Overview
Overview of FileNotes v4.1

FileNotes is a utility that you use to keep notes and information about all your Windows 95 Folders and Files.  FileNotes is an ideal utility for keeping track of word processing documents, spreadsheets, images and files you download from the internet.  You can copy and paste text directly from web pages.

FileNotes integrates with the Windows 95/98 Explorer so that you can add notes as you browse through your file system.  You can access FileNotes from the right click menu in the Windows 95/98 Explorer and from Explorer Style Open/Save As dialogs.  Selecting the properties option brings up a properties dialog that has the FileNotes tab from which you can add, review and change your notes.

FileNotes enhances the Windows Explorer by adding a "FileNotes Brief" column to the file list view.  This column will present the first 256 characters of a note associated with the file or folder object.

FileNotes also enhances the Explorer Style Open/Save As dialog boxes by displaying the FileNotes icon beside files and folders that have notes associated.  The note is displayed at the bottom the dialog when the file or folder is selected.  Additionally, you can add and edit notes from the Save As dialog.  This is useful for adding notes whenever you save a file.

The Windows 95/98 Explorer right click menu includes a FileNotes option from which you can access the FileNotes Explorer.  The FileNotes Explorer provides three views of your notes, an Explorer view, a FileNotes view and a Search view.  All the views provide the ability to review edit and delete your notes.  In addition, the Explorer view will allow you to add notes to files and folders.

The FileNotes Monitor works with the Windows 95/98 file system to keep track of your files and folders.  The FileNotes Monitor keeps your notes intact when you move, copy or rename your files and folders.


Right Click Menu
The Right Click Menu

The Right Click Menu refers to the menu that is presented whenever you press the right mouse button while a file or folder object is selected in the Windows Explorer or an Explorer Style Open/Save As Dialog.  The Right Click menu is also referred to as the Context Menu.


Explorer Style Open/Save As
Explorer Style Open/Save As Dialog Boxes

The Explorer Style Open/Save As dialog boxes are presented in newer Windows applications whenever Open or Save As is selected from the File menu.  These dialogs present the file system similar to the Windows Explorer.  The Explorer Style Save As dialog is also presented by Netscape and Interenet Explorer when downloading files.


FileNotes Monitor
The FileNotes Monitor

The FileNotes Monitor keeps watch over your file system to ensure that your notes remain with your files and folders even when you move, copy or rename them.  When the FileNotes Monitor is running, a small icon will be visible in the System Tray (the small inset on the task bar that usually displays the time).  The FileNotes monitor starts when you boot your computer and will run indefinitely.  You can halt the FileNotes Monitor by clicking on the icon in the System Tray and selecting Yes to the dialog warning.  You can restart the FileNotes Monitor from the Start button Programs menu.  Typically, you will never want to stop the FileNotes Monitor.  The only exception is if you want to restore your notes from a backup.

You can use the FileNotes Configuration dialog to hide the FileNotes Monitor icon.


System Tray
The System Tray

The System Tray is the small inset on the task bar that usually displays the time


FileNotes Explorer
The FileNotes Explorer

The FileNotes Explorer provides three views of your notes.

The Explorer view provides navigation controls that you can use to navigate through your file system.  Files and Folders that have notes will be highlighted in red.  When you click on a highlighted object the associated note will be presented in the edit portion of the FileNotes Explorer.  You can also add notes to selected files and folders.

The FileNotes view provides a list of all the file and folder objects that have associated notes.  The FileNotes view provides a convenient way to review, edit and delete all your notes.  Files and Folders are indicated by an appropriate icon.  Orphaned notes are presented with a trash can icon.  Notes may become orphaned if you move or rename a File or Folder when the FileNotes monitor is not running.  Orphaned notes can also be result of a note about a file on a floppy when the floppy is not mounted.  Orphaned notes can also be the result of a note about a File or Folder on a network drive for which you no longer have mapped to the drive that was mapped when you created the note.

The Search view provides a list of notes that meet your search criteria.  You can enter text to search in the search dropdown on the tool bar.  You invoke the search by clicking on the Search button.  The Search view will then show all the files and folders that have notes containing the search text.

The FileNotes Explorer has an auto refresh feature so that any changes you make to your file system or your notes are automatically indicated.

The FileNotes Explorer provides a toolbar from which you can apply changes, delete notes and search for notes with specific text.  To see which buttons do what, you can hold the mouse cursor over them and see a tooltip and the

alternate hot key.

The FileNotes explorer provides a menu that can be invoked by clicking on the icon in the upper left corner of the FileNotes Explorer window.  The menu provides the standard options plus an option for backing up your notes.


Backup Restore
Backing Up and Restoring Your Notes.

Your notes are stored in two of the FileNotes components, an fn.db and fn.idx files.  You should backup these files periodically to a safe place so that you can recover them in the event of a disaster.

FileNotes provides a convenient way to backup your notes.  To backup your notes, you select the Backup Notes option from the FileNotes Explorer menu.  This will present you with a dialog from which you can select a drive/directory for your backup destination.

In the event that you want to restore from a previous backup, you will need to stop the FileNotes Monitor and then copy the two backup files to your Windows System subdirectory.  You should be sure to restart the FileNotes Monitor after restoring.


Reach
Contacting JAM Software

Keep in Touch

You can contact JAM Software online at:

http://www.flash.net/~jmosier

email: jmosier@flash.net


Configuration
Configuring FileNotes

FileNotes includes a configuration utitlity that can be accessed from the FileNotes Folder on the Start Menu.  After changing the configuration you will need to restart Windows before the changes will take effect.  The configuration utility allows you to set up three options:

•  Show FileNotes Icon  in the System Tray.

•  Show Notes in the Windows Explorer.

•  Disable Default Extensions in the Explorer Style Save As Dialog.

Showing the FileNotes Monitor Icon.

When this option is selected, the FileNotes Monitor Icon will be displayed in the System Tray.  The FileNotes Monitor Icon provides the ability to turn off the FileNotes Monitor.  This is usually not necessary, however it does need to be stopped if you want to restore your notes from a backup.

Show Notes in the Windows Explorer.

When this option is selected, an additional column is added to the Windows Explorer that will display the first 256 characters of an associated note.  This option also provides access to your notes through Explorer Style Open/Save As Dialog boxes.  The ability to add and edit your notes through the properties option of the right click menu in the Windows Explorer and Explorer Style Open/Save As dialog boxes is not affected by this setting.  When this option is not selected, the Disable Default Extensions option will be disabled since it will not apply.

Disable Default Extensions.

When this option is selected the default extension that is added to files when they are saved by the Explorer Style Save As dialog is disabled.  This means that you must add the extension to the filename that you enter.  For example, Wordpad will add the .doc extension to files if you leave off the extension when you enter the filename.  Also, Wordpad will add the .doc extension if you append an extension that is not listed the FileTypes dropdown.  So if you want to save your file as MyFile.abc, Wordpad will really save it as MyFile.abc.doc.

Removable Drives.

FileNotes v4.1 allows you to keep notes about files on removable media with the drive the files are located on.  This allows you to see your notes on removable media from any machine that  has FileNotes installed.  If you prefer you can choose to treat the A drive as non removable.

FileNotes Database Path.

Specify the location where you want your notes to be stored.  The default location is the Windows System subdirectory.  The directory location specified can be any drive or network shared drive visible to your system.  Specifying a shared network drive can allow you to keep notes from several machines centrally located.  When sharing notes, FileNotes does not distinguish individual machines, consequently if a note were stored about a file on Drive C: then another machine with the same path and file name on Drive C: could replace the note.  However, the user of the machine will be able to see the note and can edit or append to the existing note.


FileNotes Shell Integration

FileNotes enhances the Windows Shell by allowing you to add and review your notes in the Windows Explorer.

The context menu contains a FileNotes option that provides convenient access to the FileNotes Explorer.

The properties option on the context menu will present the properties dialog with a FileNotes tab that you can use to review the associated note and to add or edit an associated note.

FileNotes enhances the Explorer Style File Open and Save As dialogs.  Files and folders with associated notes are tagged with the FileNotes icon and when selected, display the associated note. The Save As dialog allows you to edit or add notes when you save a file.

FileNotes is added to the Windows Shell namespace allowing convenient access to view and search your notes from the Windows Explorer.  FileNotes displays your notes in a hierachical tree and provides a right click menu with several options.  Including navigating to a file or folder, launching a file, searching your notes


The FileNotes Components

The following is a list of all the files and registry entries associated with FileNotes.

FileNotes adds these files and does not replace any other existing files.

Files:

The following files reside in the Windows Systems subdirectory:

FNMon.exe

FNExp.exe

FNExp.dll

FNMgr.dll

FNSys.vxd

FNDlg.exe

FNUtils.dll

FNSpc.dll

fn.db

fn.idx

fnbak.db

fnbak.idx

FNCFG.hlp

The following files reside in the FileNotes install folder:

FNCfg.exe

FNCfg.hlp

FNCfg.cnt

ORDER.txt

LICENSE.txt

README.txt

Registry Keys:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\{26C14A00-E73C-11d0-A228-444553540000}]

@="FNMgr"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\FileNotes]

@="{26C14A00-E73C-11d0-A228-444553540000}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FNMgr\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\FNMenu]

@="{26C14A00-E73C-11d0-A228-444553540000}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FNMgr\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\FNPage]

@="{26C14A00-E73C-11d0-A228-444553540000}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\{26C14A00-E73C-11d0-A228-444553540000}]

@="FNMgr"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\FileNotes]

@="{26C14A00-E73C-11d0-A228-444553540000}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{26C14A00-E73C-11d0-A228-444553540000}]

   @="FNMgr"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\FNMenu]

@="{26C14A00-E73C-11d0-A228-444553540000}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\CopyHookHandlers\FNMgr]

@="{26C14A00-E73C-11d0-A228-444553540000}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\FNPage]

@="{26C14A00-E73C-11d0-A228-444553540000}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FNMgr]

   @="FNMgr"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FNMgr\shellex\IconHandler]

   @="{26C14A00-E73C-11d0-A228-444553540000}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FNMgr\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]

   @="FNMgr"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FNMgr\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\FNMgr]

   @="{26C14A00-E73C-11d0-A228-444553540000}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FNMgr\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers]

   @="FNPage"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FNMgr\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\FNPage]

   @="{26C14A00-E73C-11d0-A228-444553540000}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\FileNotes]

@="{26C14A00-E73C-11d0-A228-444553540000}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\{26C14A00-E73C-11d0-A228-444553540000}]

@="FNMgr"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\JAM Software\FileNotes]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]

"FileNotes"="FNMon.exe"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Approved]

   "{26C14A00-E73C-11d0-A228-444553540000}"="FNMgr"


COMCTL32
About the COMCTL32.DLL

The COMCTL32.DLL is a Windows component that is used in the Windows Shell to present some of the common Windows interfaces such as the properties dialog.  The original version that ships with older versions of Windows has some bugs.  You may need to upgrade this dll.

To determine if you need to upgrade your COMCTL32.DLL you should install FileNotes. After installing FileNotes, open the Windows 95 Explorer and right Click on a File or Folder.  Select Properties from the right click menu.  If the properties dialog does not display correctly then you need to upgrade your COMCTL32.DLL.

You can obtain the COMCTL32.DLL upgrade at:

http://www.flash.net/~jmosier/FileNotes/com32upd.exe