WINMISER SHAREWARE VERSION 2.3 README FILE This readme file contains the following topics: Installation Uninstalling WinMiser Tips Revision History Notes INSTALLATION The shareware version of WinMiser consists of 10 files: MISERDRV.DLL A driver to load WinMiser MISERNAG.EXE The executable showing memory usage MISERUNI.EXE The WinMiser uninstall cleanup program. ORDERFRM.WRI Order form, Windows Write format README.TXT WinMiser documentation, ASCII text format SETUP.EXE The WinMiser install program UNINST.EXE The WinMiser uninstall program WINMISER.DLL The WinMiser DLL WINMISER.HLP The WinMiser Windows help file WINMISER.WRI The documentation file, Windows Write file format To install WinMiser automatically: 1) From Windows File Manager select File and then Run. Enter the path and name SETUP.EXE. For example: A:\SETUP.EXE 2) Follow the instructions in the install procedure. If you have any questions, use the available help panels. 3) Upon completion, restart Windows to enable WinMiser. To install WinMiser manually: 1) Create a directory and copy all WinMiser files to this directory. For example: MD C:\MISERSHW COPY A:\*.* C:\MISERSHW 2) Edit the Windows SYSTEM.INI file found in the Windows directory For example: EDIT C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI 3) Find the drivers= line in the [boot] section. It should look something like: [boot] ... drivers=mmsystem.dll 4) Add the WinMiser driver to this line. For optimal performance, WinMiser should be the first entry on this line. The new line should look something like: [boot] ... drivers=winmiser, mmsystem.dll 5) Find the [drivers] section in SYSTEM.INI. If it doesn't exist create it. 6) Add the WinMiser load driver MISERDRV.DLL to this section. For example: [drivers] ... WinMiser=C:\MISERSHW\MISERDRV.DLL 7) Save these changes to SYSTEM.INI. 8) Create a file called WINMISER.INI in the Windows directory. For example: C:\WINDOWS\WINMISER.INI 9) Add the following lines to this file to specify where the WinMiser files are located. [WinMiser] Path=C:\MISERSHW 10) Save this change to WINMISER.INI. 11) If Windows is already running, restart it for WinMiser to take effect and manage your Windows DOS memory. Once these changes are made, WinMiser will load each time Windows is started. At the startup, WinMiser will display a dialog box notifying you that WinMiser is managing your Windows DOS memory. This will only be displayed for a few seconds. You may also remove this dialog by selecting the OK or CANCEL buttons. If you select OK, WinMiser will continue to run (the default mode). However, if you select CANCEL, WinMiser will not load for the current Windows session. WinMiser also provides an active icon on your desktop. If you select this icon, the MiserNag program will display statistics on the current state of Windows DOS memory. Once displayed, you may select the OK button to minimize this dialog, or you may select Close from the system menu to terminate this program. UNINSTALLING To uninstall WinMiser automatically: 1) From Windows File Manager select File and then Run. Enter the path and name UNINST.EXE. For example: C:\MISERSHW\UNINST.EXE 2) You can also select the WinMiser Uninstall icon in the WinMiser program group. Follow the instructions in the uninstall procedure. If you have any questions, use the available help panels. To uninstall WinMiser manually: 1) If Windows is running, return to DOS. 2) Delete all WinMiser files and the WinMiser directory. directory. For example: DEL C:\MISERSHW\*.* RD C:\MISERSHW 3) Edit the Windows SYSTEM.INI file found in the Windows directory For example: EDIT C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI 4) Find the drivers= line in the [boot] section. It should look something like: [boot] ... drivers=winmiser, mmsystem.dll 5) Remove the WinMiser driver from this line. [boot] ... drivers=mmsystem.dll 6) Find the [drivers] section in SYSTEM.INI. For example: [drivers] ... WinMiser=C:\MISERSHW\MISERDRV.DLL 7) Remove the WinMiser load driver MISERDRV.DLL from this section. 8) Save these changes to SYSTEM.INI. 9) Delete the file called WINMISER.INI in the Windows directory. For example: DEL C:\WINDOWS\WINMISER.INI 10) You may now restart Windows without WinMiser. WINMISER TIPS While WinMiser is a valuable product for many people, it is best to be sure that it is really needed. We recommend you read the information on Windows DOS memory provided with WinMiser. You can look at the User Manual (WINMISER.WRI) or the WinMiser Tutorial (WINMISER.HLP). Along with this documentation is a simple display utility that can show you how much Windows DOS memory you have available. The program MISERNAG.EXE can be executed prior to installing WinMiser. This can give you a before and after picture to see how much WinMiser is helping. If you believe you have a probem with WinMiser, load Windows without WinMiser. To do this, simply select the "Cancel" button on the WinMiser logo display. This will halt the loading of WinMiser for just this one load. At this point you can use the uninstall process to remove WinMiser from your system if needed. REVISION HISTORY Version 1.0 New Product Version 1.1 Added Display function via MISERNAG.EXE Version 1.2 Added install/uninstall feature. Added improved load procedure to manage even more memory. Fixed bug associated with running along with Norton Desktop. Version 1.3 Improved Windows DOS memory management logic. Version 2.0 Fixed problem under severe memory constraints. New version to correspond with new commercial version. Version 2.1 Enhanced MISERDRV.DLL to work with Control Panel. Version 2.1.2 Enhanced MISERNAG.EXE to bypass a problem with Microsoft's TOOLHELP.DLL which resulted in a GPF. Version 2.2 Updated displays and help to reflect the availability of WinMiser Pro. Added a minor enhancement to the memory allocation algorithm. Fixed a problem where the startup logo displayed twice on some systems. Version 2.2.1 Fixed a problem with IBM's Client Access product. This product has a DLL called LANNSD.DLL which must be loaded before WinMiser. Version 2.2.1 includes logic to identify if you need this module and if so loads it before WinMiser. This logic is implemented using a new variable in the WINMISER.INI file. This varibale identifies where the Client Access product was installed. For example: [WinMiser] CAWinPath=C:\CAWIN indicates that client access was installed in the C:\CAWIN directory. If LANNSD.DLL is found in this directory, it will be loaded before WinMiser. Version 2.3 Added the GDI Offload Potential display. This will help users determine if WinMiser Pro will help reduce GDI memory usage on their systems. Added the ability to reduce the amount of Windows DOS memory WinMiser manages. Added the ability to allow shared memory requests to use Windows Dos memory. Made WinMiser compatible with SoundBlaster from Creative Labs. SoundBlaster is one of a few products that was not compatible with WinMiser. This only applies to older SoundBlaster Cards before the SoundBlaster 16 (SoundBlaster 1.5, 2.0, and Pro). Chicago-Soft has and will work with other vendors to correct this type of problem. If you encounter a product that does not work with WinMiser, please contact Chicago-Soft for technical support. NOTES The displays are optional in the registered version of WinMiser. When using WinMiser, it is recommended that you remove any other products designed to manage Windows DOS memory. WinMiser is superior to all other known products and will render these products ineffective.