Welcome to WinStrip Version 2.10 -------------------------------- This README file contains important information about WinStrip. TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- 1. How to get Help 2. Installation 3. Important Information 4. New Features 1. HOW TO GET HELP ------------------ If you have problems with WinStrip, please read this file in its entirety, WINSTRIP.WRI, the online help, and all other files in the WINSTRIP\DOC subdirectory first. If you still have problems and need help, it is available from the following sources: 1. VacNat BBS, at 1-(913)-764-5958. When you sign on, you will be asked for your name, address, phone number, etc. follow the prompts, and leave a message to TECH SUPPORT describing the problem. 2. On CompuServe, leave a message for 70572, 1247. Be sure to include the version number of WinStrip you have. This can be found by selecting "About..." from WinStrip's system menu. 2. INSTALLATION --------------- To install WinStrip, the following things are required: 1. You must have Windows 3.1 or later installed on your system. 2. you must use the Setup program included. To do this.. From Windows: ------------- Start File Manager or Program Manager, and select "Run" from the "File" Menu. type in the name of the directory the setup program is in, and "\SETUP.EXE", for example, "B:\SETUP.EXE". From DOS: --------- from the DOS prompt, type "WIN SETUP" from the directory or drive where the Setup program is. The file PACKING.LST contains a list of all the files that should be included with WinStrip. This file will appear in the \DOC subdirectory during installation. WARNING: -------- Before running Setup, be sure that the SETUP.INF file is in the same directory as the Setup Program, or it will not work! After the installation is complete, you will be asked of you want to make WinStrip the shell for Windows. If you answer "Yes" to this question, WinStrip will be the Windows shell the next time you start Windows. It is a good idea to configure WinStrip before you exit Windows if you choose this option. If you decide to move WinStrip and its files to a different directory after you have installed it, you must use the Setup program to do so, or WinStrip won't be able to update the Registration Database. NOTE: ----- If the above setup procedure does not work, you can use the EXPAND.EXE utility, included with Windows, to expand the files. The syntax is as follows: EXPAND where is the name of the compressed file, for example, README.TX_, and is the name of the expanded file. See the following table for the appropriate extensions to expand files to. Files with Expand to extension: this: ---------------------------------- .EX_ .EXE .HL_ .HLP .TX_ .TXT .WR_ .WRI .IL_ .ILF After you expand the files, copy them to a directory, and start WinStrip from the File Manager's "File|Run..." menu as follows: [drive:][\path\]Winstrip.exe /newuser the "/newuser" command-line switch will cause WinStrip to register itself in the Windows Registration Database, and set itself up for use on your system. If the Setup Program is not used, you will need to set up a Program Manager Group for WinStrip yourself. Note: ----- The file BWCC.DLL may already be in your WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory. If it is, you can delete the copy of BWCC.DLL in your WINSTRIP directory. 3. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ------------------------ Video Drivers ------------- Some video drivers may not work correctly with WinStrip, causing Windows to crash. If this happens, use one of the drivers supplied with Windows, if possible. Converting Program Manager Groups --------------------------------- WinStrip includes a utility, CVTGRP.EXE, that can convert your existing Program Manager Groups to .WCF files used by WinStrip. The Program Manager groups will be left unchanged. If the groups contain command lines with a lot of option switches in them, or if the group contained some items that were deleted some time before they are converted, they may show up in the .WCF files as invalid entries. See the online help and WINSTRIP.WRI for more information. 4. NEW FEATURES --------------- WinStrip can orient itself horizontally on the screen, in a manner similar to Hewlett-Packard's DashBoard. Included is a new utility, TARGET, that can accept files dropped from the File Manager, or similar application. There are 3 areas where you can drop files: Eraser ------ If you drop a file on the "eraser" area of the window, it will be deleted. Multiple files can be dropped, and you can specify whether you want confirmation before deleting each file. Printer ------- Files dropped on the "Printer" icon will be printed by the application that is associated with them in the Windows Registration database. Note that ONLY those files that have associations in the Registration database will be printed. Editor/Viewer ------------- Using "Editor/Viewer" area requires some configuration. To set up TARGET's editor feature, open the TARGET.INI file in your Windows directory(Note: If TARGET.INI doesn't exist, it will after you run TARGET.EXE once and close it.), and insert the following section: [editors] default editor=notepad.exe pif=pifedit.exe bat=notepad.exe now, when you drag a .PIF file to TARGET's window and drop it, it will load the PIF editor with the .PIF file, ready for editing, instead of executing the .PIF. The same applies to .BAT files. Of course, other file types besides executables can be included. For example, Word for Windows creates and uses .DOC files, and you can use .DOC as the default association in WIN.INI. Then when you double-click on a .DOC file in File Manager, WinWord will start, and load the file. If, however, you encounter a .DOC file that is a plain text file, you can specify an alternate extension for TARGET, such as "doc=notepad.exe". Then, when .DOC files are dropped on TARGET, notepad will execute, rather than WinWord. Note: file extensions that are not associated in TARGET.INI will go through the normal path that Windows takes for file association. For example, if the section shown above doesn't exist in TARGET.INI, and a .PIF file is dropped on TARGET's window, the PIF will execute, rather than being opened for editing. The "default editor" is the program that will execute when an unknown file type(i.e., one that has no association under Windows) is dropped on TARGET, such as "1ST", "ME!", "MAP", etc.