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ZIP'R v1.7
by
Stevenson Technical Services, Inc. (STSI)
108 Second Avenue West
Bertha MN 56437-0297
Phone: (218) 924-2050
FAX: (218) 924-2050 (Ext. 11)
The Bertha BBS: (218) 924-2060
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Disclaimer: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Users of ZIP'R must accept the following disclaimer of warranty:
"ZIP'R is supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties,
expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of
merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no
liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the
use of ZIP'R."
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Registration: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R is distributed under the shareware concept. You may try ZIP'R for
a period of two weeks. After this period, you must either discontinue using
ZIP'R, or register it. For registration information, please read the
REGISTER.DOC file included with ZIP'R.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Technical Support: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Technical support is available to ZIP'R users via The Bertha BBS. New
versions of ZIP'R will be posted here as soon as they are available. The
Bertha BBS uses a U.S. Robotics Dual-Standard, which is capable of V.32bis,
V.32, HST, and 2400 baud connect speeds. The access number for The Bertha BBS
is (218)-924-2060. Technical support questions should be addressed to SYSOP.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ What is ZIP'R? │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R is a program designed to use an existing compression program, such
as PKZIP/PKUNZIP, ARJ, or LHA, to automatically compress and decompress entire
directories when programs are executed.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Why was ZIP'R created? │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
My business never seems to have enough hard drive space. Even on-the-fly
data compression utilities such as SuperStor and Stacker aren't sufficient,
since the compression ratios achieved are not as high as any of the archiving
utilities. Since neither SuperStor or Stacker will work on a Novell file
server, disk space there is especially tight. By utilizing the
network/multitasker version of ZIP'R (ZIPRN), seldom used, but necessary
programs can be stored in a tightly compressed form, taking up far less hard
drive space. This effectively increases the storage capacity of the server
hard drive, extending its useful life. ZIP'R is also useful on local hard
drives, even if they are already using SuperStor or Stacker.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ How does ZIP'R work? │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R works in combination with existing compression programs to compress
directories, sub-directories, and the files they contain into one smaller,
compressed file on the hard drive. This allows an entire directory filled
with files to be stored in compressed form when not in use, saving a
substantial amount of hard drive space. When a program is executed, ZIP'R
invokes the proper compression program to decompress the desired directory,
and executes the requested program. When the program is exited, ZIP'R invokes
the chosen compression program to compress the entire directory.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ What are the benefits of using ZIP'R? │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R can save a typical computer user a substantial amount of hard drive
space. Most users have several programs on their hard drives that are seldom
used, but take up a tremendous amount of hard disk real-estate. Rather than
deleting these programs completely, ZIP'R allows these programs to be accessed
when needed, storing them in a compressed form when they are not in use. The
amount of hard drive space saved depends totally on the effectiveness of the
compression program used by ZIP'R. As compression programs improve, so will
the ratios that ZIP'R is able to achieve.
The compression programs used by ZIP'R do not provide "on-the-fly" data
compression. As a result, there is a time delay during the compression and
decompression processes. However, ZIP'R does not require 50K of valuable
memory, either. In addition, ZIP'R does not degrade the performance of the
computer system as the "on-the-fly" data compression programs do.
A performance comparison of the three compression programs currently
supported by ZIP'R is as follows:
The test directory consisted of 33 files, plus a sub-directory which
contained an additional 17 files.
OVERALL
COMPRESSION TYPE BYTES EFFICIENCY EFFICIENCY
------------------------------------------------------------------
Original Baseline 2,980,853 - -
MS-DOS 2,980,853 0% 0%
New Baseline 2,980,853 - 0%
Additional compression obtained using ZIP'R:
No Compression (NONE) 2,980,853 0% 0%
PKZIP 1.1 Compression (ZIP) 1,536,688 48% 48%
PKZIP 2.0 Compression (ZIP) 1,401,026 53% 53%
LHA Compression (LHA) 1,428,393 52% 52%
ARJ Compression (ARJ) 1,406,625 53% 53%
OVERALL
COMPRESSION TYPE BYTES EFFICIENCY EFFICIENCY
------------------------------------------------------------------
Original Baseline 2,980,853 - -
DRDOS w/SuperStor 1,992,704 33% 33%
New Baseline 1,992,704 - 33%
Additional compression obtained using ZIP'R:
No Compression (NONE) 1,992,704 0% 33%
PKZIP 1.1 Compression (ZIP) 1,551,360 22% 48%
PKZIP 2.0 Compression (ZIP) 1,408,512 29% 53%
LHA Compression (LHA) 1,444,864 27% 52%
ARJ Compression (ARJ) 1,423,872 29% 52%
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Installing ZIP'R: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
The first step in testing a new piece of software is to perform a backup
and test its integrity. Since ZIP'R will compress entire directories into a
single file, your potential losses are much greater if this file becomes lost
or corrupted.
Create a C:\ZIPR sub-directory and extract all of the ZIP'R related files
into this sub-directory. (The single-user version of ZIP'R will only work when
executed from the C: drive.) Copy the compression program(s) of your choice
into this sub-directory. If you decide to use PKZip, you need the files
PKZIP.EXE and PKUNZIP.EXE. If you use ARJ, you need the file ARJ.EXE. If you
use LHA, you need the file LHA.EXE. ZIP'R has been tested with PKZip version
1.10, ARJ version 2.30, and LHA version 2.13. ARJ consistently provides the
tightest archives, but is not nearly as fast as ZIP. ARJ also has the ability
to test the integrity of the archive, which is useful when running ZIP'R under
a multitasker, such as DESQview or Windows. (Since my company uses PKZip
internally, more extensive testing has been performed with ZIP than with ARJ
or LHA.) Preliminary testing has begun with PKZIP v2.04c.
The network/multitasker version of ZIP'R (ZIPRN.EXE) can be installed on
any drive in your system, including network drives. Be sure to include a
SET ZIPR=N:\ZIPR statement (or wherever you put ZIP'R), in your AUTOEXEC.BAT
file. If this environment variable is not found, ZIPRN.EXE defaults to using
the C:\ZIPR sub-directory.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Using ZIP'R: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R operates by using command line parameters. To run a program using
ZIP'R, you must know the directory in which it resides and the name of the
file to be executed. (This must be a file with a .COM, .EXE, or a .BAT
extension.) You must also decide whether to compress the program's sub-
directory after execution. If you choose to use the compression feature, you
must choose between ZIP, ARJ, or LHA, depending on which program you own. The
ZIP'R command line structure looks like this:
ZIPR(N) DRIVE: \PATH ZIPNAME COMPRESSION FILENAME P1 P2 P3 P4
ZIPR(N) - ZIPR should always be the first entry entered on the command
line. All command line entries should be in UPPER CASE, and
should be separated by a single space. If you are using the
network/multitasker version of ZIP'R, this entry should be ZIPRN.
DRIVE: - This entry should contain the drive letter (with colon) of the
drive containing the program to be executed.
\PATH - This entry should contain the path to the program that will be
executed. (The backslash is required!) Do NOT specify the root
directory, or you could compress your entire hard disk into one
file, which would cause your hard drive to be unbootable.
ZIPNAME - This is the name of the compressed file that will be created or
used by ZIP'R. Normally, this is the sub-directory name, but
this is not a requirement. Do NOT enter an extension after the
ZIPNAME. ZIP'R will automatically append the proper extension,
depending on the type of compression selected.
COMPRESSION - This entry specifies the type of compression that ZIP'R will
attempt to use. Valid choices are ZIP, ARJ, LHA, or NONE. If
NONE is selected, ZIP'R will decompress an existing compressed
file prior to executing the desired program, but will not
compress the directory after the program is exited.
Additional ARJ options:
ARJT = Test archive integrity before deleting files.
ARJ0 = ARJ -m0 switch.
ARJ1 = ARJ -m1 switch.
ARJ2 = ARJ -m2 switch.
ARJ3 = ARJ -m3 switch.
ARJ4 = ARJ -m4 switch.
ARJ5 = ARJ -m1 -jm switches.
ARJ6 = ARJ -m2 -jm switches.
ARJ7 = ARJ -m1 -jm1 switches.
ARJ8 = ARJ -m2 -jm1 switches.
These figures were generated with ARJ 2.30.
No Compression ARJ Results Compression
ARJ0 2,980,853 2,983,500 0%
ARJ1 2,980,853 1,406,625 53%
ARJ2 2,980,853 1,414,245 53%
ARJ3 2,980,853 1,444,400 52%
ARJ4 2,980,853 1,593,074 47%
ARJ5 2,980,853 1,403,524 53%
ARJ6 2,980,853 1,403,524 53%
ARJ7 2,980,853 1,404,949 53%
ARJ8 2,980,853 1,404,949 53%
ARJT is used to provide an extra level of assurance that the
files have been stored correctly in the archive. When this
switch is used, ARJ will verify the integrity of the archive
before deleting any files. Other ARJ options may be used to
choose less compression in exchange for more speed, or more
compression in exchange for less speed. The default ARJ
compression setting is to use the -m1 switch. (Use ARJ or
ARJ1.)
Additional ZIP options:
ZIP0 = ZIP -e0 switch. (PKZIP 2.0 Only)
ZIP1 = ZIP -es switch. (PKZIP 1.1 or 2.0)
ZIP2 = ZIP -ef switch. (PKZIP 2.0 Only)
ZIP3 = ZIP -en switch. (PKZIP 2.0 Only)
ZIP4 = ZIP -ex switch. (PKZIP 1.1 or 2.0)
These figures were generated using PKZIP 2.04c.
No Compression ZIP Results Compression
ZIP0 2,980,853 2,985,751 0%
ZIP1 2,980,853 1,535,935 48%
ZIP2 2,980,853 1,432,248 52%
ZIP3 2,980,853 1,401,026 53%
ZIP4 2,980,853 1,392,625 53%
These options may be used to trade lower compression for
greater speed and vice versa.
In addition to these options, additional parameters may be added
to the PKZIP command line to solve specific problems. These
extra parameters are as follows:
3 -> Disable 32-bit Instruction Usage.
) -> Disable DPMI Support.
( -> Use "Slow" MemCopy.
+ -> Disable EMS Usage.
- -> Disable XMS/UMB Usage.
~ -> Disable Network Detection.
Each of these paramaters is explained completely in the
troubleshooting section of the PKZIP documentation.
The format that must be used to pass these parameters to ZIP'R
is ZIP-??. The question marks should be replaced by a two digit
code chosen from the following table. The code is selected based
on the combination of parameters necessary to run PKZIP reliably
on your machine. For example, to disable 32-bit instruction
usage and use "slow" memcopy, the code "07" would be chosen. The
command line parameter for ZIP'R would be ZIP-07.
ZIP'R / PKZIP v2.0 Parameter Matrix
┌──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┐
│ 00 > 3 │ 10 > 3(- │ 20 > 3)(+~ │ 30 > )(+~ │
│ 01 > ) │ 11 > 3(~ │ 21 > 3)(-~ │ 31 > )(-~ │
│ 02 > ( │ 12 > 3+- │ 22 > 3)+-~ │ 32 > )(+-~ │
│ 03 > + │ 13 > 3+~ │ 23 > 3(+-~ │ 33 > (+ │
│ 04 > - │ 14 > 3-~ │ 24 > 3)(+-~ │ 34 > (- │
│ 05 > ~ │ 15 > 3)(+ │ 25 > )( │ 35 > (~ │
│ 06 > 3) │ 16 > 3)(- │ 26 > )+ │ 36 > (+- │
│ 07 > 3( │ 17 > 3)(~ │ 27 > )- │ 37 > (+~ │
│ 08 > 3+ │ 18 > 3)+- │ 28 > )~ │ 38 > (-~ │
│ 09 > 3- │ 19 > 3)+~ │ 29 > )(+ │ 39 > (+-~ │
│ 0A > 3~ │ 1A > 3)-~ │ 2A > )(- │ 3A > +- │
│ 0B > 3)( │ 1B > 3(+- │ 2B > )(~ │ 3B > +~ │
│ 0C > 3)+ │ 1C > 3(+~ │ 2C > )+- │ 3C > +-~ │
│ 0D > 3)- │ 1D > 3(-~ │ 2D > )+~ │ 3D > -~ │
│ 0E > 3)~ │ 1E > 3+-~ │ 2E > )-~ │ │
│ 0F > 3(+ │ 1F > 3)(+- │ 2F > )(+- │ │
└──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┘
FILENAME - This entry should contain the name of the file to be executed.
Do NOT specify an extension. ZIP'R checks for the existence of
a .BAT, .COM, or .EXE file and executes it.
P1 - This entry is optional, and contains the first parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
P2 - This entry is optional, and contains the second parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
P3 - This entry is optional, and contains the third parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
P4 - This entry is optional, and contains the fourth parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
ZIP'R Examples:
ZIPR C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP PCSHELL /LCD
ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP-07 PCSHELL
ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ARJ DESKTOP
ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS NONE SI
ZIPR C: \PSDELUXE DELUXE LHA PSD
ZIP'R (Network/Multitasker) Examples:
ZIPRN C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
ZIPRN C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP PCSHELL /LCD
ZIPRN C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP-07 PCSHELL
ZIPRN C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ARJ DESKTOP
ZIPRN C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS NONE SI
ZIPRN C: \PSDELUXE DELUXE LHA PSD
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Using ZIP'R with a menu system: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
To use ZIP'R with a menu system, you must modify the location and program
name specified for each program that will be run through ZIP'R.
QuikMenu Example:
OLD Location: C:\PFS
Command: PW
NEW Location: C:\ZIPR
Command: ZIPR C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
AutoMenu Example:
OLD C:
CD\PFS
PW
CD\
AUTO
NEW C:
CD\ZIPR
ZIPR C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
CD\
AUTO
All programs that are executed through ZIP'R must have C:\ZIPR specified
as the path. The actual location of the program to be executed is specified
on the ZIP'R command line, as shown above. ZIP'R automatically changes to
this directory before executing the desired program. The network/multitasker
version of ZIP'R (ZIPRN.EXE) may be located on any drive, or in any sub-
directory desired.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Advanced ZIP'R features: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R versions 1.5 and above have the ability to execute a series of
commands before and after the desired program is executed. This feature is
useful for flushing and disabling a cache or swapping a printer port prior to
executing a particular program. After the program is executed, the cache can
be enabled or the printer ports can be returned to their original settings.
In order to use this feature of ZIP'R, two files must be created in the
\ZIPR sub-directory. The file containing the commands to be executed prior to
the desired program must have a .IN extension. This extension indicates that
the commands in this file are to be used when going "IN" to the program. The
file containing the commands to be executed after the desired program is exited
must have a .OUT extension. This extension indicates that the commands in this
file are to be used when going "OUT" of the program. The filename of the .IN
and .OUT files must match the ZIPNAME for the desired program on the ZIP'R
command line. The commands within this file should specify the full path to
the desired program, unless the program is available on the path.
To illustrate this concept more clearly, I will use two real-world
examples from my own business. Since my business uses a Novell network, I use
the network/multitasker version of ZIP'R (ZIPRN). I run a program called
Stowaway, which archives seldom-used files off-line. If Stowaway is run with
floppy disk caching enabled, Stowaway can't reliably verify the data written to
the floppy disk. To circumvent this problem, the cache must be flushed and
disabled prior to executing Stowaway, and enabled after Stowaway is finished.
The command line used to execute Stowaway through ZIP'R looks like this:
ZIPRN N: \STOWAWAY STOWAWAY ZIP STOW
Since the ZIPNAME here is "STOWAWAY", the first file would be called
STOWAWAY.IN, and the second file would be called STOWAWAY.OUT. The contents
of STOWAWAY.IN are as follows:
C:\PCKWIK\SUPERPCK /F /D
This command line is executed by ZIP'R prior to executing Stowaway,
flushing and disabling the cache. After Stowaway exits, the commands in
STOWAWAY.OUT are executed. STOWAWAY.OUT contains the following commands:
C:\PCKWIK\SUPERPCK /E
This command line simply enables the cache, without changing any of its
parameters.
The second example involves QmodemPro. I use the DOS 5 editor instead of
the QmodemPro editor. My computer accesses printers via a Novell network. The
network is set up with a laser printer as LPT1: and a dot-matrix printer as
LPT2:. Unfortunately, the DOS 5 editor does not have the capability of
printing to LPT2:. To circumvent this problem, the Novell CAPTURE utility is
used to change the printer port queue assignments. My QmodemPro command line
is as follows:
ZIPRN N: \QMPRO QMPRO NONE QMPRO
Since the ZIPNAME here is "QMPRO", the two files that need to be created
are QMPRO.IN and QMPRO.OUT. The contents of QMPRO.IN are as follows:
CAPTURE /L=1 /Q=PRINTQ_2 /NB /TI=10
This command routes the LPT1: information to PRINTQ_2, which is the queue
for the dot-matrix printer on the server.
The contents of QMPRO.OUT are as follows:
CAPTURE /L=1 /Q=PRINTQ_1 /NB /TI=10
This command routes the LPT1: information back to PRINTQ_1, which is the
queue for the laser printer on the server. Notice in this example that ZIP'R
is not being used to compress this particular program.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Using ZIP'R with DESQview: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R has been tested under DESQview. However, caution is advised since
it is possible under any multi-tasker to have two or more windows attempting
to compress or decompress the same file at the same time. This scenario can
cause data corruption. The network/multitasker version of ZIP'R (ZIPRN.EXE)
has additional features which limit simultaneous access during the compression
and decompression phases.
DESQview .DVP Example:
OLD Program...: PW
Parameters:
Directory.: C:\PFS
NEW Program...: ZIPRN
Parameters: C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Directory.: C:\ZIPR
If you are a TAME user, copy the files TAME-RES.COM, and TAME.EXE into
the ZIP'R subdirectory. Use the ZIPRTAME.BAT file supplied with ZIP'R to
invoke TAME-RES.COM before executing ZIP'R. To run the previous example
program, the .DVP command lines would be changed as shown below:
DESQview .DVP Example (Invoking TAME):
OLD Program...: ZIPRN
Parameters: C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Directory.: C:\ZIPR
NEW Program...: ZIPRTAME
Parameters: ZIPRN C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Directory.: C:\ZIPR
Since ZIPRTAME.BAT is a batch file containing an EXIT statement, you
should also make the following change to your .DVP:
Change a Program Advanced Options
OLD Close on exit (Y,N,blank)......: [Y]
NEW Close on exit (Y,N,blank)......: [N]
This change allows control to return to the ZIPRTAME.BAT file after ZIP'R
completes its operation.
ZIPRTAME.BAT is a modified TAME-RUN.BAT batch file containing the proper
paths to TAME-RES.COM and TAME.EXE. Stay tuned! There will be more ZIP'R
enhancements working in combination with TAME.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ DESQview Tips & Techniques: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Allocating a small amount (about 150K) of EMS memory to programs executed
through ZIP'R will allow ZIP'R to swap itself to EMS memory, rather than disk.
This speeds up the swapping process somewhat. If you are already allocating
EMS memory to the program, increasing the amount by 150K will provide extra
room for the swap file.
The opening ZIP'R screen will indicate how much EMS memory is available
to ZIP'R. If this figure is less than 150K, increase the amount of EMS memory
allocated.
Since PKZIP 2.0 can also use EMS memory, additional memory should be set
aside as swap space for PKZIP.
When using ZIPRN (without TAME), you can save about 8K of memory by
specifying the .EXE extension for ZIPRN as shown in the following example:
DESQview .DVP Example (Saves about 8K of memory.):
OLD Program...: ZIPRN
Parameters: C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Directory.: C:\ZIPR
NEW Program...: ZIPRN.EXE
Parameters: C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Directory.: C:\ZIPR
This saves about 8K of memory by allowing DESQview to execute ZIP'R
directly, rather than loading a secondary command processor.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Using ZIP'R with Windows: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R is only effective when running DOS programs under Windows. It will
NOT work with Windows specific programs!
ZIP'R has been tested under Windows, but the same cautions that apply to
DESQview apply to Windows. Since Windows is a multi-tasker, it is possible to
have two or more windows attempting to compress or decompress the same file
at the same time. This scenario can cause data corruption. The
network/multitasker version of ZIP'R (ZIPRN.EXE) has additional features which
limit simultaneous access during the compression and decompression phases.
Windows Program Item Properties Example:
OLD Description: PFS Pro-Write
Command Line: PW
Working Directory: C:\PFS
NEW Description: PFS Pro-Write
Command Line: ZIPRN C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Working Directory: C:\ZIPR
Windows .PIF Example:
OLD Program Filename: PW.COM
Window Title: PFS Pro-Write
Optional Parameters:
Start-up Directory: C:\PFS
NEW Program Filename: ZIPRN.EXE
Window Title: PFS Pro-Write
Optional Parameters: C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Start-up Directory: C:\ZIPR
TAME may also be used in combination with ZIP'R under Windows. If you
are a TAME user, copy the files TAME-RES.COM, and TAME.EXE into the ZIP'R
subdirectory. Use the ZIPRTAME.BAT file supplied with ZIP'R to invoke
TAME-RES.COM before executing ZIP'R. To run the previous example program,
the Windows command lines would be changed as shown below:
Windows Program Item Properties Example (Invoking TAME):
OLD Description: PFS Pro-Write
Command Line: ZIPRN C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Working Directory: C:\ZIPR
NEW Description: PFS Pro-Write
Command Line: ZIPRTAME ZIPRN C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Working Directory: C:\ZIPR
Windows .PIF Example (Invoking TAME):
OLD Program Filename: ZIPRN.EXE
Window Title: PFS Pro-Write
Optional Parameters: C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Start-up Directory: C:\ZIPR
NEW Program Filename: ZIPRTAME.BAT
Window Title: PFS Pro-Write
Optional Parameters: ZIPRN C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
Start-up Directory: C:\ZIPR
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Using ZIP'R with DoorWay: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R has been tested in combination with DoorWay. However, the command
line structure must be changed slightly. DoorWay requires the .EXE extension
to appear on the command line. An example of an actual DoorWay command line
is as follows:
/P:C:\ZIPR\ZIPR.EXE D: \THEDRAW THEDRAW ZIP THEDRAW
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Cautions! │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Do NOT attempt to use ZIP'R to compress any directories containing files
that are referenced in your CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT. If you wish to
compress the DOS sub-directory, copy any such files to the root directory of
the hard drive, and update the paths in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT.
Also be cautious when compressing directories that contain memory managers,
caches, and utilities that may be needed to boot your machine. These
directories may be compressed, but any files needed for booting the machine
must be copied to the root directory, and the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT
paths updated.
Keep in mind that in order to properly decompress a program, there must
be enough free space on the hard drive to contain all the extracted files in
addition to the original compressed file. After the files have been
successfully extracted, the compressed file is deleted. Likewise, when
compressing a program, sufficient space must be available for the original
program files and the newly created compressed file. After the compressed
file has been successfully created, the original program files are deleted.
Multitaskers such as DESQview and Windows put additional stress on the
disk I/O systems of the computer. If you have any doubts about the stability
of your system, either don't use ZIP'R in the first place, or use the ARJT
option to force ARJ to verify the integrity of the archive before files are
deleted. When running on a network, or using a multitasker, ZIPRN should be
used to reduce conflicts when compressing and decompressing files.
When upgrading to PKZIP 2.0, test the reliability of the compression and
decompression processes before trusting it with your data! PKZIP 2.0 has some
documented problems with fast machines (486/25 and up) using external CPU
memory caches. Read the troubleshooting section of the PKZIP 2.0 documentation
for more information.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Troubleshooting / Common Problems: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Problem #1:
The most common problem among ZIP'R users is incorrect command line
parameters. In order to effectively use ZIP'R, you need to know five things:
1. The drive that the program you wish to run is located on.
2. The directory that the program you wish to run is located in.
3. The name of the compressed file that will be created or used.
4. The type of compression you want to use.
5. The name of the executable file that you want to run.
As an example, suppose that you want to run the program PCSHELL.EXE,
which is located in the PCTOOLS sub-directory on the D: drive. After this
program is executed, you want the entire PCTOOLS sub-directory (and all of
its sub-directories) compressed using PKZIP. Fill in the required five
parameters as follows:
1. D: (Colon required.)
2. \PCTOOLS (Backslash required.)
3. PCTOOLS (This is a name you make up. No extension.)
4. ZIP (This is the type of compression you want to use.)
5. PCSHELL (No extension. ZIP'R searches for an executable file.)
So, in this example the final ZIP'R command line would be:
ZIPR D: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP PCSHELL
If you were using the network/multitasker version of ZIP'R (ZIPRN), the
command line would be:
ZIPRN D: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP PCSHELL
Problem #2:
If you receive the error message, "Unable to run COMMAND /C ...", you
are probably running DR DOS, and do not have COMMAND.COM available on your
path. For some reason, DR DOS does not copy COMMAND.COM into the \DRDOS
sub-directory at installation time, making it unavailable on the path. The
solution here is simply to copy COMMAND.COM from the root directory into the
\DRDOS sub-directory. Another alternative is to add the root directory to
the PATH= statement in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
Version 1.7 of ZIP'R detects this problem and issues a warning message.
Problem #3:
If ZIP'R won't compress the program's files and sub-directories after it
is exited, check the ZIP'R command line parameters. If these are all correct,
check the \ZIPR sub-directory for any files with a .U00 or .U01 extension.
These are token files created by ZIPRN to track concurrent access to a
compressed file. Normally, these files are deleted when the program is exited.
However, if the computer hangs, these files will not be deleted, and will
prevent ZIP'R from compressing the program's files and sub-directories. The
filename will match the name given to the compressed file on the ZIP'R command
line. For example, the command line "ZIPRN C: \PCTOOLS6 PCTOOLS6 ZIP PCSHELL"
would create a file called PCTOOLS6.U00 or PCTOOLS6.U01. To make ZIP'R operate
correctly, make sure that the program is not being used, and delete either or
both of these files from the \ZIPR sub-directory.
Problem #4:
If you are using PKZIP v2.04c, and are getting unexplained CRC errors
during compression and decompression, use the ZIP-02 switch on the ZIP'R
command line to force PKZIP to use "Slow MemCopy". This problem is explained
in the troubleshooting section of the PKZIP documentation.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Programs mentioned: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
TAME is copyrighted by PowerSoft, Inc. and David G. Thomas.
ARJ is copyrighted by Robert K Jung.
AutoMenu is copyrighted by Magee Enterprises.
DESQview is copyrighted by Quarterdeck Office Systems.
DoorWay is copyrighted by Marshall Dudley.
LHA is copyrighted by Haruyasu Yoshizaki.
PKZIP is copyrighted by PKWARE, Inc.
PKUNZIP is copyrighted by PKWARE, Inc.
QuikMenu is copyrighted by OSCS Software Development, Inc.
Windows is copyrighted by Microsoft.