PC User 1997 January/PCU_JAN.ISO/readme.txt

Text File | 1996-11-29 | 20.4 KB | 530 lines

------------------------
--PC USER OFFLINE HELP--
------------------------

Welcome to the January 1997 PC User Offline
CD-ROM. First the usual legal stuff:


Disclaimer
----------

We have tested this CD-ROM extensively and taken every
care to scan for viruses and ensure the programs on this
CD-ROM work as promised. However, Australian PC User
cannot be held responsible for any damage to your
system caused directly or indirectly by any software on
the PC User Offline disc. Also, we cannot provide tech
support for any of the third-party software on PC User
Offline (see technical support, below).

At the time of producing this CD-ROM, the Internet sites
listed here were current, but because of the Internet's
dynamic nature, some may no longer exist while others
may simply have moved. Also, users follow these links at
their own risk. PC User takes no responsibility for any
offensive sites that the user might encounter.


-----------------------------------
Introducing PC User Offline CD-ROM
----------------------------------

The PC User Offline CD-ROM was designed to give you a
taste of the Internet as well as provide you with some
great software! That's why we designed it to be used with
a Web browser. However, we have also provided our own
Easy Install program, as well as the Web pages. You will
find this program installs software a lot easier than
`downloading' from the Web pages.

The Easy Install program runs straight from the CD-ROM.
No files are installed on your hard disk apart from an
icon file and no changes made to your system files.
However you will need about 8 to 10Mb of free hard disk
space for temp files. These files will be deleted
when you close the program down.

The Setup program provided simply installs some icons from
which you can launch the Easy Install program every month.


-------------------
System requirements
-------------------

The Easy Install program and a Web browser will run on
any machine that can run Windows 3.1 or Windows 95
and has any CD reader, though you'll need to be patient
on older machines and slower drives.

To run the Easy Install program and the latest Web
browsers comfortably, you need at least a 486 DX2/66
with 8Mb RAM, a double-speed CD reader and it is best
viewed at 640 by 480 or 800 by 600 resolution at 256
colours or more. If you run your monitor at Thousands
of colours (16 bit) or Millions of colours (24 bit) colour
depth, video clips and other graphic elements will look
better and may even run faster.

Individual programs and demos included on the disk will
have their own system requirements, which may be
higher. Video demos included on the CD will usually
require at least a double speed CD-ROM drive.


-----------------------
First-time installation
-----------------------

If you have already installed the PC User Offline icon that
runs the Easy Install program, skip this section.
If not, make sure you have the PC User Offline CD-ROM
in your CD reader. Then, in Windows 95, click on the
Start button and select Run, then Browse. In Windows
3.1, select the File - Run menu in Program Manager and
click the Browse button.

Select your CD reader (usually D:), find SETUP.EXE, and
then run that file. This brings up our setup program. By
default the Destination Directory is set to your Windows
directory. It is best not to change this.

The setup program will copy the PC User Offline Icon into
your Windows directory, and create a program
group with the icons for PC User Offline and the current
Readme file. The same icons will work with future issues.
No other files are installed on your hard disk, and no
changes are made to your AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS files.

---------------------------------
Next step: Browse PC User Offline
---------------------------------

You can choose just to use the Easy Install program to
install the software on PC User Offline. But if you want to
read about the software, browse PC User's Web site
offline and generally make the most of PC User Offline,
you will need to use a Web browser that supports the
HTML 3 format, such as recent versions of Netscape
Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer.
We have made it easy to install either one of these Web
browsers from the Easy Install program.

There are versions of each of these programs for both
Windows 3.x and Windows 95. You should install the one
appropriate for your version of Windows. There are also
browser for OS/2 and the Apple Mac provided.

Once you have a Web browser installed you can select your
browser of choice from the first page of Easy Install.
This will then be used by default whenever you click
any link to view the Web Page section of the CD.

You can click on the PC User Offline logo in Easy
Install to launch the PC User Offline Web pages at any
time. Or you can click the Browser button to the right
of the screen (just below the coffee cup) to launch
the browser with the current section loaded.

If your browser does not load correctly from withint Easy
Install, it may be because you have installed it to a
non-standard location. If you do not want to change this
you need to load it manually and tell your browser to browse
the file PCUSER.HTM which you will find in the root directory
of the CD. Alternatively, just use File Manager or
Win 95's Explorer and double click on this file. Once you
have this file loaded you can bookmark it for future
use.

------------------
Using Easy Install
------------------

Once you have installed the PC User Offline icon, you can
just slip the disc in and double-click on this icon to launch
the Easy Install program any time. (Subscribers take note:
this does not mean the old PC User Plus icon. This icon
and the software it launches is only needed if you want to
refer to back editions of the PC User Plus CD-ROM.)

The Easy Install program has no menu system and the
interface has been designed to be as intuitive as possible.
Anything you rollover that displays a pointed finger is
clickable, and most icons display pop-up text to tell you
what it will do or where it will go, so you should be able
to find your way around easily.

There may be more than one page per section, so don't
forget to click the pointing hand to see "More". Also
note icons on the left hand side for different operating
systems. Click these to switch between Windows 95,
Windows 3.1, DOS and so on. Your selection here will
be remembered on other pages until your change it.

To install the programs and other items just click the
obvious button. Some programs can be run straight from
the CD so you can preview it before you install it to
your hard disk. This will be clear from the buttons.
This may not work on all system however -- especially
with DOS mode games -- so you may still have to exit to
DOS mode to run these programs.

Some programs do not come with an install routine. In
these cases we have provided a "Browse" button to
launch Win 95 Explorer or Win 3.1 File Manager so you
can copy the files to your hard disk manually. Check
out the Readme file accompanying any such program to
see if there are any special installation instructions.


-----------------------
Re-using the Web pages
----------------------

The easiest way to re-use any of the Web pages on the
CD-ROM is to create a bookmark (or favourite place) for
any of the Web pages within your Web Browser. You can then
simply slip the disc in and click on this bookmark or
favourite place to return to this page any time.


======================
-- Troubleshooting
======================


-- Using other browsers
------------------------

The Web pages on PC User Offline have been tested with
Netscape Navigator 3.0 and MS Internet Explorer 3.0. We
cannot guarantee it will look the best in any other
browser, though it should still display accurately enough
for you to use.

Also, as stated above, if you are not using one of the
latest versions of Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer,
or haven't used the default path to install one of these
browsers, then clicking any Web link in the Easy Install
program will not launch the PC User Offline Web pages.
You will have to run the PCUSER.HTM file from the root
directory of your CD-ROM drive.


-- What if I have both Netscape and Internet Explorer installed?
------------------------------------------------------------------
To avoid confusion you should select your preffered browser
from the opening screen of Easy Install. The icon for this
will appear in the top right hand corner. This browser will
then be used for viewing any Web pages, provided it is
installed to the default path.

If you do not select a browser then Easy Install
will search first for Netscape, and then IE, in
the default directories for each of these programs, and
launch the first one it finds.


-- Using large fonts
---------------------
Sections of PC User Offline may not display correctly with
certain video cards if your screen resolution is set to use
large fonts. If this happens you will notice text apparently
chopped short, or looking oversized.

To resolve this you need to reset your screen resolution to
use small fonts. You could also contact the manufacturer
of your video card (or browse their web site) and see if
there is an updated Windows driver that would fix this problem.


-- GPF failures when using Easy Install
----------------------------------------
Easy Install was made using Macromedia's Director. There are
known problems with this program and some printer drivers.
If you get a General Protection Fault (GPF) when starting
Easy Install this may be the cause. Drivers known to conflict
are the HP-5M printer and Bitfax Fax driver.
    To fix this simply temporarily change your default
printer to "none". You do not need to to remove the driver.

===========================================================

-- Reports from other readers
-------------------------------

There appears to be a conflict between Easy Install and the
sis SVGA rev 1.0 Video driver. Changing the screen resolution
from 256 colours to 16 colours fixed this. Higher resolutions
would probably also work.

Thanks to reader Ollie Downie
-----------------------



Getting the message "WSOCK32.DLL cannot start." ?

The reason is quie simple, I guess:- I'm not using the
Microsoft Winsock, but Trumpet 3.0c -- I found the MS
offering gave me too much hassle on multiple ISP's.

To work around this one in Trumpet:
Start Trumpet.
Select Manual Login
Enter AT&C0 (zero, not uppercase "o") & press "enter"
Minimise Trumpet
Now start your browser, navigate to the CD and click
on pcuser.htm
Now it all works fine!

Thanks to reader Charles Knox
--------------------




Having trouble?
---------------

While every care has been taken to ensure the PC User
Offline disc will run well on all systems, we cannot
guarantee that it will run on all the differently configured
PCs out there.

We are happy to provide written technical support for the
software created by Australian PC User, but we cannot
provide telephone support. PC User software includes the
Easy Install program the PC User Offline Web pages. It
does not include any third-party software on this disc,
including the Web browsers, Netscape Navigator and
Microsoft Internet Explorer.

If you need technical support for any of the third-party
software on this disc -- including Netscape Navigator and
Microsoft Internet Explorer -- you will need contact the
developer of that program. You will find details about the
developer either in the program's Help menu or a
document file (usually named README) accompanying
the program.

We will, of course, exchange damaged discs. Just send
the disc and a note with your name and postal address, to
PC User Disc Exchange, GPO Box 4088, Sydney NSW
1028.

For technical support of PC User software, write to Philip
Moore at the above address, e-mail him at
[e-mail] or send a fax to him on
[phone]. Please include full details about
your system and any error messages you have encountered
while running our disc, or we may have trouble
helping you out!

Meanwhile, if by some chance you can't get the Easy
Install program or Web browser working, you can bypass
them and install or run programs directly from the CD
using File Manager, Win 95 Explorer or DOS (for DOS
based programs).

Finally, we are eager to read to your comments and
suggestions. Please e-mail, fax or snail mail them
to Philip Moore. Any solutions readers can provide
will be included in our troubleshooting
section above for the benefit of other readers.

===============================================

----------------
Using shareware
----------------

Most of the Windows programs create their own Win 95
Start menu folders and icons or Win 3.1 Program
Manager groups and icons, so running such a program
couldn't be easier -- just double-click its icon.
To run other Windows programs and DOS programs, you
can either install an icon and use that, or double-click on
the main program file in File Manager, or select File - Run
- Browse in Program Manager (or Start - Run - Browse in
Windows 95) and select  the main program file.

If you decide to install an icon for a program that doesn't
already have one, there's a description of the easiest
ways at the end of this file. In some cases you will be able
to run a program directly from the Easy Install program.
This allows you to test a program before copying it to your
hard disk. In other cases, we have even created a setup
routine for them for your convenience.


----------
Then what?
----------

There is nearly always a file type .DOC, .WRI or .TXT, or
something like README.1ST in the same directory as the
item you're interested in. This will contain some
instructions to the user, for configuration and sub-
installation as well as use.

Many recent Windows programs have no such files and
you're expected to run the program and refer to its Help
menu for instructions. If you want to be a little more
cautious than that, look for a file type .HLP and just
double -click it: that way, you can read the online help
without running  the program.

The easy way to open .TXT and .WRI files is to double-
click the file name. If this doesn't work, use Notepad,
Wordpad, Windows Write or your word processor to open
the file.


----------------
Setting up icons
----------------

OK, your choice is installed. You've studied the README
files and all other TXT, WRI or DOC files. Maybe you've
already tried the program by double-clicking the main
program file in File Manager, or by doing the File, Run,
Browse thing.

Anyway, you're ready to set up an icon for easy repeated
program running. There are several ways to do this, but I
want to tell you about the quickest and easiest, not
because I think you're lazy, but just because the more
automatic a method is,  the smaller are the chances that
something will go wrong.


-- Windows 3.x
---------------
Program Manager icons are easy to use, but could be a
drag to set up. A drag-and-drop, that is. The method
recommended as standard in the Windows manual is
hopelessly cumbersome and I never use it. Here's how
you do it the easy way: Open File Manager to the
directory that contains the main program file you're
interested in. Grab File Manager by the title bar and  drag
it down just far enough that both that program file and the
Program Manager group you want its icon in (it doesn't
have to be open) are visible. Drag the main program file
from the File Manager and drop it into the group or on the
group icon.  Select the new icon and press <Alt> +
<Enter>; this brings up the Program Item Properties
dialogue box so you can give the icon a name you like
and set up the working directory if you need one. How you
recognise the main program file? Let me clue you in on
some reliable signs. The main program file usually has a
name similar to the program and the extension .EXE (or
rarely .COM). For example, the main  program file of
Lotus Organizer is ORGANIZE.EXE and that of Microsoft
Paint is MSPAINT.EXE. PaintShop is PSP.EXE.


-- Windows 95
--------------

Windows 95 has no Program Manager, but in return,
Explorer wears three faces and you can set up a program
to run from an icon in any of them. The very easiest when
you're doing a temporary setup for trying something out is
to open Explorer as File Manager or as a group window
showing the main program file.

Grab the main program file with the right mouse button
and drop it on to the desktop. Select Create Shortcut(s)
Here from the menu that pops up. If you need to change
the name,  just single-click twice (don't double-click) on it
and type in your choice. If you use the new program a lot,
you may want to leave that shortcut on the desktop. If
you're keeping it but using it only occasionally, you should
move the icon to the Start menu.

There's a super-easy way to do this, and a merely easy
but more orderly one. The super-easy way is to drag the
shortcut from the desktop on to the Start button, then
delete the original (select it and press <Del>). This adds a
menu option to the main run of the menu. If you want your
program to start from one of the cascaded sub-menus,
right-click on the Start button and select Open. This opens
the menu as an ordinary Explorer window (which it is).
You can now open or create a sub-window (which is tied
to a cascaded sub-menu)  and right-drag the shortcut icon
off the desktop and into that window. Select Move Here
and you're done.

If your desktop icon gets lost you will find a PCUSER.ICO
file on the root folder on the CD.

------
Order!
------

Many installation programs insist on creating a program
group with icons (or, in Windows 95, a sub-menu
cascaded off the Programs option) for you, which is kind
but can be a jolly nuisance. When your program groups
proliferate beyond a certain point, what do you have?
You have too many program groups. You also have
confusion and a waste of time finding the program you
want in the mess. You also have far too many icons,
because most installers also create icons for Readme and
Help files, and sometimes special operations of the main
program.

These you can mostly delete, because once you're using
the program, you'll access the online help from within it,
as well as any special operations. The Readme file you'll
only read once, and if you should need to check it again,
the file is still there even if the icon is gone, so you can
load it into Notepad or Write the usual way.
Fortunately, drag-and-drop makes it easy to reorganise.
In Windows 3.x, just drag the icon out of its  superfluous
program group and drop it where it logically belongs, then
delete the unneeded empty group.
In Windows 95, open the Start menu by right-clicking,
then treat it like a set of nested program groups.
One final tip: if you do decide to organise your groups, it's
not necessary to create all new ones; start by renaming
existing groups. In Windows 95, just click twice on the
name and type what you want; in Windows 3.x, select the
group but don't open it, then press <Alt> + <Enter> and
the Properties dialogue box comes up with the group
name selected and ready for typing.


---------------
About shareware
---------------

Shareware is not free software. It's a try before you buy
method of marketing software. If you continue to use a
shareware program you are obliged to register (or buy)
the program with the author or an authorised distributor.
Details can be found in the programs Help menu or in an
accompanying .DOC or .TXT or Readme file. Most
shareware authors offer good incentives, such as a
manual or lifetime free upgrades, for registering.

---------
Copyright
---------

Australian PC User, PC User Offline, PC User Online and
School PC Australia are published by ACP Computer
Publications, a division of ACP Publishing Pty Ltd. ACN
053 273 546.

All the content of this disc (except for the third-party
software) is protected under Australian copyright law. No
material may be reproduced in part or in whole without the
written consent of the copyright holders. All rights
reserved.

Full text (c)1997 Australian Consolidated Press