Microsoft KB Archive/174647

= Microsoft Knowledge Base =

The Microsoft Network 2.51 Readme.txt File
Last reviewed: October 6, 1997

Article ID: Q174647

The information in this article applies to:


 * The Microsoft Network, version 2.51

SUMMARY
This article contains a copy of the information in the Readme.txt file included with MSN, The Microsoft Network, version 2.51.

MORE INFORMATION
README for The Microsoft Network 2.51 September l997 (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 onscreen 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 or later operating system * Personal computer with a 486/66 or higher processor * 14.4 Kbps modem or higher * 16MB of memory required * 70MB available hard disk space (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 4.0: 45 MB The Microsoft Network: 20 MB

MSN Setup:      5 MB If you need to clear space on your hard disk for MSN, one option is to uninstall any previous versions of Internet Explorer (3.02 or earlier) that you may have installed.

To uninstall Internet Explorer 3.02 or earlier: 1. Click the Windows Start button, then click

Settings, Control Panel. 2. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon. 3. Select Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.x from the list. 4. Click Add/Remove... and then follow the directions.

MSN is compatible only with Windows 95 or later. It does not run on Windows NT or on Windows 3.1. MSN is considering future support for Windows NT.

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.


 * 1) 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 or later. 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.


 * 1) 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.


 * 1) Microsoft Internet Explorer Installation

MSN requires Internet Explorer (IE) version 4.0 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 4.0. If you need to install an earlier version of Internet Explorer, you must uninstall Internet Explorer 4.0 first.

You should always uninstall your current version of Internet Explorer 4.0 before installing a newer build.

INSTALLING IE 4.0 WINDOWS DESKTOP UPDATE The Internet Explorer 4.0 Windows Desktop Update brings true Web integration to Windows: a Web-enhanced Active Desktop, taskbar, Start menu, and folders.

To install the IE 4.0 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 4.0 FULL INSTALLATION Included on the MSN CD are the files for a "Full" installation of Internet Explorer 4.0. After installing MSN 2.51, reinsert the MSN Setup CD and click the "Browse the CD" button. The IE 4.0 setup program is in a directory labeled "IE40." Run "ie4setup.exe" and select the FULL installation.


 * 1) 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.


 * 1) 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 4.0 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 4.0.

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.

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 4.0, and Netscape 2.0, 3.0 & 4.0. Pages that use this command will cause a script error in the MSN Program Viewer.
 * 2) MSN is now based on IE 4.0, 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 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.

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.


 * 1) 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, Outlook, 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.

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.


 * 1) 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.

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 (4.0), which includes new security features that conflict with the Prodigy browser. You will need to uninstall Internet Explorer 4.0 from your machine and then reinstall Internet Explorer 4.0 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.

LAN Proxy Connection  You can configure IE or MSN to (cannot access       use LAN Proxy by checking the MSN via proxy until   "Connect through proxy" box in Q4 1997)      the Proxy Server section.

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.


 * 1) 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 4.0 (optional) 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.

Keywords         : msnsetup Version          : WINDOWS:2.51 Platform         : WINDOWS Issue type       : kbreadme