Running PCBoard 15.3 under Windows 95 (Release v3.5)
Using a single dial-up node and local node
By Spectre / The Low Road BBS
Fido 1:132/330     spec66@aol.com
Web:  http://members.aol.com/tlrbbs/pcboard/lowroad.htm

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Prelog
;

   I designed this archive to help sysops running PCBoard BBS software
   run their boards effectively in a Windows 95 environment. This archive
   pertains to running a single dial-up node and local node in this manner.
   I do not have any experience running PCBoard with multiple dial-up nodes.
   However, this information should work with a multi-node setup. PCBoard
   for DOS is a 16-bit program and with Windows being a 32-bit environment,
   running PCBoard under Win95 will task your CPU resources tremendously.
   The more nodes you run, the significantly slower the system will operate,
   even with today's high-speed processors. I tried WINTOP (a great Win95
   CPU monitoring utility...check the net for it) and found that with only
   1 active node running, my CPU (486dx66) was expending 92.5% of its
   resources running the node. With 2 nodes (1 dialup/1 local) active, they
   consumed 95.7% of my CPU, showing a significant drop in system speed.
   If you plan to run more than 2 dial-up nodes, I recommend switching to
   OS/2. You dont have to, but the speed increase is dramatic.
 
   Some may argue they use a different setup than mine and they have no
   problems. Others use WinFOSSIL 1.12 or different Win95 settings and
   see no problems. All I can say is Ive tried HUNDREDS of different
   combinations of fossil drivers, mem settings, shell options, and
   configuration options, and have found the settings below to work best
   for me. I have consulted other sysops and programmers and they have
   made suggestions leading to this setup as well.
 
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Files in this archive
;
 
    FILE_ID.DIZ    File_id.diz for this archive
    MODEM.TXT      My modem settings in PCBSETUP
    WNFOS111.ZIP   WinFossil v1.11 32 bit fossil driver
    CEXYZ100.ZIP   CE-XYZ external protocol program
    PCBRZCEX.BAT   Sample BAT file for CEXYZ protocol (receive)
    PCBSZCEX.BAT   Sample BAT file for CEXYZ protocol (send)
    FDSZ0497.ZIP   FDSZ external protocol program
    FDSZ_R.BAT     Sample BAT file for FDSZ protocol (receive)
    FDSZ_S.BAT     Sample BAT file for FDSZ protocol (send)
    README.TXT     This file
    95FOLDER.ZIP   Self-viewing screenshots of my entire setup
                   for a desktop folder to run PCBoard under Windows 95
 
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My system setup
;
 
    This is what my system is:
 
    Packard Bell 486dx66 multimedia computer
    24 MB RAM
    Mitsumi 2x CD-ROM
    Aztech Labs 16-bit soundcard
    Maxtor 2.1 gig IDE hard drive (primary bbs drive)
    Seagate 500 meg IDE hard drive (backup drive)
    Iomega Ditto 420 tape drive
    Zoom Telephonics 28800 V.34I internal modem
    Zoom Telephonics 14400 V.32bis internal modem (backup)

    PCBoard 15.3/2 bbs software (the best in the world!)
    Windows 95 operating system (duh!)
    QEMM 8.0 Memory manager Software w/MAGNARAM RAM expander
    Winfossil 1.11 fossil driver
    Qfront 1.19b echomail scanner and tosser
    2 node setup (node1 is dial-up and node2 is local)

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Configuration
;

    1. Edit your SYSTEM.INI file in your WINDOWS directory and add
       the following lines under the correct areas:
 
       [386Enh]
       uniqueDOSPSP=1
 
       [NonWindowsApp]
       CommandEnvSize=768
 
    I wont go over each keystroke. You should know most of them by
    now.
 
    2. You MUST use PCBOARDM.EXE under Windows 95! Make sure it's
       attribute is READ ONLY! (Type ATTRIB +R) in your PCB directory
       for this.
    3. Create a shortcut to run each node under Win95. Most of the
       defaults will be used except for a few settings below.
    4. In your [PROGRAM] folder for your shortcut:
          - Cmd line:     C:\PCB\BOARD.BAT (or C:\PCB\STARTER.BAT for QRONT)
          - Working:      C:\PCB
          - Batch file:
          - Shortcut key: None
          - Run:          Normal Window
          - [ ] Close on exit
    5. From this folder, select [ADVANCED]
          - [X] Suggest MS-DOS mode as needed
       then select [OK]
    6. Select the [MEMORY] folder
          -All options set to [AUTO] except "Initial Environment"
           Set that to 768. (This is OPTIONAL. Use AUTO if you wish)
    7. For [SCREEN] folder
          -[X] Full window
          -[ ] Screen saver
          -[X] Restore settings at startup
          -[X] Fast ROM emulation
          -[X] Dynamic memory allocation
          The rest are default
    8. For [MISC] folder
          -[ ] Always suspend
          -Set "Idle Sensitivity" all the way to the left. (|""""""""""")
    9. Create these settings for each node. Move them into the
       STARTUP folder if you want them to run at startup.

    NOTE: All above settings are viewable in 95FOLDER.ZIP

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Fossil Driving
;

    PCBoard runs great with a fossil driver. Most door games will
    require one to run correctly. Lacking a fossil driver usually
    results in system lockups, door game crashes at startup, and
    erratic bbs operation.

    WinFOSSIL is the best driver for Windows 95 around. Though X00
    and BNU will run fine under Windows 95, WinFOSSIL takes advantage
    of Windows 95's 32 bit multitasking environment. I found X00 to run
    slowly, with slower screen writes and slower transfer rates. Some
    sysops run it fine, but I liked WinFossil the best. Also, WinFOSSIL
    takes up alot less conventional memory than the rest.
    NOTE: For best operation with BNU/ADF/X00, change step 4 to
    "Prevent MS-DOS based program from detecting Windows"

    If using WinFOSSIL, I recommend you set step 4 as "Suggest MS-DOS
    mode as necessary". If using anything else, setup 4 as "Prevent MS-
    DOS based program from detecting Windows". Why? Because X00/BNU/ADF
    all access the comm port in a DOS environment (16-bit). If you run
    your prg as seeing Windows, it may attempt to access the port in
    a Windows environment (32-bit). This will generally result in random
    carrier drops when users are online (ESPECIALLY IN DOOR GAMES!) and
    poor file transfer rates.
 
    To install WinFOSSIL, create a directory for it (C:\WFOSSIL or
    whatever), unzip it, and run SETUP.EXE. It will create itself.
    Leave everthing at default, except make sure your Transmit and
    Receive buffers are set to 4096. When selecting your comm port,
    remember "0000" is COM1, "0001" is COM2, ans so on. Make sure
    the box for "Enable Fossil" is checked as well or it wont run.

    Some external protocols, like GSZ and DSZ, may not run very well
    under Windows 95. This is due to the way they access the COM ports
    in a Windows environment. CEXYZ is a great protocol that can be
    set up for XMODEM,YMODEM, and ZMODEM; and runs fine under Windows
    95. Try it out if you have transfer problems using GSZ/DSZ.
    Ive been told that Omen Technologie's FDSZ fossil driver works good
    as well (see www.omen.com). I have included FDSZ and sample BAT
    files to run it as an external protocol. You must REGISTER it to
    use it, so do what you have to do to get this done. If you use it,
    add the following line to your BOARD.BAT (or STARTER.BAT) file
    before you load PCBOARDM.EXE:

                          SET DSZLOG=PCBDSZ.LOG

    NOTE: PCBoard's ZMSEND.EXE/ZMRECV.EXE work great under Windows 95.
 
    You can poke around the MODEM.TXT file and see what my dial-up
    node is set up as. You can try these settings if you like.
 
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Epilogue
;
 
    This should get you started. All I can guarantee is that it works
    for my bbs. If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free
    to leave me email at spec66@aol.com or contact me via
    the Fidonet address at the beginning of this file.
 
͸
Credits
;
    Clark Development Company - They burned alot of us when they vanished
                                off the face of the earth, but they did
                                write the BEST bbs software package out there.
    Woodruff Software         - They made WinFOSSIL, the only 32-bit fossil
                                driver out there for Windows 95.
    Microsoft                 - Ya...I know Bill Gates is Satan, but they did
                                a pretty good job with Windows 95. It aint
                                perfect, but could YOU do better?
    Config95                  - Met this guy over AOL. A wealth of knowledge;
                                esp with multinode setup. Runs a multinode
                                bbs somewhere on earth. Email him and say hi.
    Mark Elliott              - Got ALLFIX running for me with his EXCELLENT
                                ALLFIX setup package available here. Musta
                                spent months writing that file.
    Jeff Stearns              - You're out there somewhere. Way back when you
                                suggested PCBoard for my bbs. Good idea.
 
    And everyone else who has ever helped me out in Fidonet or Usenet.

    Enjoy,
    Spectre
 
 
