The Education Master 1994 (4th Edition)

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Note: You can print this chapter to paper by pressing [P]. USING SHAREWARE PROGRAMS by Jeff Napier of Another Company If you are new to computing, this chapter is for you. If you are an expert, you can skip this one. Notes: For simpler reading, I will seldom mention that you need to press the <Enter> key after most operations. Also, I'll pretend you have the most stripped down computer imaginable. You may have a B: drive and a fancy menu program, but in order that everyone may use this, optional equipment will be ignored. STEP #1 (THIS FIRST STEP IS OPTIONAL) The first thing you should do is make a copy of a new disk. This is in case something goes wrong, like your dog eats the original copy. Stick a write protect tab around the notch in the side of your original shareware disk. These little opaque rectangular stickers tell the computer that you do not want the disk accidentally erased or changed. They are like the break-out tabs on cassette music tapes. To make a copy, start your computer with your MS-DOS disk in drive A: and type: DISKCOPY A: A: Type it exactly as shown, with spaces between the A: and the A: and make sure you type the capital :'s (called colons), not ;'s (called semicolons). When the computer asks for the "source" disk, take out the MS-DOS disk and put the original that you want to copy into disk drive A: and press any key. When the computer asks for the "target" disk, put in a blank floppy and press any key. When done, label the copy and hide the original. Leave the write protect tab on the original, but remove it from the copy. (Some programs won't work with a write-protect tab in place.) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - STEP #2, FIND OUT WHAT YOU HAVE. (If your computer does not say "A>", type A: and then press the <Enter> key. This will tell the computer that you want to use the disk in drive A:, not B: or C:.) Put your shareware disk in drive A: and type DIR/P. The computer will list what files are on the disk. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - STEP #3, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. If your disk has instructions, they will be in a file that has an extension of TXT or DOC. Sometimes the instructions are in a file called READ ME, README, README 1ST or something similar. (You can also read files that have no extension. Extension means the second part of the file name, the last three letters after the name.) Sometimes it is hard to figure out what file to try to read first. Don't worry, if you have time, you can try them all. Type the word TYPE followed by a space, then the name of the file you want to see. If the file you want to read has a name and an extension, such as INSTRUCT DOC, do not put a space between the two parts, but instead put a period. Like so: TYPE INSTRUCT.DOC Here are some more examples: TYPE READ.ME TYPE PACMAN.TXT TYPE README.1ST If there is more information than fits on one screen, you'll notice the information flies off the top of the screen faster than you can read it. The way to stop this is to press the [Pause] key. Then press any other key to see some more. TYPE is built into MS-DOS, but there are other ways to read text files. One way is to use your favorite word processor. If you already know how to work a word processor, you'll have no trouble using it to read text files. There is also a program on this disk called SEE.EXE, which is specially designed for reading text files on shareware disks. To use SEE.EXE you have to tell the computer where it is, and tell the computer where the file you want to read is, too. Here is an example: Assuming you have two floppy drives, you could put your new shareware disk in drive A: and this disk containing SEE.EXE in drive B:. You would first type DIR/P to see what's on your shareware disk. Then, lets say you have discovered a file called HORSES.DOC on that shareware disk in A:, you would tell the computer this: B:SEE.EXE A:HORSES.DOC Then you can read HORSES.DOC without having to babysit the [Pause] key. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - STEP #4, RUN THE PROGRAM If your disk has no instructions, or if you have read the instructions and have found no advice to the contrary, you are now ready to actually start. Find out what's on the disk by putting it in drive A: and typing DIR/P. Select a program to run. The only files that you can run have an extension of EXE, BAT, or COM. Files with any other extension, or no extension at all, are ones that you cannot run. These are sub-programs, instruction files or text files. (Remember, some programs are for you, the text files, and you can read them. Others are for the computer, but these you cannot read.) You must choose a file with an EXE, COM, or a BAT ending (extension). There are often several files that do have the right extension. You will have to choose the most likely one and try it. If you have guessed wrong, the worst thing that could happen is that you will have to restart your computer. You can't blow it up! (Wrong choices might be parts of the main program, that it uses automatically when it needs them, or they might be other programs that were supplied on the same disk, but not what you want right now.) Try files with names like "BEGIN," "GO" or "START" first. Or look for files with names resembling the name of the disk. Generally, files with the BAT extension are more likely to be the ones you would want, than the other extensions. Type the file of your choice by name, press <Enter> and you are in business. For example, on a shareware disk called "Pacman" you might find a file called PACMAN.EXE when you type DIR/P. If you type: PACMAN.EXE Pacman will begin. If you have chosen the wrong program name, you may have to turn off your computer, then turn it back on again. There is a shortcut called "re-booting." Press the <Ctrl>, <Alt> and <Del> keys all at the same time, (then if you don't have a hard drive, put your MS-DOS disk in drive A:). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - STEP #5, IF THE PROGRAM DOES NOT WORK Sometimes, even though you have followed the instructions, the program will not run. There are two common reasons. One is that your computer is not properly equipped. Most software that requires optional equipment will say so on the disk label or in the catalog from which you ordered. If a disk label mentions CGA, you need a CGA card in your computer. If a program requires 640k, you need that much ram. The other problem, a very common one, is that there is something that was easy to miss in the instructions. Reread carefully. If you still haven't found the problem, ask a knowledgeable friend for help. There are now 20 million users of IBM-compatible computers, several of them know what they are doing due to a few years of hard experience. Many are amateurs who have spare time (unlike computer store professionals) and really enjoy "talking shop" and would be glad to help you. Most shareware programs have the author's name and address in the instructions. When you have a problem that ordinary computer advice cannot resolve, write a letter to the author. After all, that is the person who created the program, and therefore the most likely to know how to work it! Practice using programs with your computer. The more you practice, the more you'll discover how to control your computer. Please remember that it takes about two years for the average computer user to become fully experienced with computer use. In the meantime, don't get frustrated - it doesn't help. When you get stuck, relax, take a break for a few minutes, try another program, or ask someone for help. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ABOUT SUB-DIRECTORIES: (Optional, read this only if you need) This diabolical concept can really throw the person who is new to computers. Fortunately, you don't see much of it on shareware disks. In case you run into sub-directories: Sub-directories were invented to handle large numbers of files. What if you typed DIR/P on a disk that had 2002 files? You would be watching the list go by all day. Sub-directories are little lists that are hidden from the main directory, so that you don't have to look at so many files. But the problem is that until you know what to do, all you can see is the main directory, yet you may want to use something in a sub-directory. Here's how you spot a sub-directory. When you type "DIR/P" you may see a file name followed by a few spaces then a <DIR>. It will look exactly like that on your screen. For example your computer screen might show this for a disk: COMMAND COM 23612 7-07-86 12:00p FORMAT EXE 11005 7-17-86 12:00p ELEPHANT DOC 7123 6-18-90 17:31p GIRAFFE <DIR> 9-12-84 6:00a KITTYCAT COM 94090 1-01-80 12:00a 5 File(s) 20142 bytes free In the above example, Giraffe is a sub-directory. There are more files hidden in Giraffe. They may be programs, they may be files that you can read. In any case, you will want to see them. Here's what you do: After running DIR/P you type CD \GIRAFFE and press the <Enter> key. Notice that you use a backslash (\) not a regular slash. CD stands for "Change Directory." Now, type DIR/P again. The computer will now show you what is in the sub-directory called GIRAFFE, but not what is in the main directory. If you want to go back and see what is in the main directory again, type CD \ and press the <Enter> key. This changes back to the main directory (often called "root directory"). If you want to run a program in one directory, and you want to use it with a file in another, follow this example: Let's say that there is a text file in the sub-directory GIRAFFE that is called TREES.DOC. Let's say that SEE.EXE is in the root directory. You type: A:\SEE.EXE A:\GIRAFFE\TREES.DOC Typing this command makes sure the computer understands where it is to find everything it needs. First, you are telling it to run SEE.EXE which is found on drive A: and since you have not specified a sub-directory, the computer will look on the root directory. Then you are telling the computer to use SEE.EXE with the file called TREES.DOC which is also on disk drive A:, but the file is within the sub-directory called GIRAFFE. And that's sub-directories. Substitute your specific situation for the above example and you should be able to get the job done. You may need to experiment a bit to understand it the first time you work with it. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - BASIC PROGRAMS (Optional, Read this if you have a BASIC program) BASIC programs are becoming rare in 1991, but they used to be quite common just a few years ago, and there is a great likelihood that you will run into them now and then. BASIC programs require BASIC to run them. It is an interpreter that translates the BASIC into instructions the computer can understand. BASIC isn't just BASIC. It is usually called GWBASIC.EXE OR BASICA.COM. You might not know it, but you probably already have one of these versions. It usually comes with your MS-DOS disks. Use your version of BASIC to run a program like you would use SEE.EXE to view a text file. For instance, if you have GWBASIC on your hard disk and you want to run a program called MORTGAGE.BAS which is located on a disk in drive A: you would type: C:GWBASIC.EXE A:MORTGAGE.BAS Then the program will run. Here's another example: If you have your BASIC in drive A: and MORTGAGE in B:, type: A:GWBASIC.EXE b:MORTGAGE.BAS When possible, copy your BASIC onto the same disk as the program you want to run. For instance, if there is space on your Mortgage disk, copy GWBASIC.EXE onto that disk along with the Mortgage program. Then you can simply type: GWBASIC.EXE MORTGAGE.BAS. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ABOUT THE EQUIPMENT RAM is Random Access Memory. Most new computers have at least 640,000 places they can remember either #0 or #1. This many combinations of the two numbers forms complex patterns of sentences, colors, sounds, or pictures. This is called 640k RAM. Most programs are designed to work within 640k. RAM is temporary. It works only when the power is turned on. When you start a program, it is copied from a disk into part of the RAM. As you use the program, changes are made in the RAM. If you turn off the power, these changes are gone forever, unless the computer copies the new RAM information onto a disk first. Some older computers have less RAM and they won't be able to run programs designed for 640k. There are several different ways computers handle making pictures on the screen. * Some have no graphics capability. They cannot run games, drawing programs or anything else that cannot be pictured with the 256 letters, numbers, blocks, lines and punctuation marks of the IBM character set. * Some have Hercules displays. This brand name has become a generic standard for one-color graphics. Hercules can display most programs designed for CGA (although only in one color) if you get some special software. (#83, HERCULES HELP) * Some have CGA which stands for Color Graphics Adaptor. Among those with CGA, some have color monitors and others have one-color (called mono) monitors. CGA is the lowest and most common of the graphic capabilities. Interestingly, when displaying text only, CGA can put 16 colors on a color monitor (2 intensities of illumination on a mono), but in graphics mode, CGA can display only 4 colors at a time. Almost all Tandy computers and laptop computers have CGA built-in. CGA cannot display Hercules, EGA or VGA graphics. * Computers with EGA (Enhanced Graphics Adaptor) can do everything a CGA-equipped computer can, but also display up to 16 colors in graphics mode. Plus they have a higher resolution. * Computers with VGA (Variable Graphics Adaptor) can do every thing a CGA, EGA or Hercules can plus display more colors than an EGA and in even greater detail. There are high-tech variations of VGA called Super-VGA and 8514 that can do even more than VGA, but there is not much software for these variations yet. _____________________________________________________________ chapter end.