@database WorseFormat1.8.guide
@author "Szymon Pura"
@(c) "1996 Szymon Pura"
@$VER: WorseFormat1.8 guide
@wordwrap
@index "Main"

@node "Main"


                            WorseFormat 1.8
                          © 1996 Szymon Pura
                               FREEWARE


 1. @{"Disclaimer         " link "Disclaimer"}
 2. @{"System requirements" link "System Requirements"}
 3. @{"Installation       " link "Installation"}

 4. @{"Introduction       " link "Introduction"}
 5. @{"Using WorseFormat  " link "Using"}

 6. @{"History            " link "History"}

@endnode

@node "Disclaimer"

  WorseFormat  is FREEWARE.  It may be freely distributed as long as no
more  than  a  nominal  fee is charged to cover time and copying costs.
All files must remain it their orignal, unmodified forms.
  I  disclaim  any  and all responsibility for any problems that use of
this program may cause.

  ReqTools is Copyright (C) Nico François

  Feel free to send your suggestions and bug reports to:

                              Szymon Pura
                              Witosa 8/57
                          42-224 Czestochowa
                                Poland
                              +034 624666
@endnode

@node "System Requirements"

  - Kickstart V37+ (release 2.04+)
  - ReqTools package V38+   (by Nico François)

  Kickstart V39+ (release 3.0+) recommended.

@endnode

@node "Installation"

  Just drag the WorseFormat icon into the selected drawer and the libs icon
  into your system partition.

@endnode

@node "Introduction"

  Have you ever seen programs like BadFormat ?

  It  was  able to format partially damaged disks by creating a special
'bad file', which contained all damaged sectors.  This way such disk is
still usable, but of course its capacity is smaller.

  WorseFormat has been designed to replace BadFormat. It's features include:

  - full intuition-based Graphical User Interface
  - format for OFS, FFS, international OFS & international FFS
  - advanced verify routine
  - supports almost all standard DOS drives
  - allows quick-format
  - allows 'normal' formatting for any filesystem
  - range-selecting

@endnode

@node "Using"

 @{"How to format the damaged disk      " link "Formatting"}
 @{"How to install a bootblock on a disk" link "InstallingBootblock"}

 1. @{"Main window             " link "MainWindow"}
 2. @{"FileSystem window       " link "FileSystemWindow"}
 3. @{"Install Bootblock window" link "InstallBootblockWindow"}

@endnode

@node "Formatting"

  1. Select drive from the @{"Drives listview" link "MWinGadgetsDrives"}
  2. Select START gadget
     Format-progress  window  will appear.  Press windowclose gadget to
     abort operation.
  3. When finished, @{"the FileSystem window" link "FileSystemWindow"} will appear.
     Edit the disk label, set filesystem and bootblock to install.
     Then press OK to initialize the disk.
@endnode

@node "InstallingBootblock"

  1. Select drive from the @{"Drives listview" link "MWinGadgetsDrives"}
  2. Select Install Bootblock from the Advanced options menu.
     the @"{Bootblock-install window" link "InstallBootblockWindow"} will appear
  3. Set the FileSystem and/or BootBlock to install
  4. Select Install to perform the operation

@endnode

@node "MainWindow"

   Main window:

 This  window  is  used  to  select  the device to formatting/bootblock
 installing.

 1. @{"Gadgets" link "MWinGadgets"}
 2. @{"Menus  " link "MWinMenus"}
@endnode

@node "MWinGadgets"

 1. ABOUT  - displays some info about the program
 2. SLEEP  - puts WorseFormat to sleep. See @{"Sleep method" link "MWinMenusSleepMethod"}
 3. START  - starts formatting. See @{"Formatting" link "Formatting"}.
 4. QUIT   - quits WorseFormat
 5. @{"DRIVES" link "MWinGadgetsDrives"}
 6. VERIFY - specifies how many times every track will be verified.
             See @{"Formatting" link "Formatting"} for more info.
 7. QUICK  - turns on the Quick mode. See @{"Formatting" link "Formatting"}.
 8. RANGES - specify format and verify ranges in cylinders

@endnode

@node "MWinGadgetsDrives"}

  The   listview   contains   names   of   all   drives   suitable  for
formatting/installing.  To refresh it press the REFRESH gadget.

  After  selecting  a  drive,  the info-gadgets will display some basic
information  on the selected drive.  Also the range gadgets will be set
to correct values.

@endnode

@node "MWinMenus"

  - Project menu
    - About - displays some information about WorseFormat
    - Go To Sleep - puts WorseFormat to sleep. See @{"Sleep method" link "MWinMenusSleepMethod"}
    - Quit - quits WorseFormat
  - Advanced options menu
    - @{"Report bad tracks  " link "MWinMenusReportBadTracks"}
    - @{"Create bad file    " link "MWinMenusCreateBadFile"}
    - @{"Inhibit            " link "MWinMenusInhibit"}
    - @{"Motor control      " link "MWinMenusMotorControl"}
    - @{"Buffers in CHIP mem" link "MWinMenusBuffersInCHIP"}
    - @{"Verify method      " link "MWinMenusVerifyMethod"}
    - @{"Install bootblock  " link "InstallingBootblock"}
  - Settings menu
    - Beep on errors - will cause the screen to beep when an error occurs
    - Beep after formatting - will cause the screen to beep when
                              the operation is completed.
    - @{"Sleep method       " link "MWinMenusSleepMethod"}

@endnode

@node "MWinMenusReportBadTracks"

  When  selected,  track  numbers,  error  values  &  strings  will  be
displayed in a separate window during formatting.

@endnode

@node "MWinMenusCreateBadFile"

  When  selected,  the  badfile will not be created, but the bad blocks
will  be  mentioned  on the disk map.  It saves some disk capacity, but
it's quite unstable.

@endnode

@node "MWinMenusInhibit"

  When selected, the drive will get inhibited before formatting starts. This option prevents disk-validating.

@endnode

@node "MWinMenusMotorControl"

  When  selected,  WorseFormat  will control the motor of the drive via
TD_MOTOR.   It  may  speed  up the operation, but I've heard about some
drives that don't like it.

@endnode

@node "MWinMenusBuffersInCHIP"

  When  selected, all buffers will be located in CHIP memory.  It slows
down the operation, but some devices require it.

@endnode

@node "MWinMenusVerifyMethod"

  Allows  selecting of verification method.  Possibilities are:  simple
read or read & writes.  The second one is more reliable, but also a bit
slower.

@endnode

@node "MWinMenusSleepMethod"

  - Use wb menu item
   If  workbench is opened, then a new menu item will be added to Tools
   menu.  Selecting that tool will awake WoseFormat.
  - Use sleep window
   A  small  window  will  be opened.  Clicking with right mouse button
   while it's active will awake WorseFormat.

@endnode

@node "FileSystemWindow"

  FileSystem window:
  It's used to set attributes of the newly formatted disk.

  Explanation of gadgets:

 1. BAD BLOCKS  - amount of the bad blocks found
 2. DISK LABEL - you can enter the disk label here
 3. BAD FILE - filename of the badfile
 4. FILE SYSTEM - type of filesystem to install
 5. INSTALL - @{"Bootblock type" link "BootblockTypes"} to install
 6. FILESYSTEM  FORMAT - if selected, default filesystem for selected
  device  will  be  used.   Example:   if you format PC0:, selecting this
  option will cause to use the CrossDosFileSystem instead of OFS/FFS.
 7. OK - install the disk
 8. CANCEL - cancel formatting

@endnode

@node "InstallBootblockWindow"

 Install Bootblock window:
 It's used to set the type of bootblock to install.

 Explanation of gadgets:

 1. DOS TYPE - it shows the type of filesystem currently installed
               and DosType value (in hex)
 2. FILE SYSTEM - selects the type of filesystem to install
 3. BOOT BLOCK - selects the @{"type of bootblock" link "BootblockTypes"} to install
 4. INSTALL - perform the installation
 5. CANCEL - cancel the installation (no changes will be made to disk)

@endnode

@node "BootblockTypes"

- Standard Boot - just a standard 1.0-1.3 bootblock
- No Boot - prevents booting
- SilentStart - standard 2.0 silent boot
- Virus Check - a simple virus killer
- Virus Check SS - virus killer with SilentStart feature

@endnode

@node "History"

  Version 1.0   13 March 1996

 - initial version

  Version 1.1   18 March 1996

 - Advanced options menu extended
 - some changes in GUI
 - dos.library functions used instead of packet I/O

  Version 1.2   26 March 1996

 - format and verify range selection supported
 - another changes in GUI

  Version 1.3   9 April 1996

 - Some bugs fixed:
  o some CHIP memory loss
  o BitMapExtension block linking
  o IDCMP_INACTIVEWINDOW handling fixed
 - verify routine improved

  Version 1.4   18 April 1996

 - FileSystem format option added

  Version 1.6   17 May 1996

 - detects & utilizes Kickstart 3.0+

  Version 1.7   6 July 1996

 - timer added
 - CHIP buffer option added

  Version 1.8  

 - an ancient bug in formatting routine fixed
 - better menu layout

@endnode