Microsoft KB Archive/150658

= Mastering Access Programming: Contents of README.WRI =

Article ID: 150658

Article Last Modified on 11/7/2002

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APPLIES TO


 * MSPRESS Mastering Microsoft Access Programming ISBN 1-55615-912-9

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This article was previously published under Q150658



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.

· Personal computer with a 486DX or higher processor running Windows 95, or Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51 or later · 8 MB of memory (16 MB or more recommended) · 10 MB of available hard-disk space (15 MB to work with lab files on   your hard disk) · MPC2-compatible CD-ROM drive · Super VGA or higher-resolution video adapter capable of displaying 256 colors or greater · Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device · MPC2-compatible audio board for audio and video instruction · 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:

· 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.

· 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.

· 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.

· 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.

· 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.

· Palette Flash:  Palette flashes can occur when switching between Mastering Access Programming and other running applications.

· 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.

· 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.

· 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.

· 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.

· 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:

· Close all applications that you are not using.

· 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.

· 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.

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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: · 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.

· In the Control Panel, choose Setup and Options for your printer. Turn off the Color option, and restart Windows.

In Windows 95: · 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

Keywords: kbmm KB150658

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