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------------------------------------------------------------ README for Microsoft NetMeeting 2.1 October 1997 ------------------------------------------------------------ (c) Copyright Microsoft Corporation, 1997 This document provides complementary or late-breaking information to supplement existing documentation. ------------------------ HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT ------------------------ To view Netmeet.txt on screen in Notepad, maximize the Notepad window. To print Netmeet.txt, open it in Notepad or another word processor, and then use the Print command on the File menu. CONTENTS ======== SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS AND SETUP USING MICROSOFT NETMEETING PLACING A CALL RECEIVING A CALL SHARING AN APPLICATION WHITEBOARD CHAT FILE TRANSFER AUDIO COMMUNICATION HANGING UP VIDEO GENERAL KNOWN ISSUES WINDOWS NT ISSUES SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS AND SETUP ============================= Microsoft(R) NetMeeting(TM) enables real-time audio, video, and data communication over the Internet. In order to use Microsoft NetMeeting, you must have the following configuration: - Microsoft Windows(R) 95 or Windows(R) 98 - At least a 486/66 processor with 8 megabytes of RAM (Pentium with 12 MB of RAM recommended) --or-- - Microsoft Windows NT(R) version 4.0 - At least a 486/66 processor with 16 megabytes of RAM - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 3 required to enable sharing applications on Windows NT IMPORTANT NOTES: * NetMeeting does not run on Windows version 3.1 or beta versions of Windows 98 older than Beta 3. * It is strongly recommended that you uninstall earlier beta versions of Microsoft NetMeeting before installing NetMeeting 2.1. - If you use special characters, such as "\\" or double-byte characters, when typing the installation location for NetMeeting during setup, NetMeeting may not install correctly. - NetMeeting no longer supports placing calls over IPX or over PSTN. - NetMeeting works best with a fast Internet connection (a 28.8k- baud or faster modem or a local area network). - To use the audio features of NetMeeting, you need a sound card, speakers, and a microphone. - To send video with NetMeeting, you need either a video-capture card and camera or a video camera that connects through your computer's parallel (printer) port. You will not be able to send video on some computers with a processor slower than a Pentium. Computers with a bidirectional (ECP or EPP) parallel port will perform noticeably better with parallel port video cameras than computers with a unidirectional parallel port. Cameras that connect to a video-capture card will use less of your computer's processor than cameras that connect through your computer's parallel port. It is recommended that you do not use a color parallel port camera unless your computer is at least a Pentium 133. - The application-sharing feature may not perform well while you are using audio and video and are connected over a slow connection. Additionally, you might experience "choppy" audio while using video. The default setting for video over a 28.8-baud modem connection is medium quality. To change this setting, click the Tools menu, click Options, click the Video tab, and then change the Video Quality option. - Windows NT users will be able to share applications if they have installed Service Pack 3 for Windows NT 4.0. For more information about NetMeeting, including the NetMeeting Resource Kit, see http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/. For the NetMeeting Software Development Kit (SDK), see http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/sdk. For information about product support, see the Support.txt file in your Windows or NetMeeting program directory. To uninstall Microsoft NetMeeting --------------------------------- 1. In Control Panel, double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon. 2. On the Install/Uninstall tab, click Microsoft NetMeeting, and then click Add/Remove Programs. 3. If a dialog box appears asking if you want to restart your computer, click Yes. -or- 1. In Control Panel, double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon. 2. On the Windows Setup tab, click Communications, and then click Details. 3. Clear the Microsoft NetMeeting check box. Warnings and Known Bugs ----------------------- - If you uninstall Windows NT Service Pack 3 after installing NetMeeting 2.1, you will receive an error message when you restart your computer. To prevent this, carry out the following steps: 1. Close the error message window. 2. In the Display properties dialog box, click Cancel. 3. In Control Panel, click the Devices icon. 4. Click mnmdd, and then click the Startup button. 5. Change the Startup Type from System to Disabled, and then click OK. 6. Restart your computer so the change can take effect. USING MICROSOFT NETMEETING ========================== - Microsoft NetMeeting includes support for the H.323 audio and video conferencing standard. NetMeeting can be used to place calls to and receive calls from products that are H.323- compatible, including the Intel Internet Video Phone. With appropriate equipment and services that are currently under development by third parties, NetMeeting can place a call to a telephone using an H.323 gateway. - Microsoft maintains the following directory servers on the Internet: ils.microsoft.com ils1.microsoft.com ils2.microsoft.com ils3.microsoft.com ils4.microsoft.com ils5.microsoft.com You can use one of these even if it does not appear in the list of servers in the wizard. You can also use the following directory servers not maintained by Microsoft: ils.four11.com ils.business.four11.com ils.family.four11.com NOTE * You will not be able to use these servers to locate people on the Internet if you connect to the Internet through a proxy server that does not support Remote WinSock. - Audio and video work only over TCP/IP and with one other person at a time. - If you use this version of NetMeeting to call someone who is using NetMeeting 2.0, the call-switching feature may not work correctly. - This version of NetMeeting enables up to 32 users to share an application. However if a computer running NetMeeting 2.0 is in the conference and more than three users are sharing, that computer will not be able to host an application. In addition, you can be connected to only one other person with audio and video at a time. The total number of people who can successfully participate in your meeting will vary based on available network bandwidth and the speed of the participants' computers. - Some activities cause large amounts of data to be sent between the computers in your meeting (for example, speaking and sharing several applications while transferring a large file). In extreme cases, this might cause computers in the meeting to become very slow. To remedy this, stop one or more of the meeting activities. - If you try to make a TCP/IP call on your local area network or through a proxy server and MSN or Dial-Up Networking displays a connection dialog box, you can disable this by clicking the Internet icon in Control Panel and then making sure that Auto- Dial is not selected. - Sharing of DirectX, OpenGL, MS-DOS(R), and graphics-intensive games and AVIs does not work well and is not supported. - If different computers have different screen resolutions during a meeting, the shared windows can be as large as the highest resolution desktop allows. Users with lower resolution desktops must scroll to view windows that don't fit their screens. - You must have a 32-bit TCP/IP stack and Windows sockets interface to use NetMeeting with TCP/IP. NetMeeting has been tested with the 32-bit TCP/IP and Windows sockets built into Windows 95 and Windows NT version 4.0. - Application-sharing, Whiteboard, and Chat might not work properly between computers with different language settings and keyboard layouts. - Microsoft NetMeeting supports using Windows 95 and Windows NT version 4.0 system policies to set default configurations in a corporate environment. Microsoft NetMeeting system policies are documented, and a system policy file is included in the NetMeeting Resource Kit. For more information about the NetMeeting Resource Kit, see http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/reskit. - If NetMeeting hangs when it starts, check to see whether there are damaged fonts in your Fonts folder. - If you are using Internet Explorer 4.0 in Offline mode and you try to start NetMeeting, NetMeeting will not automatically connect to the Internet. To work around this problem, dial up using RAS (for Windows NT computers) or Dial-Up Networking (for Windows 95 computers). Or, in Internet Explorer, click the File menu, and then click Work Offline to clear the check mark. - NetMeeting does not function properly over SLIRP connections or other simulated SLIP/PPP connections. PLACING A CALL ============== You can place Microsoft NetMeeting calls to multiple users. Any person in a meeting can place NetMeeting calls to other people. In addition, other people can join a NetMeeting call in progress by calling one of the participants. Warnings and Known Bugs ----------------------- - If you cannot connect to someone by using their computer name, try using their IP address. - If you click someone's name in the Web directory and get a message asking whether you would like to open or save the file, select open file. - If you click someone's name in the Web directory and get a message saying that the file type is unrecognized, you need to configure your browser to associate the ILS directory files with Microsoft NetMeeting. For instructions on how to do this, refer to your browser documentation. You will need the following information: MIME file type: "text/iuls" Command line: "rundll32.exe msconf.dll,NewMediaPhone %l" MIME file type: "text/h323" Command line: "rundll32.exe msconf.dll,NewMediaPhone %l" - Some ISDN devices are configured to automatically connect to the network. This might cause the ISDN device to try to connect to the network while NetMeeting is running. To stop this from happening, turn off Auto-Dial on the ISDN device. - If you do not see your name in the directory, you might not be logged on, or you might be logged on to a different directory server. To change the directory server you log on to, click the Tools menu, click Options, click Calling, and then change your Server Name. To log on to the directory server, click the Call menu, and then click Log On To [your directory server]. - If you have an active network connection using a network card and a second active connection using a second network card, you might not be able to connect to the directory. - If you experience connection problems when dialing via a null modem connection, try lowering the baud rate for your modem. - Some conference bridges (also known as Multipoint Conferencing Units, or MCUs) are case-sensitive, so when you type the conference name to place a call, you may need to use the same capitalization as that shown on the bridge. - To receive calls over a null modem cable, click the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Protocols tab. Select the Null Modem protocol, and then click Properties. Select the COM port to which the null modem cable is connected. - NetMeeting does not detect incoming calls on a COM port to which a null modem cable is connected. To receive calls over a null modem cable, you must place a call on the COM port. - Changes made to the COM port properties in NetMeeting apply only in NetMeeting. It is recommended that you do not change the COM port settings while you are placing or participating in a NetMeeting call. - NetMeeting uses the COM port typed into the New Call dialog box to place the call, not the COM port specified in the Null Modem Protocol Properties dialog box. - NetMeeting can use only COM1 and COM2 to place and receive null modem calls. - Null modem calls at high baud rates may not work. - If you connect to someone through a proxy server, you may need to manually connect audio and video after joining the call. RECEIVING A CALL ================ You are ready to receive incoming calls if you are running Microsoft NetMeeting and have not selected Do Not Disturb on the Call menu. Warnings and Known Bugs ----------------------- - If you are not able to receive calls, it may be because your IP address is registered incorrectly with the directory service. You can prevent this by releasing the LAN IP address before connecting to the Internet. To release the IP address, do the following: On Windows 95 Click the Start menu, click Run, and then type Winipcfg.exe On Windows NT Click the Start menu, click Run, and then type Ipconfig /release SHARING AN APPLICATION ====================== Any person in a meeting can share an application with the other participants. When you share an application, other people can see the application. When you Collaborate, other people can both see and use the application. Warnings and Known Bugs ----------------------- - Windows NT users will be able to share applications if they have installed Service Pack 3 for Windows NT 4.0. - If NetMeeting is installed in a directory where the path contains extended characters, application sharing might not work. - Sharing one Windows Explorer window shares all of them. If you run a program while sharing Windows Explorer, the program will also be shared. Examples of Windows Explorer windows include Control Panel, Briefcase, the Received Files folder, or any Windows Explorer folder. - Internet Explorer 4.0 users: If you share a Windows Explorer window, with collaboration enabled, and the person with whom you are collaborating closes the window, all applications and windows that you open afterwards will be shared. To undo sharing in this situation, open a Windows Explorer window again, and un-share it. - When you share an application and collaborate, remote users can use the File Open and File Save dialog boxes in your application to gain access to or delete files on your computer or network. To stop someone from using your shared program while you do not have control of the cursor, press ESC. To stop someone from using your shared program while you do have control of the cursor, click the Stop Collaborating button. It is recommended that you do not leave your computer unattended while sharing an application and collaborating. - When you launch another application from within the application you are sharing (such as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet from within Microsoft Word), there's a possiblity that the recently launched application won't be shared properly. - You cannot drag an object onto a shared application or drag an object from a shared application to the desktop. - When you share an application with an Input Method Editor (IME), you should show the IME status bar so that other people can use the mouse to activate the IME. If the IME does not support showing the status bar, or if other people are having trouble activating the IME, you should activate and deactivate the IME for them. - If the IME window fails to repaint during a meeting, you can cause it to repaint by clicking anywhere on the desktop. - You may not be able to share applications on a computer with a product installed that has application sharing or remote control features. WHITEBOARD ========== The Whiteboard enables you to draw simultaneously with other people. Everyone in the meeting can see what is drawn on the Whiteboard. When one person in a meeting runs Whiteboard, it appears on everyone's screen. Warnings and Known Bugs ----------------------- - On a computer running Windows NT, if the directory in which NetMeeting is installed contains spaces in its name, you will not be able to run Whiteboard or Chat. - Whiteboard does not maximize to the full size of an 1152 by 864 or larger display. CHAT ==== Chat enables you to type messages for other users to see. When one person in a meeting runs Chat, it appears on everyone's screen. Chat files are stored with the .txt file extension. If Microsoft Notepad, or another program that can read files in .txt format, is installed on your computer, it can be used to open Chat files. Warnings and Known Bugs ----------------------- - On a computer running Windows NT, if the directory in which NetMeeting is installed contains spaces in its name, you will not be able to run Whiteboard or Chat. FILE TRANSFER ============= - Files dragged onto the list of people on the Current Call tab are sent to all the people in the meeting. - To send a file to a specific person, right-click that person's name in the list of people in the meeting, and then click Send File. - To send a file to everyone in the meeting, click the Tools menu, click File Transfer, and then click Send File. Warnings and Known Bugs ----------------------- - If you try to send a shortcut to a file, the actual file will be sent instead. - Exchanging files with Intel ProShare 2.0 does not always work properly. AUDIO COMMUNICATION =================== - Audio is supported only over TCP/IP and with one other person. - Sound quality can vary significantly depending on your sound card and microphone. - Using full-duplex audio can require both more bandwidth and more CPU than using half-duplex audio, and therefore may result in poor sound quality. - If you modify your sound card device driver in any way, such as upgrading to a full-duplex driver, you will need to run the Audio Tuning Wizard again in order for NetMeeting to work correctly. Warnings and Known Bugs ----------------------- - If you are using a Videum (Winnov) video-capture card and have the new 2.0 drivers, you can change the audio input for the card by opening the Videum Configure program (under the Winnov Videum program group) and selecting the desired audio input for the video input being used with Netmeeting. The default is to use the Camera microphone for the MXC video connection and Line Input for all other video connections. After you do this, the correct audio input will be selected when you start NetMeeting. - Audio input for users of Winnov cameras will automatically be switched whenever video is in use. If your video is connected using the MXC connection, the camera input will be used for audio. If your video is connected using the Composite or S-Video connection, the Line Input will be used for audio. You can solve this problem by upgrading to the new 2.0 drivers and by using the Videum Configuration application. - Users of Microsoft NetMeeting and Intel Internet Video Phone can talk to each other only if both users have a computer with a Pentium processor. - If you have a SoundBlaster sound card with full-duplex sound enabled, and you have problems with your computer locking up when using NetMeeting, you may need to update your Sound- Blaster drivers. - You may receive a message in the Audio Tuning Wizard that explains that your sound card is unsupported. This occurs when the sound card does not support some of the features required for it to be supported by NetMeeting. The audio features in NetMeeting may work even if you get this message, but you might experience poor audio quality. If your sound card is unsupported, you might want to contact the manufacturer to find out if newer sound card drivers are available. - If you are experiencing "choppy" full-duplex sound quality, try switching NetMeeting to half-duplex sound quality. To do this, carry out the following steps: 1. Make sure that you are not in a NetMeeting call. 2. On the Tools menu, click Options. 3. On the Audio tab, clear the Enable Full Duplex Audio check box. It is recommended that you not switch between full-duplex and half-duplex audio while in a meeting with audio. - If you are having problems with your audio quality or sound card when using NetMeeting, the problems could be related to your hardware configuration or driver installation. To see the latest support information, click the Help menu, and then click Online Support. - If your computer has more than one audio device, you should make sure that the audio devices selected in the Audio Tuning Wizard match the selections in the Multimedia properties in Control Panel. - If you upgrade your computer's processor, you should re-run the audio tuning wizard. - Full-duplex audio might not work with Media Vision Pro Audio Spectrum 16 sound cards. - Computers with a 486 processor will not be able to use audio with other software based on the H.323 audio conferencing standard over a Dial-Up Networking (modem) connection. They will be able to use audio with other NetMeeting users over a Dial-Up Networking connection or with other H.323-based audio conferencing products over a local area network (LAN). - When you are in an audio conference using NetMeeting, an application that has the ability to record sound, such as Microsoft PowerPoint, will appear to be recording sound as instructed. However, since NetMeeting is already using the sound card, the other application is not actually recording. - If you have a Tecra 740, you may need to manually set the microphone volume level in the Multimedia properties in Control Panel. - If you experience poor audio quality, try clearing the Microphone check box and then selecting it again. - If you are using a Gravis Ultrasound sound card and you are experiencing choppy audio quality, try the following: 1. Make sure that you are not in a NetMeeting call. 2. On the Tools menu, click Options. 3. On the General tab, in the Network bandwidth section, select a bandwidth setting that is slower than the current selection. HANGING UP ========== When you hang up, you disconnect anyone you called or anyone who called you. If the disconnected users have invited or accepted other users into the meeting, they are also disconnected. Audio connections between people might not be disconnected. Warnings and Known Bugs ----------------------- - If you are using a 56 kps modem in a NetMeeting call with two or more other people, hanging up may not work correctly. Switching audio and video during the call may also cause one or more participants to be disconnected. VIDEO ===== - To use the video features of NetMeeting, you need either a video-capture card and camera or a video camera that connects through your computer's parallel (printer) port. Sending video does not work on some computers that have a processor slower than a Pentium. - Video is supported only over TCP/IP and with only one other person at a time. - Running video in a multiuser meeting can negatively impact performance on all the computers in the meeting. For example, opening a video window while sharing an application can make it difficult for others to take control of the application. - If you have more than one video device installed, or you have not properly uninstalled a video device that was previously installed, you might not be able to use video. - If your video device is not properly uninstalled and you have enabled video in NetMeeting, the remaining camera software may warn you repeatedly that it cannot find the camera. - If your computer's processor is slower than a Pentium, sending video may result in poor audio and video quality. - Computers with a bidirectional (ECP or EPP) parallel port will perform noticeably better with parallel video cameras than computers with a unidirectional parallel port. - Cameras that connect to a video-capture card will use less of your computer's processor than cameras that connect through your computer's parallel port. It is recommended that you not use a color parallel port camera unless your computer is at least a Pentium 133. - If you disconnect your camera while using the video features in NetMeeting, your camera's software may display messages telling you that the camera is not responding. To disable these messages, click the Tools menu, click Options, click Video, and then clear the Automatically Send Video At The Start Of Each Call check box. - It is recommended that you not run another program that uses video while running NetMeeting. - If some areas of your video window contain the wrong colors, your camera might be aimed at an area with insufficient light. Some video drivers might provide a low-light filter option. - If you are using the video features in a dark area, some cameras will cause your computer to become extremely slow and unresponsive. - If you use a Black and White Connectix Camera, it is recommended that you use the version 2.1 update (or newer) of the video drivers. You can download drivers from http://www.connectix.com. - Audio input for users of Winnov cameras will automatically be switched whenever video is in use. If your video is connected using the MXC connection, the camera input will be used for audio. If your video is connected using the Composite or S-Video connection, the Line Input will be used for audio. - With some cameras, you may be able to reduce CPU usage by manually adjusting the settings in the Source and Format dialog boxes instead of letting the video driver software do it automatically. GENERAL KNOWN ISSUES ==================== - You cannot run ReachOut 5.0 on computers on which Microsoft NetMeeting is installed. - To find the name that NetMeeting uses as your NetBIOS name, carry out the following steps: 1. In Control Panel, click the Network icon, and then click the Identification tab. 2. Select the Computer Name text box. - If you use User Profiles for multiple users to maintain your Windows preferences on all the computers on a network, you might have to run the Audio Tuning Wizard again when you switch computers. - Both Microsoft FrontPage and Microsoft NetMeeting currently use the same file type (.cnf). NetMeeting uses this file type for Speed Dials. - When you are in a meeting, your Clipboard is shared with everyone else in the meeting. This enables you to paste objects other people cut or copy to the Clipboard into your local programs. You can set a system policy that disables Clipboard sharing. - If you are running Windows 95 Version 4.00.950B, and you cancel the Dial-Up Networking dialog box that appears when you start NetMeeting, NetMeeting appears to stop responding; however, NetMeeting will work properly after about two minutes. However, you will not be logged onto the directory server until you manually connect to your Internet service provider and then on the Call menu, choose Log On To [your directory server]. - If you create a SpeedDial shortcut, clicking Send To Mail Recipient will work only if your e-mail program is MAPI-aware (for example, Microsoft Outlook Express). - You can return calls by using the History tab only if the person who called you was using NetMeeting 2.0 or NetMeeting 2.1. - If you are using NetMeeting over a 28.8 kbp connection, you may be able to get better audio and video quality by clicking the Tools menu, clicking Options, and then choosing ISDN or Local Area Network from the Network Bandwidth section. WINDOWS NT ISSUES ================= - If you use Windows NT, you will be able to share applications if you have installed Service Pack 3 for Windows NT 4.0. - Enabling Application Sharing on Windows NT may negatively affect the performance of your display driver. This will affect the rate at which information is drawn on the screen. - Some Creative Labs SoundBlaster drivers (specifically those posted on their Web site January 15, 1997) are not compatible with NetMeeting. SoundBlaster drivers that come with Windows NT 4.0. do work with NetMeeting, as do the more recently posted drivers, which also support full-duplex audio. - If you use Windows NT, you will experience problems if you share a 32-bit application and then insert an object that is a package. This opens the Object Packager, which is automatically shared and will subsequently fault. This fault will not cause the original shared application or NetMeeting to fault, only the Object Packager. - If you enabled the floating point workaround during installation of Windows NT on a computer that is equipped with a flawed Intel Pentium chip, NetMeeting audio quality will be poor, or audio will not work at all. - When you share a 16-bit application, all the 16-bit applications that are running on your computer will also automatically be shared. - If you are using NetMeeting on Windows NT and you are unable to receive a call, restart your computer and try again. - If you do not have a sound card, you will need to manually specify the bandwidth of your connection. To do this, click the Tools menu, click Options, and then click Network Bandwidth. - You may need to uninstall Dial-Up Networking in order to log on to a Directory Server via a proxy. - If, after placing a call, you see a message for more than one minute that NetMeeting is waiting for a response from the other person, quit NetMeeting and then try to contact the person again. - If you are unable to see a video image in NetMeeting, it is recommended that you upgrade to DirectDraw 3.0 or newer. - If you suspend your computer, or if it is set to suspend automatically, you should quit and then restart NetMeeting after resuming. - If you receive a SpeedDial in an e-mail message, your mail program may convert it to a text (.txt) file. You will be able to use it as a SpeedDial if you rename it with a .cnf extension.