Please read this entire document before installing ClickChange 2.5
••• Note: There is no Disk #2, as this is a High Density Disk •••
We believe ClickChange is by far the most compatible and practical desktop customization utility, and our technical support has never had a problem that went unresolved. We will be happy to help you use ClickChange to its fullest.
Please do not be frightened of this document! We have opted for "full disclosure." In other words, this file details "every little thing" we know about running ClickChange with every piece of Mac software and hardware. Most users need only concern themselves with a fraction of this file's contents. Some of our warnings are common sense troubleshooting, really. For instance, running two control panels that each try to alter the arrow cursor is not recommended.
It is our goal to make ClickChange the most versatile and compatable system customization utility ever created. ClickChange 2.5 is now compatable with System 6.0.5 through System 7.5. ClickChange 2.5 also supports Power Macintosh computers, AV Macs, Apple DOS Compatability Cards and PowerBooks running in low power modes. If you encounter a problem when using ClickChange with any of these systems please let us know.
Users who are familiar with earlier versions of ClickChange will find that ClickChange 2.5 has several visible differences. The main ones are:
• Automatic Settings: So that new users can more quickly appreciate all that ClickChange can do, the windows, scrollbars and buttons are automatically set to the "System 7" style. Double arrows are also selected by default.
• Improved ClickChange Access: It is now easier to access ClickChange and it's individual options through the Clock's pulldown menu. You can now open ClickChange directly or modify your preferences without navigating the Control Panels folder.
• Sound Management: ClickChange will no longer reset the System sound volume when the "Use Sytem Volume" is checked in the Sounds module. ClickChange will now be limited to the System sound volume set through the sounds Control Panel.
• Turning off MenuBar icons: When users deselect the "Use Menu Icons" from the Clock's pulldown menu, the change is now permanent rather then just until Restart.
• Help Menu: ClickChange will correctly identify the help menu used by your System software. For example, System 7.0 through 7.1 users will see a Balloon Help menu icon while System 7.5 users will see the new AppleGuide menu icon. System 6 users will see no help icon at all.
While ClickChange 2.5 is compatable with System 7.5, there are a couple of features offered in both ClickChange and System 7.5 that can cause easthetic problems. They include the following:
• Menubar Clock: The Date & Time Control Panel that ships with System 7.5 includes a Menubar clock feature. If both are active, the two clocks will draw on top of each other. To eliminate this problem, simply open the "Date & Time" Control Panel, turn off the "Menubar Clock" feature and restart your Mac. Alternately, you can drag the ClickChange clock so that both clocks can be seen.
• Window Shade: This System 7.5 Control Panel allows you to shrink a window so just the Title Bar is displayed. This same feature is found in the ClickChange Windows module, however you can use the two pieces of software together without problems.
• Desktop Patterns: System 7.5 also provides a way of installing and using desktop patterns through the Desktop Patterns application located in the Control Panels folder. The ClickChange Patterns module can be used in conjunction with the Desktop Patterns application with no problems.
No matter how stable and compatable we try to make ClickChange, there are always some things beyond our control. The following address the few we know about:
• Color Bleeding. When a custom color is selected in the Colors module, a popup menu's color sometimes "bleeds" into the label next to the menu when you click to popup the menu. This problem is due to a bug in the Macintosh ROMs. However, it is only minor cosmetic nuisance and will not cause any other problems.
• Macintosh Easy Open: ClickChange is incompatable with Macintosh Easy Open versions prior to 1.1. If you have one of these earlier versions, you can receive version 1.1 by upgrading to System 7.5 or by downloading Macintosh Easy Open 1.1 from eWorld, or various Apple sites on the Internet.
• Redraw Problems: Some applications do not correctly redraw custom buttons when the window is refreshed. This is a very minor problem and can only be seen an a handful of applications. The solution is simple: open ClickChange, click the "Set Prefs" button, add the offending application to the list, and select its name in the list. Then uncheck the Buttons checkbox (disabling the buttons for that application only).
Before you install ClickChange, please be sure turn off any virus protection software you may have installed. A simple way to do this is to restart your computer with your Extensions off by holding down the Shift key at startup. You can turn your virus protection software back on after ClickChange has been installed and you have restarted your Mac.
Installation of ClickChange is now done by means of an Installer. To install ClickChange 2.5 double-click the file named "ClickChange™ Installer", located on your ClickChange 2.5 master disk.
Note to ClickChange 2.0 users: Because the Installer replaces your ClickChange Data file, any customization that you have made will be lost in this upgrade to version 2.5. It is recommended that you export any custom cursors, patterns, etc. before upgrading and then reimport them after you have installed ClickChange 2.5.
Since the printing of the ClickChange manual, there have been several minor changes. This section discusses those changes.
• Importing - in the manual, the "Replace existing … same name" checkbox is not fully explained. If unchecked, items that have the same exact name as those already installed in ClickChange will not be installed. Also, we recommend that you not import more than 2,000 total items into ClickChange.
• ClickChange window - Option+clicking the Preferences button in the main ClickChange window toggles the main power on or off without opening the Preferences dialog box. That's why the Preferences icon looks a little different than shown in the manual.
• Menubar module - the "Reset" button has been replaced by two new buttons which appear at the bottom left of this window. The "Enable All" button automatically creates new menu titles based on the icon names, then assigns an icon to every title that matches the icon’s name. The "Disable All" button sets all menu titles to "No icon - use Text", and sets the Stopwatch, Apple, and Help menus to use their "Factory Standard" icons.
• Menubar icons - can be toggled on and off by clicking in the menubar with the shift, option, control, and command keys all held down. There is also an item on the ClickChange Clock's popup menu called "Use Menu Icons" which you can use to toggle the menubar icons on and off.
• Patterns module - the "Randomize Pattern" checkbox now marks each randomized pattern with a dot. Holding down the option key while selecting the pattern will also mark it with a dot. The two other randomization checkboxes have been moved to a dialog box that appears when you click on the "Random…" button. The new "Mark All" button simply marks all patterns with dots.
• Wallpaper™ 1.x format pattern files - ClickChange can import patterns from more than one Wallpaper format file at a time. Just click “Import” from the CC pattern module, then click the “Import all Wallpaper Patterns listed” button. All Wallpaper 1.x format files shown in the list will be imported at one time. (Wallpaper™ is a product from and trademark of Thought I Could Software).
• Chicago NTSC font - install this font for use with the NTSC button and window styles. The button styles will look for this font and use it in place of regular the Chicago font. NTSC button and window styles are designed to elminate flicker when using a television screen in conjunction with an NTSC-capable monitor card.
• Other fonts - these fonts are included for possible use with ClickChange's Clock. They are optional.
• Note: to disable ClickChange in an incompatible application, simply add the application's name to ClickChange's Preferences window. See pages 5-6 of the manual for details.
• America Online - uses its own custom button styles, so ClickChange's custom buttons won’t be used in many of AOL’s main windows, but will be used for most of AOL’s alert windows.
• American Heritage Dictionary - Incompatible. Just add the Dictionary to the list of excluded applications in ClickChange's "Set Prefs" button.
• At Ease 2.0 - There are two minor limitations on using At Ease with ClickChange. First, do NOT colorize the window backgrounds with At Ease installed. This can damage ClickChange so that it needs to be reinstalled. Second, the Finder in At Ease uses a custom arrow that overrides the ClickChange arrow cursor, but this does not cause any problems.
• Compression - we recommend that you do not compress the "ClickChange" and "ClickChange Data" files.
• Correct Grammar v2.0 - If Correct Grammar's window shows up blank, disable ClickChange buttons for this program.
• DiskTop 4.0 - If using CC buttons, double-clicking folders in DiskTop may not open them. The reason is that DiskTop will sometimes redraw all its buttons when you click on a folder. The solution is to go to the "Mouse" Control Panel, and lengthen the double-click time.
• Fontographer - Version 4.x has a cosmetic problem with colored menus. Fontographer's command and shift characters in the menubar display as white on colored backgrounds if ClickChange colors are used. We have informed Altsys of the difficulty and they hope to fix it in a future version.
• The "General" Control Panel (Under System 6 through System 7.1)- will only display color patterns when the main monitor is set to display color, and when the current desktop pattern is exactly 8x8 pixels and contains exactly 8 colors. ClickChange's "Factory Standard" desktop pattern is 8x8 and contains 8 colors.
• Infini-D - incompatible. Just add Infini-D to the list of excluded applications in ClickChange's "Set Prefs" button.
• Microsoft Excel - ClickChange menubar icons will not work in Excel.
• Norton DiskLight - use version 2.0.4 or newer. Note: Symantec incremental versions are identified by the time shown in the creation date when you do a "Get Info" on DiskLight from the Finder (in this case 2:04).
• Norton Directory Assistance - when in color, the menus that appear in the top of the Open and Save dialog boxes remain hilited after use. Workaround: pull down "Directory Assistance Settings" from the dialog's diamond menu and uncheck "Use Color".
• Quark Xpress - uses its own custom scrollbar styles, so ClickChange's custom scrollbars won't be used in Xpress.
• Quicktools PowerStrip - when PowerStrip's "Auto Adjust Windows" option is enabled, the sample windows in ClickChange's windows module do not draw properly. This is only a cosmetic problem, and can be resolved by disabling PowerStrip's "Auto Adjust" feature.
• SAM Intercept - will notify you when selecting many of your choices in ClickChange's modules. Just click the "Remember" button to continue. SAM will stop bothering you then, and all will be right in the world (well, ClickChange will run OK anyway).
• Scrollbar patterns - we recommend you use a 64 x 64 or smaller pattern for scrollbars to speed scrolling.
• Sigma Designs INIT - do not use Sigma's large cursor options with ClickChange cursors enabled.
• Sound Manager 3.0 - make sure Sound Manager 3.0 loads before ClickChange.
• Supermac Spectrum/24 Series III video cards - with the main monitor set to millions of colors, dimmed menubar icons will disappear.
• The Trash icon - when using 128 x 128 desktop patterns on a monitor displaying more than 256 colors, there is a 50% chance that when the trashcan icon is drawn, that the desktop pattern surrounding the trash icon will not draw properly, depending upon the TrashCan's location on the screen. This is a bug in the System, and Apple is aware of the problem. Workarounds are to move your Trashcan around until the pattern starts drawing properly, to use a 64 x 64 desktop pattern, or to display fewer colors.
• Microsoft Word - when some dialog boxes are dismissed, occassionally a small section of the dialog will not get erased inside the document window. This is a result of some programming in Word designed to speed the updating of its document windows. The problem only happens when using some of ClickChange's oversized window styles (such as Win-doze). This is strictly a cosmetic problem; scrolling or typing in the document will erase the unwanted residue.
• Word Perfect - uses its own custom window styles, so ClickChange's custom windows won’t be used in Word Perfect.
• DateBook™ INIT - make sure this INIT loads after ClickChange, or you won't be able to customize the arrow cursor.
• E-Machines INIT - and the DoubleColor SX video board. The option for larger cursors must be turned off.
• First Things First - occasional problems have been reported with FTF and ClickChange. Visionary Software technical support recommends moving FTF so that it loads before ClickChange. You can rename the First Things First extension to "aFirst Things First" to do this.
• GateKeeper - not compatible with ClickChange. A workaround is to use a different virus protection package (such as Disinfectant™, SAM™, or Virex™).
• KiwiPowerMenus (previously released as BeHierarchic™) - make sure this INIT loads after CC, or KPM won’t work properly.
• KiwiPowerWindows - not compatible with ClickChange.
• Timbuktu - both connected Macs must be running ClickChange, or you will experience problems.
