




              (tm)
       SNOOPER
       Version 3

       Copyright 1989-95 Vias and Associates
       All rights reserved.
















       Here's how to reach us:

       Mail:     Vias and Associates
                 PO Box 470805
                 San Francisco, CA 94147-0805

       Phone:    800-332-8234 (orders only, please)
                 415-921-6262 (tech support and other queries)
                 Monday through Friday, 9AM to 6PM, Pacific time

       Fax:      415-922-3197 (24 hours)

       NOTE: If you find the above information out-of-date, please contact
       the Association of Shareware Professionals to get current contact
       information. You may reach the ASP at the contact points listed on the
       following page.

       CompuServe:         601
                    72260,1
       You can find the latest copy of Snooper (SNOOPR.ZIP) in the PC
       Hardware Forum (GO PCHW), General Hardware library (4). This was
       formerly known as the IBM Hardware Forum.
       Also, you can register Snooper in the Shareware Registration forum (GO
       SWREG). Snooper's ID is 2535.

       Internet: 72260.1601@compuserve.com

       BBS:      ACCUG BBS at 904-335-7289 (14400, 8N1), Greg Barton, sysop.
       Enter your real name and a password when prompted. At the command
       prompt, enter "Snooper" for a special Snooper menu. You can download
       the newest version of Snooper, send us E-mail (addressed to "John
       Vias"), and read any late-breaking Snooper news. The ACCUG BBS
       supports the Alachua County Computer Users Group and other PC
       enthusiasts. Give it a call!





                                  VIAS & ASSOCIATES

       This program and its documentation were created by Vias & Associates,
       a computer consulting, programming, and technical writing firm based
       in San Francisco, California. If you, or someone you know, needs
       software or documentation written, edited, or designed, please contact
       us.
          Do you need a customized system information program? For example,
       one that writes comma-delimited files? Call us! Our rates are
       affordable. Whether it's a computer program, documentation, or
       something in between, we look forward to working with you!























                     _______
                ____|__     |                (R)
             --|       |    |-------------------
               |   ____|__  |  Association of
               |  |       |_|  Shareware
               |__|   o   |    Professionals
             -----|   |   |---------------------
                  |___|___|    MEMBER


       This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware
       Professionals (ASP). The ASP wants to make sure that the shareware
       principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-
       related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly,
       ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombud Member can help you resolve a
       dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical
       support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombud Member at
       545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI USA 49442-9427, send a FAX to 616-788-
       2765, or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombud
       Member 70007,3536.





                                  TABLE OF CONTENTS

       WHAT IS SNOOPER? ....................................................6
       WHO NEEDS SNOOPER? ..................................................6
         You ...............................................................6
         MIS Managers and Network Administrators ...........................6
         Consultants, Technicians, Support Personnel .......................6
         Hardware and Software Vendors .....................................6
         Computer Dealers ..................................................7
       REQUIREMENTS ........................................................7
       FILES ON THIS DISK ..................................................7
       INSTALLATION ........................................................8
         DOS Installation ..................................................8
         Windows Installation ..............................................8
         Upgrading from a Previous Version .................................9
       THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND SNOOPER .......................................9
       LEGALITIES .........................................................10
         Warranty, Copyright, Liability, Trademarks .......................10
         License ..........................................................10
       WHAT IS SHAREWARE? .................................................11
       REGISTERING/ORDERING ...............................................11
         Registration Benefits ............................................12
         Upgrades .........................................................12
         Pricing ..........................................................12
         How To Register ..................................................13
       SYNTAX .............................................................13
         Help Switches (H|?) ..............................................14
         Mono Switch (M) ..................................................14
         Desqview Mode Switch (D) .........................................14
         Logging ..........................................................14
         Log Filename Parameter (Lfilename) ...............................15
         Log File Environment Variable ....................................15
         Auto-Logging Switch (A) ..........................................16
         Log DOS System Files Switch (F) ..................................17
         Log Windows System Files Switch (W) ..............................17
         Quiet Mode Switch (Q) ............................................17
         Disk Drive Switch (D:) ...........................................18
         Chip Detection Bypass Switches (C, N) ............................18
         OtherIRQ Switch (O) ..............................................18
         IDE Skip Switch (I) ..............................................18
         Tune Skip Switch (T) .............................................19
         Configuration File Parameter (Sfilename) .........................19
         Config File Environment Variable .................................19
       OPERATION ..........................................................20
         Windows Operation ................................................21
         Keys .............................................................21
       ERRORLEVEL .........................................................24
       BUGS ...............................................................25
         Known Bugs and Anomalies .........................................25
       WISH LIST ..........................................................26
       MAIN SCREEN ........................................................26
         Computer .........................................................26
         Advanced Power Management (APM) ..................................26
         Central Processing Unit (CPU) ....................................26
         CPU Speed ........................................................27





         Virtual-86 Mode ..................................................27
         Numeric Data Processor (NDP) .....................................27
         Bus ..............................................................27
         Memory ...........................................................28
         Drives ...........................................................30
         Video ............................................................31
         Ports ............................................................32
         ROM BIOS .........................................................33
         Mouse ............................................................34
         Keyboard .........................................................34
         Environment ......................................................35
         DOS ..............................................................35
         Disk Cache .......................................................37
         Network ..........................................................37
         Disk Information .................................................37
       DIAGNOSTICS SCREEN .................................................40
         Serial Ports .....................................................41
         Parallel ports ...................................................42
         Sound Card Address ...............................................43
         Interrupt Request (IRQ) ..........................................43
         Direct Memory Access (DMA) .......................................44
       BUS SCREEN .........................................................44
       NETWORK SCREEN .....................................................44
         Network Type .....................................................45
         Network Address ..................................................45
         Node Address .....................................................45
         Socket ...........................................................45
         User Name ........................................................45
         Hardware .........................................................45
         Software .........................................................45
         Server ...........................................................45
         Connections ......................................................46
       CMOS SCREEN ........................................................46
         Navigating the CMOS Screen .......................................47
         CMOS Status ......................................................47
         Date and Time ....................................................47
         Memory ...........................................................47
         Floppy Drives ....................................................47
         Hard Drives ......................................................48
         Display ..........................................................48
         Coprocessor ......................................................48
         Saving Your Changes ..............................................48
       BENCHMARK SCREEN ...................................................49
         CPU Throughput ...................................................49
         Video Throughput .................................................49
         Disk Throughput ..................................................50
       SETUP SCREEN .......................................................50
         Navigating the Setup Screen ......................................50
         Mono Mode ........................................................51
         Desqview Mode ....................................................51
         Editor ...........................................................51
         Drive ............................................................51
         Sounds ...........................................................51
         Skip IDE .........................................................51
         Other IRQ ........................................................52





         Allow CMOS Editing ...............................................52
         Colors ...........................................................52
         License Number ...................................................52
         Saving Your Changes ..............................................53
       A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SNOOPER'S CREATION ..............................53
       A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SNOOPER'S AUTHOR ................................53
       ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ....................................................53
       INDEX ..............................................................56





                                  WHAT IS SNOOPER?

       Snooper is a system information utility. It "snoops around" your
       computer to report its configuration and operating characteristics.



                                 WHO NEEDS SNOOPER?

                                         You

       You can use Snooper to keep an eye on your memory and disk usage.
       Snooper can help you when you are installing new peripherals or
       software by showing you what resources are already in use. Also, when
       you talk to technical support personnel, Snooper can help you answer
       many of their questions about your computer, and can let you edit your
       CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. You can even determine the
       configuration of a used computer you're thinking of buying. Snooper
       has many uses!


                       MIS Managers and Network Administrators

       If you are in charge of keeping a large installation of PCs up and
       running, Snooper can help. For example, it's well-suited for
       collecting hardware inventory information. Add Snooper to a user's
       login script with appropriate command line switches and it will
       collect information on that node into a file on the server. (See
       "Auto-Logging," below, for details on how to do this.) You can then
       assemble the files into a database of configuration information.
       Afterward, you can tell at a glance which users need DOS upgrades
       simply by referring to the database, without visiting each site or
       calling each user. Major corporations are using this method to collect
       inventory data with Snooper.
          Also, we would be glad to create a customized version of Snooper to
       assemble all the information you need, in the format you specify.


                     Consultants, Technicians, Support Personnel

       You'll find Snooper helpful for showing at a glance what kind of
       machine you are dealing with when you must troubleshoot or upgrade it.
       Also, you can use Snooper to help you ensure the computer recognizes
       peripherals you install. If you installed a mouse, for example, ensure
       Snooper's display shows mouse information. If it doesn't, the mouse
       may not work. Snooper also can help you maintain a log of machines
       you've worked on. Then, the next time a customer calls, you already
       have a good idea of his or her computer's configuration.


                            Hardware and Software Vendors

       With the appropriate license, you may distribute copies of Snooper
       with each computer or software package you sell. You'll receive
       several benefits:


            Snooper, the System Information Program for You!
       6






       *First, Snooper will make troubleshooting over the telephone faster,
        easier, and less expensive. As you know, many computer problems are
        caused by incompatible DOS versions, incorrectly installed hardware,
        and the like. You can find out much about a customer's system by
        asking her to run Snooper and relay the relevant information.
        Second, we can create customized versions of Snooper to integrate
       *
        into your software's installation routine, to ensure the user's
        computer complies with the minimum requirements.
        And finally, because we can make your company's name appear on
       *
        Snooper's screen, every time your customers run it, they will
        remember it was you who provided them this useful utility.


                                  Computer Dealers

       Snooper's display is useful in providing a continuous at-a-glance
       display of a machine's specifications for potential customers. No more
       scrambling to recall a machine's specs. Simply run Snooper. You can
       even determine the configuration of a used computer you're thinking of
       buying to resell.



                                    REQUIREMENTS

       You may want to postpone reading the rest of this manual to run
       Snooper. Go ahead! Snooper normally doesn't affect your computer in
       any way except to write a log file if you ask it. Here are its
       requirements:

        IBM PC or 100% compatible
       *
        256K RAM
       *
       *DOS 3.1 or higher
       *a video card

       In short, Snooper should run on your computer. Make sure Snooper is in
       the current directory or on the path. Then just enter "snooper" at the
       DOS prompt. Press <Esc> to exit Snooper.



                                 FILES ON THIS DISK

       All of the following files should be on this disk or in this
       compressed file. If any are missing, or if they don't all have the
       same date and time, please don't redistribute the remaining files.
       Contact one of the distribution points listed on the front page for a
       complete (and possibly newer) version.








                                   Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    7






       Filename       Description
       SNOOPER.EXE    Snooper, the System Checker, executable program.
       SNOOPER.DOC    Snooper's main manual (this file).
       SNOOPER.FAQ    Frequently Asked Questions (and answers) about Snooper.
       SNOOPER.HST    Snooper's revision history.
       SNOOPER.ICO    Icon file for Windows 3.x.
       SNOOPER.PIF    PIF file for Windows 3.x.
       VENDOR.DOC     Information for shareware vendors and sysops.
       VENDINFO.DIZ   Information about installing Snooper, its license,
                      warranty, and more. The first section is human-
                      readable, the latter is compressed data useful for
                      shareware vendors and sysops.
       FILE_ID.DIZ    Description file some BBSs and vendors will use
                      automatically. Thanks for helping distribute Snooper!
       READ.ME        Brief introductory matierial concernng installation,
                      etc.
       ORDER.FRM      Order form ready to be filled out and sent in.




                                    INSTALLATION

                                  DOS Installation

       Installation couldn't be easier. If your copy includes an installation
       program, simply enter "a:\install" (or "b:\install"). If not, simply
       copy all files to a subdirectory on your hard or floppy disk. Switch
       to that subdirectory. You can print this manual by copying it to your
       printer. The command:

          copy snooper.doc prn

       usually works, assuming SNOOPER.DOC is in the current directory and
       your printer is attached to your first parallel port. Of course,
       Snooper shows you how many parallel ports you have on its Main screen.


                                Windows Installation

       You may not want to run Snooper under Windows. Some of Snooper's
       reports must be disabled and you may get erroneous or unpredictable
       results or even lockups. Remember, Snooper was designed as a DOS
       application and Windows resists programs such as Snooper that try to
       access the hardware directly. If you have problems running Snooper
       under Windows, just run it from DOS (and not from a "DOS Prompt" in
       Windows).
          If you want to live dangerously by disregarding the above warnings,
       follow the instructions under "DOS Installation." When all files have
       been copied:

        1. In Windows, select an appropriate program group or create a new
           one called Snooper.
        2. Select New from the File menu.


            Snooper, the System Information Program for You!
       8





        3. Click on New Program Item, then OK.
        4. For Description, type "Snooper."
        5. For Command Line, type Snooper's full path. For example, if
           Snooper resides on your C: drive in your "\SNOOPER" directory, use
           the command line "C:\SNOOPER\SNOOPER.EXE" here. (If you want to
           use the .PIF file, edit it with PIFEDIT to point to SNOOPER.EXE.
           Then follow these instructions but make Command Line point to, for
           example: "C:\SNOOPER\SNOOPER.PIF" instead.)
        6. Click on Change Icon and enter the path to SNOOPER.ICO.
        7. Last, click the OK buttons until you return to the Program
           Manager's main screen.

       Snooper's icon should appear in the selected program group. You can
       set up other icons for Snooper's documentation, if you wish. To run
       Snooper, double click on its icon.


                          Upgrading from a Previous Version

       If you are using an older version of Snooper, simply run the
       installation program, if included, or copy the new files over the old.
       You may want to retain your .CFG files (see below). Read the history
       file, SNOOPER.HST, to find out what we've changed since we released
       the version you are using. If you need more details, refer to
       appropriate sections of the manual on disk.
          Future configuration files are likely to be backward-compatible
       with older ones. This means you can likely retain the old
       configuration files if you wish. The documentation will state if you
       must make new ones.



                            THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND SNOOPER

       As we designed and wrote Snooper, we kept several design
       considerations in mind:

        We wanted it to be us
       *                     eful to both beginners and experienced users,
        for the casual user and the technocrat. If you don't know what "NDP"
        means, don't worry. This manual can help you.
        We wanted Snooper to run quickly, and to show everything it knows on
       *
        one (well, maybe a few) screens. With Snooper, you needn't wait for
        lengthy searches and you needn't pull down six menus to find what
        you want.
       *We strived for accuracy in its reports. This fact sometimes can
        explain differences between Snooper's reports and those of similar
        but vastly inferior programs.
       *We tried to make Snooper as aesthetically pleasing as possible. Too
        often an otherwise excellent program is ruined by a garish (and
        permanent) color scheme. Snooper's display is, we think, attractive
        and easy to read. If you don't like its color scheme, you can change
        it. To reduce clutter, when a report would be zero, none, or not
        applicable, Snooper simply leaves that report area blank.
       *We wanted to make Snooper intuitive and easy to use. We made the
        keystrokes and command line switches similar to other programs so


                                   Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    9





        you wouldn't have to learn yet another interface. For example,
        typing "snooper/?" at the DOS prompt or pressing <F1> from the Main
        screen displays help screens, just as you'd expect.



                                     LEGALITIES

       Here's the nasty part. Please bear with us while we assault you with
       the usual barrage of disclaimers and legal mumbo-jumbo. It is an
       unfortunate but necessary addition to every software manual published
       in our litigious society. End of lecture.


                     Warranty, Copyright, Liability, Trademarks

       *SNOOPER IS SUPPLIED AS-IS. IT IS NOT GUARANTEED FOR FITNESS OR
        SUITABILITY FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
       *USE SNOOPER AT YOUR OWN RISK. NEITHER JOHN VIAS, NOR VIAS AND
        ASSOCIATES, WILL BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES--ACTUAL,
        CONSEQUENTIAL, OR OTHERWISE--FROM THE USE OF, OR THE INABILITY TO
        USE, SNOOPER, OR FOR ERRORS IN ITS DOCUMENTATION.
        VIAS AND ASSOCIATES WARRA
       *                         NTS THE MEDIUM UPON WHICH WE DISTRIBUTE
        SNOOPER, IF GIVEN REASONABLE CARE, TO BE FREE OF DEFECTS IN
        MATERIALS AND WORKMANSHIP FOR AS LONG AS YOU USE THE PRODUCT.
        ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE HEREBY EXPLICITLY
       *
        DISCLAIMED. YOUR RIGHTS MAY VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.
        SNOOPER, THE SYSTEM CHECKER, AND ITS DOCUMENTATION ARE COPYRIGHTED.
       *
        ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
       *THE BRAND NAMES USED IN THIS MANUAL ARE TRADEMARKS OR REGISTERED
        TRADEMARKS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.
        ANY DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT SNOOPER
       *                                WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE LAWS OF THE
        STATE OF CALIFORNIA.


                                       License

       We encourage individuals, sysops, user groups, shareware vendors, and
       others to use, copy, and distribute Snooper in compliance with these
       restrictions:

       *You are hereby granted a limited license to use Snooper for an
        evaluation period not to exceed thirty (30) days. After that period,
        you must either discontinue use of Snooper or register with the
        author (see below).
       *You are encouraged to pass Snooper along, but you must distribute
        the program and its related files together, intact and unmodified.
        Don't reproduce the printed documentation in any way.
       *
       *Don't "bundle" Snooper with another product or service without our
        prior written permission. This restriction applies but is not
        limited to: systems dealers, consultants, VARs, and book and
        magazine publishers. Please do contact us, however, as we are
        delighted to have Snooper included with other quality products.




       10    Snooper, the System Information Program for You!





       Shareware vendors, rack vendors, CD-ROM and book publishers, and other
       businesses are also subject to the following restrictions:

        Your advertisements, catalogs, and other literature must clearly
       *
        explain that users must pay authors for shareware they use. Also,
        that money paid the vendor for the disk does not satisfy the user's
        obligation to the author.
        If the version you have is over six months old, ensure you have the
       *
        most current version by downloading Snooper from CompuServe or its
        distribution BBS. See the first page of this manual for distribution
        points.
       *If we ask you to stop distributing Snooper, do so.

       OK, enough legal stuff.



                                 WHAT IS SHAREWARE?

       Snooper is distributed by a marketing method called shareware. Those
       of us who distribute software via this technique believe:

        People should be able to evaluate a program in its actual operating
       *
        environment, which a computer store is not;
       *They should have a reasonable time to evaluate it, which is longer
        than a computer salesperson's patience will allow (trust us, we
        know);
        Users are honest enough to register the program with the author. The
       *
        user not only will gain a clear conscience, but also will encourage
        the programmer to improve the software, which in turn is good for
        the user;
        Commercial software is often overpriced. Because many shareware
       *
        authors don't have to pay for high salaries, advertising, fancy
        packaging, and other commercial marketing necessities, we are able
        to keep costs down.

       Keep in mind that shareware is not free. We shareware authors expect
       those of you who use our programs to pay us for our efforts just as
       you pay makers of commercial software for theirs. We're just nicer
       about collecting.



                                REGISTERING/ORDERING

       As stated above, you are granted a limited license to evaluate
       Snooper. If you continue to use Snooper after a 30-day evaluation
       period, you must pay the author for it. Although you may have paid a
       shareware vendor a few dollars for a disk, you should know the author
       gets none of that money. Just as you have to pay for commercial
       software you use, you must pay for shareware you use. This is called
       registering. You can think of it as ordering the registered version of
       the program.
          NOTE: If you plan to use Snooper to gather system information from
       computers on a network, or by sending copies of it to clients, branch


                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    11





       offices, etc., or in any other way such that Snooper might be used by
       more than one person at a time, you must purchase a corporate license
       or site license.
          Volume discounts and customized versions are available and
       encouraged. Please contact us for details. We will need to know how
       you wish to use or redistribute Snooper and how many copies you will
       need.


                                Registration Benefits

       Your registration fee entitles you to:

       *A printed 70-page manual.
        The most recent version of Snooper on disk.
       *
       *Notification by mail of the next major upgrade.
        A significant discount on upgrades.
       *
        Lifetime free technical support (see the first page of this manual
       *
        for contact information). This is a toll call.
       *A license number to make the Registration Reminder Screen go away.
        The peace of mind in knowing you have upheld the law, legitimized
       *
        your use of Snooper, and supported the shareware concept.
        Our undying gratitude.
       *


                                      Upgrades

       Upgrades are available at a significant discount to registered users
       of any previous Snooper version. Upgrades include the latest version
       on disk and a printed manual. The disk will include the history file,
       so you can see what changes have been made. You can order an upgrade
       any time, and a newer version will be sent to you. We will delay
       shipment until a newer version is available, if necessary.


                                       Pricing

       Here is Snooper's pricing, current as of publication date:


       Full version                   Upgrade
       Users         Price per user   Users    Price per user
       1-9           $39.00           1-9      $15.00
       10+           Please call      10+      Please call


       Remember, if you are using Snooper to gather hardware inventory across
       a network, or are sending out disks to clients, branch offices, etc.,
       you must purchase a site license or distribution license. We negotiate
       these licenses on an individual basis, because your needs are
       different from those of others. If you need multiple disks or manuals,
       or you have some other special need, please contact us for further
       information.




             Snooper, the System Information Program for You!
       12





                                   How To Register

       It's very quick, easy, and flexible.

       Remember, if you are using Snooper in any manner that may allow more
       than one person to use Snooper at a time (e.g., gathering hardware
       inventory across a network, sending disks to clients, branch offices,
       etc.), you must purchase a site license or distribution license.

       To register by mail or fax: If you have it, print the ORDER.FRM file.
       If not, from Snooper's Main screen press <F1> for help, then <O> for
       ordering information, then <P> for printing an order form/invoice.
       Make sure your printer is ready. Finally, select the port to which you
       want Snooper to print the order form. There is a list of choices at
       the bottom of your screen (usually, <1> will work).
          Fill out the form completely and either mail it or fax it. Our
       address and fax number are on the first page of this manual. You must
       send your registration in US funds drawn on a US bank. You can pay
       with a business, personal, travelers, or cashier's check; a money
       order, Postal Money Order, or American Express International Money
       Order. Or you can send cash if that's easiest for you. Make checks
       payable to "Vias and Associates."

       To register by phone: Have your Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or
       American Express card handy and call our tollfree order line listed on
       the first page of this manual.

       To register by purchase order: If you're ordering Snooper for a
       business, just send a copy of the order form/invoice to your
       Purchasing department and have them forward a purchase order to us.
       When we receive it, we'll send your manual, disk, and license number,
       and send an invoice to your Accounts Payable department. This is
       faster than your having to contact us first to send you an invoice.

       To register by CompuServe: Go SWREG and order item # 2535. Snooper's
       price will be added to your CompuServe bill.

       Thank you for registering! We think you will enjoy and benefit from
       Snooper for years to come.



                                       SYNTAX

       There are many switches and options you can use to change Snooper's
       operation. Enter them after Snooper's name at the DOS prompt. They are
       all optional and all case-insensitive. Each must be separated by at
       least one space. You may preface each with a hyphen or a slash if you
       wish.
          Some have long-name forms, so in a batch file, you can easily see
       what the switch is for. They all have single-letter forms, as well,
       for faster entry at the command line. In fact, Snooper only notices
       the first character (except where it expects filenames, and with the
       Auto-Logging switch), so you can create your own long-name forms
       (e.g., "/IDESkipped" instead of just "/I").


                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    13





          If you enter an invalid parameter, Snooper will display its first
       help screen (command line syntax), and show you the invalid
       characters. Here is a diagram of Snooper's command line options. All
       options are in brackets to indicate they are optional. Each is
       described fully in the following sections.

       SNOOPER [H(elp) | ?] [M(ono)] [D(esqview)] [A[B/D/E/L/N/O/S]]
               [Q(uiet)] [D:] [C(PUSkip)] [N(DPSkip)] [O(therIRQ)]
               [I(DESkip)] [T(uneSkip)] [F] [W] [Cfilename] [Lfilename]

       NOTE: The batch mode switch (B) has been removed. Instead, to run
       Snooper and have it return to the DOS prompt immediately, use the
       Auto-Logging switch by itself (i.e., "snooper a"). It's handy when you
       want to quickly run Snooper from a batch file and don't want to have
       to press <ESC> to exit. Snooper will get information from only one
       disk drive and return to DOS. Used in this way, this switch will not
       log any screens.


                                 Help Switches (H|?)

       "H" and "?" are help switches. If a help switch is specified, Snooper
       displays help screens that show command line syntax, examples, and
       keystrokes you can use while in the program. Press <O> from a help
       screen to see ordering information. Snooper ignores certain command
       line switches when you specify a help switch.


                                   Mono Switch (M)

       Normally, Snooper senses if it is being run on a machine with a
       monochrome card and automatically uses its monochrome mode background
       color. However, Snooper can't tell if your PC has a color card but a
       monochrome, color composite, or LCD display, such as most laptops. If
       you use such a machine, you should try using the monochrome switch.
       Usually, Snooper's display will be more legible, but it depends on the
       particular display. Also, you can configure Snooper's colors to create
       the most readable color combination, then save it, eliminating the
       need to use this switch (see Setup key, below).


                              Desqview Mode Switch (D)

       When Snooper detects Desqview, it uses the BIOS to write to the screen
       instead of writing directly to video memory. If you have an old CGA
       adapter (on which you may see "snow" when Snooper draws its screen) or
       if something interferes with Snooper's detection of Desqview, you may
       want to use this switch. Screen displays will be slower.


                                       Logging

       Logging is handy to use in batch files for getting printouts of
       Snooper's output for later reference. If no log file exists, Snooper
       will create one. If one already exists, Snooper will append the new


             Snooper, the System Information Program for You!
       14





       data to the end of the old file. In this way, you can create one file
       with system information for all the computers at your site.
          The log file grows by 2000 bytes each time Snooper copies a screen
       to it. Thus, you easily can tell by looking at the file's size how
       many screens you have already logged. For example, if the log file is
       8000 bytes, you've logged four screens (8000/2000 = 4). Of course, if
       you log system files, which copies CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT,
       WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI files to the log file, it will no longer follow
       this convention.
          Snooper first checks for a log filename on the command line. Simply
       type it immediately following the "L" (with no intervening space) like
       this:

          snooper /Lc:\files\snoop.dat

       If you want Snooper's output to go to your printer, just specify the
       port it's connected to (omit the trailing colon). So if your printer
       is on LPT1:, type:

          snooper -Llpt1

       In these examples, you would have to press the Logging key (Alt-L) or
       Log System Files Key (Alt-F) while in Snooper for any logging to
       occur. But see Auto-Logging, below.


                         Log Filename Parameter (Lfilename)

       "L" is the log filename parameter. Use this parameter to override
       Snooper's default log filename (SNOOPER.LOG). You may specify a full
       pathname, filename, or a port (e.g., "prn"). See "Logging," above, for
       more information on Snooper's powerful logging features.


                            Log File Environment Variable

       If you don't specify a log filename, Snooper searches the DOS
       environment for a variable called SNOOPLOG. (This variable used to be
       called SNOOPER. In this release, you may still use the old name, which
       was retained for compatibility. However, it probably will not be
       recognized in future versions, so please edit your batch files, if
       necessary.) You can set the SNOOPLOG variable by typing:

           et snooplog=variable
          s

       at the DOS prompt. Variable can be any valid filename or port, such as
       PRN:

          set snooplog=prn

       If you don't specify a log file on the command line or with SNOOPLOG,
       Snooper writes a file named SNOOPER.LOG in the current directory.
          Because not all printers can print line-drawing characters, Snooper
       translates its borders to ordinary (low ASCII) characters (hyphens,
       vertical bars, and plus signs). This way, virtually any printer can


                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    15





       quickly and accurately print Snooper's display. Therefore, you should
       use the logging keystroke or switch and not the <PrtScr> key, which
       doesn't translate the line-drawing characters.

       NOTE: If you have an early Color Graphics Adapter, you may see "snow"
       (interference) on your monitor during the logging process. Don't be
       alarmed. This is normal and will not hurt your machine.

       NOTE: Snooper must find the screen buffer to log its display. It will
       find it even if it has been moved by a program adhering to the
       Relocatable Screen Interface Specification (e.g., Desqview, Topview,
       and Memory Commander).


                               Auto-Logging Switch (A)

       The Auto-Logging feature automatically copies, or logs, one or more of
       Snooper's screens to a file or printer, without human intervention.
       You can specify where you want the resultant file written with the Log
       Filename parameter (see above), or let Snooper use its default log
       filename, SNOOPER.LOG.
          The Auto-Logging switch is designed for quickly and easily
       gathering hardware inventory. Specify the switch ("A") followed by
       letters representing the screens you want logged. They will be logged
       in the order you specify. When Snooper is done Auto-Logging, it
       returns to DOS.
          The Auto-Logging switch follows the rules for specifying log
       filenames. It defaults to writing to SNOOPER.LOG. If you want to use a
       different filename, use the "L" switch. Or you can use the SNOOPLOG
       environment variable. You can cause Auto-Logging to print each screen
       instead of logging to a file if you set SNOOPLOG=PRN. See "Examples"
       below.
          Each letter specified after the "A" corresponds to the Alt- key you
       would press in Snooper to access that screen. For example, to log the
       Diagnostics screen in Snooper you would press Alt-D. To Auto-Log the
       Diagnostics screen, you would specify "AD" on the command line ("A"
       for Auto-Log and "D" for the Diagnostics screen). Here are all the
       screens and the letters you use to Auto-Log them:


       Screen to Auto-    Letter to        Notes
       Log                specify after
                          the "A"
       Benchmark          E                CPU and Hard Disk benchmarks run.
                                           Video is run unless quiet mode is
                                           active.
       Bus                B
       CMOS               O
       Diagnostics        D                This screen may take several
                                           seconds.
       Main               L
       Network            N
       Setup              S




       16    Snooper, the System Information Program for You!






       Examples:

       To Auto-Log the Main, Diagnostics, and Network screens, in that order,
       to SNOOPER.LOG, enter:

          snooper aldn

       To Auto-Log the Benchmark, CMOS, and Setup screens to
       F:\LOGS\1234.LOG, enter:

          snooper aeos lf:\logs\1234.log

       To Auto-Log the Main and CMOS screens to a printer on PRN, enter:

          snooper alo Lprn

          or

          set snooplog=prn
          snooper alo


       NOTE: The presence of either or both of the following command line
       switches will disable the <Alt-F> keystroke in Snooper, preventing the
       user from accidentally logging system files twice.


                           Log DOS System Files Switch (F)

       Specify this switch and Snooper will, upon exit, copy your CONFIG.SYS
       and AUTOEXEC.BAT files to the log file, with markers identifying the
       beginning and end of each system file. You can use this with the
       logging switch, above; it will use the same log file.
          Snooper will search the root directory of the drive whose info is
       shown in Snooper's main screen for CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT, so be
       sure you're looking at the right disk's info.  Snooper will warn you
       via the message box if it can't find the files.


                         Log Windows System Files Switch (W)

       Specify this switch and Snooper will, upon exit, copy your WIN.INI and
       SYSTEM.INI files to the log file, with markers identifying the
       beginning and end of each system file. You can use this with the
       logging switch, above; it will use the same log file.
          Snooper searches the current directory and the path for WIN.INI and
       SYSTEM.INI.


                                Quiet Mode Switch (Q)

       When Snooper runs in quiet mode, it suppresses all screen output. ANSI
       detection and video benchmarks are disabled because to work properly,



                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    17





       they need to display characters on the screen. The ERRORLEVEL
       variable, Logging, and Auto-Logging features operate as usual.
          Use quiet mode when you don't want users to see Snooper's display,
       such as during hardware inventory-gathering or hardware or software
       installation. These tasks are easily accomplished via batch files or
       login scripts and the Auto-Logging switch.

       NOTE: Snooper will let you run it interactively in quiet mode, but do
       so only with extreme caution! You run the risk of becoming lost and
       confused in Snooper's screens and perhaps inadvertently changing the
       CMOS or otherwise running amuck.


                               Disk Drive Switch (D:)

       D: represents a disk drive letter followed by a colon. Use it to
       specify the disk drive whose information you want to see first. You
       can, of course, see information from any of your drives, as explained
       under "keystrokes" below. If you don't specify a drive, or if you
       specify an invalid one, Snooper will use the current drive.


                        Chip Detection Bypass Switches (C, N)

       A few machines lock up during Snooper's microprocessor or math
       coprocessor detection routines. When this happens, Snooper will draw
       its background and then stop. The message box in the lower right
       corner of the display will indicate which switch to use. If you have
       this problem, all you need to do is rerun Snooper, specifying one or
       both of these switches.
          The "C" switch prevents Snooper from checking the CPU
       (microprocessor) type (it also keeps Snooper from identifying certain
       computer types and other information).
          The "N" switch prevents Snooper from determining which Numerical
       Data Processor (NDP, or math coprocessor) your computer has. It
       sometimes can guess anyway, based on the CPU type (assuming the "/C"
       switch was not specified, of course).


                                 OtherIRQ Switch (O)

       A few computers aren't compatible with the method Snooper uses to
       detect IRQs in the Diagnostics screen. If you find your computer hangs
       in that screen with the message "Getting port IRQ," specify this
       switch. Unfortunately, this method isn't as accurate as the default
       method, so the results may not be as useful.


                                 IDE Skip Switch (I)

       A few computers aren't compatible with the method Snooper uses to
       detect the model name of IDE hard drives. If you find your computer
       hangs with a "Getting IDE model" message in the message box, specify
       this switch. Snooper will then no longer try to detect the drive
       model.


       18    Snooper, the System Information Program for You!







                                Tune Skip Switch (T)

       The method Snooper uses to detect sound cards and SCSI host adapters
       can interfere with some network cards residing at I/O addresses in the
       200-390 range, especially if network drivers are loaded. If your
       computer has a network card and Snooper hangs with a "Getting sound"
       or "If locked, use /t" message in the message box, specify this
       switch. Snooper will then no longer try to detect sound cards or SCSI
       host adapters.


                      Configuration File Parameter (Sfilename)

       A configuration file contains options that specify Snooper's defaults.
       Colors, license number, monochrome mode and other options can be
       specified in the configuration file. To create one, see the
       instructions under Setup key, below.
          When it starts, Snooper looks for the environment variable SNOOPCFG
       (see below), which points to a configuration file. If SNOOPCFG hasn't
       been defined, Snooper looks in its home directory (i.e., the directory
       in which SNOOPER.EXE resides) for a file called SNOOPER.CFG.
          Use the Configuration File parameter to load a different
       configuration file, which is useful if you have multiple files, as on
       a network. Note that specifying a filename is necessary if you use
       this switch. If Snooper can't find the file you specified, it will say
       so in the message box. Also, if the file's size is incorrect (as may
       happen with an old configuration file and a new version of Snooper),
       it will report the file to be invalid. To maintain its integrity,
       don't attempt to modify the configuration file manually. Use the Setup
       screen.


                          Config File Environment Variable

       Snooper searches the environment for a variable called SNOOPCFG. You
       can set the SNOOPCFG variable by typing:

          set snoopcfg=variable

       at the DOS prompt. Variable can be any valid DOS filename.

       Command line parameters that follow the specified configuration
       filename override the config file's options. Those that precede it are
       overridden by the config file's options. In the following example,
       Snooper would load a configuration file called C:\UTILS\SNOOPER.BOB.

          snooper /Sc:\utils\snooper.bob /m

       Regardless of the configuration file's contents, Snooper would run in
       monochrome mode because the monochrome mode command line switch was
       specified after the configuration filename.




                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    19





       Examples

       Some examples will help clarify Snooper's options.

          snooper /h

       Snooper will show its help screen and examples.

          snooper sd:\utils\snoop.cnf e:

       Snooper will load the configuration file named C:\UTILS\SNOOP.CNF,
       then show information from drive E: and wait for keystrokes. <Esc>
       quits.

          snooper -M c: a

       Snooper will use its monochrome display colors, get drive information
       from drive C:, and immediately return to DOS.

          set snooplog=prn
          snooper -l\snoop.dat al

       Snooper will show information for the current drive, then write a log
       file in the root directory of the current drive called SNOOP.DAT.
       Recall that a log filename on the command line overrides the SNOOPER
       environment variable, so Snooper does not log to "prn." There will be
       a quiz later.



                                      OPERATION

       After the following brief account of Snooper's operation, we will
       describe a few parts in greater detail.
          When you first invoke Snooper, it looks for its default
       configuration file and configures itself accordingly. Then it reads
       its command line, looking for switches. It loads a configuration file
       if you specified one. Recall that command line switches that follow a
       specified config file override that config file's options.
          Because of the EGA's notoriously buggy cursor routines, we thought
       it would be wise to leave the EGA cursor alone, so it stays on. On all
       other video systems, Snooper turns off the cursor to make the display
       a bit cleaner.
          It then gets country-dependent information from DOS, based on the
       COUNTRY command in your CONFIG.SYS file. (You don't have to use it
       unless you live outside the US.) The information tells Snooper how to
       arrange and punctuate the date, time, and numbers.
          At the bottom of its display, Snooper shows the day, date, and time
       according to DOS. This feature comes in handy when you want to view a
       log file of Snooper's output as it lets you know when it was made. It
       also allows you to check your computer's date and time for accuracy
       (some computer clocks run slowly).
          After Snooper shows you its display, it awaits certain keystrokes.
       Invalid keystrokes cause Snooper to beep. This feature, added partly



             Snooper, the System Information Program for You!
       20





       to aid visually impaired users, can be turned off via the Setup
       screen.
          When you press <ESC>, Snooper writes a log file if you told it to,
       turns the cursor back on, sets the ERRORLEVEL variable, and returns
       you to DOS.


                                  Windows Operation

       Snooper performs somewhat differently under Windows. If Snooper is
       idle, it gives up its time slice immediately. What this means is
       Snooper won't slow down your other running programs. The only drawback
       is that the time display freezes. Just press the spacebar when
       Snooper's window is active to update the time. Ignore the beep if you
       hear one.
          In Windows 386 enhanced mode, Snooper turns off IDE model checking,
       which interferes with 32-bit disk access. Also, if you invoke the
       Diagnostics screen (in Windows or any other detected multitasker or
       network), a message pops up warning you that what the Diagnostics
       screen must do may disrupt other currently running applications. You
       are given the option of continuing or returning to the Main screen.
          Benchmark results under Windows will vary widely due to
       multitasking. To gather accurate benchmarks, run Snooper from DOS.
                   aste Snooper's display, as text, into the Clipboard (see
          You can p
       Paste to Clipboard key, below).

       NOTE: Sometimes, Snooper will not run properly under Windows. If you
       find this to be the case, simply exit Windows completely and run
       Snooper from the DOS prompt.


                                        Keys

       On the last line of each of Snooper's displays, there is a list of
       available keystrokes to jog your memory. Note that on the Main screen,
       because of space limitations, not all the available keys are listed.
       However, they are all listed on the help screen (press <F1> from the
       Main screen). Explanations of Snooper's secondary screens are given
       after those for the Main screen, below.


       Exit Key

       The <Esc> key returns you to the Main screen if you're not already
       there. If you are, it exits Snooper and returns you to DOS.


       Help Key

       The <F1> key, when pressed from Snooper's Main screen, displays the
       second of two help screens: keys available while you're in Snooper.
       The first help screen, accessible with <PgUp>, <Up>, or <Home>, shows
       Snooper's command line syntax, just as if you had used Snooper's help
       switch at the DOS prompt (i.e., "snooper /?").



                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    21






       Order/Registration Key

       Pressing the letter "O" from a help screen displays Snooper's ordering
       screen. Once there, if you'd like to print an order form/invoice to
       fill out and send to us, press <P>. For your convenience, along the
       bottom of your screen, Snooper lists every parallel and serial port in
       your system. You print to any listed port (assuming there is a printer
       attached), or you may print to a file, which you can then edit and
       print yourself. Press a number and Snooper will print the order
       form/invoice to the corresponding port. Normally, you would type <1>
       for LPT1. This is just one of the easy and fast ways to register
       Snooper, and we hope you will find it convenient (soon!).


       Disk Drive Keys

       On the right side of Snooper's Main screen, details about a single
       disk are shown. You can use the <Left>, <Up>, and <PgUp> keys to tell
       Snooper to get disk information for the next lower-lettered disk. For
       example, if you're looking at C:'s info, press <PgUp> to see drive B:.
       The <Right>, <Down>, and <PgDn> keys do the opposite. <Home> takes you
       to drive A: and <End> takes you to the last valid drive in your
       computer.
          Alternatively, you can press the letter corresponding to the drive
       you want to see. If you want the A: drive's data, for example, just
       press <A>.
          The list at the top right of the display shows you which drives are
       available on your system, and which drive's info you are viewing. If
       you press an invalid drive letter, Snooper will beep (if sound is
       enabled) and display a message in the message box.


       File Editing

       From the Main screen you can invoke a text editor to edit your
       CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT, and SNOOPER.LOG files.
          Snooper has a simple but capable editor built in. Press <F1> when
       you're in it to view its help screen. The obvious advantage of using
       the internal editor is it's always available. If you wish, however,
       you can have Snooper load an external editor, perhaps one with special
       features you like. The Setup screen lets you choose which editor
       Snooper will use, internal or external.
          Whatever editor you choose, Snooper ensures the file you want to
       edit exists before attempting to load the editor. The message box will
       alert you if the file is missing.
          After you exit the editor, Snooper asks if you want to reboot your
       computer, necessary for changes to CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT to take
       effect. If you choose to reboot, Snooper will delay several seconds to
       try to ensure the file is actually written to the disk. Otherwise, a
       disk cache with write-delayed caching may not have time to save the
       edited file.
          An external editor must be named EDIT.COM, EDIT.EXE, or EDIT.BAT.
       It must be in the current directory or on the path. If it's not
       already named EDIT, you can simply rename it or create a batch file


       22    Snooper, the System Information Program for You!





       called EDIT.BAT that calls it. You can, of course, add other commands
       in the batch file. Use a replaceable parameter for the filename.
       Here's a sample EDIT.BAT file that works for all three files Snooper
       lets you edit:

          echo off
          copy %1 c:\backup\%1
          ed /r %1

       In this example, the original file is copied to another directory for
       safe keeping. Also, a hypothetical switch ("/r") is passed to an
       editor named ED. This should give you an idea about what can be put in
       EDIT.BAT.


       Edit CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT Keys

       Press <Alt-C> to edit CONFIG.SYS or <Alt-A> to edit AUTOEXEC.BAT.
       Snooper looks for the file in the root directory of whatever drive
       you're looking at on its Main screen. So if you want to load
       C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT, ensure drive C:'s information is showing before you
       press <Alt-A>. Check the highlighted letter in the drive list to be
       sure. Snooper will tell you if the file you want to edit doesn't exist
       in the root directory of the drive you're looking at. Remember, you
       can log these files with the Log System Files Switch (F) or Key (<Alt-
       F>).


       Edit SNOOPER.LOG Key

       From Snooper's Main screen press <Alt-V> and Snooper will invoke an
       editor so you can edit an existing SNOOPER.LOG file. You may want to
       do this to compare earlier screen dumps with recent ones, or to add
       comments to the log file. See above for editor-naming conventions.


       Log Key

       Use <Alt-L> to write a log file to disk or to a port, such as a
       printer port (see also Log to Printer Key, below). You may log any
       screen with this key. It works similarly to the logging command line
       switch except that it works immediately, not after you exit. If you
       also specified the logging switch with a filename, it will use that
       filename. If not, it will use the SNOOPLOG environment variable if it
       exists; otherwise, the default: SNOOPER.LOG.
          The information you're looking at when you press the logging key is
       the information that will be logged. Because of this, you can press
       <Alt-L> in the Main screen, then <Alt-D>,<Alt-L>,<Esc> and so on until
       you have a log file containing snapshots of all the screens you're
       interested in. If you wish to do this automatically, simply use the
       Auto-Logging Switch (/A, see above). This log file can be very useful
       when you need to remember what kind of computer someone has. You can
       even log help screens for future reference.




                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    23





       Log to Printer Key

       <Alt-P> will print the screen you're looking at. It sends its output
       to PRN. If your printer is on LPT2:, simply set the SNOOPLOG
       environment variable  or the /L parameter to LPT2 and use the <Alt-L>
       keystroke instead.


       Log System Files Key

       Pressing <Alt-F> causes Snooper to copy the CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT,
       WIN.INI, and SYSTEM.INI files to the log file. The CONFIG.SYS and
       AUTOEXEC.BAT files on the drive whose information you're viewing are
       the ones that will be added to the log file. The message line will
       tell you if neither file was found. Snooper will look for the Windows
       files in the current directory and along the path and will log
       whichever files it finds.

       NOTE: If either or both Log System Files switches (F and W) are
       specified on the command line, this keystroke will be disabled,
       preventing the user from accidentally logging the system files twice.


       Log to Windows Clipboard Key

       When Snooper is running under Windows, you can press <Shift-Delete> to
       paste a copy of Snooper's display to the Windows Clipboard. (<Ctrl-
       Insert>, the copy key, would have been more appropriate, but it's only
       available on enhanced keyboards.) Because many Windows fonts don't
       include high-ASCII characters, Snooper will translate its line-drawing
       characters into low-ASCII characters as usual. You can then paste the
       display into a Windows document. Of course, for the characters to
       align properly, you must use a monospaced font such as Courier or OEM.



                                     ERRORLEVEL

       If certain errors occur, upon exit Snooper sets the ERRORLEVEL batch
       file variable and shows the value of ERRORLEVEL on the screen in the
       message box. Here are the error conditions ERRORLEVEL reports:
















             Snooper, the System Information Program for You!
       24






        Errorlevel  Meaning
                 0  Successful completion: there were no errors.
                 1  Drive door was open or there was no disk in a requested
                    (or default) disk drive, or a disk was bad or
                    unformatted.
                 2  User specified an invalid drive on the command line.
                 4  DOS version is older than 3.1.
                 8  Error occurred while Snooper was writing a log file.
                16  User specified an invalid command line parameter.
                32  Abnormal termination: Snooper encountered an
                    unanticipated problem and terminated.


       Notice the numbers aren't consecutive. This numbering scheme allows
       Snooper to add the numbers to indicate multiple errors.
          For example, if you specified an invalid drive and Snooper
       encountered an error writing a log file, it would set ERRORLEVEL to
       ten, the sum of two and eight. The ERRORLEVEL variable can be tested
       in batch files. For example:

          if ERRORLEVEL 10 goto BadDrv_and_LogError

       See your DOS manual for details and usage of the ERRORLEVEL variable.



                                        BUGS

       Snooper has been under development for several years, but it may still
       have a bug or two lurking in it. To debug Snooper thoroughly, we would
       need access to a huge array of computers and peripherals. We don't. It
       has been used successfully on hundreds of machines but such testing
       can never be comprehensive.
          If you think you've found a bug, please let us know by sending the
       invoice (don't forget your phone number) with a specific description
       of the bug. Include a printed log file if you can. Of course, an
       inaccurate report may mean your hardware, BIOS, DOS, TSRs, or
       something else is incompatible or is interfering with Snooper,
       especially on older machines. We'd like to hear from you anyway.


                              Known Bugs and Anomalies

        A few machines lock up when running Snooper. The culprit is
       *
        sometimes the CPU, NDP, IDE, sound card, or IRQ detection routines.
        Simply specify the "C," "N," "S," "T," or "O" command line switches
        (the message box may tell you which, or try each). Plus, see the
        SNOOPER.FAQ file for more details. We've fixed this problem more
        than once but there's always one more machine out there....
       *Because of the way NDOS and 4DOS allocate memory in their non-
        swapping modes, Snooper can't find the environment, and will give an
        incorrect Environment report such as: "Free 65,536 Total 0."




                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    25






                                      WISH LIST

       Snooper will never be complete, of course. We have continually found
       new reports and features to add to make it an easy-to-use and powerful
       utility. There are a few things we still want from Snooper:

       *Brand detection of more non-Intel CPUs and NDPs
        Detection of VL local bus
       *
       *Detection of tape drives
        Differentiation of ST506, IDE, ESDI, and SCSI hard drives
       *

       If you think you can help us with the above challenges, please call,
       write, or leave E-mail. With your help, Snooper can become an even
       more powerful utility. Also, we'd be glad to mention your help in the
       acknowledgments if you'd like (all together: "Oooh, ahhh!").



                                     MAIN SCREEN

       Following, roughly in the order they appear on-screen, is a detailed
       list of Snooper's Main screen reports, followed by the reports on the
       other screens.


                                      Computer

       The type of computer Snooper is being run on. On some XT and AT
       clones, Snooper can't tell if it's running on an actual IBM machine or
       a compatible, so it will report the IBM equivalent (e.g. "PC AT").
       Snooper can recognize over a hundred machines by name, including many
       ATTs, Dells, IBMs, Olivettis, and Toshibas.

       NOTE: If you are not skipping CPU detection and Snooper reports
       Computer Type as "Unknown ID: . . ." please drop us a note with the ID
       numbers, and the exact model and brand computer Snooper was running
       on. Thanks.


                           Advanced Power Management (APM)

       If Advanced Power Management (APM), which implements energy
       conservation, is active, Snooper will say so after the computer type.


                            Central Processing Unit (CPU)

       The computer's microprocessor chip. Snooper can report the presence
       of: 8088/86, V20/V30, 80286, 80386SX, 80386DX, 80486SX, 80486DX, and
       Pentium CPUs.
          If you have a math coprocessor, and you disable CPU detection but
       leave math coprocessor detection on, Snooper will try to guess what
       CPU you have by the NDP type.



             Snooper, the System Information Program for You!
       26





       NOTE: If Snooper reports "80386," it means your 386SX or 386DX CPU is
       in virtual-86 mode (explained below). Some operating environments and
       expanded memory managers (e.g. EMM386) would report an error if
       Snooper tried to determine which of the two chips is present. Instead,
       Snooper skips the determination and shows you have one of the two
       chips. If you unload the program that puts your CPU into virtual-86
       mode, Snooper can then tell you which CPU you have.


                                      CPU Speed

       The number after the hyphen (e.g., the "90" in "Pentium-90") is an
       estimate of your computer's speed in Megahertz. This benchmark is very
       accurate, given that it doesn't induce a noticeable delay in
       execution.


                                   Virtual-86 Mode

       If "V86" appears in the CPU report, your computer's CPU is operating
       in virtual-86 mode, instead of real mode. The 80286 and newer CPUs
       implement protected mode, which is often used by memory managers,
       multitaskers (including Microsoft Windows), and other software.
       Multitaskers that put the CPU in protected mode actually run programs
       in virtual-86 mode, which tricks each program into believing it has
       total access to the machine. In truth, the multitasker controls the
       programs' access.


                            Numeric Data Processor (NDP)

       The Numeric Data Processor (NDP), also called the math coprocessor, or
       Floating Point Unit (FPU). Math coprocessors significantly speed
       calculations involving floating point numbers (i.e., numbers with
       decimal portions). Snooper can detect 8087, 80287, 80387SX, 80387, and
       Weitek 1167 math chips. Snooper will report "internal" for 80486DX and
       better CPUs, since they have math coprocessors built into them.
          Some computers have a switch or configuration option that the user
       sets to reflect the presence (or absence) of a math coprocessor.
       Because these are often set incorrectly, Snooper's report is not
       dependent on this setting. But Snooper does check the setting. If
       Snooper finds its NDP report and the switch setting don't agree, it
       displays a check mark in the NDP report. This lets you know you should
       check (and reset) the switch (and/or system configuration, if you have
       an AT-class computer). If you don't see a check mark, the switch or
       configuration is set properly.


                                         Bus

       The architecture of the bus your computer uses. The bus is the part
       you plug expansion cards into: the slots. Most computers report "ISA"
       (pronounced "ICE-uh"), which stands for Industry Standard
       Architecture, the bus in PCs, XTs, ATs, and most clones.



                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    27





          Many IBM PS/2 computers will report "MCA," or Micro Channel
       Architecture. The MCA is entirely different and cards based on it are
       incompatible with those for the ISA standard, but MCA does add
       features and increase performance in some cases. Some computers have
       both buses, in which case Snooper reports "MCA+ISA." For a list of the
       MCA adapter cards in your system, invoke the Bus screen by pressing
       <Alt-B>.
          A consortium of companies worked out a different standard. It is
       called "EISA," (pronounced "EES-uh") meaning Enhanced ISA. It retains
       compatibility with the older ISA bus, but like the MCA, it adds
       features and power. Still, it is losing popularity in favor of the PCI
       bus.
          Local buses provide increased throughput over traditional buses
       such as ISA. Apparently, there is no software detection available at
       this writing for the VESA Local bus, or VL-Bus, so Snooper can't
       detect it. However, Snooper can detect the PCI bus, developed by
       Intel. It will also report if your system has both PCI and EISA buses.


                                       Memory

       Conventional Memory

       Bytes of conventional RAM (the first 640K) in your computer.

       NOTE: A few computers use more RAM than most for their video displays,
       so Snooper may not report all the memory the computer has (e.g., it
       may report 624K instead of 640K on some Tandys).


       Free Memory

       Bytes of conventional RAM still available for programs and data. This
       report allows you to see the effect of, for example, loading and
       unloading memory-resident programs.


       Used Memory

       Bytes of conventional memory DOS and memory-resident programs are
       using (total minus free memory).


       Extended Memory

       Extended memory is memory beyond the 1M boundary. It is available only
       on AT-type machines (that is, those with 80286 or newer
       microprocessors). (If you have an XT-type computer, this report will
       always be blank.) Programs written to do so can store data in extended
       memory. This report shows the total amount of extended memory
       installed, despite how you've configured it. Even if a program is
       using it all, Snooper will still show the total amount installed. This
       report is taken from the CMOS. See the CMOS screen section below for
       an explanation of the CMOS.



       28    Snooper, the System Information Program for You!






       Ext Free

       This report shows how much extended memory you still have available.
       Snooper gets this report from the computer's BIOS. This memory is only
       available to mostly older programs that don't use XMS (see below).


       XMS Memory

       As we mentioned above, programs written to do so can store data in
       extended memory. The trouble is, different programs handle extended
       memory differently. This is because until the eXtended Memory
       Specification (or "XMS"), there was no standard for accessing extended
       memory, and the computer's built-in facilities are crude at best. Some
       programs are polite enough to decrease the amount of extended memory
       they report to other programs by the amount they themselves are using.
       Some aren't so polite, leaving themselves open to having their memory
       overwritten by another program. As you might imagine, this leads to
       problems.
          If you have loaded an eXtended Memory Manager, or XMM (e.g.,
       Microsoft's HIMEM.SYS)--that is, if you have XMS memory, Snooper will
       report how much is still available.


       eXtended Memory Specification Version

       The number displayed after "XMS" is the version of the eXtended Memory
       Specification the loaded XMM supports. This is different from the
       internal version number of the XMM program itself. Newer versions
       support added features, so be sure your XMM supports the program you
       want to run.


       High Memory Area (HMA) status

       The high memory area is the 64K (less 16 bytes) block beginning at the
       1M boundary, immediately above the ROM BIOS. It, like all types of
       extended memory, can be found only on AT-type computers, and only by
       programs written to use it. This report shows you if a HMA exists (you
       must have an XMM loaded to provide it), and if it is available for use
       or is being used by a program. If the HMA is in use, the information
       this report provides depends on the DOS version the machine is running
       under. If DOS 5 or newer is loaded, Snooper will tell you how many
       bytes of the original 64K are still free. If not, it simply lets you
       know the HMA is in use. Normally, only one program at a time uses the
       HMA, but it can be shared.


       A20 Line Status

       Shown after "HMA" on the same line if you're running DOS 4 or lower,
       this report shows if the CPU address line called A20 is enabled.
       Snooper shows "(A20)" is the A20 is enabled, nothing if it's not.
       Usually, the A20 is handled automatically by memory management


                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    29





       software. At times, you may need to know the A20's status, perhaps
       while investigating an obscure memory management problem.


       Upper Memory Block (UMB)

       With DOS 5 and some third party memory managers, you can load some of
       your device drivers and other memory-resident programs above
       conventional memory, into what are called upper memory blocks. Snooper
       reports the largest available UMB. You must have the line "DOS=UMB" in
       your CONFIG.SYS file for this report to work.


       Expanded Memory Specification Total

       The amount of expanded memory (EMS) installed. Lotus, Intel, and
       Microsoft developed EMS to break DOS's 640K memory barrier (sort of).
       Some programs, which have been written to do so, can use EMS to store
       data. Not surprisingly, many spreadsheet programs use EMS. Unlike
       extended memory, EMS is available on both XT- and AT-class machines.
       It is not used by Windows applications.


       Expanded Memory Manager Level

       Shown after "EMS," the version of Expanded Memory Specification the
       hardware and/or software is implementing. As of this writing, this
       report probably should be either 3.2 or 4.0. Some programs require EMS
       4.0, which has enhanced capabilities. Like the XMM version, this
       reflects the specification version, not the EMM program's version.


       EMS Memory Free

       The amount of EMS still available for programs and data.


                                       Drives

       Floppy

       The number of floppy drives installed. Despite what some people
       believe, 3.5" diskettes are floppy disks, not hard disks, despite
       their hard plastic shells. Thus, they will be counted in this report.


       Hard

       The number of hard disks (also called "fixed disks") installed. Each
       physical hard disk adds to the total, regardless of its partitioning.
       That is, if you have one hard disk partitioned into C: and D: drives,
       it will count as one hard disk.





       30    Snooper, the System Information Program for You!





       Physical

       Simply the sum of floppy and hard disks. These are physical drives
       attached to your computer.


       Logical

       The total number of disk drives DOS recognizes. These include floppy,
       hard, RAM, CD-ROM, and network drives. Also included are simulated
       disk drives made with the DOS ASSIGN and SUBST commands, all hard disk
       partitions, and possibly other types. This report includes the drives
       identified in the Physical Drives report (above). Not included are
       tape drives, which are not directly recognized by DOS.
          Sometimes software splits a hard disk into two or more "partitions"
       (usually C: and D:). A hard disk like this will count as two. If you
       have a single floppy disk drive, the number given will not include
       drive B:, as it's simply another name for drive A:. But all other
       available drive letters count.


                                        Video

       Video Type

       The type of video adapter, and, mostly for VGAs, either the adapter
       brand or the type of monitor used. Snooper can detect:


       Report     Video card
       MDA        Monochrome Display Adapter, probably a text-only card (one
                  that doesn't provide graphics capability).
       Hercules   Hercules Graphics Card (a monochrome card with graphics
                  capability) or a Hercules-compatible; Snooper can detect
                  Hercules Graphics, InColor, and Plus cards by name.
       CGA        Color Graphics Adapter
       EGA        Enhanced Graphics Adapter
       PGC        Professional Graphics Controller
       MCGA       Multi-Color Graphics Array
       VGA        Video Graphics Array
       SVGA       VGA card with more than 256K
       XGA(-2)    eXtended Graphics Adapter, on Micro Channel PCs



       VGA Card Brand

       Snooper recognizes several VGA cards by brand, and many specific
       models.


       VESA

       A few years ago, several video hardware manufacturers formed the Video
       Electronics Standards Association, or VESA (pronounced "VEE suh" or


                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    31





       "VEH suh"). Their purpose is to standardize the PC video marketplace,
       making recommendations for standardized resolutions, frequencies, and
       so on. If the Video report begins with "VESA," your VGA card seems to
       comply with their recommendations. Snooper also shows you the VESA
       specification version your card complies with.


       Monitor Type

       Snooper can sometimes tell what type of monitor you are using. If
       Snooper has room on the screen, it shows which of three kinds of
       monitor you have: monochrome (usually green or amber), color (digital
       with EGAs or analog with VGAs or MCGAs), or digital color (for some
       MCGAs).


       Video Memory

       On EGA and some VGA cards, Snooper reports how much video memory is
       installed on the card. EGAs can have 64K to 256K; VGA cards, 256K to
       4M and beyond. The amount of video memory, the video card, and the
       monitor together determine the maximum resolution and colors you can
       see on your computer. With some early VESA cards, Snooper may show a
       little less memory than is actually installed (e.g., 1.5M versus 2M),
       as there was no way to tell for sure.



                                        Ports

       Serial Ports

       The addresses of all serial, or RS-232, ports installed. Usually, you
       would use these ports for modems, pointing devices (such as mice),
       some printers, plotters, and a variety of less common equipment. More-
       advanced serial port information is available in the Diagnostics
       screen via <Alt-D>.


       Parallel Ports

       The addresses of all parallel ports (also called printer ports)
       installed. As you would think, parallel ports are usually used for
       printers, but are now increasingly used for scanners, network
       adapters, and other peripherals. More-advanced parallel port
       information is available in the Diagnostics screen, accessed via the
       <Alt-D> key.

       NOTE: Netware tricks software (including Snooper) into thinking there
       are more parallel ports than are actually present. If your system is
       part of a Netware LAN, don't be surprised to see three parallel ports,
       some with the same address. To find out how many parallel ports there
       really are, take your machine off the network and rerun Snooper.




       32    Snooper, the System Information Program for You!





       Game Port

       The presence of a game port, or joystick adapter. The word "Game" will
       appear next to "Ports" if Snooper detects a joystick. The joystick
       detection methods seems to work well, but they are imperfect, as the
       PC provides no foolproof way to detect if a game port is present.
       Also, a joystick must be plugged into the port for the report to work.


       Sound Cards

       The presence of Sound Blaster, Adlib, or Roland MPU-401 MIDI sound
       cards, or their compatibles. The Diagnostics screen will show the port
       address of some sound cards. Press <Alt-D> for this screen.


                                      ROM BIOS

       Brand

       The manufacturer of the computer's ROM BIOS. Snooper can recognize
       several BIOS brands: American Megatrends, Inc. ("AMI"); Award; Chips
       and Technology ("C & T"), Compaq; DTK; IBM; Phoenix; and Zenith.
          How well the BIOS was written has much to do with how compatible
       your computer is. A poorly written BIOS plagues its owner with
       compatibility problems: programs won't run or they lock the computer,
       new hardware refuses to install properly, etc. A well-written BIOS is
       a joy to behold.


       Date

       The date stored in the ROM BIOS, which provides an indication of your
       computer's age. The computer was built since that date.


       Plug-N-Play

       With limited hardware resources such as IRQ lines and DMA channels
       (described in the Diagnostics screen section below) to go around, many
       users endure hours of configuration nightmares when installing a new
       adapter card. Although the Micro Channel and EISA buses solve this
       problem with semi-automatic configuration, nothing has helped the ISA
       bus. Plug-N-Play hopes to do just that. With Plug-N-Play extensions in
       your system's BIOS, your computer can arbitrate potential hardware
       conflicts for you, automatically.


       Extensions

       The segment addresses (places in memory) of any BIOS extensions in the
       computer. These extensions, which supplement the computer's built-in
       BIOS, are usually found on add-in cards. An EGA or VGA BIOS, for
       example, adds routines not found in the computer's own ROM BIOS video
       routines, and are often found at C000. An XT's hard drive BIOS is


                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    33





       usually found at C800. Snooper searches for an extension every 256
       bytes from C000 to FE00 (i.e., C000, C100, C200, etc.). This report
       comes in handy for telling your memory manager to avoid addresses used
       by adapter cards.


                                        Mouse

       Brand and Driver Version

       Shows what brand of mouse is installed (Microsoft, Logitech, Z-NIX,
       and Mouse Systems), and the driver version.
          A mouse usually requires a software-based driver (program). Its
       file is usually named MOUSE.COM or MOUSE.SYS. If a driver is loaded,
       Snooper will report its version. This report is useful for debugging,
       because if you're having trouble with your mouse, you may find that a
       new driver solves the problem. Also, forcing the driver to load into
       conventional, and not high, memory also can solve other problems.
       Drivers are often available free or at low cost from the mouse vendor.
          Some drivers, such as Genius and Logitech, report a Microsoft-
       equivalent version rather than their own internal version. Snooper can
       report a Logitech mouse driver's true version.


       Port

       Possible reports are: "bus" (the mouse connects to a specialized
       expansion card inside the computer), "Microsoft Inport" (a Microsoft-
       brand bus mouse), "serial" (the mouse plugs into a serial port),
       "Hewlett Packard," and "PS/2."
          If you have a serial mouse, Snooper tries to guess which serial
       port it is connected to by knowing what resources the mouse is using.
       If it isn't using IRQ4 (COM1 or COM 3) or IRQ3 (COM2 or COM4), Snooper
       displays which IRQ it is using. The Diagnostics screen shows which IRQ
       the mouse is using, and if it's a serial mouse, which port it's on.
       This can aid in troubleshooting.


                                      Keyboard

       Type

       The first number in the Keyboard report. Shows what kind of keyboard
       you have attached to your machine. Possible answers are "84" (non-
       enhanced, or XT), "101" (enhanced, or AT, including keyboards with
       even more keys), or, if your computer only supports 84-key keyboards,
       "N/A" (if your computer doesn't support enhanced keyboards, Snooper
       can't test for one).


       Support

       Reports what type of keyboard your computer's BIOS supports. If "101"
       appears after the keyboard type, your computer's ROM BIOS supports an
       enhanced keyboard, often with function keys along the top and a


             Snooper, the System Information Program for You!
       34





       separate cursor keypad. It recognizes the keys an enhanced keyboard
       adds to the standard keyboard, such as F11, F12 and certain cursor key
       combinations.


                                     Environment

       The DOS "environment" is an area of memory in which DOS keeps certain
       information it needs to run. Some examples of information in the
       environment are the format of the DOS prompt and the series of
       directories DOS searches for executable files. These are the PROMPT
       and PATH strings, and there are others. A string consists of the
       variable name (such as PATH), an equal sign, and the value of the
       string (often a path or list of paths such as C:\UTILS;C:\DOS;C:\).
       This sample PATH string looks like this:

          path=c:\utils;c:\dos;c:\

       You can view and edit the environment with the SET command. Because of
       the way 4DOS and NDOS allocate memory for the environment in their
       non-swapping modes, the environment reports will be inaccurate when
       Snooper is run under those environments.


       Free

       The number of bytes available in the environment. To calculate this
       report, for each string, Snooper counts each character of the variable
       name (such as "PATH"), the equal sign, each character of the value
       (such as "C:\DOS;C:\"), and one hidden character.


       Total

       The number of bytes of environment space allocated by DOS. You can
       change the amount of memory DOS allocates to the environment with the
       /E switch of the SHELL command in your CONFIG.SYS file. Different DOS
       versions use different memory units for the extra environment space.
       Check your DOS manual.


                                         DOS

       Brand and Version

       Snooper can detect: PC-DOS (from IBM), MS-DOS (from Microsoft,
       Phoenix, and others), DR DOS (from Digital Research), HP-DOS (from
       Hewlett Packard), DEC-DOS (from Digital Equipment Corp.), or Zen-DOS
       (not Eastern mysticism, just DOS from Zenith). Snooper also will
       report if it is running under OS/2 1.x or 2.x. A letter appears after
       the version on systems running DOS 5.0 or newer. This is the DOS
       revision, a sub-version of sorts.
          Versions of DOS since 5.0 can load most of themselves into the HMA,
       freeing the conventional memory they would normally use. If "HMA"



                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    35





       appears after the DOS type, DOS is loaded there. If "ROM" appears, DOS
       is stored in the computer's ROM, as with some laptops.

       NOTE: Both MS- and PC-DOS 3.30 report themselves as PC-DOS; Snooper
       reports that version as "MS/PC-DOS," indicating it can't
       differentiate.


       Shell

       A DOS shell is a program that provides features DOS doesn't or makes
       DOS easier to use, or both. Snooper can report the presence of:
       Microsoft Windows Real, Standard, or 386 Enhanced modes; Concurrent
       DOS; DoubleDOS; 4DOS and NDOS (only in swapping mode); Desqview;
       Taskview; Topview, DOS 5's task switcher, the Virtual Control Program
       Interface (VCPI), the DOS Protected Mode Interface (DPMI), and
       ANSI.SYS. It can often report the DOS shell's version number as well.
       If Snooper detects Desqview, it uses the BIOS to write to the screen.
          If Snooper detects 4DOS or NDOS, it tells what shell level it is
       running under. This kind of shell has a different meaning. When you
       shell from a program (it can be called something else, such as "DOS
       prompt"), you leave the program in memory but return to the DOS
       prompt. You type "exit" to return to your program. This is faster than
       exiting, then reloading the program, and lets you perform a simple
       task such as formatting a diskette. "Root" means you're not shelled
       out of a program; "1" means you've shelled out of one program; "2"
       means you shelled out of one program, loaded and shelled out of
       another; and so on. Snooper doesn't have a shell feature.


       Files

       The number of files DOS will allow to be open at once, as defined by
       the command "FILES=nn" in your CONFIG.SYS file. DOS always reserves
       some files for itself. Usually, your computing activity will require
       several files to be used at once, especially if you use a multitasking
       environment or a database. Most software vendors recommend you make at
       least 20 files available, requiring the line "FILES=20" to be in your
       CONFIG.SYS file. A few programs, notably Windows, may increase this
       number, so don't be surprised if the number is higher in Windows than
       in DOS.


       Buffers

       Number of buffers DOS uses for disk operations, as defined by the
       command "BUFFERS=p[,s]" in the CONFIG.SYS file. When your computer
       requests data from a disk, DOS transfers the data from the disk into
       RAM, where the program can access it. Subsequent requests for the same
       data are read from RAM, not from the disk. The reason is simple: RAM
       is fast, the disk is comparatively slow, so disk operations are sped
       up. Snooper detects the number of primary (the p above) and secondary
       buffers, if defined (the s above). See your DOS manual for more
       details.



       36    Snooper, the System Information Program for You!






       Break

       Break status (on or off). Pressing Ctrl-Break can force your computer
       to stop what it's doing in an emergency. Normally, DOS only checks for
       a Ctrl-Break keystroke when it's writing to the screen or reading from
       the keyboard, but if break is on, DOS checks more often.


       Verify

       Disk verify status (on or off). If verify is on, DOS uses a checksum
       method to confirm (in theory) what it writes to a disk is valid. Of
       course, when verify is on, disk operations are a bit slower.


                                     Disk Cache

       Reports the presence of a disk cache, and often, its version.
       Recognized caches (and vendors) include: Smartdrive (which comes with
       DOS and Windows); Norton Cache (Norton Utilities); PC-Cache 6.0 and
       above (PC Tools); IBMCache (from you-know-whom); Super PC-Kwik 3.20
       and above, Hyperdisk, and QuickCache II (shareware products), and
       possibly others.

       NOTE: Because PC-Cache and Qualitas's QCache are versions of Super PC-
       Kwik, they respond to the same detection method and so may be reported
       as Super PC-Kwik. PC-Cache 5.1 would be reported as Super PC-Kwik
       3.20, PC-Cache 5.5 as Super PC-Kwik 3.27. QCache 4.00 would be
       reported as Super PC-Kwik 4.00.


                                       Network

       A network is a combination of hardware and software that enables users
       to share peripherals and data. Snooper can detect several networks:
       Netware, LANtastic, Microsoft, Invisible, PC LAN, and Easy-Net. It
       also detects SHARE.EXE, which is often loaded in networking
       environments. Sometimes this report only tells you the computer has a
       LAN card, not that a network is up and running. On LANtastic, it also
       shows the version. For more information about your Netware network,
       invoke the Network screen by pressing <Alt-N>.


                                  Disk Information

       Drive List

       Snooper reports the letters of all valid disk drives in the upper
       right corner of Snooper's display, enclosed in brackets. The current
       drive's letter is highlighted and capitalized. If you have a single-
       floppy system, the list will not include drive B:, as it merely
       references drive A:. If your system has at least 20 logical drives,
       Snooper will list them in two rows.



                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    37






       Label

       The volume label of the current drive. You can change the label with
       the LABEL program, supplied with DOS.


       Directory

       Shows the default directory of the selected disk. If the first
       character shown is a plus sign, Snooper has omitted the first part of
       the directory to make it fit.


       IDE Drive Model/SCSI Host Adapter

       Snooper can report the model of most IDE hard drives. Sometimes you
       can see the model, sometimes the brand. This report can save you the
       trouble of opening the computer to check the drive model. Recall that
       Snooper skips detection of the IDE model under Windows 386 Enhanced
       mode.
          Snooper also can recognize several Adaptec SCSI host adapters, and
       will report the model number in this report. It also will report the
       slot the card resides in if it's an EISA adapter.


       NOTE: The next reports (Drive Type through Cylinders), if the drive is
       a floppy drive, concern the disk drive itself, not the diskette in it.
       For example, if you have a 1.2M floppy disk drive and you have a
       double density (360K) diskette in the drive, Snooper will report 15
       Sectors Per Cylinder. That's because high density drives can handle
       disks with 15 sectors per cylinder, although 360K disks have only
       nine.
          The report works this way so you can tell if the drive is high
       density without needing a high density diskette to be in it. You can
       determine the total capacity of a diskette (and thus its type) from
       the Total Space report.


       Drive Type

       Reports what type of disk drive you're examining. Snooper usually
       bases this report on a BIOS report for the drive, but it also uses
       other methods. Snooper can detect the following capacities for 5.25"
       drives: 1.2M, 360K, 320K, 180K, and 160K. For 3.5" drives, it can
       detect: 2.8M, 1.4M, and 720K drives. Other possibilities are: "fixed
       disk" (probably a hard disk), "CD-ROM" (if it's local), "RAM disk,"
       "Bernoulli," or "ID: nnh" (meaning Snooper doesn't recognize the disk
       type and shows the actual disk type byte instead).


       CMOS Type

       Snooper queries the CMOS to find out what hard drive type (expressed
       as a number), or what size and capacity floppy drive is installed.


             Snooper, the System Information Program for You!
       38







       Status

       Shows if the disk is being compressed by DoubleSpace (available with
       some recent version of MS-DOS) or Stacker. If Stacker is present, its
       version is reported. Other reports are "local" and "network." If the
       DOS commands SUBST or JOIN are affecting the disk, they are reported.


       Heads

       The number of heads a disk drive has. This number is often the same as
       the number of sides the disk has. Most floppy drives will report two;
       hard drives usually report several.


       Sectors/cylinder

       The number of sectors per cylinder on the disk drive. Sectors are "pie
       slices" of the disk; cylinders are concentric rings. Normally, floppy
       drives report 9, 15, 18, or 36; hard drives, 17, 26, 34, or more.


       Cylinders

       The number of cylinders on a disk drive. Cylinders are concentric
       rings on the disk. Typically, floppy drives report 40 or 80; hard
       drives, a few hundred to over one thousand.

       NOTE: Original PCs and some XTs can't report heads, sectors/cylinder,
       and cylinders. Neither can simulated disk drives (that is, logical but
       not physical drives, such as RAM drives). If they can't, Snooper will
       usually leave the appropriate areas blank.


       For the following disk reports, if the drive is empty, if the disk is
       defective or unformatted, or the drive door isn't closed, Snooper will
       report "Drive not ready."


       Sector Size

       The number of bytes stored in each sector. This number is almost
       always 512.


       Cluster Size

       The number of bytes in each cluster. Recent DOS versions call clusters
       "allocation units" (as brevity takes another slap in the face). A
       cluster is the smallest space a file can take. Thus, even if the "DIR"
       command reports a file is only three bytes, if the disk's cluster size
       is 2048 bytes, the file will take 2048 bytes of disk space. A floppy



                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    39





       disk may report 1024, an XT's hard disk usually 8192, an AT's hard
       disk from 2048 to 32,768, and a CD-ROM, 2048.


       Total Space

       The capacity of the disk in bytes. This includes all bytes, even if
       the FORMAT program has marked some areas unusable. Snooper will even
       report accurately the total data recorded on a CD-ROM, which virtually
       no other system information program can do.


       Free Space

       The number of bytes still available for use.


       Used Space (bytes)

       The number of bytes in use by files, subdirectories, and any areas
       marked unusable. One use of this report is computing how many floppy
       disks you will need to back up your hard disk: floppy disks needed =
       used space / floppy disk capacity + 1.


       Used Space (%)

       The percentage of disk space being used. Even on an empty disk, this
       number may not be zero because of bad sectors or empty subdirectories.


       Used Space (graph)

       Provides an easily absorbed way to see how much disk space is in use.
       The Used Space graph is one of Snooper's handiest features and
       provides a quick way to monitor disk use.



                                 DIAGNOSTICS SCREEN

       This screen, accessed via <Alt-D>, shows you details about your
       computer's hardware status. It can help you diagnose interrupt
       conflicts and other problems. If you have a multitasker or network
       running, Snooper will pop up a warning and a prompt to continue before
       letting you into this screen. The reason is these routines may disrupt
       serial or parallel communications going on in other tasks. For
       example, if you were transferring a file in one window and Snooper is
       running in another and you tried to access the Diagnostics screen,
       Snooper would likely disrupt your transfer or even hang up, forcing
       you to start over. None of us would want that.
          Also, networks and multitaskers sometimes can interfere with
       Snooper's ability to gather accurate information. Unload the network
       or multitasker and you may view the Diagnostics screen safely. In



       40    Snooper, the System Information Program for You!





       fact, this screen is most accurate when you boot your computer from
       plain DOS: no TSRs, no network. A mouse driver is OK.
          If you try the Diagnostics screen and your computer locks up,
       simply reboot with minimum CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files and it
       should work fine.


                                    Serial Ports

       Address

       Here Snooper ensures that an actual serial port exists by testing the
       serial port chip (see UART, below). It doesn't just rely on a likely
       port address; it makes sure the address points to a working port. If
       fewer ports appear on this screen than on the main one, you may have a
       faulty port.


       UART

       The Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter chip handles the
       receiving and transmitting of data through the serial port. Snooper
       detects which model is in each serial port in your computer (you may
       have more than one kind). It detects the 8250 (found in most XTs),
       16450 (found in many ATs), 16550 (found in early PS/2 models 50, 60,
       and 80), 16550A (the minimum required for high-speed communications),
       and Type 3 (supports DMA, found in latter PS/2s and others).
          The last two chips add 16-byte first in, first out buffers (FIFOs)
       to store characters being sent or received from the serial port. These
       are necessary for high-speed communications at 9600 bits-per-second or
       faster. The 16550 had defective FIFOs, rendering the buffers useless.
       The problem was corrected in the 16550A. Internal modems provide their
       own serial ports, so if yours is internal, Snooper will tell you what
       UART is supplied by the modem itself.
          Snooper displays an asterisk next to the UART if the FIFO buffers
       are open, a condition that may be harmless but normally shouldn't
       occur.


       Speed

       Shows the speed at which the serial port has been initialized. This
       speed bears no relation to the speed of a modem that may be attached.


       Format

       Data bits: The number of bits (per byte) the port treats as a
       character. It can be 5, 7, or 8, with 8 being the most common.
       Transmitting 7 data bits means 7 of the 8 bits will be treated as a
       character; the eighth is ignored or treated as a parity bit.
          Parity: Parity provides a crude method of error-detection but is
       largely ignored today. Nearly all BBSs use No parity. Other reports
       are: Even, Odd, Mark, and Space.
          Stop bits: The stop bit or bits are sent after each character.


                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    41






       NOTE: Although the values of the above parameters are important, what
       is crucial is that they be identical on both ends of the
       communications link (your modem and the one you're calling).
       Otherwise, communications can't occur. This is a common source of
       frustration among modem users.


       IRQ

       Snooper performs a test to determine what IRQ (see Interrupt Request
       Lines, below) each serial port would use. These are not just the
       default values, but the actual IRQs the port would use. If software
       (e.g., a mouse driver) configured the port to respond with an
       interrupt upon, for example, receipt of data, Snooper displays the IRQ
       number alone. If no interrupt would be triggered, Snooper displays the
       IRQ number in parentheses. This just means no program is loaded that
       uses the port. Occasionally, a port becomes dissociated from its usual
       IRQ, and Snooper can't tell what IRQ that port would use. In that
       case, Snooper leaves the IRQ report blank.


       Device

       Modems and mice are two common peripherals attached to serial ports.
       Snooper can usually detect the presence of Hayes-compatible modems and
       fax/modems, and fully Microsoft-compatible mice, and report which is
       connected to each port. It also can sometimes show if both are
       connected to one port (two ports sharing one address). If the modem is
       external, it must be turned on for this report to work. A mouse driver
       must be loaded for mouse detection to work.


       Fax Info

       If Snooper finds a fax/modem, it asks it what classes it supports.
       Classes are specifications that define what capabilities a fax/modem
       has. Class zero is simply a data modem. Class one adds fax
       capabilities. Classes are shown as a series of digits under the
       appropriate port, except class zero, which is assumed (e.g., "1,2").
          Snooper also will check for the presence of two fax interfaces, the
       Communicating Applications Specification (CAS) and FaxBIOS. If either
       is found, Snooper will show its name and version on the line below Fax
       Info.


                                   Parallel ports

       Address

       The same as the addresses on Snooper's Main screen.






             Snooper, the System Information Program for You!
       42





       IRQ

       Snooper performs a test to determine what IRQ (see Interrupt Request
       Lines, below) each parallel port would use. Again, these are the
       actual IRQs the port would use, not just defaults. If software (e.g.,
       a print spooler) configured the port to respond with an interrupt
       when, for example, the printer is ready, Snooper displays the IRQ
       number alone. If no interrupt would be triggered, Snooper displays the
       IRQ number in parentheses.
          Some parallel ports require a loopback plug to be inserted to
       respond to Snooper's IRQ test. A loopback plug connects two pins in
       the parallel port and allows the IRQ to be detected. If you find
       Snooper can't detect the parallel port IRQs on your system, get a
       parallel port loopback plug (you can find them at electronics parts
       stores) and try it.
          Occasionally, a port becomes dissociated from its IRQ, and Snooper
       can't tell what IRQ that port would use. Also, some parallel ports
       don't generate interrupts correctly. In these cases, Snooper leaves
       the IRQ report blank.

       NOTE: Your printer does not need to be on, or even attached, for this
       report to work. You may hear it make a noise when Snooper checks the
       port's IRQ. This is normal.


       Status

       Snooper also indicates the status of the parallel ports. The error
       conditions change with different printers, so little can be said about
       what each line really indicates. The only universal is your printer is
       ready to print only when the Selected report alone is active.

       NOTE: To help you debug a printer problem quickly, the parallel port
       status is constantly monitored, so if, for example, you turn on your
       printer or press its On-line button, the status indicators will
       change. However, you should never plug in or unplug any peripheral
       until you have turned off power both to the system and peripheral.


                                 Sound Card Address

       Displays the sound card that appears on Snooper's Main screen, and may
       show the port address to aid in diagnosing port conflicts.


       For the IRQ and DMA reports which follow, "Available" appears on the
       screen if the resource seems to be unused, "In use" if it has been
       reserved by a hardware device.


                               Interrupt Request (IRQ)

       On the right of the Diagnostics screen, Snooper shows which interrupt
       request (IRQ) lines are currently active (indicated by the asterisks).
       The PC had eight IRQ lines, the AT has fifteen. These lines are used


                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    43





       to get the CPU's attention when a hardware device needs servicing.
       Some devices have assigned IRQs. For example, COM1 is normally set to
       trigger IRQ4. Snooper displays these default assignments, although
       they may not coincide with your system's, which may be configured
       differently.
          A device doesn't necessarily permanently reserve the IRQ it uses.
       For example, you may have a scanner that uses IRQ 5, but only when
       you're scanning. Snooper has no way to know this because you're not
       likely to be scanning while Snooper is running. On the other hand, you
       may be trying to add a device that also doesn't permanently reserve
       its IRQ, and will never be used when the scanner is being used. Then
       it's probably all right to assign IRQ 5 to the new device. Thus, you
       can use Snooper's IRQ list as a starting point in determining which
       IRQs are safe to use.
          If a mouse driver is loaded, "Mouse" appears in the IRQ list,
       indicating which IRQ your mouse is using. If your driver is new
       enough, Snooper also will tell you if the driver is a TSR loaded in
       your AUTOEXEC.BAT file (Snooper will display "MOUSE.COM"), or a device
       driver loaded in your CONFIG.SYS file ("MOUSE.SYS").


                             Direct Memory Access (DMA)

       Next to the IRQ report is the Direct Memory Access report. DMA
       channels are used to transfer data without the aid of the CPU,
       speeding transfers. The PC had four DMA channels; AT-class computers
       have seven.
          Snooper tries to show which DMA channels may be used by hardware
       devices in your computer, but because of the PC's design, there is no
       way to tell for sure. Even so, Snooper's method is sometimes close
       enough. If, however, all DMA channels in your system seem to be in
       use, you may have to disregard Snooper's DMA report. Snooper will
       alert you to this case.



                                     BUS SCREEN

       With the Micro Channel bus architecture comes the ability to detect
       adapter cards by name. Snooper can recognize over 1,100 cards.
          Snooper will list slots zero through nine, and identify what cards
       are in which slots. A slot with no corresponding text is empty.

       NOTE: If you see a message similar to: "Unknown card, please contact
       author," please make a note of the four-digit number and the actual
       card installed (your Reference Diskette should tell you), and let us
       know. We'll add it to our Micro Channel adapter database.



                                   NETWORK SCREEN

       Press <Alt-N> when you're running Snooper on a Novell Netware network
       (we hope to add other network types), and the Network screen will show



             Snooper, the System Information Program for You!
       44





       you details about your network configuration. See your Netware
       documentation for more details about items Snooper reports on.


                                    Network Type

       This will remind you of the network type from Snooper's Main screen.


                                   Network Address

       The network address uniquely identifies the part of the network you're
       on.


                                    Node Address

       The node address uniquely identifies the workstation you're on. ARCnet
       cards need to have their node addresses set at installation; Ethernet
       cards come with a preset node address.


                                       Socket

       Users aren't typically aware of this low-level resource, but it may
       come in handy in troubleshooting network installations.


                                      User Name

       The name with which the user logged into the default server. Note you
       can log onto different servers with different names.


                                      Hardware

       Network Card

       Shows what network card is installed in your system if you have an ODI
       driver loaded. You do not need to be logged into the network. Snooper
       also shows hardware resources the network card is using: memory
       addresses, IRQ lines, port addresses, and DMA channels.


                                      Software

       These reports show version numbers, levels, and interrupts in use by
       drivers and other network software. Software listed in the second
       column is running on the server.

                                       Server

       Default

       The name of the default server.


                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    45







       Connection Number

       The connection the workstation is using to connect to the default
       server.


                                     Connections

       These reports show the maximum connections (users) allowed on the
       default server, the number of users currently logged in, and the most
       users connected at once since the server was last booted.



                                     CMOS SCREEN

       Every computer based on the PC-AT standard (i.e., all 286s and newer)
       has a small area of memory called the CMOS (pronounced "SEE-moss"),
       used to store configuration information. The letters in "CMOS" stand
       for the material the configuration chip is made of (Complementary
       Metal Oxide Semiconductor, if that helps).
          CMOS memory is non-volatile, meaning its contents are retained even
       when the computer is turned off. This is accomplished with a battery
       that constantly supplies power to the CMOS chip.
          Each time the computer is booted, it checks that the CMOS
       configuration accurately reflects the actual configuration. If not,
       the computer warns you the configuration has changed. This may occur
       because the CMOS battery is dead, or (more rarely) a renegade program
       has wiped out the CMOS. After replacing the failing battery with a
       fresh one, you are likely required to change the CMOS information to
       reflect the actual configuration. Snooper's CMOS screen lets you do
       just that.
          Older computers required a setup program that came on a floppy disk
       with the computer. Many users misplace this disk or never received
       one. These users especially will find Snooper's CMOS screen
       invaluable. But most computers now come with a built-in setup
       facility, accessible with a keystroke when the system boots. So why
       duplicate that functionality in Snooper?
          First, Snooper's Setup screen is more friendly. Some built-in setup
       screens, especially older ones, are user-hostile. For example, you may
       have to choose a hard drive type without knowing the parameters for
       that type. You would have to hunt down the computer's documentation,
       and hope the drive table was included and accurate. Snooper shows you
       the parameters for the drive type you are about to choose, and you can
       easily view each drive type to select the most appropriate one. Also,
       some built-in setup programs don't let you abandon your changes if you
       want to. Snooper does.
          Second, Snooper provides a fast, attractive, consistent way for
       technicians to edit CMOS data without having to learn each setup
       screen's user interface. You can use Snooper's screen with point-and-
       shoot ease, or press a single letter to quickly access the intended
       option. Some built-in setups make you change or confirm all the



       46    Snooper, the System Information Program for You!





       options in sequence, instead of letting you choose just the one you
       want to change.
          Third, you can log the CMOS data, along with Snooper's other
       screens, into a file for later reference. You can't do that with
       built-in setup programs.


                             Navigating the CMOS Screen

       To move around this screen, press the highlighted letter for the
       option you want. Or use <Tab> and <Shift-Tab>, or the arrow keys, to
       move the highlight bar to the desired option. Press <+> and <-> or
       <PgUp> and <PgDn> to change the option.

       WARNING: Be very careful when editing CMOS data. You can render your
       system temporarily un-bootable by specifying the wrong drive type. If
       you're not absolutely sure what you're doing, stop! Seek professional
       help.


                                     CMOS Status

       Snooper will list up to seven errors that can occur with the CMOS.
       Most often, you'll see "Incorrect configuration" when you've added or
       removed a drive or some memory. "CMOS battery is dead" means you
       probably should replace it. If there are no CMOS errors, Snooper
       reports "OK."


                                    Date and Time

       These options change the date and time. To aid you in setting the
       date, the day of the week is also displayed, but because it's not
       stored in the CMOS, you can't set it directly.

       NOTE: Unlike all other options on this screen, changing the date and
       time changes the CMOS date and time as you change them on-screen. So
       even if you exit the CMOS screen without saving your other changes,
       the CMOS date and time will still reflect any changes you made to
       them.


                                       Memory

       Tells the computer how much conventional and extended memory is
       present. These options can be changed in 128K increments.


                                    Floppy Drives

       Tells the computer the capacity and size of the installed floppy
       drives. Choices range from the 360K floppy to the 2.88M.





                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    47





                                     Hard Drives

       Here you are allowed to choose the hard drive types. Choose type zero
       if you have no drive, or a SCSI drive. Otherwise, choose the type that
       matches the parameters of the hard drive you have. "Pre-comp" is short
       for Write Pre-Compensation, often abbreviated "WPC." "L-zone" means
       Landing Zone, the cylinder the heads will come to rest on when the
       system is turned off.
          Snooper finds the drive parameters table in your computer's ROM
       BIOS. Snooper can find the beginning of the table, but there's no
       foolproof way to tell where it ends. In some computers, the table has
       as few as a couple dozen entries; in others, a couple hundred. If you
       see some strange drive types that don't make sense, you've gone past
       the end of the table.
          If you see "User-defined" after the drive type, it means Snooper
       has run out of pre-defined types. The type you're looking at can be
       defined by the user to fit a hard drive whose parameters don't appear
       in the list. If you need to define a custom drive type, you can't use
       Snooper to do so. BIOS makers haven't standardized on a way to store
       user-defined drive parameters in the CMOS, so Snooper wouldn't know
       where to put them. Instead, you must use the computer's own setup
       program (often stored in the ROM BIOS and accessed via <Ctrl><Alt>-
       <S>, <Ctrl><Alt>-<Enter>, or <Ctrl><Alt>-<Esc>, or with <Delete>,
       <F1>, <F2>, or <F10> during boot-up).

       NOTE: Some memory managers have a feature that provides more UMB space
       by moving the ROM BIOS to another memory location. If this feature is
       in use on your system, Snooper may not be able to find your computer's
       hard drive table because the memory manager moved it. If so, disable
       the memory manager's feature or use your computer's built-in setup
       utility.


                                       Display

       Here you indicate what kind of video adapter is installed. If you have
       a text-only monochrome or a Hercules Graphics monochrome adapter,
       select "monochrome." For CGA cards, you should choose "CGA 80 columns"
       (the normal number of columns). If you have an EGA, VGA, SVGA, XGA, or
       PGC card, choose "VGA and EGA."


                                     Coprocessor

       If your system has a math coprocessor, choose "Installed." Snooper's
       Main screen will tell you if your system has a math chip (NDP).


                                 Saving Your Changes

       Press <Esc> when you are finished with the CMOS screen. If you have
       made changes, Snooper will prompt you in the message box to save your
       changes permanently into the CMOS chip. If you want to abandon your
       changes, press <N>, or <Enter>. Or press <Y> to save them. For your
       changes to take full effect, you may have to reboot your computer.


             Snooper, the System Information Program for You!
       48





       Snooper will do this for you, with your permission. If you pressed
       <Y>, Snooper will then ask if you want it to reboot your system. If
       so, press <Y> and your computer will reboot.

       NOTE: If you reboot, and you are using a multitasker such as Microsoft
       Windows, any unsaved work you may have been doing in another window
       will be lost. Pause and think carefully before you decide to reboot.



                                  BENCHMARK SCREEN

       Snooper's Benchmark screen provides three speed indexes: CPU, Video,
       and Hard drive throughput. They are displayed as numbers and bar
       graphs.
          The CPU benchmark is run continually when you're viewing this
       screen. Since the other benchmarks may take several seconds to run,
       they must be invoked by you by pressing a key. If you run benchmarks,
       then return to the Main screen, only to return to the Benchmark
       screen, the benchmark scores will reappear so you needn't run them
       again. You may, of course, run them as many times as you like.
          The scales for the bar graphs adjust automatically for different
       CPUs. They also adjust themselves if the score would exceed the
       default scale for that CPU (i.e., if the system were particularly fast
       for its CPU class). The default scales and graphs are displayed in
       green, in blue if the scales were adjusted to accommodate fast
       hardware. Snooper's automatic scaling is effectively infinite, so you
       needn't worry that the next generation of CPUs will exceed Snooper's
       capabilities.


                                   CPU Throughput

       This benchmark test is run continually, a fact you can demonstrate by
       switching your computer in and out of turbo mode. You will see the
       speed in Megahertz, and the benchmark score change. This test is an
       estimate of the speed at which an AT (e.g., a 286 computer) would have
       to run to be as fast as your computer. For example, if the CPU
       throughput score is 150, an AT would have to run at 150 Megahertz to
       keep up with your system.
          Also, during normal operation, you may see a slight fluctuation in
       speed as TSRs briefly gain control of your system (for example, a disk
       cache writing data to a hard drive). You can hold down a key and see
       the key repeat feature slow the system a bit. If you're running
       Snooper under a multitasker such as Microsoft Windows, you may see
       large fluctuations in speed as other programs gain control and Windows
       performs housekeeping functions. All this speed changing is normal,
       and doesn't indicate a problem.


                                  Video Throughput

       When you press the <V> key, Snooper performs a video benchmark test.
       This figure shows how fast your computer can display text under DOS,
       in thousands of characters per second. This figure is heavily reliant


                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    49





       on your system's CPU and video card. This may have little correlation
       to how fast your system draws graphics, or how well it would perform
       under Microsoft Windows. It measures DOS text speed. Of course, if
       you're measuring the speed of a system to be used mostly in DOS, this
       figure is quite relevant.


                                   Disk Throughput

       Press <D> to perform the hard drive benchmark on drive one (normally
       C:). This test usually takes just a few seconds, or it may take a bit
       longer, depending on the hard drive's speed.
          Much ado is made of a hard drive's "average access time," or
       "average seek time." This is a measure of how fast the drive's
       read/write heads can move from a randomly selected cylinder of the
       disk to another. It provides a rough indication of the drive's speed
       at accessing requested data. Another commonly quoted benchmark is
       "data throughput," a measure of how fast data can get from drive to
       computer. Unfortunately, this test is often performed in an optimized
       setting, reading the same data from the same place on the disk over
       and over. But although each of these tests is helpful, neither
       measures how fast a drive will perform the way you use it.
          Snooper tries to approximate just that. It exercises the read/write
       heads and reads data at each stop, providing a benchmark that combines
       the best of both tests. Of course, other factors are important to
       overall disk speed: CPU speed, disk caching, the disk controller being
       on a local bus, and so on.
          For the safety of your data, this test never writes to your drive,
       it only reads, so there's no chance of it damaging your data.
          If you have two hard drives, press <I> to test the second; its
       score will replace the first's. At the left of the graph, a number
       will show which drive's speed is being shown. Note you must have two
       separate hard drives, not just two partitions on the same drive (they
       would have the same score anyway).



                                    SETUP SCREEN

       You may change Snooper's colors and other defaults by pressing <Alt-S>
       from the Main screen. You will see the Setup screen options and a
       "fake" display to show you what Snooper will look like with the colors
       you specify.


                             Navigating the Setup Screen

       To move directly to a field, press the highlighted letter for the
       field you want. Or use <Tab> and <Shift-Tab> or the arrow keys to move
       the highlight bar. Press <+> and <-> or <PgUp> and <PgDn> to change
       the selected option. For the license number and filename options, type
       the entry and press <Enter>.





       50    Snooper, the System Information Program for You!





                                      Mono Mode

       You can force Snooper to use its Mono mode by using this option.
       Snooper detects monochrome cards automatically. But you may have a
       reason to override the default. For example, your laptop  may have a
       monochrome LCD display that emulates a VGA card (making Snooper think
       you have a color monitor) but the display is more readable in
       monochrome mode. Set this option to Yes and Snooper will use its mono
       background color. The default is "Auto," meaning Snooper will try to
       determine if Mono mode is necessary.


                                    Desqview Mode

       Again, Snooper normally knows when to use Desqview mode, but you may
       have a reason to specify this option. For example, if you have an old
       CGA card and you see "snow" when Snooper draws its display. The
       default is "Auto," meaning Snooper decides if Desqview mode is needed.


                                       Editor

       This option tells Snooper if you want to use its internal editor or an
       external one called EDIT. The default is "Internal."


                                        Drive

       You may want Snooper to give you information about a certain drive
       first, without having to specify it on the command line. Perhaps
       you're a systems administrator and although your users are running
       Snooper from the server's driver, you want it to show information for
       their C: drive. Use the default disk drive option to specify it.
       Snooper will cycle through all the letters of the alphabet and the
       word "default." Of course, once you're in Snooper, you can change to
       any drive in the system. If Snooper doesn't find the drive you
       specified when it's run, it will show information for the current
       drive. The default for this option is, of course, "Default."


                                       Sounds

       When you press a wrong key, try to select an invalid drive, or an
       error occurs, Snooper usually beeps. This option is on by default but
       you may turn off all sounds with this option.


                                      Skip IDE

       Some computers aren't compatible with Snooper's method of detecting an
       IDE hard drive's model name. This option will cause Snooper to skip
       detection of the IDE drive model. It corresponds to the /IDESkip
       command line switch, and is off by default (i.e., it will try to get
       the drive's model).



                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    51






                                      Other IRQ

       Some computers aren't compatible with Snooper's method of detecting
       port IRQs in the Diagnostics screen. This option will cause Snooper to
       use an alternative method of detecting IRQs. The alternative method
       isn't as accurate, however, so use this option, and its corresponding
       command line switch (/OtherIRQ) only if necessary. It is off by
       default.


                                 Allow CMOS Editing

       This hidden option allows you to toggle the function of the CMOS
       screen from editing to simply viewing. If you're a network
       administrator and you want to prevent non-technical users from editing
       their CMOS configurations, simply press <A> once and save the
       configuration file. Subsequent invocations of Snooper will provide a
       CMOS viewer. The CMOS screen will look almost identical, and it can be
       logged like all other screens, but no editing can be performed. To
       revert to CMOS editing mode, return to the Setup screen and press <A>
       once again. Don't forget to save your changes. This option is
       invisible so users can't change the option to use the editor.
          This topic does not appear in the table of contents or index so you
       just need to be careful about letting them see this section of the
       manual.


                                       Colors

       You can change Snooper's colors to suit your taste. Snooper will cycle
       through the available colors. You can go through them in either order
       by using the <+> and <-> keys. Snooper's "fake" display will show you
       how the real display will look. Remember, you must save your changes,
       exit, then reinvoke Snooper for the changes to take effect.


                                   License Number

       To make that annoying Registration Reminder Screen (RRS) go away
       forever, press <L> and enter the license number we sent you when you
       registered. Be sure to enter the number exactly as it appears or
       Snooper won't accept it (it's awfully picky). After you save your work
       (see below) and exit, Snooper will no longer show its RRS. Your
       license number is shown at the top of the order information screen
       (from the Main screen, press <F1>, <O>).

       NOTE: After you enter your license number, you should save your config
       file under the default name, so it always will be available to
       Snooper. Otherwise, the registration reminders might start popping up
       again. Of course, it would be foolish to give your license number away
       to anyone. They should pay, too!





             Snooper, the System Information Program for You!
       52





                                 Saving Your Changes

       If you want to quit and not save your changes, press <Esc> and no new
       configuration file will be written.
          If you've made changes you want to keep, you must save them to a
       configuration file. The default configuration filename is always
       displayed. This is the file that was loaded when Snooper was invoked,
       or would have been if it existed. To accept the default, simply press
       <S>, then <Enter>. To specify a new file, type a new filename and
       press <Enter>.
          Snooper will write a config file with the new options, overwriting
       any old file of the same name. To create multiple files, simply enter
       different names at the prompt. Snooper will report if the file was
       successfully saved, or show an error message if it wasn't. If the save
       is successful, the next time you run Snooper, the new options will
       take effect. That's all there is to it!


                        A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SNOOPER'S CREATION

       Snooper was developed over thousands of hours, many of which we
       probably should have spent asleep. Snooper began in February 1987 on
       an 8 MHz AT compatible (yuck!), moved on to a 386SX-16 (ick!), and now
       to a Pentium-90 (ahhh!). It was tested along the way on hundreds of
       machines. It originally was written in Turbo Pascal version 3.01A, and
       has since been expanded under every version through 6.0. Its source
       code as of this writing consists of over 14,000 lines of Pascal,
       including some BASM assembler.
          Remember, the SNOOPER.HST file will list the changes that have been
       made since Snooper's inception. When you get a new version, check this
       file so you can take advantage of new features.



                         A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SNOOPER'S AUTHOR

       We'll take the liberty of assuming some of you want to know a little
       more about Snooper's author. We'll keep it short. The following
       paragraph was written by John Vias, Snooper's principal author.
          "I'm originally from Evanston, Illinois (suburban Chicago), but
       have lived most of my life in Florida. At the University of Florida, I
       earned a degree in English, a fact I hope is reflected in this manual.
       I now own a computer consulting, programming, and technical writing
       business called Vias and Associates (pretty catchy, huh?). Finally, in
       August 1994, Vias and Associates was moved to San Francisco (it's the
       City by the Bay, you know), fulfilling a longtime dream of mine to
       live in the Bay Area. Our eternal gratitude to all Snooper users for
       your continued support."



                                   ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

       Snooper was not created in a vacuum, of course, although John's head
       has been likened to one. Here are a few sources of information we


                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    53





       used, and for which we are very grateful. We apologize to those we
       forgot to mention. Without them, Snooper would be only . . . well, we
       hate to think about it.

       PC Magazine (by Ziff-Davis Publishing Company)
          An invaluable source of information about the PC family. A great
          deal can be learned from its pages. It has helped many a
          programmer.

       Turbo Pascal 6.0: Techniques and Utilities (by Neil J. Rubenking:
          Ziff-Davis Press, 1991)
          With the help of this book, Snooper's code grows better and more
          efficient by following Mr. Rubenking's advice. Highly recommended
          for anyone who wants to write Turbo Pascal programs.

       Advanced MS-DOS Programming (by Ray Duncan: MS Press, sec. ed., 1989)
          Written by one of PC Magazine's stable of PC wizards, this book was
          our source for documented BIOS and DOS calls.

       Programmer's Guide to the IBM PC (by Peter Norton: MS Press, 1985)
          The Programmer's Guide was a handy reference in Snooper's early
          years.

       Ralf Brown (INTERvvx.ZIP)
          (The "vv" is the volume of release and the "x" is "A," "B," or "C."
          The list comes in three files.) An enormous list of DOS, BIOS, and
          program-specific interrupts, many otherwise undocumented. Quite
          simply, some of Snooper's reports wouldn't exist without it.
          Invaluable in that it reports bugs and incompatibilities books
          rarely mention. And it's free! Check out the book Undocumented DOS,
          cowritten by Ralf.

       Andrew Rossman (InfoPlus)
          Mr. Rossman used to maintain a multi-page system information
          utility. From it we got snippets of code and programming
          techniques.

       Peter Volpa (Circuit Systems)
          Peter helped us with some disk routines. He's the author of CD-
          QUICK, an award-winning CD-ROM cache.

       John Fox (EDIT2.PAS)
          John wrote the code Snooper uses in its internal editor. Thanks,
          John!

       Yuval Tal (TP6XMS.ZIP)
          Author of a Turbo Pascal 6.0 unit for using an XMM.

       Borland International, Inc. (Turbo Pascal)
          Thanks and hats off to Borland for creating Turbo Pascal.

       Greg Barton (sysop, ACCUG BBS)
          Special thanks to Greg Barton, who kindly set up a Snooper
          conference on his BBS, and a special menu to make it easy for you



       54    Snooper, the System Information Program for You!





          to get the newest version. ACCUG info is on the first page of this
          manual.

       Greg Wrey (former sysop, TimeSlice BBS)
          Thanks to Greg Wrey, who was sysop of Snooper's original support
          BBS, and who beta-tested Snooper on his systems many times.

       Our friends (courtesy of their parents)
          With more patience than we deserved, they helped debug Snooper by 
          running it on their PCs and reporting what happened before it
          crashed.

       All those we forgot to mention
          Those folks who left E-mail or wrote letters, reporting we forgot
          something or shouldn't this be such-and-such.

       And most of all, Snooper's Registered Users
          Without the encouragement and support of Snooper's registered
          users, John would have given up in disgust and moved to a tiny
          cottage in the hills, living off the land and forever writing
          programs for his own amusement. Occasionally, when registrations
          are slow, he still threatens to--so please keep those registrations
          coming!


































                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    55





                                        INDEX

                                              navigating, 47
       A20 line status, 29                    overview, 46
       ACCUG BBS, 1                          Colors, setting, 52
       Acknowledgments, 53                   Command line syntax, 13
       Address                               CompuServe, 1, 2
         parallel ports, 42                  Computer type, 26
         serial ports, 41                    Config files
         sound cards, 43                      environment variable, 19
       Address, Vias and Associates, 1        loading, 19
       Advanced Power Management. See        CONFIG.SYS
         APM                                  editing, 23
       APM, 26                                logging, 17, 24
       ASP, 2                                Configuring Snooper, 50
       Association of Shareware              Connection, 46
         Professionals.     ASP
                        See                  Connections, 46
       AUTOEXEC.BAT                          Conventional memory
         editing, 23                          free, 28
         logging, 17, 24                      total, 28
                                              used, 28
       BBS Support, 1                        Copyright, 10
       Benchmark screen, 49                  COUNTRY command, 20
       Benchmarks                            CPU
         CPU, 49                              benchmark, 49
         disk, 50                             model, 26
         video, 49                            speed (MHz), 27
       Break, 37                              virtual-86 mode, 27
       Buffers, 36                           CPU speed, 27
       Bugs                                  Current directory, 38
         disclaimer, 25                      Customization, 2
         known, 25                           Cylinders, 39
       Bus, 27
       Bus screen, 44                        Date
                                              CMOS, 47
       Cache, 37                              current, 20
       CAS, 42                                ROM BIOS, 33
       CD-ROM, 38, 40                        Desqview mode.     Setup screen
                                                            See
       Central Processing Unit. See CPU          Switches
                                              or
       Clipboard, logging to, 24             Diagnostics screen, 40
       Cluster size, 39                      Direct Memory Access. See DMA
       CMOS                                  Directory, 38
         conventional memory, 47             Disks. See also Drives
         coprocessor, 48                      benchmark, 50
         date/time, 47                        cache, 37
         definition, 46                       cluster size, 39
         display, 48                          compression, 39
         extended memory, 47                  directory, 38
         floppy drives, 47                    free space, 40
         hard drives, 48                      label, 38
         saving changes to, 48                local/remote, 39
         status, 47                           sector size, 39
       CMOS drive type, 38                    sectors/cylinder, 39
       CMOS screen                            status, 39
         caveat, 47                           total space, 40





         used space, 40                      FaxBIOS, 42
       Distributing Snooper with your        Files in the Snooper package, 7
         products, 6                         Files, editing, 22
       DMA                                   FILES=, 36
         list, 44                            Floating Point Unit. See FPU
         overview, 44                        Floppy drives, 30
       DOS                                   FPU, 27
         brand, 35                           Free space (disk), 40
         break, 37
         BUFFERS=, 36                        Game port, 33
         FILES=, 36
         location, 35                        Hard drives, 30
         revision, 35                        Hardware requirements, to run
         shell, 36                            Snooper, 7
         verify, 37                          Heads, 39
         version, 35                         High Memory Area.     HMA
                                                               See
       DOS installation, 8                   HMA, 29
       Drives. See also Disks
         CMOS type, 38                       IDE drive model, 38
         cylinders, 39                       Installation
         floppy, 30                           DOS, 8
         hard, 30                             Windows, 8
         heads, 39                           Internet, 1
         IDE drive model, 38                 IRQs
         list, 37                             list, 43
         logical, 31                          parallel port, 43
         physical, 31                         serial port, 42
         SCSI host adapter, 38               ISA bus, 27
         type, 38
                                             Joystick adapter.     Game port
                                                               See
       EDIT.BAT, 22
       Editing                               Keyboard
         AUTOEXEC.BAT, 23                     support for, 34
         CONFIG.SYS, 23                       type, 34
         editor setup, 51                    Keys
         overview, 22                         AUTOEXEC.BAT editing, 23
       EISA bus, 28                           CONFIG.SYS editing, 23
       EMS                                    disk drive, 22
         EMM level, 30                        exit, 21
         free, 30                             help, 21
         overview, 30                         log system files, 24
         total, 30                            log to printer, 24
       Environment                            log to Windows clipboard, 24
         definition, 35                       logging, 23
         free space, 35                       ordering, 22
         total space, 35                      overview, 21
       ERRORLEVEL, 18, 21, 24                 registering, 22
       Expanded Memory Specification.         SNOOPER.LOG editing, 23
         See EMS
       Extended memory                       Label (disk), 38
         free, 29                            Landing zone, 48
         total, 28                           Legal stuff, 10
       Extensions, 33                        Liability, 10
                                             License, 10
       Fax/modems, 42                        License number


                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    57





         saving, 52                           server, 45
         using discretion with, 52            socket, 45
       Logging                                software, 45
         Auto-Logging, 16                     type, 37, 45
         Auto-Logging syntax examples,        user name, 45
          17                                 Network screen, 44
         character translation, 15           Node address, 45
         DOS system files, 17                Novell, 44
         environment variable, 15            Numeric Data Processor. See NDP
         keys, 23
         log filename parameter, 15          Operation
         log to printer key, 24               under DOS, 20
         overview, 14                         under Windows, 21
         quietly, 17                         Ordering. See Registering
         system files, 24                    Other IRQ.     Setup screen 
                                                        See              or
         to Windows clipboard, 24             Switches
         Windows system files, 17
       Logical drives, 31                    Parallel ports
       Loopback plug, 43                      address, 32, 42
                                              IRQ, 43
       Main screen, 26                        status, 43
       Math coprocessor, 27                  Philosophy of Snooper, 9
       MCA                                   Phone numbers, 1
         bus, 28                             Physical drives, 31
         cards, 44                           PIF file, 9
       Memory.     Conventional, EMS,
               See                           Planning to register soon?, 13
         Extended, HMA, UMB, Video, and      Please register now, 13
         XMS                                     -N
                                             Plug  -Play, 33
       Mice.     Mouse
             See                             Ports.     Game port; Mouse
                                                    See
       Micro Channel Architecture. See        port; Parallel ports; and
         MCA                                  Serial ports
       Microprocessor.     CPU
                       See                   Pricing, 12
       Modem, on serial port, 42             Printer ports. See Parallel
       Monitor type, 32                       ports
       Mono mode. See Setup screen or
         Switches                            Registering, 11
       Mouse                                  benefits of, 12
         brand, 34                            by check or money order, 13
         driver version, 34                   by CompuServe, 13
         on serial port, 42                   by phone, 13
         port, 34                             by purchase order, 13
       Mouse port, 34                         definition, 11
       MOUSE.COM, 44                          how to, 13
       MOUSE.SYS, 44                          reasons to, 12
                                             Relocatable Screen Interface
       NDP, 27                                Specification, 16
       Netware, 44                           Requirements to run Snooper, 7
       Network                               ROM BIOS
         address, 45                          brand, 33
         card (NIC), 45                       date, 33
         connection number, 46                extensions, 33
         connections, 46
         default server, 45                  San Francisco, 2, 53
         hardware resources, 45              Screens
         node address, 45                     Benchmark, 49





         CMOS, 46                             batch mode, 14
         Diagnostics, 40                      chip detection bypass, 18
         Main, 26                             config file, 19
         Network, 44                          config file env variable, 19
         Setup, 50                            Desqview mode, 14
       SCSI host adapter, 38                  disk drive, 18
       Sector size, 39                        help, 14
       Sectors/cylinder, 39                   IDE skip, 18
       Serial ports                           log DOS system files, 17
         address, 32, 41                      log filename, 15
         data bits, 41                        log Windows system files, 17
         device, 42                           mono mode, 14
         fax, 42                              other IRQ, 18
         IRQ, 42                              quiet mode, 17
         parameters, 41                       tune skip, 19
         parity, 41                          Syntax
         speed, 41                            diagram, 14
         stop bits, 41                        examples, 20
         UART, 41                            Syntax (See also Switches), 13
       Server, 45                            SYSTEM.INI, logging, 17, 24
       Setup screen
         colors, 52                          Technical writing, 2
         Desqview mode, 51                   Telephone numbers, 1
         drive, 51                           Time
         editor, 51                           CMOS, 47
         license number, 52                   current, 20
         mono mode, 51                       Total space (disk), 40
         navigating, 50                      Trademarks, 10
         other IRQ, 52
         overview, 50                        UMB, 30
         saving changes to, 53               University of Florida (Go
         skip IDE, 51                         Gators!), 53
         sounds, 51                          Upgrading
       Shareware, 11                          how to, 12
       Shell, 36                              procedure, 9
       Shouldn't you register now?, 13       Upper Memory Block.     UMB
                                                                 See
       Skip IDE. See Setup screen or         Used space (disk), 40
         Switches                            User name, 45
       SNOOPCFG, 19                          User-defined hard drive types,
       Snooper                                48
         capsule bio, 53
       Snooper's author                      Verify, 37
         capsule bio, 53                     VESA, 31
       SNOOPER.LOG                           VGA, 31
         editing, 23                         Vias and Associates, 2, 53
       SNOOPLOG, 15                          Video, 31
       Snow, 16, 51                           benchmark, 49
       Socket, 45                             memory, 32
       Sound cards                            monitor type, 32
         address, 43                          type, 31
         model, 33                            VESA, 31
       Sounds, 51                             VGA card model, 31
       Status, parallel port, 43             Virtual-86 mode, 27
       Switches
         Auto-Logging, 16                    Warranty, 10


                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    59





       WIN.INI, logging, 17, 24
       Windows
         installation, 8
         Snooper's operation under, 21
       Windows clipboard, logging to,
         24
       Wishes, 26
       WPC, 48
       Write Pre-Compensation. See WPC

       XMS memory
         free, 29
         version, 29





                                        NOTES
























































                                  Copyright 1989-1995 Vias & Associates    61
