VOLUME 9, NUMBER 8 AUGUST 1993 What’s askSam Club Happening for Windows Calendar By Bob Ward----Secretary By DT Richmond----SLO SEPTEMBER 5TH PCUG Say ‘‘Cheese’’ ---- ee, what do you say when you have Bob will show us Galready said it all. Well, let’s give it a try. sksam for Windows is the latest release Last month we saw Great Plains Software Afrom askSam Systems, Perry, Florida. Logitech’s digital present their Windows version of their ac- This is the WINDOWS version of askSam---- camera counting software. They sparked some inter- their freeform information management pro- OCTOBER 3RD est in the group as many stayed for the whole gram. I reviewed the DOS version in the May presentation even though their products ca- issue of Hard Copy. MySoftware will pabilities was beyond what most of us need, Let’s start this review with quotes from demonstrate several use or can afford. I understand they will be the press release that arrived with my evalu- of their small business back, demonstrating to a group of account- ation copy of the askSam: ‘‘askSam for Win- and home office ants in South county. dows is designed to make managing productivity packages This month I am going to demonstrate information as easy as using a word proces- Logitech’s digital camera. I wish I had it sor. Unlike traditional databases, askSam NOVEMBER 7TH before me so I could tell you more about it, does not require the user to understand Mark Jackson, but such is not the case right now. I do recall programming, or relational database con- regional rep. from some features of their first version (I don’t cepts, of data structures. It provides a simple, know if they have another out yet). It is flexible way for the user to effectively man- Frame Technology will diskless, meaning it stores up to 20 digital age information. demonstrate pictures in memory which must be dumped ‘‘AskSam for Windows removes the Framemaker to a computer within 24 hours or they will barriers that prevent the average user from be lost. It has a built in flash and the optimum managing information. In askSam structure DECEMBER 5TH format for a computer screen or printing is is optional, users are not required to define Christmas party, about 2" X 3". It requires no special internal fields. askSam’s full text search capabilities George & Bob’s card as the pictures are transferred through quickly locate any word or phrase in a Give-A-Way any common parallel port. I also remember the software is quite nice, where all pictures Continued on page 4 can be displayed at once in individual cells for editing purposes. I’m sure there are other features which we can explore during the In this issue . . . next meeting. Speaking of the next meeting, share- What’s New----Column ’s Floptical Drive ware enthusiasts please take note. It looks Bob Ward ...... 1 Bill Kendall ...... 5 like the museum is out for this coming month askSam for Win----Review The UnInstaller----Review as it is full of live reptiles including a couple DT Richmond ...... 1 Gary W. Wodka ...... 6 not-so-happy rattle snakes. Yes, they are Serious----Column Software Piracy caged but have hung a ‘‘Do Not Disturb’’ on Kathy Yakal ...... 2 Curtiss M. Trout ...... 8 the outside of their door. We will be finding Library News Club Info another room, I believe on the same floor but Bob Ward ...... 2 ...... 9 Icon Make-It----Review Treasurer’s Report Bob Ward ...... 3 ...... 9 Continued on page 3 A Serious Column Library News By Bob Ward----Secretary By Kathy Yakal----SLO Bytes PCUG Well I scrounged to the bottom of my K, this is going to be a serious column hard disk and came up with these jewels. A this month. No stories about Bob Ward O little something for everyone and no Win- stealing french fries, no tales about Bob dows for a change. being stingy with the taco chips. (See, the problem is, Bob wasn’t at the #567 ALG - Application label generator, officers’ dinner last month. I swore to him OTD - Find out what happened ‘‘on this when he called to find out where my column day’’. QSEL - quick select from a menu was that we hadn’t talked about him at how expensive college is going to be in ten directory. dinner. And we didn’t. Really. We were just years, and want to find a way to put away so happy to be able to enjoy our dinners plenty of money by then. Or maybe you’d #568 DART2D - Hypertext file viewer. without worrying about...wait, what’s that? like to start socking away money for retire- BM16 - Battery Master 1.6. Check out your Is that Bob Hunt’s fork reaching across the ment. Or you’re retired, and you’re worried battery on that portable computer. table to snatch some of Sam’s tri-tip? It is! about your savings dwindling away. Oh, no! Just because he’s named Bob, too, I Simply Money can help with your past, #569 DELETER - Permanently delete files. guess he felt obligated to take over while the present, and future money problems. It can LABELP31 - Labels Plus 3.1. Will label just Wardster was off doing whatever he was analyze your financial needs and resources about anything imaginable. VESADRVR - doing.) and help you develop better spending habits updates of many VESA video drivers. Nope, this is going to be a serious to carve away at your debts so you’ll have BOSSKEY - capture that favorite ‘‘business’’ column about a new personal finance prod- bigger bank accounts in the future. If all you screen. Then pop it back in place before the uct called Simply Money. Well, the full title want is simple checkbook management, it boss catches you playing Wolfenstein! is Kiplinger’s CA-Simply Money. Kiplinger, does that, too. And by organizing your fi- because the Kiplinger financial wizards nances, Simply Money can take some of the #570 JILL1 - Jill of the Jungle. Nice game. were in on the design, and CA because dread out of tax time. VGA and sound card support. Computer Associates, the second largest Though drop-down menus are also software company in the world, is publish- available, the program’s drag and drop icons #571 CW10 - Calndarwise 1.0. Nice ing it. If you know anything about Quicken simplify use tremendously. Want to set up an calendar program. Many features. or Managing Your Money, imagine a pro- account? Drag the account icon over to the SRDSK202 - Resizeable RAM disk. ver 2.02. gram that’s kind of a cross between the two setup icon. Need to pay a bill? Drag the of them, with a whiz-bang, state-of-the-art checking account icon over to the payee ; Windows user interface that uses custo- button. Like Quicken for Windows, Simply mizable, drag-and-drop icons, and you’ve Money’s onscreen forms resemble their real- got Simply Money. life counterparts. You fill in the blanks where Now imagine that you can get it free. It’s appropriate, select from popup ‘‘pick lists’’ of true! Computer Associates was going to give things like payees and categories, and an- away a million free copies, but when they swer queries in dialog boxes. hit a million, they decided to keep on going Simple stuff, eh? There’s more. Kiplin- for another hundred days. Unless they’ve ger’s Financial Advisor is one of the pro- run out, you can get one by calling 1-800- gram’s real selling points. It’s not as thorough New Members FREE-MONEY. or as tailored to your individual needs as a Now here’s 10 smart people. Thanks for (Speaking of running out, I wonder CPA or a stockbroker, but for those of us who joining SLO Bytes. We hope you can help where Bob was when he wasn’t at dinner can’t afford one of those, it offers solid, you with your computer problems and we with us. My guess is that he got tired of us specific advice on how to improve your hope you can help us with ours. Enjoy the making faces when he suggested we go to financial situation. club. Keep the officers busy. Make sugges- the Sizzler, and he went there by himself. I haven’t spent a lot of time with the tions (but not too many). Anyone happen to be there after last month’s program yet so this isn’t an official review, Evelyn Baxley 772-8740 meeting and see a tall guy skulking around but why doesn’t someone in the group get a Martha Churchyard 773-6226 wearing a big hat and sunglasses? Maybe copy, run it through its paces, and write a Justine Dunn 772-8519 swiping french fries off peoples’ plates as he review for Bob? I know he’d like that. Eugene Haslett 995-1047 walked by their tables and putting them in (All right, I’ll admit it: It was me who his pocket?) stole some of Sam’s tri-tip off his plate. I kind Hugo Pearson 995-1447 So anyway, Simply Money is cool. It’s of felt obligated since Bob was gone.) Jessie Reynolds 434-3252 aimed at folks like you: people who have a James Rickoff 544-1529 few bank accounts and maybe some invest- ; Ron Schow 772-6057 ments, and some long-term financial goals Glen Speck 543-5490 to meet. Maybe you’re thinking ahead to Ben Wells 546-8348

Page 2 August, 1993 Icon Make-It Animate Your Windows

By Bob Ward----SLO Bytes PCUG ike the little engine that said, ‘‘I think I can’’, gether. This is great if you want either the Lthere is a Windows program called, yes, foreground or background stationary with Icon-Do-It. Well, exactly what it does is the other animated. For a real busy icon try LITTER ANNOUNCEMENT create animated icons or cursors for Win- separate animations with the foreground and CH. Russet Leather Chato X dows. If you’re board looking at the same old background and combine the two for your Russet Leather Cheyenne Song Windows screen, then this is a way of keep- finished icon. If any animation frame needs 13 VIZSLA Pups----Whelped 8/8/93 ing you from falling asleep on your key- a slight modification, just click on it, paste it SHOW / HUNT / PET board. Now, Moon Valley Software, makers into the icon editor, make your modifications Profits from the sale of pups of Icon-Do-It have added an icon editor and back to the animation frame it goes. will go towards acquisition of a called Icon Make-It. This is a great little The animation editor has many other CD-ROM drive to access program you can use to add personalized very nice enhancements such as fade, dis- CorelDraw’s 18,000 pieces of Clip Art animated icons to any Windows screen. solve, zoom, rotate, melt, shift, blinds, shatter for the SLO Bytes HardCopy It works on a 32 pixel by 32 pixel matrix, and flatten. You can do almost anything with Contact: BOB WARD or TERI S. with a pallet of colors from which to choose. your icon and give it that professional touch. You can also use the many standard tools Packaged with Icon Make-It is Icon such as circle, square, fill, rotate, line, mirror Hear-It Lite. To add another dynamic feature What’s Happining---- and erase to draw your initial icon. Icon to your animated icons, you can attach Continued from page 1 Make-It comes with several screens of icons sounds to your icons. Just use Windows you can choose from if you arn’t artistic Program Manager and you can added in the opposite side of the building. There enough to make your own. Or with thou- sounds to events, dialog boxes, push buttons will be signs directing you to such. sands of icons in the shareware forum, just or Icons. You don’t need a sound card, the A little more about the library. We ask, capture, paste and modify, it’s as simple as PC speaker will work fine although the qual- when copying disks, that you use the menu that! Click on another choice and your icon ity of the sound will be somewhat limited. before you. If you want to use the computers can be pasted into Windows paint although I judge a program from ease of use. I try for any other purpose, other than what the I found the Icon Make-It editor more than to start and run the program without reading menu states, please ask Sam Powers who is adequate for my needs. One very nice fea- the documentation as so many of us do. I in charge of the library. The computers are ture lets you shift a whole icon to the right or found Icon Make-It very user friendly with virus-free but we can’t guarantee anything left, up or down; just what’s needed for very little help needed to create my Rem- when people jump to DOS and start doing continuous animation. Place a frame around brandt. Any help I needed came from the their own thing. Plus this makes it difficult for just part of the icon and you can selectively help screens provided with Icon Make-It in the next person in line, when the menu is move or rotate just that part of the whole Windows. gone. We can make exceptions but you must screen. If you are like me, I’m constantly I’ve had fun with this program. Al- Ask Sam (no pun intended, see other article) making mistakes and the ‘‘undo’’ feature though it’s not a program of worth such as a and let him do it. comes in handy. You can even take a picture database or wordprocessor, sometimes one Now we want to know what you think of your favorite desktop icon for modifica- just needs to have fun with their computer. of the Newsletter. You notice after removing tion and animation. This is the program where you can add a little the staple and unfolding it that the banner is The icon editor is just one of the many creativity and get something you can see and different each month. Perhaps you would modules to this program. Jump to the anima- admire. The creations add an aesthetic qual- like to give Teri Sorgatz (the one who creates tor (movie maker) with a few key strokes or ity to an otherwise drab, unmoving Win- this every month) some input as to your likes the mouse, and you can paste your creation dows screen. Remember don’t buy Icon and dislikes. I’m sure we could get her to into one of 20 animation frames. Each frame Make-It without buying Icon Do-It first. How settle on a single format but she needs to has a foreground and background display. frustrating to make animated icons without know which one. Just let me know what you Both displays can be combined in the ani- being able to install them into Windows. think and I will relay the message to her. mation when you wish to show them to- I will assume, without even knowing Moon Valley Software the content of Kathy Yakal’s column this 21608 N. 20th Ave. month, that little if anything is said about Phoneix, AZ 85027 french fries. That’s because I had other things 602-993-4950 to do last month after the meeting and could not attend our customary after-meeting din- ner. Plus, after all these years, it gave them an opportunity to talk about me in my ab- sence, although it never seemed to stop them ; even when I was there! ;

August, 1993 Page 3 askSam for Win---- Continued from page 1 database. For applications that require a structured data, asksam makes defining fields as easy as typing words in a word processor. (askSam operates as a word proc- essor, I am writing this review using that feature of askSam.) Defining field types or field length is not necessary. The user simply enters or imports information. ‘‘Using askSam for Windows does not require learning programming of a com- mand language. The powerful text search engine and the many other functions offered by the program can be accessed through simple pull down menus and dialog boxes. Creating reports has been simplified by the askSam report layout. Pre-defined database templates and reports are supplied for the most commonly used applications.’’ So much for the press release now let’s askSam’s Opening Screen look at the program: System requirements for askSam are modest, by todays standards. out in a created setting, provides a neat way line travel information service accessed by HARDWARE: An IBM or 100% com- for the user to get a grasp of the strength and modem). patible computer with a 386 or 486 CPU, at usefulness of askSam. To sum up my impressions of askSam least 4 MB of RAM, 2 MB free hard disk The first section of the Tutorial deals with and its many applications: askSam is a pow- space, and a high density floppy drive from Structured Information and provides exam- erful information management tool that is which to install askSam. SOFTWARE: DOS ples of how askSam can be used to manage presented in a form that the average com- 3.1 or higher and Windows 3.1. POINTING structured data. Examples of Address Files, puter user will have no trouble learning to DEVICE: Although most of askSam’s options Contact Lists, and Bibliographical Lists are use. I could have used more of its features to can be accessed using the keyboard, a furnished to aid learning such processes as: write this review. As the journalist did in the mouse or track ball is most desirable. Opening Existing Databases, Finding Cli- tutorial, I could have ‘‘cut and pasted’’ from AskSam for Windows comes with two ents, Editing Client Data, Sorting Data, Im- the press releases and by adding my own manuals: ‘‘Getting Started’’ and ‘‘Users porting, Mail Merge and Printing Labels. The comments had this review completed in a Guide’’ Getting Started covers the Installa- user is assigned the role of Account Rep. for much shorter time. It would have eliminated tion and the Tutorial. a travel magazine, my juggling act, the feat of balancing mate- The Installation GETAWAY and the job rial on my knee while at the keyboard copy- proved to be straight askSam. . . of selling advertising. ing outside material. forward and I had no presented in a form The Second Por- I experienced some trouble saving ma- problems. Selecting tion of the tutorial terial, losing some, until I got the hang of the the printer is the only that the average deals with Managing saving system. A spell checker and thesaurus set other than custom- computer user Freeform Data and would be welcome additions to the word izing the opening will have no trouble provides examples of processing phase of the program. I will make screen. learning to use. how askSam can be good use of askSam for Windows. The opening used to organize and screen of askSam resembles most word search freeform information. Examples pro- askSam Systems processing programs designed to operate in vided are E-Mail, Letters, Contracts, and P.O. Box 1428 the Windows environment. It can be cus- Documentation. Here the user learns the Perry, FL 32347 tomized to suit individual users tastes. (I processes used to Create a New Database, (800) 800-1997 could work without the ruler although it does Import Text Files, Define an Entry Form, Single User Price $395 tend to separate the COMMAND LINE from Search, Create Reports, Hypertext Search, the Work Space.) and Word Process with askSam. I will be away for three months ‘‘She The Tutorial is divided into two parts. In the second part of the Tutorial the who must be Obeyed’’ and I are off for a three The first deals with Structured Information learner is assigned a different role: that of a months visit to Australia. Will write a report the other with Freeform Information. journalist working for the travel magazine of the trip when we return. The instructions in the Tutorial proved GETAWAY. The assignment is to write an to very interesting. The approach of assign- article on the subject ‘‘Has Tourism Ruined ; ing roles, and then having the user act them Bali?’’ using TRAVEL-LINE (a fictitious on-

Page 4 August, 1993 Iomega’s Floptical Drive

By Bill Kendall---- From BugBytes, the Central Maryland Micro Computer User Group Newsletter, June 1993 had never heard the term ‘‘floptical drive’’ whether you want the Floptical Drive to be the Floptical Drive exactly as you would any Ibefore Jan Ruderman came to the CMMUG Drive A or something else. other disk drive. meeting on March 17. If I’d had to guess what Three other jumpers determine what THE TECHNOLOGY it meant, I would have imagined it was block of memory the host adapter uses. After How does the Floptical Drive work? something Dr. Ruth discussed with men in much study and work with utilities to try to Iomega publishes a booklet, the Floptical my age group! Jan is the District Sales Engi- find if there were any memory conflicts, I Technology Primer, that explains it very well. neer for Iomega, a company that makes tape decided to go with the default selection and CMMUG still had some copies at the last backup drives, Bernoulli Drives, and yes - just plug it in and turn it on. It worked the first meeting. (Most of this explanation is cribbed The Floptical Drive - which, as he quickly time! Incidentally, you can reach these from that book.) Put very simply, it uses a explained, is a new kind of disk drive. jumpers without removing the controller laser and optical tracking to allow many WHAT IS A FLOPTICAL? board from the computer. more tracks to be placed on a 3.5" disk. High Have you ever wished that your com- If you’re running Windows and using a density 1.44MB disks have 135 tracks per puter had unlimited storage space? Well, of memory manager, you need to add a line to inch. Flopticals have 1,245. The tracks are course, you can always go out and buy more the CONFIG.SYS file (or the Windows SYS- actually placed onto the disk physically, floppies. The problem is, they don’t hold TEM.INI file) to protect the block of memory either by stamping the disks in a press, or enough data and they’re slow. That’s why used by the host adapter. This is easy - there’s etching them into the disk with a laser. hard drives are so popular. But what if a a chart in the manual that indicates which Iomega developed the laser technology. floppy held 21 megabytes? And what if the block of memory to select for each jumper To read, write, and format the tracks on drive ran 3 times faster than your old 3.5" configuration, and the instructions tell you floptical disks, the Iomega drive uses Holo- floppy drive, and could read, write, and exactly what to type. After the installation is graphic Optical Tracking. The laser projects format 720K and 1.44MB floppies as well as complete, when you turn on the computer a a Moir pattern onto the surface of the disk. floptical disks? message on the screen says ‘‘Host adapter The pattern illuminates an area of the disk We’re talking now about the Floptical initializing’’; then the computer boots up several tracks wide, and is reflected to a Drive. Though originally intended as a way DOS. The floptical drive will not initialize if photo detector. This enables very accurate of increasing storage space on older comput- there’s a memory conflict. If you don’t see the tracking. ers with small hard drives, it is selling well message, try a different jumper setting. There For 720K and 1.44MB disks, the Flop- across a broad range of computer users. It is are eight possible selections. tical Drive has a second read-write head compatible with IBM XT, AT, and newer FORMATTING AND COPYING with a larger gap. Iomega uses an optical models (I have a 486 clone), and is also The drive comes with a disk of utility encoder that simulates the spacing of the available for the . External and programs, including one called tracks; some other manufacturers use a step- internal models are available, and the pack- ‘‘FMTFLOPT.EXE’’ that enables you to use the per motor. If you have a 720K drive, you age includes two floptical disks and a con- DOS format command to format floptical won’t have trouble reading disks formatted troller (called a host adapter) that goes into disks. I had resigned myself to a long wait for with the Floptical Drive. an expansion slot. It is something like five a disk to format - I hate formatting floppies. The magnetic material used in Floptical times more expensive than a 1.44MB floppy Surprise! The disk formatted in about two Disks is also different - it’s barium ferrite, and drive, but each disk stores 14 times more seconds. You can also format 720K and has several advantages over gamma ferric data. 1.44MB disks. The drive automatically de- oxide, used in normal floppy disks. Iomega INSTALLATION termines the capacity of the disk you put in, guarantees the disks for 15 years. Jan Ruder- It was a pleasant surprise to find that the so there’s no problem remembering com- man pointed out that floppy disks haven’t installation was easy. My new Floptical Drive mands. It’s no faster at formatting the older even been in use for 15 years yet, so nobody was an internal model; that meant taking the disk formats, though - you still have to wait. really knows how long they’ll last. cover off the computer and screwing the Too bad. TECHNICAL SUPPORT drive into a bay, then plugging in the control- Now that I had a working drive, the next AND PRICES ler board and setting four jumpers. problem was - what to put on that first disk? While preparing this article, I called Part of installing the drive is deciding I made a boot disk with ALL of DOS 5.0, then Iomega technical support several times for whether you want to use it as drive A. I started putting software on it. I put on Word information, and was never kept waiting decided that it would be handy to have a 21 Perfect, all my favorite utilities, a data base, longer than two minutes. When I needed megabyte boot disk! There’s a jumper on the and several games, and I still had half of the information on prices I was transferred to the controller board that determines whether the disk space left. Then I turned off the computer Manager of Marketing, Steve Wise. He told Floptical Drive is Drive A or the next avail- and booted up with my new drive A. Just for me that Iomega does not establish ‘‘sug- able drive letter (in my case, E.) I wasted a lot fun, I ran the programs, which I had not really gested retail prices’’, but this policy may of time worrying about drive assignments, installed on the Floptical Drive but had sim- change soon. It definitely pays to shop and finally realized that it’s all handled by ply copied from Drive C. Everything worked around. Steve said they’ve seen prices from DOS. The only thing you have to do is decide fine, and there were no surprises - you use Continued on page 6

August, 1993 Page 5 Iomega---- ($299), with the PC1600B SCSI controller easy to decide which programs to move onto Continued from page 5 (about $350). This is a true SCSI controller flopticals. that works with all SCSI devices. Call Jan CONCLUSION $299 to $459, with the average being Ruderman or the technical support line for The Floptical Drive is unquestionably around $350 for IBM computers. For the more information. superior to any existing floppy drive. Used Mac, the street price for the Floptical Drive USES along with my hard drive, it provides a runs from $399 to $459. Jan Ruderman urges Now that I’ve had this drive for a few convenient and efficient way to back up CMMUG members to call him before buy- weeks, what do I use it for? Mostly for programs and organize files. I can run pro- ing a drive; this also goes for Bernoullis and backups, and for less frequently used soft- grams or use data directly from the floptical tape backup drives, by the way! Iomega is ware. If your kid has games that take huge disk, an advantage over tape backup units. negotiating with several manufacturers and chunks of your hard disk, you can put them Its versatility and compatibility with other the Floptical Drive may soon be showing up on flopticals. They will run just fine, though disk formats makes it a very useful addition in new computers. slightly slower. Mantis, the largest game I to my system. The disks themselves cost about the tried on the floptical (20 MB), runs fine even The Iomega Floptical Drive with normal amount for storage----a buck per though the instructions say that it must be RT1000B Host Adapter is available through: megabyte. I bought a 5 pack at CompUSA installed on a hard disk. and it cost $99. If I’d called Jan, maybe I I also copied 14 high density disks of Iomega, Inc. could’ve found a better deal, but the price shareware downloads onto one floptical. 8230 Leesburg Pike didn’t seem bad when I realized I was getting The space saved in is amazing, Vienna, VA 22182-2641 105 megabytes of disk space. and it’s a lot easier to organize data and Jan Ruderman, District Sales Engineer OS/2 NOTE programs stored on a few floptical disks than (703) 506-8813 One informational note for OS/2 users; on dozens of 3.5" high density floppies, not Technical Support: the RT1000B host adapter does not work to mention 720K floppies. This makes the (800) 456-5522 with OS/2. If you are an OS/2 user, you need computer gobble up a little less space in my to get the Floptical Drive Model 50700519 house. If you have a problem maintaining a ; little free space on your hard disk, as I do, it’s

Copyright 1993 by Madison PC User’s Group, P.O. Box 2598, Madison, WI 53701. All rights reserved. This file was originally printed in the June 1993 Bits & PC’s, a publication of the Madison PC User’s Group, and may be reprinted only by not-for-profit organizations. Please give proper credit to the author and Bits & PC’s. The Uninstaller

By Gary W. Wodka----Madison PC User’s Group e do Windows could well be the motto one or more of the INI files. After all, these staller will sniff out all the tracks left by a Wfor a new utility program from Micro- are the files that control how Windows acts. program and erase the files, wherever they Help, Inc. But what happens after you’re done happen to be sitting. This can free up literally How many times has it happened to with a Windows program, or need to clear millions of bytes of space on a hard drive. you? You just got a new program, and you’re it out to make space for a ‘‘new and im- How does it do it? MAGIC! dying to get it loaded to try it out. Since you proved’’ program? Erasing the files in the Taking up just over 550K in its own are a ‘‘state-of-the-art’’ kind of guy, the pro- individual program’s directory is simple directory, and nearly as much in the Win- gram is a Windows program. You follow all enough, even if you’re using the Windows dows\System directory, UnInstaller is a snap the instructions with regards to getting the File Manager. And as we already saw, you to install. During installation, the program new program loaded. During the installa- can rename your AUTOEXEC.BAT and will suggest to you that you read the tion, the program asks if it can update your CONFIG.SYS files (if you remember what READ.ME files in case there were changes AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files. the old ones were saved as!). But what about since the manual was printed. In my case, You have to answer ‘‘Yes’’ or the program all those nasty hidden files: those left behind there were none. UnInstaller will create two won’t run. No problem. You are constantly in the Windows directories under a myriad icons in the Accessories menu under Win- putzing with those two files anyway, and can of other names? How do you get rid of them? dows. One is for the UnInstall program, and redo them if you need to. And most Win- (Whew, that was a long introduction, but one is called IniClean. These two programs dows programs will save your old files under we’re finally to the point where I start de- do basically the same thing, but in different some arcane name, just in case. But what scribing the program to be reviewed.) situations. happens to the other files on your computer? MicroHelp, Inc. has given us a program The manual included from MicroHelp I’m talking about those Windows control- that should be included with every Win- is minuscule by today’s standards: only 100 type files, the infamous INI files! Virtually dows program distributed, no matter who pages. It begins with the typical installation every Windows program adds or modifies the manufacturer is. UnInstaller will help you clean the trash out of Windows. UnIn- Continued on page 7

Page 6 August, 1993 UnInstall---- Continued from page 6 instructions, then progresses to a section called ‘‘Primers’’ in which the basics of Win- dows operations are explained. WIN.INI is covered in easy-to-understand language. Also explained are how Windows knows what to run, where applications load instruc- tions (besides their ‘‘dedicated’’ directory), other INI files, and a description of what happens in a typical directory deletion. When you run UnInstaller, the first thing you’ll be asked to do is select a program to uninstall. This window will automatically list all the applications that have been logged into the Program Manager. They are listed by groups. If the application you are looking to erase isn’t listed, you can manually select an application that is not listed by pressing the Browse button. Once the program is selected, press the Analyze button. This screen lists all the individual ‘‘modules’’ of a program, such as main program, INI files, help files, all files The Program Selection Screen with DOC extension, etc. It will also list the location of the selected files, no matter section to WIN.INI. In this case, you’ll select THING UNLESS YOU KNOW THAT IT’S where they are on your hard drive. Each line the Browse button from the main menu and SAFE TO DO SO! represents an item that UnInstaller has sug- type in the name of a program that has How will you know? Use the Uninstall gested for removal. Some of the listed items already been removed. Don’t worry about Report. (Remember, this report can be are files, while others may refer to informa- the fact that the program file does not exist printed to give you a list of the files suggested tion tucked away inside your INI files. anywhere on your system. This is a SMART for removal). Take this report to a geek-friend This utility will create a report of every- program! Choosing Analyze will allow Un- (a Windows expert or technical support line thing it does, showing which application Installer to find all traces of the target appli- of the company that publishes the applica- you chose to remove and what files, and all cation. How does it know? MAGIC! tion you are uninstalling). Let them explain associations that were deleted. Whenever The program is so easy to use, you’ll why a file is right or wrong. you’re in doubt wonder why no one The manual included with UnInstaller about deleting a par- has come up with it is an excellent resource describing the types ticular item, the UnInstaller before now. But it’s of files contained in Windows and why they manual recom- will help not perfect! It will are there. There’s also an on-line help file mends that you tell usually know what with definitions and suggestions. Included UnInstaller to create you clean out should be removed in the files that are installed is the MicroHelp a report by selecting the trash from your computer. Tech Support phone number. You probably the first line item in of But sometimes an won’t need it, but it’s there just in case. the list box. Then if Windows. application with a Retailing for $79.95, this is a must-have there’s a problem, very short name will utility if you do much kibitzing with Win- you can show the re- get confused with dows programs. It will help you search and port to an expert and request advice. By another application having a similar, but destroy unwanted programs and their drop- simply pressing the Uninstall button, all se- longer name. Also, more than one applica- pings. It should be included with every lected files are deleted. That’s all there is to tion may depend on a WIN.INI section that Windows program on the market today. it! UnInstaller suggests for deletion. In either IniClean works just like UnInstall, ex- case, STOP RIGHT THERE! When UnIn- MicroHelp, Inc. cept it is designed to help clean up your staller has doubts about an item, it’s up to 4359 Shallowford Industrial Parkway system if you have already removed an you to decide whether it should be deleted. Marietta, Georgia 3006 application without the benefit of UnInstal- If you keep the following rule in mind (which (404) 516-0898 ler. As a general rule, you’ll use IniClean if is boxed, italicized and bolded in big print you think an application made only minor in the manual): DON’T DELETE ANY- changes to Windows, such as adding a ;

August, 1993 Page 7 Copyright (C) 1993, Pentagon PC User Group. All rights re- Permission for reproduction in whole or in part is hereby granted served. Bits ’N Bytes, February 1993. Reproduction without written for other non-profit use, provided credit is given to the PPCUG and permission of the editor is forbidden unless articles are used in to the author(s) of the reproduced material. All other reproduction non-commercial publications and due credit is given to both the without prior written permission of the PPCUG is prohibited. author and the Pentagon PC User Group. For further information regarding the articles or authors, contact: (This is an original article from the Bits and Bytes, the newsletter Dennis Schulman of the Pinellas IBM PCUG for January 93. Copyright (c) 1993 by the Editor, Bits & Bytes 4830 W. Kennedy Blvd. Suite 595 Tampa, FL Pinellas PC User Group. All rights reserved. 33609 (813) 286-2874 x112)

Software Piracy

By John Ward Pinellas----IBM PCUG From Bits & Bytes Clearwater, FL recent article in the Monday Business ● COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE IS NOT ASection of the St. Petersburg Times FREE AND IS NOT TO BE COPIED prompted me to take this opportunity to FOR DISTRIBUTION remind our members of the seriousness of As Users Group Members, we have an Software Piracy. There are those in the indus- obligation to do our part to prevent the piracy try who believe Users Groups are among the which is so prevalent in the computer user primary offenders. They think we, the User society. I suggest the following as some of the Group Members, follow the practice of pass- ways we can contribute to honesty and ing around copies of copyrighted software fairness in the marketplace. to our friends and other members. First of all, take time now and register Let me explore, for your benefit, the that shareware package you have been using options available to you. You will not be for the past months or years. You will reap subject to criticism - or worse, legal penalty benefits in the form of upgrades and on-line - if you take advantage of the opportunity to help. pass along copies of shareware either before Second, encourage all your friends - to or after you have become a registered users. whom you have given shareware you like - The Association is obtaining search Each of you who are users of shareware to register with the developer. If all of us did warrants, showing up with U S Marshalls, should recognize that shareware developers this, the developers would be overwhelmed and searching a company’s computers for are dependent on the individual registra- and encouraged to produce even better soft- evidence of the illegal users of multiple cop- tions. Too many of us - and I have been guilty ware and provide a greater variety and ies of software. The SPA says, ‘‘too many of this - fail to send in the registration fee for higher quality than you could possibly imag- companies are guilty of ’softlift’ - which is the a software program which we use regularly. ine. (Profit is a great motivator in a capitalistic practice of buying one copy of a software This is a violation of the implied agreement society.) package and then making multiple copies you accepted when you committed to using When it comes to commercially pro- for use on a number of computers.’’ the shareware. duced software, there are some serious One such company in Seattle was It is also permissible to make copies of problems. In the early days of the Association found to be using dozens of unauthorized freeware. This is software which is consid- of P C Users Groups, it was obvious that the copies of software. They were required to ered to be in the ‘‘public domain’’ and, groups were active in the discussions con- pay a $350,000 penalty. It is estimated that therefore, not subject to copyright infringe- erning copy protection. I cannot recall any- piracy results in losses as high as $1.2 billion ment. one taking the floor to speak in favor of copy each year. You have the option to pass along cop- protection. Needless to say, the producers On the local level there is another way ies of demonstration disks provided by soft- were very skeptical about removing copy we can help to enlighten the illegal user of ware companies. These disks are provided protection. software. Those of us who are listed in the to allow the user to run through the actual Pressure from users and groups all over Help Line in the Bits & Bytes should make applications. They are provided in the hope the world finally brought the producers to sure we are answering questions for author- that you will like what you see and then their knees. I am not aware of the current ized users by inquiring if the caller has a purchase the software. position of the major producers regarding manual and is a registered user. If the caller Keep in mind that: the results of eliminating copy protection. It does not appear to be a registered user, send ● FREEWARE IS FREE is my candid opinion, however, that viola- a copy of this article to him or her with the ● DEMONSTRATION DISKS ARE tions of the software license agreement are suggestion as to where they may obtain the USUALLY FREE rampant, and the Software Publishers Asso- software at a discounted or street price. ● SHAREWARE IS NOT FREE ciation has begun to take drastic action to protect their members. ;

Page 8 August, 1993 Club Information

HARD COPY is a monthly publication of SLO BYTES PC User’s Group located in San Luis Obispo, California. Information in this Newsletter is derived from both our own membership and other PC User Group Meeting Times Newsletters. The purpose of this publication is to inform our members of meetings and ● General meetings are held the 1st provide information related to the use of IBM Sunday of every month, unless noted PC’s and compatible computers. otherwise in the newsletter calendar, at Membership: Dues are $20 per year. 2:30 pm in the Cal Poly University Newsletter only is $12 per year. Full Biology Department, Fisher Hall 286. Treasurer’s Report ● membership entitles you to our monthly Special Interest Groups (SIGS) meet at SLO BYTES PCUG newsletter, full use of the public domain 1:00 to 2:00 pm. EXPENDITURES software library and discounts at local -- General Information SIG: August 1993 computer stores. Fisher Hall 286 Beginning Balance: $ 885.30 Article Submission: Deadline for -- New computer user SIG: submission of articles is the 15th of each Fisher Hall 292 Expenses: month. Articles should be provided in ASCII Newsletter 7/93 - 116.37 format without any type of formatting from Checking Acct. Chgs. - 5.00 your wordprocessor including tabs, indents, BBS Phone Bill - 8.93 extra spaces, or highlighting. We prefer Long Distance Phone - 25.27 articles on disk but will accept hardcopies if necessary. Disclaimer: Neither SLO BYTES PC User’s Deposit ---- 08/04/93: 571.00 Group, its officers, editors, or contributors to this newsletter assume liability for damages Balance ---- 08/04/93: $ 1300.73 arising out of this publication of any article, including but not limited to the listing of programming code, batch files and other PAGE LAYOUT COMPLIMENTS OF TERI A SORGATZ helpful hints. Reprinting of this Newsletter: Articles from this newsletter may be reprinted by other Floppy Disks 4-Sale at the Meeting user groups if credit is given to both the author and newsletter from which it was DSDD 360K Formatted Floppy Disks with labels, tabs, and sleeves ...... 55¢ Each taken. Reproduction of articles with a DSDD 360K Formatted Label Over Floppy Disks ...... 45¢ Each specific © Copyright notice is prohibited without prior permission from the original Generic High Density Formatted Floppy Disks (5.25" X 1.2 Mb) ...... 70¢ Each author. Generic 3.5" X 720K Formatted Floppy Disks ...... 70¢ Each Advertising: Commercial advertisers, request ad packet from Bob Ward. Members Generic 3.5" X 1.44 Mb Formatted Floppy Disks ...... 90¢ Each may advertise personal computer New Library Disks ...... 90¢ Each equipment or software for free. Submit your ad to Bob Ward. All Disks fully guaranteed against defects.

Slo Bytes Officers Slo Bytes BBS Direct all correspondence and newsletter President George Campbell submissions to: Vice President Sam Powers (805) 528-6172 14,400 / 8 / N / 1 BOB WARD, SECRETARY Treasurer Marilyn Jenkins 2100 Andre Ave. PC Files (9,000+) Secretary Bob Ward Los Osos, CA. 93402 and Message Section Call (805) 756-2164 Editors B. Ward & T. Sorgatz

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