Microsoft KB Archive/125776

Using the AMC Utility with Road Atlas for MS-DOS

PSS ID Number: Q125776 Article last modified on 12-14-1995

3.00

MS-DOS

= SUMMARY =

AMC (Automap Configuration) is an MS-DOS based diagnostics tool supplied with Automap Road Atlas for MS-DOS designed to assist Automap users and Microsoft Product Support Services (PSS) engineers in solving problems with Road Atlas for MS-DOS. The program allows you to check vital configuration parameters of the system such as:


 * Version of Automap installed
 * The EMS driver and page frame address
 * Printer configuration, mouse, TSRs, and so on

The AMC.EXE file is copied into the program directory during the first portion of the installation and is activated by typing “amc” (without the quotation marks) at the MS-DOS prompt.

= USING AMC =

To run AMC, switch to the AUTOMAP directory, type “amc” (without the quotation marks) at the MS-DOS command prompt, and press ENTER. If you have any problems starting the program, please see “Running AMC with MS-DOS 6.0” in the next section.

The AMC screen is split into three parts:

At the top - the copyright message In the middle - the output box At the bottom - the menu of available functions

The functions in the menu are accessed by typing the highlighted letter (you do not need to press ALT).

Text is sent to the output box by the reporting routines. This text can either be in gray, yellow, or red:


 * Gray text is used if the reported value is within normal parameters.
 * Yellow text indicates that the noted settings are not at the default settings, and may need to be changed for the product to run correctly.
 * Red text indicates that the setting needs to be changed for the product to function correctly.

= START-UP CHECKS =

When AMC is opened, it automatically starts performing the following checks (see below for more details):


 * Program Checks
 * A simplified memory check
 * A Disk check
 * A simplified environment check

When these checks are complete, you should see five lines containing OK.

Program Checks

 * 1) Reports the version of Automap found in the directory.
 * 2) Reports any changes in the files as compared with the NBCHECK.DAT file. (This will report any unexpected changes in .EXE files possibly caused by viruses).

Disk Checks

 * 1) Reports free space on current drive.
 * 2) Detects the network.
 * 3) Creates and deletes 20 files (to detect if the line FILES= is missing from the CONFIG.SYS).

EMS Checks

 * 1) Checks for an EMS driver and retrieves page frame address, LIM version number, total EMS, and free EMS if present.
 * 2) Writes five blocks of data to EMS.
 * 3) Verifies the five blocks written. (If the computer crashes there is a problem with the EMS.)

Printer Checks
  Dynamically reports status of serial and parallel port.   Detects any Novell captured parallel ports.   Allows you to send a test print to a printer. Press: P to toggle postscript mode 1-4 to select a parallel printer A-D to select a serial printer or S to skip this test 

Mouse Check

 * 1) Checks for the presence of a mouse device driver. (If this check reports “no mouse driver found,” Automap should be configured for “Microsoft compatible mouse on COMx:” or “Mouse systems mouse on COMx:.”)
 * 2) Reports the mouse driver version.
 * 3) Reports the mouse type.
 * 4) Reports the number of buttons.
 * 5) Reports the IRQ line.

TSRs

 * 1) Does MCB chain integrity check.
 * 2) Reports on any loaded TSRs segment size and name.

Device Drivers

 * 1) Reports the name and attributes of all devices.
 * 2) Memory Configuration:
 * 3) * Reports on conventional, expanded, and extended memory used, and free statistics
 * 4) * Device driver version numbers for XMS and EMS

Environment Variables Check

 * 1) Lists all Environment variables.
 * 2) Reports on the size, space used, and space free in the Environment work space. (This will report “Environment Low” if ARPNAME is not set and there is not enough space free to set it.

Command Shell Check

 * 1) Reports on the value of environment variable COMSPEC.
 * 2) Searches the current drive for copies of COMMAND.COM and reports on their size.

Boot-up Information

 * 1) Shows CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files on the boot drive, or if the boot drive could not be identified, lists the files on drives A and C.

General System Information

 * 1) Reports MS-DOS version, BIOS date, PC type, CPU type.
 * 2) Does an installation check on certain software including PRINT, ASSIGN, SHARE, APPEND, NETBIOS, Novell, LANtastic, QEMM.

Report Option

 * 1) Performs most of the above checks and generates a report that can be printed. (Use the same keys as for the printer test to print the report. The report is also saved in the file NBCHECK.REP.)

= TROUBLESHOOTING PROBLEMS WITH AMC =

Running AMC with MS-DOS 6.0
If you have a problem starting AMC.EXE or get the error message “Error - Requires MS-DOS version 3, 4, or 5”, check to make sure that SETVER has been loaded in the CONFIG.SYS file, and that AMC.EXE has been added to the SETVER program list.

For more information about SETVER, consult your MS-DOS documentation or online help.

Running AMC with VGA Monochrome Video
A VGA monochrome system may require that you type “mode 80” (without quotation marks) at the MS-DOS command prompt before using AMC.

KBCategory: kbusage KBSubcategory:

= Additional reference words: kbhowto auto auto-map automap reference 3.0 =

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1995.