Now Windows users can use Netscape Navigator, the world's most popular way to navigate the Internet, with their America Online account! Any Internet browser enables you to browse the World Wide Web. But only Netscape Navigator allows you to see more of the Internet, more easily. The following step-by-step instructions take you through the installation process in about ten minutes, after downloading the necessary files. It's very important that you follow these instructions EXACTLY, and we strongly recommend that you print them out (by selecting FILE, PRINT) or copy them into your word processor (by highlighting the text and selecting EDIT, COPY) for easy access. STEP 1 - MAKE SURE YOU'RE USING AOL VERSION 2.5 Ensure that you are using Version 2.5 of the America Online software in Windows 3.1. To check, select HELP from the toolbar at the top of the screen, then click on ABOUT AMERICA ONLINE. If the version number is less than 2.5, you need to upgrade your software by selecting GO TO, KEYWORD, and typing UPGRADE. STEP 2 - MAKE SURE YOU'RE CONNECTING VIA A MODEM Ensure that you're accessing AOL with a modem, and NOT through a network TCP/IP connection. If you're connecting to AOL from a network environment, STOP HERE. These instructions are only for use with a dial-up, modem connection to AOL. STEP 3 - CHECK FOR EXISTING VERSIONS OF WINSOCK.DLL Search for any file on your system called WINSOCK.DLL. To do this, open File Manager, select the FILE menu and choose SEARCH. In the dialog-box on the SEARCH FOR line type WINSOCK.DLL. In the START FROM line type "C:\", without the quotation marks. Be sure to include the colon and backslash after the "C". Make sure the box next to "SEARCH ALL SUBDIRECTORIES" is marked, then click on OK. If you find a file called WINSOCK.DLL or winsock.dll, you probably have other online application(s) which require it. Installing another WINSOCK.DLL may cause these applications not to work. We recommend you STOP here and consult your software manuals before continuing. If you choose to continue with the installation, and later discover that an application works incorrectly or not at all, you will need to deinstall this version of WINSOCK.DLL and reinstall the other one. This process can be tricky; therefore if you find other versions of WINSOCK.DLL and are unsure about your abilities to reconstruct the original configuration in case of problems, STOP HERE. STEP 4 - BACK UP EXISTING VERSIONS OF WINSOCK.DLL If you found previously existing versions of WINSOCK.DLL and have decided to proceed anyway, first make a backup copy of the other versions on your system. You will need to close the Search Results window and insert a blank floppy disk into your floppy disk drive before continuing the backup. Move any existing versions of WINSOCK.DLL that you found in step 3 to a floppy disk, and note the directory in which each was found. The easiest way to note the directories is to recreate them on the floppy disk. In File Manager you can open a window for the floppy drive and use FILE, CREATE DIRECTORY to create a directory on the floppy disk with the same name as the directory on your hard disk, then FILE, MOVE or drag and drop to move the older version of WINSOCK.DLL to the floppy. If you are unsure how to do this, consult your Windows documentation. Once you've copied the files to the floppy, remove them from your hard drive. Alternatively, you can rename the copies of WINSOCK.DLL that already exist on your hard drive. Simply use FILE, RENAME in File Manager to change the .DLL extension to your initials (as long as they aren't DLL!) or to .SAV. Be sure that NO copies of ANY file named WINSOCK.DLL remain on your hard drive. STEP 5 - DOWNLOAD WINSOCK.DLL Switch back to AOL and the Netscape menu. Double click on DOWNLOAD WINSOCK.DLL, then click on DOWNLOAD NOW. Save the file in your WINDOWS directory by selecting C:\WINDOWS in the DOWNLOAD MANAGER box that appears. When you have finished downloading the file, click on CANCEL to return to the Netscape menu. STEP 6 - DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR Double click on DOWNLOAD NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR! and click DOWNLOAD NOW. Ideally you should download this file into an empty directory, or move it to an empty directory after downloading. Make a note of the directory into which you downloaded the file. When you have finished downloading the file, click on CANCEL to return to the Netscape menu. After you have downloaded N16E122.EXE and moved it to an empty directory, decompress it by double-clicking on it in File Manager. The file will expand to many files. After the file has decompressed and you are returned to File Manager, press F5 to refresh the screen and display all the files. Once the file has decompressed, double-click on the file SETUP.EXE and follow the installation instructions. STEP 7 - REBOOT, RESTART WINDOWS AND LOG ON TO AOL Exit AOL and any other open programs, exit Windows, reboot your computer by pressing CTRL, ALT and DELETE simultaneously, and then restart Windows if it does not start automatically. Log onto AOL as you normally do. STEP 8 - START NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR Start Netscape Navigator by double-clicking on its icon. Success! You're now using Netscape Navigator with your AOL connection! STEP 9 - HAPPY SURFING! We hope you enjoy the world's most popular World Wide Web browser. Be sure to stop by PC World Online on the WWW at http://www.pcworld.com! If you experience any problems in running Netscape Navigator or any other online applications, you can undo this installation and return to your original configuration by removing the new WINSOCK.DLL and replacing it with the previous versions you backed up on the floppy disk or renamed.