. This lets you do that. It simply
asks for a drive letter, and displays information about the space available
on the drive selected.

SCREEN LINES ALT[O][S]
----------------------

You can select either 25 Line or 43/50 Mode. This function ONLY works on
EGA,VGA monitors. ARCTOOL will know which you have.

NOW, back to main screen filled with archive files.


===========================================================================
ARCTOOL V8.0
Page 9
===========================================================================
ARCTOOL 8.0

Files : 112 Volume : DDRIVE
Space Used : 24202640 Memory : 264616
Free Space : 78880768 Need : 0




$MENU ZIP D:\$MENU\ 1071230 12/13/93 11:07Am
$MENUFNT ZIP D:\$MENU\ 50544 12/19/93 09:42Am
ALLSWAGS ZIP D:\SWAG\ZIPS\ 1516099 11/26/93 07:38Am
ANSIJ ZIP D:\TURBO\ARCS\ 41388 07/14/92 10:10Am
AP ZIP D:\TURBO\ARCS\ 153713 03/27/93 06:20Pm
AP600A ZIP D:\TURBO\ARCS\ 184712 02/05/94 11:29Am
APRIL ZIP D:\LOG5\ 194438 05/26/93 10:29Am


-Up -Dn Copy Find Opts SetuP


Del DRive Sort Query Zed -View



ALT[C] activates the copy function and allows the archive to be copied to
any path on your system.

ALT[F] allows you find any other copies of the archive that exist anywhere.

ALT[D] deletes the archive after prompting for deletion.

ALT[R] allows you to traverse your directory tree and bring back only
archives for the select directory.

ALT[Q] is the same as the Drive Status function on the OPTIONS menu, and
allows you to query the space on any disk drive.

ALT[Z] is the function that I call ZED which TOGGLES ARCTOOL between the
single path switch (/d) and the normal use of the configuration file.
ARCTOOL MUST be executed WITHOUT any commandline switches. The first toggle
will cause ARCTOOL to act like a normal file manager program. You'll be
returned to the ROOT directory of your drive, and you'll be able to select
archives from any of those directories. This is especially useful on floppy
drives when you are changing disks and checking them. Toggle again, and
ARCTOOL will reread the configuration file and present itself normally.

Simply use the cursor keys to select one of the archives. Press and
the archive contents will be displayed. You can also use SHIFT and the
first letter of any archive name, and ARCTOOL will jump to that file if one
exists.

THE BASIC ARCHIVE COMMAND WINDOW
--------------------------------


===========================================================================
ARCTOOL V8.0
Page 10
===========================================================================
After selecting an archive, its contents will be read, and all of its files
will be presented. The command window at the bottom of the screen displays
all of the features of ARCTOOL.

Archive : D:\TURBO\ARCS\BONUS2.ZIP

Files : 9 OutPath : D:\TURBO\ARCS
Byte Total : 236338 Memory : 306008
Free Space : 87719936 Need : 0




BROWSE EXE LZCrunch 39008 12/05/90 05:54Am
CASE EXE Stored 9124 10/18/91 12:04Pm
ER EXE Stored 32045 10/18/91 12:04Pm
FIND EXE Stored 20841 10/18/91 12:05Pm
LAB EXE Stored 18682 10/18/91 12:03Pm
TR EXE Stored 31544 10/18/91 12:04Pm
VF EXE Stored 23785 10/18/91 12:04Pm
ZAPDIR EXE Stored 22662 10/18/91 12:04Pm


Extract Delete Print View Find


Convert Sort Tag UnTag Ctrl-More




The files listed can now be treated like ANY other files on your disk.
Again, use the cursor keys to traverse the list of files.

The 'ALT D' key allows files within the archive to be deleted, so be
careful, you'll only get one chance.

Files can be Tagged (ALT T) or UnTagged (ALT U). Also, by default, the
SPACEBAR will TAG the file and move down to the NEXT file. To disable
SPACEBAR TAG, use the OPTIONS menu.

Files can be Extracted (ALT E) singularly, or in combinations to any
Outpath (ALT L).

Files can also be Viewed (ALT V) on the CRT or Printed (ALT P) on the
printer.

Files can be SORTED (ALT S) in any order, and ARCTOOL will save the sort
switch for future invocations of ARCTOOL.


===========================================================================
ARCTOOL V8.0
Page 11
===========================================================================
The FIND (ALT F) function will search the current disk for any file with
the same name as the highlighted file.

MULTIPLE LEVEL ARCHIVE EXTRACTION
---------------------------------

ARCTOOL provides the means to look at files in archives even if the archive
in question is in another archive. For example, let's say the you have an
archive called FOUR.ZIP which contains the file THREE.ZIP. Inside THREE.ZIP
is the file TWO.ZIP and so on. Press the VIEW key, on the first archive,
and it will open up the next one. You will notice that the screen shifts
right 2 columns with each level that you go to. You can do this up to 5
levels.

Use the CTRL key to see the additional commands available :

Archive : D:\TURBO\ARCS\BONUS2.ZIP

Files : 9 OutPath : D:\TURBO\ARCS
Byte Total : 236338 Memory : 306008
Free Space : 87719936 Need : 0




BROWSE EXE LZCrunch 39008 12/05/90 05:54Am
CASE EXE Stored 9124 10/18/91 12:04Pm
ER EXE Stored 32045 10/18/91 12:04Pm
FIND EXE Stored 20841 10/18/91 12:05Pm
LAB EXE Stored 18682 10/18/91 12:03Pm
TR EXE Stored 31544 10/18/91 12:04Pm
VF EXE Stored 23785 10/18/91 12:04Pm
ZAPDIR EXE Stored 22662 10/18/91 12:04Pm


VirusScan TagExtract TagDelete LogDrive


TagAll UnTagAll Dirs Setup



The 'CTRL T' key tags all of the files in the archive, and the 'CTRL U' key
untags all tagged files. Files can also be tagged with the SPACEBAR unless
SPACEBAR TAG is OFF ( See OPTIONS on MAIN screen).

SETUP COMMAND (CTRL P) See description of the ARCHIVER LOCATIONS above.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

VIRUSCAN COMMAND
----------------

===========================================================================
ARCTOOL V8.0
Page 12
===========================================================================

This works in conjunction with your favorite virus scan program. I use
SCAN.EXE by McAfee ( THE BEST SHAREWARE scanner there is !!. Please
Register !!), which can be found on any bulletin board. The files will be
unpacked to a temporary directory and you will be asked for the scan
program. Include any command line switches that you might need. The files
will be scanned and viruses, if any, will be reported.

DIR COMMAND
-----------

This command will display a tree of all of the directories on the current
drive. Directories can be added or DELETED, (BE CAREFUL .. ALL FILES
INCLUDING SUBDIRS WILL BE DELETED TOO !!!) The path selected will become
the new OUTPATH for the archives that you might extract.

CONVERT COMMAND
---------------

ARCTOOL has the ability to convert archives from one format to another and
at the same time, edit a FILE_ID.DIZ for that particular archive. Simply
press the 'ALT C' key and you will be allowed to select the new format. The
archive will be created in the same directory as the original, and THE
ORIGINAL WILL NOT BE DELETED, however if it already exists, you will asked
to overwrite it. You may delete the original if you want to back in the
main program window.

As files are converted you are allowed to edit those nice little
description files commonly found in archive files (ZIP,ARJ,LZH). Many BBS
systems use this file as the ACTUAL description whenever the archive file
is uploaded to them. Commonly, the file is named FILE_ID.DIZ, however other
variations are FILE.DES or FILE.SDI. In this document, I'll refer to this
file regardless of the flavor as the FILE_ID.

You may edit the existing FILE_ID if it already exists in the archive, and
if not, it allows you to create it.

The DEFAULT file that ARCTOOL looks for is FILE_ID.DIZ. If that does NOT
exist, then it looks for a file with the extension of "DES". If that does
NOT exist then it looks for a file with the extension of "SDI". If your
archive contains NONE of these then ARCTOOL will present you with a list of
the files in this archive. You may choose one of them to be READIN, and the
ARCTOOL permits editing. This is useful if you DO NOT already have a
FILE_ID, and you want to use the DOC file or a TXT file as a basis to
create from. The file that will be created in this case is FILE_ID.DIZ.

You can enter up to 4096 characters. BE WARNED !!! Many BBS sites ONLY
permit 15 lines by 40 characters to be displayed in their descriptions. You
can have as many lines as you have memory for, and each line can be up to
78 characters.


===========================================================================
ARCTOOL V8.0
Page 13
===========================================================================
At anytime, during the process, you can press the 'F1' key, and READIN any
file on your disk as a basis for the FILE_ID. To save the FILE_ID and
re-pack the archive, press the 'F10' key. Pressing ESCAPE exits WITHOUT
saving.

The file will automatically repacked using the format that you choose. At
that time. If your file is an ARJ or ZIP file, you can optionally add a
comment to the ZIP or ARJ header or a BBS advertisement to the ZIP file. To
accomplish this, the AT.CFG file has the following switches added :

MARGIN=40
COMMENT=\SOMEPATH\ZIPLOGO.TXT
BBSAD=\SOMEPATH\MYADD.TXT

These can be set using any ASCII text editor, or in the SETUP function
CTRL[S] on the main menu.


OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW
------------------------------

VIEWING ANSI FILES
------------------

ARCTOOL CAN VIEW ANSI Files. If you are using the internal viewer, (NO
CUSTOM VIEWER INSTALLED), press 'CTRL T' when viewing and if the file
contains ANSI codes, it will displayed in all its glory !!


ATCFG ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE
--------------------------

In some applications, AT.CFG will be on another drive or there are a LOT of
subdirectories, and you may want to EXPLICITLY declare where ARCTOOL can
find the configuration file. You can use the DOS "SET" command to do this.
From DOS, just enter SET ATCFG="somepath". ARCTOOL will look for and save
the configuration file in the path you specify.

COMMAND LINE SWITCHES :
-----------------------

There are two command line switches that can be used with ARCTOOL to
control the configuration file.

/N - DO NOT USE CONFIGURATION FILE. If you have created a configuration
file, then ARCTOOL will use it as a default. This switch will cause
ARCTOOL to ignore the configuration file, and ALL paths on the current
disk will be searched for archives.


===========================================================================
ARCTOOL V8.0
Page 14
===========================================================================
/S[G] - CREATE CONFIGURATION FILE. Using this switch causes ARCTOOL to
create a configuration file from the pathnames where it finds archive
files. Any previous version of the configuration file WILL BE
OVERWRITTEN. Subsequent uses of ARCTOOL will use this newly created
configuration file unless you specify the /N switch on the command
line. /SG forces ARCTOOL to read ACROSS ALL LOGICAL drives.

/D - READ FILES ONLY IN SELECTED OR CURRENT DIRECTORY. This switch will
cause ARCTOOL to read files in the CURRENT directory ONLY and NOT any
subdirectories. If used with a path, ONLY files in that directory and
NOT any subdirectory will be displayed. This switch is ALWAYS
OVERRIDDEN by /S or /N.

SAMPLE COMMAND LINES : AT /n
AT /s ( read current logical drive )
AT /sg ( read ALL logical drives )
AT A: /S
AT C: /S
AT /d \zip NOTE : The /d MUST be first !!
AT /d

Only use ONE of these switch on the command line at a time.

ARCTOOL TEMPORARY DIRECTORY AND PKTMP ENVIRONMENT VARIBLE
---------------------------------------------------------

ARCTOOL creates a temporary directory that it uses to unpack files for
viewing or printing. Normally, this directory is created on the same disk
that the program is on. PKZIP also uses a temporary file to do its work.

ARCTOOL will use the same temporary disk that you assign for PKZIP.

You may have this temporary file created in a different directory by
setting the environment variable PKTMP. Set this equal to the drive you
wish to use as your temporary file location and ARCTOOL temporary
directory.

For optimal performance on your local harddrive, the PKTMP could be set
equal to a RAM drive if a large enough one is available. This will make
EVERYTHING run VERY FAST !!!! The temporary file location must have enough
free space to hold ALL the files in their UNCOMPRESSED state.

A one or two MEG RAM drive would be sufficient for most compressed files.

For optimal performance when working with a .ZIP file on a Novell Netware
volume, set the PKTMP equal to any drive on the same server. This will
achieve the best performance, and is superior to using the local hard drive
or the RAM drive.

It is best to set this variable in your 'AUTOEXEC.BAT' file so that it will
be there when you boot.

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ARCTOOL V8.0
Page 15
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EXAMPLE C:\>set pktmp=z:\

USING ARCTOOL AS A SINGLE ARCHIVE VIEWER
----------------------------------------

ARCTOOL can be used as a handy command line program to view a single
archive by simply entering the archive name and path on the command line.
EXAMPLE : AT \SOMEPATH\SOMEARC.ZIP

In this case, ARCTOOL will open the indicated archive and you can proceed
to do whatever with it.

PKUNZIP,PKZIP PKNOFASTCHAR ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE
-----------------------------------------------

ARCTOOL wants to control the entire show when running programs such as
PKZIP and PKUNZIP, ESPECIALLY where characters are written to screen. With
version 2.04 of PKUNZIP, there is an environment variable provided to tell
PKUNZIP NOT to write using video BIOS, which is NOW PKUNZIP's default.

You may set this varible by using the command SET PKNOFASTCHAR=NO from the
DOS command line, however YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO SO. ARCTOOL recognizes this
FAST BIOS output from PKZIP and adjusts AUTOMATICALLY.

Well, that's pretty much it. I think that you will find ARCTOOL easy to
use, FAST, and once you get used to using it, indispensable !!

If you like ARCTOOL, then please register it. For those who do, I will send
my super dooper BONUS archive as well. Believe me there are many goodies on
this BONUS disk including the companion programs ARCPLUS Version 6.0, which
will allow you create archives in any of the formats, and the FILEMANAGER
PLUS, an exciting NEW program which does ALL that you could EVER want a
file manager program to do, including everything that ARCTOOL does and MUCH
MORE !!!

(FILEMANAGER PLUS will NOT be uploaded anywhere !! This is the only way you
can get it !!).

SHAREWARE ONLY WORKS IF YOU REGISTER, SO,

REGISTER TODAY !! REGISTER TODAY !!! REGISTER TODAY !!! REGISTER TODAY !!!!

Send a FORMATTED, BLANK diskette to

G.D. DAVIS
57280 Osage Drive
Goshen, Indiana 46526

Please Include a $30.00 registration fee.