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      STACKER NOTE                                         STACKER NOTE
                   STACKER AND WINDOWS FOR WORKGROUPS 3.11
                 (Applies to Stacker 4.0 for Windows & DOS)
      STAC FAX  4201 (03-02-1994)
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      BACKGROUND
      
      Stacker 4.0 works with Windows for Workgroups (WFW) 3.11. WFW
      3.11 includes a new feature called 32-bit file access (32BFA),
      which uses a 32-bit cache called Vcache that resides between
      Windows and DOS. Stacker 4.0 does not currently support WFW
      3.11's 32BFA. Stac is committed to taking full advantage of 32BFA
      and is working to address this important issue. In the meantime,
      we recommend that 32BFA be disabled on systems where Stacker is
      running.
      
      32BFA and Disk Compression
      
      Vcache is the only disk cache available under 32BFA. This means
      that caches such as SMARTDRV are disabled on drives where 32BFA
      is enabled. Stacker 4.0 identifies compressed drives as 16-bit
      drives to WFW 3.11 and is therefore not cached under Vcache.
      Since SMARTDRV has also been disabled, the 16-bit drives are
      operating without caching. Naturally, performance suffers in this
      situation. For improved performance under Stacker 4.0 and WFW
      3.11, we recommend that 32BFA be disabled and SMARTDRV (or other
      caches) be used.
      
      Improving performance
      
      32BFA typically operates with a 4 MB cache size. Enabling the
      SMARTDRV (or other) cache with a similar size should improve the
      performance of your Stacker drives. Non-Stacker drives may perform
      faster, slower, or the same as they did with Vcache, depending on
      the configuration of your system and what you use it for, but your
      overall performance will probably be significantly better than with
      Vcache due to caching the Stacker drives
      
      Modify the disk cache to use the same Windows settings as 32BFA
      would use
      
      In order to change the size of your disk cache, you will need to
      modify its control line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS file.
      See the manufacturer's documentation for your cache for details.
      For example, SMARTDRV is usually initialized in the AUTOEXEC.BAT
      file. In order to modify SMARTDRV, do the following:
      
       1.  Disable 32BFA if this has not already been done.
           a.   In the Control Panel, double-click the 386 Enhanced
                icon.
           b.   Click the Virtual Memory button, then click the Change
                button.
           c.   At the bottom of the screen, note the current cache
                size listed under the 32-bit file  access checkbox. You'll
                use this number later in the procedure.
           d.   Uncheck the 32-bit file access box.
           NOTE: This has nothing to do with the checkbox on the left:
           32-bit disk access.
           e.   Follow the instructions and restart your system for the
                changes to take effect.
       2.  At the DOS prompt type: ED /A <enter>. This starts the
           Stacker Editor and opens your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
       3.  Change the SMARTDRV line. For example, it may look like
           this:
           C:\WINDOWS\SMARTDRV  /X 4096 xxxx
           Insert the number you wrote down earlier in place of the
           xxxx. This is the cache size for Windows.
       4.  Save the file and restart your computer.
           
      Please note that 32-bit disk access is not the same thing as 32-
      bit file access. Stacker 4.0 is compatible with 32-bit disk
      access.
      
      For more tips on increasing your Stacker system's performance,
      see StacFax 4509.
      
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      Copyright 1994 Stac Electronics