Installing a legal research program

Premise Security
WINPR30.INI
WINPR30.INI is the initialization file that Premise uses to start the program. Commands about how the program looks and functions are in the file. This needs to be a read-write file to launch the program, so when the file is changed to read-only Premise creates a new "spare" read-write file named WINPR30U.INI. The U in the name indicates that it is used by a specific User; the User who launched Premise.

The WINPR30U.INI file is then used by Premise every time the program starts. But if you delete this file every time Premise starts, then you have a clean slate every time the program begins because Premise copies the orginal file (WINPR30.INI) to make the spare (WINPR30U.INI)

You can delete the WINPR30U.INI file every time Premise, by using a batch file. Here is how to create a batch file for this purpose.

1. From the Programs menu, select MS-DOS prompt
2. When the DOS window open type EDIT C:\WESTPUB\WINPRS\START.BAT
   1. You could name this anything. This sample uses the name start. The sample is also placed in the same directory as the Premise program. You could put it in C:\ or in a special directory named C:\BATCH…. or anything you choose.
3. The edit window will open. Type the commands that appear below.

   echo off
   del c:\windowsnt\westwin\premise\winpr30u.ini
   c:\westpub\winprs\winprs.exe
   cls

4. Click on File, select Save.
5. Click on File, select Exit.

The batch file must be attached to Premise in order that it is run every time that Premise is started. Here are the steps to make this batch file work for you.

1. Right-click on the Premise shortcut.
2. Select the Properties option.
3. In the Target field, the current path to Premise is listed. Change this to the path of the batch file. So if the current target is C:\WESTPUB\WINPRS\WINPRS.EXE, you are going change it to C:\WESTPUB\WINPRS\START.BAT.
4. Click on Apply.
5. The shortcut icon will change to the MS-DOS icon. To change this back to the Premise icon, right-click on the shortcut.
6. Select Properties.
7. Click on the Program tab.
8. Click on the Change Icon button.
9. Click on the Browse button.
10. Navigate to C:\WESTPUB\WINPRS.
11. Click on WINPRS.EXE.
12. A window will list the icon options. The default selection is the standard Premise icon. You can choose another icon simply by selecting it.
13. Click on OK. The icon change window will close.
14. Click on OK. The Properties window will close.
15. The icon will change in a few seconds.

The original WINPR30.INI file must be set to Read-Only.

1. Open the Windows Explorer.
2. Navigate to C:\WESTPUB\WINPRS.
3. Right-click on WINPR30.INI.
4. Select the Properties option.
5. Place a check in the Read-Only box.
6. Click on OK.

West Group says:

You can make both the WINPR30.INI and the WINPR30U.INI files Read-Only to prevent Users from modifying either file.
This has proven to be untrue. If you make the WINPR30.INI read-only, the program will start because it creates the read-write WINPR30U.INI. If you make both read-only, the program will not start, and you will get a "User Initialization Error. Unable to write to file" message.

You can restrict the user's ability to modify how Premise works by editing the WINPR30.INI file.
Some of these work, and some don't. The most useful thing of all (the ability to hide the program initialization files located under the Help menu) is not possible.

You can try to edit the file in this manner: place the command locked= beneath the headings [PREFERENCES], [MENUOPTIONS], and [WESTLAW].

The restricting the [FIND], [NOTATION], and [NOTATIONLABELS] headings don't seem to do anything. West Group Technical Support can't even explain what these sections do.