Dunce v. 2.0.2 © 1996 Vector Development ABOUT Dunce (or Dial-Up Networking Connection Enhancement) allows for much easier dial-up networking than Win95 currently provides. The program will automatically press "connect" for you on the "Connect To" dialog box, redial your Internet Provider indefinitely (even from within another application), and auto-reconnect if you get unexpectedly dropped. Furthermore it can optionally run applications when you are connected and force connections at a given time. 2.0 Also adds MSN Support and support for international versions of Windows. Dunce will also type in your password in the Connect To Dialog. VECTOR DEVELOPMENT Vector Development is committed to creating shareware sollutions for you! We create our products on both the Macintosh and Windows/DOS Platforms. Please, send any comments to the above addresses. LICENSE You may use Dunce freely on your computer system. You may distribute Dunce freely on Online Services. You may NOT sell copies of Dunce (i.e. disk vendors) without express permission from Vector Development (terms normally include a copy of the distribution disk/cd). You may NOT decompile, reverse engineer, or modify Dunce or its resources. You may NOT modify the dunce2.02.zip (sometimes dunce2_02.zip) file or its contents. WARRANTY USE OF THIS PROGRAM IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU AGREE BY USING THIS PROGRAM TO HOLD HARMLESS VECTOR DEVELOPMENT AGAINST DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THIS PROGRAM. EVEN IF VECTOR DEVELOPMENT WAS NOTIFIED IN ADVANCE THAT SUCH DAMAGES MIGHT OCCUR. SETUP First make a shortcut by right clicking on Dunce and selecting Make Shortcut. Then add Dunce to your Startup group (folder) by right clicking on the Start folder and selecting explore. Then go to /windows/start/programs/startup and put the shortcut of DUNCE in the folder. The first time you run Dunce it will bring up the Options Dialog, see below that for more info on how to bring it up later. OPTIONS: To get to the options Dialog just click on the Start Menu. Go to Programs select Startup and then select Dunce. A Dialog will now come up that has options to turn on and off the continuous redial and auto-reconnect. It also has a text box to enter the delay after the the dialogs the correspond to each feature is displayed, this must be between 1 and 60 (this may increase soon). RUN: To use the run feature make sure that the Run check box is checked, then click on Run Options. In the Run Options Dialog select the first Active Check Box and make sure it is checked. Then enter your path and select when you want the program to run. Each radio button corresponds to the dialog box DUN displays. Be sure you have a valid path entered or nothing will happen, dunce does not check your paths for you (the exception is the file selection dialog does). For long filenames be sure to put quotes around the filename otherwise Dunce will misinterpret part of the path as the command line, leave the command line options outside the quotes. E.G. "c:\Connect Time Monitor\ccm30.exe" 1 This feature is especially useful for items such as Scott Craig's Connect Time Monitor. Scott Craig and his Connect Time Monitor are not related to Vector Development. The latest version of Connect Time Monitor is avaiable at: http://www.tucows.com/time95.html Microsoft Network Support: Dunce now supports Microsoft Network Connections. It allows auto-clicking on the connect button in Sign In and Automatically saying Yes to the Dialog asking to Disconnect. In order to use Microsoft Network Features you must turn on the check box in the Main Dialog and select the MSN Settings Button, then select the proper path to the Guide.exe normally: c:\Program Files\The Microsoft Network\Guide.exe then activate the features you want and say OK. Timed Connection Support: Once again you must turn on the check box and click on the Settings Box. Make a shortcut to your connection (if you haven't done so already) and select it in the dialog box for Settings Dialog, this is a MUST DO!!!! You can select a time to connect, disconnect and a time to repeat this connection. E.G. if it is set to connect at 8:00 and disconnect at 8:15 with repeat set to 2 hours. Dunce will connect again at 10:00 and disconnect again at 10:15. There are run options as well, Timed Connections used your run options from Regular connections but you can select which ones you want to run seperately. Tray Item Support: Dunce now support a tray item. To enable or disable it change the check box in the main Dialog. Left Clicking toggles Dunce being turned on, a grayed icon means ALL Dunce features are turned off and a colored icon means ALL "enabled" features are turned on. Right Clicking the icon brings up the Main/Options Dialog. International Support: Dunce now supports all versions of Windows to my knowledge!!! This requires no intervention from the user, Dunce detects your version on the fly. Enjoy! Shift Key: As each segment of the connection (i.e. Connect To, Connecting, and Connected, corresponds to the dialogs) begins if you hold down the shift key for a short time Dunce will not load the run items associated with that segment. Password: Duncw will now enter your password to the Connect To Dialog. This is particulary handy for those of you who for some reason or another can't use Password List Files and logging in. NOTICE: DUNCE DOES NOT CURRENTLY ENCRYPT YOUR PASSWORD. IF YOU THINK SOMEONE MIGHT HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR COMPUTER AND YOUR PASSWORD DO NOT USE THIS FEATURE. VECTOR DEVELOPMENT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR PASSWORD'S SECURITY. DISTRIBUTION dunce2.02.zip contains the following files, if your copy does not have ALL of these files please send me an email as to where you got it and download a complete copy from Vector's Web Site (see below for address info.) dunce.exe 113K dunce.txt 9.43K file_id.diz 543 bytes ICON CONTEST Thanx to David A. Karp of Creative Element for the icon. I love it. Check out his Windows Annoyances Page it's great. Tells you how to get rid of lots of those things you just wish would go away in Windows 95. http://www.creativelement.com/win95ann/ TO CONTACT THE AUTHOR SEND: Internet email to: vecdev@cjnetworks.com AOL email to: NOTE THIS NO LONGER EXISTS OneNet Multihop: BenReser,American Informatics U.S. Mail: 3735 SW Sena Dr. Topeka, KS 66604-1754 IRC: ResDev on #win95-net Fax: (913) 271-2175 Voice: (913) 271-2175 (the system will distinguish) WWW: http://www.cjnetworks.com/~vecdev/vector/ Look for updates on my WWW site periodically. Please note I can't always respond to all your messages, I attempt to but it doesn't always happen. Please be patient. BUG REPORTS: When reporting a bug always include the following: 1) A detailed description of the bug. 2) A copy of your DUNCE.INI 3) What version your running. 4) What other applications or items in the startup folder were running when the error occured. Doing these three things will speed up my bug fixes. POSTCARD OFFER Vector Development is offerent a PostCard Offer, send a PostCard to us and we will notify you of updates and new products. Include a mailing address and an email address. This service is absolutly free and does not constitute registration since there is none. We will except letters as well especially if they include comments!! Please send to: Vector Development C/O Dunce Postcard 3735 SW Sena Dr. Topeka, KS 66604-1754 DUNCE-L This is something new, Subscribing to this lists means that I will send you notification of updates and bugs as I know of them. To subscirbe send me an email at vecdev@cjnetworks.com which in the contents of it says: SUBSCRIBE DUNCE and no subject. KNOWN BUGS With this version I have cleared up all reproducable bugs. FUTURE PLANS 1) Perhaps a smart cancel system in which if you click cancel on the Connecting to... Dialog it won't by pass the Connect To box. 2) Script editing. 3) Scripting/Bat support of run options. HISTORY 1.0 Dunce v. 1.0 Initial Release! 1.1 Became Freeware, added postcard offer, repaired Grayed Dialog Box Problem. Splash Screen is a one time deal now. 1.2 Added timeout adjustments for all of the features (run excluded for obvious reasons). Added the run on connect feature. Finally fixed the obnoxious bring to front bug (well sorta). 1.3 Added the minimize feature. Fixed some very stupid typos and actually fixed the bring to the front (z-order) bug. Multiple copies of the options dialog will no longer come up. 1.3.1 Fixes the GPF and adds the Quit button. 1.3.2 Repairs another GPF only one report of this. 2.0 Added Multiple Runs, Tray Support, Timed Connections, MSN support, and International Support. Fixed Minimize bug, Selection of when the item runs, and other things I can't think of right now. 2.0.1 Fixes the Connect To Run Options Problem. Fixes the Reconnect and Redial bug. It also fixes the problem with the time on the Connect To Dialog. Adds the Password Feature. 2.0.2 Fixes the following bugs: Wouldn't always disconnect on timed connections Default directory on runs Multiple parameters for run lines. Special Thanx for 1.x Thanx to mook, Nominal, Hunter, berky, mx-3, and all the others who reviewed 1.0 and made suggestions to me!!! Sorry if I left someone out I'm sure I did. Special Thanx for 2.0 Holzer, codeman, StealthM, Aarto, and a few others who I don't remember for Beta Testing. Holzer your work made Dunce one of the most tested freeware apps available :) Scott Craig, and Deanis for their help in implementing the Tray Item. http://www.windows95.com for distributing it.