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
 

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The information in this article applies to:
 
 - Microsoft Automap Road Atlas for MS-DOS, version 3.0
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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
--------------
 
1. Dynamically reports status of serial and parallel port.
 
2. Detects any Novell captured parallel ports.
 
3. 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:
 
    - Reports on conventional, expanded, and extended memory
      used, and free statistics
    - 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
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Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1995.