*********************************************************** Microsoft(R) WinNews Electronic Newsletter Vol. 2, #21, December 4, 1995 *********************************************************** One of the most interesting features of Windows 95 is that it continues to have features constantly updated. One of the more important ones is that the latest version of Internet Explorer 2.0, Microsoft's World Wide Web browser for Windows 95, is now available to for downloading for no charge from our website (http://www.microsoft.com/windows). Full details are provided below. You also might want to check out how to make create your own customized web page on the Microsoft Network home page at http://www.msn.com. We will also have more information on Microsoft's Internet plans in our next issue of WinNews. Some other important news included is that Microsoft's Product Support Services announced the hours it will be open during the holidays for supporting Windows 95 and Microsoft Home products. Also, we have information about the SDK for Microsoft Speech. Please note that due to the large amount of content in this issue - the regular "Windows 95 Logoed Products" is not in this issue. It will return in the Dec. 18 issue. This issue of WinNews contains: 1. "WINDOWS 95 HINTS AND TIPS" Our regular feature offering some helpful ways to use Windows 95. Hints provided in this issue focus on the Internet. 2. "MICROSOFT SHIPS INTERNET EXPLORER 2.0" Find out all the details on the latest Microsoft software now available for checking out World Wide Web sites. 3. "MICROSOFT PRODUCT SUPPORT OFFERS TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY TO HOLIDAY CUSTOMERS" A listing of hours that Product Support will be open during the upcoming holiday season. 4. "FINAL RELEASE OF MICROSOFT SPEECH SDK" Information on the SDK for speech recognition and text-to-speech capabilities for Windows 95 and Windows NT. 5. "ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON WINDOWS 95" Our regular feature on various questions from users. This issue includes some help on hardware peripherals. 6. "TECHNET OFFERS SINGLE-ISSUE CD SAMPLER" TechNet is a CD-ROM subscription service for technical professionals. If you are not a TechNet subscriber, here is an offer to check out what it is all about. 7. "INFORMATION REGARDING SYNCRONYS SOFTRAM95" There have been several questions regarding Syncronys' improper use of the Windows 95 logo. Here are the facts about this situation. 8. "POPULAR QUESTION REGARDING THE WINDOWS 95 LOGO" We are including this to provide you with details on how the logo program works, and what the advantages of the program are. 9."NEW POSTINGS TO WINDOWS 95 WEB SITE AND FORUMS" Our regular information of new postings to various on-line servers locations - and how to access these files. QUICK NOTES A. Stocking stuffer ideas for the busy computer user? Two of the most popular related items to Windows 95 has been Microsoft Plus! and the Windows 95 Resource Kit. Microsoft Plus! provides compression, a system agent, cool desktop themes and a great 32-bit game of pinball. The Windows 95 Resource Kit (with companion CD has been on the computer book best-seller lists since August. The 1,300-page book and companion CD provide leading-edge technical information and tools to assist advanced users, programmers, corporate developers and support professionals who are planning on or considering implementing Windows 95 operating system. Jay Goldstein WinNews Editor *********************************************************** SUBSCRIPTIONS If you know someone who might be interested in WinNews, please instruct them to: 1. Send Internet e-mail to: ENEWS99@MICROSOFT.NWNET.COM 2. Send the message from the account that you wish to subscribe (some people use more than one e-mail account). 3. Subject line should be blank. 4. Body of message should ONLY have in the text: SUBSCRIBE WINNEWS You may also feel free to forward this document, provided you forward it in its entirety, as per the copyright notice below. If you wish to stop receiving WinNews, send mail to enews@microsoft.nwnet.com with a blank subject line and the body of the message should only have in the text: UNSUBSCRIBE WINNEWS. WinNews is published twice a month, on the first and third Monday of each month. Special editions of WinNews may also be sent out occasionally. *********************************************************** 1. WINDOWS 95 HINTS AND TIPS The following are a few useful hints and tips that will result in a more productive work environment. We hope these are tips you can pass on to the users you support. A. Accessing Internet Resources Via the Run Command Click the Start button and choose Run. Type the URL address in the Run Command Line. Example: http://www.microsoft.com. Internet Explorer will launch and automatically initiate a connection to the desired address. B. Saving Images As Wallpaper Using Internet Explorer >From Internet Explorer, right click on the desired image and choose Set As Desktop Wallpaper. *********************************************************** 2. MICROSOFT SHIPS INTERNET EXPLORER 2.0 * Fastest-Growing Web Browser for Windows 95-Based PCs * Logo-Licensing Program Implemented to Ensure Best-Possible Viewing Experience REDMOND, Wash. - Microsoft Corp. today released the final version of Microsoft(R) Internet Explorer 2.0, the newest version of the popular Internet browser for the Windows(R) 95 operating system. Internet Explorer is the fastest-growing browser software in the industry; approximately one-third of licensed users of Windows 95 who use an Internet browser obtained the browser within 90 days of the release of version 1.0. In response to the fast growth, Microsoft also announced the Internet Explorer licensing program. Internet Explorer version 2.0 is widely available for downloading at no charge to licensed users of Windows 95 via the Internet. It is available on the Windows home page at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows. Internet Explorer 2.0 offers easy Internet access and use, high performance, and advanced security. In addition, it is the first browser to support advanced multimedia and 3-D graphics capabilities. "We're excited that customers have made Internet Explorer the fastest-growing browser on the market," said Brad Chase, general manager in the personal systems division at Microsoft. "Customers indicated they wanted a browser that was compatible with existing standards, simple to use, fast and which provided easy access to the Internet. Internet Explorer 2.0 provides that and also delivers state-of-the-art features such as 3-D graphics and advanced security." In less than three months, Internet Explorer has become one of the most popular browsers on the market. Hundreds of thousands of users of Windows 95 have downloaded Internet Explorer since its initial availability in August. Version 2.0 can be downloaded from the Microsoft Windows World Wide Web home page (http://www.microsoft.com/windows) at no charge (other than the cost, if applicable, of online time while downloading). Developers and "webmasters" can also download Internet Explorer as part of the Internet Toolbox, an online Internet Software Development Kit that is scheduled to be available in December. Internet Explorer will be available in twelve additional languages, most of which are scheduled to ship within a month. The languages supported are Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Pan-European English, Spanish and Swedish. Logo Program Assures Users of Richest-Possible Viewing Experience Under the new Internet Explorer Logo Licensing Program, Web publishers can display an authorized Microsoft logo on their Web site, indicating the site works well with Internet Explorer 2.0. The familiar Windows(R) logo assures users that a Web site was specifically designed to provide them with the richest-possible viewing experience and that it contains some of the Internet's most advanced features and technologies. Some of the cool new technologies that Web authors can take advantage of include marquees (moving text), inline AVIs, table colors, watermarks and background sounds. Microsoft is also working with qualified developers to provide an automated process that will enable visitors to automatically download the most current version of Internet Explorer directly from the developer's Web site. Web publishers, developers and others can obtain further information on the logo licensing program by visiting the Microsoft home page. With the release of Internet Explorer 2.0, Microsoft offers full support for Web standards supported by other popular browsers on the market, such as Netscape Navigator. "Internet Explorer's compatibility with existing standards is key," said Tom Hagopian, general manager of ESPNET at ESPN. "Now all Internet Explorer 2.0 users can experience the full richness of the ESPNET SportsZone site." Internet Explorer 2.0 is the first browser to offer enhanced Internet capabilities, including: * Improved Web support. Internet Explorer 2.0 provides superior integration with today's Web pages by supporting Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) 3.0 tables, access to Internet newsgroups, a toolbar for instant access to the world's most powerful Web search engines, and the ability to run animations using client-pull technology. * Advanced security. Internet Explorer 2.0 offers comprehensive support for current Internet security standards, including secure sockets layer (SSL) and RSA encryption, which allows integration with secure sites; private communication technology (PCT) and efficient and secure upgrade to the SSL protocol; and secure transaction technology (STT), an electronic-payment technology jointly developed by Microsoft and Visa International. * Multimedia support. Internet Explorer 2.0 provides new features and HTML extensions to take full advantage of the most sophisticated Web pages. New features include inline AVIs for embedded videos, scrolling banners, background audio, context-sensitive menus, and inline Virtual Reality Markup Language for fast viewing of 3-D objects and animation. Internet Explorer 2.0 has also been distributed to the major on-line services for posting. If you subscribe to one of these services, you may be able to download it from your service. *********************************************************** 3. MICROSOFT PRODUCT SUPPORT OFFERS TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY TO HOLIDAY CUSTOMERS REDMOND, Wash. - To accommodate the support needs of holiday software purchasers, Microsoft Corp. will extend its standard, no-charge technical-support hours in the United States for the Microsoft Windows(R) 95 operating system Microsoft Home products, as well as, during the Christmas and New Year's holidays. Customers will have access to standard support (no-charge technical support via a toll line) for Windows 95 and Home products during regularly scheduled hours as well as during the following holiday hours: Monday, Dec. 25 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST Tuesday, Dec. 26 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST Saturday, Dec. 30 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST Sunday, Dec. 31 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST Monday, Jan. 1 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST All retail Windows 95 and Microsoft Home products provide collateral explaining Microsoft support policies, as well as the no-charge phone number customers can use to access support during normal hours and the holiday season. Windows 95 includes 90 days of no-charge support (not including networking issues) from the time of the customer's first support call. All Microsoft Home products come with unlimited, no- charge support Monday through Friday. 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific time. In addition, Microsoft support offers fee-based support for all products 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. *********************************************************** 4. FINAL RELEASE OF MICROSOFT SPEECH SDK REDMOND, Wash. - The Microsoft(R) Speech Software Developers Kit (SDK) has been released to manufacturing and will be made available on the January edition of the Microsoft Developer Network CD-ROM, level II. In addition, the SDK will be shipped to developers who participated in the beta program. The Microsoft Speech SDK enables developers to integrate speech-recognition and text-to-speech capabilities in applications for the Microsoft Windows(R) 95 and Microsoft Windows NT(tm) operating systems. The SDK includes the Microsoft Speech API for 32-bit applications, sample source code, documentation, and information about speech recognition and text-to-speech engine vendors supporting the API. For more information on MSDN subscription information (in the US) call (800) 759-5474. Outside the U.S. contact your local Microsoft office for more information. *********************************************************** 5. ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON WINDOWS 95 This regular feature of WinNews provides help on questions that are frequently asked to our Product Support team. A complete list of these questions can be found at Microsoft website at: http://www.microsoft.com/support/ products/windows95/windows95.htm. Question 1: Why does Windows 95 not detect my SCSI CD-ROM drive? Windows 95 detects only proprietary CD-ROM drives (such as Panasonic, Mitsumi, and Sony CD-ROM drives). Although Windows 95 does not detect CD-ROM drives on SCSI controllers, it does detect supported SCSI controllers. Your SCSI CD-ROM drive is accessible because the enumerator for the SCSI controller also enumerates the CD-ROM drive. Question 2: Why doesn't Setup detect my CD-ROM drive? Windows 95 may not detect your CD-ROM drive if it is attached to a Media Vision sound card. Setup searches for CD-ROM drives at several base I/O addresses, but a CD-ROM drive attached to a Media Vision sound card is not in the range of addresses that Setup checks. Setup retains the existing real-mode drivers for the CD-ROM drive, but the Windows 95 CD-ROM drivers may provide better performance. If you prefer to use Windows 95 protected-mode drivers to access your CD-ROM drive, you can set them up manually. To do so, you need to know the CD-ROM drive's settings. To set up the CD-ROM drive, follow these steps: 1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. 2. Double-click the Add New Hardware icon, and then click the Next button. 3. Click the No option button, and then click Next. 4. Click CD-ROM controllers, and then click Next. 5. In the Manufacturers box, click your brand CD-ROM. In the Models box, click the name of your CD-ROM Controller, and then click Next. 6. Click Next, and then click Finish. 7. When you are prompted to restart your computer, click No. 8. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. 9. Double-click the System icon. 10. On the Device Manager tab, double-click the CD-ROM Controllers branch, and then double-click the CD-ROM's Controller. 11. Click the Resources tab. 12. In the Settings Based On box, click Basic Configuration 0 13. Click the Use Automatic Settings check box to clear it. 14. Use the Change Settings button to modify the resources to match the CD-ROM drive's settings. 15. Click OK. 16. When you are prompted to restart your computer, do so. To verify that the CD-ROM drive is set up correctly, check it in Device Manager to see that no problems are reported in the Device Status box. Also, make sure that you can read a CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive. If you have other questions about Windows 95, we encourage you to get more information from our website at http://www.windows.com/windows, or from the many online forums and bulletin boards which support Windows 95. *********************************************************** 6. TECHNET OFFERS SINGLE-ISSUE CD SAMPLER REDMOND, Wash. - For a limited time, customers of Microsoft can purchase a sample issue of TechNet, the comprehensive information resource for evaluating, implementing and supporting Microsoft(R) business products. The TechNet CD Sampler previews most of the content available through an annual subscription for only one-tenth the subscription price. Sample content includes product facts, white papers and technical notes on Microsoft products, as well as the resource kits for the Windows(R) 95 operating system and Office for Windows 95. The CD also contains information on products in the Microsoft BackOffice(tm) integrated family of server software, such as the Windows NT(tm) operating system and Microsoft Exchange Server. The TechNet CD Sampler is available for US $29.95 by calling 800-344-2121 (in the U. S. or Canada). Customers who purchase the sampler will receive a US $30 ($40 Can.) rebate coupon that can be applied toward an annual subscription to TechNet purchased through an authorized Microsoft reseller. A full year of TechNet costs approximately $299 for a single user license or $699 for a single server, unlimited user license. This offer expires June 28, 1996; coupons must be received by July 12, 1996. OUTSIDE THE US AND CANADA: For more information on offers outside the US and Canada, please check the TechNet website at http://www.microsoft.com/technet or contact your local Microsoft office. TechNet is a CD-ROM-based information subscription service designed specifically for technical professionals who evaluate and select new products, administer databases or networks, integrate products and platforms, or support and train users. TechNet provides ready-made solutions and information on Microsoft products, allowing corporate help desk managers to build a solid support infrastructure for their users while reducing annual support costs. *********************************************************** 7. INFORMATION REGARDING SYNCRONYS SOFTRAM95 Recently, there have been questions regarding a third- party utility from Syncronys Software called SoftRAM95. The purpose of this document is to answer those questions about SoftRAM95 and the 'Designed for Windows 95' logo. Is SoftRAM95 an authorized 'Designed For Windows 95' logo (the "Logo") licensee? No. Syncronys is not authorized to use the Logo with respect to any product, advertisement, or marketing materials. They may also not claim to have the Logo. Was Syncronys ever licensed to use the Logo on SoftRAM95 or any other product? No. Syncronys failed to comply with the required terms and conditions for licensing the Logo. How did Syncronys get the artwork for the logo for their box? We don't know. The artwork they used does not abide by the logo usage terms. Doesn't this situation with Syncronys question the validity and usefulness of the Windows 95 logo? Microsoft never granted Syncronys the Logo for SoftRAM95. Also, the Logo is designed to indicate a certain level of architectural compatibility. It is up to vendors to produce quality products. There have been allegations that Syncronys copied Microsoft beta code. Is this true? This is true. Syncronys used, without permission, beta code from a Microsoft virtual device driver- DYNAPAGE.VXD - in their product. This virtual device driver was delivered by Microsoft in the beta of the Windows 95 Software Developers Kit. What actions has Microsoft taken for these issues? Microsoft issued Syncronys a cease and desist letter demanding that Syncronys stop shipping the copied code and stop using the Windows 95 logo. Syncronys agreed to take the corrective actions demanded in the letter. Will Syncronys be licensed to use the Logo with respect to SoftRAM95 in the future? This depends largely upon Syncronys' cooperation with respect to their infringement of Microsoft intellectual property rights. Microsoft is working with Syncronys to resolve the issues and will reconsider allowing Syncronys to use the Logo when the issues are resolved to Microsoft's satisfaction. What will happen if/when Syncronys releases an updated version? Syncronys may submit their new product for logo testing and compliance at that time. *********************************************************** 8. POPULAR QUESTION REGARDING THE WINDOWS 95 LOGO What is the 'Designed for Windows 95' logo? It is the symbol that products will work well with Windows 95 and take advantage of features specific to Windows 95. Why should customers look for the logo? We put products through a rigorous battery of tests before granting them the logo. This ensures that customers will be able to buy products which take advantage of special features in Windows 95 and will work well on Windows 95. What makes 'Designed for Windows 95' products so special? Hardware Products. For hardware products, including PC systems and subsystems, the baseline criteria include supporting Plug and Play in Windows 95. Historically, installing new hardware devices has required substantial technical expertise to configure and load hardware and software. Plug and Play in Windows 95 provides a mechanism for all this configuration to happen automatically. Computers, add-on boards and peripheral devices supporting Plug and Play bring true ease of use to customers of Windows 95. The Logo is an easy-to-remember way to identify products which incorporate the Plug and Play benefits of the Windows 95 operating system. Software Products. Software products must be 32-bit Windows-based applications, providing better multitasking and application robustness. Applications with the Windows 95 Logo will also feature the enhanced user interface of Windows 95, test on Windows NT, provide support for long filenames, automated installation, and uninstall capability. Many applications, especially typical productivity applications, will also support OLE component technology, providing better cross-application interoperability and efficiency through features such as OLE Drag and Drop. What's the difference between products which have the 'Designed for Windows 95' logo and products with the 'Windows Compatible' logo? The Windows Compatible logo was used for those 16-bit products which ran on Windows 3.1. The 'Designed for Windows 95 logo' is used for products which take advantages of the Windows 95 features listed in the previous questions and have passed our Windows 95 logo testing. Application vendors can not "roll over" their existing compatible logo to the 'Designed for Windows 95' logo. They must pass the logo tests just like everyone else. But on the Windows 95 WebSite and elsewhere, people are referring to products as "compatible" with Windows 95. What does that mean compared with 'Designed for Windows 95'? We're aware that most customers have Win 3.1 and MS-DOS applications and/or existing non-Plug and Play pieces of hardware which do not have the 'Designed for Windows 95' logo. Therefore, we tested thousands of existing products on Windows 95 that were not 'Designed for Windows 95'. The list of products we've tested for compatibility with Windows 95 is up on the Windows 95 web page - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/thirdparty.htm. Not all of these products have the old "Windows Compatible" logo for Win 3.1. However, they have all been tested and work with Windows 95. What about the term "Runs Best on Windows 95" for products that also run on Windows 3.1? Some products are able to have a certain amount of functionality on Windows 3.1 but have a majority of 32-bit code and contain incremental functionality when run on Windows 95. Some of these products have the logo - in which case they've passed the testing requirements for the 'Designed for Windows 95' logo, and some don't. We only guarantee the 32-bit functionality and other logo features for those products with the 'Designed for Windows 95' logo. What about products which say they are 32-bit and are compatible with Windows 95 or that they run on Windows 95 but don't have the 'Designed for Windows 95' logo? These vendors may have products which take advantage of the features within Windows 95 32-bit architecture, however, they have not been through Veritest - the third party testing lab who tests for logo compliance, have not been certified that they abide by the terms of the logo license, and have not been certified that they meet the logo criteria. Who has the logo? As of Nov. 29 over 750 products have passed logo testing and received the 'Designed for Windows 95' logo. For the list of these vendors, please check our web site: www.microsoft.com/windows/thirdparty.htm. Since new products are continually passing testing, we continually update the list of logoed vendors there. What about Windows NT? Do products that are 'Designed for Windows 95' run on Windows NT? Part of the logo requirements are that a product be tested on Windows NT. However, a handful of APIs are supported on one platform that are not available in the other. An example of products and APIS are: games using DirectX and utilities using TAPI. At this time, these two APIs are not supported in Windows NT. The idea is that if an application uses Windows 95-specific application programming interfaces (APIs), then the Windows 95-only functionality must degrade gracefully [meaning, just "stub" that functionality, as opposed to allowing the system to crash] on Windows NT 3.5 or later. Conversely, if it uses Windows NT-specific APIs, then the Windows NT-only functionality must degrade gracefully on Windows 95. The bottom line is that the product must run successfully on both Windows 95 and Windows NT, unless architectural differences between the 2 OSs prevents it. Additionally, while products may pass testing on Windows NT, it is up to the vendors themselves whether they want to support their product(s) on Windows NT. The requirement to test on Windows NT is a testing requirement, designed to identify and address bugs, which has the side benefit of enlarging the potential market for an ISV's product as Windows NT takes hold over the next couple years. About 90% of Win32-based applications run without incident on both Windows 95 and Windows NT. *********************************************************** 9. NEW POSTINGS TO WINDOWS 95 WEB SITE AND FORUMS Locations given for these files are for the Windows 95 Home Page on the World Wide Web which can be found at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows Online information on other sites (listed below) may be organized in a slightly different manner. Internet Products ------------------------------------------------ "Frequent Asked Questions" - an updated document on FAQs for Internet Explorer 2.0 YOU CAN FIND THE ARTICLES LISTED ABOVE, AND OTHER WINDOWS 95 INFORMATION: On the World Wide Web at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows On the Internet: ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/PerOpSys/Win_News On The Microsoft Network: Main Page(MSN Central)\Edit Menu\Go To\ Other Location\Windows On America OnLine: Use keyword WINNEWS On CompuServe: GO WINNEWS. On GEnie: MOVE TO PAGE 95 On Prodigy: JUMP WINNEWS. *********************************************************** This document is provided for informational purposes only. The information contained in this document represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation on the issues discussed as of the date of publication. Because Microsoft must respond to change in market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication. INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND FREEDOM FROM INFRINGEMENT. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of this document. This document may be copied and distributed subject to the following conditions: 1) All text must be copied without modification and all pages must be included; 2) All copies must contain Microsoft's copyright notice and any other notices provided therein; and 3) This document may not be distributed for profit.