General compatibility topics

Microangelo recognizes and supports all Windows desktop platforms. Microsoft has continued to enhance the capabilities of Windows desktop platforms since the debut of Windows 95. Microangelo is designed to offer the widest array of features possible for each Windows desktop platform.

Platform Integrity

Our experience indicates that the consumer versions of Windows (Windows 95, 98, and Millennium) remain the most reliable desktop platforms for managing and displaying icon images. Despite their reliability, these Windows platforms may not always update the display properly when an icon is reconfigured. When this occurs, the Rebuild Icon Cache feature of On Display can be used to cause Windows to "try again" and usually corrects any improper display of images.

Windows NT4

This platform displays images improperly from True Color sources. Authors should not include True Color image formats in their resources if the target audience includes users running NT4.

Windows NT 4.0 also has a major problem rebuilding its list of system images when an icon is reconfigured. It often corrupts the system cache of images and displays the wrong images for icons and shortcut arrows. The Remove Damaged Cache feature was designed specifically to address the cache problems caused by NT4

Compatibility with third-party software

All Microangelo components are designed as well-behaved applications that work according to the standards, rules and procedures of the Windows platforms they support. Awareness and conformance to these guidelines is absolutely necessary to provide a reliable environment for all applications and utilities on the system. Microangelo works together with the Windows shell and relies on it to display images properly throughout the operating system. Other desktop enhancement software utilities or shell replacements must also conform to the same standards, rules and guidelines if they are to faithfully reproduce custom icon configurations and not interfere with the enhanced functionality that Microangelo delivers.