Welcome to the Zing Help Page

    This page will help you customize your experience with Zing.  Click on any underlined phrase for more information on that topic.
    Zing gives you great stuff you want while you wait for Web pages to load. Whenever you click on a Web link and have to wait, Zing peppers your screen with fast, fun, entertaining spots- from jokes to trivia, photography, animation and more. Then, it gets out of the way as soon as the next Web page starts to load.
Zing Help Contents
As you acquaint yourself with Zing, you will become familiar with the following features; click on the one you would like to read about.
Hardware and software configuration requirements
    In order for Zing to function properly in your operating system, you must have at least the following specifications:
    • A Pentium class PC with 16 MB of RAM
    • Windows 95 or Windows NT
    • Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.*/4.* or Netscape Navigator 3.*/4.*
    • Internet connectivity, either through a direct connection(LAN, T1)  or dial-up
    • Up to 15 MB of disk space for programs and content
    • VGA video, 640x480 resolution, 256 colors

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How to access the Zing Help page
    Here you are on the Zing Help page! For easy access to this page in the future, it might help you to know there are four ways to get here.
    • Click on the red pepper Zing icon on the taskbar and select Help from the pop-up menu.
    • Go to Start/Programs/Zing/Help.
    • Click on the Zing logo button in the upper right corner of the Zing window frame. Select Help from the pop-up menu.
    • Click on the Help button at the bottom of the Zing Settings dialog box.

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How to install Zing
    Using either Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, go to www.zing.com. Click on Download Zing and follow the instructions. A dialog box will appear, asking you to choose a location for the zing.exe file. We recommend saving it to your desktop for easy retrieval and activation immediately after the download is complete.

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How to view Zing content without opening a Web browser (Zing Viewer)
    After you install Zing, the first difference you will notice on your screen is the red pepper icon in the right corner of the taskbar. Click on the Zing icon and select Zing Viewer in the pop-up menu. In the bottom right corner of the Zing Viewer frame are four control buttons. One of these buttons shows an arrow pointing to the left, and another shows an arrow pointing to the right. Use these two buttons to flip through Zing content or to go back to content you have already seen.

    You can also activate the Zing Viewer by going to Start/Programs/Zing/Zing Viewer.

    To close the Zing Viewer, click on the "X" button in the upper right corner of the Zing window frame.

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How to view Zing content while you are browsing the World Wide Web/
How to troubleshoot inactive Zing
    Open your internet browser, either Internet Explorer 3.0--4.0 or Netscape Navigator 3.0--4.0. From your home page launch a search for the page you want. During the first time you wait between pages,  you will probably not have a Zing Spot play, but on the second or third page load Zing will play or, in other words, fill your browser window.

    If you are waiting for your fourth web page to load, and Zing does not appear in your browser window, it may be because:
     

    • you have selected Disable Temporarily from the Zing Settings Menu (Start/Programs/Zing/Settings /Disable Zing for the current session) ( or click on the taskbar's red pepper Zing icon, in the pop-up menu to make sure Disable Temporarily is not check marked).
    • it is too soon after you have installed Zing, the internet is busy, and it is taking a little while for Zing's content to download.
    • your machine is not equipped to support Zing (click here for hardware and software configuration requirements).
    • there is a bug in your version of Zing. After checking the above possibilities, please use the feedback dialog box to let us know the specifics of your machine, what Zing is or is not doing, and the steps you have taken to produce Zing's unexpected behavior. If you cannot access the feedback dialog box, or you have other problems with Zing operations, please send e-mail to support@zing.com

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How to select or deselect Zing channels
    To access the Zing channel screen, first open the Zing Viewer. Click on the red pepper Zing icon on the taskbar and select Zing Viewer from the pop-up menu, or go to Start/Programs/Zing/Zing Viewer. In the bottom right corner of the Zing Viewer frame are four control buttons. Click on the 'Channel' button to bring up Zing's list of channels. In the box labeled Channels is a list of channel names.  If there is a red check mark to a channel name, that channel has been selected, and Zing is pulling its content for that channel. If all the channels are checked with the red check mark, Zing is pulling its content from all of them. To select or deselect a channel, click on the channel's button.
How to minimize or close the Zing window How to update Zing's content
    Zing's editorial team is constantly creating new content for Zing users, and new content is periodically downloaded in batches to you. However, if you would like to force an update and get the absolute latest in Zing content, click on the red pepper Zing icon on the taskbar and select Update Now from the pop-up menu.

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How to turn Zing off temporarily
    Click on the red pepper Zing icon on the taskbar and select Disable Temporarily from the pop-up menu.

    To turn Zing back on, repeat the steps above so that Disable...  is not check marked. Also, activating the Zing Viewer will automatically turn Zing back on.

How to mute Zing's sound
    There are two ways to turn off Zing's sound.
    • Click on the red pepper Zing icon on the taskbar and select Mute Sound from the pop-up menu, so that it has a checkmark next to it.
    • In the bottom right corner of the Zing window frame are four buttons. Click on the one with a speaker icon on it (next to the "Channel" button).
    To turn Zing's sound back on, click on Mute Sound from the icon pop-up menu again so that it is not check marked, or click on the speaker button on the Zing window frame.

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How to change Zing's On-browser behavior (Zing Settings)
    The Zing Settings dialog box is a valuable tool for customizing your experience with Zing. There are three ways to access the Zing Settings dialog box. The first way is to click on the red pepper Zing icon on the taskbar and select Settings from the pop-up menu. The second way is to click on the Zing logo button in the bottom left corner of the Zing window frame and choose Settings from the pop-up menu. The third way is to go to Start/Programs/Zing/Settings.
    • How to make Zing stay in your browser longer:  If you would like to view Zing content for the entire duration of a Web page's download, select "the Web page has fully loaded" under "Zing spot goes away whenà"
    • How to make Zing go away sooner:  If you would like Zing to detach from your browser (go away) as soon as the page begins to assemble on your monitor, select "the Web page is first visible" under "Zing spot goes away whenà"
    • How to keep the Zing mini-window visible always:  If you would like to keep a Zing mini-window visible on your monitor while you interact with the Web page content, select "Mini-windowùZing spot shrinks to a mini-window."
    • How to hide Zing after it detaches from your browser:  If you would not like to see the Zing mini-window on your monitor, deselect "Mini-windowà" so that it is not checkmarked.
    • How to change the size of the Zing mini-window:  Resize the mini-window by clicking and dragging on the mini-window's frame corner. Move the mini-window by clicking and dragging on the top of the mini-window's frame.
    • How to change the size of zing when in on-browser mode:  If you would like Zing to only partially fill the browser window, select "Zing spot fills only 90% of the browser."
    • How to Disable Zing for the current session:  If you would like to turn Zing off temporarily, select "Disable Zing for the current session."

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How to give Zing Network, Inc. feedback
    We appreciate any constructive criticism you have for us, and we would like to know if you have any problems with Zing. There are three ways to access the Feedback dialog box.
    • Click on the red pepper Zing icon on the taskbar and select Feedback from the pop-up menu
    • Go to Start/Programs/Zing/Send Feedback
    • Click on the Zing logo button in the bottom left corner of the Zing window frame and select Feedback from the pop-up menu.
    Make a selection under "Nature of feedback" then tab to the "Detailed Description" field and type in your specific message. Tab to the "Respondà" field and type in your e-mail address. Click on Submit to send your feedback to the creators of Zing.

    If you need immediate assistance with Zing operations please send e-mail to support@zing.com.

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How to find general information about your version of Zing (About Zing)
    There are three ways to access the About Zing dialog box.
    • Click on the red pepper Zing icon on the taskbar and select Settings from the pop-up menu. Click on the About Zing tab.
    • Go to Start/Programs/Zing/Settings. Click on the About Zing tab.
    • Click on the Zing logo button in the upper left corner of the Zing window frame and select Settings from the pop-up menu. Click on the About Zing tab.
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How to save Zing content as a Flash file
    If there is a Zing content spot you would like for easy access viewing in the future, you can save it as a separate Flash file. While your favorite Zing content spot is visible in the Zing window, click on the Zing logo button and select Save Asà from the pop-up menu. Enter the location and name of your new Flash file.

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How to open Flash files in the Zing window
    Activate the Zing Viewer. Click on the Zing logo button in the bottom left corner of the Zing window frame and select Openà from the pop-up menu. Enter the name and location of your Flash files. Note: Flash files that do not originate as Zing content can also be viewed through the Zing viewer.

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How to print Zing content
    If there is a Zing content image you would like to print, click on the  Zing logo button in the bottom left corner of the Zing window frame and select Printàfrom the pop-up menu.

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How to uninstall Zing
    There are two ways to uninstall Zing.
    • Go to Start/Programs/Zing/Uninstall
    • Go to Start/Settings/Control Panel/Add-Remove Programs/Zing and click on the Add/Remove button

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How to use the ZAP! feature