Optimizing Windows & DOS 6.0

Optimizing Windows & DOS 6.0
May 1993

Windows 3.1 has been a God-send for many DOS computer users. It brings a fun, graphical interface to an otherwise dull C:> prompt. And, it has helped most of us to be immediately productive and much more efficient. With the right adjustments, it can be a fast, reliable operating environment. Here are a few hints:

1. Turn on virtual memory. After you have installed the program, make sure that you are using your memory efficiently. For '386 and '486 computer users, create a virtual memory file. Under Control Panel | 386 Enhanced | Virtual Memory, create a permanent swap file that is approximately three times your available RAM.

If you don't know how much RAM is installed in your computer (or if you don't know what RAM is), accept the default selection in the New Size dialog option box. Then click OK , and begin your exit from this menu. Continue to click OK and Restart Windows. Your setting will now be a permanent change.

Once you have created virtual memory, space on your hard disk will be used as if it were RAM. For example, on my PC with 16 Mb of RAM and a 48 Mb virtual memory file, Windows has 64 Mb of useable memory (16+48=64Mb)! The more memory Windows has at its disposal, the faster it will run.

2. Turn off wallpaper images. If you have selected those pretty wallpaper images that appear behind your open windows, get rid of them! Under Control Panel | Desktop | Wallpaper, select none for wallpaper and click OK. You can be wasting up to 256 kb of RAM when displaying wallpaper images. Unless you have memory to spare, go for the performance rather than glitz.

3. Use Smartdrive efficiently. Your Autoexec.bat file probably includes a command to execute Smartdrive when booting up your system. Smartdrive is an excellent disk caching program. It enhances your hard disk by reading ahead a few sectors and anticipating the data that you'll need next.

However, most of us waste valuable RAM by allocating too much to Smartdrive. A setting of 512 kb is enough. Here's the setting: SMARTDRV 512 512. This instructs Smartdrive to allocate 512 kb of RAM to its caching operation while under DOS and Windows. If you have more than 8 Mb of RAM, you may opt to raise your Smartdrive cache under Windows to 2 Mb. Here's that setting: SMARTDRV 512 2048.

4. Use Print Manager if you're solo; don't use Print Manager on a network. Print Manager accepts your printed material from your software application faster than your printer can. You return to work more quickly. It then spools the print file to the printer at the fastest rate possible. You can opt to use the Print Manager by selecting Control Panel | Printers | Use Print Manager | Cancel.

However, if your networking software already provides spooling service (like Novell NetWare, Lantastic, and others), don't use Print Manager. Let your software program print directly to the network without Print Manager's intervention.

So what about this hot, new DOS 6.0?

1. Use Double Space! On one of our computers, we had 425 Mb of disk space under DOS 5.0. After installing DOS 6.0 and engaging the Double Space program, we have just over 950 Mb of available space! (Now, I've got room for the latest software releases!) Most users see at least 50% increase in useable disk space after installing Double Space.

2. Use the Anti-virus program. DOS 6.0 has an excellent anti-virus program that searches your disks for potential trouble. Even if you only occasionally share data with other computers, check your hard disk and floppies for damaging virii.

If it detects a virus, it can remove the offender from your system. This is a must-have!

3. Never claim that you don't have a backup. The new backup program has an improved compression system that requires less diskettes to backup your hard disk. And it's a good thing. You'll be getting more programs to fill the new disk space, and you'll have more to be backed up.

The Windows version of the backup program is especially easy to use. Now, it's almost fun to backup your hard disk!

If you haven't purchased DOS 6.0, go do it today! It's about $50 for the upgrade, but the price won't last for long. If you have a '386 or better computer and you haven't used Windows, give it a try. You won't be sorry.

David Stephen Murphy is President and CEO of Damar Group, Ltd. which presents computer training classes, publishes computer learning guides, and helps organizations do business on the Internet. The website is http://dgl.com, and Mr. Murphy may be reached at dave@dgl.com or 410.567.5366.

updated November 2, 1996
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