                IBM FIXED DISK ORGANIZER YEAR 2000 PATCH

Patch version .x1
Patch written by: C.J. Bergman

The original version of IBM's Fixed Disk Organizer:
- Written by:  D. Stephen Mathers 
- (C) Copyright IBM Corporation 1983
- Personal Computer - Fixed Disk Organizer 
- Version 1.00,  Serial Number: 1110000000


INTRODUCTION
Although it is a rather old-fashioned application, I still consider 
IBM's Fixed Disk Organizer (FDO) one of the easiest to use and most 
elegant menu programs. Even when using Windows or a different OS, I still 
make a DOS startup with FDO for old games and appplications.
Maybe there are other users who think likewise and want to continue 
using FDO. 


PROBLEM
The 'date/time opening screen' of the FDO program, which comes up if the 
system date has changed since the last time you used FDO and which gives 
you the opportunity to set the date and time, is not capable of handling 
dates in the next century. 
The best way to solve the problem is to change the original program.
Unfortunately, IBM did not want to provide the source file of the program, 
although it is an old program, they no longer support. 
A different solution, re-engineering the program from the 'EXE-file', gives 
the next best result, but is rather time consuming.


SOLUTION
The 'IBM FIXED DISK ORGANIZER YEAR 2000 PATCH' is a simple, but yet
effective, work-around to solve the date problem. 
It is a rather 'quick and dirty' solution. It consists of a small 
extra program (DT.EXE), which takes over the original 'date/time opening 
screen' of the FDO program. It sets the date and time, as does the original 
FDO, thus preventing FDO from coming up with its malfunctioning screen. 
For this to happen, the original FDO program has to be slightly modified by
a patch (FDOPATCH.EXE), also the already mentioned 'date/time' program 
(DT.EXE) is produced and a modified 'autoexec' file is added.


CONTENTS
The FDO-X1.ZIP file consists of:

- README.TXT             the text you are reading now,
- FDOPATCH.EXE           patch for the original FDO program,
- DT.EXE                 new 'date/time' program (the opening screen),
- AUTOEXEC.PCH           saves the 'autoexec.bat' file for this patch,
- AUTOEXEC.BAT           changed 'autoexec.bat' file (for the FDO          
                         program, not for your system startup).

All 5 files for the patch are dated 11-11-1999 / 12:00 pm.


INSTALLATION
To install, unzip the FDO-X1.ZIP file and copy the 5 files to your
FDO directory. You can also unzip the file directly into your FDO directory.
Start FDOPATCH.EXE in your FDO directory. Execution will take only a few 
seconds. It produces a patched version of the FDO program (called MN.EXE). 
You will get a message of a succesfull completion. (Failure in case of a 
different FDO version).
After that, start FDO in the usual way. That's all. You almost won't notice 
the patch being there, except for the slightly different opening screen 
layout.

The original FDO installation remains intact. The patch files are added, 
except for the 'autoexec.bat' file, which replaces the existing 
'autoexec.bat' file. A replica of the original 'autoexec.bat' file 
is the 'autoexec.mmf' file of the previous FDO installation.


RESTORE INSTALLATION
If (for some incomprehensible reason) you want to restore the original
Fixed Disk Organizer:
- Copy the 'autoexec.mmf' file to 'autoexec.bat'
- Restart FDO in the usual way.

You can restore the patch installation likewise:
- Copy the 'autoexec.pch' to 'autoexec.bat' 
- Restart FDO in the usual way.


SETTING DATE AND TIME
Instructions for setting the date and time in the new opening screen:
(almost the same as the original FDO date/time settings)

-numbers 0-9
        type in the numbers for the date and time you wish to set;
        only valid values are accepted (beep if wrong);
        date ranges from 01-01-1980 to 31-12-2079;
        you only need to fill in the last two digits of the year;
        the date field is finished by itself, entering the time field,
        if you produce all the digits;
        at the end of the time field, after entering all digits, you 
        have to produce an explicit ENTER; this provides you with an 
        overview of your settings, before accepting.

-ENTER  accepts field at any position as it is at that moment;        
        only valid values are accepted (beep if wrong);
        so two times ENTER accepts suggested system date and time.

-ESC    skips back from any position to the beginning of the field, with
        the original field settings restored;
        two times ESC from the time field brings you back to the beginning
        of the date field.

-No other inputs are accepted.

In case of an invalid value (a beep is produced) the cursor stays on the
current position, giving you the possibility to enter a correct value, or
the cursor skips back to the beginning of the field, producing the
original values, depending on the kind of error, that is encountered.


SOME FINAL REMARKS
- The patch is for the above stated version of the original FDO only.
It (probably) will not work for a different version of FDO (if any). 
If there are different versions of FDO, let us know.

- Mind that the system clock is ticking on while you're looking at 
the screen, entering your numbers and that the seconds are set to
zero. You might get an unwanted time setting if you wait too long
finishing the input. This is also the case in the original FDO.

- The 'dd-mm-yyyy / hh:mm' format in the new opening screen is the only 
format presented, regardless of your country settings (it is the most 
wide-spread format); the format in the FDO menu screens remains as it is
(mm-dd-yyyy for the date).

- The patch should work on any screen and no provisions are made to 
adapt for different monitor types or colour settings.
However, on some pure monochrome monitors the new 'date-time opening screen' 
might appear a bit different.

- If the patch is usefull for you, it would be appreciated very much,
if you let us know.


DISCLAIMER
The IBM FDO Y2k patch is offered on an "as-is" basis, but has been 
thoroughly tested on various computers and is in daily use on several 
systems.  
Neither the author, nor his agent, take any responsibility whatsoever 
for any damages, data loss or other losses incurred by using the patch 
and it's related files. 
No warranty, neither explicit nor implicit, is provided with the patch
and the related files.


DISTRIBUTION
The IBM FDO Y2k patch and it's related files are a shareware product 
and may be used freely by anyone at no charge.
The patch and it's related files may be freely distributed by 
private individuals, bulletin board services, and shareware houses 
only in its totality, i.e. five files. You may not charge any fee 
for distributing the software other than the media it's distributed on.
The files may not be modified, nor may portions of the software 
be extracted for separate distribution.


C.J. Bergman, September 1999.
Authors contact: D. Schouten, e-mail schoutdi@knoware.nl
