Contents

General Information

What is the function of the NetWork Messenger?

What is the function of the NetWork Messenger Administrator?

Required Files

Suggested Setup Methods

Payment/Registration

Resource Technology Solutions

Get NetWork Message File Details

Get NetWork Message File

View Message

View Message Button

Save Options

Save Local INI

Save Deployment INI

Buttons

OK Button

Help Button


Messenger Function
What is the function of the NetWork Messenger

NetWork Messenger allows Windows workstations connected to a Local Area Network (LAN) to view a message from the System Administrator.  This message is automatically displayed at Windows startup time.  If there is no message present, the program will display nothing.  This is especially useful in an environment where many workstations enter Windows directly after logging into the network.  Often, a System Administrator wants to notify all the network users that the LAN will be down over the upcoming weekend for maintenance.  To notify as many users as possible, he/she will typically place an announcement in the DOS menu and send an E-Mail message to all the users.  Because everyone doesnt always read their E-mail daily, and most Windows users avoid DOS, they may not receive the maintenance message.  Now, the NetWork Messenger will solve this problem.   Once the System Administrator distributes the viewer, he/she need only to type the message in the designated text file regarding the maintenance and all the Windows users will see the announcement the next time they start Windows.

The heart of this application is the viewer, NWMESNGR.EXE and its associated NWMESNGR.INI file.  Once these two files are placed in the Windows directory of your workstations, you keep them informed of important events that they may otherwise miss.

To assist in the deployment of these files to the various workstations, NWMESSET.EXE, will copy the viewer file and its INI file to the local Windows directory.  It will also update the RUN= line of the local WIN.INI with the necessary statement to launch NWMESNGR.EXE at startup time if there is a message present.  Prior to updating the WIN.INI, the deployment program will copy it to WININI.NWM for safekeeping.

The System Administrator uses the administration program, NWMESADM.EXE, to set the location of the message file.  Once set, the deployment process can begin.

This application will work in a peer-to-peer network environment as well.


Administrator Function
What is the function of the NetWork Messenger Administrator?

The function of the NetWork Messenger Administrator is to set up the NWMESNGR.INI file with the name of the text file that will be displayed.  This utility creates the proper entries in the INI file for both a local version (your hard drive) and a deployment version (a shared directory).

Once the deployment INI version is created, the message text file may be changed, renamed or deleted.  The viewer will look for the filename that is indicated in its INI file,  if it does not find the file,  it terminates without displaying message.

When it is time to inform the workstation users of an upcoming event, enter the message into a text file with the same name as your original filename (save it in the original location also).  Your message will be displayed when the workstations next enter Windows


Required Files

The files included with this package are:

NWMESNGR.EXE

NWMESNGR.INI

NWMESADM.EXE

NWMESADM.HLP

NWMESSET.EXE

READ.ME

BWCC.DLL

Workstation requirements: (located in local Windows directory)

NWMESNGR.EXE workstation display program.

NWMESNGR.INI workstation INI file, contains the location of the text file that will be deployed.

WIN.INI modified, NWMESNGR.EXE added to list of programs on the RUN= line.

NetWork Messenger Administrator requirements:

NWMESADM.EXE administrator program.

NWMESNGR.EXE workstation display program, used to view the message text file.

NWMESNGR.INI workstation INI file, will be updated when the VIEW option is selected.

NWMESADM.HLP contains the help documentation.

BWCC.DLL required to run administrator program, usually kept in WINDOWS\SYSTEM subdirectory.  It must be accessible for NWMESADM.EXE to function properly.

NetWork Messenger Setup Program requirements:

NWMESSET.EXE copies NWMESNGR.EXE and NWMESNGR.INI from the current directory to the local workstations Windows directory.  Copies the current version of the local WIN.INI to WININI.NWM prior to adding NWMESNGR.EXE to the RUN= line.

BWCC.DLL required to run, should be in the directory where NWMESSET.EXE is run from.  This file will not be copied to the local workstations.  It must be accessible for NWMESSET.EXE to function properly.


Suggested Setup Methods

To setup up the NWMESNGR program properly, follow these guidelines.

Choose a network location, such as F:\PUBLIC or F:\COMMON, where all the workstations have read access.

Copy NWMESNGR.EXE and BWCC.DLL to this shared area.

Copy NWMESNGR.EXE, NWMESADM.EXE and NWMESADM.HLP to your local Windows directory (commonly C:\WINDOWS).

Copy BWCC.DLL to your WINDOWS\SYSTEM (commonly C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM) directory.  The version of BWCC.DLL included with this package is 156,544 bytes and has a date/time stamp of 10/21/93 11:56:46 am.  Use your current version if it has a newer date/time stamp.

Create a text message file, using any ASCII editor, such as NOTEPAD, and save it in this shared area.  Give it a meaningful name such as NETMESGE.TXT.  At this point, the actual text of the message is not important, you may change it later.

Start the administrator program, NWMESADM.EXE, using File Manager or File|Run.

Use the Get Network Message File option to select the text message file you created above.

View the message using the View Message button to see what the message will look like.  This option will create NWMESNGR.INI in your local Windows directory.

Check the Save Deployment INI option prior to clicking the OK button.  This will create the file NWMESNGR.INI in the same location as the text file.  The INI file will contain the information necessary for the display program to locate the message file.

On each workstation, you must now execute the program NWMESSET.EXE.  This copies the display program and the INI file to the local Windows directory, and updates the WIN.INI.  The setup program requires BWCC.DLL to function, so all four files (NWMESNGR.EXE, NWMESNGR.INI, NWMESSET.EXE and BWCC.DLL) must reside in the same directory.  (You may rename the setup program to another name if you wish.)  You may have everyone execute the program themselves from the File|Run option if your common network directory is one that is in their search path (e.g., F:\PUBLIC).

Once the INI file is created in the common directory, you may edit the text message as often as you wish.  If you do not want a message displayed, simply rename the file.

When you do want a message to display,  change the name back to the name that was in the INI file when you deployed it to all the workstations.  (Hint: A good idea for naming the file and remembering the display name is to change the extension.  Using NETMESGE.TXT as the example, change the name to NETMESGE.TTT when not in use.)


Payment/Registration

This version of NetWork Messenger is NOT public domain or free software, but is being distributed as "shareware."

Non-registered users of this software are granted a limited license to make an evaluation copy for trial use on a private, non-commercial basis, for the express purpose of determining whether this package is suitable for their needs. At the end of this trial period, typically 30 days, you should either register your copy or discontinue using the programs distributed within the NetWork Messenger.

Registration for the NetWork Messenger is on a per network basis  (multiple LANs are considered multiple networks).

Once registered, you are entitled you to use the programs on any and all computers available to your network.  Please write to RTS regarding site licensing or quantity discounts for sites with more than five (5) networks.  Include the total number of networks that you will be registering the NetWork Messenger for.

Registered users will receive the next version of the NetWork Messenger , when available, absolutely FREE!!

If you try the NetWork Messenger and decide it will be beneficial to you, please register the program.  The modest single network fee is $25.  Please included your name, title, company name, address, telephone numbers (voice and fax), and network type(s) when registering.  Send the registration fee and information to:

Resource Technology Solutions

9597 Jones Road

Houston, TX  77065-4410


Resource Technology Solutions

Resource Technology Solutions is an Information Technology consulting company.

Other shareware products available from RTS are:

ZIPX (ZIP eXpand) is a simple command line program that will copy and expand zipped files quickly to their own sub directory.  This is useful when evaluating various shareware programs, since all the unzipped files are in their own sub directory.

RTSPAK1 contains four useful utility programs bundled together at one very low price.

RTSCAPIT:  This utility program (capit) will read an ASCII file and create a new file with all the characters converted to capital letters.

RTSDATTM:  This utility program (date/time) will display the current date and/or time. Several display formats are available. It will also allow you to place up to 120 blanks in front of the date/time display.  It is quite useful in batch programs where the date and/or time is needed in the output of a report.

RTSCNTEM:  This utility program (count'em) will display the number of lines contained in an ASCII specified file.

RTSLDRSZ:  This utility program (dir size) will display the contents of a given drive, by directory, in summary form.  Each directory listed will contain the drive letter, the full directory name, the total number of bytes in that directory and the number of files. This listing will be in a comma separated format with each field enclosed in quotes.  This format makes the output extremely easy to import into database and spreadsheet packages for quick analysis. It is useful for tracking the space usage, by directory, of any hard disk, especially network drives.

Registered versions of both ZIPX and RTSPAK1 can be obtained for $7US each.

RTS can be reached at:

Resource Technology Solutions

9597 Jones Rd

Houston, TX 77065-4410


File Selection
Get NetWork Message File

The open dialog allows the user to select a file.  This is the standard Windows dialog box.

Proceed to the shared directory or subdirectory on your network (e.g. F:\PUBLIC or F:\COMMON) and select the message text file that you want the viewer to display to the network workstations.

Note:  The file must exist in order to select it and create the INI files.  You may delete the file after you have created the INI file and/or deployed the display program and INI file to all desired workstations.  This feature allows the System Administrator to setup the message file name in the INI file once, deploy it to the workstations, and then only use it when there is a need for a broadcast message.  At other times, when a message is not needed, simply delete or rename the message text file.  When the workstations enter Windows, NWMESNGR determines that there is no file to display, and ends its processing.  Windows continues to load as normal.

Wherever you choose to locate the message file, it must be one where all the network users have read access.


View Button
View Message Button

The View Message button allows you to execute the NWMESNGR program with the current text file you have selected.  This gives you a chance to preview how the message will look when it is displayed during Windows start-up.

In order to view the selected file, the administration program updates your NWMESNGR.INI file with the selected filename.  It then executes the messenger program, NWMESNGR.EXE.


Save Local INI

The Save Local INI option will create an INI file in your local Windows directory.  This file will be used when you choose the View Message function.  The messenger program, NWMESNGR locates the message text file you selected and displays it on the screen.

This is an excellent way to see what the message will to look like once the INI file is deployed.


Save Deployment INI

The Save Deployment INI option creates the necessary INI file that is copied to the individual workstations local drives.  The contents of the INI file enables the messenger program, NWMESNGR, to properly locate and display the message text file.

The INI created with this option is in the same directory as the message file you selected using the Get NetWork Message File option.  This must be a shared directory that all of the users have access to.


OK Button

The OK button processes the screen and exits the program.  The file name that you have selected is inserted into the NWMESNGR.INI file located in your Windows directory if you have checked the Save local INI box.  The file name is saved in the NWMESNGR.INI file located in the same directory as the message file if you have checked the Save Deployment INI box.

Choose a location that all the network workstations can access for both the text message file and the deployment files (NWMESNGR.EXE, NWMESNGR.INI, NWMESSET.EXE, and BWCC.DLL).


Help Button

The Help button starts the Windows help program for NWMESADM.