                           Tips for running SpitFire v3.5 BBS
                                 with Windows 3.11

                                Edited By Flapping Jack
                                  Flapping Jack's Place  
                           Node 1 14.4 V.42 & V.32 1-904-563-1580
                           Node 2 14.4 V42 & V.32 1-904-563-0109
                               

 


     Hi and welcome  hope this can help you run SpitFire under  Windows 3.11.

   1.Hardware Compatibility.
     1.Windows dosen't like shared IRQ's
     2.If your not running a 386 SX or above it's not going to work.
     3.If you don't have at a minimum of 6 Meg of extented memory the system
       will be to slow to handel High Speed modems.
     4.If you paln on running Multi node with more than 2400 Baud modems
       a 386 won't handel the demands.

   2.Software Compatibility
     1.If you plan on running a CAD CAM program beside SpitFifre it will have 
       some very undesireable efects for the users of your BBS.
     2.Forget Screen savers, Full Screen games with sound support. 
        a.Stick with Filemanager or a Windows spacific file management utility
       for file maintenance. 

    3.Modem Requirements
      a.A modemn or card that can be set for single IRQ and base address.
      b.Can the modem run SpitFire form the command line without running
        Windows? If it can you can run SpitFire through Windows.

    4.Do You realy need to run under Windows?
      a.If your running on a 286 or below it's not going to help any way.
      b.If your going to run the machine dedicated to a single node it's not
        necessary.
     
A.Setting up hardware.

     1.Modem Setup
       a.Windows will only support com 1-4 with a dedicated IRQ.
         1.Run MSD that comes with Windows to determin what IRQ's and comports
           are avalible.
         2.Wright down or do a print screen on COM Ports, IRQ's, & BASE
           Address, you will need them later.
         3.Set your modem hardware switches so the modem is on a comport with a
           dedicated IRQ.
       b.Install your modem and insure it is working properly without Windows
         loaded.
     2.If you have an I/O card that you can disable selected comports and still
       alow the modem to utelise the comport disable it.
     3.Insure phone lines are conected properly. "It sonunds strange but over
       50% of the problems incounterd in running under windows is improper
       phone line conection"
        a.Don't put a line spliter before conecting phone line to the computer.
        b.If you are running a Fax/Modem set the Fax side to not anser.

B.Configure SpitFire

      1.Mike Waltz has done an exceptonal jobe of defining SpitFire setup.
        Folow his instructions.
        a.Insure that you set SpitFire for indirect screen rights.
          Alt-T, <J> must be set to NO.
        b.Share. If your CPU is newer than Jan 1989 it is not necessary to
          load Share in your CONFIG.SYS. 
          1.Share is part of the command set loaded when the CPU is 
            started in Virtual mode."Windows in Enhanced Mode" 
      2.Start Spitfire without loading Windows it should run normaly.

C.Configure Your System

      1.Folowing is an example of a CONFIG.SYS that runns a single or dual node
        BBS under Windows.
        a. DEVICE=C:\WIN\HIMEM.SYS
           DEVICEHIGH=C:\WIN\EMM386.EXE
           FILES=40
           BUFFERS=30
           DOS=HIGH,UMB
           DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\ANSI.SYS
         b.If you are running a CD ROM a Scanner or other device requiring
           drivers add what you need to this.
       2.This AUTOEXEC.BAT works with no modification for a single or dual
          node BBS.
         a.C:\WIN\SMARTDRV.EXE
           path=C:\WIN;c:\;c:\dos;c:\sf
           prompt $p$g
           win
         b.Windows loads it's owne mouse driver none is neaded in the base
           setup.
         c.Once again if you have other devices that need special drivers add
           what you need.

D.Configuring Windows

      1.The Windows basick setup will let you run Spitfire in a WIndow with 
        no direct modifications to the WIN.INI, SYSTEM.INI or other .INI files.
      2.Configuring COM Ports
         a.With Windows running bring up Program Manager
         b.In the Main area birng up Control Pannel.
         c.Bring up Ports
         d.Select the Port your modem is configured to.
           1.Set baud rate to alow your moden to run at it's highest speed.
           2.Data Bits "8"
           3.Parity "None"
           4.Stop Bits "1"
           5.Flow Control "None"
         e.Advanced
           1.Ensure the Base Address is corect.
           2.Ensure the IRQ is corect.
         d.Come back out by selecting OK in the advance screen.
         e.Selcet OK in the Settings screen.
         f.On the Ports screen select Close.
       3.Configure CPU & related system functions
         a.While still in Control Pannel birng up 386 Enhanced
         b.If your modem is on either Com1 or Com2 highlight that comport and 
           set to Always Warn.
         c.In the Scheduling Box make shure Exclusive in forground is "NOT"
           checked.
         d.Select the Virtual Memory button 
         e.Select the Change settings button
         f.Select the Drive and size of your Swap Drive. Recomendation if you 
           have the drive space avalible you should make the swap drive twice
           the size of your avalible memory and perminent this will make the 
           system much faster.
         g.Unless you have a SCSI drive leave 32 Bit access disabled.
         h.Select ok. At this point Windows will ask if you are shure you want
           to make the changes. Hit Yes.
         i.Windows will ask If you want to Restart Windows or Continue select 
           Continue. The changes will take efect the next time you start 
           Windows.
         j.In the 386 Enhanced screen hit Ok.
         k. Close Controll panel.
       4.Setting up a SpitFire Area in Windows
         a.Open Program Mannager
         b.Select File
         c.Select New
         d.Select Program Group
         e.Hit Ok
         f.For Discription I put "SpitFire"
         g.For Group File I put "Node1"
       5.Creat a .PIF for SpitFire
         a.In your Main area double click on the PIF Editor
         b.For Program Filename put the Full Path and Name for the SF.BAT
           C:\SF\SF.BAT
         c.For Window Title I put "SpitFire"
         d.No entry goes in Optional Paramiters.
         e.Start-up Directory should be ware the main SpitFire.EXE file is
         located C:\SF
         f.Vidio Memory Stays Text
         g.Memory Requirements KB Required 260 will run Spitfire and all Door
           programs and enhancements I have run across. KB Desired 640 is more
           than enough. Don't lower it.
         h.EMS Memory KB Required change to 1024 KB Limit leave at 1024
         i.XMS Memoro KB Required 0 is fine KB limit 0 unless you find a door
           that askes for XMS.
         j.Display Usage change to Windowed
         k.Execution mark Backround "If you don't SF will lock up when you 
           try to do somthing else."
         l.Leave Close Window on Exit marked
         m.Hit the Advanced button
         n.Change the Backround Priority to 3000
         o.Forground priority of 1500 is fine (This will make running other app. a little slow)
            you can change  it to like 2000 (Backround Priority) & 1000 (Forgrround)
         p.Unmark the Detect Idel Time box
         q.Mark the Box that says EMS Memory Locked
         r.Unmark the Uses High Memory Area Box
         s.Emulate Text Mode Should be marked
         t.Unmark the box Alow Fast Paste 
         u.Hit the Ok button in the top right corner.
         v.Select File
         w.Select Save
         x.Under Directories bring up th SF directory
         y.Under file name put in SF.PIF
         z.Hit the Ok button
      6.Add the Spitfir PIF to the Spitfire Group
         a.Bring up Program Manager
         b.Ensure the SpitFire Group Window is the active gorup
         c.Select File on the work Bar
         d.Select New
         e.Program Item is already checked Hit OK
         f.Hit the Brows button
         g.Change to the Spitfire Directory
         h.Highlite SF.PIF hit OK
         i.Hit the Ok button
      7.At this point you should have a blue icon that says MS DOS and the
        name SF under it. If you double click on this icon SpitFire Should 
        come up in a Window and run in the backround with no problem.

E.Starting Spitfire Automaticaly on System reboot.

      1.Slow Auto load of SpitFire.
         a.Open Program Manager 
         b.Open the Spitfire Group
         c.Singley place the mouse courser over the SF Icon.
         d.Push down the left mouse key while holding it down drag the mouse 
           courser and Icon to the Start up group and release the mouse
           button. This will put the SpitFire .PIF in the Startup group and 
           the next time you restart your computer it will automaticaly start
           Windows and SpitFire.
      2.Fast Auto load of SpitFire.
         a.Using Windows notepad Dos Edit or any text editor. Open the WIN.INI
           file located in your main Windows directory.
         b.On the 3rd line that says run= modify it to say run=c:\sf\sf.pif or 
           the apropriate Drive and path.
         c.Save and exit.
      3.Which ever method you choose will automaticaly start SpitFire the next 
        Time You reboot or restart Windows.

Hope this helps you out like it did me.. The setting my not help all Spitfire Sysop but
they work here with only 8 megs of ram..