CD ROM Paradise Collection 4/CD ROM Paradise Collection 4 1995 Nov.iso/system/gdesk216.zip/MAIN.DAT/GORDESK2.DOC

Text File | 1995-01-06 | 75KB | 1,557 lines

                             The Gorin Desktop

                                Version 2.1x


               Copyright 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 Neil Gorin



                             An NGS Production

               A Printed Manual is supplied on registration


The Shareware Concept

Shareware  is THE best way to try new software, but only if you're  honest
and register if you like the results.

Think  of  it  like  this:  If you buy  a  commercial  package,  you  have
relatively  little idea of how the software will perform, until you get it
home to your PC. If you then decide you don't like the software or that it
doesn't  do  what  you  want, tough - there's nothing  you  can  do.  With
Shareware  distribution, you get to try a complete, fully working, version
of  the program for a couple of weeks. If you then find the program to  be
of  no use to you, simply scrub the disk and forget about it - you've only
lost the cost of the disk - in most cases about £3.

If,  however,  you find that you like the software and that it  works  for
you,  you  should  register.  Registration provides you  with  a  diskette
containing the latest version of the software, and often some other perks.
If  you don't register your Shareware, it's not only equivalent to using a
pirated  copy  of a commercial application but may discourage  the  author
from developing the software further.


Association of Shareware Professionals

This  program  is  produced by a member of the  Association  of  Shareware
Professionals  (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware  principle
works  for  you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related  problem
with  an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able  to
help.  The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an
ASP  member, but does not provide technical support for members' products.
Please  write  to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon,  MI  USA
49442-9427,  Fax [phone], or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe
Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.


Registration Information

For  your  registration  fee  of £24.95 sterling,  you  will  receive  the
following:

1:  The right to legally use The Gorin Desktop and it's accessories on one
machine at any one time. You may make multiple installations provided only
one  copy  is in use at a time, to enable you to use the desktop  on  your
laptop.  If  you  foresee  the use of this software on more  than  one  PC
concurrently, you must buy additional copies - telephone for discounts.

2: A receipt showing that you have paid and registered. Useful for proving
that the software is legal.

3:  One  or  more disks with the latest version of the desktop  plus  some
extra  files.  All  disks will be labelled  "REGISTERED  VERSION".  Please
remember to state your disk size.

4:  An  A4  manual produced using a leading DTP package and bound  with  a
plastic grip. The manual contains the text herein combined with some other
useful information and screen shots to illustrate points in the text.

5:  Notice  of  major updates. You may upgrade your copy at  any  time  by
returning   your  original  disks  with  the  upgrade  notice.  A  nominal
processing  fee is charged for each upgrade, unless it fixes a bug that is
detrimental to your use of the software.

6: Technical   Support.  Unlimited  postal,  telephone  or  BBS   support.
Telephone support is at your expense.

7: A copy of the NGS Newsletter.

You have a 14 day period to evaluate The Gorin Desktop, to see if it suits
your needs. If it does, you MUST register.

Compare your use of this Shareware version with a Test Drive in a new car.
If  you decided that you liked the car, you would have to pay the price on
the  windscreen,  for  which you would get your very own with  the  latest
specification and a few extras, such as servicing and anti rust thrown in.
Shareware  is  the same, you test drive the software, then if you like  it
you  MUST  pay, for which you receive the items detailed above. You  would
never dream of keeping a car that you hadn't paid for, would you?

DISCOUNT:  You  may  deduct  the cover price of  any  single  PC  magazine
containing  a  full  review  of this software, provided  you  enclose  the
relevant page - not a photocopy - and the part of the cover containing the
price,  up  to  a  maximum  of  £3.50  Sterling.  This  does  not  include
publications or catalogues from Shareware Libraries.

NON  UK  ORDERS: If you live outside the UK, an additional postage  charge
will be necessary. Please see DISCOUNT.DOC.

A   registration  form  for  NGS  products  can  be  found  in  the   file
REGISTER.DOC.  If  you  are unable to print a copy of  this  form,  please
telephone for a copy.


Introduction

Building on the successful formula of graphical user interfaces, The Gorin
Desktop provides the latest, easiest and fastest graphical environment for
all classes of PC.

The desktop includes many features designed to make your time using the PC
fun, productive and less time consuming. For this reason, the desktop uses
a  Graphical  User Interface, with Windows, Icons, Mice and Push  Buttons,
more  reminiscent  of  the Unix GUI' s than  Microsoft  Windows.  However,
unlike  many  GUI's you still use your existing applications, without  the
need  to re-learn (or buy) any additional software - the whole idea behind
The  Gorin  Desktop  is  that anything you use now can  be  run  from  the
desktop, virtually without exceptions!


System Requirements

The  Gorin Desktop requires a fairly low powered machine in these days  of
multi-megabyte software. As long as you've got a hard disk, and at least a
fast 8086 (286 recommended) you should not have any problems. A mouse is a
useful  addition,  and your display must be VGA or better. Whether  you've
got  a monochrome or colour monitor is irrelevant - the Desktop looks good
on  both!  If you are using a slow 286 or 8086 XT machine please read  the
section entitled "Running The Gorin Desktop 2.1 on an XT".


The Desktop GUI

The  GUI  (Graphical User Interface) operates in a very similar manner  to
other  GUI's such as Windows and OS/2. A number of simple components  make
up the GUI, each of which will be mentioned frequently and are as follows:

MOUSE POINTER: The mouse pointer is essential to operating the GUI, and is
used  to select Words, Buttons and Icons on the screen - you should select
these  using  the left mouse button. If you do not have a mouse,  you  can
still  use  the software by moving th e pointer using the cursor keys  and
using the space bar to select items. If you are using the cursor keys, you
can adjust the distance that the pointer moves by using the Plus and Minus
keys  on  your  keyboard. Unless stated otherwise, all references  to  the
mouse apply equally to those users using the keyboard.

PUSH  BUTTONS: These are on-screen buttons which appear to pop out of  the
screen,  then push back in when you place the pointer over them and click.
They  are  commonly  used to select options from the screen,  and  may  be
quickly selected by pressing the first letter which appears on the button,
for  example  if you are offered a choice of a "Yes" or "No"  button,  you
could select "Yes" simply by pressing "Y".

CHECK  BOX:  A  small box which contains an "X" symbol if  the  option  it
relates to is selected, and is blank if not. You can change the setting of
a Check Box by clicking on the box with the pointer.

SCROLL BAR: A scroll bar provides two arrows and a solid bar between them.
Using  the scroll bar, you can simply scroll the region inside the  window
to see more information.

ICONS:  These are small pictures on push buttons, and are selected in  the
same  way. Icons are used within The Gorin Desktop to represent  programs,
and  are also seen on the button bar. An icon editor is provided to  allow
you  to  make  you own designs, and the desktop can  automatically  import
icons designed for the Microsoft Windows system.

WINDOWS: A window is an area on-screen, which has a title, and sometimes a
Close  Box. The time and date is always displayed on the title bar of  the
main window.

CLOSE  BOX:  These  are found to the far right of most  windows,  and  are
simply  small  push  buttons  with  the word CLOSE  printed  on  them.  By
selecting  the  Close  box, the window will be removed  from  the  screen.
Pressing  ESCAPE  is  equivalent  to selecting any  close  box,  with  the
exception  of the main one in the top right hand corner of the display. To
quickly  exit The Gorin Desktop and return to the DOS prompt, press CTRL &
F10.

DIALOGUE BOX: A small window which appears on screen, allows you to make a
selection, and then disappears. You should select the appropriate response
to the question asked, by pressing the appropriate button.

ON-LINE HELP: When using the Desktop, you can press F1 (or select the help
icon) at any time to view a help screen.


Installation

The  Gorin Desktop comes on one or more floppy diskettes, and all you have
to  do  is  insert  the first one into the drive and  type  GO.  First  an
information file will be displayed - when you have read this, press ESCAPE
to start the installation program, Setup.

Setup  provides  you  with a set of self-explanatory icons which  you  can
select to view a run down of system information, get information about the
program,  or  adjust the system clock. To start the installation  process,
press the button with the caption "Install".

A  large dialogue box will appear, which will ask a selection of questions
in  turn to find out where you want The Gorin Desktop installed.  Firstly,
you  will  be asked to select the drive from those provided, and you  will
then be shown the default directory. If the directory is unsuitable, press
"Edit"  and type a different directory name. Press "Ok" when you are happy
with your choice.

A  second  dialogue  box will be shown, this time giving you a  choice  of
installing  only  specific  parts of the Desktop. If you  have  sufficient
room,  you might as well install the complete set of programs, but if  you
want  to  select  the  particular modules you really  need,  they  are  as
follows:

Install  Main  Program: The main program files must be installed  for  the
Desktop to work.

Install Wallpaper: A number of colourful wallpaper files are supplied with
The  Gorin  Desktop, but as each takes up a considerable amount of  space,
they are a luxury if your disk space is limited.

Install Icon Converter: The icon converter provides the ability to convert
icons  from  the  Desktop  format into a format  recognized  by  Microsoft
Windows.  If you do not have Windows, there is little point in  installing
this  option. Note that the Desktop can still import Windows icons without
this feature.

Install  GMOD Music System: Gmod allows you to play the popular  Commodore
Amiga  MOD  music  files  on  a PC. It  really  needs  a  SoundBlaster  or
compatible  card  to  do the tunes justice, but can  also  produce  varied
results  (depending on your processor speed and speaker quality) using the
internal  PC speaker, provided you have a 286 or better machine. A  couple
of music files are supplied for you to listen to.

Install  Screen  Savers:  Unless you have very little disk  space,  it  is
recommended  that you install the screen savers supplied with the Desktop.
The  screen  savers take effect when your PC is left running the  Desktop,
and  display  various  patterns or moving messages on  screen  to  prevent
damage  to your monitor. See the Screen Savers section, further into  this
document.

Press  the "Go!" button to install the software. You will be told of  each
component as it is installed.

Now  the  magic begins... after a short pause, the screen will clear,  and
the  second  part  of  the  Setup program will be  run.  Every  drive  and
directory  on  your PC (excluding floppy drives, but including CD ROM  and
removable  hard disks) will be searched for an extensive list of programs,
which will automatically be added to your desktop.

At  last, with the system fully installed, you will be returned to the DOS
prompt.


Introducing the Desktop

To  start  the Desktop, type \DESKTOP and press enter. The first time  you
run the Desktop, there will be a little extra whirring of the disk, as the
Desktop  has  to get some information about your PC, but soon  the  screen
will clear and the Desktop appear.

The  Gorin Desktop divides the screen into three basic areas of  activity.
At  the  top of the screen is the title bar, this tells you that  you  are
running  "The Gorin Desktop" and also gives you the current date and time.
A  button  to the far right allows you to Close the Desktop and return  to
DOS.

Below  this is the main window. In here the Desktop displays, upon a sheet
of wallpaper, the icons for your programs, and also any other parts of the
program such as the icon editor and file viewer.

At  the bottom of the screen is a bar chart showing the percentage of free
space  on  the  current  disk drive, and the button bar,  from  which  the
Desktop is controlled. The button bar is split into four distinct regions,
the  first  five icons are for access to other parts of the  program,  the
next  four are for positioning and editing program entries, then come  the
two configuration icons and finally the help icon - to the far right.


Running a program from the Desktop

When  you start the Desktop, a selection of program groups are  displayed.
To  run a program, you simply click on the icon for the appropriate group,
then click on the icon for the program - try this now...

Click  on  the  Applications  Packages icon, you should see  some  of  the
programs  which Setup found for you earlier on. (If you don't see any  and
are  presented with an instruction box - press "Ok", then press ESCAPE, or
select  the  CLOSE box, and select a different group). Select one of  your
programs,  click  on the icon, and within seconds you will be running  the
program in question - no messy DOS commands or awkward keystrokes - simply
point  and  click! Quit from your program, and the Desktop  will  reappear
ready to take your next command.

All  programs  can  be run in this way from the Desktop, and you  can  set
options  to  allow the Desktop to ask for floppy disks, or to prevent  the
Desktop restarting after a program has run. Most importantly, provided you
are  using  DOS 3.3 or later, the Desktop does not take a single  byte  of
memory away from your programs. You can also run programs using the Filer,
described elsewhere in this document.


Adding a program to the Desktop

No  matter  how  many programs Setup found on your hard  disk,  there  are
almost  certainly  other  ones which have not been found.  Luckily  adding
programs  to  The Gorin Desktop is simplicity itself, as we are  about  to
find out.

First  of  all, select the program group where you want the program to  be
found.  If a box appears telling you that the group is empty, simply press
"Ok". Now select the "Add" icon from the icon bar.

The  main  window will change to allow you to enter information about  the
program.  You'll  even find detailed instructions if you don't  have  this
manual handy next time you need to add a program!

Press  the "Select Icon" button. A large dialogue box will appear,  filled
with  icons  - press the "More..." button until you see an icon you  like,
and click on it.

Press  the  "Enter Legend" button, and type the name of the  program.  Two
lines are provided for this.

Now  press  the "Commands..." button. A file selection dialogue  box  will
appear,  from where you can easily select the program in question,  simply
follow these four instructions:

1:  Select  the drive. If you cannot see the drive upon which the  program
can  be found, use the scroll bar to slide the drives up or down. Click on
the drive to select it.

2: Select the directory by clicking on the various directories shown until
you are in the correct directory. Use the ".." symbol to move up one level
in the directory, and the "\" symbol to return to the root directory.

3: Scroll the file list until you can see the program and select it.

4: Press the "Ok" button, and the Desktop will store your selection.

If  you  select a Windows program using this method, the Desktop will  ask
you  if  you want Windows to be run automatically whenever the program  is
selected,  it  is  normally  sensible to select "Yes".  Note  that  it  is
possible to manually enter up to to four lines of DOS commands rather than
selecting a file using the dialogue box - simply press the "Manual" button
at the bottom of the file selection box.

If  your  program  needs a floppy disk, or CD ROM, click on  the  "Request
Disk"  checkbox and type the name of the disk required. Similarly, if  you
don't  want the Desktop to restart after your program has been run, ensure
that you de-select the "Return to Desktop" check box.

Now simply press "Ok - Add this entry", and you will find a shiny new icon
ready for you to run! It really is that simple!


Editing a program entry

If  you move the program from one directory to another, get bored with the
icon,  or  for  some other reason want to change some part of  the  entry,
simply  select the "Edit" icon from the icon bar, and click on the program
in  question. A similar screen to the "add" screen will be displayed, from
where  you can change any aspect of the program entry. Make your  changes,
and press "Ok - Keep Changes" to update the Desktop.


Deleting a program entry

When  you no longer need a program entry on the Desktop, it makes sense to
remove it. Luckily, the Desktop allows you to do this with ease.

Click  on  the  "Remove"  icon from the icon bar, and then  click  on  the
program  you  want to delete. You will be asked if you want to delete  the
icon,  and  then  again  to  confirm this. If  you  reply  "Yes"  to  both
questions, the program entry will be removed from the Desktop.

NOTE:  Only  the program entry is removed, the icon is still left  in  the
Desktop  directory  so that you can use it with another program, and  your
program files are not deleted.


Adding/Editing a program group

You  may feel that you need more than the standard six program groups,  so
you'll  be  pleased to know that you can easily add up to 18 extra  groups
quickly  and easily. You can only add groups to the front "Select  program
group" window, so make sure that it is on screen before you try to add...

Press  the  "Add" icon on the icon bar. A small dialogue box  will  appear
asking you to confirm that you want to add a new program group.

If  you answer "Yes", you will be asked to type the name of the new group,
and  then be asked to select an icon. You new group will then be added  to
the Desktop, and can be used just like any of the standard program groups.
To  edit a program group, select the "Edit" icon and click on the group in
question.  You will be shown a dialogue box from where you can change  the
icon and group legend, and finally press "Ok" to confirm the changes.


Deleting a program group

You may not need all the program groups, for instance if you do not have a
Modem  there  is  little  point in keeping the  Remote  Operations  group.
Deleting a program group is identical to deleting a program entry, but you
must first delete all the program entries within the group as, for safety,
only empty groups can be deleted.


Moving an icon or program group

Sometimes  the order in which the icons are displayed is less than  ideal.
If  this happens, you can rearrange individual icons using the "Move" icon
on  the icon bar. Click on the "Move" icon, then select the icon you  want
to  move.  Now  select  the icon which is in the  position  you  want  the
selected  icon to move into. The icons will reshuffle, and the screen will
be re drawn.


The Options Panel

The  Gorin  Desktop  stores all it's configuration information in  a  file
called  GUI.INI.  Although you can modify this file using a  text  editor,
most  options  are available from the Options Panel, easily selected  from
the "Options" icon on the icon bar.

Each  option  is  required for a specific part of the  Desktop,  and  with
little  effort  you can easily customise the Desktop to suit your  working
environment  and  PC. You can even adjust the background colour  to  match
your walls!

Use "Cache Fill": If you have a disk cache, a slow hard disk and find that
the icons appear jerkily on screen, enabling this option will make Desktop
take  longer  to load, but will enable the icons to appear smoothly  -  as
they are already in the disk cache.

Modem  Installed: Check this box if you have an auto dial Modem, and  want
the  Desktop  Dialler to dial through it. Suitable modems must  support  a
300BPS  transfer mode (which most do). If you check this box, ensure  that
you select either Port 1 or Port 2 to indicate which COM port the modem is
plugged into.

Dial:  This  string  is sent to the modem to make it dial a  number.  Most
modems accept ATDT to tone dial or ATDP to pulse dial.

Carousel:  The  time shown (in seconds) is the minimum length of  time  of
inactivity  after  which the screen saver will be run. If you  don't  ever
want to run the screen saver, uncheck the Enabled box.

Change  Paper: This button allows you to cycle through the wallpaper files
installed  on your hard disk. You can also set this to "Random  Selection"
where  a  different paper is shown each time, or "None" in which  case  no
paper is shown (this is best on XT machines for speed).

Background: Adjust the background colour by mixing the Red, Green and Blue
paints.  There are a total of over 250,000 possible combinations - so  you
should  be  able  to  find one to suit you! If you  cannot  find  anything
suitable, press Reset to Default to restore the standard background. Press
"Ok" when you're happy.

Labels: The labels dialogue provides two buttons from which you can choose
a  suitable  foreground  and background colour for  the  labels  displayed
underneath  icons  on  the  Desktop. Press "Ok"  when  you've  selected  a
suitable combination.

More:  Pressing  this button leads you to a further option  dialogue  from
where  you can adjust the speed of scroll boxes, and also select two  more
unusual options:

Icons push into screen: If you prefer the icons to be static, uncheck this
option.

Check  files  on startup: With this option disabled, the Desktop may  load
faster on XT machines, although the system can be less stable if a file is
deleted.  If Check files on startup is disabled, the disk space bar is not
displayed.

Scroll Delay: With a 386 or better machine, you may find that the file and
directory  lists in the Filer (and similar dialogues) scroll too fast.  If
they do, adjust the delay until a comfortable scroll speed is found.

286 Users: Most 286 machines perform best with a ZERO scroll delay.

XT  Users:  Although  on some XT machines the ZERO scroll  speed  will  be
acceptable,  on most systems, reduce the value past zero to get to the  XT
setting,  which  uses  a cruder scroll system - which flickers  more,  but
scrolls quicker.

Press  "Ok"  to  close the Options panel and save changes to  the  GUI.INI
file. All changes will take place immediately, except Use "Cache Fill" and
Check  files  on  startup,  which will take effect  when  the  Desktop  is
restarted.


Adjusting the system clock

It  is often necessary, particularly with older generations of PC systems,
to  regularly  reset the system date and time. Although DOS  provides  the
simple  DATE  and TIME commands, they are not very user friendly. You  can
now  simply  use the "Clock" icon from the icon bar. To adjust the  system
settings,  use  the  selector buttons above and below the date  and  time.
Simply press "Ok" when you are finished.


The Address Book (Incorporating Telephone Dialler)

The  address  book  is based on the traditional card  index  and  provides
fields  to record Name, Address, Telephone and Fax numbers and Notes.  You
may  also search your Address Book for quick access to records, or jump to
a  particular  section by using the letter buttons - in a similar  way  to
using  the tabs on a card index. The ability to print individual addresses
is  also provided, and you can automatically dial telephone numbers if you
have a suitable Modem installed in your PC.

How to...

Add a record: Press the + button and enter the text of the new record into
the fields provided. The record will be saved automatically.

Edit  a record: Ensure that the record is on screen, and either press Edit
(to edit all the fields in turn) or click on a particular piece of text.

Delete a record: Display the record and press '-'.

View  the next or previous record: Use the '<' or '>' keys. Alternatively,
use the character buttons (A..Z) to quickly jump to the first record where
the  surname begins with the selected letter. If a button is disabled,  no
records exist with appropriate surnames.

Search for a record: Press Search and type a search key.

Search again with the same key: Simply press Search followed by Enter.

Print a record: Display the record and press Print.

Dial  a number: Display the relevant record and press Dial. You must  have
previously  let  the  Desktop  know you have a modem  installed  (via  the
Options dialogue) to enable dialling.

The Address Book can store 500 entries, and will automatically upgrade any
Dialler (the miniature address book supplied with earlier versions) files.

If  you also have Gorin's Organiser on your PC, the two programs can share
one  database.  Simply  place the following command in  your  AUTOEXEC.BAT
file:

SET GORINDESKTOP=C:\ORGANISE\

Replacing  C:\ORGANISE  with the directory where your  Organiser's  "DATA"
files  are  stored. This command MUST end with a backslash  character,  as
shown  above. For example, to share the same database between the  Desktop
and Organiser for Windows's primary user, use C:\ORGWIN\USER1\


Calculator

The  calculator provides the four basic functions, Add, Subtract, Multiply
and  Divide, and uses the standard mathematical symbols, rather than their
computer equivalents, to represent the functions.

A  total  of  11 digits may be displayed, with accuracy calculated  to  12
decimal   places.  The  calculator  takes  instructions  in  sequence  for
simplicity and ease of use.

A backspace "<" key is provided to correct any mistakes you make. To reset
the  calculator  to zero, press either the "C" button or the  calculator's
display.


Filer

The  filer provides the ability to select, run, rename, copy, move, delete
and  view files without having to issue DOS commands. The dialogue box  is
similar  to the one displayed when adding a program to a group, and may be
navigated in the same way. Assuming you have selected a file, you can:

Run it... If the file is an EXE, COM or BAT file, you can easily run it by
clicking  on  the RUN! button. If the program requires Microsoft  Windows,
you  are  given  the option of running starting Windows with  the  program
running  -  meaning that you should be able to run virtually any  type  of
program  from  the filer. If the program doesn't require windows, you  may
add any command line options as appropriate.

Rename it... You will be asked for the new name for the file.

Copy  it...  All you have to type is the path into which you want to  copy
the file.

Move it... Just like copying a file, but the original will be deleted.

Delete  it... Asks you to confirm that you really want to remove the file,
then erases it from your hard disk.

View  it...  The File Viewer will be started with your selected file.  The
buttons are grayed out when a file is not selected, or if an inappropriate
file is selected - for example if you select a TXT file, the "Run!" button
will be unavailable, as you cannot run a text file.

If  you  are not running a program, you can close the Filer  by  selecting
either the "Cancel" button or pressing the close box.


File Viewer

Using  the  file viewer, you can quickly and easily view most  plain  text
files  - such as README files supplied with software, or documentation for
other  products. Select the file viewer by choosing a file from the Filer,
and pressing "View".

The  file  viewer will now appear with the file displayed. You may  scroll
forwards  and  backwards through the file by using the scroll bar  to  the
right  of  the window, or jump directly to the top or bottom of  the  text
simply  by  pressing either "Top" or "End". You can page through the  text
using the "Up" and "Down" page control buttons.

WARNING:  Some VGA adaptors not 100% compatible with IBM VGA cause  screen
corruption  when  you attempt to scroll the file viewer's window. If  this
happens  to  you,  please  ensure that you do not  have  any  "Video  BIOS
Shadowing"  programs installed. If the problem persists, you should  avoid
using the scroll bar and stick to the Up, Down, Top & End buttons instead.

If  you  need a paper copy of the file, simply press the print button  and
answer  "Yes" when asked if you are sure that you want to print the  file.
To  return to the Desktop, close the window using the close box (or  press
Escape).


Icon Editor

If  you  are not a good artist, you need never use the icon  editor.  Many
icons  are  supplied  with  The  Gorin Desktop, and  as  the  Desktop  can
automatically  convert Microsoft Windows icons, you may find every one you
need.  However, if you have an unusual program, or simply want to make the
Desktop feel more personalised, creating your own icons is the ideal way!

To  select the icon editor, click on the "Icons" Icon from the icon bar. A
grid  will  appear, with a palette of colours below it, a large  block  of
colour  to  the right which shows your current colour, and an icon on  the
top right displays the icon as it would be seen on your Desktop.

Three  buttons allow you to "Save" and "Load" icons, and also to clear the
screen to start a fresh icon. The editor responds in a similar way to many
graphics  packages,  in that you click on the colour in the palette,  then
drag  the mouse with the left button held down to draw, or the right mouse
button  as a rubber. If you don't have a mouse, simply use the cursor keys
and space bar as you would with other Desktop actions.

A further three push buttons to the left of the drawing grid determine the
brush  size,  the  current  value  of which is  displayed  under  the  box
depicting the current colour.

Once  you  have  created your icon, select "Save", and type a  name  (Text
only, up to 8 characters) appropriate to that icon, and press return. If a
dialogue  informs  you that the file already exists, select  "Cancel"  and
type  a  different name. The file will be saved, and the file name  placed
beneath the small icon on the right of the screen.

To  load  an  icon, select "Load" and select an icon  from  the  resulting
dialogue,  or  click  on  CLOSE to abort the load.  Note  that  the  icons
supplied  with  The Gorin Desktop are sorted into alphabetical order,  but
that your new icons will be saved after these ( i.e. after Z). This is due
to  the  way  DOS  arranges its filing system, and not a  bug  within  the
Desktop. To return to the Desktop click on the CLOSE box.


Importing Windows Icons

If  you have any icons designed for Microsoft Windows that you would  like
to  use  with  The  Gorin  Desktop, simply  copy  them  into  the  Desktop
directory.  The  next time you run the Desktop, you will be asked  if  you
wish  to convert the Windows icons and if you select "OK", the icons  will
be  converted  to the Desktop format, and the Windows versions deleted.  A
large  amount of Windows icons are available in the Public Domain. Many of
the icons supplied with the Desktop were originally PD Windows icons.

Please  note that the colour palette used within The Gorin Desktop differs
very slightly to that used under Windows, specifically that the light-grey
colour  is  remapped  as  the background within  NGS  products.  You  may,
therefore,  find  that  some converted icon s require  slight  retouching,
using the Icon Editor.

A  supplementary  utility  DESK2WIN  allows  conversion  in  the  opposite
direction,  from The Gorin Desktop to Windows. To use DESK2WIN, at the DOS
prompt type DESK2WIN and follow the instructions provided.


Paint

The  Paint  module, selected from the "Paint" icon on the icon bar,  is  a
simple  bitmap  drawing package exclusively for editing and creating  .GGF
(Gorin's  Graphic  Format)  wallpaper  files. Although  you  can  use  the
keyboard,  a  mouse is required if you are to draw anything  but  straight
lines!

As  with  the icon editor, you select your paint colour from the  palette,
after  which it is displayed in the enlarged area to the right. The  brush
may be any size from a single pixel (size zero) for tiny modifications, up
to a large block brush, size nine. Select the appropriate size (0-9) using
the selectors near the "Load/Save" buttons.

To  paint,  simply drag the cursor across the drawing area  while  holding
down the left button (or tapping the space bar).

To  save  your creation, press "Save Image". If you are editing  an  image
which  you have previously loaded from disk, you will be asked to  confirm
that  you wish to save it under the same name. If your picture is new,  or
you  selected "No" in the previous situation, you will be asked to enter a
file  name.  This may be up to eight characters, Paint will  automatically
add the .GGF extension when you press Enter.

To  load  an  existing image, press "Load Image" and select the  file  you
require and press "Ok".

At  any  time, you can blank the picture by pressing "New Image",  or  may
close Paint with the CLOSE box.


Screen Saver Carousel

The  screen  saver system under The Gorin Desktop allows for an  unlimited
number  of different screen saver programs to be used. Programs which  are
suitable as screen savers generally have the following characteristics:

                1: They have a moving image on screen.
                2: They run without user intervention.
                3: They are easily stopped by pressing a key
                   (or possibly the mouse button)

The  carousel system can use any program (EXE or COM file) or run a  batch
file,  ideally to start an animation of some form. To add a program to the
carousel,  simply  copy  the program file and any support files  (such  as
overlays  or  screen  drivers) into the SAVERS directory within  the  main
Desktop directory.


Screen Savers

Two  screen  savers are provided as standard with Desktop 2.1, and if  you
have  selected  to install them during the setup process, will already  be
found  in the SAVERS directory. The first of these, CLOCK.EXE, provides an
on  screen  clock  which moves slowly about the screen. The  other  saver,
SCROLL.EXE,  shows  a  message  slowly drifting  across  the  screen  with
pulsating  colours.  You  can put your own message here, if you  wish,  by
creating  a  file  called SCROLL.INI in the SAVERS directory  -  the  file
should  contain  your message on the first line only. Scroll will  shorten
the message if it is too long.


Floppy Formatter

Formatting  Floppy  Disks  can be a complex and time  consuming  business.
There are so many different formatting options in recent DOS versions, and
often  the  commands are complex or not at all clear. By using the  Floppy
Formatter,  you  can  simply  select the required format  and  options  by
selecting check boxes with the mouse.

Firstly,  select which drive (A: or B:) you wish to format. Now select the
format   required,   different  disks  require  formatting  to   differing
capacities, according to the chart below:

   Disk Size       Markings        Format to       Notes

   5.25"           None or LD      360k            Any DOS version
   5.25"           HD, 1200        1.2Mb           Needs DOS 3.0 or later
   3.5"            None or 1MB     720k            Requires DOS 3.3 or later
   3.5"            HD, 2nd hole    1.44Mb          Requires DOS 3.3 or later
   3.5"            QD, 4MB         2.88Mb          Requires DOS 5.0 or later


Select any options as follows:

   Option         Notes

   Safe           For reformatting old disks.  Needs DOS 5.0 or later
   Quick          For reformatting old disks quickly.  Needs DOS 5.0 or later
   System         Use to make a disk bootable
   Label          Place a disk label on the disk

If you require an unconditional format (for new disks) make sure that both
the  Safe  and  Quick options are unchecked. Press Start Format  to  begin
formatting.  The options you selected will be remembered between  sessions
should you need to format the same type of disk again.


Desktop Terminal

With  Desktop  Terminal and a Modem, you can connect your computer to  the
outside  world,  ready to receive information and advice from hundreds  of
on-line services nationwide.

It  is assumed that you have already installed your modem and connected it
as described in the product's manual.

Start Desktop Terminal by selecting it's icon from within the Desktop. The
screen  will clear showing a title bar, a few control buttons and a  large
black window in the centre of the screen.

To  save  your money on phone bills, all data received from the  modem  is
saved  on  disk into the file "TERMINAL.TXT" - you can then view  this  to
reread  information using the File Viewer within the Desktop. Unless  this
is  the  first time you have used the terminal, you will be asked  if  you
want  to overwrite the file. If you reply "No", all new data will be saved
at  the end of the Terminal file, although be warned - it is quite easy to
generate 50k or more of data each time you use the modem!

First  of  all, you must select the Modem Settings button. A dialogue  box
will  be  displayed from which you can configure Desktop Terminal to  suit
your Modem. The settings are as follows:

End  Session  on "NO CARRIER": Many Modems produce the message NO  CARRIER
when  you  drop  the  telephone line. By selecting  this  option,  Desktop
Terminal  is  often able to sense that you are no longer using the  modem,
and  return the mouse pointer onto your screen. If you find that  Terminal
disconnects  you before you intended, disable this option. Note that  with
this  option disabled, you must press the END key on your keyboard to drop
the line and return the mouse pointer.

Port  1/Port  2:  Your Modem will be connected to a serial  port  on  your
computer.  Check to see which number is printed above the port into  which
the  lead  plugs  -  if your modem is internal (i.e.  it  plugs  into  the
expansion  slots INSIDE your PC) you will have to refer to the guide which
came with the Modem.

Dial: Unless the manual supplied with your modem recommends otherwise, you
should enter ATDT to tone dial or ATDP to pulse dial.

Speed:  If  you  do  not know which speed your Modem  runs  at,  a  symbol
beginning  V  may  be  shown on the manual  or  within  the  documentation
supplied  with  the modem. The following table indicates  the  recommended
speed setting under Desktop Terminal for using with appropriate V speeds:

                   V21          300BPS
                   V22          1200BPS
                   V22bis       2400BPS
                   V32          9600BPS
                   V32Bis       9600BPS

Parity  and Data Type: These must be set according to the service you  are
connecting  to. Most services indicate which settings they require in  the
form  8N1  or  7E1, the first number relating to the data  type,  and  the
central  letter being the parity (N=None, E=Even, O=Odd). The final number
refers to the number of stop bits, which for most services will be fine at
the  default 1. If, however, you find a service which requires a differing
number  of  stop  bits,  you  must manually  change  the  setting  in  the
DESKTERM.INI file using a text editor.

When you have adjusted all the necessary options, select "Ok".

To  make  a  call, you must select the Dialling  Directory.  The  Dialling
Directory  is  identical  in operation to the  Dialler  facility  provided
within  earlier  releases of the Desktop. You may either type a  telephone
number  in  directly  and  press Go, or "Select" one  from  those  already
installed. To add or delete a number, use the "Add" and "Delete" buttons.

When  you  select  "GO!"  the modem will dial the number  and  attempt  to
connect  you  to  the on-line service. Once you are connected  follow  the
on-screen  prompts  given out by the service. To hang up the phone,  press
the END key on your keyboard.


Bulletin Board Systems

A  Bulletin  Board,  or  BBS, is at it's simplest  a  computer  and  modem
connected  to  a  phone  line  and set to  receive  incoming  calls.  Once
connected  to a typical BBS you are invited to enter your name, and then a
password.  The first time you connect to a BBS, you are often asked  other
information  (such as your home address and telephone number) in case  any
queries arise.

BBS's are typically operated by software companies or computer enthusiasts
in  their spare time. The operator of a BBS is normally called the Systems
Operator, or SYSOP for short.

Many BBS systems have areas from where you can send and receive electronic
mail  to  other  users  of the system, or  even  throughout  many  systems
covering  Europe and the US! The type of people who use BBS's are  usually
quite  knowledgeable about computer's and most are friendly and willing to
answer  any  questions you have. Most BBS's allow you to send messages  to
ALL, for a general announcement or a query, and it is often a good idea to
send  complimentary messages to the SYSOP from time to time - indeed  many
Sysops  welcome  comments on the systems and often have a special  message
area for that purpose.

The  other popular function of BBS systems are extensive file areas,  from
where  you  can upload and download files of any type. Many BBS's have  CD
ROM players enabling the sysop to offer hundreds of megabytes of Shareware
and  PD software for download. Unfortunately the Desktop Terminal does not
allow downloading of files, being designed mainly for messaging use.


BBS Systems for you to try

The  Shareware Support BBS (on 0442 891109 or 891209) is the support board
for  Nildram  Software products, and also carries the latest  versions  of
many  Shareware  products,  including the NGS range,  available  for  free
download  to anyone who dials in. The BBS is connected with a large number
of  other BBS systems, allowing you to send messages to people up and down
the  country, and therefore has a huge message section covering about  200
categories  - with hundreds of new messages daily. An extensive file  area
wi  th almost every type of file imaginable is available on-line, a  small
yearly fee must be paid before you can access any areas except the support
areas,  though. Your sysop is Adrian Mardlin, author of the Flexibak  Plus
backup program and proprietor of Nildram Software.

The  Software Source (and Computer Shopper) BBS (on 0892 661149 or  667090
or  667091) is run by The Public Domain and Shareware Library, one of  the
oldest  and best shareware libraries in the UK. 0892 is the dialling  code
for  Tunbridge Wells, and is charged at normal call rates. The BBS carries
a  large selection of files available for free download, and has a  lively
message  section  -  mainly regarding the Shareware services  provided  by
PDSL.  A  special file area is available where users may  freely  download
versions of Alchemy Mindworks, Moraffware and other American authors which
PDSL  manages  in  the  UK.  Also available  is  an  extensive  file  area
containing every disk in the PDSL library (in compressed form) - an annual
charge is required for use of this area though. Your sysop is Neil Blaber.

The UK edition of Computer Shopper includes a long list of adverts for BBS
systems in it's small advertisements section.


Modem Glossary

BBS:  Bulletin Board System - the service which you can connect your PC to
via a telephone line.
SYSOP: SYStem OPerator - the person who looks after the BBS.
UPLOAD: Transmitting a file from your computer to a BBS.
DOWNLOAD: Receiving a file from a BBS.
CD  ROM:  Identical  in  appearance to a music CD, a CD  ROM  contains  on
average  about 600Mb of programs, and are often used on BBS's to provide a
large number of files to download.
PD:  Public Domain Software - a form of software which is completely  free
to use.
SHAREWARE:  Software which you may try free of charge, but must pay for if
you continue to use it - like the Desktop!
ON-LINE: Your PC is on line when you are connected to a remote computer or
BBS.


PCX Converter

The Gorin Desktop comes with a special utility, PCX Converter installed as
an  icon in your Utilities group, which can be used to convert pictures in
the popular PCX format for use as Wallpaper and Icon files.

You should select the type of conversion you require, after which you will
be asked to choose the PCX file to manipulate from a dialogue box.

The  picture will load and display (note that images larger than 64k  take
considerably longer to display).

You  will then be asked if you wish to convert colours. If the picture was
originally  a  Windows Bitmap file, or was created using a  Windows  paint
package  such as Paintbrush, and the colours look incorrect, select "Yes".
Otherwise select "No".

Grabbing  a  PCX file as wallpaper: If you have selected this option,  you
should  move the outline on screen using the mouse (or cursor keys)  until
the image you wish to use is contained in the outline, then press the left
button  (or space bar) to save the image. Press the right mouse button (or
Q) to abort.

Grabbing  an  icon:  Select an area using the same method as  above,  then
enter  a  suitable file name for the icon (without extension).  Press  the
right mouse button (or Q) when you are finished.

Shrinking  a  PCX  file to Wallpaper size: The  image  will  automatically
resize  and save. If you attempt to shrink a file which is already smaller
than the Wallpaper size (471x276) bizarre results may occur.

To return to the Desktop, select "Return to Desktop" or the CLOSE box.

NOTES:  The  routines  used to import PCX files pose a  few  restrictions.
Images  must  have  no more than 16 colours and version 3.0 or  later  PCX
format  must  be  used. The screen resolution also limits the size  of  an
image  -  unfortunately images larger than 640x480 cannot be displayed  in
their entirety.

Large  amounts  of PCX files are available as either PD or Shareware,  and
other formats such as BMP and GIF may be converted to PCX using conversion
programs,  a  number of which are available in the Shareware  marketplace.
Please  respect the copyright restrict ions placed on some graphics files,
and register any software you use.


GMOD Amiga MOD player

GMOD  is  a music player for people with a sound blaster compatible  card,
although  the music may be played through the PC speaker, but the  quality
is  not as good. It plays files called modules which consist of 31 sampled
instruments  and a four channel music track. Each module contains patterns
of  64  notes in size. There can be many patterns that create  an  overall
module.  Each  sample's  frequency may be changed to give it  a  different
sound  or  pitch  on 3 different scales. These instruments may  have  been
lengthened  or  shortened  before being placed in to the  module  to  give
another varying effect, so if you are using the Instrument Keyboard Player
(see later) you may hear some strange side effects.

This  type  of music originated on the Commodore AMIGA computer  as  Sound
Tracker  modules  but  quite  recently  moved  over  to  the  IBM  PC  and
compatibles  because,  although they did not have dedicated  music  chips,
they  had  the  processing power to manipulate this music through  the  PC
speaker  and  eventually the SoundBlaster and compatibles. Nowadays,  they
are used regularly on the PC, especially in demos.

As an example of this type of music, a few special MOD files are installed
with  The  Gorin  Desktop, written by a talented computer  musician,  Paul
Hardwick.

Quick Start Guide:

        o  Execute the program GMOD.EXE (via Desktop or the DOS prompt).
        o  Choose your output device (SB or SP).
        o  Select the "Rate" of play (defaults to Medium).
        o  Choose the directory and module you wish to play via
           the File selector.
        o  Click "Play" or "IKP".
        o  Quit from the filer display only by either clicking on the
           "Quit" button or closing the filer

Note: The program MUST be run from the DESKTOP directory.

Features:

Before  playing you are presented with a choice of output device and  also
the rate at which the module is played through that device. The higher the
rate, the better quality the playback.

These may be selected from the file selector window.

        o  "SB" or "SP"  chooses the output device, Soundblaster or Speaker.
        o  "Rate" chooses the Rate setting menu - select a suitable
           setting for your PC.

When  playing a module, the screen is split in to several definite  areas.
The  very top part of the screen tells you which module is playing and its
actual name.

Below  this,  contains the main display of the 4 channels. Each bar  shows
which  channel  is playing. Each can be turned on and off or the  loudness
changed.

To  the left of this is the menu box, and below the percentage bar showing
how  much  of the module has been played. Finally, below this, we see  the
instruments that are in the module. Not all of these instruments will have
names,  and  not  all the names have instruments! I.e. some  of  the  bars
contain  an instrument and some do not. It is trial and error to  discover
which  contain  instruments,  as some module authors include  messages  in
these areas, see the accompanying modules for an example of what I mean.

Playing Modules:

Whilst playing a module, the following options are available:

        o Increase/Decrease the volume of each channel by clicking
          the "<" and ">" to the right of that particular channel.

        o Individual channels can also be turned on and off via the "On" &
          "Off" buttons to the left of the "<" and ">" mentioned above.

        o Move quickly forward and backwards through the module by clicking
          the ">>" and "<<" below the STOP button to the left of the channels
          display.

        o Help, by clicking the "Help" button to the left of the main channel
          display.

        o Stop the module any time by clicking "Stop".

        o Select the in-built Instrument Keyboard Player (IKP) by clicking
          the "IKP" button.

The Instrument Keyboard Player:

This is a very basic sample player that allows you to play the instruments
in  the module via the keyboard. It was not designed to produce pure music
notes,  indeed,  you  may  notice with some  instruments,  it  will  sound
slightly "odd".

On entering the player, the module will stop playing. You will now be able
to  select  any of the instruments by clicking on the push buttons at  the
bottom  of the display. When you have found one, click OK and start  using
the  keyboard as a piano keyboard. When you have had enough, press  escape
and  choose  another  instrument, or click Xit to quit and return  to  the
module exactly where you left off.

NOTE: If you enter the IKP directly, you will hear the start of the module
playing. If the music carries on someway in to the Instrument Player, then
simply enter the IKP when the module is playing.


Keyboard Layout for the Instrument Keyboard Player:

Upper Keyboard

      2     3           5     6     7           9      0           =     DEL
    [C#2] [D#2]       [F#2] [G#2] [A#3]       [C#3]  [D#3]       [F#3]  [G#3]

   Q     W     E     R     T     Y     U     I     O     P     [     ]
 [C-2] [D-2] [E-2] [F-2] [G-2] [A-3] [B-3] [C-3] [D-3] [E-3] [F-3] [G-3]


Lower Keyboard

              S     D           G     H     J           L     ;
            [C#1] [D#1]       [F#1] [G#1] [A#2]       [C#2] [D#2]

           Z     X     C     V     B     N     M     ,     .     /
         [C-1] [D-1] [E-1] [F-1] [G-1] [A-2] [B-2] [C-2] [D-2] [E-2]


Where C-2 can be split:

        C -  note value
        2  - Scale        [ 1 - Lower   2 - Middle   3 - Upper ]


Quitting the program:

You  must  quit from the file selection dialogue, you cannot quit while  a
module  is  playing.  You must first "Stop" the module playing  (quit  the
sequencer if you are in that) before you quit.

Limitations:

These are in built limitations:

o This program can only handle modules with 31 instruments, generally most
recent modules are created in this format, rather than the older format of
15 instruments.

o  Because  of 640k memory restrictions, and memory usage of this  program
modules larger than 390k will not work. The program has been tested with a
396k module and worked with no errors.

See the trouble shooting section regarding problems with GMOD.


Technical Matters

The  Gorin  Desktop relies on three batch files to manage the system,  one
RUNGUI.BAT is used to run the Desktop. Another, DESKTOP.BAT, will be found
in  the root directory of your hard disk, and should be either left  there
or  copied  into  another  directory  within  your  path.  A  third  file,
EXITGUI.BAT,  is called when you exit the Desktop and return to DOS. As  a
default,  this file clears the screen and runs a program supplied with the
Desktop,  called  DISKSTAT, which reports on the size of your  hard  disk,
memory free, DOS version and processor. You may modify EXITGUI.BAT, if you
wish.

If  you asked the SETUP program to modify your AUTOEXEC.BAT file in  order
that  the Desktop starts automatically, you will find the last three lines
of  your AUTOEXEC file are identical to those in the DESKTOP.BAT file. You
should  still  keep the DESKTOP.BAT file, however, as it is  necessary  to
restart the Desktop after you have returned to the DOS prompt.

Under  DOS  3.3 and later, the Desktop does not take any memory away  from
your  programs (i.e. they have as much memory as if you were running  them
from  the  DOS prompt). However, due to the lack of a CALL command in  DOS
3.0, 3.1 and 3.2 (and also versions of DR DOS prior to v5.0), programs run
from the Desktop will have between 2k and 6k less memory available to them
than the same program would have run from the DOS prompt. Maybe you should
now upgrade your DOS version!

Two environment variables are recognised by The Gorin Desktop, MULTIGROUPS
-   which  if  you  have  the  statement  SET  MULTIGROUPS=FALSE  in  your
AUTOEXEC.BAT  file,  will disable multiple program groups, and  only  show
icons   in  the  Applications  group.  The  other  environment   variable,
GORINDESKTOP, allows users of Gorin's Organiser to share telephone dialler
lists  between the two programs, which results in the DIAL.INI file in the
Organiser's  directory being ignored, and the desktop's one used  instead,
or  vice-versa. The format of this command is SET GORINDESKTOP=C:\DESKTOP\
(trailing  backslash  is necessary). The path indicates where the  Address
Book file is to be stored. Note that if you wish to share the Address Book
between  Desktop and the Windows version of Organiser, it is necessary  to
point   the   parameter   at   the   windows   file,   for   example   SET
GORINDESKTOP=C:\ORGWIN\USER1\ in most cases.


Running The Gorin Desktop  on an XT

Inevitably,  as  with  any graphics based program, The  Gorin  Desktop  is
slowed  when  running on an XT machine (that is any machine with an  8088,
8086  or  V20/V30  processor). There are, however, a  few  special  tricks
available to make sure that Desktop suffers minimal slow down when running
on such a machine.

Firstly,  although  very pleasant to view, Wallpaper takes a long time  to
display  on  many XT-class systems - often resulting in a long pause  when
you select a program group, or drastically increased loading time. With XT
class machines, it is recommended that Wallpaper is not used.

Often, it is possible to speed up the loading of The Gorin Desktop, simply
by  unchecking the "Check files exist on startup" option in the "Other..."
section  of the Options Panel. The downside of this, though, is that if  a
file essential to the Desktop is accidentally deleted the Desktop may then
become unstable.

Some systems with particularly slow graphics adapters may work better with
the  "Icons  push into screen" setting disabled, although this is often  a
matter of personal taste.

You  may  find  that  the Filer (and similar dialogue  boxes)  scroll  too
slowly. If this happens, set the Scroll Delay in the "Other..." section of
the  Options  Panel to the special XT setting by reducing the value  below
zero.  Outside the Desktop, there are a few additional checks you can make
to  ensure  that maximum performance is gained. Firstly, you  should  make
sure  that  all the Desktop files are stored on disk in the one place,  as
sometimes  DOS decides to split files up over many different parts of  the
disk  - this causes a significant slowdown in the loading of the  Desktop,
but can easily be checked:

        Change to the Desktop directory and type CHKDSK *.*

This  command  (supplied  with  all versions of  DOS)  will  display  some
information about your disk, and then tell you which files are fragmented,
or  split  up  over different parts of the disk. Unless the  message  "All
specified  file(s)  are contiguous" is seen, you should really run a  disk
defragmentation  program  over your hard disk. The loading of the  Desktop
will  be  slowed  considerably  if  the  file  GUI.EXE  has  more  than  1
non-contiguous blocks.

If  you have additional memory, known as EXPANDED (or EMS) memory, you may
be able to install a disk cache (such as Smart Drive - again supplied with
recent  versions  of  MS DOS). A disk cache works by  buffering  the  data
between  the hard disk and computer's memory, and although is unlikely  to
improve  the loading speed of the Desktop, will improve the performance of
other  features  such  as  the  file viewer and if  you  use  a  wallpaper
backdrop.


Compatibility

The  Gorin  Desktop  has  been successfully run, by either  myself  or  by
existing  registered  users, on equipment using the following software  or
hardware:

Operating  Systems: MS/IBM DOS versions 3.30 to 6.30. Digital Research DOS
v5.0  and  v6.0. Novell DOS 7. Although untested, the program should  work
with DOS 3.0 or later.

Caches:  Microsoft Smartdrive versions 3.x and later. Hyperdisk. PC  Kwik.
Fast.

Processors:  All  Intel 80x86 and compatibles (including AMD  devices).  I
have  also  heard  from users running Desktop/Organiser  on  PC  emulators
connected to Acorn and Atari systems.

System  Utilities:  Quarterdeck QEMM386, Superstor, Stacker,  Doublespace,
DriveSpace.  Note: It is not recommended that you use Doublespace as it is
buggy  -  Microsoft  charges £10 to upgrade from DOS 6.0 or 6.2  to  v6.22
which includes the more stable DriveSpace software.

Incompatibilities   known   at   time  of  release:  Early   versions   of
GMOUSE.SYS/COM  (Genius Mouse Driver). Microsoft Mouse Driver previous  to
v6.26. In both these cases, simply using a recent version if the Microsoft
Mouse Driver fixes the problem.

Amstrad  2000  systems can't display a cursor on the desktop. Please  edit
the  GUI.INI  file  and  change the Mouse Cursor setting  from  DRIVER  to
SOFTWARE on these machines.

Printers  connected to ports other than LPT1 can only print if redirection
of PRN to set using the MODE command (described in your DOS Manual).

Please  report  any incompatibilities and bugs using the Bug  Report  Form
contained in the file BUG.DOC.


Trouble shooting

When  using the file viewer, the screen corrupts when I select the  scroll
bar. Why?

Some  VGA  cards which are not 100% compatible with the IBM  VGA  standard
cause  this  problem. Avoid using the scroll bar, and use the Up and  Down
buttons instead.

I  have two floppy drives, A: and B:, but the file selectors only allow me
to access drive A:. What can I do?

At  the  DOS prompt, change to your DESKTOP directory and delete the  file
DRIVES.INI. You will then be able to access drive B:.

Why  doesn't the file selector display drive A (or B) in the drives  list,
even though I have edited the DRIVES.INI file?

You  must insert the floppy disk into drive A (or B) before you select the
Filer  or try to add or edit a program entry. You should then see the disk
and it's size displayed clearly in the list.

When  using a file selector, I get the message "Insert diskette for  drive
X:" appearing on screen, but I haven't got that drive, what should I do?

At  the  DOS prompt, change to your DESKTOP directory, and edit  the  file
DRIVES.INI  using an editor. This file should contain a string of  letters
corresponding to all the "real" drives on your PC. For example if you have
drives  A:, C:, D: and network drives L: & M: this file should read  ACDLM
only.

After  using a file selector, I get a message telling me that the  Desktop
cannot  reopen  a virtual memory file, and asking me if I want to quit  to
DOS. If I don't quit to DOS, will the Desktop still work?

Yes  - but the screen area which was behind the file selector will not  be
re  drawn  until  you change windows. Otherwise, you  shouldn't  have  any
problems.   This  message  is  generated  if  you  accidentally  delete  a
particular temporary file, and is most likely to occur on Multi-tasking or
Multi-user systems.

My  mouse  pointer doesn't appear on the Desktop, although it works OK  in
the Setup, Disk Formatter and other programs.

Your mouse driver is not completely compatible with VGA modes. If you edit
the  file  GUI.INI, found in your DESKTOP directory, and change  the  line
MOUSE  CURSOR:  DRIVER  to MOUSE CURSOR: SOFTWARE the cursor used  in  the
other  programs  will  work, although it ma y perform  jerkily  under  the
Filer. This problem is common on earlier Amstrad 2000 machines.

The  Desktop  takes a long time to load on my XT, and selecting a  program
group causes a long pause. Any way to speed things up?

Go  to the Options panel and set Wallpaper to NONE. If you still find  the
software  slow,  select the "Other..." section of the Options  panel,  and
uncheck  the  box  marked "Check files on startup", this will  enable  the
Desktop  to load quicker, but as the Desktop does not check all the  files
required  exist,  errors  are more likely to occur. If you  have  expanded
memory, you could try installing a disk cache (Contact your local computer
store).  Alternatively,  if you have a fast hard disk, and a copy  of  the
program UNLZEXE, you could use this on the GUI.EXE file, thus removing the
decompression time.

When  I select PRINT from the File Viewer, I don't get anything printed on
my printer, or I get rubbish, why is this?

There  could be a number of reasons. Firstly the printer must be connected
to  the  DOS port PRN, often marked LPT1: on the back of the PC. If it  is
not,  you must redirect the printer to the PRN port using the MODE command
(See  your DOS manual). If your print er is a Postscript printer, you must
use a interpreter to convert text into postscript codes - ask your dealer,
or contact your favourite PD library.

How can I make a Windows program run directly from the Desktop? I just get
the  message  "This program requires Microsoft Windows", although  I  have
Windows installed on my PC.

You simply have to make sure that you answer YES when asked if you want to
load Windows for the program. You will be asked this when you first select
the file when adding the program.

I  am entering commands to run a program using the Manual option. However,
I cannot fit the entire command onto one line, what should I do?

Type  as  much of the command on one line as you can, then press ENTER  to
start  the  next. Before you type any more, enter the plus character  "+".
Now  continue  as  if you were still on the previous  line.  Desktop  will
automatically remove the "+" and join the lines together at run time.

I  am trying to select a file through the file selector, but keep  getting
the  dialogue  box saying "Reinsert disk into drive". I am looking  at  my
hard disk.

You appear to have a hard disk fault. Try using the DOS CHKDSK /F command.
If  this  doesn't  fix it, consult a knowledgeable friend  or  your  local
computer store.

Sometimes  one  of the icons for a program disappears temporarily,  and  a
question  mark  appears. Later when I look again, the icon  has  returned.
What's going on?

If  the  Desktop  gets  a read error whilst trying to  load  an  icon,  it
substitutes the question mark icon instead. It is possible that you have a
slight  fault  on  the  exact piece of disk where  that  icon  is  stored.
Alternatively,  if you are running on a network, the network may be  busy.
If  you  are  using disk compression software, try running the  Check  and
Repair  (or similar) utility which was supplied with it. If this happens a
lot  on  various icons, your hard disk could be about to fail - make  sure
you take a backup!

Why  does  the  system  status only say I have less than  640k  of  memory
available? I've got over 1Mb on my machine.

The  system status only reports the amount of free DOS memory, that it the
figure seen at the bottom of the CHKDSK display. Your additional memory is
configured  as Extended or Expanded, and is not available to standard  DOS
programs.

Why  does  the system status and file selectors say I have got a C:  drive
and a G: (or H:) drive but nothing in-between?

You  are  probably running MS DOS 6 or another disk  compression  program.
Drive  G:  is the real drive which contains the huge compressed drive  C:.
Ignore the reading for drive G:.

Some  of  my programs do not look the same when run from or after  I  have
used the Desktop. Why is this? I am using a Mono-VGA monitor.

This  is  because  Desktop switches your monitor to give  shades  of  grey
rather  than  black  and  white. To make your programs look  as  they  did
before,  enter the commands for each program manually, and make the  first
command MODE MONO - this will switch your display back to black and white.

The  windows  in  the  file selectors scroll too fast on  my  386  or  486
machine.

Select  the  Options panel and the section "Other...". Increase the  value
under  SCROLL  DELAY  (MS) until a suitable scrolling speed is  seen.  For
users of 286 machines, this value should be zero.

The windows in the file selectors scroll too slow on my XT machine.

Select  the  Options panel and the section "Other...". Make sure that  the
Scroll  Delay is set to zero. If the windows still scroll too slowly,  set
the  scroll  delay to "XT" by trying to reduce the delay past zero  -  the
file  selectors  may  then flicker slightly more than before,  but  should
scroll faster. Note: You cannot run GMOD if you have the delay set to XT.

The icons flicker when I press them.

Select  the  Options panel and the section "Other...". Now check  the  box
"Icons  don't depress", this will prevent the icons from pressing into the
screen.

What do I need to back up?

If  you do not want to back up the whole of your Desktop installation, you
only  need back up files with the extension .INI - If you need to  restore
the  backup,  simply reinstall the Desktop, and copy these files  back  to
restore your configuration.

Why do some of my converted Windows icons look wrong?

The  icons  have  probably been grabbed or saved in a 256 or  high  colour
mode.  Try saving them in a 16 colour mode (using the standard VGA  driver
supplied with Windows).

I had to make some space on my Hard Disk to install The Gorin Desktop, but
now I find that it won't run. Why is this?

The  Desktop  must have a minimum of 200k free space available  before  it
will   start.  Make  sure  that  you  have  enough  space,  and  that  any
write-protect software is disabled before starting the Desktop.

I  have got a mouse installed, but the Desktop displays the keyboard logo,
and wont let me use the mouse. Why?

Make  sure that you have installed a mouse driver for your mouse,  usually
called  MOUSE.COM or MOUSE.SYS. If it is a three-button switchable  mouse,
ensure  that  it is switched to Microsoft or two button mode. If  you  are
using a Microsoft Mouse Driver, you must use version 6.22 or later.

I've  moved  my copy of Desktop from one drive onto a different  one.  Now
Desktop won't restart after I run my programs. What can I do?

From  the  Desktop,  select  the Options panel then press  OK.  This  will
reinitialize the Desktop.

Why can't I use all the Format options in the Formatter?

Some options require special disk drives to operate. Also, options such as
Safe and Quick format are only available under DOS 5.0 and above.

GMOD Problems

Why  wont  the GMOD MOD Player work through my Adlib or  compatible  sound
card?

The  Adlib  card does not contain a sampled sound channel, being  intended
purely  for synthesized music generation. You must have a Soundblaster  or
compatible  card  to hear the MOD player, otherwise use your  internal  PC
speaker.

When I use GMOD, I just hear a lot of crackling. How can I fix this?

The  PC  Speaker  will always crackle when playing GMOD files -  it's  not
sophisticated  enough to properly play the music. However, you can improve
things  by  selecting  the  highest  play rate  from  the  file  selector,
otherwise you'll need to buy a SoundBlaster card - these cost around £25 -
£30 second hand at the time of writing (Jan 95).

The music only played through one speaker on my Sound Blaster Pro.

Have  you  used software that utilizes the SB Pros stereo effect prior  to
using  this  program?  If you have, then you will have to COLD  BOOT  your
computer before the sound is produced through both speakers.

I was greeted with the message: "Out of Memory"

The  module was too big for the program to cope with, you may try and free
up  more  memory by deleting some TSRs, but if this still does  not  work,
then  you  may  not use the module again. Generally you will find  that  a
module of 390k is the largest acceptable by the program.

The  program seems to be really slow - even on my 486-66dx2! Some versions
of  some  386 expanded memory managers (such as certain versions of  QEMM)
slow   down   GMOD.  For  full  speed,  try  disabling   these   managers.
Alternatively select the Medium or Low sampling rate.

Where can I get more of these modules?

Modules are available from a number of sources, e.g.

   o Shareware/PD libraries.
   o Bulletin Board Systems.
   o CD-Rom Disks.
   o Friends Amiga Computers.

And  the  registered version of Desktop comes with a few more for  you  to
play!

Problems known at time of release

When  this  version of The Gorin Desktop was released, all known bugs  had
been  removed. However, it is inevitable that in such a large program (the
main  Desktop  alone consists of over 300k of source code) some bugs  will
ultimately  surface. If you experience a bug, please write giving as  much
detail  as possible about when, where and how the problem occurred -  this
may  well  help remove the bug from the program. However, there are a  few
known  problems,  which  although  they may seem like  bugs  are  actually
unavoidable:

In  the  file viewer, occasionally when you scroll through a file the  top
line  displayed on screen will have a few dots running along the top of it
-  in  fact  the  very bottom of a few descenders  on  the  previous  (now
scrolled  off the screen) line. Also, some VGA cards are incompatible with
the hardware scrolling method used resulting in screen corruption. In this
case,  avoid using the scroll bar and use the Up/Down buttons instead.  No
other parts of the desktop are affected.

If  you  do not have a drive A:, or don't have a drive B: and have  either
deleted  the  DRIVES.INI  file or edited it to show that you  do  have  an
offending drive, you may get a message requesting that you insert a disk -
which  will  corrupt  the  display whenever the Filer or  a  similar  file
selector  is  used.  The  simple way around this is  to  ensure  that  the
DRIVES.INI  file contains only the drives you actually have fitted to your
system,  for example if you only have a hard disk, drive C:, and a network
drive,  for example J:, your DRIVES.INI file should simply read CJ, the  C
being the very first character in the file.


Copyright Information

The Gorin Desktop is Copyright 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 Neil Gorin.

PCX  Converter, Floppy Formatter, System Status, Desktop Terminal and  all
other  utilities  supplied  with  all versions 1.x and 2.x  of  The  Gorin
Desktop are Copyright 1992-1995 Neil Gorin.

Gorin's Organiser (All versions) is Copyright 1992-1995 Neil Gorin.
Gorin's Organiser for Windows is Copyright 1994-1995 Neil Gorin.

GMOD is Copyright 1993 Paul Askew and Copyright 1994 Neil Gorin.

The Gorin Desktop - End of documentation