Readme File for Windows 2000 Pop-Up (W2kPopUp.exe)

INTRODUCTION
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This program provides functionality similar to WinPopUp that used to ship with Windows 9x. Computer names are automatically retrieved from the network. Alternatively you can specify them in an INI file. No system changes are made at any point, program uses exisisting networking commands. Program occupies minimal amount of memory when running (around 500KB minimized). 

SETUP
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To install unzip W2kPopUp.exe file to c:\Program Files\w2kpopup (if you wish, file can be extracted elsewhere). Shortcuts can be created as usual (in StartUp if you want it to start automatically). 

USAGE
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To use the program, select the recipient from the list (you can also type first couple of characters), type the message and click send (or press F5 - F8). To minimize press Escape key. You can receive messages even when the program is not running.

Note the flying letter icon in the system tray (next to the clock). You can click this icon to restore the program or right-click it for a menu. 

On start up W2kPopUp attempts to retrieve a list of computers from the network (with net view command). This list is available from the 'send to' drop down list. 

If retrieval of computer names from the network fails the program will start with a blank list. Type the name of the recipient computer in the send to combo box and send as usual. On succesful send recipient name will be added to the drop down list.

STORING NAMES IN .INI FILE
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You can create w2kpopup.ini file with a list of computer names to be used by the program. If this file is present, retrieval of computer names from the network is NOT performed. To create w2kpopup.ini use a text editor such as notepad and type name of each computer you want to communicate with on a separate line. Save the file as w2kpopup.ini in the folder where w2kpopup.exe is. To disable this feature and enable automatic name fetching simply delete this file.

TECHNICAL NOTES
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Program was developed with Microsoft Visual Basic 6 (SP4) and thus requires MSVBVM60.DLL to run. This file is shipped with Windows 2000 and you should have it in WINNT/System32 by default. If not you can manually retrieve the file from Windows 2000 instalation cabinets (type: 

expand e:\i386\msvbvm60.dl_ c:\%w2kpopupath%\msvbvm60.dll 

on the command prompt. Note that e: is a cd-rom drive with Windows 2k installation files and %w2kpopuppath% is the path to w2kpopup.exe file, for example c:\program files\w2kpopup)

Program does not make any system changes. It issues 'net send' and 'net view' commands to Windows and receives feedback from it. Two temporary text files named output.pup and users.pup are created in the w2kpopup folder.

Program is Freeware. Feel free to contact me if you find it useful (or otherwise) on dejan@gmx.co.uk.

Dejan Nakarada-Kordic
dejan@gmx.co.uk
28/08/01, Harare, Zimbabwe
