CD Player for Windows

(C) Copyright 1995 Vault Information Services

Designed & Programmed by Craig Steiner

8174 S. Holly Suite 272, Littleton, Colorado 80122  U.S.A.

Internet Email: vis@vaultbbs.com

Welcome to CD Player For Windows!

Program Introduction

Basic Program Functions

Playing a Compact Disc

Identifying a Compact Disc

Programming Custom Play Sequences

Browsing the Compact Disc Database

Entering Lyrics

Recording a Karaoke Session

Using Karaoke Playback

Intro Play Mode

Dropdown Menus

File

Mode

Window

General Concepts/Information

CDX Files: What are they?

CDX Files: How CD Player Uses Them

Bugs And Troubleshooting

Excessively Slow Performance

Installing with Windows 95

I Can't Store More Than 40 CDs in the Database

I Can't Export or Import from the Database

I Can't Seem to Make CDX Files Work

Reporting Bugs

Additional Information

Benefits of Registering

Program Registration Instructions

Program Registration via the Internet


Playing a Compact Disc

CD Player for Windows simulates a normal audio CD Player by using buttons that have graphical representations similar to those to which most people are already accustomed.

 PLAY.  The Play button causes the CD Player to begin playback at the current disc position.  That is, playback will begin at the point indicated by the LED Display on the top half of the screen.

 STOP.  The Stop button causes the CD Player to stop playback immediately.  The CD will return to the first track in the current program, or to the first track on the CD if no Custom Program is defined.

 EJECT.  The Eject button causes the CD Player to eject the current CD.  This function can also be accomplished, generally, by pressing the actual Eject button on the CD Device.

 PAUSE.  The Pause button temporarily suspends playback at the current position.  Unlike the Stop button, Pause will not return the CD to the first track in the program.  Instead, when Play is pressed playback will resume from the point at which the CD was Paused.

 NEXT.  The Next button causes the CD Player to skip to the next track in the program.  If no Custom Program is defined, playback will skip to the next track on the CD.

 PREVIOUS.  The Previous button causes the CD Player to replay the previous track in the program.  If no Custom Program is defined, the previous track on the CD will be played.  If you are more than 2 seconds into the current track when you hit Previous the current track will be replayed.

  FAST FORWARD.  The Fast Forward button causes the CD Player to move quickly forward through the current track.  This allows you to scan forward to a particular location on the track without listening to the content of the track up to that point.

 REWIND.  The Rewind button causes the CD Player to move quickly backwards through the current track.  This allows you to move backward to a particular location on the track without having to listen to the entire content of the track up to that point, generally to replay something you just heard.

  POINT A.  The Point A button is used to define the beginning of a Point-To-Point Play Section and is used in conjunction with the Point B button.  The user first clicks on Point A and the position is noted by the CD Player.  The user then clicks on the Point B button and the CD Player will continually replay the section of the CD marked between Point A and Point B.  The marked section can be removed by clicking on Point A again (defining a new Point-To-Point Play section), by click on Stop, or by clicking on Play.

 POINT B.  The Point B button is used to mark the end of Point-To-Point Play Section and is used in conjunction with the Point A button.  Please refer to the previous paragraph for details.


Identifying a Compact Disc

The CD Player can be programmed by the user to automatically recognize CDs when they are inserted.  Doing so enables the CD Player to always present the user with the name of the Artist and Title of the CD, the name of each track on the CD, and the use of Custom Programs that will be remembered each time the CD is inserted in the future.

To identify a CD, click the Identify button while a disc is inserted the CD-ROM.  This will bring up the CD Identification Window.

In this window the Artist and Title of the CD may be entered and a category may be assigned to the disc.  You may select an existing category or enter a new one.

The full name of each track on the CD may be entered in the bottom half of the window.  Double-clicking on the name of a track opens the Lyric Editor window allowing the user to enter the lyrics for each track, as desired.

Once a CD has been identified (and saved) , the information will automatically be recalled when the disc is reinserted in the future.

 The Program button will open the Custom Program window which allows the user to customize which tracks and in what order tracks are played.

 The Cancel button causes all changes made to the current CD record to be discarded.  Only changes to the CD record will be discarded.  Any changes made to the Lyrics of individual songs and/or Karaoke recording will not be discarded.

 The Save button causes the data in the CD window to be saved to the CD database.


Programming Custon Play Sequences
Programming Custom Play Sequences

Custom Play sequences allows user-defined tracks to be played in a user-defined order.  By default, the entire CD is played starting at track one and continuing track by track until playback is complete.  However, the user may prefer to listen to only certrain tracks and do so in an order of their choice.  The Custom Play Sequence enables them to do this.

To Program a CD, click the Program button while a disc is inserted the CD-ROM.  This will bring up the Program Custom Play window.  This window may also be accessed from the CD Information window.

Within the Program Custom Play window, there are two lists of songs.  The top list is a list of all the songs on the CD, the bottom list indicates the songs that will be played in the Custom Play Sequence and in what order.

In order to add a song to the Custom Play Sequence (the bottom list) the user clicks on the name of the song within the top window.  The selected song will be added to the end of the Custom Play Sequence.

To remove a song from the Custom Play Sequence the user clicks on the name of the song within the bottom window.  That song will be removed from the Custom Play Sequence.

 Clear All will clear all the Programmed Tracks from the bottom list with a single click.  Be careful, this will erase your current Programmed Track list and there is no "un-do."

 Cancel discards the changes you've made to your Custom Play Sequence.

 Ok saves the changes you've made to your Custom Play Sequence.


Browsing the Compact Disc Database

The Compact Disc Database Browser enables the user to view a list of all the CDs that have been saved in the database. The main list within the Database window is a list of CDs.  The left column indicates the Artist name while the right column indicates the title of the CD.

 Edit CD enables the user to view and/or edit the CD that is selected in the top portion of the window.  The CD may also be edited by double-clicking on the selected CD.  While editing the CD entry, the CD Information Window is used.

 Delete CD enables the user to permanently remove a CD entry from the database.  The data associated with the selected CD will be removed from the database.  Note: There is not an unerase feature!

 Export Database enables the user to export data from the CD Database into a CDX File.  When selected, the Database Export screen will appear for the user to define the export criteria.  This is useful for creating "generic" CD databases that can be distributed publically and used by any other CD Player program that also uses the CDX Data Exchange Standard.  Note: This feature is available only after the program has been registered., and is only one of several benefits of registering.

 Import Database enables the user to import data into the CD Database from a CDX file.  The Database Import screen will appear for the user to select the import criteria.  This is useful for quickly importing many CDs into the database from a CDX file without having to insert each CD into the CD-ROM and manually entering the data.  Note: This feature is available only after the program has been registered, and is only one of several benefits of registering.

 Ok closes the Database Browser window and returns to the main CD Player window.


Entering Lyrics to Tracks
Entering Lyrics

The Lyric Editor window enables the user to enter the lyrics for any track on the CD.  This may be used for informational purposes, educational purposes (for example, entering the lyrics to a song in a foreign language), or for entertainment purposes (Karaoke).

The actual text of the lyrics are entered in the upper portion of the window.

 Delete Song enables the user to delete the song that is currently being viewed.  There is no un-do!

 Karaoke enables the user to play back the track and record the associated Karaoke timing with the song.  Note that the lyrics to the song must have been entered before Karaoke is called.  See Karaoke Recording for additional information on recording Karaoke sessions.

 Cancel allows the user to discard the changes that have been made to the Lyrics currently being displayed.  Any Karaoke Recording that may have been recorded are also discarded.

 Save enables the user to save the current lyrics.  Changes that have been made to the corresponding Karaoke Recording are also saved at this time.


Recording a Karaoke Session

The CD Player supports a fun and entertaining Karaoke feature.  This feature allows the CD Player to display the lyrics of a given song and highlight the word currently being sung as the track is played.  This requires the user to first listen to the track and indicate when each word is being sung.

The top portion of the window is the lyrics of the song.  The cursor  indicates where the user "is" in the song.  As the track is played the user "clicks" the Next Word button  as each word is sung.  The word currently being sung is highlighted in blue in the top window.

 Start Track is used to start playback of the track.  Once playback has begun the user uses the Next Word button to record the Karaoke timing.  Once the Start Track button has been pressed it changes to a Restart button which, when clicked, will discard the recording made thusfar, replay the current track, and allow the user to start over.  This is useful when the user realizes that some big errors have been made in doing the Karaoke recording.

 Next Word is used by the user to facilitate Karaoke recording.  As the track plays, the user follows along the lyrics in the top portion of the window.  As each word is sung the user clicks the Next Word button.  This is done for the duration of the song until the timing for every word has been recorded.

 Cancel is used to discard the Karaoke recording which has been made.  If a Karaoke recording already existed, the old version is retained.

 Save is used to save the Karaoke recording which has been made.  If a Karaoke recording already existed, it is replaced by the newest recording.


Karaoke Playback
Using Karaoke Playback

To use the Karaoke Playback feature, click Karaoke on the main CD Player window when the song is actually being played.  The Karaoke Playback window will open and each word of the song will be highlighted as it is played by the CD Player.

In order for Karaoke Playback to function, the lyrics to the song must already have been entered in Lyric Editor and a Karaoke session recorded in Karaoke Recording.


File Dropdown Menu

The following options are available on the File Dropdown Menu:

Configure CD Player

Configure Windows

Register

Exit


Configure CD Player

The CD Player Configuration window is used to configure program parameters related to how the CD Player itself behaves and functions.  Cosmetic parameters, such as screen appearance, colors, etc. are found in Configure Windows.

In the CD Player Configuration window the following parameters may be adjusted:

Auto-Start Disc on New Disc Insertion:  This controls whether or not the CD Player will automatically start playing whenever a new disc is inserted.  If this checkbox is checked, CDs will automatically be played as soon as they are inserted by the user.  If the box is not  checked the user must manually click Play in order to start CD playback.

Default to Program Play When Defined:   This controls whether or not Custom Program Sequences should be used by default, when available.  If this checkbox is checked and a disc is inserted that is successfully identified, and a Custom Program has been setup for that disc, the CustomProgram will be automatically used.  If the checkbox is not checked the Program Play mode will remain in whatever state it was in for the previous disk.

Default Shuffle Play: This controls whether the CD Player should start in Shuffle Play mode by default.  If the checkbox is checked, the program will always start in Shuffle Play mode.  If it is not checked the program will not start in Shuffle Play mode.

Default Repeat Mode: No Repeat/Track/All: This controls the default repeat mode.  Depending on which bubble is checked the CD Player will, by default, not repeat anything, will repeat a single track, or will repeat everything.

Reset Repeat Mode On New Disc: This controls whether the Repeat Mode should be restored the Default Repeat Mode (see previous paragraph) when a new disc is inserted.  If this checkbox is checked, the Repeat Mode will be reset to the Default Repeat Mode each time a new disc is inserted.  If it is not checked the Repeat Mode will remain in the state it was in for the last CD.

Identify Window on Unknown Disc: This controls whether or not the CD Identification window should automatically be opened whenever a disc is inserted that cannot be identified.  If this checkbox is checked, the CD Identification window will open automatically whenever a disc is inserted that cannot be identified.  This gives the user the opportunity to enter the relevant data into the program.  If it is not checked the CD Identification window will not automatically open.

CDX File Handling: Do Not Search CDX Files: This option means that if a CD is inserted that is not in the Primary Database that the CDX files should not be searched.  The benefit of this option is that program execution will be much faster since no time will be spent searching CDX files.

CDX File Handling: Search CDX, Do Not Add to DB: This options means that if CD Player cannot find the current CD in the Primary Database, all CDX files in the working directory will be searched in order to identify the disc.  If the disc is found the information will be displayed and used, but not added to the Primary Database.  The disadvantage of this option is that if there are a large number of CDX files--or if the CDX files themselves are large--this can cause the program to slow down when a new disc is inserted.

CDX File Handling: Search CDX, Auto-Add to DB: This option functions like the previous "Search CDX, do not add to DB" except, as the function implies, this will automatically add the CD to the Primary Database if it is found in any of the CDX files.

CDX File Handling: Search CDX, Prompt To Add to DB: This option functions like the previous "Search CDX, Auto-Add to DB" except, as the function implies, the program will first prompt the user whether or not they wish to add the CD to the Primary Database.


Program Registration

CD Player for Windows is not freeware.  It is Shareware, which means it is commercial software.  You, the user, are granted a 30-day trial period to use and evaluate the software.  At the end of 30 days you must register the program if you choose to continue to use the software.

The registration fee is a reasonable US$15.00.  In order to register the software please print out the REGISTER.WRI file which is enclosed with the distribution archive.  Registrations may either be Snail Mailed to:

Vault Information Services

8174 S. Holly

Suite 272

Littleton, CO 80122

U.S.A.

or emailed to:

vis@vaultbbs.com

or, best of all, use our:

Automatic Internet Registration Program!

Automatic Internet Registration is the fastest method of registering the program since no time is wasted on conventional Snail Mail, and you don't even have to compose an email message. However, if you do register via Email, please be certain that if you register by email that you provide ALL information that is requested in the REGISTER.WRI file.  If any information is missing from your email registration we may not be able to process your registration, and your registration will be delayed.

Vault Information Services accepts both Visa and Mastercard as preferred methods of payment.  We also accept checks and money orders drawn on U.S. banks and payable in U.S. currency.  We do not recommend sending  cash  via Snail Mail and VIS is not responsible for cash lost in the mail.

All users residing in the State of Colorado must add 3.8% State Sales Tax (US$0.57) for every copy ordered.

Your support of the shareware concept is appreciated and will encourage this and other potential software authors to continue to release software as shareware.


Small/Full Window
Window Dropdown Menu

Many users prefer that their CD Player program take up a minimum amount of screen "real estate."  Therefore, CD Player has two screen sizes.  The Full Window allows the user to access all features whereas the Small Window provides access to only the basic features of the program, but reduces the amount of space used by the window.

To toggle between Small and Full Window, open the Window dropdown menu and click on Small Window.  The window size will be changed accordingly.


Mode Dropdown Menu

The options within the Mode dropdown menu control basic CD Player features such as Repeat Mode, Shuffle Play, and Custom Program play.

Repeat Mode

The following three options relate to the repeat mode in which the CD Player is operating.  One and only one of the following three options may be checked simultaneously.  Checking one option will cause the others to be unchecked.

No Repeat: When this option is checked, the CD player will simply play the entire disc (or Custom Program) straight through once and then stop.  No repetition will occur unless the Custom Program includes the same track repeated in the program itself.

Repeat Track: When this option is checked, the current track will be repeated indefinitely until the option is either unchecked or CD playback is stopped.  If Program Play is active, the current track will be repeated until the Repeat Track option is unchecked at which time the

original Program Play will resume.

Repeat All: When this option is checked, the entire disc or Custom Program will be repeated indefinitely.  If Program Play is active, the CD Player will play the entire custom program sequence and start at the first programmed track when the entire sequence has been played.  If Program Play is not checked then the current CD will be played in it's entirety, and repeated from start to finish when all tracks have been played.

Custom Play Mode

The following two options are special playback features that control the order in which tracks on the CD are played.  Either, neither, or both of these options may be checked simultaneously.  If neither option is checked playback will begin with the first track on the CD and continue sequentially to the end of the disc.

Shuffle Play: Shuffle play causes the tracks on the disc (or Custom Program) to be played in a random order.  If the Program Play mode is also checked, the programmed tracks will be played in a random order.  If the Program Play mode is not checked, all the tracks on the disc will be played in a random order.

Program Play: Program Play causes the CD Player to play tracks in any order specified by the user.  The user must first define the tracks to play by using the Program feature.


Window Preferences
Window Preferences Configuration

The Windows Preferences Configuration screen enables the user to customize the appearance and behavior of the CD Player windows.  The options in this window do not effect the functional operation of the program but rather allow the user to choose an interface that most suits their needs.

Colors/Italics: The top half of the window involves the color and italic configuration for four portions of the LED Display.   If the Italic checkbox is checked, that field will be displayed in italics.  To change the color of each field, click on the named button tothe left (Column, Play Mode, LED, or Song Name) corresponding to the field color you wish to change.

CD Player Always On Top: If checked, the CD Player window will always be in the foreground on your Windows desktop.  That is, it will never be hidden by another window.  If this box is unchecked, the window will behave as a normal window that may be hidden by other windows.

Default to Small Window Mode: If this is checked, the CD Player will automatically start up in "Small" mode.  If this is unchecked, the CD Player will automatically start up in the standard expanded mode.

On-Line Helpline at Bottom of Windows: When checked, the bottom-most line of every window will display a one-line help that explains the function of whatever portion of the window is being pointed to by the mouse.  This may be helpful to some users as they become accustomed to the program.  However, once used to the program many users may find this helpline to be useless and/or distracting.  It may be removed from the windows by unchecking this box.


Intro Play Mode

The Intro Play Mode is activated by pressing the Intro button on the main CD Player screen.

When Intro Play is initiated, the CD Player will play the first 10 seconds of each track on the CD Player.  Intro Play can be aborted at any time by clicking on the Intro button again, at which point playback will continue normally.

When all tracks have been played by Intro Play, the CD Player will stop.


Export To CDX Database

The Export To CDX Database form enables the user to export the CDs of various Artists and/or Categories to a CDX Database file.  The user must first define the "Criteria to Export" so that the Data Exporter knows which CDs to include in the CDX file that is created.

The first listbox is called Artist.  The user should select all the Artists to be included in the output file.  Only those Artists that are selected will be included in the CDX file.  However, if no artist is selected then ALL artists will be included in the CDX file.

The second listbox is called Category.  The user should select all the Categories to be included in the output file.  Only those categories that are selected will be included in the CDX file.  However, if no Category is selected then ALL categories will be included in the CDX file.

  Export will cause the data to be exported to the CDX file.  A Dialog box will be displayed allowing the user to name the the new CDX file.  Upon entering a CDX filename and selecting Ok, the file will be created.

 Cancel will cause the data export function to be cancelled.  No CDX file will be created.


Import CDs Into Database

The Import CDs Into Database function enables the user to import data from a CDX file into the primary CD Database.  This may be useful to quickly add a large number of CDs to the database without inserting each CD into the CD-ROM and manually entering the CD data.

When Import  is pressed from the Browse CD Database, a Dialog box will appear prompting the user to select which CDX file should be used as the source.  The user may select one CDX file.

After selecting the CDX file a window will appear that lists all the Artist/Compact Disc titles contained within the CDX file.  The user then clicks on each CD Title which he wants to add to his CD Database.  Multiple CDs may be selected.

 Add CDs will cause all the selected CDs to be imported from the CDX file into the Primary Database.

 Cancel will cancel the data importation function.  No CDs will be imported.


CDX Files: What Are They?

"CDX Format" stands for "CD Exchange Format."  It is a file format that, I hope, will become an accepted and widely used standard to facilitate the exchange of CD information between CD Player-related programs.

The problem to-date has been that each CD player program has it's own database format.  After entering 150 CDs in one CD Player program the user finds that if he wishes to switch to another CD player program--or use any utility which is based on CD information--al the information must be completely re-entered.  None of the programs really "talk" to each other.  The CDX File Format solves this problem.

A CDX File is, in programming terms, a Windows ASCII file that follows standard Windows INI File format.  The specification for the file format is available on request.  Simply send email to vis@vaultbbs.com and request the CDX File Format Specification.

In human terms, a CDX file is a database of (generally) many compact discs that can be shared publically and used by any program that supports the CDX file format.

Ideally, I envision large CDX files being made available on the Internet or other sources for downloading by users who wish to utilize the data in their own CD databases.  For example, a user might find a file called CLASSICAL.CDX  on the Internet which would presumably contain a collection of Classical-style music.  If the user is a Classical music fan this file could be downloaded and imported into the primary database, the user selecting those CDs which he owns.  This would be much faster than inserting each of the perhaps hundreds of CDs that he owns and entering the track information for each one.

To this end, I encourage all users of the program to seriously consider producing CDX files by using the Database Export feature and putting the resulting files in public archive sights where other users may access them.  I also encourage users to pressure the authors of other CD-related programs to support the CDX format so that we can all benefit from data being transferable between programs.

See Also:

CDX Files: How CD Player Uses Them


CDX Files: How CD Player Uses Them

CD Player can utilize CDX Files in a number of ways.

Manual Database Import: The user may manually import data from a CDX file into the Primary Database by entering the CD Database Browser and clicking on Import to access the Database Import facility.

Automatic CDX Searching: CDX files in the CD Player working directory can be automatically searched whenever a CD is not found in the Primary Database.  You may configure this under File/Configuration/CD Player.


Reporting Bugs

Any program that consists of more than one line of program code most likely has a bug.  Even programs with only one line of program code usually have a bug.  :)

I do not suspect CD Player is any different.  While I've made every effort to test CD Player's functions on various CD-ROMs and on various platforms I am sure that when put to the test by hundreds or thousands of users around the world that more bugs will be detected.

Please report any bugs, suggestions, or comments to vis@vaultbbs.com.  We will try to respond to all email received--especially severe problems that prevent you from using the program.  However, if you do not receive a response to a suggestion or comment please rest assured that the comment has been noted and we will try to incorporate it into a future release.

When report bugs, please always include the following information.  Without it, problem resolution is nearly impossible:

1. Your platform (Windows 3.1, 3.11, Win95, etc)

2. CD-ROM Drive Manufacturer (Sony, etc.)

3. CD-ROM Controller Manufacturer

4. Type of Sound Card, if installed

5. Time/Date/Filesize of C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MCICDA.DRV

6. Manufacturer of your computer (Gateway, IBM, etc.)

7. Brief description of problem

8. Complete error message reported by CD Player


Excessively Slow Performance

I have found that CD Player for Windows performs excessively slow--and sometimes not at all--when used with some of the Compaq Presario multimedia systems.  I am not entirely sure of what causes the problem although I believe it is either the CD-ROM controller or the CD-ROM device itself.

The problem, in a nutshell, is that when you eject a disc the program takes a very long time to detect that the CD has been ejected.  In the meantime, system performance either is diminished or completely stopped.

Also, a number of run-time errors have been witnessed on Compaqs.  These are errors that simply do not occur on other systems and my attempts to discover their cause have been unsuccessful.

I plan to put some additional effort into determining the cause of this problem, since it may turn out that this problem also manifests itself on other CD-ROM drives or computers.  However, at the present time, this problem has only been observed on Compaqs and since it works on all other brands tested it, for the time being, is considered an inherent flaw in Compaqs (or the components they use) rather than the program.

Please notify me if you run into this problem on any system other than a Compaq.  If it is a widespread problem I will certainly give it more attention.


Program Introduction

Welcome to CD Player for Windows!

This program performs the same basic function as dozens of other CD player programs available to you on a freeware or shareware basis, although I believe you'll agree this program offers you a number of features not found in most of the other programs.

I originally wrote CD Player For Windows because I was not happy with any of the other CD players I could find.  Either I wasn't pleased with the user interface or it didn't seem to work logically as a CD player should.  So I began coding and the program grew from there.  Friends tried it and gave me ideas to put in the program, etc.

One of the neat (if not terribly useful) features is a Karaoke feature.  You can enter the lyrics to songs, setup the timing with a built in "Karaoke Record" option, and then play back the CD later and the computer will highlight each word of the song as it plays.  Kind of nifty.  :)

I've tested CD Player for Windows with a beta of Win95.  It seems to be working pretty well.  There are a couple of glitches, but more than anything they are really bugs in Win95--so I'm going to wait for the bug patch that Microsoft plans to release later this year to see if they fix the problems.  If they don't then I'll go ahead and code around them.

I hope you enjoy the program!  Please send me email with your questions, comments, or suggestions.  After all, a program is only "done" when the users stop requesting new feature.

   Craig Steiner

   Programmer


Benefits of Registering

The CD Player for Windows is very functional without registering which gives you the ability to fully evaluate it's functionality.  If you decide to continue to use it you are encouraged to register the program.

Registering the program has the following benefits:

1. The unregistered program may only store 40 CDs in the database.  Once you've registered the program you may store as many CDs as you like.

2. You may not read CDX Files with the unregistered program.  Registering the program will enable you  to take advantage of the benefits of being able to read CDX  Files.

3. You may not Export to CDX Files nor Import  from CDX Files in the unregistered program.  Registering the program will enable all the database import/export functions.

4. You'll get that warm fuzzy feeling  that you always get when you know you've done the right thing.  :)


Installing With Windows 95

Windows 95 is slightly different than Windows 3.1 in that Windows 95 comes with it's own CD player program.  Generally it is configured such that when you insert an audio CD, Windows 95 automatically starts the "built-in" CD player program and strarts playing the disc.  If you prefer to use this CD Player for Windows it is necessary to reconfigure Windows 95 so that it will automatically start this program rather than the default Windows 95 CD player.  You may accomplish this reconfiguration by following these steps:

1. Double-Click on the My Computer icon on the desktop.

2. Click once on CD-ROM (D:) icon.

3. Click once on the View drop-down menu and then click one Options.

4. Click once on the File Types page.

5. Click once on Audio CD and then click on Edit to the right of the listbox.

6. Click on Play and then on Edit.

7. In the field labeled Application Used To Perform Action you should enter the full filename (example, C:\WINCD\WINCD.EXE) of CD Player for Windows.  If you want your audio CDs to automatically start playing when you insert a new disc, you should append a /PLAY to the end of the filename (for example, C:\WINCD\WINCD.EXE /PLAY).

That's it!  The CD Player for Windows will now be the program which Windows 95 launches by default when you insert a new CD.


Program Registration Via Internet

If you have a true IP Internet connection--that is, an Internet provider that offers you access to the Internet via SLIP or PPP--you may quickly and easily register CD Player for Windows via Internet.  Generally you will have your registered version within 24 hours of registering the program via the Internet.  If you have the capability to register via the Internet we HIGHLY recommend that you do so.  It's the fastest and easiest way for all of us to process registrations.

How can you know whether or not you have "true IP Internet access?"  First of all, if you know for a fact that you have "SLIP" or "PPP" access, you are set.  Another fairly reliable test is if you can use the Netscape web-browser it is extremely likely that you can register CD Player for Windows because they use the same basic technology to accomplish their tasks.

How can you know if you CAN'T use it?  If you have limited access to the Internet via CompuServe, Prodigy, America Online, or any other provider that uses their own proprietary software to access the Internet then you can't do it.

HOW TO REGISTER VIA THE INTERNET

To register via the Internet, follow these simple steps:

1. Go to the CD Player Registration screen and enter all the requested information (name, address, city, state, zip and country).

2. Click on the button Reg via Inet.

3. Another window will pop-up into which you must enter all of the requested information (your Internet email address, credit card number, credit card expiration date, and the number of copies of the program you want).

4. If you are a resident of the State of Colorado be sure to check the box appropriate box.

5. Verify that you are currently connected to the Internet and click on Submit.

6. Your registration will be submitted to VIS.  Follow any on screen instructions.

Once VIS has received your Internet registration, it will generally take less than 24 hours to process it--however, please allow 3 full business days before you start emailing us about your registration.

1. As frequently as you wish, you may check to see if your registration has been processed.

2. Making sure you are currently connected tto the Internet, go back to the CD Player Registration screen and click on Chk Inet Reg.

3. The program will automatically connect with VIS and check to see if your registration has been processed.

4. If your registration has been processed, your registration key will automatically be loaded into your program and it will be completely functional.

NOTE: You will also receive email notification of your registration.  We recommend that you print the email since it is your permanent record of your registration (in case your hard drive crashes someday and you need to re-enter it), and it is also your proof of purchase.

INTERNET SECURITY CONCERNS?

Some of you may be concerned about having your credit card informationtransferred over the Internet.  Please be assured that we have taken steps to encrypt the transmission.  The program uses a different encryption code every time you connect to VIS and, in fact, actually changes the encryption code every several seconds.  So even if the would-be thief monitors your communication (and he'd have to be waiting for you), he'll be frustrated when the encryption method switches in mid-stream.  Unless the NSA has a personal grudge against you (scary thought), it is extremely unlikely that anyone will be able to intercept your registration, let alone decrypt it.


Glossary

W

warm fuzzy feeling


warm fuzzy feeling

"Warm fuzzy feeling" is that "good" feeling that you get when you pull over to help someone change their tire, return a wallet or purse to it's rightful owner without helping yourself to a finder's fee, or tell the bank teller that he has given you $20 more than you actually withdrew.  You can also achieve the "warm fuzzy feeling" by registering shareware such as this!