CHAPTER 10

Questions and answers

 

The people at Stac Electronics have made Stacker as easy to use as possible. It's what we computer nerds like to call transparent -- you can use Stacker without knowing it's there. The program is unobtrusive, yet Stacker is a technical product, so you might have specific questions about how its used, how to do something with Stacker, or why something doesn't work.

This chapter answers quite a few common and some uncommon questions about using Stacker. Many of these questions and answers are taken right from Stacker support personnel, so before you feel the urge to call them on the phone, look up the question here. This chapter has three sections:

 

 

General questions and answers

 

The following are questions and answers about Stacker, including some of the most common questions asked the Stacker tech support team. Please refer here before giving tech support a call, or just ``browse the Q's'' to learn more about Stacker.

 

iconKeep in mind that technical support for Stacker -- or any product -- is not provided as an alternative to reading the manual (or this book).

 

Does Stacker Run under All Versions of DOS? ­Stacker requires DOS 3.0 and later, which rules out DOS versions prior to that. Note that for DOS versions 3.0 through 3.3, Stacker is limited to creating only a 32Mb Stacker drive (this is a DOS limitation, not one in Stacker). Later versions of DOS can handle Stacker drives up to two gigabytes in size (or some other ludicrously huge value).

 

How Is an Empty Stacker Drive Different from a Regular Stacker Drive? ­An empty Stacker drive is created from available, or "free," disk space and no files are copied to it. The typical Stacker drive is created from an existing disk, then files are copied to it from that disk. That Stacker drive replaces its original drive, whereas an empty Stacker drive will have no files until you copy them to it.

 

Which TSRs Does SETUP Want Disabled in AUTOEXEC.BAT? SETUP looks for two types of programs: disk caches and memory-resident undelete programs. The disk caches include DOS's SMARTDrive and especially the FASTOPEN program. SETUP will disable them, plus specialized undelete programs like Norton's Erase Protect or PC Tools' Data Monitor.

 

Why Does a Disk Cache Have To Be Disabled before You Can Run SETUP? ­Some disk caches control writing to disk as well as reading from disk. When SETUP runs, it wants to be certain that the information its writing to disk is actually going to disk -- not to cache memory.

 

Why Not Cache the Stacker Drive?­ Because the Stacker drive is a special drive -- a file, actually -- on another real disk drive on your system, caching that real disk drive has the same effect as caching the Stacker drive. Basically, if you cached the Stacker drive, you would be adding a lot of work for the disk cache, which would slow disk access.

 

Doesn't Stacker Slow Down Disk Access? ­Yes, but not so much that you'll notice it. Because Stacker has to compress files written to a Stacker drive and decompress files read, this adds overhead to the time it takes your disk drives to work. (However, because the files are smaller, it also takes less time to read them.) On a fast system, the difference is negligible. Slower hard drive systems might experience some loss of performance. This can be improved by upgrading to the Stacker hardware.

 

My System Is an i486 with a Very Fast Hard Drive. Do I Need the Co-Processor? ­The ``party line'' is that the co-processor will improve performance on any system. However, tests done by magazines have shown that using the co-processor on a super fast system makes no difference -- or might slow down disk access. Because the difference here is only milliseconds, that's only something for the magazine reviewers to get excited about. (My wristwatch doesn't have a millisecond hand.)

 

Can I Install New Programs on My Stacker Drive? ­You can use a Stacker drive just like any other drive in your system. Load new software, install games, and work with the drive just as you did before.

 

Can I Run PKZIP on a Stacker Drive? ­No problem. Any hard disk utility can be run on a Stacker drive. PKZIP will create archives and explode files from archives just as it did before. Note, however, that the ZIP archives aren't double- compressed on the Stacker drive. They will take up as much room as they would on a standard hard drive (there's no compression savings). Also, Stacker has to work a bit harder because it will attempt to compress the ZIP files. This adds overhead to your disk access, which is why I recommend keeping ZIP files and other archives on an uncompressed drive (refer to the section in chapter 3 titled, ``Setup scenarios'').

 

What about Compressed or Archive Files? ­Compressed and archive files can sit on a Stacker drive just as they do on any other drive. Don't expect great space savings, however.

 

Can You Use CREATE on the Command Line to Build RAM Drives?­ If the RAM drive already is created, then you can use CREATE at the command prompt to stack and mount it. Personally, I recommend using SCREATE.SYS after the command that creates the RAM drive in CONFIG.SYS; there is no advantage to using CREATE on the command line.

 

What Is Internal Stack Overflow? ­This message has nothing to do with Stacker. It's a system error message, telling you that DOS has run out of stack storage (the stack in this case is an element of the computer's microprocessor). You'll need to change the STACKS command in CONFIG.SYS to give yourself more stack storage. Refer to your favorite book on DOS for that info.

 

How Can I Make a Stacker Drive Larger? It used to be that there was no way to make a Stacker drive -- which means the STACVOL.xxx file -- larger. However, with Stacker version 3 you can run the SDEFRAG program with it's /GL switch to either make the Stacker drive larger or increase space on the host drive.  Either way, you need room to grow (or shrink, as the case may be).

 

How Can I Improve the Compression Ratio on a Stacker Drive?­  Honestly, you can't. Stacker always compresses files as best it can, so resetting a compression ratio isn't possible. You can use special options in CREATE to build Stacker drives for certain types of files. For example, text files compress at a ratio higher than Stacker's standard 2:1, which allows you to create highly compressed drives.

 

I See the Message STACVOL.xxx too fragmented to mount ­The STACVOL file should never become fragmented. If so, try running a disk optimizer on the host drive. If that fails to put STACVOL back together again, then you can use the undocumented /F switch to force Stacker to load the file. Refer to the section, ``The STACVOL file is too fragmented,'' in this chapter for additional information.

 

Which File Do I Update When Stacker Detects Differences between My CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT Files?  ­When you've Stacked drive C, you have two boot disks -- sort of. The first is the host drive and the second is the Stacker drive, C. The SSWAP command will point out any differences between either CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT on either drive as follows:

 

Stacker has detected changes in the following files:

      CONFIG.SYS

Would you like Stacker to update the file(s)?

(F9=yes, F10=no, or F1 for more details)?

 

The best way to tell is to press the F1 key for more information. Read the screen displayed, then determine which file you want updated. Pressing F2 is the same as pressing F9 for the first display. If you press F4, SSWAP will ignore the differences and continue booting.

My advice is to select what the program suggests, which will be F2 or F3, depending on which file has a later date. In any event, read the screen carefully.

Another option is to specify the /SYNC+ switch instead of just /SYNC after the command that loads the SSWAP.COM device driver in CONFIG.SYS.  That way, the decision will be made automatically for you.

 

What Puts the Extensions _SB on My CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT Files? What about the STC Extension?­ The *._SB files are backup files created by SSWAP. If SSWAP detects a difference in CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT between Stacker drive C and the host drive, then the older file can be overwritten (at your direction). The original will be given the extension _SB.

The STC extension is used to back up CONFIG.SYS when the INSTALL program modifies it. The original CONFIG.SYS file will be named CONFIG.STC; the new version with Stacker installed will be named CONFIG.SYS.

 

Why Can't I Put a File on My Stacker Drive? CHECK Reports There's Enough Room.­  The value CHECK (and CHKDSK) reports is a guesstimate of available space based on a compression ratio of 2:1. If the file you're working with doesn't compress well, then it might not fit on the drive.

 

Troubleshooting and tips

 

The following sections contain troubleshooting information, suggestions, and general tips for using Stacker.

 

Troubleshooting help

 

Always start your Stacker troubleshooting by running the CHECK utility. That program will spot any errors and tell you exactly what to do. Most of the time, CHECK will suggest you run it a second time, specifying the /F switch. For example:

 

C:\STACKER> CHECK C: /F

 

Here, CHECK is run a second time on Stacker drive C. The /F switch directs CHECK to fix any errors that might be encountered. Sometimes, CHECK might recommend that you run CHKDSK. If so, run it on the host drive. For example, if drive D is your host drive, you'd type:

 

C:\STACKER> CHKDSK D:

 

If CHKDSK discovers any problems, you might have to run it a second time, specifying the /F switch.

Some problems CHECK and CHKDSK cannot fix. If you encounter bad sectors or fragmented files, you might need to use SDEFRAG or a third-party disk optimizer. For your Stacker drives, run SDEFRAG. It will tell you the fragmentation level of the drive and suggest whether or not optimizing is needed. If optimizing is not needed, exit the program.

If you need to run a third-party disk optimizer or a low-level disk utility, then run the utility on the host drive only.

 

Conflicts Between the AT/16 Co-Processor and Other Adapters­ When you first install the AT/16 co-processor hardware, Stacker will test it against other adapters and hardware that might be sharing its memory location. If the test fails, another location will be tested. If all locations fail, then you might have a conflict with another adapter in the system.

Some types of VGA adapters have been known to conflict with older versions of Stacker. If you have the latest version of Stacker, this isn't a problem. Otherwise, order the latest version. You also can try one of the following:

 

 

Some other types of adapter cards might conflict with Stacker's co-processor. Normally, the SETUP program will catch them all. For example, your network adapter card might use address 2E0. If so, make sure the Stacker co-processor doesn't try that same address.

If a conflict between two cards persists and you cannot resolve the differences using the SETUP program, you can insert an address manually for the /B switch with the Stacker device driver in CONFIG.SYS. A list of all the /B switch options is provided in Table 9-3.

After entering a new value for the /B switch, you should turn off your PC and wait a few seconds. Turn on the computer and make sure no co-processor errors appear. If any errors do occur, enter a new address for /B and turn off the PC again. (Turning off the power is necessary to fully reset the address of the co-processor.)

 

Co-Processor Failure  ­Should the Stacker co-processor ever fail, you'll see an error message when the system starts. Don't panic. Your Stacker drives still will work just as they did before. The Stacker software still is capable of running without the co-processor. You'll just miss the benefits of having the co-processor.

If your co-processor does fail, check installation as described in the previous section. A conflict might exist with a card you've just added to your computer or with an old card in your system. If that doesn't solve the problem, call Stac's technical support line (refer to appendix A).

 

The STACVOL File Is Too Fragmented ­Sometimes a Stacker drive can fail to mount because the STACVOL file is too fragmented. This situation is rare, primarily because the SETUP program runs Norton's Speed Disk to ensure that the file isn't fragmented at all. The only way you could end up with a severely fragmented STACVOL.xxx file is if your disk has way too many bad sectors on it. If so, the best solution is to buy a new hard drive at once.

For a short term solution, you can use an undocumented feature of the STACKER.COM device driver. The /F switch is used to set the allowable number of fragments in the STACVOL file. The format is:

 

/F=xxx

 

The xxx is a number from 8 to 639, indicating the number of fragments allowed for the STACVOL file. Normally, this number is set to 128, which is high. To find out which value to set for /F, run CHKDSK on the host drive for the STACVOL file. Start by removing the file's attributes:

 

C:\STACKER> SATTRIB -R -S -H D:\STACVOL.DSK

 

Above, it's assumed that drive C is the Stacker drive and D is the host drive. STACVOL.DSK on drive D is the file you want to check. After entering this command, type in CHKDSK as follows:

 

C:\STACKER> CHKDSK D:\STACVOL.DSK

 

You'll see the standard CHKDSK disk statistics. Pay special attention to a line that reads something like this:

 

C:\STACVOL.DSK Contains 137 non-contiguous blocks

 

Yikes! That's a bad sign. True, you can run a disk optimizer on the host drive and try to make the file contiguous. More likely than not, however, that message means your hard drive is on its last legs. To load your Stacker drive--and definitely back it up once it's been mounted--add the /F switch with 137 as its value (from 137 non-contiguous blocks in the CHKDSK report):

 

DEVICE=C:\STACKER\STACKER.COM /F=137 C:\STACVOL.DSK

 

Here, the /F=137 is inserted into the line that loads STACKER.COM in CONFIG.SYS. After making the changes, save the file and exit to DOS. Reset the attributes of your STACVOL file with the following command:

 

      C:\STACKER> SATTRIB +R +S +H D:\STACVOL.DSK

 

After that, reboot your system. When it comes up again, you should be able to access the Stacker drive. My advice would be to back up your Stacker drive immediately, then buy a new hard drive and restore your data to it. There's no sense in messing around here.

 

Using the SHELL command in CONFIG.SYS

 

Keeping your root directory clean is an axiom of the Hard Disk Management school. Having as few files as possible in a root directory usually is a sign that you're on the ball, organization-wise. So, one trick many DOS users favor is locating COMMAND.COM in a subdirectory, for example the DOS subdirectory. The SHELL configuration command in CONFIG.SYS is the culprit:

 

SHELL=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM C:\DOS /P /E:1024

 

Here, DOS is told to look for COMMAND.COM in the DOS subdirectory. If you're curious about the other options, then you need my hard disk management book, which I already have plugged twice in this book, so I won't go into detail about it yet again here.

One problem with the previous tactic surfaces when you've Stacked your boot disk, drive C. COMMAND.COM needs to be on both your boot disk as well as the Stacker drive. If not, your computer always will start with the friendly message Bad or missing command interpreter and just sit there. I hate it when that happens.

The solution is twofold. First, just live with COMMAND.COM in your root directory and dispense with the SHELL configuration command. Second, make a duplicate copy of COMMAND.COM in a mirrored subdirectory on the host drive.

For example, if drive D is the host drive, create a \DOS subdirectory there and copy COMMAND.COM to that directory. Likewise, make sure a copy of COMMAND.COM exists on drive C in the same directory.

This logic also holds true if you're using a non-Microsoft command interpreter, such as Norton's NDOS or J.P. Software's 4DOS (which, essentially, are the same thing). Make sure the files exist on both the host and Stacker drives.

 

Using the DISKCOPY command with Stacker floppies

 

Mentally think about this: you've just created an 11Mb floppy disk for storing text files. You're impressed; however, you want to duplicate the disk. Will DISKCOPY duplicate an 11Mb Stacker floppy disk?

The answer is no. DISKCOPY will not duplicate a Stacker floppy . . . unless you first un-mount it. Quite frankly, DISKCOPY has a total cow when it sees such a drive:

 

Invalid drive specification

Specified drive does not exist

or is non-removable

 

This just means that DISKCOPY spied Stacker's drive information, not the standard floppy drive information it expects. (DISKCOPY can be used only on floppy drives.) To solve the problem and to make an exact duplicate of your Stacker floppy, un-mount the drive:

 

C:\STACKER> STACKER -A:

 

After the drive has been un-mounted, you can use DISKCOPY.

 

Disabling a command in CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT

 

This section is provided as an extra tutorial for those who need to manually disable specific commands in CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT. This is done by sticking a REM command in front of the command you want to disable. REM means remark, and anything following it (plus a space) is ignored in both CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT.

For example, suppose you want to manually disable the SMARTDrive disk cache. That's found in AUTOEXEC.BAT, the program named SMARTDRV.EXE. To edit AUTOEXEC.BAT, you use a text editor, such as Stacker's editor, ED. Follow ED at the DOS prompt with the name of the file you want to edit:

 

C:\STACKER> ED C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT

 

After pressing Enter, you'll see Stacker's editor on your screen, along with the contents of the file you're editing. In this case, that's AUTOEXEC.BAT, which will look something like Fig. 10-1.

 

Figure 10-1. AUTOEXEC.BAT in Stacker's editor, ED.

 

To locate the text you want to disable in ED, press Ctrl-S for search. Then, begin typing the text you're looking for. For example, you would type SMART for SMARTDrive. Eventually, the cursor will be located on the line containing SMARTDRV.EXE.

Press the Home key to exit the text searching mode and position the cursor at the start of the line. Type REM and a space. If there are other commands you want to disable, you can move the cursor to the start of their lines and type REM and a space. When you're done, press Ctrl-Z to save and exit.

Older versions of SMARTDrive will appear as SMARTDRV.SYS in your CONFIG.SYS file. To edit CONFIG.SYS, use Stacker's editor, ED. Follow ED with the name of CONFIG.SYS:

 

C:\STACKER> ED C:\CONFIG.SYS

 

Next, you'll see the contents of CONFIG.SYS in the ED editing windows, similar to the way you saw AUTOEXEC.BAT in Fig. 10-1. Use the same techniques to REM-out the command:

 

1.   Press Ctrl-S to enter the search mode. (Note that Ctrl[1]S searches down in a file; Ctrl-R searches up.)

 

2.   Type the name of the command you want to disable.

 

3.   Press the Home key when the command is found.

 

4.   Type REM plus a space.

 

5.   Look for more commands. Use Ctrl-S, Ctrl-R, or the cursor keys to move around, then go to step 3.

 

6.   Press Ctrl-Z when you're done to save and exit.

 

If you flub up, press Esc to exit. Type N to skip saving the file, then press Enter to return to DOS. To re-edit the same file, press F3 and Enter at the DOS prompt.

 

icon   You must reboot your computer for changes in CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT to have any effect. Press Ctrl-Alt-Del or the reset button on your computer. Please do this at the command prompt, after you leave the ED program.

 

Stacker and DOS networks

 

Stacker is network friendly. I currently have two Stacker drives up for grabs on my LANtastic network server and both work fine. Any PC on my network can access files in the Stacker drives just as they did before Stacker was installed.

The only thing you shouldn't do with Stacker is try to stack drives on a Novell network file server. Because the server really isn't a DOS computer, any attempt to stack its drives could be disastrous. I recommend buying larger (and faster) drives for the server if you're tight on space. However, you can stack drives on a work station as a ``local'' hard drive.

 

Contacting Stac Electronics by modem

 

Technical support for Stacker is offered for free to all registered owners. All you need to pay for is the phone call. (The phone numbers are listed in the Stacker manual, as well as appendix A.) If you have a modem attached to your PC, you can use your communications software to contact Stac Electronics Bulletin Board System, or BBS. Once there, you can ask technical questions, review questions asked by others, or download the technical notes or Stacker support files.

The following two sections describe how to contact Stac Electronics technical support using your modem and communications software. This material is not provided as a computer communications tutorial, so if you're unfamiliar with using a modem, stop by your local bookstore and scrutinize the racks for something to get you started.

 

Setting up your modem

 

A modem is a device that allows your computer to send information over the phone lines. That's a simple explanation of what turns out to be a complex process (one that I won't be getting into here). Fortunately, all the complexities are handled by computer software, generally called communications software. To use your modem, you must have some type of communications program.

There are dozens of communications programs available. The most popular is ProComm, followed by SmartCom, QModem, and a host of others. If you have PC Tools, then you also have a communications program in the PC Desktop package. For this chapter, I'll use the MiniCom program included with Windcrest's book, The Concise PC Notebook and Laptop User's Guide (book #3921).

Begin by turning on your external modem. If your modem is internal, then it's already on. The next step is to start your communications software by typing its name at the DOS prompt:

 

C:\COMM> MC

 

Here, the command to run MiniCom is typed at the DOS prompt. Type the proper command to load your communications software, then press Enter.

To call an electronic Bulletin Board System, or BBS, you need to know three things:

 

 

The system's speed is how fast the modem can go, which is measured in bits per second, or BPS (often called the baud rate). Stac's technical support BBS supports speeds of 1200, 2400, 9600, 19.2K, and 38.2K BPS. Using your communications software, set up your modem to dial Stac at the fastest possible speed. For example, with a 2400 US Robotics Courier modem, I can configure MiniCom to dial 2400 BPS by using the Alt-C communications parameter option and setting speed equal to 2400. Do the same for your communications program.

 

icon   Note that the slow, 300 BPS speed isn't supported by Stac's BBS. If you call at that speed, you'll see a Sorry, 300 bps is not supported message, and the system will hang up on you.

 

The data word format is a complex method of sending bits and bytes between two modems. Without discussing it further, note that Stac's BBS wants you to call with an 8N1 data word format. Select that option from your communications program. Note that sometimes you must set the values individually. In that case, set the word length to 8, parity to None, and stop bits to 1.

There are two phone numbers for Stac's technical support BBS:

 

Phone numbers removed

 

Note that these are both toll calls (providing you don't live anywhere near Carlsbad, CA). However, if you call after 5:00 p.m., the call will be cheaper than in the daytime. If you call between 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., you'll save even more. If you join the AT&T Reach Out BBS plan . . .. (I thought I was sounding too much like a phone company add. Mea culpa.)

You can call at speeds up to 9600BPS on the first line; the second line supports the super fast 19.2K and 38.4K speeds. Enter the proper phone number in your communications program. Usually this is done using the Dial command. For example, in MiniCom, you would type Alt-D, then type in the phone number and press Enter to dial.

If the Stac BBS is busy, you probably will be able to hear the busy signal through your modem's speaker. When that happens, try again later. Otherwise, you'll be connected to the BBS. The first thing you'll see is the connection speed, the date and time you called, and the name of the system -- something like the following:

 

CONNECT 2400 / 02-16-93 (23:27)

** STAC ELECTRONICS SUPPORT BULLETIN BOARD **

PCBoard (R) - Version 14.5/E3 - Node 2

Do you want ANSI graphics (Enter)=no?

 

If your communications program supports ANSI (color, basically), then press Y and Enter, otherwise press Enter. You'll see the opening display screen, as shown in Fig. 10-2.

 

Figure 10-2.  Stac Electronics' BBS opening screen.

 

Note at the bottom of the screen (Fig. 10-2) where it asks you to enter your name. Type your first name, then Enter, then your last name, Enter. If you've called the system before, you'll be asked to enter your password. Type it in and press Enter. Otherwise, if this is the first time you've called, the system will say that you're not found in USER's file. You'll be asked the following:

 

(R) to re-enter your name or (C) to continue logon as a new user? (C)

Would you like to register with us? (Enter)=yes? (Y)

 

Type Y and Enter. You'll be asked for a password. Type one in and remember it. Next comes a series of questions, nothing too intimidating or personal. Once that's complete, you're on-line and ready to use the BBS.

 

Using Stac's BBS

 

Stac's BBS is for technical support of Stac products, specifically Stacker. You won't find miscellaneous files, GIF pictures, or games to download. Also missing is the bantering conversation and bickering found on other on-line systems. This BBS concentrates on support for Stacker. The system's main commands are shown in Fig. 10-3.

 

Figure 10-3.  The main menu.

 

There are four potential things you can do on the Stac BBS:

 

   Ask a technical question.

   Receive an answer for your technical question

   Read questions and answers left by and for others.

   Download support files.

 

You ask a question by using the E command. Send your message to ALL and enter a subject, then follow the directions on the screen. Be specific; list your type of computer and the problems you've been having. Press the Enter key on a line by itself when you're done, then type S to save the message.

 

         To type in a blank line, between paragraphs for example, type a space -- then Enter -- on a line by itself.

 

All questions you ask on the Stac BBS will be answered on that BBS. It tells you this each time you log on; don't expect them to write or phone you with an answer. So, after posing your question, call back the next working day and you'll be able to read your answer. The BBS will let you know when you have a message waiting. Use the R or Y commands to read the answer as a message or private mail. (The system tells you when you have mail waiting.)

To read questions and answers already on the system, use the R command. You can type S to read messages since your last call, Y to read your personal messages, or enter a number to read specific messages by number. If you ever forget any of these commands, typing ? at any prompt will list a help screen.

Support files are available for Stacker in two subsections of the BBS. Conference one is the ``Techinfo'' conference, which contains information about using Stacker plus the technical notes. Conference two is titled ``Utilities and Tools'' and contains support programs for using Stacker, plus some cool utilities and batch files.

To join a conference, type J followed by the number:

 

(2 Used, 27 Left) Main Board - Your Command Dan? j 1

 

Above, J 1 is typed to jump to conference one, Techinfo. Files kept in this conference relate to technical issues. To download one or more of them, you need to select the F command. A list of directories will be displayed, from which you select the number of the directory you want. Eventually, you'll see a list of files, followed by a menu allowing you to download a file.

When you're done using the Stac support BBS, type bye at any main prompt to log off. A farewell message will be displayed and the BBS's modem will hang up.

Even if you don't have any technical questions regarding Stacker, give their BBS a call. You can take the chance to show your appreciation and thank them for such a great product. You also could be a BBS software thug like me and download some of the interesting utilities and technical notes (I recommend the ZIP file containing all the technical notes).

 

Review

 

This chapter contained common questions and answers about Stacker, as well as troubleshooting and tips. The last part covered calling Stac Electronics' BBS to get on-line help, provided that your PC has a modem and communications software.

To troubleshoot your Stacker drive, use the CHECK command. It always will alert you to errors and give instructions on what to do next.

If you need to use DISKCOPY with a Stacker floppy, you must first un-mount it.

Modem users can dial up Stac Electronics' BBS to ask technical questions, receive product information, or download Stacker support files.