Q150658: Mastering Access Programming: Contents of README.WRI
Article: Q150658
Product(s): Microsoft Mastering Series
Version(s): 1.0,1.0a
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): kbmm
Last Modified: 22-OCT-1999
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The information in this article applies to:
- MSPRESS Mastering Microsoft Access Programming ISBN 1-55615-912-9, versions 1.0, 1.0a
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SUMMARY
=======
The following article contains a copy of the complete text of the README file
that ships with Mastering Microsoft Access Programming.
MORE INFORMATION
================
Mastering Microsoft Access Programming: README File
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Welcome to Mastering Microsoft Access Programming. This file contains
additional information about Mastering Access Programming not included
in online Help.
Multimedia technology, with its array of new hardware and software
combinations, can present a variety of potential performance and
configuration problems. This README file contains important and helpful
information on the following topics:
Section Description
1 Send Us Your Feedback
2 Problems During Setup
3 Removing Mastering Access Programming
4 Potential Problems Running this Title
5 Sample Applications
6 Performance Issues
7 Hardware Problems
8 Printing Problems
9 Generic Multimedia Information
To read this file on-screen, use the PAGE DOWN and PAGE UP keys. You can
also print the file by choosing the Print command from the File menu in
virtually any Windows-based word processing program.
1 Send Us Your Feedback
We welcome your feedback. Let us know how Mastering Microsoft Access
Programming has helped you gain expertise in creating solutions with
Access Programming. You can reach us via any of the following:
Internet: devtrain@microsoft.com
Mail: Mastering Series Products
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6399
Fax: (425) 936-7329
Attn: Mastering Microsoft Access Programming
Please note that we receive a number of suggestions and comments
regarding Microsoft products and are unable to respond directly to each
one. However, be assured that your recommendations, ideas, and remarks
are recorded and will help shape future versions of our Mastering Series
products.
2 Problems During Setup
The Setup program's default settings will load the Mastering Access
Programming title to your C: drive. You can assign application files to
a different drive; however, Setup will copy as much as 8.5 MB of system
files to your WINDOWS\SYSTEM subdirectory.
Setup will not complete properly if you remove the Mastering Access
Programming CD-ROM during Setup, or attempt to start the application
before Setup is complete.
Because Mastering Access Programming installs system files that may be
shared with other applications, you must shut down other applications,
including Microsoft Office, before running Setup. If you have closed all
other open applications and you encounter problems during Setup, make
sure your system meets the minimum requirements necessary to install
Mastering Access Programming.
System Requirements
Mastering Microsoft Access Programming will run on the following minimal
system; however, performance will improve with more RAM or a faster
CD-ROM drive.
<B7> Personal computer with a 486DX or higher processor running Windows
95, or Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51 or later
<B7> 8 MB of memory (16 MB or more recommended)
<B7> 10 MB of available hard-disk space (15 MB to work with lab files on
your hard disk)
<B7> MPC2-compatible CD-ROM drive
<B7> Super VGA or higher-resolution video adapter capable of displaying
256 colors or greater
<B7> Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device
<B7> MPC2-compatible audio board for audio and video instruction
<B7> Microsoft Access 95 is required to work the lab exercises.
3 Removing Mastering Access Programming
To remove Mastering Access Programming from your computer, run Setup again
and choose the Remove All option. (This removes only files specific to
Mastering Access Programming. Shared files installed in the Windows
System directory, such as DLLs, OCXs, and DRVs, are not removed.) If
using Windows 95, you can also uninstall Mastering Access Programming by
choosing the Add/Remove Programs application in the Control Panel. You
may also need to do the following:
<B7> Delete the Mastering Access Programming icon. If you moved the icon
to a different program group since installing the application, Setup
will not be able to detect the new location of the icon and cannot
delete it. After running Setup (with Remove All selected), go to Program
Manager and delete the icon(s).
If you are running Windows 95 and have created any shortcuts, you will
need to manually delete them to completely remove references to the
title.
<B7> Delete the MACC directory. The MACC directory (or the directory you
specified as the destination directory during Setup) will not be removed.
If this directory is not being used for other files, you can delete it by
opening File Manager or Explorer, selecting the directory, and then
pressing DELETE.
4 Potential Problems Running this Title
This section describes problems you may experience when running Mastering
Access Programming.
<B7> Content: Some of the articles located in the product's Library are
based on pre-released versions of Microsoft Access 95. There may be
discrepancies between information referenced in these sources and in
the released version of Microsoft Access 95. Library articles included
in this title are not edited by the Mastering Access Programming team.
You may encounter documentation errors, references to page numbers or
files, and formatting problems. Addresses, phone numbers, and other
contact information appearing in this title may have changed since the
time of publication. Finally, some of the topic titles in the application
may be cut off when running Mastering Access Programming in lower display
resolutions.
<B7> Graphics: This title is designed to run on machines capable of
displaying 256 colors or more. Though the title does run on systems
displaying 16 colors, there is a noticeable drop in image quality. Some
large graphics may display out of the window when running the title at
640 x 480 resolution. It is recommended that you run this application in
800 x 600 mode or greater. The graphic viewer in this application allows
you to toggle graphics between large and small views. By clicking on the
viewer, you can change the size of the graphic. The viewer will remain
the size that you last viewed a graphic. If an image appears distorted
or compressed, click in the graphic viewer to make sure you are viewing
the entire image. Note that some small graphics do not change size.
<B7> Navigation and Topic areas: If using keyboard keys to navigate
through the Table of Contents or the Topic area, you may need to manually
change the focus of the application, depending on the content you want
to affect. You can change the focus by clicking on the area you want to
navigate. On some systems, the vertical scroll bar may change size when
scrolling through topics and labs, or navigating through the Table of
Contents.
<B7> Palette Flash: Palette flashes can occur when switching between
Mastering Access Programming and other running applications.
<B7> Printing: The media represented by icons in the text area (graphics,
sample code, tips, and answers) will not print when printing the current
screen. To print this information, choose Print when the media is
displayed in the active window. If you experience problems printing over
a network, consult your network administrator to make sure your printer
settings are correct. Solutions for common printing problems are
described in section 9, "Printing Problems." If you choose to print the
Glossary, the entire Glossary will be printed.
<B7> Stay On Top Mode: Stay On Top mode provides a great way to look at
Lab information or view content while working in another application
(such as Microsoft Access). However, when using Mastering Access
Programming in Stay On Top mode, Glossary Popups, ToolTips for the
ToolBar, and the Print dialog box all appear behind the application.
<B7> Text: Mastering Access Programming uses your system settings to
display some foreground and background colors. You may want to choose a
compatible display combination (such as the Windows Standard color
scheme) for best visual results. When displaying glossary popups within
the text, the application will sometimes lose focus. To remedy this,
click in the Topic area; focus will return to the application.
<B7> Video: .AVI files will only run if you've installed the Multimedia
options (when setting up Windows 95) or Microsoft Video for Windows
(installed on your system when running Windows NT). Setup will look for
multimedia options on your system and notify you if they are not
installed. If this is the case, you will need to install the appropriate
options. Even with appropriate hardware, you may experience long wait
times while video files are being loaded, and you may have errors in
video/audio synchronization during playback.
<B7> Windows NT version 3.51: The ALT+TAB key combination will not restore
the Mastering Access Programming application when minimized; you'll have
to use the mouse to restore the application to a visible state.
5 Sample Applications
There are numerous sample applications that illustrate the concepts and
techniques taught in the demos in the title. You can open the
applications in the MEDIA\FILES directory on the CD and review the code
yourself. In addition, there are several Map files (with a .WMF
extension) that provide detailed technical information about Microsoft
Office products. Included in the same directory is an application
(MAPVIEW.EXE) that can be used to view these Map files.
6 Performance Issues
There are several ways to make Mastering Access Programming run faster.
Many of the methods described below are general tips that will improve
the performance of any application under Windows. Consult your Windows
manual for more details.
Mastering Access Programming uses your computer's random access memory
(RAM) to display pictures and play video and audio. If Mastering Access
Programming runs slowly or if you get error messages saying you are out
of memory, you may not have enough RAM available. Here are some tips to
make the best use of available memory:
<B7> Close all applications that you are not using.
<B7> Add more RAM (memory) to your computer. You can determine how much
memory is available by starting MS-DOS, typing mem and pressing ENTER.
This program will tell you how much memory you have. You need at least
10 MB of RAM, and 16 MB is recommended.
<B7> If you are using more than 256 colors in your video display, you may
want to lower your video colors to 256. For instructions on how to
change your Windows display, consult your Windows documentation.
For more details on improving performance, consult your Windows and
CD-ROM manuals.
7 Hardware Problems
Mastering Access Programming is designed to run at VGA (640 x 480) or
higher, with 256 colors. Though Mastering Access Programming will run in
16-color mode, there will be a noticeable drop in image quality.
Mastering Access Programming may encounter display problems when using
accelerated video drivers, video drivers with more than 256 colors, or
high-resolution video drivers. One example of these problems is a video
display with garbled images. Another is a crash occurring when trying to
play a video. There are several things you can do if you encounter such
problems:
1. Most problems can be fixed by obtaining new drivers from your video
card manufacturer. Contact the manufacturer of your video card to
determine if newer versions are available. The manufacturer's phone
number should be in the manuals that came with your video card or
personal computer. Another option for obtaining updated drivers is the
Microsoft Download service (MSDL), an electronic bulletin board that can
be accessed by modem at (425) 936-MSDL (425-936-6735).
Drivers provided on MSDL are compressed with the PKWare utilities and
are in the form of executable files (.EXE extension). It is best to
download the file or files you need into an empty directory on your hard
disk or a blank formatted floppy. To decompress these drivers after
downloading them:
a) From Windows NT File Manager or Windows 95 Explorer, double-click
on the filename that you downloaded.
-or-
b) From the MS-DOS prompt, change to the directory containing the
downloaded file, type the filename, and then press ENTER.
2. An alternative to obtaining a new or updated display driver is to
change your video mode to a standard video mode, such as 640 x 480
resolution with 256 colors.
To find out what video driver you are using, open Display from Control
Panel. In Windows 95, click the Settings tab. Then click the Change
Display Type button. Your display type will be listed there. For
instructions on how to install or change drivers, click the Help button.
8 Printing Problems
Screen resolution and printer resolution are often not the same, so the
resulting printout may not match the quality you see on the screen.
If you encounter a general protection fault when you print a topic,
check your printer driver. Switch to a more current version of the
driver, if one is available. Additionally, ensure that the printer is
online and that you can print to it from another application. If the
problem persists, one of the following procedures may solve the problem:
In Windows NT:
<B7> In the Control Panel, double-click the Fonts icon. Click the TrueType
button in the Fonts dialog box, and turn off the Enable TrueType
Fonts option.
<B7> In the Control Panel, choose Setup and Options for your printer. Turn
off the Color option, and restart Windows.
In Windows 95:
<B7> Click on the Property page for the Printer you are using. Choose the
Fonts tab and click on the method of downloading TrueType fonts that
works best with your system.
If you are using an HP LaserJet printer, make sure that you have the
most current printer driver or try setting the printer resolution to 300
dpi. (Graphics may not print properly at 600 dpi.)
You should be able to print grayscale images from Mastering Access
Programming. If you have a black and white laser printer, you may need
to upgrade your printer driver. Call the dealer from whom you bought
the printer, or call the printer manufacturer.
9 Generic Multimedia Information
For more information regarding Multimedia PCs (MPCs), MPC titles, and
other general multimedia topics of interest, please contact the MPC
Marketing Council:
Multimedia PC Marketing Council, Inc.
1703 M Street, Suite 700
Washington DC 20036
(202) 452-1600
For information regarding a specific MPC product, contact the
manufacturer of that product.
Additional query words: multi media multimedia multi-media mmtitles
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Keywords : kbmm
Technology : kbMSPressSearch kbZNotKeyword2
Version : :1.0,1.0a
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