-------------------------------------------------------- Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 README August 1995 -------------------------------------------------------- (c) Copyright Microsoft Corporation, 1995 ------------------------ HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT ------------------------ To view Readme.txt on screen in Notepad, maximize the Notepad window. To print Readme.txt, open it in Notepad or another word processor, and then use the Print command on the File menu. -------- CONTENTS -------- LIST OF MICROSOFT PLUS! README FILES MICROSOFT PLUS! SETUP NOTES SYSTEM AGENT TROUBLESHOOTING VISUAL ENHANCEMENTS OTHER MICROSOFT PLUS! PROGRAMS LIST OF MICROSOFT PLUS! README FILES ==================================== In addition to Readme.txt, Microsoft Plus! provides the following readme files: Drvspace.txt Provides information about using DriveSpace 3 disk compression and the Compression Agent file-compression program. Internet.txt Provides information to help you connect to and browse the Internet. This file is located in the folder that contains your Microsoft Plus! Internet files. Support.txt Provides additional information about product support for Microsoft Plus!. Pinball.doc Explains how scoring works in the 3D Pinball game, and describes the components of the Space Cadet table. To view Pinball.doc, use WordPad or another word processor. Pinball.doc is located in the folder that contains your 3D-Pinball game files. Script.doc Describes the Dial-Up Scripting command language. Refer to this document for the commands you can use to create a Dial-Up Networking script. To view Script.doc, you will need WordPad or another word processor. Script.doc is located in the folder that contains your Microsoft Plus! program files. MICROSOFT PLUS! SETUP NOTES =========================== Uninstalling Microsoft Plus! ---------------------------- To remove Microsoft Plus! from your computer: 1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. 2. Double-Click the Add/Remove Programs icon. 3. Click Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95, and then click Add/Remove. 4. Click Remove All. If You Start Windows 95 From a Network Drive -------------------------------------------- If you are running Windows 95 from a network drive, you cannot install Microsoft Plus!. To set up Microsoft Plus!, you must first set up Windows 95 entirely on your local hard disk. Do Not Install DriveSpace 3 If You Use Banyan Vines --------------------------------------------------- If you use Banyan Vines networking, do not install the DriveSpace 3 component of Microsoft Plus!. The Banyan network driver requires more memory than is available when DriveSpace 3 is present. To install Microsoft Plus! on a system with Banyan Vines, choose Custom Setup, and then uncheck the DriveSpace 3 checkbox. For an updated version of Banyan Vines, contact the manufacturer. If You Reinstall Windows 95 After Installing Microsoft Plus! ------------------------------------------------------------ If you reinstall Win95 after installing Microsoft Plus!, your desktop icons will be reset to the standard Windows 95 icons. To restore the Microsoft Plus! enhanced desktop icons, reinstall Microsoft Plus! after Windows 95 Setup is complete. SYSTEM AGENT ============ Including Command-Line Switches When Scheduling Programs -------------------------------------------------------- If the path to a program that you are scheduling includes long filenames, you must enclose the path and program name with quotation marks. To include switches in the command line, type the switches after the quotation marks. For example: "c:\program files\accessories\myprogram.exe" /switch1 /switch2 If Your Program Did Not Run At the Scheduled Time ------------------------------------------------- If you receive a notification that your program did not run at its scheduled time, it may be because of the following: - Your computer was turned off. - You were using your computer, and your program was scheduled to run while your computer was idle. - Your computer was running on batteries. - System Agent could not find the program file you specified. To make sure the program information is correct: 1. Click the Start button, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Agent. NOTE: You can also double-click the System Agent icon on the taskbar. 2. Click the program that didn't run. 3. On the Program menu, click Properties. 4. Make sure the information in the Command Line box is correct. Double-check the file name for the program. 5. If you want to change the schedule so that the program runs even if you are using your computer or your computer is running on batteries, click Change Schedule, and then make changes to the schedule as needed. Running Disk-Tool Programs While Other Programs Are Using Your Disk ------------------------------------------------------------------- Programs that write to your hard disk when you aren't using your computer (such as some screen savers, system-monitoring programs, or mail programs) can cause problems when you use System Agent to run disk tools. For example, if your mail program downloads mail every few minutes, it might cause a scheduled disk-tool program to restart repeatedly without making much progress, or even to close before it has finished running. If you encounter this problem: 1. Schedule your disk-tool programs to run at a time when you know you won't be running other programs (for example, at night). 2. When you are finished working on your computer, make sure you close any mail or system-monitoring programs that regularly write to your disk. 3. If you are using a screen saver (for example, Microsoft Scenes) that writes to your hard disk, you might want to disable it during the times disk tools are scheduled to run. Running Scheduled Programs While Playing Games That Use a Joystick ------------------------------------------------------------------ System Agent does not recognize joystick activity when checking to see if you are using your computer. Therefore, if programs are scheduled to run while you are not using your computer, and you are currently playing a game that uses a joystick, System Agent will run the scheduled programs anyway. This may cause your game to run significantly more slowly. To solve this problem, suspend System Agent to prevent scheduled programs from running while you are playing your game. To suspend System Agent: > Right-click the System Agent icon on the taskbar, and then click Suspend System Agent. After you are finished playing your game, you can resume System Agent by clicking the Suspend System Agent command again. If System Agent Does Not List Your Scheduled Programs ----------------------------------------------------- If your list of scheduled programs does not appear in the System Agent window, it usually means that System Agent could not find your Sage.dat file. The following things could cause this problem: * You ran a program such as Lfnbk.exe that temporarily or permanently modified your long filenames. * The file is located on a drive that was unavailable when System Agent started (for example, a network drive or a removable drive). * Your Sage.dat file may have been accidentally moved or deleted To restore your list of scheduled programs: 1. In System Agent, choose Stop Using System Agent from the Advanced menu. 2. In Explorer, choose Options from the View menu in Explorer, and then make sure Show All Files is selected. 3. Copy the Sage.dat file from the C:\Program Files\Plus!\System folder to the C:\ folder. 4. Explorer will ask whether or not you want to replace the current copy of the C:\Sage.dat file. Click Yes. 5. To restart System Agent, click the Start button, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Agent. Your list of scheduled programs should now be restored. If ScanDisk Stops With an Error, But Scandisk.Log Reports No Errors ------------------------------------------------------------------- If ScanDisk for Windows stops checking your drives and displays the error "Check was stopped because of an error (255)", but the Scandisk.log file does not report any errors, the problem might be that one of the drive(s) being checked no longer exists. For example, this problem might appear if you undocked your laptop, and ScanDisk then attempted to check all your drives. Or, it might occur if you uncompressed a drive that ScanDisk was configured to check. To work around this problem: 1. Double-click the System Agent icon on the taskbar. 2. In the list of scheduled programs, click ScanDisk. 3. In the Program menu, click Properties, and then click Settings in the Properties dialog box. 4. In the list of drives, deselect the selected drive(s) by clicking a drive other than the currently selected drive(s). 5. Click the drive(s) you want ScanDisk to check. TROUBLESHOOTING VISUAL ENHANCEMENTS =================================== This section provides tips for troubleshooting problems with Microsoft Plus! visual enhancements. Some of the problems in this section are caused by problems with specific display drivers. If you are having a problem with your display driver, check the Windows Driver Library (WDL) disk for an updated version of your display driver. For information about how to obtain and use the WDL, see the Windows 95 Display.txt file, which is located in the folder that contains your Windows 95 files. If You Are Using Multiple System Configurations ----------------------------------------------- If you run Microsoft Plus! on more than one system configuration (for example, if you have a laptop computer with a docking station and run Microsoft Plus! when your laptop is both docked and undocked), make sure that the display settings for both configurations are set up to use at least 256 colors. If this is not possible, you might not want to use desktop themes. If Your Mouse Pointers Do Not Animate ------------------------------------- To use animated pointers in Microsoft Plus!, you must use protected- mode disk drivers and a Windows 95-compatible display driver that uses the device-independent bitmap (DIB) engine AND meets at least one of the following criteria: - The display driver is set to 256 colors or higher, and supports color pointers. -or- - The display driver allows Windows 95 to access its memory in a linear fashion (such as through a frame buffer) to provide smoother animation. The following display drivers do NOT support animated mouse pointers: - ATI Ultra (mach8) This driver does not support a frame buffer. - Diamond Viper This driver is based on the Windows 3.1 video standard. - Standard Display Adapter (VGA) This driver is based on a standard established before animated pointers were developed. - Super VGA This driver is based on a standard established before animated pointers were developed. To determine if you are using protected-mode disk drivers: 1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. 2. Double-click the System icon. 3. Click the Performance tab, click File System, and then click the Troubleshooting tab. 4. If "Disable All 32-bit Protect-Mode Disk Drivers" is NOT checked, you are using protected-mode disk drivers. If your system meets these requirements but your mouse pointers still do not animate, scan your computer for viruses. Boot-sector viruses can prevent mouse pointers from animating. If You Use Desktop Themes with Programs that Have Their Own Color Palette ------------------------------------------------------------------------- If your display is configured for 256 colors and you are using a desktop theme, when you switch to another program (such as Microsoft Encarta, Microsoft Office 95 Shortcut bar (!), Autorun, and Multi-Media Catalog) that uses its own color palette, the wallpaper may flash, and then may be repainted using the colors from the program's palette. This may cause your screen colors to look strange. To solve this problem, you can: -- Change the Color Palette setting for your display to High Color. NOTE: You may need to purchase additional VRAM or reduce the screen resolution to run your display in High Color mode. -- Use programs that do not use their own display palettes. -- Use the Windows default wallpaper, icons and colors in place of those that come with the desktop themes. If Your Mouse Pointers Flicker or Leave Trails When Using a Theme ----------------------------------------------------------------- On some displays, the mouse pointers in a desktop theme may flicker or leave "trails" of dots behind them. To prevent this from happening, use the Windows default pointers instead of the pointers for your theme. To use the Windows default pointers with a theme, make sure the Mouse Pointers box is NOT checked when you apply the theme. If you are already using a theme, you will need to restore your desktop to the Windows default settings before you can use a theme with the Windows default pointers. To restore your desktop to the default settings, and then use the default pointers with a theme: 1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. 2. Double-click the Desktop Themes icon. 3. In the Theme list, click "Windows Default," and then click Apply. 4. In the Theme list, click the theme you want to use. 5. Make sure the Mouse Pointers box is NOT checked, and then choose OK. If Your Large Desktop Icons Look Jagged --------------------------------------- If your desktop icons are large, and some of the icons look jagged or have poor resolution, then those programs did not provide large icons for use with the Use Large Icons display option. To improve the look of your desktop, you might want to use small (standard) desktop icons instead of large icons. To stop using large icons: 1. Right-click the desktop, and then click Properties. 2. Click the Plus! tab. 3. Make sure the Use Large Icons box is unchecked. If Your Desktop Icons Look Blotchy ---------------------------------- If you are using a desktop theme and your desktop icons don't look right (they are too dark, blotchy, or the shadowing doesn't seem right), try disabling some or all graphics acceleration for your display. To disable your display's graphics acceleration: 1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. 2. Double-click the System icon. 3. Click the Performance tab, and then click Graphics. 4. Move the Hardware Acceleration slider bar towards "None." NOTE: If you reinstall Windows 95, the slider will be reset to the default position. In this case, you will need to repeat this procedure to turn off graphics acceleration. If Your Quicken Version 4.0 Program Does Not Look Right ------------------------------------------------------- If you are using a desktop theme while using Quicken Version 4.0, the Quicken program window may not look right on your screen. To solve this problem, use the Windows default color settings instead of the color settings that come with your theme. To apply the Windows default color settings after you've selected a theme: 1. Use the right mouse button to click anywhere on the desktop, and then click the Appearance tab. 2. In the Scheme list, click Windows Standard. To preserve the Windows color scheme when selecting a new theme: > In the Desktop Themes window, make sure the Colors box is unchecked. If You Use Desktop Themes in Conjunction With User Profiles ----------------------------------------------------------- If your computer is configured with a different user profile for each user, and one user selects a particular desktop theme, all users of that computer will now see the icons and screen saver associated with that theme. Other elements of a desktop theme (for example, background wallpaper or screen colors) are saved on a per-user basis. OTHER MICROSOFT PLUS! PROGRAMS ============================== This section contains notes about other Microsoft Plus! programs. Using Dial-Up Server with Fax Programs -------------------------------------- If Dial-Up Server is enabled, it answers all incoming calls on the first ring. This prevents fax programs, such as Microsoft Fax, from answering any incoming faxes. To enable your fax program to answer incoming faxes, turn off Dial-Up Server. To turn off Dial-Up Server: 1. On the desktop, double-click My Computer. 2. Double-click the Dial-Up Networking icon. 3. Click the Connections menu, and then click Dial-Up Server. 4. Click the No Caller Access option. If Dial-Up Networking Won't Let You Save Your Password ------------------------------------------------------ When you place a call to a remote computer by using a Dial-Up Networking connection, the Connect To dialog box appears. If the Save Password checkbox is not enabled: 1. In Control Panel, double-click the Network icon, and then click Add. 2. In the Select Network Component Type dialog box, click Client, and then click Add. 3. In the list of manufacturers, click Microsoft, click Client for Microsoft Networks, and then click OK. 4. Click the Identification tab, and then enter unique names for your computer and workgroup. 5. Restart your computer. (When your computer starts, Windows will prompt you to log on to your system by typing a username and password. If you want, you can leave the Password box blank.) If You Can't Connect to a Microsoft Plus! Dial-Up Server -------------------------------------------------------- If you cannot connect to a computer that is configured as a Microsoft Plus! Dial-Up Server, make sure your computer and the other computer are both using a common protocol in addition to TCP/IP. (Dial-Up Server cannot route TCP/IP.) To solve this problem, an additional Microsoft network protocol, such as Netbeui or IPX, might need to be added to one or both machines. To add a protocol: 1. In Control Panel, double-click the Network icon, and then click Add. 2. In the Select Network Component Type dialog box, click Protocol, and then click Add. 3. In the list of manufacturers, click Microsoft, and then select the network protocol you want. If You Have Problems with the Sound Effects in 3D Pinball --------------------------------------------------------- If you are experiencing a problem with the sound effects in Pinball, you can try running the Wmconfig program to fix the problem. 1. Run the Wmconfig program. Wmconfig is located in the folder that contains your 3D Pinball files (typically, in the C:\PROGRAM FILES\PLUS!\PINBALL folder). 2. In Wmconfig, select your sound card from the list. If you don't know which sound card you have or you can't find it, click the first Generic option in the list, and then click the Test button. To find out which sound card you have, right-click My Computer on the desktop, click Properties, and click the Device Manager tab. Then, click the + to the left of Sound, Video, and Game Controllers. 3. Continue testing Generic sound options until the sound effects sound the way you want them to. 4. Restart Pinball. If 3D Pinball's Right Flipper Key Does Not Work ----------------------------------------------- If you are using a non-U.S. keyboard with Pinball, the right flipper key will have no default setting and therefore will not work. To solve this problem: 1. In 3D Pinball, click Options, and then click Player Controls. 2. Change the Right Flipper setting to specify the key you want to use.