Hi again folks,


This is my new/updated/revised (version 10, Freeware) of Windows 3.1x
and MS-DOS 6.xx Setup/Config/Tweaking Hints/Tips/Tricks text files.
Download W31-10.ZIP into an empty directory/folder and unzip it with
Winzip version 6.xx, a 16-bit Windows unzipping utility.
These files contain among other things real solutions to real problems
that people like you might encounter at some point, especially with
Win31 (I'm trying to update/improve these files and add new tips).
Read these plain text files for details (open them with Notepad):
- READ1ST.TXT (read this one first!)
- MYTIPS31.TXT (my own Win31 tips)
- TIP31AOL.TXT (tips I picked up from AOL, and by helping other
  Windows users solving their problems)
- MEMORY.TXT (my own technical tips on solving memory problems in
  Windows/DOS)
- REGIONS.TXT (technical info on DOS memory regions mapping)
- EMM386.TXT (technical info on DOS/Windows memory managers)
- NEWLOGO.TXT (my own tips on how to change Win31 desktop
  wallpaper/startup logo)...
- 50 icons (for your favorite programs/games)
- SECRETS.TXT (MS-DOS undocumented/secret features)
... All these, and much more, on how to:
- Tweak your SYSTEM.INI/WIN.INI files to improve performance in Win31
- Mess with your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT (MS-DOS 6.xx) to squeeze
  maximum conventional DOS memory
- Work better/faster/easier in the Windows 3.1x environment
- MS-DOS (5.00 and up) secrets
- Remap the extended keys F1-F12 in MS-DOS 6.xx mode
- Replace the boring Win31 startup logo and desktop wallpaper
- Throw a dash of color into the ol' DosShell (MS-DOS 5 and up)
- MS-DOS 6.xx/Windows 3.1x valuable tips/hints/tricks...
... in a few words, how to make your (computing) life easier.

Hope you'll find something useful in here.

Enjoy!

I welcome e-mail on any problems you might have running Windows 95/3.1x
or/and MS-DOS 7.00/6.xx on your system. For comments/ideas/questions/etc...
send me a "wire" at:
axcel216@aol.com

... And look up my new Web page at http://home.aol.com/AXCEL216
(still under construction...)


... If I've got your attention so far, read on...




      Windows 3.1x/MS-DOS 6.xx Setup/Startup/Tweaking Configuration TIPS



I M P O R T A N T :

*** BACKUP YOUR MS-DOS STARTUP FILES: AUTOEXEC.BAT AND CONFIG.SYS, BEFORE
    MAKING ANY MODIFICATIONS !

*** BACKUP YOUR WINDOWS STARTUP FILES: SYSTEM.INI AND WIN.INI, BEFORE MAKING
    ANY MODIFICATIONS !

*** READ MYTIPS31.TXT and MEMORY.TXT for valuable information !

*** Read EMM386.TXT (included here) to understand how MS-DOS's EMM386.EXE,
    the memory manager works !

*** READ REGIONS.TXT FOR PRECIOUS INFO ON MS-DOS UPPER MEMORY MANAGEMENT AND
    UPPER MEMORY REGIONS (Courtesy of Mr. Dale F. Ogden), valid for MS-DOS
    6.xx and higher (technical info).

*** Read SECRETS.TXT for details on secret (undocumented) features
    Microsoft forgot to tell us.

*** All the batch files mentioned in these text files are included in this
    archive.

*** I included here 50 icons (16x16 pixels, 16 colors) .ICO files, you can
    use for your favorite applications/programs/games.


* With a little luck (and a lot of tweaking) you may be able to squeeze a
few more KBytes of conventional RAM out of your machine.
To see how much memory you have in your configuration, type:
MEM /C /P
at DOS prompt, OUTSIDE Win31, and press enter.
To see how your devices/TSRs/drivers are loaded, and the upper memory setup,
type this at DOS prompt, outside Win31:
MSD
and press Enter. Then press "M".
To see the exact location of each driver (listed with "mem /c /p" command),
type:
MEM /M <device_name>
at DOS prompt, outside Win31. Type the device name WITHOUT extension.
Example (if you load MOUSE.COM from your autoexec.bat):
MEM /M MOUSE
and press Enter.
The display will show you exactly the conventional/upper memory regions where
that particular device is loaded and how much memory it takes (read
REGIONS.TXT for more info about MS-DOS upper memory regions).

NOTE: for more info on HIMEM.SYS/EMM386.EXE parameters, run "HELP" for that
particular device:
HELP EMM386.EXE
and press enter, and then:
HELP HIMEM.SYS
and press enter.


* Read NEWLOGO.TXT (included here) for detailed info on how to change the
default Win31 startup logo/desktop wallpaper to the one(s) of your choice.

* I included my own AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files, the MS-DOS 6.22
WfWG 3.11 versions, named AUTOEXEC.DOS and CONFIG.DOS. Open them with any text
editor (Notepad in Windows or EDIT.COM at DOS prompt).
The file MSD62.TXT gives an idea how my MS-DOS 6.22 memory configuration looks
like, running Microsoft's Diagnostics version 3.00 utility (MSD), OUTSIDE
Win31. I also included my own memory configurations, using:
- MS-DOS 6.22's own EMM386.EXE and HIMEM.SYS,
- Helix NetRoom's RM386.EXE ver 3.04 (updated) and
- QuarterDeck's QEMM386.SYS ver 8.01 (their latest updated release).
Read MEM62.TXT to see my "outside Win31" memory configurations with all
three memory managers described above.


* For NetRoom (Helix) or QEMM (Quarterdeck) users, you will NEED to add the
following lines to your SYSTEM.INI file (found in your Windows 3.1x directory,
typically C:\WINDOWS) in the [386enh] section:
SystemROMBreakPoint=false
EMMExclude=A000-FFFF
DualDisplay=true
for Windows 95 to run with NetRoom or QEMM memory managers!
The line "SystemROMBreakPoint=false" is only needed if you use QEMM's Stealth
or NetRoom's VidCloak/SysCloak features (I have no experience with 386MAX or
BlueMax).
Open SYSTEM.INI with Notepad, make the changes and save the file. You need
to restart Win31.


* Helix Cloaking Multimedia Package users: DO NOT USE CACHECLK.EXE with Win31!
Try not to use ANY special memory management feature (QEMM's "Stealth" or
NetRoom's "VidCloak" and/or "SysCloak") that move the Video ROM/Extended ROM
BIOS to upper/extended memory or above the 1st meg! Windows is not very
happy about these "moves" (some DOS programs especially are "allergic" to
these advanced "features").


* With all the TSRs/drivers loaded in the upper memory area you may be able
to gain a maximum of 624KB of free conventional memory outside Windows (at
DOS prompt OUTSIDE WIN31), without using any 3rd party memory management
special features (and you'll NEVER need more than 619KB of free low RAM EVER
to run ANY DOS program/game)!

NOTE: For detailed info on running Windows 31 with your own 3rd party
      memory manager READ your memory manager documentation (QEMM, 386MAX,
      NetRoom, BlueMax, etc...)!


DOSShell

For MS DOSSHELL (MS-DOS 5.x and up) users, I included a neat DOSSHELL.INI
file (nice color schemes). To use it, BACKUP your own dosshell.ini and copy
this one to your \DOS directory (where your DosShell files should be).
Hope you like it. It may be useful to add this line to your AUTOEXEC.BAT:
SET DOSSHELL=C:\STUFF
if you moved the DosShell files to another directory (C:\STUFF in this
example).
List of MS DosShell files (installed by MS-DOS 5.00 and updated by newer
MS-DOS versions):
DOSSHELL.COM (you can safely delete it if you upgraded to MS-DOS 6.xx)
DOSSHELL.EXE
DOSSHELL.GRB
DOSSHELL.HLP
DOSSHELL.INI
DOSSHELL.VID
I find DosShell very useful strictly as a DOS "File Manager" counterpart.


... AND CREDITS

My machine is a Zenon Z-Titan 90MHz Pentium PCI, with 32MB RAM, using a
1.08GB Western Digital Caviar AC31000H EIDE hard drive, an ATI Technologies
Mach64 WinTurbo PCI with 4MB VRAM video card and an internal 28.8/14.4 kbps
Apache MicroDirect modem/fax.
I use a 17 inch 0.26 dot pitch Optiquest 4000DC 1200x1024 color match,
on-screen controls, EPA and DPMS compliant, non-interlaced monitor.
I use a Creative Labs SoundBlaster 16 ASP sound card with a Wave Blaster 2
daughter card and a double-speed proprietary IDE CD-ROM drive made by
Matsushita-Kotobuki and sold By Creative Labs as 2X OMNI-CD.
I'm running both Windows 95, and 3.11 for Workgroups+MS-DOS 6.22, with
Win95's dual-boot feature installed (in DOS mode, outside Windows, I have
625KB of free low memory).

Trademarks:
- MS-DOS 6.xx, MS-DOS 7.00,
- MS Windows 3.1x and
- MS Windows for Workgroups 3.1x,
- MS Windows 95 and
  are trademarks of Microsoft (COMERCIAL programs);
- DosMax 2.1 is a trademark of Phillip B. Gardner (SHAREWARE);
- NetRoom 3.x is a trademark of Helix Software (COMERCIAL);
- QEMM is a trademark of QuarterDeck Systems (COMERCIAL).


Regards and best of luck!