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Text File | 1994-02-22 | 19.5 KB | 504 lines

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Hello there! Thank you for trying File Manager StepUp! The idea of this program was sitting in my head almost from the very first day I started to use the File Manager for regular, dull tasks of copying and moving files, running programs, etc. I used to work with the Norton Commander, and when Windows 3.0 first appeared on my computer, I was frustrated of the lack of features of the FM in comparison with the NC. I hate typing, but when I needed to run a program with some command line options, FM forced me to type all of them each time. When I wanted to take a look at some file, FM frequently stopped me with the message 'No application is associated with the file'. When I needed to figure out the total space consumed by some developed tree of directories, I had to add together the sizes of each subdirectory with a pocket calculator while my PC was waiting for the me... Well, FM for Windows 3.1 was a big step ahead, FM for Windows for Workgroups even has a toolbar (finally!), but still not as good to push the old good NC out from my desktop. And I asked myself on one rainy day: "Do I really have to wait for Chicago hoping to get something that would deserve the right to be called File Manager or can I make my life easier today?" I spent some time writing a simple DLL (a grandparent of the FM StepUp) that trapped the Run dialog box and added an additional element, the 'History' list to it. That turned out to be pretty convenient and I occasionally returned to that project, adding more and more features to it. Some time ago I thought that it is not honest to enjoy the life while others cannot, so I put all the stuff together and decided to propose the result - the File Manager StepUp - for your use. This program helps me and I hope you will find it helpful for you. If so, I would be glad to receive your registration fee - it will mean that my efforts are worth the result. If not, I would love to hear your reasons and suggestions, since I'm going to continue the developing of the FM StepUp (seems like Chicago will lack of its features, anyway). Write me to the address shown at the end of this file or, if you have registered, call me at (207)581-6076 (the best time for calling is between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern Time; don't be confused if my wife Marina or daughter Inna happens to take the phone). With the best wishes, Andrei Belogortseff, the author of the FM StepUp, ChaoSoft, Old Town, Maine P.S. Keep reading, important information follows. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // Welcome to File Manager StepUp! // // the File Manager Extender // for Microsoft(R) Windows(tm) 3.1 or later // // Version 1.0 // // Shareware Edition // Unregistered Evaluation Copy // // Copyright (c) 1994, ChaoSoft. // All rights reserved. // ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Please read this file and file LICENSE.TXT before using the software. This file contains important information about the File Manager StepUp software. TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- 1. INTRODUCTION 2. INSTALLING File Manager StepUp 3. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 4. UNINSTALLING File Manager StepUp 5. HOW TO CONTACT CHAOSOFT /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // // 1. INTRODUCTION // /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// THIS IS SHAREWARE: TRY BEFORE YOU BUY ! This is NOT a free or public domain software. This is SHAREWARE, i.e. copyrighted software which you can "try before you buy". Shareware is a great concept and we encourage you to try out File Manager StepUp and pass along the shareware copies to your friends. You may try the program for the evaluation period of up to 14 days. After that time, you are required to purchase the software through registration or else discontinue its use (please read file LICENSE.TXT for details). Unlicensed copies of our products are 100% fully functional. We make them this way so that you can have a real look at them, and then decide whether they fit your needs or not. Our entire business depends on your honesty. If you use it, we expect you to pay for it. We feel that if we treat you right, you will treat us right. When you pay for the shareware you like, you are voting with your pocketbook, and will encourage us to bring you more of the same kinds of products. TO REGISTER: Please print file ORDERFRM.TXT, fill it in, and send it and your registration fee to Chaosoft. WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU REGISTER File Manager StepUp ? You get the latest full-featured version of the software, new release information, and the 50% discount when upgrading to new versions of the File Manager StepUp. ABOUT File Manager StepUp FM StepUp is the powerful and innovative File Manager extender for Microsoft(R) Windows(tm) 3.1 or later. FM StepUp makes the File Manager an actually user friendly application. Here is the list of the features the File Manager gets with the FM StepUp: 1. The following standard File Manager's dialog boxes: Run, Create Directory, Search, Select Files, Label Disk, Format Disk, By File Type, are getting the 'History' fields remembering the strings you typed into the dialog boxes before. You are able now to recall any of them and edit it, if necessary, without typing them from scratch. 2. The following dialog boxes: Move, Copy, Copy Disk, Make System Disk, are getting the 'Verify' check boxes which enable you to easily set the verify mode on or off (with the same effect as entering command VERIFY ON/OFF at the DOS command prompt) before performing the operations. 3. The following dialog boxes: Run, Move, Copy, are getting an additional button, 'Browse', in case you forgot the name of the file to execute or the directory to copy/move the files. And the Print dialog is now provided with 'Copy to PRN' check box, making you able to quickly print plain ASCII files. 4. All the dialog boxes of the File Manager are now displayed using 3D effects (like that of Excel and some other applications). 5. The main menu of the File Manager is getting a new item, StepUp, containing a number of additional commands: New File - to instantaneously create a new file; View, Edit - to view or edit the contents of a file with arbitrary extension; Special - to perform some useful operations, such as calculation of the size of all the selected files and directories, including all the subdirectories; changing the date and/or time of the selected files; quick reloading the extensions, returning to DOS, restarting Windows, or rebooting the system; Preferences - to customize the FM StepUp: change the default viewer and/or editor; set the size of the 'history' lists; enable/disable Quick Menu; set up the desired appearance of the dialog boxes; Help - to get detailed information on how to use the features of the FM StepUp. 6. The right button of the mouse is now used to activate the Quick Menu - a set of frequently used commands, so that you are able to spend less time executing them now. Try it - and you won't believe you worked without FM StepUp before. The way Windows should be! The files provided with File Manager StepUp shareware version 1.0 are: - FILE_ID.DIZ (descriptor) - FMSTEPUP.DLL (main executable) - FMSTEPUP.HLP (Help file) - CTL3D.DLL (Microsoft's 3D effects library) - INSTALL.EXE (Installation program) - INSTALL.INF (Installation File) - README.TXT (The file you are currently reading) - LICENSE.TXT (Shareware program license) - ORDERFRM.TXT (Order/Registration Form) - VENDOR.TXT (Distribution information and rules) /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // // 2. INSTALLING File Manager StepUp // /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Unlike most other Windows applications, FM StepUp is not a stand-alone program: there is no special executable file you would run to start the FM StepUp. To use the FM StepUp software, all you need is properly install it, and it will run automatically every time you run the File Manager. Please follow these simple rules to install the FM StepUp: 1) If not already running Microsoft Windows, start Windows 3.1 or later. 2) If the FM StepUp package came to you zipped, unzip it into some temporary directory on either your hard or floppy disk. If you got the package on the original installation diskette, insert it into a floppy drive (A or B). 3) Select the File | Run menu option of the Program Manager or File Manager, type into the dialog box: install and press Enter (or click OK button). If problems occur, include the full path to the directory where you have the FM StepUp files placed. 4) The installation program will prompt you for any additional information needed. 5) The installation program will copy all the necessary files to a specified directory on your hard disk and create the program group 'FMStepUp'. 6) If the File Manager is running, close it, and then run it again. If the automatic installation fails by any reason, you can install the FM StepUp manually: 1) Create a directory on your hard disk for FM StepUp, say C:\FMSTEPUP, and copy all the files from the FM StepUp installation disk into that directory. 2) Copy the file CTL3D.DLL into the Windows SYSTEM directory on your hard drive (be sure not to everwrite the newer version of this file if you have already got one!). If you are using a networked Windows installation and the SYSTEM directory is write-protected, put the file CTL3D.DLL into the WINDOWS directory. 3) Open file 'winfile.ini' for editing (using Notepad or any other text editor). This file is located in the WINDOWS directory on your hard disk (or directory you specified when installing Windows). Please note: the file you need is 'winfile.ini', not 'win.ini'. Find the section [AddOns] in this file and place the following string right after the string [AddOns]: FM StepUp=C:\FMSTEPUP\FMSTEPUP.DLL (or specify the directory you copied the FM StepUp's files in, if other than FMSTEPUP). The resulting portion of the winfile.ini should look like this: ... [AddOns] FM StepUp=C:\FMSTEPUP\FMSTEPUP.DLL ... (... means other lines of the file). Save the file. 4) If the File Manager is running, close it, and then run it again. You shell find the new menu item, 'StepUp', among the other items of the File Manager's main menu, if the installation has been completed successfully. If you cannot see the 'StepUp' item in the main menu of the File Manager, an error has occurred. Please refer to the following section for possible solutions to you problem. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // // 3. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS // /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Q: I've installed the FM StepUp, but it does not seem to work. What to do? A: 1) Verify that FMSTEPUP.DLL and FMSTEPUP.HLP files have been copied into the directory you specified when installing FM StepUp. If not, find the reason (maybe the disk is write-protected?) 2) Make sure that: a) the section [AddOns] in the file 'winfile.ini' contains the string 'FM StepUp=...', b) the first character of the string is not ';', and c) the string after the '=' sign points to the actual location of the FMSTEPUP.DLL file. 3) If you have some other File Manager extenders installed, make sure you have no more than 4 of them active, including FM StepUp. Try to rearrange the order in which they are listed in the [AddOns] section of the 'winfile.ini' file. 4) Make sure you restarted the File Manager after the installation process has been completed. The FM StepUp starts to work only since new session of the File Manager! 5) If everything is done, but FM StepUp is still not working (there is no 'StepUp' item in the File Manager's main menu), please, find the time to drop us a line with the description of the problem, including the information on the DOS and Windows versions running on your computer. We will try to find the reason. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Q: I have some other File Manager extenders installed on my system. Can I use the FM StepUp together with them? A: Sure. There should be no conflicts between the FM StepUp and other extenders. If there are some, try to rearrange the strings in the [AddOns] section of the 'winfile.ini' file. And remember, there should be no more than 4 extenders active at the same time. If you have them more than 4, comment out some of them (i.e. place semicolomns ';' in front of the corresponding lines of the section [AddOns]). Which ones you choose to keep active is up to you! /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Q: I'm selecting 'Help' from the StepUp menu, but Windows cannot find the help file. A: Make sure that the file FMSTEPUP.HLP is in the same directory as FMSTEPUP.DLL. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Q: I want FM StepUp to produce the 3D effects when displaying the dialogs, what should I do? And what should I do if I don't like the 3D effects? A: Choose StepUp | Preferences from the File Manager's main menu and select '3D effects' check box (or unselect it to disable 3D efeects). Make sure the file CTL3D.DLL is in the Windows SYSTEM directory (or, if running on a networked Windows installation, in the WINDOWS directory). If not, find out why. Be sure not to overwrite the newer version of this file, if you have one. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Q: I don't like the Quick Menu popping up every time I press the right button. How to disable this feature? A: Choose StepUp | Preferences from the File Manager's main menu and unselect 'Quick Menu' check box. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Q: I do not like the title 'StepUp' assigned to the FM StepUp's submenu in the main menu of the File Manager. Can I change it to something else? A: Yes. Open file 'fmstepup.ini' (in the WINDOWS directory) for editing, search for the section [Preferences], and find the string 'MenuName=&StepUp'. Replace '&StepUp' with some other name you like more. Place the '&' sign right before the letter you want to be underlined in the menu bar and used as a 'menu activation key'. For instance, if you want to use the word 'SuperDuper' to represent the FM StepUp's submenu in the File Manager's main menu, and you want to use the key 'u' as a shortcut, make the corresponding string look like: MenuName=S&uperDuper Now restart the File Manager and enjoy! /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Q: I came up with an idea of a feature that would make the FM StepUp even better than it is now. How can I let you know? A: If you are a registered user, you can make use of the postage prepaid (continuous USA only) form, provided with each registration package, to inform us about your needs and ideas. Otherwise, write us at the address shown at the end of this file. Your opinions are important for us! ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Q: I would like to continue the use of FM StepUp, but the registration reminder pops up almost every time I choose a command and this makes it virtually impossible to work. Why? A: This means the evaluation period is over. To continue the use of FM StepUp you have to register it. Please see the part 1 of this file for more information. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Q: I like what the FM StepUp does for me and I would register it, however, I am affraid that I won't need it when I get Windows 4.0 (Chicago). A: "... Chicago will enable them [users] to continue running their current Program Manager and File Manager configurations..." (Source: Chicago Q & A, Microsoft, December 1993). /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // // 4. UNINSTALLING File Manager StepUp // /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// You can uninstall the FM StepUp temporaryly or permanently. Use the first method if you plan to return to using FM StepUp in the future. The second method is to completely uninstall FM StepUp from your computer. To uninstall FM StepUp temporaryly: ---------------------------------- 1) Open file 'winfile.ini' for editing, find the string starting with the words 'FM StepUp=' in the section [AddOns], and comment it out, i.e. place the ';' sign (without quotes) as the very first symbol of the line. Save the file. 2) Restart the File Manager. If you need to bring the FM StepUp back to life, remove the ';' sign placed in the step 1 of the above procedure and restart the File Manager. To uninstall FM StepUp permanently: ------------------------------------ 1) Remove the whole string containing words 'FM StepUp=' from the 'winfile.ini' file; 2) Restart the File Manager. 3) Delete all the files from the directory on your hard disk you installed FM StepUp in (C:\FMSTEPUP by default) as well as the directory itself. 4) Delete file FMSTEPUP.INI (not WINFILE.INI!) from your WINDOWS directory. 5) Delete program group 'FM StepUp' from Program Manager. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // // 5. HOW TO CONTACT CHAOSOFT // /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Thank you for using File Manager StepUp! If you have any questions or suggestions regarding FM SteUp, we will be glad to hear from you. Write us: ChaoSoft P.O.Box 43 Old Town, ME 04468-0043 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Microsoft is a registered trademark and Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corp.