AMSTRAD PPC 512 User manual
TheAmstrad
Portable
PPC
512
/640
User
Instructions
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AMSTRADplc
AMSTRADPPC
USER
MANUAL
(USA)
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Manual
Copyright
1988,
AMSTRAD
plc
Neither
the
whole
nor
any
part
of
the
information
contained
herein,
nor
the
product
described
in
this
manual
may
be adapted or reproduced
in
any
material fonn
except
with
the
prior
written
approval
of
AMSTRAD
plc('AMSTRAD').
The
product described
in
this
manual
and
products
for
use
with
it
are subject
to
continuous
development
and
improvement.
In
particular,
there
may
be differences between
the
messages
displayed
on
your
screen
and
those
shown
here.
All
information
of
a technical
nature
and
particulars
of
the
product
and
its
use
(including
the
information
and
particulars
in
this
manual)
are
given
by
AMSTRAD
in
good
faith.
However,
it
is acknowledged
that
there
may
be
errors
or
omissions
in
this
manual.
AMSTRAD
welcomes
comments
andsuggestions relating
to
the
productor
this
manual.
All
correspondence
should
beaddressed
to:
AMSTRAD
INC
AMSTRAD
National
Service
Center
1915
HARRISON
ROAD
LONGVIEW
TX
75604
All
maintenance and service
on
the
product
must
be carried
out
by
AMSTRAD
authorised dealers.
AMSTRAD
cannot accept
any
liability
whatsoever
for
any
loss
or
damage caused by service or maintenance by unauthorised personnel.
This
manual
is
intended
only
to
assist the reader
in
the use
of
the product, andtherefore
AMSTRAD
shall
not
beliable
for
any
loss
or damagewhatsoeverarising
from
the use
of
any
information
or
particulars
in,
or
any
erroror
omission
in,
this
manual
or
any
incorrectuse
of
the
product.
Manual
revised
for
the
PPC
By
J
Jones
including
material
written
by
J
Gilmour
of
Locomotive
Software
Ltd
for
AMSTRAD
plc.
Publishedby
AMSTRAD
First
Edition
1988
Trademark
Acknowledgements
MS-DOS®
is atrademark
of
Microsoft®
Corporation.
CROSSTALK
isatrademark
of
Digital
Communications
Associates
Inc.
MIRROR
II
AND
MIRROR
aretrademarks
ofSoftklone
Distributing
Corporation.
Hayes
isatrademark
ofHayes
Microcomputer
Products
Inc.
IBM
is aregisteredtrademark
of
International
Business
Machines
Corp.
Compuserve
isatrademark
of
Compuserve
Information
Service.
AMSTRAD
PPC,
PPC640,
PPCS
12,
PC
1512,
PC1640
aretrademarks
of
AMSTRAD
pie.
AMSTRAD
name
&
logos
are registeredtrademarks
of
AMSTRAD
pie.
All
Rights
reserved
Unauthorised
use
of
the
trademark
or
word
AMSTRAD
is
strictly
forbidden.
IMPORTANT
This
equipment generates anduses radio frequency energy, and
if
not
installed and used
properly,
that
is,
in
strict accordance
with
the manufacturer's
instructuions,
may
cause
interference
to
radio andtelevision reception. Ithas bentype tested and
found
to
comply
with
the
limits
for
a Class Bcomputing device
in
accordance
with
the specifications
in
Subject J
of
Part
15
of
FCC
Rules,
which
are designed
to
provide reasonable protection
against such interference
in
a residential
installation.
However,
there
is
no
guarantee
that
the interference will
not
occur
in
a particular
installation.
If
this
equipment does cause
interference
to
radio or television reception,
which
can be determined by turning the
equipment
off
and
on,
the user
is
encouraged
to
try
to
correct the interference by one or
more
of
the
following
measures:
...
re-orientthereceivingantenna.
...
re-locatethe computer
with
respect
to
the receiver.
...
move
the computeraway
from
thereceiver
...
plugthe computer
into
a different
outlet
so
that
the computer andreceiver are
on
different branchcircuits.
If
necessary, the user should consult the dealer
or
an
experienced radio/television
technician
for
additional suggestions.
The
user
may
find
the
following
booklet prepared
bythe FederalCommunications
Commission
helpful:
'How
to
IdentifyandresolveRadio/I'VInterferenceProblems'
This
booklet
is
available
from
the
US
Government
Printing
Office,
Washington
DC20402
-Stock
No.
004-000-00345-4
IMPORTANT-
WHEN
CONNECTING
ANY
PERIPHERAL
TO
THIS
EQUIPMENT,
A
CORRECTUL?FCC
APPROVED
SHIELDED
CABLE
MUST
BE
USED.
WARNING
-
This
equipment has been certified
to
comply
with
the
limits
for
a Class B
computing device, pursuant
to
Subpart J
of
Part
15
of
FCC
Rules.
Only
peripherals
(computer input/output devices, terminals, printers, etc.) certified
to
comply
with
the
Class B
limits
may
be
attached
to
this
computer. Operation
with
non-certified peripherals
is
likely
to
result
in
interference
to
radioand
TV
reception.
INTRODUCTION
The
AMSTRAD
PPC
is
a
compact
computer,
which
is
easily
transportable
between
any
number
of
locations,
for
use
in
a
variety
of
ways.
For
example,
it
could
help
you
to
prepare
letters
or
to
carry
out
routine
office
tasks
at
work;
then
at
home
it
could
help
you
budget
ahead
and
so
keep
in
credit
at
the
bank.
It
can
also
run
computer
games
when
you
want
to
relax.
The
internalbatterypack enables
you
to
use
your
AMSTRAD
PPC
anywhere,
But,
to
avoid
needless use
of
battery power,
AMSTRAD
have
designed
the
PPC
to
accept power
input
from
anumber
of
alternative externalsources.
THE
PPC
MAY
BE
CONNECTED
TO
ONE
OF
THE
FOLLOWING
THREE
POWER
SOURCES
ONLY.
Where
A.C.
powerisavailable:
a.
The
external
A.C.
adaptor
suppliedwith
your
PPC
640
(U.K.-Model
PPC640
AC-B;
U.S.A.-Model
PPC640
AC-A;
Europe·
Model
PPC640
AC-E).
b.
An
AMSTRAD
PC-MD,
PC-CD
or
PC-ECD
monitor,
ifavailable.
Where
A.C.
power
is
not
available:
c.
From
a
12v
car cigar lighter socket, via
the
car
battery
adaptor
supplied
with
your
PPC.
(Model
PPC640DC).
NO
OTHER
EXTERNAL
POWER
SOURCE
MAYBE
USED.
Important
Note:
Always
use
'C'
size
ALKALINE
cells
(Duracell
or
similar
type)
for
your
internal power
supply.
Most
other types cannot
continuously
deliver
the
current required
by
the
PPC.
Rechargeable cells
have
a lower working
voltage,
which
will
give
early
indication
of
power
failure,
so their use
is
not
recommended.
Try
to
organise
your
work
to
avoid
using
the
disk drives (and
modem,
on
PPC
640
models)
any
more
than
you
can
help,
when
using
the internal supply,
thus
minimising
power
consumption.
It
is
recommended
that
the
PPC640
modem
is
NOT
operated
on
batterypower.
The
PPC
640
models
have
a
built-in
modem,
designed
to
allow
the
PPC
640
to
beplugged
directly
into
a standard telephone socket.
It
is
supplied complete
with
MIRROR
II,
a
powerful,
but
simple
to
use,
communications
program.
This
gives
you
the
power
to
transfer
files
between
your
office
micro
and
your
current
location,
to
access databases
such as
CompuseIVe,
and
to
use
Bulletin
Boards
andElectronic
Mail.
AMSTRAD'S
built
in
LIQUID
CRYSTAL
DISPLAY
(LCD)
monitor
gives a sharp, clear
display, making
your
systemcompletelyself-contained.
However,
switches
are provided
to
allow
you
to
configure
your
PPC
for
achoice between internal
LCD,
or
external
colour
or
monochrome
VDU.
The
PPC
will
accept the
AMSTRAD
PC-MD,
PC-CD
or
PC-ECD,
IBM,
or
IBM-PC
compatible
monitors.
Choice
of
colour
or
monochrome
adaptor,
to
suit
an
external
monitor
if
used,
is
made-by
dipswitches,
as
is
the
choice
of
whether
the
initial
screen
output
is
displayed
on
the
LCD
or
an
external
monitor.
Output
can
then
be
switched
simply
from
internal
to
external
display,
or
vice-versa,
by
software
switching
controlled
by
the
[Scroll
Lock]
and
right
hand
[Ctrl]
keys.
The
AMSTRAD
PPC
has
been designed so
that
it
can
run
the
same
programs
as
many
of
today's microcomputers.
For
instance,
it
can
run
the
same
programs
as
an
IBM
desktop
PC.
You
could,
for
example, take
the
31
/ 2
inch
disk
you
use
to
run
your
word
processing
program
on
an
IBM
PC
and use
it
directly
in
your
AMSTRAD
PPC.
With
the
PPC
640,
if
your
office
micro
is
connected
to
the
public telephone service,
you
can
access
your
files
from
anywhere
that
there
is
apublic telephone
line,
with
astandard
plug-in
connection.
If
you
have
a sales
force,
you
can,
by
suitably
programming
your
office
system,
allow
them
to
use
the
PPC
to
obtain
information
and enter order details
from
a
hotel
or acustomer's
office,
giving
a
swift
and
professional service.
The
MIRROR
communications
package, supplied
with
the
PPC
640,
allows
you
to
access
files
on
any
system connected
to
the
public telephone service, provided
that
you
are
entitled
to
use
that
system.
Communication
with
public
services
and
IBM
compatible
micros,
connected
to
standard
modems,
should
present
little
difficulty.
Mainframe
systems and
non
IBM
compatible
micros
may
presenttechnical problems
and
require full
familiarity
with
MIRROR
!I'S
wide range
of
facilities.
Most
Systems
are protected
from
unauthorised access
by
PASSWORDS
and
if
you
are
planning
to
access
your
office
system
remotely,
whether
using
the
AMSTRAD
PPC
640
or
any
other
system,
you
should
ensure
that
it
is
similarly
protected.
When
MIRROR
II
is
running
on
the
'host'
system,
that
is,
the
system
holding
the
files
to
which
aremote user requires access,
it
is
possible
to
allocate
different
levels
of
access
to
different remote users.
For
example,
you
might
choose
to
be
able
to
write
to
any
of
your
office
files
yourseH,
from
any
location,
whilst
allowing
some
of
your
staff
to
have
read-only
access and
allowing
others
to
have
write access,
but
perhaps
only
to
certain
files.
The
Amstrad
PPC
640,
on-line
with
MIRROR,
makes
it
easy
for
authorisedusers
to
gain
access
to
the
host
system
at
their allocated levels, providing assistance
in
MIRROR
or
other
compatible
communications
software.
Also
supplied
to
you
with
the
AMSTRAD
PPC
is
Microsoft's
MS-DOS
Version
3.3
MS-DOS's
role
is
to
supervise the
work
your
AMSTRAD
PPC
carries
out.
It
also
provides
tools
for
keeping
your
stored
information
and programs organised.
.About
thismanual
This
manual
coversthe use
of
the
AMSTRAD
PPC
range, comprising
PPC
512S,
PPC
512D,
PPC640S
AND
PPC640D
models.
The
PPC
640
models
have
an
integral
intelligent
modem
andaresupplied
with
the
MIRROR
II
communications
software
package.
The
manual
is
in
3sections:
*
Section
1:
Fundamentalaspects
of
usingthe
AMSTRAD
PPC
*
Section
2:
Using
MS-DOS
Commands
*
Section
3:
Communicating,
with
MIRROR
II
Each
section starts
with
its
own
contents
list,
describing
the
subsections
it
contains.
Cross
references are
given
in
the
form:
section
1.2.3,
referring
to
section
1,
sub-section
2,
sub-sub section
3.
Section
1describes
how
to
connect
up
the
various
parts
of
your
AMSTRAD
PPC
andthen
takes
you
through
your
first
steps
in
using
your
system.
It
also
tells
you
about
the disksand
the
programs
you
should
buy
for
your
AMSTRAD
PPC
and
how
to
use these.
This
part
of
the
manual
includes
an
introduction
to
computing
for
anyone
using
a
microcomputer
for
the
first
time.
Section
2describes
how
to
carry
out
a broader range
of
tasks
by
typing
instructions
to
MS-DOS.
Section
3explains
how
to
connect
the
AMSTRAD
PPC
640
to
the
telephone
network
and
how
you
canuse the system
to
transferdata
to
and
from
remote
locations.
Appendices
at
the end
of
the
manual
give
information
about
the
modem
specifications
for
the
PPC
640
models,
andpointers
to
more
advanced
use
of
your
system.
If
you
want
to
use
your
PPC
simply
to
run
programs
you
buy,
then
all
the
information
you
need
to
get these
running
is given'in section 1
of
the
manual.
The
programs'
own
user
guidesshould
tell
you
everythingelse
you
need
to
know.
Whilst
you
would
normally
run
versions
of
programs specifically intended
for
the
AMSTRAD
PPC,
it
will generally
be
possible
to
run
programs intended
for
the
IBM
PC
and
for
PC
compatibles.
Again
all
the
information
you
willneedwilleither be
in
section 1
of
this
manual
or
in
the programs'
own
user guides. Programs
may
be
loaded directly
from
3 1/2
inch
disks or transferred
from
another
system,
either
by
direct connection
between serial ports or
via
modems
and telephone
lines,
using
MIRROR
II
or other
communications
software.
Note
the
textofthisguide
uses
UK
spellings
CONTENTS
Section I: Fundamentalsofusingthe
AMSTRAD
PPC
1.1
Fundamentalsofcomputing
What
is
acomputer?;
How
yourdisks are organised;
Bringing
your
filing
system
up
to
date
1.2
Setting
up
the
AMSTRAD
PPC
Fitting
the
A.C.
power
plug;
Fitting
the batteries;
Setting
up
the
PPC
1.3
Preparing
for
future
use
First
steps; Setting the
AMSTRAD
PPC's
internal
clock;
Backing-up
your
AMSTRAD
PPC
disks; Learning moreabout the system
1.4
About
disks
1.5
What
the
AMSTRAD
PPC
canbeused
for
Running
astandard
DOS
program;
Running
Communication
programs
on
the
PPC
640
1.6
Using
MS-DOS
to
organise
your
disks
Copying a disk; Preparing a new disk
for
use;
Copying
a
file;
Deleting a
file;
Renaming
a
file;
Finding
out
how
large a
file
is;
Finding
out
how
much
room
there
is
on
a
disk;
Starting
to
edita
file.
1.7
Fundamentalsofusingthe
AMSTRAD
PPC
The
Startup
procedure;
Switching
off;
Resetting the
AMSTRAD
PPC;
About
filenames;
Using
wildcards
to
specify a number
of
files;
About
folder and directory
names;
Specifyinga
path;
Cleaningthe
AMSTRAD
PPC
Section
2:
Using
MS-DOS
Commands
2.1
lntroducingMS-DOS
Starting
to
use
MS-DOS;
Using
MS-DOS
commands;
More
about -system prompt,
command
name,
command
tail;
When
commands
fail
2.2
Overviewof
MS-DOS
commands
Tasks
to
use
MS-DOS
commands
for;
Running
programs; Organising
your
work;
Tailoring
the
AMSTRAD
PPC
to
yourneeds;
Some
practice
in
using
MS-DOS
commands
2.3
Conventions
2.4
Running
programs
2.4.1
Running
aprogram
2.4.2
Shortcuts
at
thekeyboard
2.4.3
Redirecting
input
andoutput
2.4.4
Setting
up
asequence
of
commands
2.5
Organising
your
work
2.5.1
Putting
files
into
groups
2.5.2
Disk
housekeeping
2.5.3
Protecting
your
files
2.6
Processingdisks
2.6.1
Preparingnew disks
for
use (Formatting)
2.6.2
Copyingdisks
2.6.3
Checkingdisks
·
2.6.
4Comparingdisks
2.7
Tailoringthe
AMSTRAD
PPC
to
your
needs
2.
7.1
Setting
up
Input
and
Output
Devices
2.
7.2
Personalisingyour
PPC
2.7.3
Settingthe
AMSTRAD
PPC's
clock
2.8
MS-DOS
command
summary
Section
3:
Communicatingwith
MIRROR
II
3.1
Gettingstarted-aquick
introduction
3.2
Notes
for
the Newcomer
3.3
Generaldetailsof
PC2000
modem
3.4
Introducing
MIRROR
II
3.5
NEWUSER
procedure
3.6
BasicCallingProcedure
3.7
Working
with
MIRROR
II
3.8
Alphabeticallist of
MIRROR
commands
APPENDICES
Appendix
A:
Buying
and
Installing
programs
Suitable programs; Selecting which system software
to
use;
First
steps;
Making
the
software convenient
to
use
Appendix
B:
The
Amstrad
PPC
software disks
Operatingsystemandapplications supplied
with
the
PPC
Appendix
C:
The
AMSTRAD
PPC
charactersets
To
find
the key that produces a particular character;
To
find
the internal code
for
a
particularcharacter
Appendix
D:
The
AMSTRAD
PPC
hardware
The
LCD;
The
keyboard; Device names
Appendix
E:
Expanding
your
AMSTRAD
PPC
Installinga printer; Connectinganexternal
monitor;
Re-configuringsystemsoftware
Appendix
F:
Referencematerial
on
the
AMSTRAD
PPC
Guides
to
the software; Guides
to
the hardware
Appendix
G:
Troubleshooting
Trouble
during
Startup
or
when
resetting
your
PPC;
When
commands
fail;
Trouble
with
the keyboard;
Trouble
with
adisk
drive;
Trouble
with
aprinter;
Disk
and
Device
errors;
System
messages; Hardware errormessages
Appendix
H:
The
PC
2000
modem
Legal
requirements;
Commands;
Registers;
Result
codes;
Modes
INDEX
End
User
LicenceAgreements
SECTION
I.
FUNDAMENTALS
OF
USING
THE
AMSTRADPPC
I.I
FUNDAMENTALS
OF
COMPUTING
This
section
is
designed
to
introduce newcomers
to
the
sort
of
tasks
that
can be carried
out
on
a computer and
to
some
of
the jargon
that
you
may
read
or
hear.
Although
you
are
naturally keen
to
start using
your
AMSTRAD
PPC,
read
this
section carefully before
you
go
on
to
section
2.
Come
back
to
this
sectionlater
from
time
to
time,
especially
if
you
have
never used a microcomputer or
if
you
haven't used a
DOS
operating system before,
until
you
areconfident
that
you
understandthese
fundamental
concepts.
What
is
acomputer?
A computer
is
a complex system
of
electronics
that
is
used
to
store,
manipulate
and
retrieve data
for
you.
This
datacantakeavariety
of
forms.
For
example,
it
can be:
-numbers
(if
you
areusingthe computerasa
highly
sophisticatedcalculator)
-
text
(if
you
areusingthe computeras a'word processor')
-a
mixture
of
the numbers andtext
The
data
is
manipulated through sequences
of
instructions
known
as programs.
Each
program carries
out
aspecific task or series
of
tasks.
It
might,
for
example,
maintain
your
telephone
list
or
it
might
process
your
accounts
for
you.
Programs
that
do
such tasks are
often
describedas Applications.
The
electronics
is
called
the
computer'shardware;
the
programs arecalled
its
software.
To
run
your
programs,
your
computer needs
some
special
software
known
as
the
Operating
System.
This
has the job
of
interpreting
your
instructions and getting
the
computer
to
carry
out
tasks
for
you.
The
operatingsystem
is
often
described
as
'breathing
life
into
the computer' -
to
remind
you
that
it
has
to
be loaded
into
the
computerbefore
any
program can be
run.
The
AMSTRAD
PPC's
operating
system
is
called
MS-DOS,
often
abbreviated
to
DOS.
To
tell
your
AMSTRAD
PPC
what
programs
you
want
run
or
tasks carried
out,
you
need a
means
of
'talking'
to
the operating
system.
It
also
needs
to
'talk
back'
to
you
to
tell
you
the
result
of
its
operations, reporterrorsand
tell
you
that
it
is
ready
for
another
instruction.
To
achieve
this,
the
computer
has:
-akeyboardthrough
which
you
cantype
in
information
andinstructions
- a
Display
screen through
which
the operating system can send
you
messages and
displayresults.
Your
PPC
has
an
integral
LCD
display,
which
takes
little
power
to
operate,
for
convenience
when
you
wish
to
transport the
PPC
and operate
from
battery
power.
Where a
wall
socket
is
available,
you
may
wish
to
connect astandard
PC
monitor
instead.
Simply
plug
in,
operate the switches provided, and
you
can use eithera
monochrome
or
colour
monitor.
Details
aregiven
in
appendix
E.
Note:
If
you
use
an
AMSTRAD
monitor
(PC-MD,
PC-CD
or
PC-ECD
are suitable)
you
MUST
power
the
PPC
from
the
monitor
power
supply,
in
order
to
ensurecorrectoperation
of
the
monitor.
The
information
and instructions supplied
to
a computer are called
Input
and the
messagesand
information
producedbythe computerarecalled
Output.
Because
you
use
the
keyboard
to
supply
information,
the keyboard
is
described as
an
Input
Device.
Similarly,
the
Display
screen
is
described as
an
Output
Device
because
it
is
used
to
display
information
produced
by
the
computer.
The
AMSTRAD
PPC
also
has connectors
for
a printer
(an
Output
Device)
and
for
a
communications
link
(both an
Input
and
an
Output
Device).
You
may
hear
Input
and
Output
Devices being called Peripherals,
just
as
you
may
hear
the
connectors being
called
Ports.
So
that
the
operating system can interpret
your
instructions,
there needs
to
be a set
of
rules about
how
your
instructions should be
given
and standard
ways
in
which
your
computerreplies
to
you.
Thesegotogether
to
form
what
is
called:
the
DOS
Command
Interface
which
responds
to
commandstyped
in
at
the keyboard
While
a program
is
running,
both
the
data being processed and
the
necessary
instructions are held
in
the
computer's
memory
(which
is
known
as
its
RAM).
Some
special programs,
known
as the operating system's Internal
Commands,
are held
in
the
memory
all
the
time
you
are
running
programs.
All
other programs
have
to
be read
into
the computer's
memory
each
time
they are used and are erased
from
memory
the
moment
theprogramhas
finished.
There
is
only
a
limited
amount
of
storage space
in
acomputer's
RAM
and
any
information
held
in
RAM
is
lost
the
moment
the computer
is
switched
off.
Apermanent
way
of
storing programs and data
for
your
AMSTRAD
PPC
is
provided by
3 1/2
inch
floppy
disks.
(You
may
also
see these referred
to
as
Diskettes or
Discs.)
You
makethe
information
on
the disks available
to
your
computer
by
inserting
the
disks
in
the
disk drives and telling
your
PPC
to
read
the
information
into
its
memory.
You
can
also
instructthe computer
to
record
information
stored
in
its
memory
on
adisk-
by
'writing
the
data
to
the
disk'.
Each
of
these processes
involves
making a copy
of
the
information:
writing
to
the disk
makes acopy
of
the
information
in
the computer's
memory
on
the
diskand reading
from
a
disk makes a copy
in
the computer's
memory
of
the
information
stored
on
the
disk.
Information
written
on
a diskstays
on
the disk
until
it
is
eitheroverwritten
or
deliberately
erased.
Bowyourdisksareorganised
Programs and data are kept
in
files,
both
in
the computer's
memory
and
on
disks.
Each
file
typically contains either a program or a
quantity
of
related
data,
and each
file
has
a
name
to
identify
it
by.
2
The
way
computer
files
are organised
when
they
are stored
on
a disk
is
most
easily
understood
by
comparing
your
disks
with
a
filing
cabinet.
Each
computer
file
is
like
an
individualletterora
document
in
the
filing
cabinet.
Each
disk
is
like a drawer
of
the
filing
cabinet and
putting
a disk
into
a drive
is
like
opening
one
drawer
of
the
filing
cabinet. The nwnber
of
disk drives
you
have
can be
thought
of
as the
nwnber
of
drawers
in
the
filing
cabinet
that
you
can
have
open
at
the
same
time.
Just
as
you
keep the letters and documents
in
a
filing
cabinet
in
folders,
so
you
keep
computer
files
on
a disk
in
folders.
The
folder
on
the
computer disk
also
contains
a
list
of
the
items
that
have
been
put
in
that
folder.
This
list
is
called a directory
and,
for
this
reason, the folders are
often
calledDirectories.
You
could keep everything
in
one folder
both
in
the
filing
cabinet
and
on
your
computer
disk
but
then
you
would
have
so
many
different
items
in
the
folder
that
it
would
become
increasingly
difficult
to
find
the
file
or letter
you
want.
To
make
the
files
more
manageable,
you
group
them
into
different
folders.
The
first
thing
you
see
when
you
pull
open a drawer
or
put
the
disk
in
the
drive
is
aset
of
folders.
The
only
clue
you
have
to
theircontents
is
the
name
the
folder
has.
If
you
select a particular folder
from
your
filing
cabinet and open
it,
you
will
see either a
nwnber
of
documents or
further
folders
(or
a
mixture
of
the
two).
Similarly,
if
you
'open' a
folder
on
your
computerdisk,
you
will
'see' eitheranwnber
of
files
or
further
folders.
The
further folders divide
up
the
contents
of
the
main
folder
onceagain
into
more
manageable
groups.
Of
course,
you
can't actually read
what
is
on
the
disks
by
eye;
as
we
will
explain
shortly,
there are commands
which
cause the system
to
list
the
contents
of
any
folder
on
thedisplay
for
you.
3
To
seewhat was
in
one
of
the new set
of
folders,
you
would
once again select the folder
and open
it
-whether
you
were handling the contents
of
the
filing
cabinet drawer or the
contents
of
yourdisk.
The
standard
way
of
representingthis pattern
of
folders is byasort
of
family
tree, starting
at
the top
with
the tree's
Root
and then branching
out
into
the folders used
to
group the
files
on
thedisk.The folders
in
our
filing
cabinet
would
be
represented
as:
--------Roo\
Letters
Financial
Games
/\
/1~
Home
Business
Bank
Investments Creditcards
On
a computer disk there would
be
a directory
for
each
folder,
just holding details
of
items
on
thenext level down thetree.Forexample:
-the
Root
directorywilljusthave the entries'Letters',
'Financial'
and'Games'
-the 'Financial' directory willjust have the entries
'Bank',
'Investments' and 'Credit cards'
(plusthe names
of
any
files
sittingalongsidethesethreefolders
in
the
Financial
folder)
If
you
thinkabout
it,
the
Root
directoryalways summarisesthe entirecontents
of
thedisk.
Before
we leavethis section, acouple
of
definitions.
Just as
you
generallyselectone folder
from
your
filing
cabinet
to
use
at
a
time,
so
you
select one
main
directory
to
work
with
at
any
one
time.
This
directory is
known
as the
Default
Directory(because
it
is
the directory
your
PPC
assumes
you
want
to
work
with
unless
you
tell
it
otherwise).
Similarly,
you
select
one disk drive as the principal drive
you
are working
with:
this
drive is
known
as the
Default
Drive.
There
is
no
problem
if
you
have
only
one
drive;
when
you
arecopying
from
onedisk
to
anotheryour systemwilltell
you
whichdisk
to
loadand
when.
Bringing
yom
filingsystem
up
to
date
Sorting
out
the
files
you
have stored
on
disk
is
like sorting
out
a
filing
cabinet -something
you
do
to
ensure
that
you
arekeepingthe
information
you
want
in
the places
you
want
and
not
wastingspacebystoring
information
you
nolongerneed.
The
processesinvolvedare
oftencalled
Disk
Housekeeping.
The
operations
you
cancarry
out
are:
-creatingnewfolders (directories)
-deletingfolders
you
no
longer
want
-creatingnew
files
-editingexisting
files
to
bringthemup
to
date
-deleting
files
you
no
longerwant
-copying
files
-renaming
files
4
Creating anew
folder
is
like putting a
new
folder
into
your
filing
cabinet drawer, ready
to
hold
either
new
documents ordocuments
you
move
to
the
new
folder.
Deleting a
folder
is
equivalent
to
throwing
away
an
existing
folder,
contents and
all.
MS-DOS
assumes that
you
would
never
do
that
without
taking
out
the
contents
first,
so
you
can't use the
DOS
command
RMDIR
to
remove
a
folder,
until
you
have
deleted
all
the
files
init.
Creating a file
is
just
like
producing a
new
letter or document and then storing
it
in
the
appropriate folder
in
the
filing
cabinet.
Your
accounting program,
for
example,
may
generate invoices
which
you
would
store
in
separate
files
in
asingle
folder
on
your
disk
-just
as
you
would
store
individual
invoices
you
drew
up
by
hand.
Editing
a file produces
an
up
to
date version
of
a
document
and replaces the old
document
with
this
new
version.
Files
are edited
by
running
a special program called a
text
editorandusing
this
to
change
your
file.
Copyingafile
or
a
dOClllllent
is
equivalent
to
takingaphotocopy
of
an
existingletterand
storing
this
in
a folder
in
another part
of
your
filing
system.
Neither
the
original
letter
nor
the original
file
is
in
any
way
changed
by
the copying process, and
in
both
cases,
you
can
either keep the same
name
for
the copy or
give
it
a
new
one.
However,
if
you
decide
to
keepthe copy
in
the same folder
as
the
original,
you
will
need
to
give
the
copy adifferent
name.
Renaming
a file
is
equivalent
to
giving
a letter a
new
reference
number
but
leaving
it
in
the same
folder.
However,
files
are
often
all
you
can
rename:
you
typically
can't rename a
folder
on
a disk
in
the same
way
that
you
can relabela
folder
in
the
filing
cabinet,
though
you
could create a new folder
with
the
new
name,
using
the
MKDIR
command,
copy
all
the
files
into
that,
thendeletethe original
files
and
folder.
Deleting a file
is
equivalent
to
taking aletter
out
of
the
filing
cabinet and
throwing
it
into
the
fire.
The
information
that
was
stored
in
the
file
cannot berecovered.
MS-DOS
commands are provided,
to
allow
you
to
find
out
what
is
on
any
disk.
Each
command
is
entered by pressing[
~]
when
you
have
typed
it
in
correctly.
Although
we
have
shown
some commands here,
by
way
of
illustration,
it
will
be best
if
you
work
carefullythroughthe setting
up
instructions
for
your
PPC
before
trying
them
out.
The
DIR
commandhas several
forms:
A> DI R will
list
the contents
of
the
current
default
directory
from
the
disk
on
the
currentdefault drive.
(Drive
A)
Typing
/ W
at
the
end
of
any
of
the
forms
of
DIR
command
will
cause
the
directory
contents
to
be
printed
in
columns
across
the
full
screen
width,
rather
than
in
a
single
long
column.
If
we
have
thedisk
just
described
on
drive
A,
then:
A>
DI R A: \ FI
NAN
CI AL
will
list
the
contents
of
the
FINANCIAL
directory,
that
is,
Bank,
Investmentsand CreditCardsdirectories,
in
our
example.
Alternatively,
you
canuse
the
CD
command
to
change
the
current
default
directory:
A>CD\FINANCIAL
5
Then
the command
A
>DI R will
list
only
the contents
of
the
FINANCIAL
directory.
It
is
easy
to
getconfusedwhenlearningthese
commands.
Try
to
remember
that:
A>CD\ willreturn
to
the
root
directory
of
thedisk
on
drive
A.
Programs are stored
on
the disks
like
any
other
files,
so
to
run
the
(imaginary)
program
OFFICE.COM
stored
in
the directory
USEFUL,
you
would
first
load
the
disk containing
the
USEFUL
directory
onto
a drive,
(having
powered
up
the
PPC
and loaded
MS-DOS)
then
type:
A>A:\USEFUL\0FFICE.C0M
The
program
would
thenloadand
run.
Note:
The
A>
in
the above examples representsthe prompt
written
on
the display
by
MS-DOS,
it
is
not
typed
in
by
you.
If
you
have
asecond
floppy
disk
drive,
it
willbe identifiedas drive
B.
To
address another
drive;
at
the prompt, type
the
new
drive letter
followed
bya
colon,
for
example:
B>
A:
willchangethe default drive
from
drive B
to
drive Aanddisplay the
prompt:
A>
BUT
you
can operate
on
a
file
on
another drive
without
changing
the
default
directory.
If,
for
example,
you
wished
to
load the program
file
omcE.COM
from
directory
USEFUL
on
adisk
in
drive
B,
when the default directory
was
the
root
directory
on
drive
A,
then the
command
line:
A>B:\USEFUL\OFFICE.COM
willload the program,
but
the default directory willstillbe the
root
directory
on
drive
A.
Study
the
DOS
commands carefully andpractise
them
on
some
test
files
which
you
create
yourself
(you
canuse the
RPED
file
editor, provided
on
your
SYSTEM
disk
by
AMSTRAD,
to
do
that)
so
that
you
do
not
have problems
when
you
are
handling
valuable data and
program
files.
You
will
find
full
details
of
these and all the other
MS-DOS
commands
in
section 2
of
this
manual.
6
1.2
SETTING
UP
YOUR
.AMSTRAD
PPC
This
sectiondescribes
how
to
set
up
your
AMSTRAD
PPC.
However
experienced
you
are
in
using
microcomputers,
you
areadvised
to
follow
ALL
the
instructions
given
both
in
this
section and
in
section
1.3,
which
describes
how
to
prepare
for
your
future
use
of
the
AMSTRAD
PPC.
If
you
rush
on
too
quickly
to
running
programs,
you
risk corrupting
the
software
supplied
with
your
AMSTRAD
PPC;
the consequence
of
this
will be
that
you
have
to
buy
new
copies
of
this
software
from
your
dealer.
Although
it
is
small
enough
to
be
used
almost
anywhere,
you
should
initially
set
tLP
your
AMSTRAD
PPC
in
aaclear, dust-free, area
on
adeskortable
that
is
about
3ft
wide
and
2ft
deep.
You
will
then
have
room
to
put
down
your
disks
and
open
manuals,
in
comfort.
If
you
wish
to
fit
enhancements,
such
as
an
external
monitor
ora
printer,
you
willneedextra
space.
With
a printer,
you
need
to
leave
room
for
paper
feeding
too.
If
you
are
going
to
use the
communications
facilities
incorporated
in
the
PPC
640
models,
you
need
to
be
close
to
atelephone socket
also.
The
box
in
which
your
AMSTRAD
PPC
issupplied
should
contain
the
following:
31
I
2
inch
floppy
disk
A.C.
Power
Adapt
Car
Battery
Adaptor
User
Instructions
7
Before
you
do
anything
else, check
that
you
have
all these
items.
If
any
item
is
missing,
consult
your
dealer.
Follow
these instructions
until
you
have
the basic
system
set
up
and are satisfied
that
it
is
working correctly.
Then
refer
to
appendix E
if
you
wish
to
attatch
aprinteror
an
external
monitor
unit.
For
your
PPC
you
will
also
need
at
least
one
new
blank
floppy
disk.
Ask
your
dealer
for
31
/2
inch
720
kb
disks.
(These
are
the
same
disks
as
those
used
in
an
IBM
Personal
System
2).
Buy
disks
that
are
labelled
to
show
who
produced
them.
Don't
buy
cheap
unlabelled
disks,
they
could
corrupt
your
data
and
even
damage
the
drives.
8
This manual suits for next models
1
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