PopDrop Plus - RAM Management Utility Copyright 1989 David W. Batterson Most of us have had difficulties at one time or another with TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident) programs like SideKick, Tracker, print spoolers, and other pop-up programs. Unless installed in the proper order, TSRs often conflict with one another. Lotus Express is a typical example. Invariably, you have to reboot whenever your memory is used up, or if a TSR is wreaking havoc with some other loaded software. It's more than just a little irritating! It makes you want to do away with RAM-resident programs altogether. PopDrop Plus is the upgrade from PopDrop, which I reviewed previously. PopDrop filled a real need (like teaching ethics to Wall St. brokers). I regularly use a separate thesaurus with my word processor. There are public domain and shareware utility programs which allow you to remove TSRs from memory. The problem is many of them remove ALL memory-resident programs, not just the last one you loaded (an exception is the program Mark-Release). How does PopDrop do it? It uses a system of layers. Think of it like a group of boxes, stacked on palettes. The boxes represent your loaded software and the palettes represent PopDrop. Here's an illustration, similar to what's in the manual: 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � Word Processor � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � Spell Checker � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� 栢栢栢栢栢栢栢栢栢栢栢� PopDrop Layer 2 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � Keyboard Macro � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � � � RAM Disk � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� 栢栢栢栢栢栢栢栢栢栢栢� PopDrop Layer 1 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � � � DOS � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� By setting up more than one layer [you can have up to 16], you have the option of removing some TSR programs while leaving others alone. PopDrop works either from a menu, or manually from the DOS prompt. The best way is to set up batch files to do the work. In the illustration above, after finishing with your word processing, you would type: C:> POPDROP That removes any TSR software on the highest level, in this case Layer 2. So that would zap the Word Processor and Spell Checker from memory. You can also add or remove a layer by using the commands: C:> POPDROP UP (or) POPDROP DOWN The box illustration is not what you'll see on screen when you need to see a report of what's happening. You use POPDROP VIEW for this. This provides the menu command display. Here you have a full array of commands. Plus there's a memory report, specifying the memory used on each layer, and the total memory free at the top of the screen. The new part of PopDrop Plus is the PopLoad program which helps fight "RAM-Cram." PopLoad is an expanded memory manager which breaks the 640K DOS barrier, allowing you to load TSRs into expanded memory, even if they weren't designed for it. You create a list, which consists of the path, filename and hot key for your TSRs (up to 50). You press a hot key, and the selected TSR pops up. By putting TSRs in expanded memory, you keep your regular 640K free for regular applications. PopLoad negates having to earmark high memory to your TSRs, as it loads them from disk. This eliminates the need to create and save a memory image file. Also, you can still use expanded memory for your applications. PopLoad requires any PC with expanded memory board (or a 386), and a LIM/EMS 4.0 driver; it uses only 27K of conventional memory itself. It will NOT work with software EMS simulators. Included are Intel LIM 4.0 drivers for the AboveBoard expanded memory boards. Popdop Plus is easy to use, although new users will need help if they wish to use batch files. There are sample batch files in the manual, but these can be confusing for the uninitiated. PopDrop Plus has a suggested list of $99.95. An upgrade from PopDrop costs $29. For information, contact BLOC Publishing Corp., 800 S.W. 37th Ave., Suite 765, Coral Gables, FL 33134; 800-888-2562, 305-445-0903; FAX: 305- 444-5010. # David W. Batterson is an independent computer journalist/reviewer. As he gets older, he needs all the memory improvement he can get! Contact him via MCI Mail: DBATTERSON with your comments.