Increasing Startup Speed of FoxPro for Windows

• Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, versions 2.5 and 2.5a

SUMMARY

With FoxPro for Windows, the majority of its startup time is used to search directories and the MS-DOS path for FoxPro files. This article lists suggestions for decreasing startup time.

NOTE: Because network installations of FoxPro for Windows copy just the necessary files to local drives, there are no specific network tips; the tips in this article work for both network and stand-alone machines running FoxPro.

MORE INFORMATION

To decrease startup time:

• Move FOXPROW to the beginning (directly behind Windows) of the MS-DOS search path in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
• Use a CONFIG.FPW file that is in the FoxPro directory. If this is not possible, specify the full path it can be accessed from using the SET FOXPROWCFG= command in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file or the -c parameter on the FOXPROW command line in the Program Manager Properties dialog box.

  For example:

       C:\FOXPROW\FOXPROW.EXE -CC:\TEST\CONFIG.FPW
       SET FOXPROWCFG = C:\TEST\CONFIG.FPW
  

• Use a resource file that is in the FoxPro directory, or specify the full path in the CONFIG.FPW file.

  For example:

       RESOURCE = C:\FOXPROW\FILES\FOXUSER.DBF
  

• Other components of FOXPROW are searched for only in the FOXPROW directory. If they are located elsewhere, a specific location must be given in the CONFIG.FPW file.

  For example:

       HELP = C:\TEST\HELP
  

  A complete list of the files that FoxPro looks for upon startup is available on page 3-10 of the "Installation and Configuration Guide."

• If none of the listed files are to be used, set them to null in the CONFIG.FPW file.

  For example:

       _GENSCRN = ""
  

• Temporary files are automatically stored in the Windows temporary directory (usually C:\TEMP). Make sure that this directory is valid. If the files are to be stored elsewhere, their location must be specified in the CONFIG.FPW file.

  For example:

       TMPFILES=C:
       EDITWORK=C:\WINDOWS\TMPFILES
       SORTWORK=C:\WINDOWS\TMPFILES
       PROGWORK=C:\WINDOWS\TMPFILES
  

REFERENCES

"Installation and Configuration Guide," page 3-10 "Microsoft MS-DOS User's Guide and Reference," version 5.0, page 539 "Microsoft Windows User's Guide," version 3.1, page 79