README.TXT - Full Documentation of MaxDIR.
FASTREAD.TXT - Quick Read Documentation of MaxDIR.
HISTORY.TXT - History of Revisions to MaxDIR.
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MaxDIR v2.30 [Documentation - DI.EXE] Freeware
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Type DI /? for a list of command switches. Use README.TXT for help.
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PC Recommended Min. Requirements: 80386-sx16, 512K Ram, Dos 5.0, any Drive.
PC Bare Minimum Requirements: 80386-sx16, 128K Ram, Dos 3.0, any Drive.
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OS Requirements to use this program: ( + means "And Higher")
( * means "Not Tested")
One of the following:
Windows 7/8/10+ 32 bit, or 64 bit with emulator (ex: DosBox, Dos VM, etc.)
Windows XP/Vista (Home or Professional)
Windows 95/98/ME DOS 7.0+ (Command Prompt).
Windows 2000 (Command Prompt, all versions).
Windows NT 3.5 - 4.0 (Service Pack 3+) (Command Prompt, Workstation and Server)
MSDOS 2.1 thru MSDOS 7.0+, PCDOS 5+, FreeDOS, or DR-DOS.
OS/2 2.1 thru OS/2 4.0+. (DOS Sessions).
Mac DOS Window and/or Mac "Orange PC" Session. Not tested past OS 7.5.
Any other OS or emulator that supports DOS.
(OPTIONAL: Network Drives must be through a mapped drive letter)
Netware v2.0 thru Netware v6+
Windows 3.11 Network
Windows NT based (NT-10)Network in AD/Domains/ or Workgroup modes.
Windows 95/98/ME Network
Lantastic v3.0+
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FOREWARD:
MaxDIR is a DOS DIR command alternative/replacement, presenting a directory
of files in a nicer format using much less screen-space. MaxDIR makes use of
sorting, columns, and color in order to assist the user in a multitude of
tasks, which include dealing with the brain clutter that may occur when
listing files in the current, or any directory.
INSTALLATION:
Simply copy the MaxDIR files into your OS directory, or any place else
that is specified in your AUTOEXEC.BAT PATH= statement. Also, you can
rename it to anything you wish, such as D.EXE, which is how I use it.
IMPORTANT!: All of the files MUST be in the same directory for MaxDIR to
work properly.
NOTE: For Windows NT/2000, you should extract all files to the C:\WINNT
directory.
For Windows95/98/ME/XP, you should extract all files to the
C:\WINDOWS directory.
For DOS, you should extract all files to the C:\DOS (or SYSTEM)
directory. You must make sure the directory is in the set PATH=
statement.
ABOUT THE FILES:
DI.EXE : MaxDIR. Type DI to get a directory.
MCFG.EXE : MaxDIR Config. This program lets you make up to 25
custom config files for MaxDIR to use. The documentation is
built in to the help system. Press F1 to find out how to use it.
MAXDIR.CFG : This is the default configuration file. You can create up to 25
different .CFG files to use with MaxDIR.
About MaxDIR:
MaxDIR shows a colorful Directory Listing of files, alphabetized into Four
Columns across the screen. By default, it shows Filenames and Extensions,
colorized by Extension. It shows FileSizes, Drive Usage, True Drive Usage
(Actual drive clusters used, in bytes), Total Drive Size, Total Drive Space
Used, Percentage of Drive Used Up, and its Volume Label.
Optionally, it will show more/less drive information, which is described
in detail in MaxDIR Options. As of version 2.23, MaxDIR can also show you a
quick list of the available drives at the top of the directory listing.
Files are always Colorized by Extension. Here's the DEFAULT break-down:
EXE - Light Cyan - Executables. (Programs)
COM - Light Green - Commands. (Assembly Programs)
BAT INI PIF CFG INF - Light Red - Batch, Config, & Win Setup Files.
DOC PDF HTM SHT MSG - White - Documents, HTML, and Message Files.
TXT RTF ANS ASC SC - White - Text, ANSI, ASCII, and Script Files.
WRI HLP SCR LOG ERR - White - Write, Help, Script, & LOG Files.
DBF DB MDB LCK XLS - Blue - Database/Control and Spreadsheet Files.
ASM CPP PAS BAS C - Green - Program Source Code.
SYS OVR OVL DAT - Green - Overlays, Drivers/TSR's, & Data Files.
BMP PCX TAR TIF IFF - Cyan - Graphics Files.
IMG PCD PIC PCT PSP - Cyan - Graphics Files.
GIF JPG - Cyan - Graphics Files.
FLI FLC FLT TGA - Cyan - Graphics Files & Motion Video.
WMV MP4 MPA MPE MOV - Light Magenta - Video
AVI MPG - Light Magenta - Video
ZIP ARJ ARC LHA RAR - Red - Archived / Compressed Files.
DRV 386 DLL GRP VXD - Brown - Win Drivers, Groups, & Link Libraries.
MOD MID WAV VOC CMF - Light Blue - Music & Sound Files.
S3M STM IT XM - Light Blue - Music & Sound Files.
MP3 OGG WMA ASF - Yellow - Music & Sound Files.
- Light Magenta - Sub-Directories.
All Others - Light Grey - All other non-standard and/or unknowns.
NOTE: You can easily modify/change all of these using MaxDIR Config.
OPTIONS:
You can change the way MaxDIR shows files by using Command-Switches. For
example, by typing DI /ON MaxDIR will Alphabetize files by Filename instead
of by File Extension. Here are the available command-switches:
By default, MaxDIR shows files alpha by file extension, ordered up/down.
/oe - Sort Files by Extension, Filename. (Default)
/on - Sort Files by Filename, Extension.
/od - Sort Files by Date/Time, Name, Ext.
/os - Sort Files by Size, Name, Ext.
/ou - Disable Sorting.
/w - Show Files Ordered Up-Down. (Default)
/l - Show Files Ordered Left-to-Right.
/# - Number of Columns (1,2,4,6) (Default: 4)
/a - Show Hidden/System files.
/d - Show Directories ONLY.
/u - Show Files in ALL-Uppercase.
/v - Show Available Drives.
/p - Pause at full screen.
/y - Use BIOS Video Addressing. (Old/ Unique systems. DOS in ROM. Slower.)
/i - Include DIR clusters in 'Bytes Consumed'.
/cx - Color: 0=No Color 1=Standard 2=ANSI (1 can't Redirect)
/x - Show eXtra Drive Information.
/b - Show MaxDIR Location, Build ID, and DOS Version Info.
/z - Disable custom configuration. (Use Default Settings.)
/zfilename - Use custom configuration CFG file. (Don't add .CFG)
NOTE: You can Disable switches that are on by default or if they are set in
a Maxdir.Cfg file. by using a dash(-), like: di /-p to not pause.
The - can be before or after the switch, like: di /-v or di /v-
You can use more than one switch, in any order. The path to sort must be the
last thing on the command line.
EXAMPLES:
di -Shows files in current dir, alpha by extension.
di /? -Shows Command Line Switches and info about MaxDIR.
di /os -Shows files sorted from smallest to largest.
di /on /u /l ms*.* -Shows files in current dir starting with MS, alpha
by filename, in all uppercase, ordered left-to-right.
di /u e:\dos -Shows files under the Dos dir on drive E, alpha
by extension, in all uppercase.
di /d /x -Shows directories under current dir, along with
extra info about the drive.
di /ou /-p -Shows files, unsorted, not pausing when the screen
fills up.
di /a -Shows ALL files(including hidden and system files),
with hidden dirs at the end of the dir list, and all
hidden files at the end of the files list, with their
first characters in lower case.
di /-v -Shows files in current dir, alpha by extension,
without showing available drives.
di /zfilename -Will use the custom configuration file: filename.cfg
Don't add the .CFG in the command.
di \ -Shows the current drive's Root directory, alpha by
extension.
di /2 -Shows files in current dir, alpha by extension,
in 2 columns (which shows dates, times, and attributes)
di /c0 /-p > file.txt -Lists files in current dir, sending output to
File.txt. (no color)
di /c2 /p- > file.txt -Will list files in current dir, sending output to
File.txt. (using ANSI color codes.)
di /c0 /-p > lpt2 -Lists files in current dir, sending output to
printer on LPT2
TIP: When outputting to another device, be sure to use the /-p option
to disable PAUSE. Otherwise, you'll have to keep pressing a key
until the output is completed.
NOTE: Even though the /ou option specifies No Sorting, all directories will
still be pushed to the front of the listing, but they will not be
sorted.
NOTE2: The /a option always pushes hidden/system files to the end of the
list. Hidden/System files are denoted by a lowercase first letter
of the Filename and Extension.
PAUSE:
MaxDIR pauses after each screenful of information, and is smart enough to
detect screen modes. Use di /-p to disable the pause.
FILESIZE FORMAT:
MaxDIR shows filesizes up to 999,999 bytes, without truncating. Files
which are longer will be shown (For example, 15,437,121) truncated as 15.437M
Due to space limitations in the way file lists are diplayed, all commas are
left out of the file-sizes in 2 and 4 column modes.
MORE ON "BYTES CONSUMED": (FAT12/FAT16) (Windows 95[A] is not exempt.)
MaxDIR calculates "Bytes Consumed" using a simple method. First, to under-
stand what it means, here is a brief explanation: All disk drives store
information in "Clusters" on a disk. A "Cluster" is a set of sequential
"Sectors" which are usually 512 bytes in length (except on CD-ROMs). The
cluster size is always determined by the size of the disk. The reason for
this is somewhat complex, but it boils down to the ineffeciency of DOS making
use of very large drives... When DOS stores a file onto a disk, it
allocates (uses) an entire cluster, even if the file is 1 byte in length.
Many newer computers have large drives and subsequently have a cluster size
of 32,768 bytes. One file, say 200 bytes or even 1 byte, will consume
32,768 bytes of drive space. If a file is 32,769 bytes in length, it will
consume 2 clusters or 65,536 bytes. MaxDIR looks at all of the files in your
current DIR, calculates the consumed bytes for each one by using simple
division, and then adds up the total you see at the bottom.
DI /I will include the directory entries in your current DIR. They are
counted as files(except "." and ".." which are reference points).
Type DI /X to see your current drive's cluster size, and what determines it.
(ie: [Bytes Per Sector] * [Sectors Per Cluster] = Bytes Per Cluster.)
Please read LIMITATIONS, below, to find out about Bytes Consumed on drives
not supported by DOS, such as FAT32 and NTFS/HPFS.
EXTRA DRIVE INFO: (/X Option):
With the /X option, MaxDIR will show your drives' bytes-per-sector,
sectors-per-cluster, bytes-per-cluster, total clusters, available clusters,
and clusters used.
It also, it shows the Disk (NOT DRIVE) DOS Identifier Byte and what it
means (ie: A 1.2 Megabyte 5.25" Floppy DRIVE can support 160K, 180K, 320K,
360K, and 1.20MB DISKS). MaxDIR tells you the size of the DISK in the floppy
drive, not the floppy drive's size. Most of the other information this
option provides is only useful for people who wish to know how efficiently
their drive(s) do file-keeping.
NOTE: MaxDIR tells you a network DISK TYPE by way of the DOS Identifier
Byte, the same way as a local drive. This may not be accurate on
some networks, depending on the specific client/server interface.
LIMITATIONS: (problems explained /possible solutions)
MaxDIR has a limit of 2,100 files in any given Directory. If, for some
strange reason, you have more than that, MaxDIR will only show the first
2,100.
Due to the strange nature of some CD-Roms, MaxDIR may be in error showing
file consumption and disc size. Some DOS CDRom drivers seem to put incorrect
information into the computer's bios, causing it to show the wrong disc size.
Also, some CD's report incorrect disc sizes anyway... To be honest, I can
never tell which, or it could be that I was absent on the day they decided to
add a couple of bytes to the BIOS cluster table. :) At any rate, MaxDIR will
correctly report filesizes and total bytes used, but may be in error showing
consumption and total disc size on some CD-Roms. If/when MaxDIR detects an
error in those, it will print [CDROM?] preceding the percentage-full. This
means you should check for a better CD-Rom driver. If it is a networked
drive, then you may want to check into a network software patch/update.
NOTE: MaxDIR is not able to show drive Size and actual bytes Consumed on
drives that are not either FAT12 or FAT16. DOS (and true DOS emulators) only
work with FAT12/16 drives.
Windows95/98 and WindowsNT can run on FAT32 and NTFS (respectively),
which use different and incompatable types of File Allocation.
MaxDIR will work on Windows 95/98/NT/2K,etc., but their DOS emulators report
incorrect Sector and Cluster information to keep DOS programs running
correctly on larger hard drives.
Older 16-bit DOS only supports HD's under 2GB in size, so the Bytes Consumed
and total drive sizes will likely be incorrect. It's a trade-off.. All other
information will be correct, and MaxDIR will run as it was intended.
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BUG FIXES:
If you are a regular user of MaxDIR, and you have the displeasure of
discovering a bug, I would urge you to e-mail a brief description to the site
address. The fix will be posted on the net at: www.c-shore.com/maxdir/
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I hope you find this to be a useful utility. If you have any suggestions
or comments concerning this program, feel free to send it to the email address
listed on c-shore.com
-Michael S. Hooper
LEGAL MUMBOJUMBO:
As for legalities... MaxDIR has been tested on many different systems
with no problems or complications.
MSH Softworks will accept no liability for data loss, file or directory
corruption, program failure, system failure, or any problems that are judged
and/or assumed as being caused by the use of MaxDIR. Due to the diversity of
computers and operating systems in use, MaxDIR comes without warranty either
expressed or implied.