Microsoft Plus! Readme.txt File Contents (2 of 2)

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95

SUMMARY

The following information is a copy of the information in the Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 Readme.txt file (part 2 of 2).

MORE INFORMATION

If Your Mouse Pointers Do Not Animate

To use animated pointers in Microsoft Plus!, you must use protected- mode disk drivers and a Windows 95-compatible display driver that uses the device-independent bitmap (DIB) engine AND meets at least one of the following criteria:

• The display driver is set to 256 colors or higher, and supports color pointers.

  -or-

• The display driver allows Windows 95 to access its memory in a linear fashion (such as through a frame buffer) to provide smoother animation.

• ATI Ultra (mach8) This driver does not support a frame buffer.
• Diamond Viper This driver is based on the Windows 3.1 video standard.
• Standard Display Adapter (VGA) This driver is based on a standard established before animated pointers were developed.
• Super VGA This driver is based on a standard established before animated pointers were developed.

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

2. Double-click the System icon.

3. Click the Performance tab, click File System, and then click the Troubleshooting tab.

4. If "Disable All 32-bit Protect-Mode Disk Drivers" is NOT checked,

       you are using protected-mode disk drivers.
   

If You Use Desktop Themes with Programs that Have Their Own Color Palette

If your display is configured for 256 colors and you are using a desktop theme, when you switch to another program (such as Microsoft Encarta, Microsoft Office 95 Shortcut bar (!), Autorun, and Multi-Media Catalog) that uses its own color palette, the wallpaper may flash, and then may be repainted using the colors from the program's palette. This may cause your screen colors to look strange.

To solve this problem, you can:

-- Change the Color Palette setting for your display to High Color.

   NOTE: You may need to purchase additional VRAM or reduce the screen
   resolution to run your display in High Color mode.

-- Use the Windows default wallpaper, icons and colors in place of those

   that come with the desktop themes.

If Your Mouse Pointers Flicker or Leave Trails When Using a Theme

On some displays, the mouse pointers in a desktop theme may flicker or leave "trails" of dots behind them. To prevent this from happening, use the Windows default pointers instead of the pointers for your theme.

To use the Windows default pointers with a theme, make sure the Mouse Pointers box is NOT checked when you apply the theme. If you are already using a theme, you will need to restore your desktop to the Windows default settings before you can use a theme with the Windows default pointers.

To restore your desktop to the default settings, and then use the default pointers with a theme:

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

2. Double-click the Desktop Themes icon.

3. In the Theme list, click "Windows Default," and then click Apply.

4. In the Theme list, click the theme you want to use.

5. Make sure the Mouse Pointers box is NOT checked, and then choose OK.

If Your Large Desktop Icons Look Jagged

If your desktop icons are large, and some of the icons look jagged or have poor resolution, then those programs did not provide large icons for use with the Use Large Icons display option.

To improve the look of your desktop, you might want to use small (standard) desktop icons instead of large icons.

To stop using large icons:

1. Right-click the desktop, and then click Properties.

2. Click the Plus! tab.

3. Make sure the Use Large Icons box is unchecked.

If Your Desktop Icons Look Blotchy

If you are using a desktop theme and your desktop icons don't look right (they are too dark, blotchy, or the shadowing doesn't seem right), try disabling some or all graphics acceleration for your display.

To disable your display's graphics acceleration:

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

2. Double-click the System icon.

3. Click the Performance tab, and then click Graphics.

4. Move the Hardware Acceleration slider bar towards "None."

   NOTE: If you reinstall Windows 95, the slider will be reset to the default position. In this case, you will need to repeat this procedure to turn off graphics acceleration.

If Your Quicken Version 4.0 Program Does Not Look Right

If you are using a desktop theme while using Quicken Version 4.0, the Quicken program window may not look right on your screen. To solve this problem, use the Windows default color settings instead of the color settings that come with your theme.

To apply the Windows default color settings after you've selected a theme:

1. Use the right mouse button to click anywhere on the desktop, and then click the Appearance tab.

2. In the Scheme list, click Windows Standard.

 > In the Desktop Themes window, make sure the Colors box is
   unchecked.

If You Use Desktop Themes in Conjunction With User Profiles

If your computer is configured with a different user profile for each user, and one user selects a particular desktop theme, all users of that computer will now see the icons and screen saver associated with that theme. Other elements of a desktop theme (for example, background wallpaper or screen colors) are saved on a per-user basis.

OTHER MICROSOFT PLUS! PROGRAMS

This section contains notes about other Microsoft Plus! programs.

Using Dial-Up Server with Fax Programs

If Dial-Up Server is enabled, it answers all incoming calls on the first ring. This prevents fax programs, such as Microsoft Fax, from answering any incoming faxes.

To enable your fax program to answer incoming faxes, turn off Dial-Up Server.

To turn off Dial-Up Server:

1. On the desktop, double-click My Computer.

2. Double-click the Dial-Up Networking icon.

3. Click the Connections menu, and then click Dial-Up Server.

4. Click the No Caller Access option.

If Dial-Up Networking Won't Let You Save Your Password

When you place a call to a remote computer by using a Dial-Up Networking connection, the Connect To dialog box appears. If the Save Password check box is not enabled:

1. In Control Panel, double-click the Network icon, and then click Add.

2. In the Select Network Component Type dialog box, click Client, and then click Add.

3. In the list of manufacturers, click Microsoft, click Client for Microsoft Networks, and then click OK.

4. Click the Identification tab, and then enter unique names for your computer and workgroup.

5. Restart your computer. (When your computer starts, Windows will prompt you to log on to your system by typing a username and password. If you want, you can leave the Password box blank.)

If You Can't Connect to a Microsoft Plus! Dial-Up Server

If you cannot connect to a computer that is configured as a Microsoft Plus! Dial-Up Server, make sure your computer and the other computer are both using a common protocol in addition to TCP/IP. (Dial-Up Server cannot route TCP/IP.)

To solve this problem, an additional Microsoft network protocol, such as NetBEUI or IPX, might need to be added to one or both machines. To add a protocol:

1. In Control Panel, double-click the Network icon, and then click Add.

2. In the Select Network Component Type dialog box, click Protocol, and then click Add.

3. In the list of manufacturers, click Microsoft, and then select the network protocol you want.

If You Have Problems with the Sound Effects in 3D Pinball

If you are experiencing a problem with the sound effects in Pinball, you can try running the Wmconfig program to fix the problem.

1. Run the Wmconfig program.

   Wmconfig is located in the folder that contains your 3D Pinball files (typically, in the C:\PROGRAM FILES\PLUS!\PINBALL folder).

2. In Wmconfig, select your sound card from the list. If you don't know which sound card you have or you can't find it, click the first Generic option in the list, and then click the Test button.

   To find out which sound card you have, right-click My Computer on the desktop, click Properties, and click the Device Manager tab. Then, click the + to the left of Sound, Video, and Game Controllers.

3. Continue testing Generic sound options until the sound effects sound the way you want them to.

4. Restart Pinball.

If 3D Pinball's Right Flipper Key Does Not Work

If you are using a non-U.S. keyboard with Pinball, the right flipper key will have no default setting and therefore will not work. To solve this problem:

1. In 3D Pinball, click Options, and then click Player Controls.

2. Change the Right Flipper setting to specify the key you want to use.