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- @ECHO OFF
- ECHO If you have previously downloaded Private Secretary you will find that
- ECHO Phone Secretary is the same program with a new name. Inadvertantly we
- ECHO selected the same name as another product already on the market. We apologize
- ECHO for any inconvenience or confusion.
- PAUSE
- ECHO The biggest misconception about PHONE SECRETARY (or any similar program)
- ECHO is that is it (or could be) an AUTOMATIC fax router/switch. It is impossible
- ECHO for PHONE SECRETARY (or any program alone) to automatically detect whether
- ECHO an incoming call was a fax or voice call without the distinctive ringing
- ECHO services. It can (and is done) without the distinctive ringing services with
- ECHO hardware and firmware you can purchase. These devices are known as automatic
- ECHO fax routers and similar names and can be found at most electronic and business
- ECHO speciality stores. I have seen prices ranging from $100 to $250. I have also
- ECHO seen prices as low as $69 in discount catalogs. Shop wisely.
- ECHO The second most-often asked question will surely be how to configure
- ECHO PHONE SECRETARY to work in the background. PHONE SECRETARY does NOT work
- ECHO in the background. PHONE SECRETARY was developed as a modem productivity
- ECHO tool - to be used when the user is away from their computer.
- ECHO The last point we would like to clear is our fax number, 817-249-4284. This
- ECHO line is a FAX LINE ONLY. It is NEVER answered by voice. Also, we receive
- ECHO dozens of calls each week promising registrations if we'll only answer their
- ECHO question immediately by phone or fax. Many months back we did a survey and
- ECHO found that we were developing a large phone bill and a stack of promises. If
- ECHO you are a non-registered user by all means fax us your questions, but please
- ECHO include your proper mailing address for a reply by mail. We do offer (often
- ECHO same-day) fax response to REGISTERED users.
- PAUSE
- ECHO Problem: "Easyfig and Option (J) can't find my modem/com port."
- ECHO Why: It is usually the case these days that a users buys a computer which
- ECHO comes with a mouse. The mouse is configured to COM1. No problem. Usually
- ECHO the next step is that a user develops an interest in graphics and buys a
- ECHO scanner. Most of which use another COM port so this is configured to COM2.
- ECHO Now the user finds out he can download pictures by modem from BBS's all over
- ECHO the country so he buys a modem. The modem is configured for COM3, no problem,
- ECHO usually. The problem lies in the "plug and play" user getting things running
- ECHO without reading the manuals and warnings. The simple fact is that COM1/COM3
- ECHO then COM2/COM4 share the same IRQ (interrupt request) inside the computer.
- ECHO Most of the time you could use a mouse OR modem configured the way described.
- ECHO The keyword is "OR." The problem happens when you try to use the mouse AND
- ECHO modem at the same time. You will either get lockup, no response from either
- ECHO device, and/or one or the other or both devices will act intermittently.
- ECHO Phone Secretary "looks" for a mouse as it is initializing, if it finds one
- ECHO great it uses the mouse interface. However, it is not so great if you have
- ECHO your modem "down line" at COM3 or COM4. Because when Phone Secretary
- ECHO attempts to initialize your modem it probably won't find it. Realize it
- ECHO doesn't have to be a mouse, any other serial device "ahead" of your modem
- ECHO could be intiated by Phone Secretary peeking at the COM ports looking for a
- ECHO mouse.
- PAUSE
- ECHO Solutions: (1) If you have your modem on COM3/COM4 and Phone Secretary
- ECHO can't locate it, try swapping your modem with whatever is on COM1/COM2. (2)
- ECHO Don't load your MOUSE or other serial device driver, like MOUSE.SYS or
- ECHO MOUSE.COM.
- PAUSE
- CLS
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