Copyright: Save Screen Now! Copyright® 1994-95, ChaoSoft(tm)


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 Screen Saver Now! - Help

Overview

Installing Screen Saver Now!

Using Screen Saver Now!

Other Chaosoft Programs


 Screen Saver Now! - Overview

Screen Saver Now! is a utility for MS Windows 3.1 or higher, that provides you with more control over screen savers installed into your system. Here are some common situations in which you may find Screen Saver Now! useful:

First off, as the name of the program implies, with Screen Saver Now! you no longer have to wait for the regular Windows screen saver to do its job of saving your screen. Use Screen Saver Now! to run a screen saver any time you want to, with a simple double-click of your mouse. (Don't forget, every time you use Screen Saver Now! you're extending the life of your monitor.)

With Screen Saver Now!, in addition to the regular screen saver, which is launched automatically by Windows, you may set up an alternate screen saver, which you alone can run. Why would you need a second screen saver?  So you can set it up differently, to perform a different task!

For instance, you might want to disable the password protection option for the 'regular' screen saver.  Sometimes, when you're working at your computer, isn't it annoying to have to enter your password each time the screen blanks?  So, if you want your system to be password-protected while you're out, use Screen Saver Now! to set up a different screen saver, with the password protection feature enabled, and run this screen saver whenever you leave your computer unattended!

To put it in another way, you don't have to buy a special password protection program - Screen Saver Now! does it for you!

Screen Saver Now! will allow you to password-protect Windows on start-up.  Since it is possible for snoopers to bypass this form of protection by pressing the SHIFT key during the Windows initialization process, Screen Saver Now! is designed to prevent anyone from using this technique to look at your files.

Screen Saver Now! may also be used to try out new screen savers before you install them.  Usually, when you obtain a new screen saver, you need to place the files into the WINDOWS directory, and then use Control Panel to select the screen saver.  That's fine, but what if you decide you don't like the new screen saver and want to delete it from your system? Are you sure you know which files to delete?  How can you be sure you won't erase a very necessary file in your WINDOWS directory?

With Screen Saver Now!, you can install a new screen saver into a separate, temporary directory and test it.  If you don't like it, you'll know which files to erase!

Screen Saver Now! has an 'Always On Top' option which, when enabled, keeps its icon always visible and accessible, on top of all the other windows.  This feature allows you to quickly find and run the screen saver whenever you want to!


Installing Screen Saver Now!

The simplest way to install Screen Saver Now! is to use its SETUP utility.  When you run it, you'll be prompted for a directory in which to install the files.  SETUP will then copy the files into that directory and create a group in Program Manager.  When the installation process is completed, you may run Screen Saver Now! by double-clicking your mouse on its icon.  Presto!

If you decide to stop using Screen Saver Now!, you may remove it from your system by deleting all its files from the directory in which it was installed.  Note:  If you allowed SETUP to install the files for Screen Saver Now! in the default directory, don't forget to delete the directory itself and the group icon in Program Manager.  We hope you'll change your mind!


Other Chaosoft Programs

Screen Saver Now! is free software.  You may distribute it without charge, provided you include all of the files listed in the VENDINFO.DIZ file, unchanged.  You may NOT sell this program as part of any other product except to include it with other shareware or freeware programs, and distributed as such.  Specifically, you may not include Screen Saver Now! with any commercial product.  Please see the full text of the license agreement in the VENDINFO.DIZ file.

Screen Saver Now! was developed by ChaoSoft, a small publisher of high-quality shareware software for Windows.  ChaoSoft also publishes a number of freeware programs to introduce users to its products.  You'll find ChaoSoft products online almost everywhere, including CompuServe, America Online, Delphi, Internet. Use the keyword 'CHAOSOFT' to search for our files.

To see a list of ChaoSoft programs and an order form, click on the 'Info' button in the 'Options' dialog box of the Screen Saver Now! utility.

If you like Screen Saver Now! and find it useful, you'll want to try other ChaoSoft products.  The very latest shareware versions of our programs may be obtained from the following sources:

FTP:	ftp.std.com, directory /vendors/ChaoSoft,

BBS:	(207)947-0016,  (Evergreen BBS, 1200-14.4K)

go to the "ChaoSoft Software" file area

CIS:	GO WINSHARE, LIB 2 (File Apps/Utils),

use the keyword 'CHAOSOFT' to search for the files


Using Screen Saver Now!

If you know how to double-click with a mouse, you know how to use Screen Saver Now!

The first time you run Screen Saver Now!, the default screen saver (usually chosen using the 'Desktop' function of Control Panel) will be activated.  If no screen saver is specified in the Control Panel, an error message is displayed, which will prompt you to select a screen saver.

To change the screen saver to be run by the Screen Saver Now! utility, choose the 'Options' command from the menu attached to the Screen Saver Now! icon while it's running.  When the dialog box pops up, use the 'Find File' button to find a screen saver on your disk, click on the 'Test' button to see it in action, and click on the 'Setup' button to set it up (the same way as you would with Control Panel).  By the way, if you want to quickly access Control Panel, click the 'Ctrl Panel' button in the 'Options' dialog box.

If you need password protection, use the 'Options' command of the Screen Saver Now! menu and select a screen saver with password protection enabled.  Then copy the Screen Saver Now! icon into the Start-Up group of Program Manager, and it will be activated automatically every time someone starts Windows.

To take advantage of the password protection feature of the screen saver, and also prevent snoopers from bypassing this protection during Windows initialization, do the following:

1.	If installed in the Start-Up group, remove the Screen Saver Now! icon from the group.  To do this, simply 'drag' the icon from the Start-Up group and 'drop' it into the default group in Program Manager.

2.	Use a text editor (such as Window's Notepad) and 'Open' the WIN.INI file in the Windows directory.  CAUTION:  Whenever you decide to make changes to the WIN.INI file ensure you have a back-up copy of the original file so you'll be able to restore the Windows program if something goes wrong. Also, don't make changes to the WIN.INI file using a word processor, since it may put in formatting codes that will 'confuse' Windows.

3.	Locate the [Windows] section of the WIN.INI file and type SSNOW.EXE at the end of the 'load=' line.  The effect of this entry will be the same as adding the Screen Saver Now! icon to the Start-Up group, except that the loading of any program listed in the 'load=' line CANNOT be bypassed by holding down the SHIFT key.

4.	When using this method, be sure to install Screen Saver Now! in one of the directories listed in the 'PATH=' statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, so that Windows is able to find the file and run it.

If you want the Screen Saver Now! icon to always be visible and accessible, select the 'Always On Top' option.  Note:  To use this option, you must have Screen Saver Now! running i.e., choose the 'OK' button or 'Minimize' command after you're finished with the 'Options' menu.  If, instead, you choose the 'Close' button, it will close the program, and the Screen Saver Now! icon won't be visible even if you checked the 'Always On Top' option.