COLLEGE AID CALCULATOR (tm)    CAC 96-7    README.TXT  2/24/96

                         (c) Copyright 1996
Welcome! 

YOU HAVE PERMISSION TO COPY AND DISTRIBUTE College Aid Calculator
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Pass copies of CAC along to friends with college in their future.
To do so, either make copies of the disks you have or place all
downloaded files onto 2 disks. See INSTALLING CAC below.

QUICK START (For more details see INSTALLING CAC below.)
--------------------------------------------------------
1. AUTOEXEC.BAT needs SHARE /F:5024 /L:200 (before WIN)
2. CONFIG.SYS needs FILES=50 and BUFFERS=32.
3. a. Installing from Disk--A:SETUP
   b. From Hard Drive--C:\TEMP\SETUP
4. Restart your computer. 
5. Add CAC icon or C:\COL_AID\CAC

Navigation within this README.TXT file.
---------------------------------------
To Print README, press Alt & F simultaneously, then P and ENTER.
   Exit is Alt-F, then X.
   Search is Alt-S --or just click your mouse on any menu choice.
   Edit is Alt-E 

If you wish to Edit this README.TXT file:
-----------------------------------------
To cut and paste to suit your needs, it may be more efficient to
use your word processor. Select File, Open, File Type: ASCII, and
find REAME.TXT in the COL_AID directory. Why?--because this copy
of README is located on/in your installation disk/directory.
 
MEMORY - DOS Installation:
--------------------------
You will need either 4 MB of RAM with at least 2 MB of free (XMS)
extended memory & 256 K free conventional memory or, if you have
less than 4 MB of free XMS memory, you will need approximately 6
MB of free disk space (in addition to the 6.5 MB of disk space
used for the CAC program files) for a virtual memory swap file.

MEMORY - 8 MB needed in Windows
-------------------------------

DISK SPACE: 10 MB are needed during installation, 6.5 MB after.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Old Computers:
--------------
CAC is a 32 bit program, it will not run on an 8088 or 80286--and
on a 386 it runs very slowly--(Those 486 upgrade chips do help.)

CONFIG.SYS - How to check to see if this file is set up for CAC:
----------------------------------------------------------------
At your C:\ DOS prompt (the drive where your computer boots
from), type "edit config.sys" and press [Enter]. One of the lines
should say FILES=50 (more than 50 is fine). Another line should
say BUFFERS=32 (more is OK). Increase the numbers if necessary. A
DPMI memory manager such as HIMEM.SYS, QEMM.SYS or 386MAX must
also be loaded. If you see one of these names (or if you are
using another manager), you are all set. If not, look up
HIMEM.SYS in your DOS manual and install it as instructed. A copy
of HIMEM.SYS is included in your COL_AID directory.

AUTOEXEC.BAT
------------
If the SHARE command is not installed in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file,
a message will come up when you install CAC asking if you want
CAC to install it for you. If CAC does install SHARE (or, even if
SHARE has been installed previously), may need to adjust its
location (or size) in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. To do this, at your
C:\ DOS Prompt (the drive where your computer boots from), type
"edit autoexec.bat" then [Enter]. Look to see if the following
line (and size) is included (after MOUSE and before WIN): 

                       SHARE /F:5024 /L:200 
  
If SHARE comes after the WIN command, move the cursor to the
position in front of the W of WIN, press [Enter], then type in:
"SHARE /F:5024 /L200". Delete the occurrence of SHARE after WIN.
Go to File, Exit, Save.  For more information about SHARE, refer
to your DOS manual. When you reboot changes will not take effect.

INSTALLING CAC:
---------------
(1) Installing from Disks 
(2) Installing from TEMP directory - CAC was downloaded 
1&2 Instructions apply to both (1) and (2).

WINDOWS INSTALLATION: at PROGRAM MANAGER, go to FILE, RUN, then:
----------------------------------------------------------------
(l) Type "A:SETUP" or "B:SETUP" and press [Enter].
    Follow instructions. Leave Disk 2 in until you Exit REAME.TXT
(2) Type "C:\TEMP\SETUP" (substitute your drive/directory name)
    Press [Enter]. Follow instructions. [3. Reboot?]
1&2 See ICON CREATION below. 
    See ICON CREATION below to install the CAC icon.
    Reboot your computer. 
    Start CAC by double-clicking the CAC icon.

ICON CREATION:
--------------
At WINDOWS Program Manager, choose FILE, NEW, Program, Item, OK. 
  Description: College Aid Calculator; Command Line:
   c:\col_aid\cac.bat; Working Directory: C:\col_aid. Press OK,
   CHANGE ICON, Browse--go to the COL_AID directory double click
   on COL_AID.ICO, OK, OK. Done

DOS INSTALLATION (if you don't have WINDOWS or memory is low.)
----------------------------------------------------------------
(1) At your C:\ or D:\ prompt, type A: or B: and press [Enter].
    Insert Disk #l into your drive, type "SETUP" press [Enter].
    Follow instructions. Leave Disk 2 in until you Exit REAME.TXT
(2) Copy all of the CAC files to a TEMP directory. To do this:
         At C:\ type MD\TEMP and press [Enter].
    Copy or download all CAC files to this directory. To Copy:
         Insert Disk 1 into the A: drive, type "COPY *.* C:\TEMP"
         Press [Enter] -- Repeat the above process for Disk 2.
    At your C:\ prompt, type "CD\TEMP" and Press [Enter]. 
    Next type "SETUP" and press [Enter]. Follow instructions.
1&2 Reboot your computer. At your C:\ DOS prompt:
    Start CAC by typing "CD\COL\AID" and pressing [Enter], 
    Type "CAC" and press [Enter]

CAC NAVIGATION INSTRUCTIONS
---------------------------
For a brief explanation of navigating within CAC, choose HELP at
CAC's Main Menu or HELP from CAC's SELECT Menu. For detailed HELP
on all the various working of CAC, COACH--COllege Aid Calculator
Helper (our tutorial) should be reviewed. See COACH below.

STRATEGIES TO REDUCE COLLEGE COSTS
----------------------------------
Our electronic book--can be found in the COL_AID directory.
STRATEGIES... has been written in Rich Text Format (RTF)--a
Microsoft standard, which may be read by Microsoft Word and many
other word processors. Start your word processor, Choose File,
Open, File Type: RTF or Rich Text Format, select the C:\COL_AID
directory and the strats21.rtf file. Proceed as instructed.

If your word processor is not able to read the strats21.rtf file,
you may use your word processor's ascii file reader to open the
strats21.txt file instead. This format does not retain all of the
formatting codes that RTF handles, such as Font sizes, Bold,
Underline and Italics. 

COACH
-----
Our tutorial (COllege Aid Calculator Helper) is also included in
the COL_AID directory--coach20.rtf and coach20.txt. Installation
instructions are the same as for STRATEGIES above. COACH contains
navigational instructions and a step-by-step tour of CAC. Also
included are commentary about the seven sets of sample data
already entered into CAC--and a glossary.

TROUBLESHOOTING, TECHNICAL DETAILS
----------------------------------
If CAC takes much more than 45 seconds to load on your old 386,
read below. If problems arise, and all else fails, please see the
following instructions.  Additions, updates or modifications to
this notice are available on our Web home page. (address below) 

CAC WILL NOT BOOT.
------------------
1. Did you reboot your computer after installing
2. SETUP error: "Error reading drive A" - Keep pressing "Retry."
   Disk drive may need cleaning - disk may be defective.
3. Fatal Error 1307 ... Not enough memory - read next item.

Using a drive other than C:\ or a STACKED / DOUBLED drive:
----------------------------------------------------------
CAC may not like running on a compressed drive or a drive other
than C:\. However, it could work out. In order to run on a drive
other than C:, the a4.vmc file may need to be edited. If line 4
of this file says Swapfile = C: and you are did not install CAC
on C:\, use an ASCII editor (Windows Notepad or the DOS Edit
command) to change this drive designation to the one being used.

OPTIMIZING MEMORY:
------------------
Once changes have been made to AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS [as
explained above], [you can] use your computer's memory management
program to optimize your computer memory. The DOS 6 program that
does this is MEMMAKER. (If you are using QEMM or another such
program, refer to your user manual.) For MEMMAKER, the process is
easy. At the DOS prompt, type: MEMMAKER then press ENTER. Follow
the instructions on the screen. "Express Setup" should be just
fine. Optimizing memory should cause your programs to run faster
and/or more reliably. Read about MEMMAKER in your DOS 6 manual.

Slow performance ... boot-up taking a long time:
------------------------------------------------
You may need to do some computer house-cleaning. When was the
last time you defragmented your hard drive? Are there old
programs or program fragments clogging your disk? Once your disk
is clean and organized, you should speed along. Using a 386? You
may also want to look into one of those 486 speed doubling chips
and a math co-processor. Both would improve performance.

Unless you have a special way that you are already using to
defragment your hard disk, you may want to utilize the DOS
command DEFRAG to handle this job. The process is easy, and can
make your various programs (especially CAC) run faster. At the
DOS prompt, type: DEFRAG and press ENTER. Select your hard drive
letter and press ENTER. Follow instructions ... Press F1 for
Help. Read your DOS manual for more information.

Math co-processor
-----------------
When you installed CAC, you were asked if you would be running
under Windows. If so, CAC searched to see if you had a math
co-processor. If not, CAC installed a virtual math co-processor.
If you installed CAC under DOS and answered "no" to the "Will you
be running CAC under Windows" question, and later decide you want
to run under Windows, go to the Program Manager, select Run (type
 SYSEDIT), click on system.ini, go to the [386Enh] section and
insert the line DEVICE=C:\COL_AID\WEMU387.386 and Exit, Save and
reboot your computer. Now you may run under Windows.

WINDOWS Memory Settings
-----------------------
Go to Program Manager - open the Control Panel, then open
Enhanced, then Virtual Memory. A Swapfile Setting Size of at
least 10,000 is usually OK, nearer to 25,000 is best. Click on
Change, and enter a New Size. Swapfile type should be set to
Permanent (click on the far right side of the Type down arrow to
change). Cache size of 512 KB is recommended Choose "32 Bit Disk
Access" if allowed on your computer. "32 bit File Access" may not
be a good choice. After making changes click on OK and reboot as
instructed. Read your WINDOWS manual for more information.

WINDOWS 3.x CRASH:
------------------
If CAC just disappears ... is gone ... and in a flash, you see a
screen full of EEEEs and #s, the word granular and addresses ...
suddenly you find yourself back at the Windows Program Manager or
whatever program is next behind CAC, you have most likely
experienced a memory conflict. 

CAC is sometimes a brat. It likes to be first. Most likely, if
this occurs, you will have had more than one program running at
the same time under WINDOWS, and CAC and one of the others
simultaneously attempted to utilize the same memory address.
Restart your computer. Then let CAC be first. This (and adjusting
Windows Memory per above) should work. 

WINDOWS '95 CRASH:
------------------
Right click on the program icon; Select Properties from the pop
up menu. Click on the Memory tab. DOS Protected Mode (DPMI)
memory should be 8192.

386MAX on a Monochrome or CGA Monitor
-------------------------------------
You need to add this statement to the device line in your
CONFIG.SYS file: "EXCLUDE A000-B000"

QEMM on a Monochrome or CGA Monitor
------------------------------------
You need to add this statement to the device line in your
CONFIG.SYS file: "NOVIDEOFILL"

PROBLEMS NOT SOLVED BY THE ABOVE?
---------------------------------
If you experience a different kind of installation problem, and
solve it, please let us know what you did. We'll update this file
at our World Wide Web site -address below. Thank you.

Please provide us with some feedback
-------------------------------------
We want to make CAC be all you need it to be - press Q from CAC's
Main Menu to access the Questionnaire. Thanks.

Deleting CAC from your hard drive.
----------------------------------
If during installation, you told CAC that you would be running
CAC within Windows (and your computer does not have a math
co-processor)--and later you delete CAC, an error message will
appear when you reboot Windows. Just press ENTER to continue. To
eliminate the message (which harms nothing), go to Program
Manager, Run, type  SYSEDIT, click on system.ini, at the [386Enh]
section delete the line: DEVICE=C:\COL_AID\WEMU387.386. 

DISCLAIMER
----------
Formulas from the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE-Institutional
Methodology 1996-97 Computation Specifications are used in this
application with permission of the College Board. (c) 1995 by the
College Entrance Examination Board. All rights reserved. The
College Board has not reviewed, and assumes no responsibility for
the accuracy of either the programming or the results in this 
application.

Think Ahead, Inc. and Bob Fesler, Jr., author of College Aid
Calculator have made a sincere effort to achieve accuracy.
However, be advised, you, (not us) are responsible for your own
date entry and thereafter for how you utilize the data produced.
CAC is a tool for testing your strategies. When in doubt, consult
your favorite advisor on what to do next. 

Good luck.  Bob Fesler, Jr., Author, PO Box 5G, Dresden, ME 04342
            CollegeAid@maine.com  VoiceMail: 1-207-737-2802     
            http://www.maine.com/collegeaid
