~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6 MS-DOS UTILITIES FOR WIN9x  V. 1.3.7
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a collection of six very useful DOS Utilities that I wrote to simplify some very basic tasks in the Windows 9x API. A description of each of the utilities will follow which will detail their usage, and in the case of Restart.bat, WILL DETAIL THE CONFIGURATION NECESSARY FOR IT'S IMPLEMENTATION. To install the entire package unzip the archive to it's own folder and select and click, or double click, depending on the configuration of your OS, the file Install.bat. This will install the programs in their respective directories. After the installation has completed you can simply delete the folder containing the archive to your Recycle Bin.

As of this new version, released to the public on:

Friday, February 11, 2000

I have included an updated uninstall utility to rid your system of all the programs, if you decide that you do not wish to have them present on your computer any longer. The file is aptly named Uninst.bat and will be copied, upon installation, by default, to a new directory, set up during the installation process. The new directory is named 6dosutil. The path to this new directory is:

C:\Program Files\6dosutil

Simply find this directory and execute Uninst.bat, the only file present except for the file you are now viewing (6dosu137.txt). The removal will be quick and thorough except for the PIF generated by Restart.bat's configuration setup, which was user implemented. The aforementioned directory, documentation and uninstall utility, [6dosutil], 6dosu137.txt and Uninst.bat respectively. These tasks will have to be done manually by you, the End User.

All these utilities can be run from the command line in MS-DOS or from within a "DOS Box", in Windows mode, except for Restart.bat and W.bat. Restart.bat is detailed later in this document and W.bat can be executed when the system is in "MS-DOS mode" to return the user to the Windows GUI. If you wish you may send me an e-mail with your kudos :-) or criticisms :-(. ENJOY !!!

NOTE: The text file, 6dosu137.txt, which you are now viewing, will be installed, by default, into the user's newly created 6dosutil directory whose path is C:\Program Files\6dosutil. In the event you wish to consult this document, in the future, you will always have a copy close at hand. This is useful to refresh your knowledge lest you forget something relative to one or more of the program's command line parameters or basic function.

This set of utilities is freeware for home use and MAY BE RE-DISTRIBUTED WITHOUT the consent of the author, me, Douglas J. Balsillie. Furthermore, if you wish to use this set of utilities in a BUSINESS or INSTITUTIONAL setting a fee of $1.00 US cash must be sent to the address that follows within a two-week period:

**************************
Douglas J. Balsillie
42 Waterloo Street
KITCHENER, ONTARIO, CANADA
N2H 3L9
**************************

*****************************
E-mail: djb052363@hotmail.com
*****************************

=====================================================================
What follows, directly after the version history of this archive, is a description of each of the utilities, in this package, along with the suggested configurations for their usage, if applicable.
=====================================================================
Ver. 1.3.7 - Changed the installation path of the 6dosu137.txt file. Updated the install, uninstall utilities and documentation to reflect the aforementioned. Small bug fix to eliminate hanging in the MS-DOS Box display.
Released 02-11-2000

Note: This will be the final release of this archive barring any unforeseen problems that, knock on wood, SHOULD NOT arise ;-(.
.
Ver. 1.3.6 - Changed the installation path of both Restart.bat and W.bat, in the install and uninstall batch file utilities. Installation will now create a directory in the user's "Program Files" folder, C:\Program Files,  named 6dosutil. This directory contains one file, for uninstallation, named Uninst.bat and the documentation you are now viewing. Updated the documentation to reflect the aforementioned changes. Renamed the archive 6dosu137.zip.
Released 01-26-2000.

Ver. 1.3.5 - Changed the installation path of both Restart.bat and W.bat, in the install and uninstall batch files, to further enhance their usefulness relative to the End User. Small bug fixed. Updated the documentation to reflect the aforementioned path changes. Renamed the archive 6dosu135.zip.
Released 01-20-2000.

Ver. 1.3.0 - Renamed the Uninstallation Utility (Uninst.bat) due to a potential conflict with other files which might be present on another End User's system. Added an additional program, Temp.com. Updated the documentation to reflect the two aforementioned additions. Renamed the archive 6dosut13.zip. Released 01-06-2000.

Ver. 1.2.0 - Updated, and made much clearer, the documentation for the initial three programs in the archive 3dosut11.zip. Added two additional programs as well as documentation for their usage. Added an Installation Utility (Install.bat) to make sure the user has the programs in the correct paths relative to the Operating System's default installation and an Uninstallation Utility (Uninst.bat) to remove the utilities completely from the End User's system.  Renamed the archive 5dosut12.zip. Released 08-07-1999.

Ver. 1.1.0 - Never released to the Public. Created 02-28-1999.

Ver. 1.0.0 - Initial release version. Released 04-05-1998.
=====================================================================
Doc.com  V. 1.1.1 - This utility will clear all entries found in the Documents menu, found in the first tier of the Start Menu's cascading menu system. The program will be installed, by default, into the user's Windows directory. This utility is useful, especially in the workplace, to keep the prying eyes of your boss or co-workers away for the work that you may or may not be doing on a given day. Security is extremely important, in this day and age, due to the fact that there are extremely nosy individuals out there who want to know your business and every move. I think nosiness is a mathematical function of ones IQ. The nosier the individual the lower the IQ. ;-)
=====================================================================
A_zap.com  V. 1.1.3 - This utility will clear the entire contents of a 3.5" floppy disk. When I say ENTIRE I mean ENTIRE. So it follows that the user should use some degree of care when executing this program. The program will be installed, by default, into the user's Windows directory. The contents of the said floppy will not be recoverable, PERIOD. It is very useful if you have a series of 3.5" floppy disks, which you simply wish to clear for other purposes. The process, however, will not allow the user to place a volume label on the floppy disk. When executed, from the command line, the program will be seen to clear all entries on the said floppy disk. This will include all directories sub-directories and files.
=====================================================================
Temp.com  V. 1.1.0 - This utility will delete the ENTIRE contents of the user's Temporary Directory (C:\Windows\Temp). The program will be installed, by default, into the user's Windows directory. The contents of this directory, which contains a "lot of junk", IMHO, that program installations and applications leave for various reasons, will be deleted in its entirety. This will include all directories, sub-directories and files. I find this highly useful because I hate to allocate useful disk space, unknowingly, to useless files and directories that serve no purpose, whatsoever.
=====================================================================
Restart.bat  V. 1.1.5 - This little utility will allow you to reboot your system not only faster, than the option that resides off of your Start Menu in Win9x, but, without having to click three different things in order to do so. This utility will be installed, by default, into the user's Root Directory (C:\>).

I install a lot of software, over the course of a week, thus, this utility has come in very handy due to the fact that I always reboot my system after any software install or uninstall (ADVISABLE). You will have to configure this utility, though, before you can utilize it. To generate the necessary PIF file (Program InFormation file), necessary for this program's execution, follows the steps listed directly below:

Step 1: Right-click on the icon, Restart.bat, which has been placed in the user's Root Directory (C:\>), and choose properties from the context menu that will appear thereafter.

Step 2: Click on the Program tab, of the properties dialog box, if not all ready selected, and select the option "close on exit".

Step 3: Next, select the Advanced button, at the bottom of the Program sheet, select "MS-DOS mode" and deselect "Warn before entering MS-DOS mode".

Step 4: Click on OK and OK again.

After you have completed the above four steps you should create a shortcut to this program on your desktop (BEST METHODOLOGY). If you wish you can change the icon for this program by right clicking the newly created shortcut and choosing the properties option/program tab/change icon button.

Step 5: Optional - I used the little red sports car icon, in shell32.dll, and simply named the program "Doug's Turbo Restart". This is simply my creativity at work and I'm sure there are much more creative ways to distinguish and label this program.
=====================================================================
D.com  V. 1.1.0 - This utility will allow you to simply enter the letter "d", on the command line, instead of "dir" when you wish to scroll through the contents of a directory in quest of some file or other (disregard the double quotes around the commands d and dir respectively). The said utility will be installed, by default, into the user's Windows directory. I created this small program because I prefer doing less keyboarding to accomplish more work, in most instances; hence, this small enhancement to this frequently used DOS command.
=====================================================================
W.bat  V. 1.1.1 - This utility will allow a user to reboot the machine, by entering the letter "w" at the command line (disregard the double quotes around the command w), if an MS-DOS utility or program, when run, ends up leaving you with a blinking cursor within one of the numerous directories, in MS-DOS mode, that we all possess on our hard drives.

Note: You will have to modify your path statement, in Autoexec.bat, to reflect the fact that this utility lies within. this statement follows:

(SET PATH=C:\) (disregard the parenthesis around this parameter)

This will allow you, the End User, to run this program from any directory or sub-directory on your system to return yourself to the Windows GUI. FAILURE to add the aforementioned statement will result in the successful execution, of this utility, from the user's root directory ONLY !!!

This may not be of use to everyone who decided to download this archive but I find it very useful for a number of programs that I possess which leave me marooned in MS-DOS mode. The program will be installed, by default, into the user's Root Directory (C:\>). It is quite fast and saves the user from having to type, commands, such as, "cd windows" and "win" on the resulting command lines. A mundane and time-consuming task, if you ask me.
=====================================================================
All rights reserved.

PERMISSION TO USE, COPY, AND DISTRIBUTE THIS SOFTWARE, AND ITS DOCUMENTATION, FOR ANY PURPOSE AND WITHOUT FEE IS HEREBY GRANTED, PROVIDED THAT THE ABOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICE APPEAR IN ALL COPIES AND THAT BOTH THAT COPYRIGHT NOTICE AND THIS PERMISSION NOTICE APPEAR IN SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION, AND THAT THE NAME DOUGLAS J. BALSILLIE NOT BE USED IN ADVERTISING OR PUBLICITY PERTAINING TO DISTRIBUTION OF THE SOFTWARE WITHOUT SPECIFIC, WRITTEN PRIOR PERMISSION.

**********
DISCLAIMER
**********
=====================================================================
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED AS IS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. DOUGLAS J. BALSILLIE FURTHER DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NONINFRINGEMENT. THE ENTIRE RISK ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THE PRODUCT, AND DOCUMENTATION, REMAINS WITH THE RECIPIENT TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. IN NO EVENT SHALL DOUGLAS J. BALSILLIE BE LIABLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, OR OTHER DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, OR OTHER PECUNIARY LOSS) ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE PRODUCT, EVEN IF DOUGLAS J. BALSILLIE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
=====================================================================
All trademarks are property of their respective owner.

Copyright (c) 1998-2000 by Douglas J. Balsillie.
All Rights Reserved.

Version 1.3.7 Last updated: Friday, February 11, 2000
=====================================================================
