------------------------------------------------------------ README for The Microsoft Network 2.51 December 1997 ------------------------------------------------------------ (c) Copyright Microsoft Corporation, 1997 This document provides complementary or late-breaking information for The Microsoft Network 2.51. For the most current information about MSN, always check online at http://memberservices.msn.com. ------------------------- HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT ------------------------- To view Readme.txt open it in Notepad, maximize the Notepad window. To print Readme.txt, open it in Notepad or another word processor, and then use the Print command on the File menu. Thank you for joining The Microsoft Network. This document contains information that will help you solve common problems and get the most out of The Microsoft Network. Table of Contents ================= 1. System Requirements 2. Video Cards and Display Problems 3. Hard Disk Location of MSN Program Files 4. Microsoft Internet Explorer Installation 5. Installation Problems 6. Known Problems with This Release 7. Outlook Express Mail & News 8. Connection Problems 9. Removing MSN Files and Shortcuts 1. System Requirements ======================= * Windows 95 * Personal computer with a 486/66 or higher processor * 14.4 Kbps modem or higher * 16MB of memory required * 82MB available hard disk space on primary drive (usually c:\)(See Disk Space Requirements note below) * CD-ROM drive (2x or higher) * VGA or higher resolution graphics card * Sound card recommended * Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device Disk Space Requirements Internet Explorer 4.01: 58 MB The Microsoft Network: 33 MB If you do not have 82 MB of space on your C:/ drive, try these steps: Before Upgrade Delete the files in your Windows\Temp folder. - Restart your computer. - Click Start, select Programs, select - Windows Explorer. - Open Windows\Temp folder. - Click Edit, then click Select All. - Press Delete key on your keyboard. Empty your Internet Cache. - For IE 3.02 Click Internet Explorer icon on desktop and select Properties. Select Advanced tab, and click Clear Cache. - For IE 4.0 Click Internet Explorer icon on desktop and select Properties. Select General tab, and click delete Files. - Uninstall programs no longer used or needed. - Click Start, point to Settings, and click Control Panel. - Double-click Add/Remove Programs. - Select item you want to remove, then click Add/Remove. Empty your Recycle Bin. - Click Recycle Bin on your desktop and select Empty Recycle Bin. MSN is compatible only with Windows 95. It does not run on Windows 3.1. The MSN team has developed a "Technical Beta" for use on Windows NT 4.0. Care has been taken to ensure that this Technical Beta will operate as it should. But please keep in mind, this is not an official release of MSN and is not supported by Microsoft. For this reason, Microsoft Technical Support is unable to answer questions about this Technical Beta. By using these unsupported tools, you are using them at your own risk. Technical Support Limited support will be offered via the following newsgroup: news://msnnews.msn.com/msn.beta.nt This newsgroup will enable peer support and will occasionally be monitored by Microsoft Technical Support. Disclaimer WARNING! The software and documentation distributed on the MSN 2.5 for Windows NT 4.0 Technical Beta World Wide Web site is provided for your personal use and may not be distributed. The entire risk arising out of the use or performance of such products and documentation remains with you. In no event shall Microsoft or its suppliers be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use of or inability to use the products or documentation, even if Microsoft has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Because some states/jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, the above limitation may not apply to you. For information about installing MSN on NT 4 go to http://fdl.msn.com/public/setup/msn25nt4/default.htm In order to fully experience MSN you will need a sound card and speakers. MSN will function properly without them, but audio is an integral part of the full experience. 2. Video Cards and Display Problems ==================================== LESS THAN 256 COLOR: MSN Setup will run if your display is set to 16-color mode; however, it is designed to run at 640x480 resolution or higher, with a minimum of 256 colors. If your display is set to show 16 colors, we strongly recommend that you change your display setting to show 256 colors or more. If you experience problems with display colors, check your color configuration: 1. Click the Windows Start button, then click Settings, Control Panel. 2. Double-click the Display icon. 3. Click the Settings tab. 4. In the Color palette list box, click 256 Color. MORE THAN 256 COLOR: MSN is designed to look even better at higher color settings. You will find that much of the text is more readable and the images much clearer when you set your display resolution to 16 bit (65,536 colors) or higher. Some video cards may encounter problems when using accelerated video drivers, video drivers with more than 256 colors, or high resolution video drivers. If you run into display problems: 1. Try switching to a driver supplied with Windows 95. 2. Change to a different display mode. An alternative to using a different driver is to change your video mode to a standard video mode such as 640x480 resolution with 256 colors. For details on how to change drivers or switch to a different display mode, see your Windows documentation. NEC computers using the Alliance Promotion video card do not work well with the MSN setup program. Please contact your computer dealer for assistance. 3. Hard Disk Location of MSN Program Files =========================================== MSN requires that its files be installed on your system disk (the drive from which your computer boots, generally the C: drive). If you do not have enough space on your system drive, Setup will notify you. You will need to make room on your system disk in order to install MSN. 4. Microsoft Internet Explorer Installation ============================================ MSN requires Internet Explorer (IE) version 4.01 or higher. If you have an older version of IE, MSN Setup will install a new version and back up your old version. During IE installation, you may be prompted to accept the IE End User License Agreement. If you do not accept the IE License Agreement, MSN Setup will fail and your computer will not be properly configured to access MSN. You must accept the IE license in order to use MSN. WARNING: Do not install a previous version of Internet Explorer over Internet Explorer 4.01. If you need to install an earlier version of Internet Explorer, you must uninstall Internet Explorer 4.01 first. INSTALLING IE 4.01 WINDOWS DESKTOP UPDATE The Internet Explorer 4.01 Windows Desktop Update brings true Web integration to Windows: a Web-enhanced Active Desktop, taskbar, Start menu, and folders. To install the IE 4.01 Active Desktop: 1. Click the MSN Quick View icon (the small hand icon next to your clock in the Windows task bar). 2. Click MSN Options, then Customize MSN. 3. Follow the directions on the Web site. INTERNET EXPLORER 4.01 FULL INSTALLATION Included on the MSN CD are the files for a "Full" installation of Internet Explorer 4.01. After installing MSN 2.51, reinsert the MSN Setup CD and click the "Browse the CD" button. The IE 4.01 setup program is in a directory labeled "IE40." Run "ie4setup.exe" and select the FULL installation. 5. Installation Problems ========================= VERSION CONFLICTS: You may encounter a version conflict when running the MSN setup program, or when logging in for the first time. If a "Version Conflict" dialog box is displayed, always keep the newer version. The dialog box will usually ask, "Do you want to keep this file?" to which you should click "Yes." PROGRAMS RUNNING DURING SETUP: During MSN Setup, we notify you of any running programs that may interfere with the MSN installation. Before continuing, we recommend that you close those programs. This better ensures a successful installation. Some programs, such as anti-virus applications that load automatically at startup, may be more difficult to close than others. If you are unable to close these programs, you can continue with MSN Setup by clicking the Next button and selecting "Yes" when you are given a "Do you want to continue anyway?" prompt. In most cases, MSN Setup will complete successfully. However, should you run into problems, for example, your system stops responding for several minutes during Setup, please try the steps below to disable all running applications prior to installing MSN. Recommended steps to disable programs that load during startup: 1. Restart your computer. 2. While Windows is loading, hold down a Shift key. 3. After booting up, but before running other programs, press the Ctrl-Alt-Del keys together ONCE. If there are programs in the list other than Explorer and Systray select them and click the End Task button. Programs may also load automatically in the Startup folder. These items can be temporarily moved to another temporary folder or your desktop until MSN completes the installation. Once finished they can be placed back in the Startup folder. This folder is located in: Windows\StartMenu\Programs\Startup and the items appear as shortcuts. Once moved from your Startup folder, be sure to restart your computer so that the changes will take effect. 6. Known Problems with This Release ==================================== MSN SIGN IN APPEARS AFTER DISCONNECT: Some programs like Outlook Express and some Web-based content like Microsoft Investor periodically check for updated information. If you are not already connected to the Internet when these checks occur, MSN will attempt to dial in to the Internet for you. There are two ways to prevent this from happening: * Close all Internet applications after you disconnect from the Internet. * Disable the default dialer option for Internet access. This will require that you first start your MSN connection before using Internet applications. To do this: 1. Click the MSN Quick View icon (the small hand icon next to your clock in the Windows task bar). 2. Click MSN, then Connection Settings. 3. Click the Options tab. 4. Uncheck the Use this service for all dial-up Internet access option. SIGNUP OR REQUEST NEW PASSWORD SERVERS ARE NOT AVAILABLE: When you sign up for a new MSN account, or if you want to change the password on your current account, MSN will step you through a process that puts your computer into "kiosk mode" (the IE 4.01 browser with no user interface controls). If there are Internet server problems while you are in kiosk mode, you can use the Alt-F4 keyboard command to cancel the operation and close out of IE 4.01. IE AS DEFAULT BROWSER: Internet Explorer launches when you click e-mail, chat, or history links. MSN does not replace your default browser and will be activated only if you double-click the MSN icon on your desktop or click the MSN Quick View icon in the Windows system tray to connect to MSN. IE4.01 WITHOUT ACTIVE DESKTOP INSTALLED If you have previously upgraded to IE4.01 without active desktop MSN setup will reinstall IE4.01 as part of the setup process. JAVA SCRIPT OR VB SCRIPT ERROR: Java or Visual Basic script errors could occur in the MSN Program Viewer for a couple of reasons: 1. The MSN Program Viewer does not support the "window.open" command, which is supported by IE 3.0, IE 4.01, and Netscape 2.0, 3.0 & 4.01. Pages that use this command will cause a script error in the MSN Program Viewer. 2. MSN is now based on IE 4.01, which includes higher security safeguards that will prevent some script commands from executing on your machine. MSN QUICK VIEW COMES BACK EVEN AFTER IT IS CLOSED: The MSN Quick View icon in your Windows taskbar provides you with periodic information about your e-mail message count and the status of your friends online, and it checks to make sure that your MSN client software is up to date. Even if you close MSN Quick View, it will be restarted if you visit a Web page that requires its functionality. For example, MSN's On Stage and Communicate home pages use MSN Quick View to display your new e-mail count. REMOVING MSN QUICK VIEW FROM STARTUP: If you do not want MSN Quick View to start when you turn on your computer, you can remove it from your Windows Startup group. To remove MSN Quick View from your Startup group: 1. Click the Windows Start button, then click Settings, Taskbar. 2. Click the Start Menu Programs tab. 3. Click the Remove button. 4. Click the plus (+) sign next to the Startup folder that appears in the list. 5. Click MSN Quick View to select it. 6. Click the Remove button. MSN Quick View will no longer start up with Windows. Please note that MSN Quick View will still automatically start when you connect to MSN or when you connect via a LAN or a proprietary dialer. MSN Quick View will also start up whenever you visit a page that uses Quick View's services, such as MSN's Communicate home page. MSN QUICK VIEW BEHAVIOR WHEN CONNECTING WITH DIAL UP NETWORKING OR PROPRIETARY DIALER: The MSN dialer starts MSN Quick View once a successful connection has been made, and it turns it off once the modem disconnects. While MSN Quick View is running, it will provide intermittent notice of e-mail and friends online status, and it will estimate how long you have been connected. If you use a proprietary dialer (like AOL), or you start your connection by clicking on a Dial-Up Networking icon, then MSN Quick View will only start when you visit a page that uses MSN Quick View's services. MSN Quick View cannot detect the end of a dial-up connection started by another service and may still be active after you have disconnected. MSN Quick View will detect that you are configured to connect via non-MSN connection and start a "sleep" timer which will count down and put MSN Quick View to sleep. To change the interval used to put MSN to sleep, refer to the instructions for changing the sleep timer interval in the LAN connection section above. MSN QUICK VIEW BEHAVIOR WHEN USING A LAN TO CONNECT TO MSN: If you connect to MSN using a LAN, MSN Quick View will be unable to tell when you are done using MSN. If you want to disconnect from MSN, you will need to select that option from the MSN Quick View menu. Otherwise, MSN Quick View will restart anytime you visit a page that uses MSN Quick View's services. MSN Quick View will detect that you are configured to connect over a LAN and start a "sleep" timer, which will count down and put MSN Quick View to sleep. When MSN Quick View is running, it will notify you of Friends Online, e-mail and software updates. You will not be notified of these events when MSN Quick View is asleep. MSN Quick View's sleep timer is set by the Idle Disconnect value in your Internet browser properties. To change your sleep timer settings: 1. Click the MSN Quick View icon. 2. Click MSN Options, then Internet Properties. 3. Click the Connection Tab, then click the Connect to the Internet using a modem check box to enable the Settings button. 4. Click the Settings button and then choose a value for Disconnect if idle for ____ minutes. 5. Click OK and then reselect Connect to the Internet using a local area network. 6. Click OK again to accept these settings. 7. Outlook Express Mail and News ================================ UPGRADING TO MICROSOFT OUTLOOK EXPRESS FROM MICROSOFT EXCHANGE ("INBOX"), OUTLOOK, OR WINDOWS MESSAGING: MSN 2.51 installs a new Internet e-mail program called Microsoft Outlook Express. If you have an existing MSN e-mail account (Microsoft Exchange), MSN Setup will give you the option of importing your existing mail file to this new program. If you choose to upgrade (recommended), MSN 2.51 will replace your previous mail account with a new MSN Internet mail account, and you will no longer be able to use Exchange, , or Windows Messaging as your MSN e-mail program. If you have MSN installed on another computer and you want to be able to access your MSN e-mail account on that computer, you'll need to install MSN 2.51 and Microsoft Outlook Express there as well. CONFIGURING OUTLOOK WITH THE NEW E-MAIL SYSTEM In order to use Outlook 97 with MSN 2.51 you will need to set it up manually. The following web site will step you through this process: http: //communicate.msn.com/faq/semail.asp Can I use Fax Services with Outlook Express? Outlook Express does not feature Fax services. You can continue to use Microsoft Exchange / Windows Messaging or Microsoft Outlook for this feature. CHANGES IN EXISTING MSN E-MAIL ACCOUNT ADDRESSES: You may note, as you receive replies to the messages you send, that your e-mail address is listed as MSN_Member_ID@email.msn.com, instead of MSN_Member_ID@msn.com. This DOES NOT mean that your e-mail address has changed. The addition of the word "email" after the "@" sign is simply a behind-the-scenes mechanism used to ensure higher levels of performance on the new MSN mail platform. Your e-mail address is the same as before the upgrade. USING MULTIPLE MSN ACCOUNTS ON ONE COMPUTER If you already have multiple MSN accounts set up on one computer, Outlook Express makes it easy for you to manage e-mail for those accounts. **Please note, you must have separate MSN_IDs to have separate e-mail accounts. You must sign up for another MSN account to create a separate MSN e-mail account.** To use multiple MSN accounts on one computer: 1) Connect to MSN with the first MSN MSN_ID. Download the mail from the server. Disconnect from MSN. 2) Another user must then connect to MSN with a different MSN_ID to download his mail from the server. Note: Because you are using different MSN accounts on the same computer, all mail is delivered to the same Inbox. You can move your mail to its own folder, or you can also use Inbox Assistant to automatically deliver mail for a particular MSN account to its own folder. Here's how: First create a folder for each person who has an MSN account. (To do this, make sure you're in the Outlook Express Inbox): 1) From the File menu, point to Folder and click New Folder. 2) Type a name into the Folder Name text box (for instance, if you want to name the folder "John," type that in). Click OK. 3) You have now created a separate folder under the Inbox. Repeat steps above for each user who has an MSN account on this computer. Second, create a rule using Inbox Assistant: 1) From the Tools menu select Inbox Assistant. 2) Click Add in the Inbox Assistant dialog box. 3) In the "To:" text field, type your MSN Member_ID (for instance, john@email.msn.com). 4) In the "Perform the following action" area, select the "Move To:" check box. Then click Folder. Select the folder where you would like to have e-mail sent to john@email.msn.com delivered. Note: You may need to expand the Inbox folder by clicking the + symbol next to Inbox. Click OK. 5) Click OK to close the Properties dialog box. 6) You will now see the rule you just created in the Inbox Assistant dialog box. 7) Click OK to close the Inbox assistant dialog box You can now repeat the above steps to create rules for additional MSN accounts. After all rules are created, e-mail for each separate MSN account on your computer will be delivered to its own folder. Note, you'll still need to log on separately to each account to download the mail. 8. Connection Problems ======================= AOL USERS WHO INSTALL MSN 2.51: AOL 3.0 should work fine after installing MSN. In order to use both MSN and AOL at the same time, however, you will need to disable MSN's autodial functionality before you connect to MSN. To turn off the autodial functionality, complete the following steps: 1. Click the MSN Quick View icon (hand icon in the system tray). 2. Click MSN Options, then Connection Settings. 3. Click the Options tab. 4. Uncheck "Use this service for all dial-up Internet access." Then complete the next procedure on configuring AOL to use TCP/IP access. To configure AOL to use TCP/IP access, complete the following steps: 1. At the AOL login screen, click Setup. 2. Select Edit Location 3. Choose TCP/IP for the type of network. You can now use both MSN and AOL by starting your connection through MSN first, and then starting AOL. COMPUSERVE USERS WHO INSTALL MSN 2.5: WinCim 2.0 or later should work fine after installing the MSN 2.5. If there are any problems getting connected to CompuServe or using CompuServe to access the Internet, check the "Connection Configuration of MSN" section for instructions on how to manually configure your Internet connection. If you install COMPUSERVE after installing MSN2.5 you will need to Reinstall MSN2.5. AT&T WORLDNET USERS WHO INSTALL MSN 2.51: AT&T Worldnet should work fine after installing MSN 2.51. If there are any problems getting connected to AT&T Worldnet or using AT&T Worldnet to access the Internet check the "Connection Configuration of MSN" section for instructions on how to manually configure your Internet connection. If you are unable to fix the problem manually, then you should re-install AT&T Worldnet to reset your connection configuration. PRODIGY USERS WHO INSTALL MSN 2.51: Users of Prodigy may find that the Prodigy Internet browser does not work after installing the MSN 2.51. This is because MSN 2.51 installs the latest version of Internet Explorer (4.01), which includes new security features that conflict with the Prodigy browser. You will need to uninstall Internet Explorer 4.01 from your machine and then reinstall Internet Explorer 4.01 from the Internet. This will allow both MSN 2.51 and Prodigy to be used on the same PC. CONNECTION CONFIGURATION OF MSN: To reconfigure any of the connection settings in the following chart, first: 1. Click the Windows Start button, then click Settings, Control Panel. 2. Double-click the "Internet" icon. 3. Click the Connection Tab. DESIRED CONNECTION SETTINGS IN INTERNET PROPERTIES CONFIGURATION CONNECTION TAB ----------------------------------------------------------------- Dial Up Using MSN In the Connection section, check the "Connect to the Internet using a modem" option. Click the Settings button and make sure that "MSN" is the highlighted connection. Make sure that "Connect using a proxy server" is unchecked. Dial Up Using In the Connection section, check the other RAS Service "Connect to the Internet using a modem" option. (eg. MCI, AT&T) Click the Settings button. Select the service you want to use. (If the service you use is not listed, see the next topic about proprietary ISPs.) Make sure that "Connect using a proxy server" is unchecked. Dial Up Using In the Connection section, check the Proprietary ISP "Connect to the Internet using a modem" option. (e.g., AOL, Netscape) Click the Settings button. If your service does not appear in the drop-down list, then click the Add button and follow the steps to create a connection for your service. Make sure that "Connect using a proxy server" is unchecked. Direct Connection In the Connection section, check the to the Internet or, "Access the Internet via a Local Area Remote Winsock Proxy Network" option and make sure that Connection via LAN "Connect using a proxy server" is unchecked. Note: Only Remote Winsock Proxy 2.0 or later is supported. MODEM ACCESS WITH WINSOCK PROXY (WSP): If you have Remote Winsock Proxy installed on your computer and would like to access MSN 2.51 with a modem, you will need to turn off Remote Winsock Access. To turn off Remote Winsock Access: 1. Click the Windows Start button, then click Settings, Control Panel. 2. Double-click the "WSP Client" icon. 3. Uncheck the "Enable WinSock Proxy Client." Additionally, you will need to uncheck the Proxy server in your Internet Explorer Connection Properties, as described above. WHICH CONNECTION CHOICE TO SELECT This 2.51 version of MSN ships with a new dial-up connection manager that replaces the dial-up manager from previous versions of MSN. The new dial-up connection manager creates an entry in your Dial-up Networking folder called "MSN" but does not delete your old entries, "The Microsoft Network" and "The Microsoft Network (backup)." Either of these old entries will still work with the new MSN dial-up connection manager, but they will disable the autodial support for IE and Mail. So when you access dial-up networking within either Outlook Express Mail, Exchange Mail, or Chat, you will be presented with all three choices for connection to MSN. You should select the connection entry "MSN" for all dial-up access to MSN. 9. Removing MSN Files and Shortcuts ==================================== NOTE: UNINSTALLING WILL REMOVE ALL THE FILES NECESSARY FOR MSN TO WORK ON YOUR COMPUTER. To uninstall MSN 2.51 from your computer, please complete the following steps: 1. Click the Windows Start button, then click Settings, Control Panel. 2. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon. 3. For each of the components in the following list, select the item, and then click the Add/Remove button. Be sure to remove the components in the order that they appear in this list. Note: Depending on whether you chose the typical or full installation, you may not have all of the items listed below. If you are prompted to remove files, click Yes. Components to Remove ------------------------------------------------ - Connection Manager - Microsoft Chat 2.0 - MSN Optional Controls - MSN 2.5 - RealPlayer 4.0 - Microsoft Netshow Player 2.0 - Outlook Express - Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 (optional) 4. Click OK to close the Add/Remove Programs dialog box. You have now successfully uninstalled MSN 2.51. ================================== For the most current information about MSN, always check online at http://memberservices.msn.com.