Short description
----------------- 
MSTBOOT 2.0 allows to access up to 12 operating systems stored on hard disk or 
floppy. A partitioning of the storage media is not required any more.
Right after switching on or resetting the computer a boot manager will be 
activated enabling the user to choose between the available operating systems. 
Moreover, the boot manager can optionally be envoced after a soft reset. If 
there is no keyboard entry, the boot manager will automatically start the 
operating system of the last session with some seconds of delay. When the 
startup is completed, MSTBOOT frees al allocated RAM space.
The installation an system adaption of the boot manager can be carried out 
with a user-friendly dialogue program with online help under DOS.

First installation
------------------ 
Who to install the boot manager for the first time:
1. Copy MSTBOOT.EXE and MSTBOOT.HLP on a DOS boot diskette. If a CD-ROM 
   drive shall be used also the file MSCDEX.EXE and the CD driver files 
   must be added and the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT be adapted.
2. Reboot the system from the new diskette (some systems block a direct 
   hard disk access)
3. Start the boot manager (under DOS) for the selected drive,
   e.g.: MSTBOOT C:
4. Define the desired operating system
5. Dismiss the boot manager with Alt+X

The boot manager installation is now completed. So far, however, only one
operating system can be selected.

Additional operating systems
---------------------------- 
How to add an additional operating system:
1. Create a DOS boot diskette, if not already at hand, and copy the files 
   MSTBOOT.EXE and MSTBOOT.HLP onto the diskette.
2. Reboot system from the new diskette.
3. Start the boot manager (under DOS) for the selected drive,
   e.g.: MSTBOOT C:
4. Prepare the boot manager for the operating system to be added.
5. Dismiss the boot manager with Alt+X.
6. Install the operating system according to the instructions and make 
   shure that the installation process will be fully completed which might 
   also require a new start of the system
7. Now boot the system from the new diskette
8. Start the boot manager a second time, e.g.: MSTBOOT C:
9. Define the new operating system in the boot manager
10. Dismiss the boot manager with Alt+X

The boot manager can now handle the new operating system.

CD-ROM installation
------------------- 
How to install a new operating system from CD-ROM:
If the new operating system shall be installed from CD-ROM, the required DOS 
drivers and the MSCDEX.EXE program must be copied onto the boot diskette and 
the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT be altered. The name of the driver and the 
corresponding parameters can be taken from the actual DOS configuration on the 
system. An example can be given how the crucial lines might look if Mitsumi 
CD-ROM drive will be used.:

CONFIG.SYS:
   DEVICE =A:\MTMCDAI.SYS /D:MTMIDE01
AUTOEXEC.BAT:
   MSCDEX.EXE /S /D:MTMIDE01 /M:10

If an operating system is getting delivered with boot diskettes for the
installation from CD-ROM, the copy of drivers might be dropped.
It might be a good alternative to copy all installation files from CD-ROM to a 
temporary directory on hard disk first and to start the installation process 
from there, what needs checking for sufficient hard disk space.

Supported operating systems
--------------------------- 
Test of MSTBOOT 2.0 have been made for the following operating systems (all 
higher versions should also run without problems):
   * IBM-DOS Version 5.0 
   * IBM-DOS Version 6.3 
   * MS-DOS Version 5.0 
   * MS-DOS Version 6.0 
   * MS-DOS Version 6.2 
   * MS-DOS Version 6.22 
   * NOVELL-DOS Version 7.0 
   * OS/2 Warp 
   * WINDOWS-NT 3.1 
   * WINDOWS-NT 3.5 
   * WINDOWS-NT 3.51 
   * WINDOWS-NT 4.0 
   * WINDOWS 95 Version 4.00 
   * WINDOWS 95b (OEM SR-2)
   * WINDOWS Memphis Beta 1
The boot manager will definitely not handle the following operating systems:
   * IBM-DOS Version 4.x (or lower) 
   * MS-DOS Version 4.x (or lower) 
   * DR-DOS Version 5.0 (or lower) 

Data compression an boot drive
------------------------------ 
If the boot drive content (typically C:) with the system files have been 
compressed the boot manager must not be used.
Compression of other drives does not disturb the use of the boot manager. It 
must, however, be checked if an additional operating system to be installed 
will support the existing compression method.

File list
--------- 
The packed file MSTBOOT.ZIP contains the following files:

   MSTBOOT.EXE  Installation and adaption of the boot manager
   MSTBOOT.HLP  Online help
   BESTELL.TXT  Ordering form for full version
   README.TXT   File actually displayed
   LIESMICH.TXT diese Datei
   FILE_ID.DIZ  Short description
 
Registration
------------ 
The shareware release allows a 30-days test of the program free of change. To 
use the program permanently, register please and add the license free of
DM 25,00 (cash or cheque) at:

   Olaf H. Barth
   Oskar-Mai-Str. 46
   01159 Dresden
   GERMANY

You can use the ordering form BESTELL.TXT for convenience Immediately after
registration an actual full version of the manager will be mailed to you.

Exclusion of warranty
--------------------- 
All legal responsibilities of the programmer for detrimental effects of the 
use of the program MSTBOOT including damage from operating interrupts, data 
losses or from other program-related problems must be excluded.


Olaf H. Barth


Dresden, 08.01.1998
