***************************************************************** Traveling Software, Inc. 19310 North Creek Parkway Bothell, Washington 98011 (206) 483-8088 ***************************************************************** The Latest About LAP-LINK Version 2.16a (included with Link-Link Plus) ============================== This file contains the latest information about LAP-LINK and tips on using the program. **************************************************************** Reminder: Be sure to mail in your registration card to ensure that you will be notified of future releases of LAP-LINK & LAP-LINK PLUS **************************************************************** Here's a summary of what you will find in this file: 1 EQUALIZING OPTIONS SETTINGS ON LOCAL AND REMOTE COMPUTERS -------------------------------------------------------------- Whenever you start LAP-LINK and the settings of certain of the options in the Options menu are not the same on the local and remote computers, LAP-LINK will make the settings identical as part of the start-up process. 2 CREATING BOOTABLE DISKS ---------------------------- There are three steps to creating a bootable disk: (1) formatting the disk, (2) copying the DOS (hidden) system files to the disk, and (3) copying the COMMAND.COM file to the disk. When you format the disk, be sure to use the same version of DOS as that on the computer which you intend to boot. 3 COPYING VERY LARGE FILES ----------------------------- When it copies files larger than 8 megabytes (7800K), LAP- LINK automatically switches to the Turbo Copy Mode. Files of this size cannot be copied otherwise. 4 AVOID COPYING FILES ONTO THEMSELVES ---------------------------------------- Once you have switched the right window to local, LAP-LINK will not allow you to copy files from a particular drive and path onto the same drive and path on that computer. You will see an error message if you try. 5 DISPLAYING FILES BY SIZE, FROM LARGEST TO SMALLEST ------------------------------------------------------- The Sort By option in the Options menu now lets you display files in order of size, from the largest to the smallest. 6 ERROR RECEIVING REMOTE DIRECTORY: A NEW MESSAGE ----------------------------------------------------- If LAP-LINK is interrupted by some other operation on your computer when you start the program, you will see this message: Error receiving remote directory. 7 TARGET DISK FULL MESSAGE: ANOTHER MEANING ----------------------------------------------- A conflict between the name of a file on the source disk and a subdirectory on the target disk may cause the Target Disk Full message to appear even when the target disk is not full. ****************** 1 EQUALIZING OPTIONS SETTINGS ON LOCAL AND REMOTE COMPUTERS ============================================================== Most of the settings in the Options menu (described in Section 3 of the manual) must be the same on both computers; LAP-LINK could not communicate properly between computers otherwise. The settings that must be identical on the two computers are those of the six Copy Options and the Sort By and Turbo Copy Mode options. Once you have the program running, LAP-LINK ensures that each time you change any of these options on one computer, the other computer is changed to match. But what happens when you start LAP-LINK, and the settings of these options are different on the two computers? LAP-LINK then selects the settings on one of the computers--usually the one on which you started LAP-LINK last--and makes them effective for both computers. If you want to alter those settings, you can then do so on either computer. If you want to ensure that certain settings appear each time you start the program, be sure to save the same settings on both computers. 2 CREATING BOOTABLE DISKS ============================ Release 2 of LAP-LINK lets you prepare a bootable disk by copying system files from a disk that is already bootable onto a blank formatted disk. Pages 61 and 62 of the LAP-LINK manual tell you how to set the Copy/Display Hidden Files option to accomplish this. As the manual explains, you must format the disk before you copy the system files (each with an SYS extension) onto it. Omitted from the explanation is this important qualification: you must format the disk with the version of DOS that operates the computer you want to boot with the new disk. A disk formatted by a different version of DOS may not place the correct boot information at the very beginning of the disk, where it must be in order to boot the computer. If in doubt about the versions of DOS you have on the computers with which you are using LAP-LINK, you are advised to take this precaution: whenever you want to create a bootable disk for a particular computer, begin by formatting a disk on that computer. Then copy to that disk the system files from a disk that boots that computer. When you have copied the two system files, copy the COMMAND.COM file. The disk will then be able to boot the computer. 3 COPYING VERY LARGE FILES ============================= Whenever it copies a file larger than 8 megabytes (7800K) LAP-LINK uses the Turbo Copy Mode option--even though the option may be turned off (set at No) in the Options menu. Without using this option LAP-LINK cannot copy files of this size. Once the file is copied, the setting of the Turbo Copy Mode will again be whichever setting--Yes or No--it was before the file was copied. 4 AVOID COPYING FILES ONTO THEMSELVES ======================================== The Right Window option in the Options menu makes it possible to use both the left and right windows to display files and directories of the local computer. Once you set this option to Yes and return to the LAP-LINK screen, both windows will be logged onto the same drive and directory and the files and directories displayed in the two windows will be identical. As long as both windows are logged identically, LAP-LINK will let you erase files but not copy them. If you were to copy files under these circumstances you would be undertaking an operation both pointless and risky: there is no reason for copying a file onto itself, and there is the risk that information would be lost if the copy process were aborted for any reason. Remember, then, to log one of the windows--it does not matter which--onto a different drive or directory before copying files. If you forget, this message will appear: Files cannot be copied onto themselves. Log either window onto different drive or path and try again. Press any key to continue... WARNING: Whenever you are copying files from one directory to another on the SAME drive of a computer, be sure that the Copy from Subdirectories option is set at No. If this option were set at Yes, you would copy files onto themselves and risk the loss of part of one of your files if the copy process were aborted. For more information about the Right Window option see page 68 of the LAP-LINK manual. 5 DISPLAYING FILES BY SIZE, FROM LARGEST TO SMALLEST ======================================================= At the request of users, the Size setting in the Sort By option of the Options menu (page 66 of the manual) no longer displays files in the LAP-LINK screen from the smallest to largest. If you select the Size setting, you will now see your files listed from the largest to the smallest. 6 ERROR RECEIVING REMOTE DIRECTORY: A NEW MESSAGE ===================================================== LAP-LINK requires the undivided attention of your computer to communicate with another computer. It may not get this if your computer has an internal mouse board, multi-tasking software, or anything else that may interrupt the operation of LAP-LINK. Whenever there is a conflict of this kind, you will see this message when you start the program: Error receiving remote directory. This message will appear on the computer in which there is a conflict; the right window of that computer will not show files and directories for the other computer. Sometimes LAP-LINK will be able to overcome the conflict and receive the directory of the remote computer. If it doesn't, you will have to take steps to remove the conflict. If you are not sure what the conflict is, call Traveling Software and let us help you find the solution. 7 TARGET DISK FULL MESSAGE: ANOTHER MEANING =============================================== If you attempt to copy files and a Target Disk Full message appears even though the target disk has room for more files, investigate this possibility: There may be a name conflict between one of the files you are trying to copy and a subdirectory on the target disk. This is a DOS limitation, and the only practical solution is to rename the file and resume copying. ----------------------------------------------------------- SPECIAL EPSON EQUITY II NOTE ---------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- Some of the early versions of the Epson Equity II will not operate Lap-Link at full 115,200 BPS speeds. In fact, after typing "LL" on some Equity II's, the computer may just lock up. Version 2.10 or greater now has some built-in "intelligence" to recognize a computer whose serial port can not handle the full 115,200 baud speed and will automatically lower it to 57,600 baud. REMEMBER: Any hard disk--regardless of which software programs it contains--should be checked on a regular basis with the DOS CHKDSK command. This is especially true for portable and laptop computers; portable computers and their hard disks are much more susceptible to damage simply because they are moved more than desktop computers. The CHKDSK command checks a disk for bad sectors and lost clusters, and reports its findings. The presence of bad sectors or lost clusters on your disk is an indication of developing trouble. See your DOS manual and computer dealer or user group for more details.