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- HELP ON INSTALLATION
-
- WHY COMPRESSED PROGRAMS ?
- Today's shareware programs have grown dramatically not only in
- sophistication but also in file size. While just a few years ago
- 2 megabytes was a good sized shareware program, many of today's
- game programs are 20 megabytes and larger ( non-game programs are
- generally smaller so we can include more of them on a CD-ROM ).
- The maximum capacity of a CD-ROM is around 600 Megabytes, yet many
- current Explore The World of Software CD-ROMs actually contain
- several Gigabytes of programs. Therefore, in order to include many
- programs on this CD-ROM and to ensure compatibility regardless of
- your computer's configuration, the files have been compressed. Our
- Easy Menu System makes it easy to use the programs, by providing
- automatic decompression and copying to the directory of your choice.
- You just need a bit of basic knowledge about how files and directories
- work in the operating environment which you are using
- ( ie. Windows 95/98, 3.1, or DOS ). ( In Windows 95/98, a directory is
- called a folder which is the same thing ).
-
- HOW TO INSTALL AND RUN THE PROGRAMS
- To decompress and use the programs, simply click on the Unzip button
- and the files will be decompressed and copied into either the default
- directory, or you can type in a directory drive and name of your choice.
- The program directory and files will then appear in your Win '95
- Explorer or Windows 3.1 File Manager or, as well as in your DOS file
- directory. The program can generally be run by double clicking its
- executable file ( generally the file with .exe, .bat or .com extension )
- directly from Windows 95/98 Explorer or Windows 3.1 File Manager. From DOS
- you would type in the executable file and hit enter.
-
- SOME PROGRAMS REQUIRE 2-STEP INSTALLATION
- When you Unzip the program, it is possible that you may not see an
- executable file in its directory, but instead a setup file such as
- install.bat or setup.exe. This means that it requires a 2-step
- installation, and you will have to execute this setup or install file.
- The final program will probably appear in a different directory, but
- as the setup routine progresses, it will tell you this. You can then
- run the program from its executable file in the new directory. This
- 2-step installation system is common with the larger game programs.
- Also check the specific program description in the Explore The World
- of Software Menu System which may contain brief steps for complex or
- 2-step installations.
-
- RUNNING DOS PROGRAMS
- Many of today's top action games are still designed to run from DOS.
- If it is DOS program which does not require Windows, you have the
- option of switching to the program's directory in DOS and then typing
- its executable file. This is the best way to run most DOS action games,
- although many of them will also run from Windows 95/98 which
- automatically open a DOS window and tries to run the DOS program.
- However, some DOS programs will not run directly from Windows '95 and
- you will have to exit to the DOS prompt to run the program. When
- running a DOS program from Windows 3.1, you should always exit Windows
- and run it from the DOS prompt.
-
- PROGRAM DOCUMENTATION
- You can read or print the program documentation files ( generally with
- .doc or .txt extensions ) from any word processor, or even more simply,
- just double click on the documentation file in Windows 3.1 File Manager
- or Windows 95/98 Explorer and you can read or print it directly from
- Windows Notepad.
-
- SOUNDCARD CONFIGURATION
- When you are looking at the program files, check if there is a
- soundcard configuration file such as setup.exe or similar. Before
- running the program, double click on this file to configure the game
- for your soundcard, otherwise you may have no sound when using the
- program.
-
- RUNTIME MODULES
- We have also included the most popular Windows runtime modules which
- are required by some programs, please read the program description to
- see if it requires a runtime module, and if so click on the runtime
- modules button in the Explore The World of Software menu system and
- install the required module. Many programs will install the runtime
- modules automatically as part of the program installation.
-
- HELPFUL HINTS
- It is important to always read the program description for
- requirements to run the program. Before running a new program for the
- first time, it is a good idea to reboot your computer in case of any
- conflicts with previously run programs. In case of difficulty running
- a program, always reboot your computer and try again before making
- too much effort to diagnose the problem, as this may very well correct
- the problem. Also refer to the "Help on Troubleshooting" section in
- this menu system.
-
- PROGRAM STARTUP ICONS
- You can of course easily create your own Windows 95/98 or Windows 3.1
- Icon for any program ; to do this, please consult your Windows 3.1 or
- Windows 95/98 manuals or click on Windows 3.1 or Windows 95/98 Help. Some
- programs create the Icons automatically when you install them.
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