°±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° ²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²² °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° ²²±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±²² °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° ²²±±ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ±±²² °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° ²²±±ÛÛ²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²ÛÛ°°²² °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° ²²±±ÛÛ²²ÛßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÛ²²ÛÛ°°²² °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° ²²±±ÛÛ²²Û ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ» ÛÛÛÛÛÛ» ÛÛÛ» ÛÛ» Û°°ÛÛ°°²² °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° ²²±±ÛÛ²²Û ÈÍÍÛÛÉÍͼ ÛÛÉÍÍÛÛ» ÛÛÛÛ» ÛÛº Û°°ÛÛ°°²² °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° ²²±±ÛÛ²²Û ÛÛº ÛÛÛÛÛÛɼ ÛÛÉÛÛ» ÛÛº Û°°ÛÛ°°²² °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° ²²±±ÛÛ²²Û ÛÛº ÛÛÉÍÍÛÛ» ÛÛºÈÛÛ»ÛÛº Û°°ÛÛ°°²² °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° ²²±±ÛÛ²²Û ÛÛº ÛÛÛÛÛÛɼ ÛÛº ÈÛÛÛÛº Û°°ÛÛ°°²² °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° ²²±±ÛÛ²²Û Èͼ ÈÍÍÍÍͼ Èͼ ÈÍÍͼ Û°°ÛÛ°°²² °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° ²²±±ÛÛ²²ÛÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛ°°ÛÛ°°²² °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° ²²±±ÛÛ²²²°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°ÛÛ°°²² °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° ²²±±ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ°°²² °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° ²²±±±°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°²² °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° ²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²² °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° °±²Û²±° ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Online Edition Take A Byte Newsletter Free ³ ÆÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͵ ³ October 1993 Issue 41 Volume 3 ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º News Bits º -=ð New Releases and News ð=- ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ - Stacker 3.1 comes in two versions this time, one for just DOS 6 the other for other versions of DOS. This version loads the device driver before the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files for greater protection against data loss. Stacker will also flush the SMARTDRV cache to protect against data loss. Version 3.1 also will convert a DoubleSpace drive to a Stacker format. [Stac Electronics, (DOS 6 Version $79.95) 3.0 Upgrade $19.95] - Aldus PageMaker 5.0 is trying to compete with all the other major word processors. Now you can open multiple documents and rotate pictures 360ø. New color handling, improved utilities, and other effects accent the new version. [Aldus PageMaker for Windows, $895; upgrade $150. Requires: 8MB RAM, 11MB HD space, Windows 3.1.] - SLC Now! Allows you to plug a board into a IBM Micro channel PS/2 and upgrade the 286 processor into a 486/50Mhz. [Kingston Technologies $425] - Harvard Graphics version 2.0 for Windows. Supports multimedia and a whole new entire slew of utilities to help your presentations. [Software Publishing Corp. $495] - Version 2.1 of PrintShop Deluxe is now available. Faster, and will import PCX and TIFF formats. New foreign language calendars, and you can preview fonts and text on-screen. [PrintShop Deluxe 2.1 $79] - Shareware Compendium: The ASP Catalog 1993 contains over 1000 shareware products. Each listing includes a name, file size, version, system requirements and registration price. However, it does not include a review or a rating to weed out the poor shareware we've all seen. [Rob Rosenberger $25] - The Jerry Springer Show hosted a show last month about BBSers. The show covered mostly the romance aspect of it, including hot chats. They set up a PC on stage and connected to America Online through Windows. Jerry focused on a few personal events from BBSers around the U.S. including broken marriages, outrageous parties, and sexual encounters. - Current Affair covered a topic on CyberSex. Subject matter included a Multimedia package by Penthouse and CD-ROM disks. BBSing was also included into the segment by an interview with a "hacker" in the bay area. ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º Special Editorial º -=ð Federal Crackdown on BBS's ð=- ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ The Federal Bureau of Investigation has begun a crackdown on Bulletin Board Systems in order to keep potential child offenders in bounds. The FBI thinks that the BBS systems are like a "shoppers channel" for potential child molesters and the like. So, the FBI is launching a campaign against finding and searching out potential BBS systems and serving warnings to Sysops with underage users. The FBI recommends that you warn your children who BBS not to talk to strangers or reply to any sexual messages. The FBI was first tipped off that many underage girls between ages 13 - 17 were engaging in sexual activities with men and women in the 23 - 45 age range. The FBI also recommends that Sysops limit the age range to 18 and over to ensure that this sort of problem gets under control quickly. Many Sysops are becoming enraged at the fact that the FBI is accusing many BBS's of encouraging this sort of problem. The NSA (National Sysops Association) is on the FBI's side of this heated and controversial battle. Many of the smaller BBS's are the ones being accused of such actions. ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º My DOS Prompt º -=ð DOS Information and Help ð=- ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ I often move files from one directory to another, luckily I have DOS 6 and it comes with the Move command. If you don't have DOS 6, then keep reading, if you do have DOS 6 then keep reading anyway. Since I don't want duplicate files cluttering my disk, I created a batch file, MOVE.BAT [see listing], that copies and deletes files with one command. To avoid accidentally deleting important files, I built safeguards into the batch file that ensure a safe and happy move. Errors are reported if the destination file already exists, if you mistype a file name, or if you specify a nonexistent directory. Copy MOVE.BAT to a directory in the current PATH using the command. Then type MOVE , where is the pathname of the file to move and is the destination. For example, MOVE NAMES.DAT C:\BACKUP moves NAMES.DAT to C:\BACKUP and then deletes the original file. If you attempt to move a file to a nonexistent directory, MOVE.BAT will ask for confirmation before creating the directory. MOVE.BAT has its limits; because it looks for `%2\%1' when error checking, the batch file can't move a file to the root directory. I added a PAUSE command that lets you press -C after copying if you want to save the original file. If you don't want this option, remove the first PAUSE and the three preceding ECHO statements. MOVE.BAT moves a file to a new directory, and then optionally deletes the original file. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³@ECHO OFF ³ How does this batch file compare ³if not exist %1 goto NOFILE ³ to the DOS 6 command? Well, the command ³if exist %2\%1 goto FILEERR ³ that comes with DOS 6 has better code and ³goto MOVEIT ³ the error handling is a bit more enhanced ³:NOFILE ³ by the way it handles problems. The DOS ³echo %1 not found. Check ³ 6 command is also faster and can move ³echo your typing, then ³ entire directories in one stroke. The ³goto ERREND ³ command by DOS 6 is less touchy in the ³:FILEERR ³ command string than the batch file. Also ³echo %2\%1 already exists. ³ the DOS 6 command has more verification ³echo Delete duplicate and ³ and problem solving techniques. ³goto ERREND ³ ³:MOVEIT ³ Tests done on a 386SX/16Mhz ³copy %1 %2 >nul ³ Speed Benchmark [Two 1346k files moved] ³if not exist %2\%1 goto DIRERR ³ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³echo %1 moved to %2 ³ S 19ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´ ³echo Press Enter to delete ³ E 17ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÛÛÄÄÄÄÜÜÄÄÄ´ ³echo original file, or press ³ C 15ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÛÛ±ÄÄÄÛÛ±ÄÄ´ ³echo Ctrl-C and Y to quit. ³ O 13ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÛÛ±ÄÄÄÛÛ±ÄÄ´ ³pause ³ N 11ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÛÛ±ÄÄÄÛÛ±ÄÄ´ ³del %1 ³ D 7ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÛÛ±ÄÄÄÛÛ±ÄÄ´ ³goto END ³ S 5ÃÄÄÜÜÄÄÄÄÄÛÛÄÄÄÄÄÄÛÛ±ÄÄÄÛÛ±ÄÄ´ ³:DIRERR ³ 3ÃÄÄÛÛ±ÄÄÄÄÛÛ±ÄÄÄÄÄÛÛ±ÄÄÄÛÛ±ÄÄ´ ³echo N | del %2 ³ 0ÃÄÄÛÛ±ÄÄÄÄÛÛ±ÄÄÄÄÄÛÛ±ÄÄÄÛÛ±ÄÄ´ ³echo Directory %2 not found. ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³echo Press Enter to create the ³ File1 File2 File1 File2 ³echo directory and move the file³ DOS 6 Batch ³echo or Ctrl-C and Y to quit. ³ ³pause ³ Error Recognition Time and Error Fix ³md %2 ³ (Error being a invalid directory) ³GOTO MOVEIT: ³[DOS 6] ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³:ERREND ³ Error ³ÜÜÜ (0.03.23) ³ ³echo try again. ³ Fix ³ÜÜÜÜÜÜ (0.04.87) ³ ³:END ³[Batch] ³ ³ ³echo on ³ Error ³ÜÜÜ (0.02.92) ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Fix ³ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ (0.05.23) ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ 1 4 5 10 15 17 25 30 42 *DOS Tips* Batch file enhancers are great to help to help make your batch files look a whole better and add a variety of functions. Norton Utilities has a good batch enhancer (BE.EXE). Batch file compilers don't always work well and sometimes use more file space than just an ordinary .BAT file. ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º Breaking Windows º -=ð Windows Information and Help ð=- ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ Older, Windows 2-based software won't run in Windows 3's Enhanced mode--or will it? These programs will run under Windows 3's Real mode--and you can run Real mode Windows inside the Enhanced mode. You can even exchange data between newer and older Windows programs via the Clipboard. For each Windows 2 application, create a PIF file using the Windows PIF Editor: Enter c:\windows\win.com in the Program Filename text box and an appropriate name for Window Title. In the Optional Parameters text box, enter /r and a space, followed by the drive, path, and file name and extension of the Windows 2 application. If, for example, the application is Excel and it's stored in a drive C: directory called EXCEL, you'd enter /r c:\excel\excel.exe. Fill in the Start-up Directory text box, and adjust the memory requirements as needed. Save the PIF file with an appropriate name, such as EXCEL-R.PIF. Then, in a Program Manager window, create a Program Item icon for each of these new PIF files by choosing New from the File menu. and selecting Program Item. Type in an appropriate description and for the command line, type the name of the PIF file (you can include its path, as in c:\windows\excelr.pif). The Program Manager will display a standard DOS icon labeled with your description. You can now run the application--in Real mode--by double-clicking that icon. Pressing - (which moves you between Windows tasks) will switch you back to the Enhanced mode environment. But when you're finished with your application and select File Exit, watch out. Once the application is gone, you'll still be in Real mode, with a Program Manager on your screen that looks identical to the Enhanced mode Program Manager. You'll need to close this Real mode Windows session before exiting the Enhanced mode session that contains it. If you don't want to bring up a Real mode Program Manager for every Real mode application you run, make a single PIF file called WINR.PIF, using c:\windows3\win.com as the program file name, and simply /r as the optional parameter. Make a Program Item for that PIF file, and label it Real mode Windows. You can run several Real mode applications within this one session, subject to memory constraints. Those applications can exchange data with Enhanced mode applications via the Clipboard. If you use this technique, remember that running one Windows session inside another means less memory for your applications. Unless you can't live without your old software, you may want to price Windows 3 upgrades while they're still available. If you wait too long, you may have to buy the new version at the full price. *Windows Tips* Mouse acting up? You should clean your mouse and pad about once every six months. Use a non-abrasive cleaner, usually a light soap and plenty of water will do just fine. Clean the mouse cover and remove the ball. Soak the ball in a alcohol base (nail polish remover will do) and let the ball dry in the sun. Replace the ball and make sure everything works smoothly. To clean the pad, simply douse it in soapy water and let it dry off. ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º BBSing Around º -=ð Bulletin Board Information and Help ð=- ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ Many of us at one time or another have come up with a problem with our software. Sometimes a device driver is needed or you just need that one special file to make the program work. Listed below are some of the more popular companies with BBS numbers. The phone numbers may have changed since the release of this column. Modem Parameters: 96H - US Robotics HST Modem 96V - 9600 V.32 Standard Modems 96D - US Robotics Dual Standard 96C - Compucom Modems 24 - Standard 2400 Modem 24M - 2400 MNP5 Modem Acer America...............800-833-8241 96 COMPUTERS & MONITORS Advanced Digital Corp......714-894-0893 24 SCSI CTRL,TAPE BACKUPS Apogee Software............508-365-2359 96D GAMES,KEEN,SECRET AGENT AST Research...............714-727-4723 24 COMPUTER SYSTEMS Boca Research..............407-241-1601 96V MEMORY CARDS,MODEMS Borland....................408-439-9096 24 C,QUATTRO,DBASE Cannon Printer Division....516-488-6528 96 LASER/DOT MATRIX PRNTRS Central Point..............503-690-6650 96V PC TOOLS Colorado Memory Systems....303-679-0650 24 TAPE BACKUPS Conner International.......408-456-4415 24 HARD DRIVES Corel System...............613-728-4752 96V COREL DRAW Creative Labs..............408-428-6660 96V SOUNDBLASTER MUSIC CARD DAK Online Resource Center.818-715-7153 96V ALL DAK PRODUCTS Dell Computer Corp.........512-338-8528 96V DELL MAIL ORDER CLONES Digiboard..................612-943-0812 24 INTELLIGENT SERIAL CARD DTK........................818-333-6548 24 DTK MOTHERBOARDS Epson America, Inc.........408-946-8777 96 EPSON COMPUTER PRODUCTS Gateway BBS................605-232-2109 96V GATEWAY COMPUTERS GVC Technologies...........201-579-2380 96V MODEMS Hayes Microcomputer........800-874-2937 96V MODEMS Hayes Microcomputer........404-446-6336 96V MODEMS Hercules Computer..........510-540-0621 24 MEMORY EXP, VIDEO CARDS IBM........................404-835-6600 96V IBM COMPUTER PRODUCTS Intel......................503-645-6275 96V MATHCO,MODEM,FAX,CHIPS Iomega.....................801-778-4400 24 TAPE BACKUPS Logitech...................510-795-0408 96V MOUSE,SCANNERS Lotus......................617-693-7000 24 LOTUS SPREADSHEET Lotus......................404-395-7707 24 LOTUS WORD PROCESSING Magnavox...................310-532-6436 96V COMPUTERS/MONITORS McAfee Assoc...............408-988-4044 96D VIRUS PROTECTION Media Vision...............510-770-0968 96V MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTS Micropolis Corp............818-709-3310 24 HARD DRIVES MicroProse.................301-785-1841 24 GAMING SOFTWARE Microsoft..................206-637-9009 96V WORD,WINDOWS Mitsubishi.................714-636-6216 24 MONITORS NEC Technologies...........508-635-6328 96V COMPUTER,PRINTERS Okidata....................800-283-5474 96 PRINTERS Orchid Technology..........510-683-0327 24 VIDEO CARDS Packard Bell...............818-773-7207 24 COMPUTER SYSTEMS Panasonic..................201-863-7847 24 PRINTERS,SCANNERS,CPUS PKWare.....................414-354-8670 96D PKZIP COMPRESSION Qualitas...................301-907-8030 96V 386MAX & BLUEMAX Quantum....................408-894-3214 24 HARD DISK STORAGE Quarterdeck Office Systems.310-314-3227 96V QEMM386 Seagate....................408-438-8771 96V HARD DRIVES,CONTROLLER Stac Electronics...........619-431-5956 96V STACKER HD SOFTWARE Storage Dimensions.........408-944-1220 96V STORAGE DEVICES Telix Support..............416-439-8293 96D TELIX COMM SOFTWARE Texas Instruments..........512-250-6112 24 PRINTERS,CPUS Thunderbyte USA............615-442-2833 96V THUNDERBYTE ANTI-VIRUS Turtle Beach...............717-845-4835 96V WINDOWS SOFTWARE US Robotics................708-982-5274 96D MODEMS Video Seven................510-656-0503 96V VIDEO CARDS Western Digital............714-753-1068 96V CONTROLLERS,HARD DRIVE Word Perfect Corp..........801-225-4414 96V WORDPERFECT,DRAWPERFCT Wyse.......................408-922-4400 24 TERMINALS/COMPUTERS Xyquest....................508-667-5669 24 CORRECT GRAMMER XTree......................805-546-9150 24 XTREE/XTREE GOLD Zsoft......................404-427-1045 96V PAINTBRUSH ZyXEL......................714-693-0762 96V MODEMS A few of these numbers we had trouble getting though to, some had notices with number changes also. We correct those to the best of our ability. *BBS Tips* The best way to find a good BBS is call all local BBS's and go from there. Numbers for BBS's are in the newspaper, the recycler, and online BBS lists. The most famous BBS list is Mike's Southern California List. You can obtain the list from this number (8-N-1 (310) 422-7942 supports 14.4) ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º Compile This º -=ð Programming Information and Help ð=- ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ In a sense, a running BASIC program is lost--it doesn't know its name or its path, a fact that poses a problem for programs that must access files in their home directories. I solved that problem by taking advantage of a little-known DOS feature. When DOS runs a program, it stores the program's path and name after the last environment string. For a BASIC program to find its roots, it must locate the Program Segment Prefix (PSP), which is attached to the program at run time. From the PSP, the program can find out the directory from which it was loaded. It's then a simple matter to lop off the path, attach the file names you need, and use the results to access data in the program's home directory. I've included a sample program [see listing below] that shows how this is done. I modified the program so you can compile it with the popular QuickBASIC 4.5. When run, the program displays its directory path and file name. Before compiling, start QuickBASIC with the /L parameter so that the Quick Library QB.QLM, which contains support routines needed to call DOS functions, is also loaded. The program uses one of those routines, CALL Interrupt, to locate the PSP. In the listing, comments beginning with an apostrophe explain how the program works. The second line, however, is not a comment but a command to include QB.BI, which defines RegType, a structure that stores pseudo register values to pass to DOS and to receive information back. FINDPATH.BAS demonstrates how a QuickBASIC program can locate its own path. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ' FINDPATH by CJL ³ ³ ' $INCLUDE: 'QB.BI' ³ ³ ' Find Prog Seg Prefix (PSP) ³ ³ DIM regs AS RegType ³ ³ Regs.ax = &H6200 ³ ³ CALL Interrupt(&H21,regs,regs) ³ ³ ' Locate program's environment ³ ³ PSPSegment = regs.bx ³ ³ DEF SEG = PSPSegment ³ ³ Offset = &H2C ³ ³ LoAdd = PEEK(offset) ³ ³ HiAdd = PEEK(offset + 1) ³ ³ EnvSeg = LoAdd + (256 * HiAdd) ³ ³ ' Find command string ³ ³ DEF SEG = EnvSeg ³ ³ X = 0 ³ ³ WHILE PEEK(X) + PEEK(X+1) <> 0 ³ ³ X = X + 1 ³ ³ WEND ³ ³ ' Find end of program's path ³ ³ StartField = X + 4 ³ ³ EndField = StartField ³ ³ WHILE PEEK(EndField) <> 0 ³ ³ EndField = EndField + 1 ³ ³ WEND ³ ³ ' Locate backslash at path end ³ ³ EndPath = EndField ³ ³ WHILE PEEK(EndPath) <> &H5C ³ ³ EndPath = EndPath - 1 ³ ³ WEND ³ ³ ' Copy path name to string ³ ³ FOR X = StartField to EndPath ³ ³ Path$ = Path$ + CHR$(peek(X) ³ ³ NEXT X ³ ³ PRINT "Path = "Path$ ³ ³ ' Copy program name to string ³ ³ FOR X = EndPath + 1 to EndField ³ ³ Prog$ = Prog$ + CHR$(peek(X)) ³ ³ NEXT X ³ ³ PRINT "Program = " Prog$ ³ ³ END ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ *Programming Tips* QuickBasic 4.5 supports a few more functions then the QBASIC that comes with DOS 5 and 6. One of those functions is being able to compile. So, if you like to program in basic and have a greater power by running your programs from the command line, try QuickBasic 4.5. ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º The Expansion Slot º -=ð Hardware Information and Help ð=- ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ Thinking of getting a new modem? What should you look for? What is the best modem to get? What speed? How do you put one in? What kind of compression is best? Error correction? All these are very important questions and we'll help you make some of those decisions if you're having a rough time picking out a new modem. Let's explore all the possibilities in this two past issue series. (Part 1 of 2) ù New Modem? ù Most people think about buying a new modem when they are in the middle of a long downloading session. Too many people are addicted to downloading shareware and other goodies and want to spend about $200 to speed that process up. Other people want to see their screen scroll by faster or want to show off their latest technology. In any case, you have to decide what is most important, showing off or speed? ù Looking ù When looking for a new modem, you should keep a few things in mind. One being price, the other being the ability to upgrade. Bundled software is a good thing to look for too. The basic compatibility options are: Hayes Smartmodem compatibility, over V.22/V.22bis, Full or Half duplex, Auto dial and auto answer, and dual phone jacks. A fax/modem option is great too, the fax operation usually operates at a higher speed than the modem operation. Modems come in all shapes and sizes, here is a good idea of what your modem will look like: Basic Internal Modem ÚÄÄ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´ ³[ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ--]--OO--[Û Û] Jumpers 2|=ÚÁÄ¿Line In ³[Û Speaker Û--]--Û ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ OO """""| ÀÂÄÙ ³[ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ OO |=ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ----ÜÜÜÜÜ---{ÿVolume ³[ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ+--ÜÜ.. ..|__ÜÜÜ==ÛUïUÛ---{ÃÙ ³ ^^^^^^|^^^^ |____|____ÛÜÛ ßßßßß ÚÁÄ¿Line Out ³II ÛÛÛÛÛÛ OO O ÛÛ ÛÛ|O------OO_|====ÀÂÄÙ ³OO | ||| OO====ÛÛ ÛÛ O:: Jumpers 1 ³ ³ ÛÛÛÛÛÛ O O ßß ßß :: [Û Û Û] ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÄÄÄÄ¿³ ÀÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÙ ³³ ÀÙ Basic External Modem (Front) __________ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿/| ³ ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» ³ | ³ Brand X -- - º() () () () () () () ()º ³ | ³ 2400 Ext. -- - ºHS AA CD OH RD SD TR MRº ³ | ³ ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ ³ | ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ/ Basic External Modem (Back) __________ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿/| ³ ³ | ³ (þ) [ù] [O\::::::::::::::/O] ÛÛ ÛÛ ³ | ³Power Power RS-232 Line Line ³ | ³Switch Plug Connector In Out ³ | ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ/ ù Speed ù The best thing in a modem to look for at this point is speed. As usual the faster the better. Most modems today come in a variety of speeds, the most common being: 1200, 2400, 9600, 14.4, 16.8, 32.8. The 1200 baud modems are slow, cheap, and outdated, they cost about $15 - 30. Next, is the 2400 baud modems, they are the most common of all at this point. The 2400 baud modem is still inexpensive, provides fair speed, and is still supported, they average from $35 - 85. The 9600 modems are fast, reliable, and well supported. The average price for a good 9600 baud modem is from about $60 - 140. Then you have the current popular 14.4 modems. These modems are fast and are very reliable, but still not widely supported. The cost for a 14.4 modem ranges around $150 - 200. The next speed up is a 16.8, this is a improved version of the 14.4 and is extremely fast, and provides good reliability. The cost for a 16.8 modem ranges from $240 - 300. The next modem up is the 32.8, these modems are just being approved by the FCC, they have new advanced analog to digital chips that really cook. However, since it is new technology it will take a long time for the standards to be introduced which makes it not too widely supported at this time. The cost is estimated between $350 - 425. (To be Continued Next Month!) *Hardware Tips* Save money. If you just want to buy a new modem just to speed up downloading, then go buy the Shareware CD-ROMS with over 1800 Megs in files. Its cheaper than a new modem. Prices for the CD-ROMS range from $30 - 90. ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º Gonzo's Games º -=ð Games Reviews ð=- ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ The computer game aspect of the computer industry is growing at a unbelievable rate. Leading the way in technology and great gameplay is the company Sierra. Other companies like Origin, and Virgin are on their way to becoming great game producers. What's to look forward to in the coming months? Here is a small list of games on their way to your local shop now. Game Maker Release Type Est. Cost ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³Lemmings 2 ³Psygnosis ³ Sept 93 ³ Shooter ³ $59.95 ³ ³Strike Commander ³Origin ³ Nov 93 ³ Flight ³ $59.95@ ³ ³Betrayal At Krondor ³Dyanmix ³ Oct 93 ³ RPG ³ $59.95@ ³ ³CyberRace ³Cyberdreams Inc ³ Oct 93 ³ Action ³ $39.95@ ³ ³Wing Commander Academy ³Origin ³ Nov 93 ³ Flight ³ $49.95@ ³ ³Lands Of Lore ³Virgin ³ Oct 93 ³ RPG ³ $56.95@ ³ ³Seal Team ³Electronic Arts ³ Oct 93 ³ Action ³ $39.95@ ³ ³The Journeyman Project*³Quadra ³ Nov 93 ³ RPG ³ $79.95 ³ ³Rebel Assault* ³LucasArts ³ Nov 93 ³ Flight ³ $69.95 ³ ³Iron Helix* ³Spectrum ³ Oct 93 ³ RPG ³ $99.95 ³ ³Kings Quest VI* ³Sierra ³ Oct 93 ³ RPG ³ $79.95 ³ ³Day Of The Tentacle* ³LucasArts ³ Oct 93 ³ Advent ³ $69.95 ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ * = CD-ROM Version @ = Price not Fixed Yet Some of those games above might be delayed until December to keep a good handle over the holiday season. Expect to see the Journeyman Project win game awards as well as Iron Helix, and Strike Commander. All the games to come are good and will support most of the popular sound boards. If you don't have a sound board, think about getting one to play one of the above games. *Gonzo's Tips* Who has the best prices on games? Usually mail order will have the best price. If not mail order, then try Electronics Boutique or Adrays in the California and Nevada areas. ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º Dr. TBN )-===--- º -=ð PC Virus Help and Information ð=- ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ Average Number of Known Viruses: 793 Average Number of Total Strains: 1,573 Key: MSAV - Microsoft Anti-Virus (Licensed from Central Point) CPAV - Central Point Anti-Virus NAV - Norton Anti-Virus (Symantec Corp.) COM - A command file (ex: command.COM) EXE - Executable file (ex: chkdsk.EXE) DLL - Dynamic Link Library (commdlg.DLL) DRV - Device Drivers (mouse.DRV) -=[ Satan Bug ]=- Satan Bug is a polymorphic, non-stealth, resident, COM and EXE infector. It is approximate in complexity to those viruses incorporating the Mutation Engine. The virus starts with a very long decryption routine which varies greatly in both size and content. Several decryption methods may be employed. Due to the complexity of the encryption, Norton Anti-Virus or Central Point Anti-Virus or Microsoft Anti-Virus will not repair this virus. When an infected file is executed, the virus will seek out COMMAND.COM. It will be infected first. Then the virus will stay resident in memory as it infects COM and EXE files as they are executed or copied. The virus ranges in size from about 3600 to 5400 bytes; the actual virus being about 3500 bytes and the rest being the polymorphic decryptor. The text "Satan Bug virus - Little Loc" is hidden in the encrypted portion of the virus. A company on the east coast of the United States discovered that it had been infected by this virus. Thus computer users in the region should be most careful. If you discover that you are infected by this virus, you should call the technical support number of your Anti-Virus software company. -=[ Butterfly Virus ]=- Butterfly is a simple non-resident infector of COM programs. It appears to be closely related to the Ash virus. Past virus recognition codes would have been able to detect this variant as the Ash virus. Butterfly only infects on execution, targeting other files in the current directory. It is about 300 bytes long and contains the text "butterflies". This virus has been reported in the wild by CPAV. As noted, you would have been equally protected by the previous recognition of Ash. However, newer virus recognition code (via anti-virus updates) is now able to differentiate Butterfly Virus from the Ash Virus. The Ash definition has been fine tuned to acknowledge the presence of this new variant and let this new variant be called Butterfly. Butterfly can be repaired by NAV, and CPAV. -=[ MacGyver ]=- MacGyver is a memory-resident stealth virus that infects EXE files as they are run or opened. The virus also attaches itself to files that look like EXE files (.386, .DLL, .DRV, etc). These files will seem corrupted. The virus contains the encrypted messages "MACGYVER V 1.0" and "Keelung, TAIWAN 1992", but does not display those messages. If the month is after February and the date ends in 5 (i.e. March 5 to December 25) the virus is supposed to play a tune. Infected files will grow by approximately 2800 (2803) bytes. However, if the virus is active in memory this size change will not be visible in a directory listing. MacGyver can be repaired by NAV, CPAV, MSAV. -=[ Scream-652 ]=- This is a another variant of the Scream II virus. This group of viruses infects COMMAND.COM when initially run, and infect other COM and EXE files from memory as they are run or opened for any reason. Infected files grow by approximately 650 (652) bytes with the virus located at the end of the host program. The virus is encrypted. This virus is not repaired by NAV, CPAV or MSAV. -=[ Freddy ]=- Freddy is a memory-resident virus that infects COM and EXE files as they are run. The virus contains an encrypted directory in which all entries appear as "FREDDY KRG" with a size of 0 bytes. The time and date stamps do not appear as these fields also contain zero. When the virus triggers, the sector is decrypted and written to the first root directory sector of drive C: making the system unbootable. The virus then hangs the computer in an endless loop. Infected files grow by about 1900 bytes with the virus located at the end of the host program. However, COMMAND.COM is infected differently and grows by less than 100 bytes. Freddy can be repaired by NAV, CPAV. -=[ Stoned (3C) ]=- This is a minor variant of the standard Stoned virus. It does not contain the "Legalize Marijuana" message and appears to have been modified so as to avoid detection with older anti-virus patterns. Stoned (3C) can be repaired by NAV, MSAV. Note: File size growth is given in approximate numbers. If a number is enclosed in parentheses, that number would be the growth of one of the more common variants. As it is too easy for a virus writer to alter this number without changing the virus significantly, do not depend on the more precise number. It is provided for your confidence should you encounter it, which we hope never happens. [Virus information provided with permission by: Symantec Corporation.] ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º ROM Teasers º -=ð Brain Games and Fun ð=- ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ **Scrambled Words** Unscramble the word, if you can. (Last issues word: BACKUP) This issues scrambled word: AIMEMIUDTL Clue - Sound, Animation, Pictures **Answer & Question** We give you the answer, you think of the question. (Last issues question: What is a Caddy.) This issues answer: Is the version number of the latest IBM DOS. Clue - One more than Microsoft. **Word Search** ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³E R A B O O L E A N E S D P O T ³ ³R V A L D I S K E T T E O R K V ³ 1) DISKETTE 8) BOOLEAN ³O E B O O E E N N G I P O O C I ³ 2) SPEAKER 9) JOYSTICK ³T R T H E W N R O P E R P C I R ³ 3) DENSITY ³I B O O M E E S E O P O L E T U ³ 4) EPROM Bonus - VIRUS ³K A S E O A Z X I L E M E S S S ³ 5) VERBATIM ³A T L Y O U O U X T A N D S Y S ³ 6) PROCESSOR ³F I O L E O E I W O Y S M O O A ³ 7) KEYS ³O M H R E K A E P S X E R R J M ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ **As The Hard Disk Turns** She stared blankly at me and a tear rolled down her face like floppy drive cleaner. She then looked away and muttered softly, "I think my husband is out cheating on me, with a GIF slut from the other side of town no less." I sighed deeply and looked at the floor. I then went over to her and offered to buy her a drink, to put some Corel back in her face. She agreed and we were off to the sleazy hole bar down the street called The Paradox. We were at the door about to go in and discuss her problems when a officer bared our way. Apparently the cops did a RAID 5 on their illegal disk array selling in the late evening hours. So, we moved on to an old bar just down the old sixteen bit pathway st. When we walked in the place we saw a few junkies in the corner and a few low level format looking guys having a chat with the barkeep. (To Be Continued) **Quoteables** "Look, if computers were easy to fix, do you think I would be answering your call?" -Gateway Tech Support ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º Industry Variables º -=ð Marketplace Information ð=- ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ *The Top 5* Top 5 Selling Software Top 5 Shareware/Freeware 1) Lotus 123 4.0 Upgrade 1) Pkware 2.04G 2) WordPerfect 6.0 2) McAfee Scan 3) DOS 6.0 Upgrade 3) Winzip 4.01c 4) Corel Draw 4.0 4) Solar Winds 5) WinFax Pro 5) Spear of Destiny Top 5 Selling Hardware Top 5 Selling PC Games 1) Intel 486/33DX CPU 1) 7th Guest 2) Colorado 250 Jumbo Backup 2) Xwing Mission Disk 3) Robotics 14.4k Fax/Modem 3) Tornado 4) Microsoft Mouse 4) Kyrandia CD 5) SoundBlaster 16 Audio Brd. 5) Xwing Flight Simulator Top 5 Leaders TBN's Hot Picks! 1) Microsoft (Software) 1) MS-DOS 6 Upgrade 2) Intel (Microprocessors) 2) Diamond Viper VL Video Board 3) Borland (Software) 3) Sportster 14.4 Fax/Modem 4) Motorola (Processors) 4) Corel Draw 4.0 Upgrade 5) IBM (PC's & Software) 5) WordPerfect 6.0 Upgrade *Averages* Average Prices for Mail Order 1) QEMM Ver.7 $60 +/-10% 6) AutoWorks $49 +/-04% 2) WordPerfect Informs $127 +/-05% 7) WP 5.2 Upgrade $77 +/-10% 3) Corel Draw ver.4 CD $380 +/-25% 8) Winfax Pro 3.0 $82 +/-10% 4) WP60 (Upgrade) $99 +/-10% 9) MS-DOS 6 Upgrade $47 +/-03% 5) Norton Utilities $112 +/-03% 10) Lotus 4 Upgrade $93 +/-12% 1) Average New Software Prices 2) Average Used Software Prices 3) Average Shareware Prices 4) Average price of RAM (1MB Chip) Year Reflects Month of October ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÒÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÒÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÒÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÒÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³Year º 1 º 2 º 3 º 4 ³ ³1982 º $35 º $10 º $5 º $327 ³ ³1984 º $50 º $13 º $11 º $321 ³ ³1987 º $30 º $22 º $15 º $462 ³ ³1989 º $80 º $20 º $13 º $130 ³ ³1990 º $90 º $15 º $26 º $85 ³ ³1993 º $110 º $25 º $35 º $48 ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÐÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÐÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÐÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÐÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Average Price of a PC's: ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÒÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÒÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Computer º October 1993 º 1994 (Prediction) ³ ÆÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͹ High Low º High Low ³ ³386DX/33 New: º $1,000 $800 º $850 $700 ³ ³386DX/33 Used: º $650 $400 º $600 $350 ³ ³486DX2/66 New: º $2,800 $1,500 º $2,400 $1,400 ³ ³486DX2/66 Used:º $1,400 $1,100 º $1,200 $1,100 ³ ³Pentium New: º $3,300 $2,500 º $2,500 $2,200 ³ ³Dual Pentium: º $5,400 $3,400 º $2,900 $2,700 ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÐÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÐÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ *TBN Monthly Award* [Microsoft Disk Operating System Version Six] For achieving great excellence in marketing, good pricing and having a good product, we select Microsoft's DOS 6 for the award. DOS 6 has been criticized for having "bugs" and it has been bashed and beaten, but still has remained a top seller for over 2 months. [Microsoft DOS 6; $49 at selected stores] ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º Shameless Plugs º -=ð Advertising ð=- ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ -=ð=- Example Ad - Yes, you can too advertise in the TBN Newsletter! It's easy, just send us 4 - 5 lines of standard ASCII text and form it to 65 - 75 cpl. So send us your ad's!!! (Ad's will be free for the first 2 issues then will cost fifty cents a line ($0.50) for each issue after. Just drop us a note.) ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º The Slave Drive º -=ð Columnists, Editors, and Staff ð=- ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Editor: The DLF Group Publisher: Byte Productions ³ ³ Game Consultant: Tom DOS Consultant: Chris L. ³ ³ Hardware Consultant: Jack Nevin Windows Consultant: Chris P. ³ ³ ASCII Graphics: Chuck Martin Editor in Chief: Chris L. ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Distribution of this newsletter is allowed as long as it is not edited in whole or by part. Special Thanks to: Symantec, Microsoft, Power Utilities, Ziff Net. Desktop version available for a nominal charge in: Print, WP, TXT, and WRI. All trademarks (R) & rights reserved to the respective companies. Copyright (C) 1993 Byte Productions ID#TBN41