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FAQ.TXT
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1997-09-11
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GIF Construction Set
Frequently Asked Questions
March 14, 1997
Copyright (c) 1996 Alchemy Mindworks Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced
by any means without the written permission of Alchemy Mindworks
Inc. No fur-bearing animals were harmed during the creation of
this document. Allergy alert: may contain nutmeg, but we doubt
it. Return for refund where applicable. Not recommended for
persons with sugar-restricted diets. Batteries are included --
best of luck finding them. Proud sponsor of the 1934 penguin
olympic games at McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. May cause
irritability, sleeplessness or warts after prolonged use.
Contents under pressure. BHT added to preserve freshness.
Caution: this product has caused some laboratory rats to rip
through their cages, fly across the room and brutally murder
hundreds of innocent people. Shake well before using. No vacuum
tubes or other user-serviceable parts inside. Not to be combined
with other radioisotopes except under the advice of a physician.
Avoid prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light. The truth is out
there. Use no hooks. Not intended for use by children or liberals
under the age of five. Printed on unrecycled endangered dead
trees and we're proud of it.
This document contains the following sections:
SECTION 1: Downloading, Installation and Shareware
SECTION 2: Technical Support
SECTION 3: Running GIF Construction Set
SECTION 1: Downloading, Installation and Shareware
--------------------------------------------------
Q: Is there a Macintosh version of GIF Construction Set?
A: Not as yet. One is in the works, but no release date has been
assigned to it at this time. Macintosh development is relatively
slow and confusing, something they don't tell you when you buy
one of the damn things.
Q: I've been trying to download the current version of GIF
Construction Set for days but your server is always busy. Can you
e-mail me a copy?
A: Sorry, we are unable to e-mail large binary files over our
present mail server. Our main server has been the recipient of
an ongoing program of expansion, but each time we increase its
capacity, the demand seems to increase to match it. It's usually
more readily accessible before noon, EST. We do have a number of
mirrors around the world, accessible through the Mirrors link at
the top of each of our web pages. The Coast to Coast mirrors are
especially useful.
Q: I've downloaded GIF Construction Set but it will not install -
- it tells me that I must run it under Windows, even when I do.
What's wrong?
A: You have a damaged download. Download it again.
Q: I have downloaded GIF Construction Set, but when I try to
install it, it tells me I have a damaged archive. What should I
do?
A: Here are some things to check.
- Compare your downloaded file size to the file size listed at
the web page or FTP site you downloaded it from. If they're not
the same, you really do have a damaged download and you need to
download it again.
- Make sure you have at least five megabytes of free hard drive
space.
- Make sure you're not trying to install the 32-bit version on a
sixteen-bit system.
- Make sure you are installing through Start->Run, not Add/Remove
Programs or Explorer.
- Reboot your system and try the installation again with nothing
else running.
Q: I have a web page. Can I have a free registered copy of GIF
Construction Set in exchange for advertising your software at my
page?
A: 'fraid not. Most of the civilized world has a web page, and
were to swap software for links, we'd quickly have no money and
lots of links. At such time as we're able to barter some of these
links for groceries, we'll reconsider this policy.
Q: Does using an unregistered copy of GIF Construction Set to
create a few graphics for my web page constitute a fair use of
the shareware?
A: In our opinion it does not. The shareware release of GIF
Construction Set is provided for you to evaluate. If you find it
to be good enough to create GIF files for use on a web page, we
feel that it is good enough to register. If you don't agree --
that is, if you find it to be unsuitable for your needs and as
such not worth registering -- please delete it and accept our
thanks for trying it out.
Q: Should I install GIF Construction Set in Windows 95 or NT
through Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel?
A: Absolutely not. Use the Run item of the Start menu.
Q: Can the 32-bit version of GIF Construction Set run under
Windows 3.1 or Windows 3.11 if I have WIN32S installed?
A: No, it uses several DLLs not supplied with WIN32S. Use the
sixteen-bit build.
Q: What are the functional differences between the sixteen- and
32-bit builds of GIF Construction Set?
A: Not much. The 32-bit build supports long file names,
while the sixteen-bit build does not. The 32-bit build is
somewhat faster under 95 and NT. The 32-bit build can create wide
palette GIF files, discussed elsewhere in this document.
Otherwise, they're identical.
You're probably wondering about now if Windows 95 might not have
just been a really sneaky way to sell everyone 32-bit versions of
perfectly good sixteen-bit applications.
Q: What files does the GIF Construction Set installer add to my
\WINDOWS and \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directories, and what changes does
it make to my registry?
A: None. We feel that shareware should not mess with your system
files, and none of ours does. Everything the installer writes to
your hard drive goes in GIF Construction Set's private directory,
and no system files are altered.
Q: How can I uninstall GIF Construction Set.
A: Simply delete its private directory and everything in it.
Q: If I register GIF Construction Set by phone, can I get a
registration code immediately?
A: We will e-mail one to you if provide your e-mail address with
your order. This usually takes about 72 hours. Please note,
that's actually three business days -- weekends don't count. This
can take longer still if we get swamped.
Q: How can I register GIF Construction Set?
A: You can pay by Visa, Mastercard, American Express or by a
cheque drawn on an international bank having the address of a
North American clearing office and a bank transit number printed
on it. Cheques must be in US dollars -- no other currency can be
accepted. Please do not send us Eurocheques -- they cannot be
cleared outside Europe.
Our present bank cannot accept payments by wire transfer.
We ask that you use the order form provided with every copy of
GIF Construction Set to place your order. It's stored in a file
called ORDER.WRI in the GIF Construction Set directory, which can
be opened with Windows Write or WordPad.
You can register over CompuServe at GO SWREG. The registration
code for the sixteen-bit version is 10595. The registration
code for the 32-bit version is 13375.
You can FAX the order form to 1-905-936-9502, e-mail it to
alchemy@mail.bconnex.net or snail-mail it to Alchemy Mindworks
Inc., P.O. Box 500, Beeton, Ontario L0G 1A0 CANADA.
For the fastest service, please call our order desk at 1-800-263-
1138 or 1-905-936-9500. If you're in Great Britain, call toll
free 0800-89-7355. If you're in Australia, call toll free 1-800-
554-082. We take Visa, Mastercard and American Express, and the
order desk is available 24 hours a day.
We are unable to send you GIF Construction Set COD. We cannot
provide you with a pro-forma invoice in advance of purchase.
Q: Can I pay for GIF Construction Set by purchase order?
A: No. If you want to buy 100 or more copies, please get in touch
with us and we'll consider it. Sadly, the purchase order system
has seen considerable abuse in recent years -- while few
institutions issuing purchase orders flat-out refuse to honour
them, we have found that many purchase orders are accompanied by
extensive documentation requirements, lengthy waits for payment
and the need to follow up and beg f