Computer Life 1996 January

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THE WIN$EASY LOTTERY SYSTEM FOR WINDOWS (C) Copyright 1992-1995 Charles F. Mowery, Jr. 406 Van Reed Manor Drive Brandon FL 33511 Tel: (813) 689-4212 CompuServe (CIS) ID: 70040,145 Internet: 70040.145@compuserve.com This file includes the following topics: Program Overview Drawing Data and Game Configuration Distribution Format Required Files Automated Setup A Note About GRID.VBX Manual Setup License Information Running the Program Registration Information ********** PROGRAM OVERVIEW In a typical 6/49 lotto game, the odds are 13,983,816 to 1 against winning the big prize. Every "system" for winning the lottery is designed to reduce those odds by using some method of recognizing or anticipating the trends, patterns or coincidences that occur even in random-selection drawings. WIN$EASY is designed to help you reduce those odds by providing the analysis tools necessary for any winning system, by providing the most common number-selection methods (such as boxing and wheeling) and by providing several innovative number- selection methods of its own -- for virtually any lottery in the world. Plus, WIN$EASY makes playing any lottery easier and more fun by automating data maintenance, drawing analysis, number selection, and matching selections with drawings. It even provides an electronic scratch pad for experimenting with lotto numbers and groups. The primary functions in WIN$EASY include: Configure the program for use with up to 99 different lotteries per data base, reconfigure, add or delete games, change game names, or select the active game. Maintain a data base of the numbers drawn in each lottery. Analyze the drawings in numerous ways. Use a wide variety of number-selection techniques based on drawing analysis, frequency, boxing, wheeling, hot and cold numbers, permutations, play-slip patterns, numerology, the zodiac, dice rolls, simulated lottery machines, and other methods. For lotto games that use playing cards instead of numbers, use the playing-card conversion utility to convert drawings and selections from cards to numbers and vice versa. Perform error-free matching of your selections with the last drawing(s) to identify winners, and save the auto-match report. Use the scratch pad for experimenting with lotto numbers and groups, save them in files for later use (you'll never need a pencil and paper with this program), and transfer numbers from other functions to the scratch pad and vice versa. Maintain separate data bases for use by different players (you can keep track of your spouse's selections separately from yours). Backup data files and retrieve the backups at any time. Copy the drawings, selections, auto-match report and/or scratch pad files to a printer. View on-screen lists of all drawings, selected drawings, saved selections and other items in filed order or sorted numerical order. Edit (add, change, delete or insert) filed drawings or selections, add personal selections, purge duplicate selections (with an option for deleting permutated duplicates for one- number games), randomly delete any number of selections, or delete an entire selections file. View all documentation through an extensive, on-screen context- sensitive help function. WIN$EASY, used by winners since 1988 in its DOS version, has been called "The best lottery program I've ever seen", and the Windows version is even better! The Windows version handles lotto, keno, power ball and wild card games that use numbers in any range from 1 to 80, that draw up to 22 numbers, including any bonus number, and in which a selection can have from 2 to 22 numbers. It also handles one- number (daily) games that use from 3 to 6 digits. ********** DISTRIBUTION FORMAT The system may be distributed in any of three setup formats: automated, manual or custom. Some distributors of the system may include their own customized setup instructions, in which case you should follow those instructions. Otherwise, follow either the automated or manual setup steps below. ********** AUTOMATED SETUP This is the installation procedure used for the registered version and some distributions of the shareware version. If you received the system on a disk (as opposed to downloading it from a BBS or other source), place the disk in drive A: (or B:) and type DIR A: (or DIR B:) and press Enter. If the directory listing includes the SETUP.EXE file and most of the other file names have extensions that end in the underline character (e.g. NUMER.DA_), then you MUST use the automated setup procedure. File names ending with the underline character are compressed and must be copied to your hard disk by the setup program. 1. Place the disk in drive A: (or B:). 2. Run Windows. (At the DOS prompt, type WIN and press Enter.) 3. In the Program Manager window, select FILE, then select RUN from the drop-down list of options. 4. Depending on which drive has the distribution disk, type either A:SETUP or B:SETUP and press Enter (or select OK). 5. Follow the on-screen instructions. NOTE: See "A Note About GRID.VBX" below. If you encounter any problems with the automated setup procedure, you can still install the program manually, as follows: Your DOS files (probably in your C:\DOS directory) should include a copy of the EXPAND.EXE program used to uncompress files. Type EXPAND /? and press Enter to see a summary of how to use that program or refer to your DOS manual. You must include the proper extension in the destination file name. Expand only the following files from the distribution disk: Source File Name Destination File Name VBRUN300.DL_ VBRUN300.DLL GRID.VB_ GRID.VBX WIN$EASY.EX_ WIN$EASY.EXE WIN$EASY.HL_ WIN$EASY.HLP WIN$EZ.CF_ WIN$EZ.CFG NUMER.DA_ NUMER.DAT DRAW1.DA_ DRAW1.DAT DRAW2.DA_ DRAW2.DAT DRAW3.DA_ DRAW3.DAT DRAW4.DA_ DRAW4.DAT The source path is the location of the distribution disk, either drive A: or drive B:. The destination path for VBRUN300.DLL and GRID.VBX must be your \WINDOWS\SYSTEM subdirectory. For example: EXPAND A:\VBRUN300.DL_ C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\VBRUN300.DLL The destination path for the other files should be the directory from which you will run the WIN$EASY program. (See step 2 under Manual Setup below.) For example: EXPAND A:\WIN$EASY.EX_ C:\WIN$EZ\WIN$EASY.EXE Then follow steps 3 through 8 under Manual Setup below to setup the system in Windows. ********** MANUAL SETUP Use the following steps to set up the system for use in Windows if the above instructions for automated setup do NOT apply, i.e. you down- loaded the system from a BBS or other source or the files do NOT include SETUP.EXE and the file extensions do NOT end with the under- line character. (File names ending with the underline character are compressed and cannot be copied directly to your hard disk without using the automated setup program or the Expand program mentioned above.) 1. Copy the VBRUN300.DLL and GRID.VBX files to your \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory. For example, if the distribution disk is in drive A:, and your hard disk is drive C:, you would use: COPY A:VBRUN300.DLL C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM <Enter> COPY A:GRID.VBX C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM <Enter> NOTE: See "A Note About GRID.VBX" below before doing this. 2. Copy the remaining files to a directory you create and from which you will run WIN$EASY (e.g. C:\WIN$EZ). For example, if the distribution disk is in drive A:, and you want to create a directory named WIN$EZ on your C: drive, you could use: C: <Enter> (change to drive C:) CD \ <Enter> (change to the root directory) MD WIN$EZ <Enter> (create the WIN$EZ directory) CD WIN$EZ <Enter> (change to the WIN$EZ directory) COPY A:WIN$EASY.* <Enter> (copy files from A: to C:\WIN$EZ) COPY A:WIN$EZ.CFG <Enter> " " " " " " COPY A:*.DAT <Enter> " " " " " " COPY A:README.1ST <Enter> " " " " " " 3. Run WINDOWS and open whichever program group you want to have the WIN$EASY icon, by clicking twice on the program group's icon. 4. On the Program Manager's menu bar, select FILE, then select NEW, then select PROGRAM ITEM. 5. In the DESCRIPTION box, enter "Main Menu" (without the quotes). The WIN$EASY icon includes the name WIN$EASY, so you don't need it in the description line for the icon. 6. In the COMMAND LINE box, enter the path (drive:\directory) for the directory to which you copied the program file and include the program's file name, WIN$EASY.EXE. For example, if the program is in the WIN$EZ directory on drive C:, you would enter in that box the following command line: C:\WIN$EZ\WIN$EASY.EXE 7. In the WORKING DIRECTORY box, enter the same path as you did in step 6, without the program name. (Don't skip this step or every time you run the program it will ask for the location of the WIN$EZ.CFG file.) Using the example above, you would enter the following path: C:\WIN$EZ 8. Finally, select OK and the WIN$EASY icon will appear in the program group window. ********** RUNNING THE PROGRAM After setting up the program in Windows, click twice on the WIN$EASY icon to run the program. Then select HELP on the WIN$EASY Main Menu's menu bar and select HELP CONTENTS from the drop-down list of options. Read the WIN$EASY HELP CONTENTS topic's discussion for an explanation of the things you need to know to effectively use the program -- and be sure to read the GETTING STARTED topic. ********** DRAWING DATA AND GAME CONFIGURATION To get you started, the system is configured for all of the Florida lotteries, and the registered version includes drawing data for those lotteries from their inception through the day before the file date of the DRAW(n).DAT files, where (n) is a number that corresponds to the game's number. (The games' numbers are displayed in parentheses after the names when you select "Games" on the program's Main Menu.) The shareware version includes only the first 100 drawings from those lotteries. Even if you don't play the Florida lotteries, you will find it helpful to use their drawing data to experiment with the program. IF YOU PLAN TO DELETE ALL OF THE FLORIDA GAMES, USE THE FOLLOWING RECONFIGURATION PROCEDURE FOR A GAME THAT YOU WILL PLAY, SINCE YOU MUST HAVE AT LEAST ONE GAME CONFIGURED IN ORDER TO RUN THE PROGRAM: If you don't play any Florida lottery, add the configuration for the first of any lotteries that you do play by reconfiguring one of the Florida games. On the WIN$EASY Main Menu, select "Games", select the Florida game to be reconfigured, then select the "Reconfigure Game" button and follow the on-screen prompts. After you have reconfigured one Florida game, if you don't play the other Florida games, you can reconfigure each of them to be whichever other games you do play, or you can delete the other Florida games and add new games, then or at a later time. To add a game, select "Games" on the Main Menu, select the "Add New Game" button and follow the on-screen prompts. ********** REQUIRED FILES The following are the files needed to run WIN$EASY For Windows: VBRUN300.DLL -- The Microsoft Visual Basic run-time module. GRID.VBX -- A Visual Basic custom control. WIN$EASY.EXE -- The program file. WIN$EASY.HLP -- The on-line Help file in Windows format. WIN$EZ.CFG -- The game-configuration data file. DRAWn.DAT -- Drawing data files (where n is a number) Note: In versions with automated setup, the above files will be compressed and will have extensions ending with the underline (_) character, and there will be additional files required for setup. If you need a copy of any of the required files, contact the author. The VBRUN300.DLL file may also be obtained from the Microsoft Download Service BBS at 206-936-6735. (It is sometimes omitted by distributors of the shareware version.) ********** A NOTE ABOUT GRID.VBX If you are advised when you run WIN$EASY that there is a problem with GRID.VBX, it means that some other program has installed a version of that file that is incompatible with WIN$EASY. If that is the case, use EXPAND.EXE to expand GRID.VB_ and copy it from the WIN$EASY distribution disk to your hard disk as GRID.VBX. Copy it to the directory that has your other WIN$EASY files, *not* to the \Windows\System directory. (See the instructions under Automated Setup above for details about how to do this.) If you use the Manual Setup procedure described above and if you already have a copy of GRID.VBX in your \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory, you can leave that copy there and copy the GRID.VBX file on the WIN$EASY distribution disk to the directory that has your other WIN$EASY files. If the GRID.VBX file already on your hard disk is the same as the one on the WIN$EASY distribution disk, of course, you don't need a copy of it in the program directory. ********** LICENSE INFORMATION This program is not free and is not in the public domain. It is distributed in shareware and registered versions. In either case, ownership of the program remains with the author and you are licensed to use the program under the terms of the license set forth in the "About..." window displayed when you run the program. The shareware version is identified as such in the first window displayed when you run the program. The shareware version is a copyrighted evaluation copy of the program, which you may use for up to 30 days, after which time you must either order the registered version or stop using the shareware version. For details about distribution of the shareware version and ordering the registered version, read the first screen displayed when you run the shareware version and read the license terms in the "About..." window. You may obtain a copy of the latest shareware version by sending a disk (3.5" HD 1.44MB or 5.25" HD 1.2MB) in a reusable mailer, together with return postage, to the author at the address above. A shareware version should also be available for download on CompuServe (CIS) in the PCFUN forum, Sports and Chance library, in the file WIN$EZ.ZIP and may be available on many BBS's as WIN$EZnn.ZIP, where nn is the number 30 or higher (numbers below 30 are used for the DOS version). ********** REGISTRATION If you have a shareware version obtained from any source, you must register it within 30 days. If you have a registered version obtained directly from the author, no further registration is required. If you have a registered version obtained from any source other than directly from the author, you should insure that you are registered by sending your name and address to the author, together with information as to the version number that you have, the name and address of the distributor from whom you obtained the program and some proof of purchase, such as a copy of a receipt. Registered users are entitled to complete follow-on support by phone or mail and the opportunity to receive upgrades at a special reduced price. Also, if you are a registered user and are the first to report a significant bug or other anomaly in the program, you will receive a free registered copy of the next version of the program that includes a fix for the bug or other anomaly that you reported. This also applies to a registered user who is the first to offer a suggestion for significant improvement in the program, if the suggestion is implemented. In any case, bug reports, suggestions and comments from all users are always welcome and invariably helpful. Obtaining a Registered Version: If you wish to obtain a copy of the registered version, send $35, together with your name and address, to C. F. Mowery, Jr., 406 Van Reed Manor Drive, Brandon FL 33511. You will receive the latest registered version of WIN$EASY For Windows on a 3.5" HD disk. Please specify if you require another type of disk. CFM July 1995