Ah! You've come here looking for help. Good choice. Here you will find general or specific help about a number of topics regarding the issue. Simply click on the underlined text to jump to that topic.
What Computers Can Run The Issue?
Where Are the Instructions?
Where IS Everything?
How Do You Copy Items from The Issue?
How Do You Delete an Item?
How To Use Clip Art
How To Use Icons
How To Use TrueType Fonts
How To Use Screen Savers
How To Use WAV Sounds
How To Use Wallpapers
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Screen Saver Studio Page: http://www.screensaverstudio.com
Shreveport/Bossier page: http://www.shreveport.net/
Our issue should work on almost any computer with Windows and a Web Browser. We support Internet Explorer 4.0/Netscape Navigator 4.0 or higher, but most other browsers work as well. The issue contains FRAMES and JavaScript. So, if you're using a browser that doesn't support FRAMES, there is a "No Frames" link on the main screen to view the issue without frames (or simply start the issue by clicking the NOFRAMES.HTM file).
Note: You'll have to use your browser's "back" button more in the "no frames" version of the issue to jump back and forth between the pages.
Also, due to the large number of 3rd party utilities available for Windows, we cannot guarantee that they are compatible with the issue.
In the Enhancements section of the shell, we provide a How To Use button for help on items such as screen savers, wallpaper, icons, etc. These general-purpose items are also described in some depth in your Microsoft Windows User's Guide. If you study what we tell you and what the book tells you and you're more mystified than when you started, call our technical support line and tell us where we went wrong. We'll set you on the right track ASAP.
Everything is off of the main directory/drive of the issue. Subdirectories CLIPART, ICONS, FONTS, SOUNDS, SSAVERS and WPAPERS contain the various goodies! An installer (SETUP.EXE) for each of these items can be found in the subdirectories as well. The installers will place the items in the right directory on your system for use. The programs for the issue are also in subdirectories.
Each item on the issue has an Install button located on the Launch Pad (press ALT+TAB to load the Launch Pad). Click the Install button and follow the installer's directions.
Or, if you prefer to copy items manually from Windows, all you have to do is.... Run the File Manager (or Explorer). Find the item you want to copy. Press and hold the control key. Do not release it. Move the mouse pointer to the item you want to copy. Press and hold the left mouse button. Move the mouse pointer to the folder or drive where you want to place the item at the top or left of the File Manager (or Explorer) window. The icon you selected will appear to move with the mouse pointer. Release the mouse button. Windows will then proceed to make the copies you requested.
Softdisk strongly advises you to make backup copies of all your software. Don't be caught unprepared.
Well, in Windows 3.1 there's deleting icons and there's deleting files. You see, when a Windows program is properly installed it appears as an icon in one of your program groups. You can select that icon by clicking on it once and then you can choose "Delete" under the Program Manager's "File" menu. The result will be that the icon will disappear. It's gone! You've just deleted the icon for that application.
BUT!!! (and this is a big but) you have not deleted that item from your hard disk.
If you install things and delete their icons, then install more things and delete their icons, and keep doing this long enough you will eventually fill up your hard disk. Completely. Then it's time to start deleting files.
Here's how:
Run the File Manager. You will probably find it in your Main program group. Use the File Manager to select the directories or files you want to get rid of and then choose "Delete" from the File Manager's "File" menu. After a few suitable prompts the files you selected will be gone - gone for good! So be sure you really want to delete them, 'cause once you do, we can't help you get them back. The operation of the File Manager is covered in depth in your Microsoft Windows User's Guide.
One of the "features" of Windows 95 is that there are about a million ways to do the same thing. Deleting files is one of them. There are three methods that warrant consideration.
1) Right click on the file and select to Delete it when the menu pops up.
2) Drag and Drop the file(s) onto the Recycle Bin.
3) Just select the file(s) and press the Delete key.
This can be done in the Explorer or from the My Computer icon. But, when you delete a program, it does not necessarily delete any shortcuts you have made to that application or delete any Start menu items.
Shortcuts (recognized by the little arrow on the icon) are deleted in the same way as files are deleted, simply follow one of the methods as outlined above. To remove an item from the Start menu is a different matter. You can follow these steps to delete a Start menu item:
1) Click the Start button, and then point to Settings.
2) Click Taskbar, and then click the Start Menu Programs tab.
3) Click Remove.
4) Locate the item you want to remove from the list.
5) Click on the item and press the Remove button.
6) When you are finished, press Close, then OK.
Clip art isn't something Windows can use directly. Some programs can load, edit and save clip art files. Other programs can incorporate clip art files directly into documents. But Windows, by itself, has no mechanism for using clip art. The clip art files are located in the \CLIPART subdirectory of the issue.
Font files must be in the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory in order to use them. Use the INSTALL button located on the Launch Pad to install the font.
To give programs access to this new font, follow these steps:
Locate and open the "Main" Program group from the Program Manager's window by double-clicking it.
Locate and open the "Control Panel" icon by double-clicking it. This window will contain several icons.
Locate and open the "Fonts" icon by double-clicking it. This will open a window showing which fonts you have access to and which are installed. There are several buttons located along the right side of the window. Click the ADD button.
Find the new font you want to add in the picklist. Click the font name in the "List of Fonts" to select it. Then click the OK button. The new font should now appear in your font menu lists for your Windows programs. Remember, if you left any program running during this installation procedure, that program may not see the font until you quit it and restart that program.
Windows 95 does fonts in a completely different way. All font files go into the \WINDOWS\FONTS folder. If you wish to install a font, simply copy the font file into this folder. Use the INSTALL button on the Launch Pad to install the font. If you wish to remove a font, simply delete or move the font file out of the \WINDOWS\FONTS folder.
In the Program Manager, Click once on the icon of the program you want to change.
Select Properties... from the File menu of the Program Manager.
Click the Change Icon button in the panel of buttons that appears.
Click the Browse... button in the next pop-up box.
Next, find an icon file. (Icon files have either the .DLL or the .ICO suffix.) The icon file is named ICONS046.DLL. The icon file is located in the \ICONS subdirectory of the issue. Once you find the file, click its name in the list of files in the left list box. Then click OK.
Wow! A lot of neat icons appear. Browse the icons by clicking the left and right arrows on the scroll bar.
Select the icon you want by double-clicking it or by clicking on it once and then clicking OK.
Now you should be in the Program Item Properties box. The icon you chose should be on the lower left.
Click the OK button if you are satisfied, and you are off and running! Your program should now have a new look to it!
NOTE: To get back the original icon for a program, go back to the Change Icon section in Properties and use the Browse feature to select the .EXE file of the program itself. This will usually restore the original icon, since Windows applications generally have their icons embedded in their executable program files. If the application in question is a DOS application, there won't be an icon in the .EXE file, so you'll have to find it elsewhere; perhaps in an .ICO file in the same directory as the program.
Windows 95 will not allow you to change the icon for a normal file. You can, however, change the icons for shortcuts. A shortcut is simply an icon that lets you get to a program that is located somewhere else on the system. They are recognized by a little arrow in the bottom corner of the icon. Changing the icon for a shortcut is similar to changing icons in Windows 3.1. Follow these simple steps:
1) Right click on the icon and select Properties on the menu that pops up.
2) Select the Shortcut tab on the dialog.
3) Select the Change Icon... button.
4) Click Browse...
5) Next, find an icon file. (Icon files have either the .DLL or the .ICO suffix.) The icon file is named ICONS046.DLL. The icon file is located in the \ICONS subdirectory of the issue. Once you find the file, click its name in the list of files in the left list box. Then click OK.
Screen savers need to be placed in your Windows directory to be accessed properly. Use the INSTALL button located on the Launch Pad to install the screen saver.
Now, follow these steps according to which version of Windows you use:
Double-click the Control Panel icon (usually located in the Main group of the Program Manager).
Double-click the Desktop icon in the Control Panel window.
Select the desired screen saver from the list of screen savers in the Desktop window. Then click the Setup button to set the various options available for each screen saver. Click the Test button to view the results. Click Setup again to make adjustments or click OK to return to Program Manager.
Right-click on the desktop (the area on your screen with no windows) and select Properties from the menu. Be sure that the Screen Saver tab at the top of the dialog is selected. You may then select the screen saver from the list (click the down arrow in the Screen Saver box to see more). You may also click the Settings button to set the various options available for each screen saver. Click the Preview button to view the results.
If you have a Sound Blaster or other similar sound card, you can play sounds in Windows if you have installed the appropriate driver for your card. The manual for your sound card should have more information, and the sound card probably came with its appropriate driver software on disk.
Important note: unless you have either the Microsoft speaker driver, or a sound card with sound card setup installed in your copy of Windows, you cannot make use of Wave files under Windows. These instructions assume you have one or the other.
To be used as Windows system sounds, the .WAV files need to be placed in the Windows directory. use the INSTALL button on the Launch Pad to install the sounds.
Now, follow these steps according to which version of Windows you have:
Locate and open the "Main" Program group from the Program Manager's window by double-clicking its icon.
Locate and open the "Control Panel" icon by double-clicking it. This window will also contain several icons.
Double-click the "Sound" icon to open it. A window will appear showing which sounds you have assigned to which actions. There will be two scrolling lists. The left lists "events" that can have sounds attached; the right lists *.WAV files you can attach.
Use the scroll bar, if necessary, to locate the "wave" files that interest you and the events you want to associate them with. Select the event, then select the wave file and Windows will associate that sound with that event. Click the OK button to save your changes.
1) From the My Computer icon, select the Control Panel.
2) Select the Sounds icon.
The Sounds Properties dialog will be displayed. You may change the sounds for many system events. Simply select the event which you wish to change. Then select the name of the sound to which you wish to set that event. You may find more information on setting the system sounds by selecting Help from the Start button on the Windows 95 task bar.
Wallpaper files need to be in your Windows directory (although in Windows 95 they don't necessarily have to be). Use the INSTALL buttons on the Launch Pad to install the wallpapers.
You can Right Click a Wallpaper tile image in the issue and select "Set As Wallpaper" to make it your default wallpaper. Note: You might have to manually change your system to display the wallpaper in "tile" format, though. That's detailed below. The Full Screen and Scenic wallpapers will have to be installed using the INSTALL button before they can be used on your system, though.
Or, you can load a wallpaper from Windows by following the steps below.
Double-click on the Control Panel icon (usually located in the Main group of the Program Manager).
Double-click on the Desktop icon in the Control Panel window.
Select the file you want to display from the list of wallpaper files in the Desktop window. Then click Center or Tile to indicate how you want to display the wallpaper. Click Tile if you want Windows to repeat the wallpaper pattern across your entire background screen. Click Center if you want to display a full-screen picture. Then click the OK button to activate the wallpaper you have chosen.
Right click on the desktop (the area on your screen with no windows) and select Properties from the menu. Be sure that the Background tab at the top of the dialog is selected. Then choose the wallpaper in the list box titled Wallpaper (you may also Browse for wallpapers in a directory other than the \WINDOWS directory). You will see what the wallpaper looks like in the computer at the top of the dialog box. You can also select whether you want the wallpaper to be tiled or centered on the screen. Full screen wallpapers should be centered and smaller wallpapers should be tiled. Clicking Apply will change the current wallpaper without leaving the Display Properties dialog, while clicking OK will change the current wallpaper and leave the dialog.