Copyright: Power Bytes Help ® 1995 Digital Impact


	Table of Contents

Introduction

The Power Bytes Librarian assists you in selecting files and setting them up on your hard disk. The topics below will guide you through its operation and use.

Procedures

Getting Started

Tutorial

Controls

Slide Screen

Running DOS Programs

Digital Impact

Other Products


Getting Started

Each Power Bytes collection contains the finest programs on a given subject.  To help you evaluate this software, we have included the Power Bytes Librarian program.  This is a program that will:

1 	Let you test and examine programs in the Power Bytes collection.

2 	Help you find programs of interest.

3 	Help you setup these programs on your hard drive.

The files on the CD-ROM are not compressed and some may be run directly from the CD-ROM

If a program can be run directly from the CD-ROM, the "LAUNCH" button will be enabled.

If a program needs to be installed on the Hard Disk BEFORE it can be run,  the "INSTALL" button will be enabled.

If there is a special text file that you should read before installing or running the program, the " MORE INFO..." button will be lit.


Tutorial
Tutorial... A lesson in fun

How To Use the Files on This CD-Rom.

You can use any of the programs and resources on a Power Bytes Collection with just a few easy steps:

Find and select a program you'd like to use.  As you browse the list of programs, you will notice the description changing to explain what the current item is about.  Once you find something of interest, you have several options.

There are several buttons on the left side of the window.  One or more of the buttons may be enabled.  If the INSTALL button is active, that means that you can install the program to your hard drive.  If the LAUNCH button is not enabled, you must setup the program on the hard disk before you can run it.  If the LAUNCH button is enabled, you can run the program directly from the CD-ROM.  If the program you're interested in is designed for DOS, it may be necessary to exit Windows and run the program directly from DOS.

Enter the drive and directory in which the file will be placed.  If the directory does not exist, the Power Bytes Librarian will create this directory for you.  In most cases, the Librarian will suggest a directory name for you.  If the program is DOS, make a note of where you create your directory so you can find it once the Librarian is finished!  If you need help running DOS programs, click here.

Run the program.  If the LAUNCH button is active, just click on it to run the program.  If you had to install the program to your hard disk and it was a Windows program, a Program Manager Group and an ICON will have been created for you.  If you selected a DOS program (like a game), after copying the files to your hard disk, exit the Librarian and go to the directory you created for your files. To start the program, look for the file with a ".exe" on the end of its name. This is the main executable file for your program. Execute this file.  If your program is a Windows program, double-click on the new ICON in your new program group.


Slide Screen

This screen offers a preview of the program.  A slide presentation that can be animated or controlled by you is shown on the screen.  The following buttons control the presentation.

Displays the program's next screen shot.

Stops the Slide Screen presentation.

Begins a short program, showing several screen shots automatically.

Ends the Slide Screen presentation and returns you to the main window.


Power Bytes

The name of a series of CD-ROMs produced by Digital Impact.  These CD-ROMs contain Shareware programs.


Text Menu

The text files contain information on how the Power Bytes collections are assembled and how you can register shareware programs requiring registration.  You will also find information about Digital Impact, the Librarian, warranties and copyrights and Technical Support. There is also information about the virus precautions taken and the utilities used.


Controls

The Power Bytes Librarian is equipped with a set of controls that makes using the Librarian quick and easy.

This button displays the Text list.  You will find information about shareware, our warranty, copyrights, the Power Bytes and the Digital Impact Story here.  Read down the list one at a time if you wish.  You will also find Technical Support information here.  After you have finished reading the text, you will find that the book has been replaced with a picture of a CD-ROM.  (see next item)

When this picture replaces the book, it means that you can click on it and you will be returned to your prior selection.

Clicking this button will get you Help in a hurry.  The help system also contains a complete tutorial on how to use the Librarian.

Clicking your mouse on this button will close the Librarian and return you to the Windows Program Manager.

The Librarian also has a set of buttons on the left side of the screen.  These buttons perform the following functions.

Clicking your mouse on this button will run the setup to install, on your hard drive, the program you selected.

Clicking your mouse on this button will run the selected program directly from the CD-Rom.  This button may not be enabled on some programs.

Clicking your mouse on this button will show any special information relating to the program you selected.  This button may not be enabled on some programs.

Clicking your mouse on this button will open the Slide Screen.  This is where you can get a brief preview of the program.  Several screen shots from the program give you a feel for the program before you use it.

Clicking your mouse on this button will print the information in the text window.  This button will work on any selection.


Digital Impact

Digital Impact is a software developer and publisher which designs, publishes, and directly supports several lines of proprietary software.

Digital Impact designs a wide variety of products, ranging from basic menu and utilities packages to multimedia "edutainment" products.  Each product is designed for all types of computer users--from the novice to the expert.

The Power Bytes software line is the lastest of Digital Impact's shareware collections with one marked change. Instead of the hundreds of program that are offered by other shareware lines, Power Bytes offers the top 10.  The editors at Digital Impact select, test, and rate the latest programs for the consumer, and only offer the top 10 for each collection.

Digital Impact also distributes the SoftwareVAULT CD-ROM shareware collections.  The SoftwareVAULT line is unique because it offers a large collection of shareware:  users will find hundreds of megabytes of useful programs, utilities, and much more.  Furthermore, no shareware title is duplicated in any of the other general collections.

Digital Impact stands behind every product it sells and values every one of its customers. When you call the technical support staff, you will always speak with an experienced person who is very familiar with the products. It is Digital Impact's goal to provide genuine help when you need it and to offer the same high quality service to all users, retailers, distributors, and OEMs.

For your convenience, Digital Impact maintains a 24-hour Bulletin Board System (BBS) with separate conferences for each product. In addition to a large library of shareware available on the BBS, information can be exchanged by customers, programmers, and software retailers.

Shareware authors who wish to have their shareware considered for future Power Bytes Collections should send complete copies of their programs to:

AUTHOR SUBMISSIONS

Digital Impact

6506 South Lewis, Suite 250

Tulsa, OK 74136

BBS: (918) 742-8037

Phone: (918) 742-2022


ImageVAULT

The name of a series of CD-Roms produced by Digital Impact.  These CD-ROMs contain royalty-free images taken by the world's most famous photographers.


Other Products

SoftwareVAULT: The Diamond Collection

The SoftwareVAULT Diamond collection contains thousands of the newest programs and resources available.  Various areas of interest are multimedia, games, education, business, Windows, graphics, sounds, desktop publishing, word processing, fonts, clip art, databases, virus protection, LAN utilities, BBS utilities, and more!  There are no duplicates from our other general collections.

SoftwareVAULT: The Sapphire Collection

This SoftwareVAULT collection contains software from all of the following categories: Multimedia, games, education, business, Windows, graphics, sounds, desktop publishing, word processing, fonts, clip art, databases, virus protection, LAN utilities, BBS utilities, programming, health, food, and much more!

SoftwareVAULT: The Collection for Windows 2

From the makers of the critically-acclaimed Collection for Windows comes the all-new Collection for Windows 2.  In compiling this collection, the editors once again carefully selected software of all varieties to meet the needs of every Windows user. The Collection for Windows 2 includes games, business applications, home software, productivity tools, and desktop utilities. Regardless of what type of Windows user you are, there is bound to be something on The Collection for Windows 2 for you.

SoftwareVAULT: The Games 2 Collection

This bestselling new collection contains hundreds of today's most thrilling shareware games; enough to keep any user entertained for months.  SoftwareVAULT Games 2 contains adventure games, arcade games, board games, casino & card games, education, flight simulators, hints, miscellaneous games,  puzzles, game programming, trivia, role playing games, sports, war games, virtual reality, and Windows games.

SoftwareVAULT: The Ruby Collection

The eighth of the SoftwareVAULT Collections, and what a collection it is.  Thousands of all new files, new file search capabilities, and an all new history file so that you can find any file in any collection.  Windows games, business applications, fonts, clip art, virus protection, and much, much more!

SoftwareVAULT: The Emerald Collection

Exploring a shareware collection has never been so easy!  The latest edition of the SoftwareVAULT Librarian allows you to quickly and easily explore the thousands of files on the Emerald collection.  The enhanced Librarian features a user-friendly interface, global search functions, and extensive help capabilities.  The Emerald Collection contains all new files from 1994 with no duplicates from earlier collections.  These are a few of the reasons that the Emerald Collection is Fantastic!

SoftwareVAULT: The Platinum Collection

Over 500 megabytes containing thousands of the finest and most recent shareware programs and resources available.  Over 50 exciting categories including Windows, games, graphics, music, multimedia, productivity, desktop publishing, and much more. The Windows interface will help you explore the Vault for applications that interest you!

SoftwareVAULT: Collection for Windows

A comprehensive collection of every Windows utility imaginable.  An absolute necessity for both home and business Windows users.  Includes file managers, network utilities, desktop publishing programs, Windows games, business applications, fonts, clip art, virus protection, and much, much more!  Hundreds of programs and resources packed onto one CD-ROM disc.  Comes complete with the SoftwareVAULT Librarian to manage the many files included.

 SoftwareVAULT: The Games Collection

Unseal this latest collection of the hottest games on the market today!  A perfect gift for anyone. Contains games of all types:  Arcade games, war games, flight simulators, casino games, adventure games, puzzles and much, much more!  Months of entertainment, hundreds of games packed on one CD-ROM. Comes complete with the SoftwareVAULT Librarian to manage the many files included.

 SoftwareVAULT: The Gold Collection

The third release in the SoftwareVAULT series, The Gold Collection contains thousands of the best shareware programs, including such recent software categories as Windows NT programs.  It is truly one of the finest software collections ever assembled!  The Gold Collection comes complete with the latest Windows version of the SoftwareVAULT Librarian program.

ImageVault

Sharp, fresh images.  Substance and style.  Simplicity.  Hundreds of impressions from nationally renown photographers capturing people, lifestyles, industry and nature.  ImageVAULT electrifies your projects with stock photos that steal the breath and excite the mind.  Quality resonates in this extraordinary collection of imagery compiled with professional standards firmly in mind. Each image is available in three different image formats:  Wallet, Snapshot and Standard.

ImageVAULT Pro

The highest resolution, brilliant color, flawless images.  ImageVAULT Pro is a potent, cost-effective solution to your photographic needs.  The agile browsing software optimizes freedom of choice.  Every shot is effortlessly customizable to fit the project; crop, resize, retouch, combine and rotate however you please.  Absolutely royalty and credit free.  Create exceptional graphics with contemporary, powerful photographic images.  Bring newsletters, invitations, and presentations to life!  The professional stock photos are available in five different formats:  Wallet, Snapshot, Standard, Large and Poster.

Ozzie's World™

Kids are naturally curious about how things work in the world around them.  Ozzie's World™ is the fun way to help them understand.  It develops memory, critical thinking, problem solving and basic science skills, too!  With engaging animations, sound effects, stories, games and music, Ozzie's World™ is a multimedia wonderland for parents, educators and kids alike!

In Ozzie's World™, kids join Ozzie S. Otter™ on a magical, animated, earth-friendly exploration.  It's a wonderfully engaging environment where animals talk and share their stories, and where puzzles, games and fun scientific activities are hidden around every corner.  Kids will be enchanted as they learn about science and simple ways to protect the environment.

Ozzie's Travels: Destination Mexico

Explore Mexico with Ozzie and his six friends.  Play challenging, multi-level games, and create a colorful pinata. Learn how to make nachos.  Dress yourself in a colorful serape, and try many more Mexican art projects.

Ozzie's Travels: Destination Japan

Visit Japan with Ozzie.  Learn about the customs and people of Japan through games, activities, stories, and music.  Learning how to eat jello squares with chopsticks, writing calligraphy, and building an underwater volcano are a just a few of the fun activities included..

Professor C.D. Smart

Professor C.D. Smart is great for first time computer users needing to learn Windows beginning with the basics.  It's also great for experienced users wanting to enhance their working knowledge of Windows.

•	Your teacher's voice will guide you step-by-step, just like a classroom.

•	Learn what YOU need to learn and learn it at YOUR own pace.

•	Learn to change your Windows system to meet YOUR needs.

•	Learn to keep your files organized and easy to find.

•	Learn to make icons for those programs you use frequently.

The Course Outline includes the following lessons:

1 	Course Instruction

2 	Working with Windows

3 	Executing and Controlling Programs

4 	Managing Program Manager Groups

5 	The Options Menu

6 	Getting Help

7 	Disks, Files and Directories

8 	The File Manager

9 	Customizing Your Windows Environment

10 	Printing

This is the easy interactive way to learn the basics of Microsoft Windows.  Through the use of audio instruction, simulation, and hands-on training with your own Windows system, you will become a Windows power user.


Running DOS Programs

Executing a program from DOS when your computer lacks memory

How much memory do I have?

At any DOS prompt, you should be able to type MEM and see a report on the screen of your current RAM memory status.  The most important items on this list are the Total memory (Total) and the Largest executable program size.  For certain games that require more than a certain amount of free memory, the amount should be smaller than the amount indicated by the Largest executable program size.

MEMMAKER.EXE

For minor differences between the amount of memory needed and the Largest executable program size, the MEMMAKER program can be used to maximize the memory configuration.  One important detail is whether you need to have Expanded Memory available.  Some DOS programs will require it, but you can gather  more low memory (640K and below) if you disable it.  Run MEMMAKER from the DOS prompt.  Select the Express Setup and answer Yes or No the question about needing Expanded Memory.  After rebooting your computer once or twice, you should be able to see a report of improvements.  If you decide later that you need Expanded Memory, you can repeat this process to meet your needs.

Booting with the maximum RAM

If you simply cannot free enough memory to run a specific game, such as Doom, or you only have 4M RAM and the game requires the maximum amount, you can do one of two things.

1.	Boot your computer with a blank configuration.

Reboot your computer with a reset button or CTL-ALT-DEL.  When the message   "Starting MS-DOS . . ." appears, hold down a SHIFT key until a DOS prompt appears.  If you  see the message   "HIMEM is testing extended memory", you need to reboot and try it a little earlier the next time.   At the DOS prompt, you can execute the DOS commands.

2.	Boot your computer with a boot diskette.

Format a diskette from the DOS prompt with the command

FORMAT A:  /S

Please note:  Do not try to run Windows or access your CD-ROM drive.  These areas rely on information that was not loaded when your computer booted.  To access them, reboot your computer normally.

Executing a DOS program from Windows 95

Method 1 -	 Select Start from the menu bar, and shutdown.  Select Restart the computer in MS-DOS mode.  At the DOS prompt, enter the DOS commands.

Method 2 - 	Double-click My Computer, double-click drive C: (the actual drive name may vary by configuration), double-click the target directory (for example:  BC), and double click on a file name with the program icon (a white box with a blue band around it).

Method 3 - 	Select Start from the menu bar, select program and Windows Explorer.  Find the directory of the file from the left column and double-click it.  Locate the executable file from the right column and double-click it.


Digital Impact Name
Digital Impact

The company that produces the Power Bytes and SoftwareVAULT collections of CD-ROMS.


Librarian

This is the File Manager designed for and used by the Power Bytes collections.


Shareware

Shareware software is a unique marketing approach which allows you to purchase software directly from the author.  This is the Try Before You Buy concept.  Shareware eliminates costly marketing,  promotion, and packaging;  allowing you to obtain quality software at a fraction of the commercial cost.  You are encouraged to examine a program, copy it, and pass it on to friends.  If you find the software program useful, you are asked  to register with the software author.  This usually means paying a registration fee directly to the shareware author.  In return for this registration fee,  you receive the right to continue to use the software and other added benefits, such as full  documentation, technical support, and future updates of the program.