Micro Magic Outstanding Shareware 1996 October/Micro Magic Outstanding Shareare 1996-10.iso/MAGIC.TXT

Text File | 1996-09-18 | 16KB | 387 lines

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MICRO MAGIC INSTALL PROGRAM.
Copyright (c) 1996 Micro Magic. All rights reserved.
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COPYRIGHT.
This CD is for private and personal use only. You may not copy the programs
on this CD for re-sale. Any person or entity copying the look and feel,
layout, product selection, product codes or other content will be prosecuted
to the full extent of the law.

SHAREWARE.
Shareware is a method of distributing software. The programs are no different
in quality to those you can purchase (at much inflated prices) in computer
shops. With shareware, you can try the software before you pay the author.
If you continue to use a shareware program, you must send the author an
additional payment. This registration fee may entitle you to a printed manual,
bonus programs, technical support and more. Your payment supports the authors,
allowing them to continue producing shareware programs. Shareware programs
usually state their registration fees in their introductory screens, and in
the on-disk documentation.

SUPPORT.
Micro Magic does NOT provide support for the individual programs on this CD.
If you have trouble running any particular program, read the author's
documentation. If you still have a query, you will need to contact the author
directly. Author address and contact details should be with the program.

Micro Magic's support is limited to the physical CD, and the CD's installation
program. It is very rare to find a CD that has a manufacturing defect, but
should this occur we will replace it.

If you have a problem installing from the CD onto your hard disk, then phone
us, or write enclosing a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Ensure you have
the following information available:

a.  Confirm that you have thoroughly read both our instructions and the
author's instructions. If you have not read the instructions, we will simply
tell you to do so.
b.  Your customer number and invoice number.
c.  Details of exactly what you did to get your problem: which program you were
trying to install, what the problem was, and what if any error messages were
displayed. You should also know what computer configuration you have - ie type
of screen (EGA, VGA?), processor type ('386, '486?), amount of RAM, and amount
of free space on your hard disk. Also have a print of your AUTOEXEC.BAT and
CONFIG.SYS files.
d.  Please contact us within 30 days of purchasing the CD.


INSTALLATION

You may choose to install any of the programs in the printed catalogue that
came with this CD.

On most computers, the hard disk is drive C: and the CD-ROM drive is F:. The
instructions below will assume your computer is set up like this. If your
computer has been set up differently, simply use the correct drive letters
for your computer.


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DOS AND WINDOWS 3 USERS          (Windows 95 users - see below)
************************************************************************


1. USING DOS.

You need to have the DOS Command prompt on your
screen.  It looks like:

      C:\>

You should NOT use XTree, Norton Commander, and various other menus and
shells. They take up precious conventional memory, and can conflict with
many programs, causing them to "hang" or behave unpredictably. To get the
command prompt, you must fully exit from any menu you are using. You can
sometimes do this by tapping the Esc key, or by selecting FILE, EXIT. To
get out of Windows, hold down the ALT key and tap the F4 key.

Run the MAGIC.EXE install program. Insert the CD in your drive and type:

      F:\MAGIC


2. USING WINDOWS 3.1

Run the MAGIC.EXE install program. Insert the CD in your drive. Select File,
Run, and under the Command Line type

      F:\MAGIC.EXE


3.  Press Enter after reading the Copyright screen, and then press P to print
or V to view on screen these instructions.


4. CHOOSE A PROGRAM TO INSTALL.

Press C to select programs by category. You can use the up and down arrow keys
to select a category. You will then be presented with a list of programs in that
category, and you can select a program in a similar manner.

Press N to select programs by name. You can use the up and down arrow keys to
select a program. Alternatively, you can type the first few letters of a program's
name, and you will go straight to that part of the program list.

Press Enter to select a program. A window will give you a more detailed
description of the program.

You can press I to install that program on your hard disk. AFTER installation,
the options P to print and R to read the author's documentation become active.

You install programs onto your hard disk (normally drive C:).

Each program should be installed into it's own directory. If you copy
different programs into the same directory, you will end up with a hard disk
that looks (and works) like a dog's breakfast.

When you start to install a program, you are warned if a directory with the
same name you have chosen already exists. If you have tried to install the
program previously, it may be OK to use the same directory name and overwrite
the previous details. But if a different program is already using that directory
name, then you must choose a different name.


5. AFTER INSTALLING, READ THE AUTHOR'S INSTRUCTIONS.

You are given the option to Read or Print the author's instructions after
installing a program. Most (but not all) authors provide instructions with
their programs. If there are no instructions at this point, it is usually
because

    a) The program is small, simple, and as easy to use as a light switch.
 or
    b) The instructions are included in the program's Help system.


6. FOLLOW THE AUTHOR'S INSTRUCTIONS. The author may have provided an install
program which you have to run first. You may have to run a setup or a
configure program. Sometimes, you may be able to run the program immediately.



Microsoft WINDOWS 3 Programs. Follow the author's instructions, which will
usually require you to click on
  File, Run, C:\name\SETUP.EXE for example (where "name" is the directory
                                            you installed the program into).
If you wish, you can add the program to a Program Manager group.
 Click on File, New, and approve Program Item. Type in the path as
 C:\name\prog.EXE (where "prog" is the name of the program's file).



For DOS programs, exit from MAGIC.EXE program to the DOS prompt.
   C:\>
Change to the directory where you installed the program.
   CD \name      (where "name" is the name of the directory you used).

Run the program by typing it's name (see author's documentation).



************************************************************************
POSSIBLE PROBLEMS - DOS and WINDOWS 3 USERS
************************************************************************


A. The program stops or "hangs". This may be because you have insufficient
free conventional memory. Your computer may have 8 or 16 MB of extended
memory, but all computers have only 640 KB of conventional memory.

Insufficient conventional memory may be caused by another program (such as
a menu, file manager like XTree, a memory resident program such as a virus
checker, a pop-up program, a non-Microsoft mouse or some CD-ROM drivers etc)
running at the same time as you are trying to run your new program. You must
remove these other conflicting programs from your conventional memory.

Conflicting programs may be automatically loaded by the files AUTOEXEC.BAT
and CONFIG.SYS when you start (boot) your computer. You can edit these two
files, to stop them loading unwanted programs. If you are new to computers,
and do not feel confident doing this, an easy way to boot your computer
without these automatically loaded programs follows:

    If you are running MS-DOS version 6, tap the F5 key when you see the
    message "Starting MS-DOS".

    If you are running an earlier version of DOS, then you will need to
    Format a diskette, and make it bootable. Type:
        FORMAT A: /S
    Leave the diskette in the drive, and boot your computer.

Now try running the program you installed.


B. The author does not provide any documentation.

DOS users. Exit to the C:\> prompt. Type:

    CD \name      where 'name' is the name of the directory you used.

Then type:

    DIR /P


Windows users. You can use File Manager to list the contents of the
directory that you installed the files into.


Look for files that have a name that ends with .BAT, .EXE or .COM. If
there is an INSTALL or SETUP program, run this first. Otherwise try
running the file with the most obvious name.


C. "Bad command or file name".  The name you have just typed is not
in the disk and directory you are working from. You have either made
a spelling mistake, or your are working in the wrong drive or directory.


D. "Write Error". There is no more space left on the disk you are writing to.
Maybe you are trying to install onto a diskette instead of the hard disk? Maybe
your hard disk is full? To check how much space is left on your hard disk, type
CHKDSK C: or SCANDISK C:


E. "Bad CRC", or "Data Error", or "Error Reading File", or "Bad Sector".
The CD disk may be dirty, scratched or faulty, or your CD drive may be
faulty. Carefully clean the CD with a soft, dry, clean cloth, taking great
care not to scratch it. Try using this CD on a different drive or computer.


F. "Insufficient file handles". Try editing the line in your CONFIG.SYS file
which contains FILES= and using a higher number, such as FILES=50


G. The text displayed on your screen contains many funny looking non-standard
characters.

First, confirm that the file displayed on your screen is a text file, and not
something else such as a program, binary file etc.

Insert a line in your CONFIG.SYS file as follows:

    DEVICE=C:\DOS\ANSI.SYS

(Assuming the ANSI.SYS file is in a directory named \DOS  ).


H. After running MAGIC.EXE, you find the author has provided an install program
which you have to run. When you try to run it, it won't allow you to
install from a hard disk to a hard disk, or says "..file not found".
This is an unusual situation, in which the author has made an error by
insisting you install from a diskette, rather than a hard disk. You will
have to copy the files onto a diskette, and you can then run the author's
install program from this diskette.

 C:             To work from your hard disk
 CD \name       Change to the directory where you installed the files.
 COPY  *.*  A:  Copy the files to a blank formatted diskette in drive A:
 A:             Work from the A: drive
 INSTALL        Run a program called INSTALL from drive A:



************************************************************************
WINDOWS 95 USERS                  (DOS and Windows 3 users - see above)
************************************************************************


1. RUN THE MAGIC.EXE PROGRAM. Insert the CD in your drive and use
Start, Run, and type

      F:\MAGIC.EXE


2. Press Enter after reading the Copyright screen, and then press P to print
or V to view on screen these instructions.


3. CHOOSE A PROGRAM TO INSTALL.

Press C to select programs by category. You can use the up and down arrow keys
to select a category. You will then be presented with a list of programs in
that category, and you can select a program in a similar manner.

Press N to select programs by name. You can use the up and down arrow keys
to select a program. Alternatively, you can type the first few letters of a
program's name, and you will go straight to that part of the program list.

Press Enter to select a program. A window will give you a more detailed description
of the program.

You can press I to install that program on your hard disk. AFTER installation,
the options P to print and R to read the author's documentation become active.

You install programs onto your hard disk (normally drive C:).

Each program should be installed into it's own folder. If you copy
different programs into the same folder, you will end up with a hard
disk that looks (and works) like a dog's breakfast.

When you start to install a program, you are warned if a folder with the same
name you have chosen already exists. If you have tried to install the program
previously, it may be OK to use the same folder name and overwrite the
previous details. But if a different program is already using that folder name,
then you must choose a different name.


4. AFTER INSTALLING, READ THE AUTHOR'S INSTRUCTIONS.

You are given the option to Read or Print the author's instructions after
installing a program. Most (but not all) authors provide instructions with
their programs. If there are no instructions at this point, it is usually
because

    a) The program is small, simple, and as easy to use as a light switch.
 or
    b) The instructions are included in the program's Help system.


5. FOLLOW THE AUTHOR'S INSTRUCTIONS. The author may have provided an install
program which you have to run first. You may have to run a setup or a
configure program. Sometimes, you may be able to run the program immediately.


6. RUN THE PROGRAM.

Exit from our install program. There are many ways to locate the program
in Windows 95 (Explorer, Find, Browse, Open etc). Some programs set up their
own icon. Click on the program or the icon to run it.


If it is a DOS program, click on "MS-DOS Prompt" (this may be under Start,
Programs). You should then get the DOS prompt:

   C:\>
Change to the folder/directory where you installed the program.
   CD \name      (where "name" is the name of the directory you used).

Run the program by typing it's name (see author's documentation). See also the
instructions for DOS users at the start of this file.


************************************************************************
POSSIBLE PROBLEMS - WINDOWS 95 USERS
************************************************************************

***Read the section on problems for DOS and Windows 3 users - some of them
also apply to Windows 95 users.


1. If a DOS program refuses to run under Windows 95, try using
   MS-DOS mode. Click on Start, Shutdown, MS-DOS mode. Your computer
   will re-boot, and you get a C: prompt. Change directory to where
   you installed the program, and run it. If a program called FUNNYF
   is in a folder called PUZZLE, you would type:
          CD \PUZZLE
          FUNNYF

2. If a DOS program still refuses to run, re-boot Windows 95. When you
   see the message "Starting Windows 95" press F8. You can selectively
   remove programs that may be taking up precious conventional
   memory.

3. DOS programs can sometimes be made to run under the normal Win95
   mode, if you right click on the MS-DOS prompt icon, and change the
   MS-DOS properties as follows:
     Program, Advanced, Prevent MS-DOS based programs from detecting
     Windows.
     Memory, use Auto for most settings.
     Screen, Full Screen.
     Misc, de-select Allow Screen Saver.
   Experimentation may also be necessary with other settings.

4. Windows Programs. It is rarely that a Windows 3 program refuses to
   run under Windows 95. However, if you face this problem, click on
   a file in your Windows95 \SYSTEM folder named MKCOMPAT.EXE
   A wide range of settings are available for you to try.

5. The author does not provide any documentation. Use Windows Explorer to
   find and run your new program. Click on Start, Programs, Windows Explorer.
   Click on the new folder name that you have just created. Then look for an
   appropriate program icon and click on it. If there is an INSTALL or SETUP
   program, run this first. Otherwise try running the file with the most
   obvious name.