Microsoft KB Archive/177465

{| = Microsoft Chat 2.0 Readme.txt File =
 * width="100%"|

Last reviewed: December 2, 1997

Article ID: Q177465 The information in this article applies to:
 * Microsoft Chat version 2.0 for Windows 95
 * Microsoft Chat version 2.0 for Windows NT 4.0

SUMMARY
This article contains a copy of the information in the Readme.txt file included with Microsoft Chat 2.0. The Readme.txt file is located in the folder in which you installed Microsoft Chat.

MORE INFORMATION
Microsoft Chat README March 1997 (c) Copyright Microsoft Corporation, 1997

This document provides information to supplement the Microsoft Chat Web page. The Frequently Asked Questions section on the Web contains more up-to- date information. You can access this Web page by clicking the Help menu, clicking Microsoft On The Web, and then clicking Frequently Asked Questions.

How to Use This Document
To view Readme.txt on screen 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.

CONTENTS

 * 1) Supported Configurations/Platforms

2. Connecting to Other IRC Chat Rooms 3. Frequently Asked Questions 4. Product Support Within the United States and Canada Microsoft Technical Support Microsoft Technical Support Information Services Microsoft Technical Support Standard Microsoft Technical Support Priority Text Telephone 5. Product Support Worldwide Microsoft TechNet, Technical Information Network

1. Supported Configurations/Platforms
Microsoft Chat currently runs under Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0. Microsoft Chat requires the following minimum configuration:

- A 486 processor - 8 MB of RAM - 256-color video - A 9600-baud modem

2. Connecting to Other IRC Chat Rooms
If you want to connect to an IRC chat server that you already know about, expand the Connect dialog box, and then type the server address and channel name--for example, you might type the following:

Comicsrv1.Microsoft.com, #Comic_Chat. Microsoft Chat servers currently support the following channels: comicsrv1.microsoft.com, #Comic_Chat comicsrv1.microsoft.com, #Comic_Help comicsrv1.microsoft.com, #Newbies comicsrv1.microsoft.com, #Pet_Chat comicsrv1.microsoft.com, #Sports_Chat

comicsrv2.microsoft.com, #Family_Chat comicsrv2.microsoft.com, #Internet_Chat comicsrv2.microsoft.com, #Politics_Chat comicsrv2.microsoft.com, #Singles_Chat

3. Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Will you be updating Microsoft Chat?

A. We will update our Web site frequently. To view the updates, click

the Help menu, click Microsoft On The Web, and then click Free Stuff.

Q. How do I connect to other IRC chat rooms or channels? A. If you want to connect to an IRC chat room or channel that you

already know about, carry out the following steps:

1. If you are running with Internet Explorer 3.0, click the File menu, and then click New Window.

Otherwise, you can just click New Connection.

2. In the Connect dialog box, type the following information:

- In the Server box, type the IRC server name. The default entry is ComicSrv1.Microsoft.com.

Replace this with the IRC server you want to connect to.

- In the Chat room box, type the chat room name, preceded by a       number sign (#). The default channel name is #Comic_Chat.

Q. How can I tell which version of Microsoft Chat I am running? A. If you are running Microsoft Chat outside of Internet Explorer, click

the Help menu, and then click About Microsoft Chat. The version number is listed at the top of the box. From within Internet Explorer, you can click the Help menu, click Microsoft Chat Help, and then click About Microsoft Chat.

Q. Why can't I get access to any Microsoft Chat or IRC chat rooms? A. If you are accessing the Internet from your corporate network, you

will be able to download the Microsoft Chat program; however, most corporate proxy servers limit access to chat rooms. If you have any questions, please contact your system administrator or use a dial-up analog or ISDN line to access the Internet.

Q. Can I create my own comic characters? A. At this time you can use only the characters supplied with Microsoft

Chat. To open a Web page that contains additional characters you can download, click the Help menu, click Microsoft On The Web, and then click Free Stuff. We are working on a character-creation kit that will be available from the Free Stuff Web page in the second half of 1997.

Q. Can I create my own backgrounds? A. Microsoft Chat supplies a limited number of backgrounds, but more will

be added soon. Backgrounds are bitmap files, which you can create with any graphics package.

Q. How does the emotion wheel (lower right corner) work? A. The emotion wheel enables you to manually change your character's

emotions. The center of the emotion wheel is neutral emotion. Where there are multiple levels of emotion, the intensity of the emotion increases as the control moves away from the center.

To see a tooltip describing each emotion, rest your mouse pointer over one of the eight faces around the perimeter of the emotion wheel. To  change your character's emotions, drag the control (the dark dot in   the center of the emotion wheel) from the center of the emotion wheel.

Q. How can I tell characters apart when there are duplicate characters? A. Move your mouse pointer over the character and then pause. A tooltip

appears that displays the user name and character.

Q. How do I print? A. On the File menu, click Print, click Properties, and then click

Graphics. Change the resolution to 150 or 300 bps. This will speed up printing and still provide high quality.

Q. How big is Microsoft Chat to download? A. The program with its existing artwork is currently 1 MB compressed.

Q. How much space does Microsoft Chat take up?

A. The Microsoft Chat program with its existing artwork is currently 4 MB.

Forthcoming artwork and character updates will increase this size.

Q. Can I uninstall Microsoft Chat? A. Yes. To uninstall Microsoft Chat, carry out the following steps:

1. In Control Panel, double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon. 2. Click Microsoft Chat, and then follow the instructions on your screen.

Q. Why does it say my ID is in use when I go to another chat room? A. Nicknames (IDs) must be unique. Your connection will be refused if:

- You are already connected to a chat room on the server. - You recently disconnected and the server has not refreshed. - Someone else is using your nickname.

To connect, you can either choose a new nickname or make sure that all Microsoft Chat clients have been closed and then wait a minute and reopen Microsoft Chat.

Q. How do I get more panels across the screen? A. There are a few things you can try:

- Increase your screen resolution. To do this, in Control Panel, double-click the Display icon, and then click the Settings tab. - Maximize the window. - Move the vertical splitter to the right to make the member list thinner.

Once you have done this, click the View menu, and then choose the largest number of panels you can. Depending on your screen resolution and monitor size, you can select from one to four frames.

Q. What is the difference between Microsoft Chat and IRC chat? A. Microsoft Chat is a graphical chat client that can be used like any

text chat client on the IRC channel. Not everyone inside the channel (chat room) needs to be using Microsoft Chat for this to work. Text chat users will automatically be assigned a character, so the entire chat is graphically represented to the Microsoft Chat client user.

NOTE: When you use Microsoft Chat on an IRC channel where most of        the other users are using IRC text clients, it is a good idea to begin by clicking the Options menu and then selecting the Don't Send Microsoft Chat Specific Information check box. This will prevent special comics messages from being sent to the other chat clients. After you log off Microsoft Chat, the client will reset. The next time you log on, the check box is not selected.

Q. Why do I get an "HTTP 1.0 / 404 Object Not Found" error from the chat room Web page? A. The names of the room files and the names of the channels on the server were changed. Your browser or Internet service provider may be caching the Web pages, and you are seeing the old page which links to files that no longer exist. To work around this problem, try refreshing the Web page or clearing the local cache if your browser caches the file.

Q. How do I connect to comicsrv1.microsoft.com if I am using AOL as my  Internet service provider? A. If you are using AOL to connect to the Internet, you will need to  specify port number 7000 for the following comicsrv servers:

- comicsrv1.microsoft.com - comicsrv2.microsoft.com - comicsrv3.microsoft.com

To do this, in the Connect dialog box enter the server name followed by  the port number--for example, comicsrv1.microsoft.com:7000. If this does not work, check the Frequently Asked Questions Web page for the latest information about this issue. You can view this Web page by clicking the Help menu, clicking Microsoft On The Web, and then clicking Frequently Asked Questions.

Q. I click the hot links--such as http:, mailto:--in text mode, but nothing happens. Why does this work in comics mode but not in text mode? A. The hot links in text mode are dependent on the rich edit functions in  Windows. Initially, the rich edit functions did not support the hot-link capability, but Windows NT and later versions of Windows 95 added this capability to rich edit. If you cannot use the hot links in text mode, you can always change to comics mode and use the hot links from there.

Q. I have Comic Chat 1.0 on my computer, and after installing Microsoft Chat 2.0, I see a shortcut to Comic Chat 1.0. Is it safe to delete the shortcut to Comic Chat 1.0? A. If you installed Microsoft Chat 2.0 over Comic Chat 1.0, you might see Comic Chat 1.0 icons (as well as Microsoft Chat 2.0 icons) on the Start menu. You can safely delete the Comic Chat 1.0 icons; this will not affect the usability of Microsoft Chat 2.0. For more information, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base.

Q. I have a previous version of Comic Chat on my computer. Should I  uninstall Comic Chat before installing Microsoft Chat? A. We recommend that you uninstall any previous version of Comic Chat before installing Microsoft Chat 2.0. However if you did not uninstall Comic Chat before installing Microsoft Chat, you should not experience any problems with Microsoft Chat.

Microsoft Technical Support
In the event you have a technical question regarding Microsoft Chat version 2.0, please refer to the support offerings below. Microsoft's support offerings range from no-cost and low-cost online information services (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) to annual support plans. Microsoft support services are subject to Microsoft's then-current prices, terms, and conditions, which are subject to change without notice.

Information Services Microsoft Technical Support Information Services provides you with easy access to the latest technical and support information for Microsoft products. You can access a variety of low and no cost Information Services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Internet services and The Microsoft Network (MSN): Access the Microsoft Frequently Asked Questions, Software Library, Knowledge Base, customer-to- customer newsgroups, and other technical information on the Internet and MSN.


 * On the World Wide Web and MSN, go to #|http://www.microsoft.com/support/ * For FTP access, go to #|ftp://ftp.microsoft.com

Microsoft TechNet: CD-ROM-based Microsoft TechNet is the front-line resource for fast complete answers to technical questions on Microsoft desktop and systems products. For more information or to subscribe to Microsoft TechNet, call (800) 344-2121.

Microsoft Developer Network Library (MSDN): CD-ROM-based MSDN is the comprehensive source of programming information and toolkits for those who write applications for the Microsoft Windows, Windows 95, and Windows NT operating systems, or use Microsoft products for development purposes. For more information or to subscribe, call (800) 759-5474.

Microsoft Download Service (MSDL): Direct modem access to a variety of technical information is available on MSDL by dialing (206) 936-6735. The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Connect information: 1200, 2400, 9600, or 14400 baud, no parity, 8 data bits, and 1 stop bit.

Microsoft FastTips: This automated service provides quick answers to your common technical questions via an automated toll-free telephone number, fax, or mail. To access FastTips or to receive a map and catalog, call the following FastTips numbers:

Desktop applications:       (800) 936-4100 Development products:       (800) 936-4300 Desktop Systems products:   (800) 936-4200 Business Systems:           (800) 936-4400

Microsoft Technical Support Standard
In the United States and Canada, no-charge support for Internet Explorer is available for customers who have purchased a Microsoft package that includes this product. This support may be used for the version that was included in the package as well as any upgrades. Support is provided for 90 days after you make your first call to a Microsoft Support Engineer.

-In the United States, call (206) 635-7123 between 6:00 A.M and 6:00 P.M. Pacific time. -In Canada, call (905) 568-3503 between 8:00 A.M and 8:00 P.M. Eastern time. Both of these services are available Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Note: If your Microsoft product was pre-installed or distributed with your PC or provided by an Internet Service Provider, the PC manufacturer or the an Internet Service Provider is responsible for providing your product support. Microsoft's fee-based Priority Support our Information Services are available regardless of how you obtained Internet Explorer.

Microsoft Technical Support Priority
Microsoft Technical Support offers priority telephone access to Microsoft support engineers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, excluding holidays, in the U.S. In Canada, the hours are from 6:00 A.M to midnight, 7 days a week, excluding holidays.


 * In the United States, call (900) 555-2000; $35 (U.S.) per incident.

Charges appear on your telephone bill. Not available in Canada. Canada, call (800) 668-7975, at $50 (CDN) per incident. These services are billed to your VISA, MasterCard, or American Express card. For more information about Priority support offerings, including annual contracts, call Microsoft Support Sales and Information at (800) 936-3500.
 * In the United States, call (800) 936-5700, at $35 (U.S.) per incident; in

Text Telephone
Microsoft text telephone (TT/TDD) services are available for the deaf or hard-of-hearing. In the United States, using a TT/TDD modem, dial (206) 635- 4948. In Canada, using a TT/TDD modem, dial (905) 568-9641.

5. Product Support Worldwide
The following list contains Microsoft subsidiary offices and the countries they serve. If there is no Microsoft office in your country, please contact the establishment from which you purchased your Microsoft product. This list provides only basic technical support phone and fax numbers; other services such as BBS and sales numbers may be available. For additional subsidiary information, check the Product Support Services Worldwide section in online Help. When you call, you should be at your computer and have the appropriate product documentation at hand. Please follow the guidelines listed above under "Standard Support."

Area                   Telephone Numbers Argentina              Microsoft de Argentina S.A.                        Technical Support: (54) (1) 314-0560

Australia              Microsoft Pty. Ltd.                       Technical Support: (61) (02) 870-2131

Austria                Microsoft Ges.m.b.H.                        Standard Support: Installation and Handling Windows: 0660-6510 General information about the Microsoft support in Central Europe: Fax: 0049/2622/167006

Belgium                Microsoft NV                        Technical Support: +32-2-513 32 74 (Dutch-speaking) +32-2-502 34 32 (English-speaking) +32-2-513 22 68 (French-speaking) Bolivia See Argentina Brazil                 Microsoft Informatica Ltda. Technical Support: (55) (11) 871-0090

Canada                 Microsoft Canada Inc.                        Microsoft Support Network: Standard Technical Support Phone: 1 (905) 568-3503                       Priority Support Information: 1 (800) 668-7975                       Text Telephone (TT/TDD): 1 (905) 568-9641

Caribbean              Microsoft Caribbean, Inc.                        Technical Support: (214) 714-9100

Chile                  Microsoft Chile S.A.                        Personal Operating Systems Phone: 56-2-330-6222

Colombia               Microsoft Colombia Technical Support: (571) 618 2255

Czech Republic         Microsoft s.r.o.                        Technical Support Phone: (+42) (2) 2451 0554 or 53 52 56 (Windows 95 only)

Denmark                Microsoft Denmark AS                        Technical Support: (45) (44) 89 01 11

Dubai                  Microsoft Middle East Phone: (971) 4 513 888

Ecuador                Corporation Microsoft del Ecuador S.A.                        Technical Support: (593) (2) 463-094 England See United Kingdom Finland                Microsoft OY                        Product Support: (358) (90) 525 502 500 For Technical Support, please contact your local dealer.

France                 Microsoft France Technical Support: (33) (1) 69-86-10-20 French Polynesia See France Germany                Microsoft GmbH Standard Support: Installation and Handling Windows: 089-3176-1110 Windows 95: 089-3176-1115 General information about the Microsoft support in Central Europe: Fax: 02622/167006

Greece                 Microsoft Phone: (30)(1) 6806-775

Hong Kong              Microsoft Hong Kong Ltd.                        Technical Support: (852) 2804-4222

Hungary                Microsoft Hungary Phone: (+36) (1) 267 4636 Iceland See Denmark India                  Microsoft India Phone: (01) (91) 646 0694, 646 0767, 646 0813

Indonesia              Indonesia - Jakarta Technical Support: Phone: (6221) 572-1060 Fax: (6221) 573-2077 Ireland See United Kingdom Israel                 Microsoft Israel Ltd.                        Phone: 972-3-613-0833

Italy                  Microsoft SpA Technical Support: (39) (2) 7039-8351

Japan                  Microsoft Company Ltd.                        Technical Support: (81)(424) 41-8700 Support Sales: 0120-37-0196

Korea                  Microsoft CH                        Technical Support: (82)(2) 563-0054

Latin America          Microsoft Latin American Headquarters Technical Support: (214) 714-9100 Liechtenstein See Switzerland (German-speaking) Luxembourg             Microsoft NV                        Technical Support: +32-2-513 32 74 (Dutch-speaking) +32+2-502 34 32 (English-speaking) +32+2-513 22 68 (French-speaking)

Malaysia               Microsoft (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (60-3) 793-9595

Mexico                 Microsoft Mexico, S.A. de C.V.                        Technical Support: Operating Systems: (52) (5) 325-0912

Netherlands            Microsoft BV                        Technical Support: 023-5677877 (Dutch-speaking) 023-5677853 (English-speaking)

New Zealand            Microsoft New Zealand Ltd.                        Technical Support: Phone: 64 (9) 357-5575 Northern Ireland See United Kingdom Norway                 Microsoft Norway AS                        Technical Support: (47) (22) 02 25 50 Papua New Guinea See Australia Paraguay See Argentina

Peru See Latin America

Phillippines           Phone: (632) 811-0062 Technical Support: Phone: (632) 892-2295/2495

Poland                 Microsoft Sp.z o.o.                        Technical Support: (+48) (2) 6216793, (+48) (71) 441357

Portugal               Microsoft, Lda. Technical Support: (351) 1 4409280, 81, 82, or 83

Republic of China      Microsoft Taiwan Corp.                        Technical Support: (886) (2) 508-9501 Republic of Ireland See United Kingdom Russia                 Microsoft A/O Fax: (+7) (502) 224 50 45 Scotland See United Kingdom Singapore              Microsoft Singapore Pte Ltd.                        Technical Support: Phone: (65) 337-9946

Slovenia/Slovenija     Microsoft d.o.o                        Technical Support: +386 61 123 23 54, +386 64 331 020

Slovak Republic        Microsoft Slovakia s.r.o.                        Technical Support: (+42) (7) 312083

South Africa           Microsoft South Africa Technical Support (Toll Free): 0 802 11 11 04 (Toll): (2) 11 445 0100

Spain                  Microsoft Iberica SRL Technical Support: (34) (1) 807-9960

Sweden                 Microsoft AB                        Product Support: (46) (0) 8-752 09 29 Information about Technical Support: (46) (0) 8 752 09 29

Switzerland            Microsoft AG                        Phone: 01-839 61 11 Technical Support (French-speaking): 022-738 96 88                       General information about the Microsoft support in Central Europe: Fax: 0049-2622-167006

Thailand               Microsoft Thailand Ltd.                        Technical Support: Phone: (662) 632-0360, 61, 62, 63

Turkey                 Microsoft Turkey (90) 212 2585998

United Kingdom         Microsoft Ltd. Product Support Services Telephone Support: Personal Operating Systems: (01734) 271000                       Advanced Systems Support: (01734) 270007                       Microsoft Ltd.                        Phone: (01734) 271007

Uruguay                Technical Support: (598) (2) 77-4934

Venezuela              Corporation MS 90 de Venezuela S.A.                        Technical Support: (582) 265-4337 Wales See United Kingdom

Microsoft TechNet, Technical Information Network
Microsoft TechNet is the front-line resource for fast, complete answers to technical questions on Microsoft systems and desktop products. Information available on TechNet ranges from crucial data on client-server and workgroup computing, systems platforms, and database products, to the latest on support for Microsoft Windows- and Macintosh-based applications. As a TechNet user you receive:
 * Twelve monthly compact discs containing the Microsoft Knowledge

Base, Microsoft operating systems product resource kits, customer solutions, key Microsoft conference session notes, and other valuable information containing the Microsoft Software Library For more information about Microsoft TechNet, in the United States and Canada, call (800) 344-2121, between 7:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M. Central time, Monday through Friday. Outside the U.S. and Canada, contact your Microsoft Subsidiary, or call (303) 684-0914.
 * Twelve monthly supplemental (drivers and patches) compact discs
 * A dedicated Microsoft TechNet forum on CompuServe (GO TECHNET) * WinCIM, a Windows-based application for accessing CompuServe * A 20 percent discount on Microsoft Press books
 * }