Universal Hint System Revision 91a TSR Reader for MS-DOS, Version 1.61 (September 15, 1994) 1. Copyright Information 2. System Requirements 3. Loading UHSTSR 4. Interface 5. Boot Disk Instructions 6. Increasing Low Memory 7. UHSTSR /B (formerly UHSTSRB) 8. Reporting Problems 9. Known Compatibility Problems 10. Shareware Information 11. Addresses 1. Copyright Information ======================== This program and all related documentation are copyright 1992,1994 by Jason Strautman. All rights reserved. Portions written and copyright 1992 by Robert Norton. This program may be used for evaluation purposes (as described in UHS.TXT), as long as users who have not registered UHS/TSR are not using another person's registration codes. Although efforts were made to insure that this program is compatible with as many hardware and software configurations as possible, there are no guarantees that this program will be compatible with a particular system configuration. Any damages resulting from use of this program are solely the responsibility of the user. See LICENSE.DOC for complete information. 2. System Requirements ====================== Required: - 80286 computer or higher - 640K of RAM - VGA graphics card Recommended: - 80386-SX computer or higher - 2 MB of RAM, with 256K configured as EMS (640K of EMS may be required with DOS 6.0 and DBLSPACE) - DOS 5.0, QEMM, or any other expanded memory manager - 40KB of free upper memory (UMBs) highly recommended If your system does not meet these requirements, you will not be able to use UHSTSR.EXE. The stand-alone version of this program, UHS.EXE, should still work on your computer. I can't guarantee that a system meeting these requirements will be able to run UHSTSR at the same time as any particular game. Many new games also require EMS or XMS; if you are trying to get UHSTSR to run with one of these games, you may need to increase the overall RAM recommendations. If your game also uses EMS, you will need to add 256K to the game's EMS requirement to determine how much EMS your system will need for the TSR. 3. Loading UHSTSR ================= You'll need a UHS hint file to load into the TSR reader. I have explained how to find such a file in the main documentation for this program, UHS.TXT. Once you have your hint file, simply type the name of this program (UHSTSR) followed by the name of the file. The program will assume that the file is in the same directory as UHSTSR. If the UHS file is located in another directory or drive, you will have to give the drive or directory with the filename (as in "UHSTSR \UHS\ALONE" or "UHSTSR C:\UHS\ALONE"). As you can see in the example, you can leave the ".UHS" off the UHS filename. UHSTSR will also load into any upper memory block if you have enough free memory (approximately 40KB). You should use the appropriate command for your memory manager (like LH for DOS 5.0 or LOADHI for QEMM). More details on maximizing system resources are listed later in this text file. If you have at least 256K of EMS free memory when you load UHSTSR, all data will be stored in expanded memory for faster access. To install EMS memory on your system, you'll need an EMS memory manager like DOS 5.0's EMM386.SYS or QEMM's QEMM386.SYS. If you're using EMM386.SYS, don't forget to add a number specifying the amount of EMS in KB that you want to install to the command line (as in "DEVICE = C:\DOS\EMM386.SYS 256"). And with EMM386, it doesn't hurt to add the parameter "RAM" to the end of the command line (as in "DEVICE = C:\DOS\EMM386.SYS 256 RAM") -- this parameter lets you load device drivers and TSR programs into upper memory. Without EMS, UHSTSR will need to create two medium-sized files (up to 128K each) called ~HINTS.$$$ and ~SCREEN.$$$. These files will be placed in the same directory as UHSTSR.EXE, so make sure that you have sufficient hard drive space before you start the TSR. Expect delays when starting and exiting the TSR while the program accesses these files. By default, UHSTSR will use EMS if it's available, but you may find that it leaves too little EMS for your games to run correctly. If this is the case, and you've already increased the amount of total EMS on your system (by changing the number that appears after the call to EMM386.SYS, for example), you can disable EMS and force the TSR to use disk swapping instead. Just add the parameter "/D" (for "d"isk swapping) to the command line that calls the TSR -- as in "UHSTSR KQ6.UHS /D". But disk swapping is much slower than the default EMS options, so you should only use this parameter if your game fails to start otherwise. 4. Interface ============ You can run UHSTSR from within most games. Simply press the ALT and ? keys simultaneously (you don't need to hold down SHIFT with the question mark, so ALT + / also works), and the program will start itself if it can. Please note that some games will not allow hotkeys to activate a TSR, so you may not be able to start the TSR under all games. The TSR should always activate itself at the DOS prompt, so you may want to press ALT-? at the DOS prompt to make sure the TSR is installed correctly. If the TSR works under DOS but not under your game, please let me know and I'll try to work out the conflict. It's usually a good idea to save your game before starting the TSR under a game for the first time. Although the beta testers and I have done extensive testing to work out compatibility problems, conflicts are sure to arise with some games. If you cannot save your game, I would advise that you test the TSR as soon as possible after starting the game. The interface in this version of the TSR is very similar to the interface in the stand-alone DOS reader, although without mouse support. To move through the menus, use the arrow keys, and hit ENTER or SPACE BAR to select an item. Press the ESC key to close the current window. Note that there is no way to view multiple windows on the screen at the same time under the TSR. 5. Boot Disk Instructions ========================= These instructions are for systems with DOS 5.0 or higher. They should help you free up memory so that you can run your games. 1. Find a spare floppy of the same size as your A: drive -- one that doesn't have any data you might need. 2. Type "FORMAT A: /U" (without the quotes, as for all commands listed here) and [ENTER]. Then hit [ENTER] when prompted for a new disk, again when asked for the volume label, and type "N" [ENTER] when asked if you want to format another disk. 3. Type "COPY CON A:CONFIG.SYS" [ENTER] at the prompt. No prompt will appear after you type this command, but type the following lines. Note that if your game requires EMS memory, you will need to increase the number "256", which specifies 256KB of EMS. Add the game's EMS requirement in kilobytes to 256 when typing the second line below -- for example, for a game that requires 1 megabyte of EMS (1024 KB), take 1024 + 256 = 1280 to make the second line "DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.SYS 1280 RAM". DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.SYS 256 RAM BUFFERS=30 FILES=30 DOS=HIGH,UMB REM The following line is for DOS 6.0 users with Doublespace only. DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\DBLSPACE.SYS /MOVE 4. Hit CONTROL-Z and [ENTER] and you should get the message "1 file(s) copied" and the DOS prompt. 5. Type "COPY CON A:AUTOEXEC.BAT" [ENTER] at the prompt, and enter the lines following this paragraph. If you do not have a file called MOUSE.COM, MOUSE.EXE, or MOUSE.BAT in your C:\MOUSE directory, search for a mouse driver elsewhere on your system and replace the reference below. There are two ways to do so: either look in the file C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT for a line similar to C:\MOUSE\MOUSE, or read your mouse's documentation to find out where the driver is located. Replace C:\MOUSE\MOUSE in the first line below with the name and location of the mouse driver on your system as necessary. LH C:\MOUSE\MOUSE PROMPT $P$G PATH=C:\;C:\DOS 6. Again, hit CONTROL-Z and [ENTER]. Your boot disk should be ready. Make sure to leave it in your A: drive, and hit CONTROL-ALT-DELETE to restart your system. Now you can run UHSTSR followed by your game. Make sure to use the "LH" command, as in "LH C:\UHS\UHSTSR KQ6.UHS". And don't forget to specify a hint file on the command line! 7. If these instructions don't work, you should try the boot disk instructions listed in the manual for the game that you're trying to run. There may be some special commands required by your game that aren't listed above. Start your system with the game-specific boot disk and then run UHSTSR. If all else fails, contact me at any of the addresses below. Please tell me the game you're playing and send a copy of the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files that you normally use (the ones in the root directory of your hard drive). 6. Increasing Low Memory ======================== If the boot disk doesn't work or you'd prefer not to use it, you may be able to solve memory problems on your own. Some memory managers come with their own optimization programs -- for example, QEMM has OPTIMIZE and DOS 6.x has MEMMAKER. If you have such a program, just follow the directions for those programs and they will give you as much free conventional memory as possible. If you don't want to load the TSR in your AUTOEXEC.BAT, I recommend that you temporarily place UHSTSR in your AUTOEXEC.BAT just to run OPTIMIZE or MEMMAKER. Then you can delete UHSTSR from your AUTOEXEC.BAT, but a single memory block will now have enough free for when you do decide to load the TSR. QEMM's Stealth feature (available in version 6.0) may interfere with both UHSTSR and many games and should be avoided if at all possible. There's no elegant way to maximize conventional memory with DOS 5.0; if you can't fit all of your TSR programs into the upper memory blocks, my best advice is to load the largest TSRs into upper memory first. For example, if you have 45K in one UMB, and you load a 10K mouse driver into it, you won't have room enough for UHSTSR and it will take about 40K of low memory. On the other hand, if you load UHSTSR first (or don't try to load the mouse driver into high memory), it will fit into the UMBs and leave only the much smaller mouse driver in low memory. Of course, your system probably won't have the same memory amounts as used in the above example, but the principle should still hold. I've found that there's enough free upper memory on most systems for both UHSTSR and a disk compression program, but you may have trouble getting additional TSR programs into upper memory, depending on your system. You may have to remove some of these TSRs (including disk caches) to gain enough low memory for the most demanding games. But also remember that many games don't work well with compression programs; you may be better off putting your game on an uncompressed partition and avoiding disk compression completely. If you're trying to run UHSTSR with a CD-ROM game, you may need to use the "/E" parameter on MSCDEX.EXE to move MSCDEX's buffers into expanded memory and free up more memory for other TSR programs. Please note that you will need more than the standard 256K of EMS if you use this option; the exact amount depends on the number of buffers you select. Other TSRs may also offer options to use XMS or EMS instead of low memory or the UMBs. 7. UHSTSR /B ============ Some games attempt to take total control of the keyboard, and as a result, UHSTSR with its default drivers won't start when you press the ALT-? hotkey. I have written special keyboard drivers that will try to take control of the keyboard back, but you should only use the special drivers if the default ones fail to work properly. These drivers were located in a different program (called UHSTSRB.EXE) in earlier versions of the software, but starting with version 1.60, the same program (UHSTSR.EXE) contains both drivers. If you start UHSTSR.EXE without any parameters, the normal keyboard drivers will be loaded. Adding the parameter "/B" to the command line ("UHSTSR HOF.UHS /B" or "UHSTSR /B ALONE2.UHS") will install the alternate drivers instead. UHSTSR /B is the equivalent of UHSTSRB in past versions. 8. Reporting Problems ===================== Please read this documentation to see if it can help answer any problems you have before reporting conflicts between this TSR and any games. I'll need the following information in order to help you solve any problems; if you don't know the answer to the following questions, please say so, since I will normally ask you to fill in any missing information before investigating your conflict reports. - Check to make sure that the hint file you're trying to access runs under the normal UHSDOS. In order to reduce memory requirements, UHSTSR doesn't check files to verify their integrity, but UHSDOS will. If a file has been changed, neither program will read the file properly -- but UHSDOS will be more accurate in its error reports. - Try UHSTSR with and without the "/B" parameter. - Send me copies of your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS. If you post a forum message on CompuServe, please make sure to post your message unformatted, or else CIS formatting may make your message unreadable. - If you're using DOS 6 with multiple configurations, let me know which one(s) you tried using the TSR with. Use the cleanest boot disk that you can -- only a mouse driver, sound card driver, disk compression utility, or CD ROM drivers if necessary, and of course, the TSR. - Name the manufacturer and model of your graphics card. - And of course, state the nature of the problem: what game(s) do not work with the TSR, symptoms (if they do not appear all the time, please tell me), the publisher of those game(s), and whether or not the TSR will run at the DOS prompt. 9. Known Compatibility Problems =============================== EGA-based games may not have their color palettes properly restored. A VESA driver must be loaded for SVGA graphics to be restored, even if the game using the SVGA graphics does not require such a driver. Some VGA cards and VESA drivers do not support all VGA or VESA functions, and as a result, graphics may not be completely restored. You should avoid activating the TSR within any CD-ROM game while the CD drive is being accessed. Many CD games depend on a certain transfer rate or access time, and starting the TSR while the drive is being activated will interfere with the apparent transfer rate or access time. The best solution is simply to wait for the drive to stop or to pause your game before pressing ALT-?. It's also a good idea not to activate the TSR when digitized sound is being played (speech and sound effects are digitized sounds, but music generally isn't). The consequences vary from game to game: you may find yourself unable to exit the TSR or experience corrupted sound if you do. Pausing the game or turning off the sound temporarily should prevent problems. Some Trident-based cards and their VESA drivers apparently do not support the VESA functions that the TSR requires. The display may be corrupted or completely blacked out if you try to use UHSTSR within any SVGA program on these cards. You may need to test compatibility on a case-by-case basis with SVGA programs, since some seem to work better than others, and be prepared to lose any progress that you have made in your game the first time you test the TSR from inside SVGA games. 10. Shareware Information ========================= This program is shareware. Under the shareware concept, you should register a program after you have had a chance to evaluate it and decide that you like it. I do not feel, however, that much evaluation of this TSR is necessary. It provides the same high quality of hints that the main UHS.EXE provides; the only major difference between the pop-up and the stand-alone programs is the way that they are started. For this reason, I have limited the number of hints that you can view within the TSR reader. After you have read a total of 20 hints within one session, hint display will be stopped and you'll have to uninstall and reinstall UHSTSR. Of course, if you're in the middle of the game, you'll have to quit the game to reset the TSR counter. I didn't want to force people to register this program without having a chance to test it with their favorite games, but I also don't want people to become too comfortable with UHSTSR before they register. I think this system is fair, since you can read a few questions before having to enter and exit their game, but you won't get the full benefit of the TSR. Packaging UHSTSR in this archive gives you a chance to make sure that you will be able to use the pop-up program. If you need to test the quality of the UHS hints, you can use the stand-alone program to do so. You can combine the hint quality from UHS.EXE with the ease of use that UHSTSR provides to determine what the registered version of this program will give you. In addition to the endless joy and satisfaction that you will get from knowing that you have supported the UHS, registered users of this program will receive a free copy of the stand-alone program (UHS.EXE), for use with those rare programs that aren't compatible with the TSR. The stand-alone program also offers features that wouldn't fit into the limited amount of space that the TSR has to use. Registration for both programs is only $20. The package of the DOS and TSR versions of this program is available in SWREG on CompuServe for $24.00 (again, the extra cost is to cover CIS's handling fee). The program ID number is 1261, and no disk is included with this package. See UHS.TXT for information on foreign disk orders. As is the policy for UHS.EXE, a disk with all of the latest UHS files and readers will be provided to anyone who includes an extra $5 or more with his/her registration. Year-long subscriptions of six disks with new files and readers are available for $18. Please see UHS.TXT for information on update disks for registered users, automatic registration for file authors, and distribution policies. All of these items also apply to the TSR version of the UHS reader. 11. Addresses ============= Jason Strautman P.O. Box 391481 Cambridge, MA 02139-0015 America On-Line: JStrautman CompuServe: [72337,2611] GEnie: J.STRAUTMAN Internet: jstrautman@aol.com