What's new in the Dobson Utilities?

Revision history:

v5.38
4-21-2017

• Added Reveal.vbs in preparation of additional Windows NT compatibility.
• Added Winver.vbs in preparation of additional Windows NT compatibility.
• Added /W switch to REVEAL.COM which uses the Windows Scripting Host to gather information about the system.
• Fixed incorrect Dobson Utilities version displayed in DOBSON.COM.

v5.37
4-14-2017

• Fixed bug in DHELP.COM not detecting when a printer option was correctly set.
• Added DOSVER.COM help file and as a viewable option in DHELP.COM.
• Removed DUCPUID.COM as a base utility. It is now an auxiliary utility.

v5.36
8-21-2015

• Fixed help file for STATUS.COM still incorrectly instructed to use SETUP.COM to configure cache program.
• Fixed incorrect Dobson Utility version error handling in all programs.
• Fixed error handling for INSTALL.COM.

v5.35
8-17-2015

• Improved REVEAL.COM's DOS detection and reporting.
• Added DUDATE.COM as a requirement for BENCHMRK.COM for its time keeping.
• Added option to go to Dobson Utilities webite in DOBSON.COM.
• Added N (next) and [Backspace] options to DHELP.COM to change screens.
• Added current drive, current path, and current drive free space to REVEAL.COM.
• Added detection for Symantec/Norton Anti-virus for DOS detection to REVEAL.COM.
• Updated SYSBAK.COM to exit menu when finished after specifying command line option.
• Updated Dobson Utilities website address in READ.ME, README.HTM.
• Fixed bug in INSTALL.COM declaring a file is missing and hanging.
• Fixed incorrect help display when QEMM is ignored in DUDATE, invalid command syntax shown.

v5.34
12-27-2014

• Added additional driver detections to REVEAL.COM.

v5.33
2-4-2014

• Rewrote INSTALL.COM with new interface.
• Rewrote SYSBAK.COM. SYSBAK.COM no longer supports backup to floppies, but now you can add SYSBAK.COM to your startup to automatically backup your system files at every boot.
• Fixed various programs not coloring screen output when ANSI.SYS is loaded.
• Changed DOBSON.COM and DHELP.COM to reflect the removal of SYSRES and SYSVIEW.
• Removed SYSRES.COM and SYSVIEW.COM as the functionality is now built into SYSBAK.COM.
• Removed edit function from READ.COM and the ability to configure editing through DCONFIG.COM.

v5.32
1-16-2013

• Added A: or B: option after /F switch in SYSBAK.COM to go directly to specified drive letter.
• Added detection of optical drive loading as device MSCD001.
• Added detection of the MediaVision Pro Audio Spectrum device driver.
• Fixed bug when running NCACHE but STATUS has not been configured and prompts if you'd like to automatically set option but option doesn't save creating an endless loop situation.
• Fixed bug when telling DUDATE.COM to ignore QEMM, it would still give warning.
• Fixed misspelling in REBOOTER.COM's message about shutting down the system under Windows NT family OSes.
• Fixed SYSBAK.COM not accepting Windows directory specified on command line.
• Changed DMEM.COM's display output slightly (now shows two separate boxes).
• Removed BETA reporting from VERSION.COM's display.

v5.31
12-23-2012

• Added 4DOS/NDOS DESCRIPT.ION file.
• Fixed incorrect date and time stamp on VERSION.COM.
• Fixed detection of Helix Software's Cloaking driver.
• Fixed unable to change cache program by detecting Out of Environment Space.
• Changed REVEAL.COM's NT menus to reduce duplicated information displayed.
• Removed duplicate entry in REVEAL.COM for Cloaking API driver.

v5.3
04-15-2012

• Added more verbosity to INSTALL.COM.
• Added DCONFIG.COM for configuring DU options.
• Added CPU comparison directly to the main BENCHMRK.COM screen.
• Added /NM switch to DOBSON.COM to turn off startup tones.
• Added the ability to view/edit/print/delete more than one file with READ.COM.
• Added a menu system to ZIPREAD.COM.
• Updated TROUBLE.TXT with more troubleshooting tips.
• Improved STATUS.COM configuration through DCONFIG.COM.
• Improved low-memory termination clean-up of all programs.
• Improved REVEAL.COM's conventional memory detection when run from DOS.
• Changed all configuration options to use .DAT extention.
• Changed all programs with a menu system to look more uniform and consistent.
• Changed setting DOS Manufacturer to determine editor to user-selected options.
• Changed Dobson Utilities "revision" versioning system. Now minor updates will be reflected in a tenths position (e.g. v5.31, v5.32, etc.)
• Changed /A (abnormal) to /S (special) for READ.COM given that hidden and system files are not "abnormal".
• Fixed logic in DUDATE.COM improperly handling option to ignore QEMM.
• Fixed DUDATE.COM leaving behind environment variables when called from DOBSON.COM.
• Fixed bug in SYSVIEW.COM when being prompted to run DCONFIG.COM to configure printing or editing and if DCONFIG.COM doesn't exist, an endless loop would occur.
• Fixed help text in several utilities.
• Fixed bug in DMEM.COM when using /P and another switch, DMEM would lock up.
• Removed SETUP2.COM (deprecated).
• Removed SETUP.COM (deprecated).
• Removed /M switch from DMEM.COM.

v5.2 revision B
02-20-2012

• Fixed logic in SYSBAK & SYSRES to handle machines without Windows.

v5.2
02-18-2012

• Added SYSRES.COM moving all system restore functionality from SYSBAK to SYSRES.
• Fixed STATUS.COM's logic for handling NCACHE & NCACHE2.
• Removed UPDATE.COM utility (deprecated).

v5.1 revision F
11-09-2009

• Added new Dobson Utilities website address.
• Fixed misspelling in REVEAL.COM's help menu.

v5.1 revision E
5-17-2008

• Added green/amber monochrome monitor emulation to COLORS.COM.

v5.1 revision D
5-10-2008

• Fixed an incompatiblity with VERSION.COM when running under Windows NT.

v5.1 revision C
4-27-2008

• Improved MCOPY.COM's text output to show filenames as they are copied.
• Changed SYSVIEW.COM, BENCHMRK.COM, REVEAL.COM & SYSBAK.COM to be full screen apps.
• Fixed an incompatibility with UPDATE.COM and the new DU FTP server.

v5.1 revision B
4-19-2008

• Added "NT Edition" to DOBSON.COM and REVEAL.COM.
• Fixed NT/2K/XP/Vista compatibility to INSTALL.COM. 64bit not supported.
• Changed DOBSON.COM and SETUP.COM to be full screen apps.

• Added BOOT.INI to SYSVIEW.COM when run under NT/2K/XP OSes.
• Added MS DOS 6.0's DoubleSpace compression driver detection to REVEAL.COM.
• Added NT/2K/XP compatibility to INSTALL.COM.
• Added "About" box to UPDATE.COM's menu.
• Added DUCPUID.COM and related help file for command-line CPU detection.
• Added support for Windows ME (DOS 8.0).
• Improved STATUS.COM's cache read-out without screen scrolling.
• Improved REVEAL.COM's CPU detection (uses DUCPUID.COM).
• Fixed misspelling in DOBSON.COM's left menu.
• Fixed bug in SETUP not re-enabling graphics after disable.
• Fixed bug in DHELP.COM not displaying WHATSNEW.TXT under Windows 9x DOS mode.
• Fixed bug in SYSVIEW when prompting for Printer or Editor, if user did not select one, user would be caught in an endless loop.
• Fixed bug in STATUS when detecting NCACHE, didn't properly configure itself.
• Removed /S switch in DMEM.COM.
• Removed DRESCUE.COM to ease transition to NT systems.
• Removed useage of DDATA variable as it is now unnecessary.
• Changed DDATA directory to %DU%\SOURCE to ease transition to NT systems.

• Added /S3 switch to REVEAL to detect which S3 video chip is installed. Will also show up in REVEAL's Hardware screen if S3 chip is detected.
• Added WHATSNEW.HTM file.
• Added UPDATE to DHELP's menu system.
• Fixed bug in SETUP.COM that prevented it from enabling graphics using the menu system.
• Fixed bug in READ.COM when executed under Windows 3.x and attempting to view the READ.ME file, READ.COM would attempt to launch Windows 9x's START.EXE to begin loading the README.HTM file.
• Fixed UPDATE.COM able to run under any DOS version as long as Windows was running, including the unsupported Windows 3.x. Now UPDATE will check to see if DOS 7.x (included with Win 9x & WinME) is running before executing.
• Fixed READ.COM still looking for TROUBLE.HLP file. Now it correctly looks for TROUBLE.TXT for troubleshooting information.
• Fixed UNINSTAL.COM progress indicator missing graphics in progress bar.

• Fixed "Update Available" box in UPDATE.COM (too many spaces on right side).

• Fixed error in SYSBAK.COM when using any command line switch while extended characters are disabled will still result in entering menu system.

• Fixed error in SYSBAK.COM's DOS menu backup and restore (hard drive and floppy) not displaying box graphics on screen (just "Backup/Restore was successfull").

• Added progress indicator to UNINSTAL.COM.
• Added prompt to READ.COM, DHELP.COM, and SYSVIEW.COM when attempting to print without printing configured by SETUP.COM, the program would inform user of this, and will now prompt user if they'd like to run SETUP.COM to configure printing.
• Added prompt to SYSVIEW.COM, when attempting to edit without an editor configured by SETUP.COM, SYSVIEW.COM would inform user of this, and will now prompt user if they'd like to run SETUP.COM to configure an editor.
• Added memory report to REVEAL.COM's text mode (non-extended characters).
• Added /B, /H, /M, and /S switches to REVEAL.COM to jump to the Benchmark, Hardware, Memory, and Software screens respectively (not available when extended characters are disabled).
• Added /D switch to DOBSON.COM to disable date display in the menu for systems without enough environment variable space.
• Added /N switch to DOBSON.COM to disable graphics and go into a basic text menu.
• Added music played when DOBSON.COM is executed.
• Added "L" key to DHELP.COM's menu system to go back to the "last" or previous menu page.
• Improved REVEAL.COM's CPU detected through the use of a new source file: GETCPU.EXE, which now allows 486 chips to be detected.
• Improved SYSVIEW.COM's command line parameter handling.
• Improved SETUP.COM's command line parameter handling.
• Improved and condensed SYSBAK.COM's code and removed SYSBAK2 and SYSBAK3.
• Improved BENCHMRK.COM's code efficiency by reusing code for a smaller size.
• Improved INSTALL.COM's code efficiency by reusing code for a smaller size resulting in the elimination of INSTALL2.COM.
• Fixed bug in DRESCUE.COM's rescue mode, when pressing "*" to reboot, a DOS file not found message would display then would return to rescue mode.
• Fixed bug in DPRINT.COM with no printer port configured, and prompted to select a printer port, if user selected no printer port, system would get caught in endless loop continously asking to select a printer port.
• Fixed bug in DPRINT.COM when using the "-?" to see help, DPRINT.COM's help system would not show onscreen.
• Fixed incorrect DU version in DOBSON.COM's "About Box" (still showed v4.0).
• Fixed environment variable error with DHELP.COM's menu system when there's not enough space in the environment variable to store screen information, program will now detect this and display an error message then exit.
• Changed MCOPY.COM's and MDEL.COM's "no pause on error" option to use environment space instead of a temporary file for improved speed without accessing the disk.
• Changed usage of "F" keys in SETUP.COM, REVEAL.COM, and INSTALL.COM to be more consistant with the rest of the DU programs and fix incompatibilities with some keyboards.