TakeIt(tm) is published by G'Vosay - a software company that is focused on document and data access for mobile computers. TakeIt is Copyright (C) 1994 by Damon Janis, all rights reserved. You are authorized to duplicate and distribute the *demo* version of TakeIt (not the retail version!), as long as you give it away. The retail version of TakeIt requires a license for each computer you use it on. Please see "How to order TakeIt" for pricing information. This text file contains information on the following subjects: The Demo Version of TakeIt Questions or Problems How to order TakeIt Disclaimer What is TakeIt? Installation Install Without Windows LASTDRIVE and Other Programs Quick Tutorial More Information on Using TakeIt >>> The Demo Version of TakeIt The demo version of TakeIt is the entire retail version of TakeIt with one limitation: a maximum of 5 files are allowed in the briefcase. This limitation will allow you to evaluate the software and determine if it is useful to you. The retail version of TakeIt has no limitation to the number of files in the briefcase (assuming you have unlimited disk space). >>> Questions or Problems If you have questions or problems while evaluating TakeIt, please call G'Vosay at 801-374-1623. >>> How to order TakeIt To order TakeIt, call G'Vosay at 800-700-8840. We accept major credit cards and purchase orders. One license of TakeIt is $39.95, plus $7.00 for shipping and handling. Site licenses are available - call for information. In Utah, please add 6.25% for sales tax. To order via mail, send a check or money order to: G'Vosay 811 West 1340 South Provo, Ut 84601 >>> Disclaimer The TakeIt demo version is provided as is. If you experience a loss of any kind because you use the demo, G'Vosay and Damon Janis cannot be held responsible because we are stating up front that you use it at your own risk. Having said that, beware that we are committed to providing high quality software that works. If you have any problems or questions, please call us at 801-374-1623. We want you to have a successful experience! >>> What is TakeIt? Summary TakeIt is for notebook computer users who need to access their office files while on the road. Description TakeIt uses an electronic briefcase as a metaphor for taking your files with you. When you are ready to leave your office, you put the files you want to take into the briefcase. While on the road, you access the files in the briefcase using the same drive and directory as when they were on the network. After returning to your office, you take the files out of the briefcase and return them to their original location. TakeIt automatically synchronizes the files in the briefcase and your office environment, ensuring that new information is not lost. Example Suppose you are working on a word-processor document and would like to make some changes to it later in the evening after you have left your office. The document is located in G:\USERS\TJONES\DOCS\1994\SALES.RPT on your network server. Just before leaving your office, you run TakeIt and put this file into the electronic briefcase. Later in the evening you are ready to make changes to the document, so you run your word-processor and access the file in directory G:\USERS\TJONES\DOCS\1994\SALES.RPT. The file appears to still be on the network! When you get back to the office the following day, you want to return SALES.RPT to its original location in your office environment. So you run TakeIt, select SALES.RPT in the briefcase, and select ReturnIt. The file will be taken out of the briefcase and put back on the network. Advantages of TakeIt TakeIt lets you take part of your office files with you after leaving work, and then access them exactly as if you were at work. The advantage to this approach over remote-access (access over the telephone line) is that there are no long-distance phone charges, access is very fast because your files are on your local hard drive (in the briefcase), and you access the files exactly as you do in your office, using the same drive letter and path. TakeIt is very useful for presentation software, word-processing, spread-sheets, databases, and other applications that depend on drives and paths to get information. Language compilers benefit greatly by having the drives and paths the same. Since TakeIt accesses the files in the briefcase as if they were still on the network, you do not need to change your path environment, setup files, .ini files, or program startup-directories. >>> Installation The TakeIt installation program is a Windows program. If you do not have Windows, read the section below entitled "Install Without Windows". Follow these steps to install TakeIt: 1. Run Windows. 2. In Program Manager, select File/Run. 3. Type [path\]SETUP.EXE. For example, "C:\DOWNLOAD\TAKEIT\SETUP.EXE". 4. Follow the instructions on the screen. IMPORTANT! If you did not allow the Takeit installation program to modify AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS, TakeIt may not run correctly. Follow these guidelines to ensure a successful installation: 1. Make sure LASTDRIVE=Z is in CONFIG.SYS. TakeIt can only load briefcase drives that are less than or equal to what LASTDRIVE is set to. If you don't set LASTDRIVE to Z, chances are the briefcase will not load successfully. 2. Add the directory where TakeIt was installed to the PATH line in AUTOEXEC.BAT. Adding the TakeIt directory to the PATH allows you to run the TakeIt programs without having to change into the TakeIt directory. It is highly recommended that you do this. 3. If you would like to be prompted to load the briefcase each time you boot your machine, add the command TIBOOT to AUTOEXEC.BAT. >>> Install Without Windows If you don't have Windows, you can still install TakeIt from DOS. Follow these instructions: 1. Insert the installation diskette in the A: drive (or B: drive). 2. Create the directory where you want TakeIt to reside (MD C:\TAKEIT). 3. Assuming you create the directory C:\TAKEIT, type the following: COPY A:\*.EXE C:\TAKEIT. 4. Make sure LASTDRIVE=Z is in CONFIG.SYS. 5. Add the TakeIt directory to PATH in AUTOEXEC.BAT. 6. Add TIBOOT to AUTOEXEC.BAT. This is optional. Add TIBOOT if you want to be prompted to load the briefcase each time you boot your machine. 7. Run CREATEBC to create the briefcase. >>> LASTDRIVE and other programs TakeIt requires LASTDRIVE to be set to Z, as explained above. There are, however, other programs that require LASTDRIVE to be set to a different value, like E, for example. If you use a program that requires LASTDRIVE to be set to a value less than Z, then you need to use LASTDRV.EXE, which is supplied with TakeIt. The NetWare(R) Shell, NETX.EXE, requires a value less than Z. The NetWare VLMs, however, require a value of Z. So, if you use NETX.EXE (or NET3, NET4, NET5, XMSNETX, or EMSNETX), you will need to use LASTDRV. Using LASTDRV To explain how to use LASTDRV, we'll use an example. Suppose you load NETX.EXE when you need to access your network. Follow these guidelines: Make sure LASTDRIVE=Z is in CONFIG.SYS. When you are going to connect to the network and you load NETX, run "LASTDRV E" before running NETX. Substitute 'E' for the value you need, if necessary. When you are going to use the briefcase, you don't need to run LASTDRV. LASTDRV changes the value of LASTDRIVE, but it can only change it to a value less than what it is set to in CONFIG.SYS. It is important that LASTDRIVE be set to Z, or LASTDRV will not be able to change the drive and the program that needs a lower setting of LASTDRIVE will not run properly. It may be helpful to write a batch file (or modify one you already use) that loads your network. Here is a sample batch file for loading NetWare: @ECHO OFF LASTDRV E NETX ECHO LASTDRIVE changed from Z to E. The point here is to run LASTDRV just before you load or run any program that needs the LASTDRIVE set to a value lower than Z. LASTDRV is not a TSR. When it executes, it changes some internal DOS settings and then is removed from memory. >>> Quick Tutorial This quick tutorial is a good start for learning how to use TakeIt. Just follow the instructions, and you will learn how to: put a file in the briefcase, access the file in the briefcase, and return the file to the office. This tutorial assumes that TakeIt is installed, LASTDRIVE is set to Z in CONFIG.SYS, and your TakeIt directory is in your path. We'll assume that the name and path of the file you will be working with is G:\HISTORY\1847\FACTS.TXT. You can use any file on the network you choose (a text file you can modify is recommended for the tutorial). 1. Turn on your machine. If TIBOOT runs from the AUTOEXEC.BAT, don't load the briefcase. 2. Connect to your office. If you are running on a network, connect to the network and make sure your drives are mapped. 3. Type CREATEBC to create the briefcase (if you haven't created it yet.) 4. Type TAKEIT G:\HISTORY\1847\FACTS.TXT (substitute your file name and path) to put the file into the briefcase. 5. Reboot your machine. Don't connect to your office. If TIBOOT runs from the AUTOEXEC.BAT, load the briefcase. Otherwise, type LOADBC, which will load the briefcase. 6. Type EDIT G:\HISTORY\1847\FACTS.TXT (substitute your file name and path). The point here is to modify the file in the briefcase. You access it as if it were still on the network. After modifying the file, save it and return to DOS. 7. Run UNLOADBC to unload the briefcase. 8. Reboot your machine. If TIBOOT runs from the AUTOEXEC.BAT, don't load the briefcase. 9. Connect to your office again, and make sure your drives are mapped as before. 10. Run RETURNIT. Your file is taken out of the briefcase and returned to the office. The office file is overwritten with the modified file from the briefcase. The steps above follow three basic concepts. First, put files in the briefcase that you want to take with you. Second, after leaving your office, load the briefcase and then access the files as if they were still on the network. Third, when you return to your office, return the files in the briefcase to their original location. The DOS programs involved in this process are: TAKEIT.EXE, LOADBC.EXE, UNLOADBC.EXE, and RETURNIT.EXE. You can run TAKEITW.EXE, the Windows version of TakeIt, to perform the same functions as TAKEIT.EXE and RETURNIT.EXE. >>> More Information on Using TakeIt For more information and help on using TakeIt, refer to the online help. For the DOS command line programs, type the program name followed by "/?". In TakeIt for Windows, press F1 to bring up the online help.