---- How and why should I register MicroCook? If you like MicroCook and plan to use it past the 30 days evaluation period, you must register it. Registering MicroCook (or any other Shareware) is the only way you can legally use the program past this evaluation period. The Shareware principle is based on trust. If you like it and use it, you pay for it. Not too much to ask for? Registered users of the MicroCook database program will receive a KEY file that also will keep future versions of MicroCook, both DOS & Windows, registered for several years before it expire. At that time you'll have the option to upgrade for a small fee (less than full registration). See the documentation included with the version that "expired" your KEY file for details. Also unlimited technical support for as long as you own a registered version of MicroCook. The KEY file will also print your name, or the name of someone you give MicroCook to as a gift on the bottom line of the monitor screen. Un-registered users that have questions during the evaluation period can contact me by mail, or on GEnie (TM) (GE Information Services) or CompuServe (TM). And of course, registered users can also make use of these contacts. When you register you will receive a small "KEY file" with the serial number and your name. Place this file in the SAME directory as MCOOK.EXE. Please keep a copy of the Key file in a safe place. This file is for YOU only, and must NOT be distributed with any copies you give to your friends or upload to BBS's (which you are encouraged to do). The KEY disables all the "Please Register!" messages and the time delayed opening and exit screens so the program will start running without delay. I added these "features" as reminders to unregistered users, not to harass them. The KEY also enables full access to the Index selection. Without the KEY, the Index is limited to display only the first 150 recipes in a database. The unregistered version and the registered version are identical in functions, except for these messages and index limit. If your KEY file gets lost or damaged, send me a letter with an approximate date when you registered, to which name it was registered, and a check for $5.00 for handle shipping & handling. I'll then mail you a disk back a copy of the KEY file. Also included with the registered copy of MicroCook are over 2,200 recipes, ready to be loaded into MicroCook. And just incase your hard disk mess up your recipe database, I have written a small program that will extract as many recipes as possible from the damaged MicroCook recipe database, and save them to a new database. MCDBFIX.EXE is another utility just for the registered user. If you have a lot of recipes in formats other than Meal-Master, MasterCook, or Edna's Cookbook that you would like to convert to MicroCook, please send an e-mail, call or write. I plan to add more conversions in the next version of MicroCook so I would like to learn more about the different PC cookbook formats that are in use. But please do NOT ask about QBOOK's ASCII recipes. It has a very free-form format, and is very hard to figure out correctly. I have gone through 100's of QBOOK recipes from various sources, and non are formatted the same way. To register by mail, fill out the registration editor in MicroCook (Print menu), and print out the filled out form. You can also use the REGISTER program from the DOS prompt, or RUN it from Windows. CompuServe users can also register through Software Registration (GO SWREG), see SWREG.TXT for details. And if your choice is credit card, see the CREDIT.TXT file. These files can also be printed from MicroCook.