CompuServe Messages

Randall, Changing the Startup-Sequence file is not really a big deal, but it can be scary the first few times you do it. Let me stress that you modify a _copy_ of your workbench disk. I said a COPY. If something should go wrong, you will still be able to boot with the original one to fix the problem. I can still remember the feeling I got the first time my startup-sequence failed to complete. If you are working with a stock Commodore workbench disk, there are lots of candidates for elimination to make more room on the disk. But that's another message. If this is the case, speak up and there will be suggestions from everyone. Most virus checkers are designed to detach when you run them. Before I got OS2.04, I ran VirusX for years. If memory serves, the command was: RUN >NIL: VirusX (This was explicitly spelled out in the documentation, and the requirements for your antivirus program should be also.) The RUN command tells the OS to create a seperate cli task to execute the program in. This allows the rest of the S-S to continue without waiting for the virus checker to end (which it won't). The >NIL: part tells the OS to supress the "[CLI 2]" type message. It doesn't really affect anything except the screen display. In your case, you will need to be a bit more specific. You will need a command like: RUN >NIL: <path>VirProg with <path> being where the program is stored, and VirProg being the actual program name. Although the device name DF1: would work for <path> it is better to use the disks name, (e.g., Utils:). By using the name, if the wrong disk is in drive DF1: the OS will pop up a requester asking you to insert disk NAME: in any drive. If you use DF1: it will look at that disk and fail because it could not find the program. Also, if the virus checker is in a drawer other than the root, that information needs to be included in the <path> specification, (e.g., Utils:Virus-checkers/). Using my earlier example, you could end up with: <continued>