TCS - Getting Started

Getting Started

by Don Singleton
Tulsa Computer Society
From the June 1997 issue of the I/O Port Newsletter

The Getting Started with Windows meeting was held on May 7, and we had a very lively batch of questions. One came from a member that was running windows 3.1 and wanted to know how to run the DOS version of Norton Utilities. I did a search and found I did not have Norton Utilities on the luggable, and was reluctant to go into an explanation of PIF files, not knowing whether Norton included one, but when I got home I did a search on my local machine and found that yes there is an NU.PIF file, so I will say that if one wants to create an icon to run it in windows, you would be much more likely of success if when you browse for the location of the executable (like I showed in the meeting), you point to the NU.PIF file rather than the NU.COM file. A PIF (Program Information File) helps windows to set up the proper environment for running a program that was originally intended to be run in DOS.

I also should point out that most of the Norton Utilities, regardless of whether they are the ones in Norton Utilities for DOS or Norton Utilities for Windows 3.1, should NOT be used if you upgrade to Windows 95. No program that works at a low level with DOS or DOS Directories, originally written for DOS or Windows 3.1, should be run in Windows 95. Windows 95 will have functions in it to do most of those functions, and if it does not, you need to find a Windows 95 set of utilities to do the job. No disk organizer, or disk doctor, or disk compression, or even backup/restore program from DOS or Win 3.1 should be run in Win 95. The only exception to this is a backup done in Win 3.1 may be restored in Win 95, but the backup program should not be run again once you have installed Win 95.

We also had some questions on loading graphic files into word processing documents. I apparently did not have the necessary demo files loaded on the luggable that we usually use in the Getting Started with Graphics meetings, so I will suggest that people interested in seeing such a demonstration come to the Getting Started with Graphics session on June 18. If you have access to the internet, you might also want to checkout http://www.tcs.org/ioport/getstrtg.htm.

As announced at the meeting, during the summer the Getting Started programs, and all other programs normally held in room U9 have been moved to room U2. This includes Word Processing, Quicken, and Visual Basic. They are going to be doing some work in U9 during the summer. We will find out in the fall whether we are moving back to U9 or staying in U2. Also note that the Getting Started with Communication and the Internet will be on Monday, June 2, in room M1, rather than Wednesday, June 4. Bruce Carson will be presenting that program, because I will be at Comdex. Wednesday, June 4, we will have a general Question and Answer session on all topics for beginners, in room U2.

Upcoming Programs in the Getting Started series for Beginners are:
May 21Spreadsheets and Databases
June 2Communications and the Internet
June 18Graphics
July 2Word Processing
July 16Hardware
August 6Spreadsheets and Databases
August 20Windows
September 1Communications and the Internet
September 3Graphics


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Tulsa Computer Society 05/14/97
Don Singleton, President
tcs@galstar.com