The Public (Software) Library P.O.Box 35705 Houston, TX 77235-5705 Program Report Form Although we try to test all programs, some bugs may get by us. Use this form to report program problems to the P(s)L and to the program author. Letters to the P(s)L become the property of the P(s)L. We try to send personal replies when a self-addressed, stamped envelope is provided, but questions are normally answered in the newsletter. Your Name: ________________________ Date: ______________ Address: __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Program Name: _____________________ Disk ID: _____________ Bugs, Suggestions & Comments: (Please be as specific as possible about bugs. If we cannot duplicate your problem, we cannot help get it fixed. Please read the program's documentation carefully first.) ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ System Configuration: Computer: ____________________ Amount of memory: __________ Video Card: IBM-Mono/CGA/EGA/Herc/Other: ___________________ Type of Monitor: IBM-Mono/Color/Composite/Other: ___________ Printer: _____________________ Hard disk? Y/N__ DOS: _____ Number of floppies: __________ Other: _____________________ Resident Utilities Used: ___________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ By reporting any bugs, you can help us prevent the spread of non-working software. While we try to test every program, it is not possible to give each program the in-depth usage that reveals the most bugs. Although we will do everything in our power to see that all bugs are fixed, we do not warrant any of these programs to be bug-free. - The Public Software Library P.O.Box 35705 Houston, TX 77235-5705 The Public (Software) Library Common Problems/Solutions If this: Try this: ------------------------- ------------------------------------ Error msg.: "Bad command This is not a program error or disk or file name". error. Check to make sure what you typed at the DOS prompt is an actual file name with a COM, EXE or BAT extension. Nothing else will run. Get error during DISKCOPY If you were copying A: to B:, try it or DIR doesn't work. B: to A:. If you still get an error the bad sector may not have any data note:------------------ on it. Try copying the files onto If you can't get DIR | another formatted disk using: to work, the disk may | COPY *.* (See COPY in DOS manual) have gotten zapped in | and then reformat the original disk. the mail somehow. You | If that doesn't work, try turning the may return the disk to| disk media to see if the jacket has us for recopying. | been crushed. If the media does not ----------------------- turn freely, draw the edges of the disk across a sharp edge, such as the edge of a desk: /\ / / \ / / < O > / / \ / / /------------\/-----/ | | | | Program locks up machine (1) If you have an IBM monochrome as soon as run. (or Hercules monochrome) card and monitor, you cannot run programs note:------------------- with CGA graphics. (2) If you have some graphics programs | other utilities resident in memory, will run on a Hercules | try booting up a plain DOS disk card with the help of | without them. (3) If you have a one- HGCIBM on the Hercules | color monitor (eg: amber or green) Utilities Disk (#860). | you may not be seeing instructions ------------------------ on the screen that are written in color. Get BWVID on disk 1-UT-280. (4) If at all possible, try it on another machine, preferably with a different version of DOS. (5) Try turning on your printer. (6) Read the documentation. Program locks up after it May be an undiscovered program bug. has been running ok for a If you can start over from the original while. disk and duplicate the problem, please report the steps to us and/or to the author using the form above. Also see the previous suggestions above. Try recopying the files from the disk that we sent you. (Always work from a copy and not the original disk.) Program asks for a file 99% of the time, this problem occurs that is not on the disk. because the user has not read in the documentation about how to start up the program or about extra files only sent to people who register with the author. Program or file names shown The actual file name may be a little in the documentation are different, such as the practice of not on the disk. putting the version number in the file name (eg: SDIR26.COM is SDIR ver. 2.6). Files may be combined into an ARC file. Use ARC or ARCE (from the "BBS/Library Tools Disk #1") to extract the files. Directions for this are usually in a text file on the disk. Program has a bug in it or Report the bug using this form to the does not work the way the author and/or to us. The author is best documentation says it should. able to help you, but we would like to know about any bugs too and we may be able to help you if the author does not respond. We are particularly interested in any incompatibilities you may find between this software and other software or hardware. We will publish bug reports in the monthly newsletter. Can't get the program to run. Please read the documentation. Please do not send disks back to us because of bugs unless as part of our exchange policy. See FREE DISKS in the newsletter for terms and conditions. If there are files on the disk with an extension of ARC, you need a de-ARC'er, such as ARCE, ARC or PKXARC. If ARCE.COM is on the disk, de-ARC the files by putting our disk in drive A: and a formatted disk in drive B: and entering A:ARCE A:*.ARC B: If you are not familiar with the commands DIR, COPY, TYPE, or how to load and run BASIC programs, you must read about them in the DOS and BASIC manuals that came with your computer. If you didn't get these manuals, contact your dealer. We strongly recommend that if you are new to public domain and "shareware" software, you get our Introduc- tory disk. Please remember that the purpose of the library is to let you try software in the most convenient and economical manner to see if it works for you. By definition then, we do NOT guarantee that the soft- ware will work on all equipment or at the level that you want. One person may complain that a program is too complicated and the next person, that it is too simple. That's why you are paying $5 to try the program rather than paying $50, $100 or more for a commercial program that may have the same limitations. Copyr. 1986, 1987 Nelson Ford