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WinDisKlone General Help
 WinDisKlone for Microsoft Windows

Quick and Easy Diskette Duplication

WinDisKlone © 1994 CJ Enterprises

Introduction

Welcome to the WinDisKlone on-line documentation and help file.   WinDisKlone is a Windows 3.1 application and uses standard Windows techniques.  This document covers areas that are specific to WinDisKlone.  If you need information about using Windows, please refer to your Microsoft Windows documentation.

Overview

WinDisKlone makes the chore of copying, comparing, and formatting diskettes a snap.  WinDisKlone loads an image of the selected diskette into memory by reading a track at a time, compressing the track, and storing it into memory.  The diskette will be loaded up to and including the last track with data on it to provide the fastest possible load time.  The diskette image can produce multiple copies of the original diskette or be saved to a disk file for future use.  The help menu lists several general help areas, including the help index and help commands.

Procedures

The initial execution of WinDisKlone provides two primary options --  the Load option and the Format option.  The Copy and Compare options will be disabled until a diskette image has  been successfully loaded into memory.  The File menu allows exit from the program.  Two secondary options are the Directory option and the View option. And, of course, the Help option is enabled at all times.

The Load option allows the loading of a diskette image by reading a diskette or by loading file from disk.

The Copy option allows copying a diskette image to a diskette image or to a disk file.  The diskette image may be copied to a diskette of the same or higher density.

The Compare option allows the diskette image in memory to be compared  to a diskette of the same or higher density.  If the diskette is the same density as the diskette image, then the diskette is compared track by track until the end of data in the diskette image is reached.  If the diskette is a higher density, then only the data area is compared until the end of data in the diskette image is reached.

The Format option allows a Quick Format without copying the operating system (OS), a Quick Format with OS, a Full Format without OS, a Full Format with OS and just a transfer of the OS.  WinDisKlone makes use of the Input/Output Control (IOCTL) subfunctions to format diskettes.  This allows direct communication with the device drivers to provide the highest degree of compatibility possible.  The Quick Format simply initializes the boot sector, File Allocation Table, and Root Directory.  The Quick Format option requires a diskette to have been previously formatted.

The Directory opton allows you to see what files are  on a diskette or in a stored diskette image prior to loading.  It will also allow you to see what files are on your hard drive.

The View option allows you to toggle the state of the toolbar and status bar.

WinDisKlone supports loading, copying, comparing, and formatting 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M, and 2.88M diskettes.

Compatibility

WinDisKlone requires Microsoft Windows 3.1.


WinDisKlone Commands

To get help with a particular command, choose the appropriate command.

 COMMAND                MENU ITEM

File	Exit
Load	Diskette to Memory... File to Memory...
Copy	Memory to Diskette... Memory to File
Compare	Memory to Diskette...
Format	Diskette...
Directory	Disk... File...
F1 = Help	Index Commands Print Invoice About WinDisKlone...


File Menu Help
The File Menu

The File menu allows you to exit the program.

Exit 	Exits WinDisKlone


Exits from WinDisKlone, releasing all memory allocated by any Load operations.


Disk Load Menu
Load Diskette

The Load menu allows you to load a diskette image into memory from either a diskette or a previously saved file.  Click any control to get more information.


Loads a diskette image from diskette into memory.  Select the Load All Tracks option if you desire to read all tracks. The default is to read only up to and including the last track containing data.


Loads a diskette image from a file previously saved by WinDisKlone into memory.


The Source listbox displays the diskette drives attached to your system.  To load a diskette, either doubleclick the desired diskette in the Source listbox. or select the icon corresponding to the diskette you want to load from, then press the OK button. To load a file from the Load Diskette Options dialog box, either doubleclick on the file icon or select the file icon and press the OK button.


The Files listbox displays the files contained in the root directory of a diskette or diskette image.  To display files, select an icon in the source listbox (do not doubleclick), then press the Dir button.


Pressing the ENTER key with the focus on the OK button or selecting the OK button with the mouse will begin the Load operation on the diskette selected in the source listbox.


Pressing the ENTER key with the focus on the CANCEL button or selecting the CANCEL button with the mouse will cancel the Load operation and return you to the main WinDisKlone window.


Pressing the ENTER key with the focus on the HELP key will display help for the Load Diskette Options dialog box.  Help for the Load operation can also be displayed by pressing the F1 key when the Load Diskette Options dialog box is active.  If the Load Diskette Options dialog box is inactive, help for the Load operation can be displayed by pressing the context sensitive help button on the toolbar, then selecting either the menu item for Diskette to Memory or the LOAD toolbar button.


Pressing the ENTER key with focus on the DIR key will display files in the Files listbox for the diskette corresponding to the icon selected in the Source listbox.  This allows you to view what is contained in the root directory of the selected diskette prior to loading the diskette into memory.


Checking Load Entire will read every track on the diskette.  The default is to read only up to and including the last track containing data.


Mouse

1.  Click the scroll arrows until the item you want to select appears in the list box.

2.  Click the icon corresponding to the diskette you want to load and then choose the OK button.

Keyboard

1.  Use the tab keys until the source listbox has the focus.

2.  Use the arrow keys until the icon corresponding to the diskette you want to load is highlighted.

3.  Press ENTER.


Load File Help
Load from File

The File to Memory option allows you to load a diskette image into memory from a previously saved file.

File to Memory...

Loads a diskette image previously saved as a file by WinDisKlone into memory.  The diskette image must have been loaded from a diskette using WinDisKlone and saved as a file from the Copy to File Dialog Box.  Files with extensions other than .WDF or files that have not been saved by WinDisKlone cannot be loaded  by WinDisKlone into memory.

The Select File dialog box enables you to select the filename of the diskette image previously.  The dialog box lists the files with the default extension WDF.  Once a file is selected (highlighted), the dialog box will display disk size and capacity of the diskette whose image will be loaded in memory.  In addition, information about the WDF file will be displayed.  This includes size of the WDF file and date and time the WDF file was created.  To load a file, simply enter a filename on the FileName line or select a filename in the Files box and depress the ENTER key.


Copy Disk menu help
Copy Diskette

The Copy menu allows you to copy the diskette image contained in memory to a diskette or to a file.  Click any control to get more information.


Copys a diskette image from memory to a diskette.  The target diskette may be different than that of the source diskette according to the following table:

SOURCE                 TARGET

360K		360K	720K	1.2M	1.44M	2.88M
720K		720K	1.2M	1.44M	2.88M
1.2M		1.2M	1.44M	2.88M
1.44M		1.44M	2.88M
2.88M		2.88M


Copies a diskette image from memory to a file.  The file should be saved with a WDF extension.


The Target listbox displays the diskette drives attached to your system.  To copy to a diskette, either doubleclick the desired diskette in the Target listbox. or select the icon corresponding to the diskette you want to copy to, then press the OK button.  To save to a file from the Copy Diskette Options dialog box, either doubleclick on the file icon or select the file icon and press the OK button.


The Number of Copies option enables you to copy between 1 and 999 diskettes in a single operation.  At the conclusion of each pass, a dialog box will display the number of the diskette copied and ask whether to continue  the copy operation or terminate.


The target diskette will be formatted if Force Format is selected.  When the Force Format box is checked, a dialog box will appear that will afford the opportunity to format the target diskette to the desired density.  If the target diskette is not formatted, WinDisKlone will attempt to format the target diskette based on the capacity of the target drive.  Therefore, if the source diskette is a 360K diskette and the target diskette is an unformatted 720K diskette in a 1.44Mb drive, WinDisKlone will attempt to format the target diskette as a 1.44Mb diskette and the format operation will fail.  The Force Format option will afford the opportunity to select the desired format of the target diskette.


Pressing the ENTER key with the focus on the OK button or selecting the OK button with the mouse will begin the Copy operation on the diskette selected in the source listbox.


Pressing the ENTER key with the focus on the CANCEL button or selecting the CANCEL button with the mouse will cancel the Copy operation and return you to the main WinDisKlone window.


Pressing the ENTER key with the focus on the HELP key will display help for the Copy Diskette Options dialog box.  Help for the Copy operation can also be displayed by pressing the F1 key when the Copy Diskette Options dialog box is active.  If the Copy Diskette Options dialog box is inactive, help for the Copy operation can be displayed by pressing the context sensitive help button on the toolbar, then selecting either the menu item for Diskette to Memory or the Copy toolbar button.


Save File Help
Copy to File

The Memory to File option allows you to load a diskette image into memory from a previously saved file.

Memory to File...

Saves a diskette image to a disk file.  The Select File dialog box enables you to enter a description up to 30 characters of the diskette you wish to save to a file.  This will enable to you to quickly locate the diskette image when it comes to time to load it from disk into memory.  The file may be saved to any disk, including diskettes.

Saving a diskette image is very easy.  Simply enter a filename on the FileName line and depress the ENTER key.  If the filename you have selected already exists, you will have the opportunity to change it if you wish.


Compare Disk menu help
Compare Diskette

The Compare menu allows comparing the diskette image in memory to a diskette.  Click any control to get more information.

Note:  If a device driver such as Stacker is enabled during the write operation,  a follow-on compare operation will most likely fail, even though the file data on the target diskette matches the source diskette.  This occurs because drivers such as Stacker sometimes update the target diskette during write operations.  These updates are to device driver areas of the diskette and do not affect  files copied to the target diskette.

Stacker is a registered trademark of STAC ELECTRONICS.


The Target listbox displays the diskette drives attached to your system.  To compare a diskette image in memory to a diskette, either doubleclick the desired diskette in the Target listbox. or select the icon corresponding to the diskette you want to copy to, then press the OK button.


Pressing the ENTER key with the focus on the OK button or selecting the OK button with the mouse will begin the Compare operation on the diskette selected in the source listbox.


Pressing the ENTER key with the focus on the CANCEL button or selecting the CANCEL button with the mouse will cancel the Compare operation and return you to the main WinDisKlone window.


Pressing the ENTER key with the focus on the HELP key will display help for the Compare Diskette Options dialog box.  Help for the Compare operation can also be displayed by pressing the F1 key when the Compare Diskette Options dialog box is active.  If the Compare Diskette Options dialog box is inactive, help for the Compare operation can be displayed by pressing the context sensitive help button on the toolbar, then selecting either the menu item for Memory to Diskette or the Compare toolbar button.


Format Disk menu help
Format Diskette

The Format menu allows the formatting of a brand new diskette or the reinitialization of a previously formatted diskette.  The Operating System can also be transferred to the diskette.


The Quick Format option simply initializes the Boot Sector, the File Allocation Tables and the Root Directory.  The Quick Format will work only if the target diskette has been previously successfully formatted.

The Full Format option in addition to creating the Boot Sector, File Allocation Tables, and Root Directory,defines the sectors, to which data will be stored.  The Full Format option will take significantly longer than the Quick Option because it has to write to and verify that write on every sector on the diskette.

The Transfer System option will copy the Operating System to the target diskette to make it a bootable diskette.


Select the Media Size based on the following:

360K 	Double Sided Double Density 5.25 diskette

720K	Double Sided Double Density 3.5 diskette

1.2M	Double Sided High Density 5.25 diskette

1.44M	Double Sided High Density 3.5 diskette

2,88M	Double Sided Quadruple Density 3.5 diskette


The Target listbox displays the diskette drives attached to your system.  To format a diskette, either doubleclick the desired target diskette in the Target listbox. or select the icon corresponding to the diskette you want to copy to, then press the OK button.  The diskette will be formatted according to the checked media size option


Pressing the ENTER key with the focus on the OK button or selecting the OK button with the mouse will begin the Format operation on the diskette selected in the source listbox.


Pressing the ENTER key with the focus on the CANCEL button or selecting the CANCEL button with the mouse will cancel the Format operation and return you to the main WinDisKlone window.


Pressing the ENTER key with the focus on the HELP key will display help for the Format Diskette Options dialog box.  Help for the Format operation can also be displayed by pressing the F1 key when the Format Diskette Options dialog box is active.  If the Format Diskette Options dialog box is inactive, help for the Format operation can be displayed by pressing the context sensitive help button on the toolbar, then selecting either the menu item for Diskette or the Format toolbar button.


Directory Help

The Directory options enables you to obtain a listing of files contained on a hard drive or diskette, or in a .WDF file containing a diskette image.


Diskette Directory Help

Obtain a directory listing of a diskette or hard drive by selecting the desired drive in the Drive listing box and then either double clicking the drive letter or selecting the Dir push button.


Identifies the available drives and diskettes from which to select.  To select a drive or diskette, click with the mouse or TAB to the DRIVE listbox, then use the up/down arrow keys until the highlight is on the desired drive or diskette.


Identifies the available directories associated with the drive or diskette selected in the DRIVE listbox.  To select a directory, click with the mouse or TAB to the DIRECTORY listbox, then use the up/down arrow keys until the highlight is on the desired directory.


Displays the files associated with the highlighted disk and directory.  This listbox is for information only and does not accept any actions other than scrolling.


Displays the currently selected drive and directory.


Displays in the FILES listbox the files associated with the drive and directory highlighed in the DRIVE and DIRECTORY listboxes.


Cancels the DISK DIRECTORY dialog box and returns you to the main WinDisKlone window.


Pressing the ENTER key with the focus on the HELP key will display help for the Disk Directory dialog box.  Help for the Directory operation can also be displayed by pressing the F1 key when the Disk Directory dialog box is active.  If the Disk Directory dialog box is inactive, help for the Directory operation can be displayed by pressing the context sensitive help button on the toolbar, then selecting the menu item for Disk.


File Directory Help

Obtain a directory listing of a .WDF file containing a diskette image by selecting the desired file in the File list box, then either double clicking on that file or selecting the Dir push button.  The file directory option is currently limited to displaying the only root directory of the  diskette image in the selected file.  Subdirectories currently cannot be displayed.


Displays the filename of the file highlighted in the FILES listbox.


Displays the currently selected drive and directory.


Displays the files with a .WDF extension in the currently selected drive and directory.


Identifies the available drives and directories  To select a drive or directory, click with the mouse or TAB to the DRIVES/DIRECTORIES listbox, then use the up/down arrow keys until the highlight is on the desired drive or directory.


Displays in the FILES listbox the files contained in the root directory of the diskette image saved as the .WDF file highlighed in the FILES listbox.


Displays the file description entered when the file was saved.  This description can be up to 31 characters.


Displays in the FILES listbox the files associated with the .WDF file highlighed in the FILES listbox.  The file directory option is currently limited to displaying the only root directory of the diskette image in the selected file.  Subdirectories cannot currently be displayed.  In addition, only files saved with WinDisKlone using a .WDF extension are supported at this time.


Cancels the FILE DIRECTORY dialog box and returns you to the main WinDisKlone window.


Pressing the ENTER key with the focus on the HELP key will display help for the File Directory dialog box.  Help for the Directory operation can also be displayed by pressing the F1 key when the File Directory dialog box is active.  If the File Directory dialog box is inactive, help for the Directory operation can be displayed by pressing the context sensitive help button on the toolbar, then selecting the menu item for File.


Help menu help
F1=Help Menu Help

Help for WinDisKlone may be accessed two ways:

- Pressing F1 (when no menu is highlighted).  To exit the F1 = Help pulldown menu without taking any action, click or drag the mouse anywhere outside the menu, or press the Esc (escape) key.

- Using the Help pulldown menu:

The  Help pulldown menu brings up various types of help which make up the on-line documentation for WinDisKlone.

  Index

Displays the help index.

Commands

Displays the complete list of menu commands.

Print Invoice

 Prints an invoice for registering  WinDisKlone.  If you are evaluating the shareware version of the program, and you intend to make continued use of it, you are obligated to register the program.  Improvements to WinDisKlone can only be made if you support the shareware concept.  Shareware is not freeware or public domain software.  There are privileges and incentives to becoming a registered user.  Please read the README.DOC file for details.

About WinDisKlone...

Displays a dialog box containing the current program version, copyright notice and obligatory head-swelling credits for the author.


Shareware help
What is Shareware?

Shareware is copyrighted commercial software that you are allowed to try out before you make the purchase decision.  It is a marketing concept, not a type of software.

Shareware marketing is typically used when the author doesn't have a huge advertising budget.  High end software like Lotus 1-2-3, dBase IV, etc. may have advertising budgets of over a million dollars.  A full page advertisement in a magazine like PC Magazine can cost over $10,000 an issue.  Smaller software companies, like EZX Publishing    , usually don't have that type of advertising budget so shareware marketing is used.

Many people question whether software distributed via shareware is of as high a quality as the software they see advertised in commercial magazines.  Good commercial advertising can sell almost any software regardless of its quality.  Shareware must be of equal or higher quality than commercially available software for users to register.  You, the user, have the opportunity to evaluate the shareware and find the real gems.  With commercial software, you purchase the software and then hope it works as advertised.

Note:  Don't feel guilty about passing around copies of shareware.  You are helping the author distribute his software.  Even though shareware is commercial software, you are encouraged to pass around evaluation copies!


Registration Benefits

Registration benefits include:

1.  The latest version of  WinDisKlone with no additional information screens.

2.  Unlimited support - written or by phone.

3.  Low cost upgrades.

4.  Notification of enhancements.

5.  A Windows based installation program is included with the registered version of WinDisKlone.  It completely automates the installation process including the creation of a program group!

Note:  Shareware relies on you, the user, for its existence.  Your registration will help ensure WinDisKlone continues to improve.  When you register, please take the time to fill out the suggestion form.  We want WinDisKlone to evolve so it can better meet your needs.