IceZmodem Frequently Asked Questions and Answers """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Q: Why should I register my copy of IceZmodem? I am already very satisfied with it like it is! A: Because the people who work at IceSoft Software need to make a living. Bringing you innovative software like IceZmodem is their job. It is unfair that they do not get paid for their many years of hard work on a software program. The same goes for the distributors of IceZmodem- everybody needs to make money to earn a living. IceSoft Software is a struggling company that is barely on the map. Yet if you continue to use and benefit from IceZmodem without paying for it, you are personally hurting everybody at IceSoft Software that strives to bring you quality software like IceZmodem. Q: How efficient is IceZmodem? A: IceZmodem with TurboTrans enabled and 6144 byte block size introduces less overhead into the file transfer than any other Zmodem file transfer protocol. It has an extremely efficient protocol engine capable of sending over 1640 cps on an 8086 class machine and over 5800 CPS on an 80386 class machine. Q: How do I enable TurboTrans? A: TurboTrans automatically comes on when the remote computer is running IceZmodem. Q: What is that flashing FLOW CONTROL or XOFF FLOW message I see? A: That means that your computer is sending data too fast to the remote computer and your computer is pausing to let the remote system catch up. This is perfectly normal and indicates that hardware or software handshaking is working fine. Q: Help me! I keep getting errors in the transfer at routine intervals! For example, an error occurs exactly every 15k or 32k. A: You are running a slow disk cache program such as SMARTDRV.EXE. You may be able to solve it by issuing the command SMARTDRV /X to turn off the delayed write caching which hogs processor cycles which is not good during high speed file transfers. Turning on Hardware Handshaking and Slow Handshake in IZMSETUP may help as well provided you have a 16550 UART. If all else fails, you should try to switch to a more efficient disk cache program, preferably one which uses faster EMS instead of the slower XMS, or turn the disk cache off before IceZmodem loads. Q: Help me! IceZmodem won't work! It loads fine but then it says "Waiting for receiver" or "Waiting for sender" and on the remote computer, all I see is garbage on the screen! What should I do? A: IceZmodem is unable to detect your com port speed. You must add the SPEED command to your command line followed by the speed that the com port is open at. The reason IceZmodem probably can't automatically detect the speed is that you have the com port open at 115200 bps which no software is able to auto-detect. This problem can be solved by opening the com port at 57600 bps or adding SPEED 115200 right after the PORT command. Q: Does IceSoft Software accept credit cards? A: Within 1-2 months we will.
Q: What does Beta5 or Beta6 mean? A: IceZmodem is not a fully developed program yet. It is still in Beta Testing which is a stage in software development where the program is tested on a variety of different platforms, environments and conditions by the general public. The general public is expected to report back to IceSoft Software with any problems, comments, suggestions, and complaints that they have regarding the software. The number after Beta is the release number. Beta6 is a newer version of the software than Beta5. Yet Beta6 still has many bugs that have not yet been discovered. Q: My computer locks up when I play a MOD file. What's going on? A: You have the sampling rate set too high in IZMSETUP! Keep lowering it a couple slots until your computer no longer runs erratically. Q: My computer seems to run slow when IceZmodem is running and I get a lot of errors in the transfer. What is going on? A: First, make sure you have CTS/RTS (Hardware) Handshaking turned on in IZMSETUP. If you still get errors in the transfer, try lowering your COM port speed to 19200 or 38400. If you still get errors after that, try the test again but do not press any keys during the file transfer. If you find that the errors only occur when you hit a key on the keyboard, try turning the "Give COM Ports Highest Priority" option on in IZMSETUP. Also, try setting the FIFO Trigger Level to 1 in the "Use 16550" option in IZMSETUP. You may also want to check to see if any TSRs or disk cache programs are hogging your processor cycles and not leaving enough for IceZmodem to run fast enough.