///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // // Welcome to StepUp'96 // for Microsoft(r) Windows(r) 95 // and Windows NT(tm) 4.x ! // // Version 4.02a // // Last updated: December 12, 1996 // // Copyright (c) 1996, ChaoSoft // All rights reserved. // // _______ // ____|__ | (R) // --| | |------------------- // | ____|__ | Association of // | | |_| Shareware // |__| o | Professionals // -----| | |--------------------- // |___|___| MEMBER // ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// This file contains introductory information regarding StepUp'96. STOP! IMPORTANT NOTE 1: Before reading any further, please verify that you have a complete set of the files originally included in the StepUp'96 package. A list of the files may be found in the VENDINFO.DIZ file, supplied with the package. If any file listed in the VENDINFO.DIZ file (or the VENDINFO.DIZ file itself) is missing, the package is incomplete and its further use or distribution is PROHIBITED. To obtain a complete package of the software, please contact us at the address at the end of this file. IMPORTANT NOTE 2: Before you use this software, please read the ChaoSoft License Agreement, which may be found in the VENDINFO.DIZ file, supplied with the package. By using StepUp'96 you agree to be bound by the terms of the license. TABLE OF CONTENTS -------------------------------------------------------------- 1. About StepUp'96 2. System requirements 3. Installing and uninstalling StepUp'96 4. This is 'Try Before You Buy' software! 5. Obtaining updates to the software 6. Getting customer support --------------------------------------------------------------- 1. About StepUp'96 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ StepUp'96 is a set of utilities designed to extend the Windows user interface. When you install StepUp'96, additional commands are added to the menus and taskbar of Windows, making you able to work with Windows easier and faster. StepUp'96 resembles best features of its predecessor, FM StepUp, featured in many leading publications, such as PC MAGAZINE, WINDOWS MAGAZINE, WINDOWS WORLD, WINDOWS USER, and rated *Five Stars* by Ziff-Davis Interactive. Features of StepUp'96 include: o StepUp Menu, accessible from the context menu or taskbar, containing commands which you can use to process files or folders, open new browsing windows, run files, etc. o Folder Navigator, accessible from the context menu or taskbar, allowing you to quickly open the folder you need. o Menu Designer, allowing you to add new commands to StepUp Menu, modify its existing commands to make them better suit your needs, move menu items between submenus, etc. o File Handler, designed to perform various file management operations in a way similar to that of File Manager. o Taskbar Icons, allowing you to quickly logoff, shut down, or reboot your computer, toggle the CDROM Autorun feature on/off, access the commands of StepUp Menu and Folder Navigator. o Context-sensitive Help provides a complete user's guide for StepUp'96. o Automatic Setup utility, allowing you to painlessly install and uninstall StepUp'96. o StepUp'96 may be used both on a single machine and over a network. Each user can configure and use StepUp'96 independently on the others. Also, StepUp'96 allows system administrators to restrict many of its features (see file StepUp.adm containing the StepUp'96 Policy Templates). Try it - You won't believe how you were able to work without StepUp'96. "The way software should be!"(tm) ____________________________________________________________________ 2. System requirements ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ StepUp'96 is designed for operating systems Windows 95 and Windows NT (version 4.0 or higher). 1 MB (one megabyte) of free space on your hard disk is required to install StepUp'96. There are no special requirements or recommendations except the obvious one: the better processor and more RAM your computer has the better StepUp'96 will perform. NOTE: throughout StepUp'96 documentation, "Windows" is used to refer to Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0. In those few instances where the operation of StepUp'96 under these operating systems differ, an explicit operating system name is used. StepUp'96 can be installed and used under Windows 95 Beta and Windows NT 4.0 Beta, although the installation utility will warn you about that. StepUp'96 CANNOT be installed and used under the following operating systems: - Windows 3.1/3.11, even if Win32s is installed - Windows for Workgroups 3.11, even if Win32s is installed. - Windows NT all versions prior to 4.0. _____________________________________________________________________ 2. Installing and uninstalling StepUp'96 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ StepUp'96 comes with a convenient and flexible Setup utility, which allows you to both install and uninstall StepUp'96. NOTE: it is NOT sufficient to simply copy StepUp'96 files onto your hard disk to install it. You MUST run Setup.exe to configure your system and enable all StepUp'96 components. NOTE to Windows NT users: if you have a different version of StepUp'96 already installed in your system, you MUST deactivate it before installing the new version. The reason for that is that Windows NT will not allow to replace the existing Stepup'96 files which are in use. When you run Setup, it will not install the new version of StepUp'96 until you deactivate the existing one. This does not apply if you use Windows 95: the new files will be copied by Setup over the existing ones. To deactivate the existing installation of StepUp'96, open Control Panel, choose 'Add/Remove Programs' and double-click on "Chaosoft StepUp'96". When the "Uninstalling Stepup'96" dialog box is displayed, select the "Deactivate all components" option and choose OK. To install StepUp'96: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ a) If you have obtained StepUp'96 as a compressed file, uncompress the file into a temporary folder on a hard disk, or on a floppy diskette. b) Open folder containing the uncompressed set of StepUp'96 files and double-click 'Setup' (or 'Setup.exe'). c) The Setup utility will suggest you the folder in which to install StepUp'96. You may accept the suggestion or choose other location for StepUp'96 files. You can also specify whether to add StepUp'96 items to Start Menu and whether to create a Desktop folder for StepUp'96 components. d) Setup utility will copy the files into the specified folder and configure Windows for using StepUp'96. e) At the end of the installation procedure Setup will prompt you to enter your name and Registration Code. If you have purchased a license for continued use of StepUp'96 and received your Registration Code, you may enter it at that time, and the evaluation version of StepUp'96 will be converted into the registered one. Otherwise, you may skip entering the registration code and StepUp'96 will operate in the evaluation mode. f) After the installation has been complete, you may delete files from the temporary folder, from which you were installing StepUp'96. To uninstall StepUp'96 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NOTE: it is NOT sufficient to simply delete files from the StepUp'96 folder to completely uninstall it. Please follow the procedure described below to uninstall StepUp'96 and clean up your system configuration: a) Open folder 'Control Panel' and double-click on 'Add/remove programs'. b) In the list of products which can be uninstalled find the line "Chaosoft StepUp'96" and double-click it. c) The "Uninstalling StepUp'96" dialog box will appear prompting you to confirm that you want to uninstall StepUp'96. You may choose to deactivate all StepUp'96 components, delete its application files, delete user files related to StepUp'96, and/or reset StepUp'96 settings. d) After the uninstalling procedure has been finished, you may need to go to the folder where Stepup'96 files were installed and delete remaining files. If you are running Windows NT, you may need to logoff and then log back on before Windows permits you to delete the files. ____________________________________________________________________ 4. This is TRY BEFORE YOU BUY software ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is NOT freeware or public domain software. This is software which you can "try before you buy". You may install the program in your system and use it for an evaluation period of up to 14 days. After that time, you are required to purchase a license for continued use of the software or else stop using it. You may freely copy and distribute evaluation copies of StepUp'96 provided that all conditions specified in the distribution license are satisfied (please see the license agreement in the VENDINFO.DIZ file.) What's the difference between Evaluation and Licensed versions? There is NO functional difference between the evaluation and licensed versions of this software (except for the 'registration reminders', displayed by the evaluation version after the evaluation period has ended). Actually, it's the same program: you may convert an evaluation copy to a registered copy by entering your name and a Registration Code. Similarly, a registered copy of the program may be 'unregistered' by deleting the registration code or by just copying the program to another machine. Evaluation copies of our products are 100% fully functional. We make them this way so you can have a real look at them to decide whether or not they fit your needs. Please understand that if you fail to register, and continue to use StepUp'96 beyond the eval- uation period without paying for it, don't expect the program to maintain its original functionality: some features may become disabled. If you need more time to decide whether you want to keep the program, we'll give you an opportunity to extend the evaluation period. However, we cannot afford to let you use the program without compensation. In addition, it is unfair to our customers who do register to use the program. We appreciate your understanding of this policy. What do you get when you purchase a license for StepUp'96 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. A unique Registration Code, allowing you to remove the registration reminders and put your name, or the name of your organization, on the "About StepUp'96" screen. 2. Disk with the latest version of StepUp'96 and information about other ChaoSoft products. 3. The privilege to upgrade to all future versions of StepUp'96 FREE of charge. 4. FREE 90-day customer support. 5. FREE Compuserve membership with a $15.00 usage credit. This is more than enough online time to have your technical support questions answered, and still have some fun! How to purchase a license for use of StepUp'96 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ChaoSoft licenses the software on the 'per-user', not a 'per-computer' basis. This means that you may purchase a single individual license and use StepUp'96 on more than one computer (for example, a desktop system and a notebook), provided that you are the only user of those computers and there is no possibility to use the Registered Copy of StepUp'96 by anybody else. On the other hand, if more than one person uses a computer, every such user must purchase an individual license for continued use of the software, or a site license for the total number of users accessing the computer must be obtained. Please refer to ORDER.TXT file for detailed instructions and order forms. You may order StepUp'96 with a check or money order. Major credit cards accepted. You may also register via CompuServe. Purchase orders from companies accepted. Please refer to ORDER.TXT for more information. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a message via CompuServe e-mail to: ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536. ____________________________________________________________________ 5. Obtaining updates to the software ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You receive the latest version of this program after you order a license for its continued use. Please see file ORDER.TXT for information on ordering ChaoSoft products. The evaluation copies of the software are also available from many other sources, including FTP and WEB sites, online services (COMPUSERVE, AOL, etc.), BBSes, and from disk or CD-ROM vendors. The evaluation version of StepUp'96 may be converted into the licensed version by entering a valid registration code. Some of the locations are listed below: CompuServe: GO PIKAPROG, or WINSHARE, or WINUTIL, or WUGNET search for the keyword CHAOSOFT America On Line: search for the keyword PIK FTP: ftp.pik.com ftp.asp-shareware.org ftp.winsite.com garbo.uwasa.fi ftp.simtel.net HTTP: www.pik.com/chaosoft.html www.asp-shareware.org ___________________________________________________________________ 6. Getting customer support ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Before requesting customer support, *PLEASE* check out the on-line Help for StepUp'96. In particular, be sure to look through the following sections: "Answers to Frequently Asked Questions" "Known problems and limitations" If you cannot find the answer to your question in the documentation, then: a) if your question is of TECHNICAL character, for example, regarding program features, bug reports, suggestions on improving the program, etc., please contact the author of the program, Andrei Belogortseff, directly via e-mail at: Internet: 74634.2173@compuserve.com Compuserve: 74634,2173 Please include in your message information about versions of Windows and StepUp'96 you are using and detailed description of the problem. b) if your question is NOT TECHNICAL one, for example, about the status of your order, sales terms, pricing and discount information, etc., please contact the authorized dealer at: Pik A Program, Inc. Telephone (212) 598-4939 13 Saint Marks Place Fax (212) 228-5879 New York, NY 10003 CompuServe: 74777,3233 USA Internet: 74777.3233@CompuServe.com Thank you for using ChaoSoft products! ____________________________________________________________________ ChaoSoft(tm), the ChaoSoft logo, and "The way software should be" are trademarks of ChaoSoft. Pik A Program(tm) is a trademark of Pik A Program, Inc. Microsoft(R) and Windows(R) are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other product names may be registered or unregistered trademarks/tradenames of their respective owners.