We've tackled some of the most common new subscriber questions by listing them and SDPCour answers below. If you have questions that this section (or our other help sections) doesn't address, please call our technical support hotline at 1-318-221-8311.
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^CWHAT COMPUTER SYSTEMS DOES SOFTDISK PC SUPPORT?
Softdisk PC software is designed to run on any IBM PC or 100 percent compatible that has at least 1 megabyte of RAM, a high-density disk drive, and VGA or better graphics capabilities. Our software does not support CGA, EGA or other lower-resolution systems. If your system cannot support VGA, we have a CGA/EGA version of Softdisk PC available. Call 1-800-831-2694 for details.
^CWHAT GRAPHICS MODES DOES SOFTDISK PC SOFTWARE SUPPORT?
All graphic software now published by Softdisk PC supports VGA systems, typically in 640 x 480 16-color mode. If your monitor is VGA or SVGA, our software should run fine for you. And, as noted above, we do have a product available for lower-resolution systems.
^CI HAVE A VGA, BUT SOFTDISK PC WON'T RUN. WHAT DO I DO?
In some rare cases, particularly involving monochrome VGA systems, the Softdisk PC software is unable to properly detect the availability of VGA modes. Try typing "GO /V" instead of "GO" in this case; this should solve your problem.
^CWHY WON'T MY MOUSE WORK WITH SOFTDISK PC?
If you are having problems getting a mouse to work with Softdisk PC, the most likely problem is that you don't have a mouse driver installed. If you bought a pre-configured system including a mouse, the mouse driver was probably installed for you, but it is possible it has been removed in a later change in your configuration. If you bought your mouse later, the driver software probably came on a disk with the mouse. A mouse driver from Microsoft also comes with every copy of Windows (but may not have been installed if you selected the default installation when you installed Windows). If you run mostly Windows programs, you might not have noticed the absence of a mouse driver, since Windows applications use their own internal Windows mouse driver, but DOS programs must have a mouse driver loaded. Look for a file such as MOUSE.COM or MOUSE.SYS on your hard disk or on the floppy disks that came with your system or your mouse.
Loading a mouse driver is done when your PC boots, if you have the appropriate lines in your AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS files, which are the files that tell your computer what to do when it is starting up. If your mouse driver is a .COM or .EXE file (e.g., MOUSE.COM), it should be loaded by including, in AUTOEXEC.BAT, this line:
^C{MOUSE}
(on a line by itself, replacing MOUSE with the name of the driver if it is different from MOUSE.COM).
If it is a .SYS file (MOUSE.SYS), it should be loaded by a line in CONFIG.SYS:
^C{DEVICE=MOUSE.SYS}
(on a line by itself, replacing MOUSE.SYS with the name of the driver if it is different from MOUSE.SYS).
The EDIT command, present in newer versions of DOS, can be used to edit AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS, or you can use any other text editor program that works with normal text files (with no word-processor formatting). The DOS Manager program we published on Softdisk PC #94 will work.
For the above commands to work, the driver program should be on your hard disk; if it's not there, find the original floppy disk it is on and SDPCinstall it from there. If it is in a directory other than the root directory, be sure the proper path is included in AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS (e.g.: "DEVICE=C:\MOUSE\MOUSE.SYS"). Once you've installed the mouse driver and changed your AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS file to load it, you need to reboot your system (with Ctrl-Alt-Del, or the RESET button, or turning it off and then on again) to cause the driver to be loaded.
^CHOW DO I COPY THE ENTIRE ISSUE OR A SINGLE PROGRAM?
Use the mouse or the keyboard to select "Copy Program or Entire Issue" from the "Issue" menu. A copy dialog will appear on the screen. From that dialog you can copy either the entire issue or any particular feature, by following the steps outlined below:
You must decide: 1) what drive you want to copy to--generally "C" is your hard drive, while "A" and SDPC"B" are your floppy drives; 2) what "path" or subdirectory you will copy to; and SDPC3) what to copy (the entire issue or any single feature). Use your mouse or press Tab to move between the list of items and the "path" edit box. Click or press Enter when you've made your choices.
NOTE: Softdisk PC will NOT allow you to copy an issue to your root directory (C:\) without naming a subdirectory. If you do not specify a subdirectory, Softdisk PC will supply one (a suggested default is shown when you begin this procedure) and SDPCthe items you specify for copying will be copied into that subdirectory.
Softdisk PC also will not allow you to copy to the drive you are using to run the issue (if you're running from a floppy). For example, if you are running your original disk in drive "B," you cannot copy to drive "B." This protects your original disk from accidentally being overwritten during its own copy process.
We strongly suggest that you copy each issue to your hard drive, then run the copy instead of your original disk. This accomplishes two goals: A) you'll enjoy the maximum performance of each program; and SDPCB) you'll preserve the integrity of your original disk, which generally has very little free space anyway.
^CWHAT TYPE OF CONTENT CAN I EXPECT EVERY MONTH?
The major focus of each issue is the featured items. Featured items may be programs, clip art, customization tools, or any other piece of software that helps you to use or enjoy your computer. We typically have one "productivity" item, at least one game, at least one puzzle, a Windows item, clip art, a cartoon and SDPCat least one "specialty" item, though any given issue might be different.
Every issue contains the following columns: Contents (printable program descriptions for your files), Diskovery (our editor speaks out), Marketplace (great deals for you), and Report Card (you rate each issue). We also have special columns that appear when appropriate for industry news or other special reports.
A separate "Help" menu contains advice for new beginners, answers to common questions (this text), instructions on how to run Softdisk PC (mostly how to use our "shell" program), and our Warranty & Liability message (those legal niceties).
^CWHERE ARE THE PROGRAM INSTRUCTIONS?
Most programs have instructions right within themselves; in any Softdisk PC program, just hit F1 once you've successfully launched the program, then follow the on-screen directions for viewing or printing the Help text. Some of the more complex programs will include installation and SDPCstep-by-step instructions to make using the program as easy as possible.
^CWHAT SHOULD I DO IF I HAVE A PROBLEM?
Pick up the phone and call our technical support department at 1-318-221-8311 as soon as possible. We'll guide you through the problem over the phone. If we can't figure out what's wrong within a few minutes, we'll investigate the problem, find an answer and call you back. We're committed to providing good service to important folks like you!
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