INIPRO.TXT - INI PROFILER PRODUCT DOCUMENTATION - VERSION 1.00 _______________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION ------------ INI ProFiler is a powerful, easy-to-use utility for reviewing and editing the contents of the initialization, or ".INI", files used by Microsoft Windows and/or Windows applications. Most .INI files used by Windows are written in ASCII text format. As such, they may be easily edited with most text editors or word processors, including Windows Notepad. Windows 3.1 itself includes a small utility, called SysEdit (SYSEDIT.EXE), which automatically loads initialization and system configuration files for editing. Although such editors offer a convenient way of making changes to a given .INI file, they also make it extremely easy to mistakenly make the wrong change in the wrong place. Unless the user knows precisely what changes to make in an .INI file, and how to make these changes correctly, it is actually quite easy to hurt the performance of its host application. In the case of a corrupted WIN.INI or SYSTEM.INI file, Windows itself can actually be prevented from functioning correctly. INI ProFiler offers a safe, "hands-off" method of editing .INI files, and combines the best features of an editing utility and a reference tool in one! INI ProFiler can load any ASCII-compatible .INI file used by Windows or Windows applications, and display groups of entries section by section. Changes to a selected entry may be easily entered in a single edit control and then "spliced" into the .INI file with the touch of a button. Best of all, context-sensitive help is available for selected files and sections. INI ProFiler provides comprehensive documentation and sample entries to several of the most important sections of CONTROL.INI, SYSTEM.INI, WIN.INI, and a whole host of other Windows .INI files. With INI ProFiler, your Windows system configuration can be optimized quickly, easily, and with complete safety. And even if you don't make any changes, INI ProFiler and its help system can be a great way to familiarize yourself with the "inner workings" of Windows initialization files. PROGRAM FILES ------------- The INI PROFILER package consists of six files: README.TXT A small ASCII text file, containing release information and installation notes. This file may be opened and read with any text editor, such as Windows Notepad, that accepts ASCII format files. The README.TXT file should be read before installing or using this program. INIPRO.EXE The executable program file. INIPRO.HLP The Windows Help file, used for providing comprehensive run-time help. A registration form is included in the Help file; both it and any other Help topic may be easily printed through the Windows Help menu bar "File/Print Topic" command. INIPRO.TXT This file, containing program information, notes, general instructions, and an ASCII text format registration form (see end of file). INIHLP.HLP A Windows help file containing context-sensitive help topics accessed by the program when selected files or sections are loaded. VENDOR.TXT An ASCII text file for reference by software distributors. A seventh file, INIPRO.INI, is automatically created the first time the program is run, and is stored in the default Windows directory (e.g., C:\WINDOWS or C:\WIN). This file is used for storing the program's configuration information. PROGRAM NOTES ------------- INI ProFiler runs within the Microsoft Windows environment (versions 3.1 or higher), and requires the following: * VGA (640x480) or higher graphics resolution. A mouse or other pointing device is highly recommended, but is not required. PROGRAM INSTALLATION AND SETUP ------------------------------ Although INI ProFiler can be run from a floppy disk, we strongly recommend its installation to a hard disk. 1. MAKE A BACKUP We recommend making a backup copy of your program disk. Keep the master copy in a safe place and use the backup disk for program installation. 2. COPY THE PROGRAM FILES TO A TARGET DIRECTORY Copy the program files (INIPRO.EXE, INIPRO.HLP, and INIHLP.HLP) from your master disk to an appropriate subdirectory on your hard disk (e.g., C:\INI or C:\INIPRO). There are no hidden files or "key" files on the program disk, so the file copying process can be accomplished with the DOS "COPY" command or, if you prefer, through the Windows File Manager File/Copy command. This file, INIPRO.TXT, is not required in order to run INIPRO. The main program files (INIPRO.EXE, INIPRO.HLP, and INIHLP.HLP, however, are required, and must reside in the same drive and directory in order for the program to work properly. Strictly speaking, INIHLP.HLP is not required by the program per se. But, without this file, INI ProFiler's essential context-sensitive help topics will not be available from the program. 3. ASSIGN A PROGRAM MANAGER ICON You may use the "Windows Setup" utility to setup a program item (icon) for INIPRO. Windows Setup will recognize the INIPRO.EXE file and assign its icon to a program group for you. or... You may assign a program item icon to INI ProFiler manually, through the File/New commands in Program Manager. Always make sure that the correct path and filename (e.g., "C:\UTILITY\INIPRO.EXE") is assigned to the INI PROFILER program item. The "Browse" control in the Program Item dialog box will make it easy to locate and assign the correct path and filename. 4. RUN THE PROGRAM If installed correctly, the program should load from the Program Manager screen when the INI ProFiler icon is double-clicked (or from File Manager when the INI ProFiler file listing is selected with "File/Run" or double-clicked). 5. TROUBLESHOOTING If you have problems getting the program to run take the following steps: a) Make sure you are running the correct version of Microsoft Windows, and that your other hardware/software requirements (memory, video, etc.) are met. b) Make sure the correct program path and filename is associated with your Program Manager icon. c) Make sure all program files are together in the same directory. d) If the program still will not run, you should re-copy the program files from the master disk. e) Make sure the INIPRO.INI file is located in your default Windows directory (e.g., C:\WINDOWS) and is not tagged with the "Read Only" or "Hidden" attributes. GETTING STARTED WITH INI PROFILER --------------------------------- Although INI ProFiler is fully operational the first time it is run, the program offers a number of configuration options for "fine tuning" its performance and controlling some of its features. Among these are safeguards for confirming a number of "mission critical" actions and the ability to enable or disable the automatic creation of backup files. All configuration options are available from the Configuration dialog box, accessed via the program's menu bar "Options/Configuration..." command. Confirmation Options -------------------- The following confirmation options are available (and highly recommended) for requiring user confirmation prior to selected command actions. Confirm on Program Exit Requires user-confirmation whenever INI ProFiler is closed. Confirm on Section Deletion Requires user-confirmation whenever an .INI file section is selected for deletion. Confirm on Keyname Deletion Requires user-confirmation whenever an .INI file section keyname (and associated entry string or value) is selected for deletion. Confirm on Entry String/Value Save Requires user-confirmation whenever a new .INI file entry string or value is to be saved. Backup Options -------------- The following backup feature options are available for controlling the manner in which INI ProFiler handles file backup creation and naming. It is recommended that new users enable INI ProFiler's program's file backup feature, especially when loading and editing important system files like WIN.INI or SYSTEM.INI. Create Backup Files Enables/disables the automatic creation of .INI backup files whenever changes are made to the original. The backup is then available in case the user wishes to restore the original file. Backup Extension: The radiobutton controls in this section are used for selecting the extension used for backup files created by INI ProFiler. The available choices are .BAK, .DOC, and .TXT. Display Font Style ------------------ The radiobutton controls in this section are used for selecting the font style used in the program interface. The font may be displayed in normal, bold, bold-italic, and italic styles. This selection affects all text that appears within the main program interface, but does not affect text displayed in program dialog boxes. USING INI PROFILER ------------------ INI ProFiler provides all the controls necessary for selecting, loading, and editing any .INI file directly from the main program window. A bank of drop-down listbox controls are provided along the top of the program window, just below the menu bar. These controls are used for selecting the drive, directory, and filename of any .INI file on the host system. Pushbutton controls are also provided next to each drop-down listbox, and may be used for "refreshing" the control's listings (useful in case a drive designation, directory, or file is added, removed, or renamed by another program). Drop-down controls, text display fields, and pushbutton controls are provided for selecting, viewing, creating, and deleting file sections, keynames, and entry strings/values. An edit control is provided for making changes to existing entries. Loading a File -------------- The "Current Path/Filename" display field always reflects the current path search conditions, as set by the drive and directory drop-down controls. Any .INI files present in the current path are listed in the filename drop-down control. A file is automatically loaded when it is selected from the filename drop-down control. Once a file is loaded, its full pathname is displayed in the "Current Path/Filename" field. If a specific help topic is available for the selected file, the associated context-help pushbutton will be enabled. All sections contained in the loaded .INI file are loaded into the "Section" drop-down listbox control and sorted alphabetically; the first section listed is automatically selected and displayed. All keynames present in the current section are loaded into the "Keyname" drop-down listbox control and sorted alphabetically; the first keyname listed is automatically selected and displayed. If an entry string or value is assigned to the selected keyname, it is displayed in the "Original Entry String/Value" text display field and in the "New Entry String/Value" edit control. Any changes to an existing entry may be made in the "New Entry String/Value" edit control. Changes are saved only when the "thumbs up" pushbutton is activated. Changes prior to saving may be discarded by activating the "thumbs down" pushbutton control. Help is available at any time through the INI ProFiler menu bar "Help/Contents..." command. You can directly access any Help topic through the Index, or browse from topic to topic. Context-sensitive help is available for many .INI files, as well as selected recognized sections in the CONTROL.INI, SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI files. If a help topic is available for a file, the "path/filename" context help button will be enabled. If a help topic is available for a section, the "section" context help button will be enabled. Help topics may be printed through the Windows Help menu bar "File/Print Topic" command. MENU BAR COMMAND SUMMARY ------------------------ File Pathnames of the most recently loaded .INI files (up to four files) may appear in the "File" drop down menu section. Users may select any dislayed pathname to quickly load its associated file. Exit Closes INI ProFiler. Options Configuration... Opens a dialog box containing controls for... Help Contents Launches the Windows Help system and loads the INI ProFiler Application help file (INIPRO.HLP). This "manual on disk" is a useful source of program information and operating instructions. You may select specific topics to read, or browse from topic to topic. You may even print topics for later reference. Registration Information... Opens a dialog box containing INI ProFiler single-user registration information. About INI ProFiler... Opens a dialog box containing INI ProFiler copyright information. PRODUCT SUPPORT --------------- If you have a problem with this program, and can't find the answer in the Help System or text file documentation, you can contact Pegasus Development's Tech Support Hotline (furnished courtesy of Advanced Support Group, Inc.) by telephone Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. C.S.T. Our telephone number is: (314) 965-5630 Please be prepared to furnish us information regarding your PC hardware, operating system, and version of Microsoft Windows you are currently running. And, if you manage to stump us, we can usually get back to you within a day with a solution. LIMITED WARRANTY AND REMEDIES ----------------------------- Before release, our applications software is tested on a wide variety of hardware configurations, under the most rigorous test conditions possible. We therefore warrant that the software will perform in substantial compliance with the specifications set forth in this text, provided that the software is used on the computer hardware and operating system(s) for which it was designed. Pegasus Development makes no other warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this software (or media, if this is a registered version), including its quality or fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will Pegasus Development be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising from the use of or the inability to use this software, even if Pegasus Development has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Pegasus Development is not responsible for any costs including, but not limited to, those incurred as a result of lost profits or revenues, loss of time or use of the software, loss of data, the cost of recovering software or data, the cost of substitute software, claims by third parties, or similar costs. In no event will Pegasus Development's liability exceed the amount of the paid registration fee. PRODUCT REGISTRATION -------------------- INI ProFiler is shareware, not freeware. Product registration is necessary if companies like ours are to continue providing quality software for the shareware marketplace. Registration entitles a single end-user to install and run this program on a single personal computer or work station. If you are interested in obtaining a registration for more than one user, please read the "Site License Registrations" section below. Registered users receive the registered version of this product (available in 3.5" or 5.25" disk formats). Registration also entitles the user to advance release information on upcoming Pegasus Development products (including updates and upgrades to this program) -- as well as other new titles in our expanding product line. The single-user registration fee for this product is $16.00 (U.S.). Registrations are accepted both by telephone (with a major credit card) or by mail. NOTE: Registrations from outside the continental U.S. or Canada should include an additional $2.00 for shipping and handling. Registrations are handled by Advanced Support Group, Inc. As a result, all credit card registrations will appear on your statement as "ASG, Software - Services." For your convenience, a registration form is provided here and within the program's help file (accessible via the Windows Help system as outlined previously). The help file registration form, or any help topic, is easily printable through the Windows Help menu bar "File/Print Topic" command. SITE LICENSE REGISTRATIONS -------------------------- Site license registrations are available for corporations wishing to obtain multiple (20 or more) registrations of this product. Site licenses allow many users to obtain product registration at a substantial discount from the standard registration fee. Please contact Pegasus Development for site license information. _____________________ We at Pegasus Development appreciate your support, and hope you enjoy using INI ProFiler 1.0. INI PROFILER (Version 1.0) Copyright (c) 1993 Pegasus Development "Microsoft" and "Windows" are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOFTWARE REGISTRATION FORM -------------------------- Return this form along with your remittance to: Pegasus Development INI ProFiler 1.0 Registration 11900 Grant Place St. Louis, MO. 63131 U.S.A. You can also register by telephone using your MasterCard, American Express, or VISA through Advanced Support Group's Product Registration Hotline at 1-800-788-0787. ____ INI ProFiler Registration(s) @ $16.00 U.S. each For orders outside the continental U.S. and Canada, please add $2.00 shipping and handling. Checks and money orders must be drawn on a U.S. bank. Total enclosed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $______________ Payment by: [] Check [] AmEx [] MasterCard [] VISA Card# _______________________________ Exp. Date __________ Signature of Cardholder __________________________________ Name _____________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________ City __________________________ State/Province ___________ Zip/Postal Code________________ Country __________________ Telephone (______)________________________________________ Disk Size Required: [] 3.5" (720K) [] 5.25" (360K) Please indicate where you obtained INI ProFiler 1.0: (Mail Order, BBS, etc) ___________________________________