~INSTRUCTIONS INSTRUCTIONS The following options are available from the main menu: 1. @Information and Instructions.^ To help you determine the best approach to use when installing your VESA driver. 2. @Check if VESA Driver is Currently Installed.^ Use this option to see if a driver is already installed or if the one you just installed is responding. (Incidentally, just because it responds does not mean it will test correctly.) 3. @Install VESA Driver.^ You can install using one of two methods, Automatic or Manual. For a description of how these methods work, choose the 'Install VESA Driver' option, then select 'HELP.' 4. @Uninstall VESA Driver.^ This option is used to remove (or attempt to remove) an existing VESA driver. 5. @Perform Test.^ This option actually displays a 640x400 or 640x480 256 color image to see if the card and driver are functioning correctly. 6. @Restore Original AUTOEXEC File.^ This option will return the AUTOEXEC.BAT file to the way it was before SETVESA started changing it. Use RESTORE if you are unsuccessful in finding a working driver. 7. @Exit To DOS.^ Use this option to exit the program. @NOTE:^ This program only checks VESA modes 100 and 101 (hexadecimal). If you want to list all VESA modes that the card supports, exit this program and run the program called @CHKVESA^, which is included with this package. ~INSTALL_HELP INSTALLATION METHODS You can install a VESA driver using one of three methods. 1. @AUTOMATIC method:^ This program will lead you through the process step by step, and will perform as many of the tasks as it can automatically. You should use this method if you are new to computers and do not know how to modify your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. A backup copy of this important file will be made automatically, and you can choose to restore it to its original state at any time. This will 'UNDO' any changes and put your computer 'BACK' as it was before we started. 2. @TRIAL AND ERROR method:^ This method tries each of the VESA drivers one at a time until one is found that works. You can ask the program to sequentially go through the entire list of provided drivers, or you can manually pick drivers from the list. 3. @MANUAL method:^ Using this method requires that you have a basic understanding of DOS and how the AUTOEXEC.BAT file is changed. We will explain the process and outline the steps in detail. You will then EXIT this program, install the VESA driver, and return to the program to test the results. Even if you know what you're doing, you may want to try the automatic method once to see if the program can find and install the correct driver. You can always use the 'RESTORE' option to return the AUTOEXEC.BAT file to its original state. ~MANUAL_INSTRUCTIONS MANUAL INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS @Manual Installation Instructions^ Installing a VESA driver is a fairly simple process if you are familiar with how to modify your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If you've just recently purchased your Super VGA card, a VESA driver that works with that card should be contained on a Utility Disk that came with the card. There may or may not be information in the manual about how to install or use the driver. Normally, the driver will have a name that contains the word VESA or VSA and will have a '.COM' or '.EXE' extension. For example: @VESA.EXE, VVESA.COM, ORCHDVSA.COM^ and @TLIVESA.COM^ are all names of current VESA drivers. If your card didn't come with a driver, you should be able to find a matching driver from the VESA library included with this program. Major manufacturers have supplied drivers to match their cards, and these are included in the VESA sub-directory. The following is a list of current drivers: @Directory Driver Name Date Manufacturer @ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ^ AHEAD VESABIOS.EXE 08-08-91 Ahead APPIAN APVESA.EXE 08-06-91 Appian Technology ATI VVESA.COM 10-17-91 ATI BOCA TLIVESA.COM 03-11-92 BOCA CHIPS VESA451.COM 08-14-90 Chips & Technologies CHIPS VESA452.COM 08-14-90 Chips & Technologies DIAMOND VMODE.COM 01-03-91 Diamond EVEREX VESA.COM 01-30-90 Everex Systems GENOA VESA.COM 08-31-90 Genoa Systems IBM VESA.EXE 01-15-92 IBM (PS2 Model 25SX) OAK 67VESA.COM 01-21-91 Oak Technology ORCHID ORCHDVSA.COM 01-28-91 Orchid Technology PARADISE VESA1A1B.EXE 11-20-91 Paradise PARADISE VESA1D.EXE 12-03-91 Paradise PERFECTV PV-VESA.COM 04-16-91 Perfect View SIGMA SIGVESA.COM 12-20-90 Sigma Designs STB VESA-TSR.COM 03-20-91 STB Systems TECMAR VGAVESA.COM 04-18-90 Tecmar TRIDENT VESA.EXE 10-28-91 Trident TRIDENT OLDVESA.EXE 12-07-90 Trident TSENG TLIVESA.COM 03-11-92 Tseng Labs VIDEO7 V7VESA.COM 09-17-90 Video Seven WESTERN VESA1A1B.EXE 11-20-91 Western Digital WESTERN VESA1D.EXE 12-03-91 Western Digital @NOTE: Check the VESA sub-directory for additional drivers that may @not be listed above.^ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ @Installing and Testing a VESA Driver:^ @Step 1.^ See if you have VESA in ROM or if a driver is already installed by selecting the 'Check if VESA Driver is Currently Installed' option (item 2) from the main MENU. @If a driver^ @IS installed, go to STEP 6.^ @Step 2.^ Try to determine which video card you have. Before you open your machine, you may want to try the following: a. Go to the DOS sub-directory b. Type: @DEBUG^ [enter] c. At the '@-^' prompt, type: @D C000:0^ [enter] d. Then type: @D^ [enter] e. Then type: @Q^ [enter] f. At the right side of the screen should be a memory dump of the video ROM. Look for names such as Tseng Labs, Trident, Paradise, etc. This could provide a clue as to either the card or the chip manufacturer. For example, if you see the words 'Tseng Labs', use the TLIVESA.COM driver from the VESA\TSENG directory. @Step 3.^ Locate the VESA driver that seems to match your card. Either get the driver from your card's utility disk or from the VESA library that is included with this program. If the driver is on your card's utility disk, copy it into the root directory on your boot drive (or wherever you wish, but remember where you put it.) @Step 4.^ Install the VESA driver as follows: Option 1. Execute the driver from the command line. (You will have to execute the driver before you run a program such as Links386Pro that uses VESA.) Option 2. Make a copy of the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, then place the driver call in the AUTOEXEC, and reboot the machine. (The driver will be installed automatically whenever the machine is booted.) @NOTE: If your card is PERFECT VIEW or an STB, you will have @to place the driver call at the TOP LINE of your AUTOEXEC. @These drivers must be installed BEFORE the mouse or other @video drivers. @Step 5.^ Return to this program and make sure the driver is installed by choosing 'Check if VESA Driver is Currently Installed' (item 2) from the main MENU. @Step 6.^ Test the driver by selecting 'Perform VESA Test' (item 5) from the main MENU. @Step 7.^ If the test works, Great! YOU'RE DONE! If not, continue. @Step 8.^ If the test does not work, you should review and possibly repeat the process using the same driver. Make sure you've done everything correctly. Try placing the driver call at the top of the AUTOEXEC, then try other drivers. ~WHAT_IS_SVGA? WHAT IS SUPER VGA? @What is a Super VGA Card?^ In simple terms, a Super VGA card is a video card which supports resolution modes beyond those of basic VGA, which was introduced by IBM in 1987. The original @Links^ program uses VGA 320x200 256 color mode, which is the highest resolution in 256 colors supported by basic VGA. Soon after IBM introduced VGA, other card manufacturers began to add higher resolution capabilities to their cards. These later became known as Super VGA. A Super VGA card will display 256 colors in resolutions such as 640x400, 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, etc. @Links386Pro^ can use the 640x400 or 640x480 mode. Even if your card does not say "Super VGA," you should try to install various VESA drivers to see if one will work. It will be well worth the effort. There is a good chance it will support one of the modes needed for @Links386Pro^, and once you step into the world of higher resolution graphics, you will never want to go back! ~WHAT_IS_VESA? WHAT IS A VESA DRIVER? @What is a VESA Driver?^ VESA stands for the @V^ideo @E^lectronic @S^tandards @A^ssociation, which is the organization that sets and supports industry-wide video graphics standards for the benefit of end-users. A @VESA DRIVER^ is a small program that loads into memory and communicates with the computer's video card. Each video card has its own VESA driver, usually written by the card manufacturer and supplied free of charge. When the correct VESA driver is installed (one that matches the video card), application programs such as @Links386Pro^ can communicate with the card by using the VESA standards. This allows the application to display graphics in Super VGA and other modes. ~WHAT_IS_SETVESA? WHAT DOES SETVESA DO? @What Does This Program (SETVESA) Do?^ @SETVESA^ was designed to help end-users setup their computers to display the 640x400 or 640x480 256 colors needed by @Links386Pro^. After the correct VESA driver has been determined, it can be installed automatically by the autoexec.bat file as part of the normal config- uration process. Once this is done, @Links386Pro^ and any other programs which use VESA should be able to operate in any of the supported modes. @NOTE: Most higher modes such as 800x600 and 1024x768 256 colors @require multi-frequency monitors. Even if your card supports these @modes, you may have to upgrade your monitor.^ @SETVESA^ provides options to help you install the correct VESA driver on your computer and to test the functionality on 640x400 and 640x480 256 color modes. ~DRIVER_MENU_HELP HELP @USING TRIAL AND ERROR METHODS^ Four options are available on this menu: @HELP:^ Display this help screen. @Assisted Trial and Error:^ The computer will go through each VESA driver one at a time until it finds a driver that works. This method may be preferred if you don't already have an idea of which driver ought to work for your graphics card. @Manual Trial and Error:^ You select a VESA driver from a list of provided drivers. You will have an opportunity to try other drivers if the one you selected does not work. This method may be preferable if you have an idea of which VESA driver might work on your system. @Cancel:^ Exit from this menu. ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ NOTE: Either of the above methods (Assisted or Manual) will require a computer reboot after each VESA driver is selected. You will be automatically returned to this program in order to test the newly installed driver. ~VESA_WORKS VESA DRIVER FOUND If the VESA test was successful, you now have a VESA driver that will install automatically everytime you boot your machine. It would be a good idea to exit this program and test run all your software such as Windows, spread sheets, etc. to make sure they still work correctly. If they do, you should rename the L386AUTO.BAK file (which is the backup AUTOEXEC.BAT this program created) to some other name, such as L386AUTO.OLD. This will disable the RESTORE option (main menu item 6). A few months from now, you may have made other modifications to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, and you would not want to erase those changes by inadvertantly using the RESTORE option. @TO RENAME THE BACKUP FILE:^ @1. Change to the directory containing the SETVESA utility @2. Type: RENAME L386AUTO.BAK L386AUTO.OLD^ If you're not familiar with how to rename a file, you may want to write these instructions down or refer to your DOS manual. ~END