                     On Disk Monthly's
                         Issue #75
     *    *    *    M  A  I  L  B  A  G    *    *    *

                          ASK ODM
                          -------

I have been an ODM subscriber for over four years and
thoroughly enjoy your programs. I have been using the Family
Tree 3.0 (ODM #69) program and discovered a problem. When I
try to print the "Family Member Listing" it will not page
break on each name. I would like to print each record on a
separate page, but the report does not do this. I am running
the program on a Packard Bell "Legend 300SX" 386 and using a
Panasonic KX-P1123 24-pin printer. All the other reports
work just fine.
                                  Kenneth J. Page
                                  Navarra, FL

RESPONSE: I just ran Family Tree, chose the print out option
you mentioned, answered "yes" to the question "would you
like to print each entry on a separate page," and my print
out was fine. If you've answered "yes" to the same question
and it isn't working for you, there are two things you can
try. First, try changing some of the settings you've used
for this and other print options, then print this one again.
It's possible that Family Tree contains some strange logic
flaw that has tied page breaks for the "Family Member
Listing" to other report settings. Second, you might check
your printer's manual and experiment with changing your
printer's settings (if applicable). We'll add this problem
to our list of potential fixes/updates for the next version
of Family Tree.
                        *    *    *

"It will not load again" keeps coming up when I try to run
Appointment Calendar (ODM #71). I do not understand how to
get it running. I do have a calendar (Deskmate), but wonder
if I'd like this better.
                                  Beatrice D. Taylor
                                  Franklinville, NJ

RESPONSE: Appointment Calendar is a TSR. Many people don't
grasp the TSR concept (TSR stands for "terminate and stay
resident") at first, but once you do, you'll do fine. What
this all "boils down" to is that a TSR is available each
time you boot up your computer and will remain
available--even while it's not on-screen and you're using
another program--because it stays "resident" in your
computer's memory. When you ran Appointment Calendar from
the ODM disk, you were presented with a series of screens of
help text and installation questions. You apparently
installed Appointment Calendar at that time. Hence, the
message that it will "not load again."

When you installed Appointment Calendar, it was
automatically added to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. You may run
Appointment Calendar from the DOS prompt or from any text
mode program, by holding down the "Alt" key while you press
"C" (Alt-C). Note: Appointment Calendar will not be
available from a graphic program such as the ODM menu or
Legends of Murder on this disk. Also, the Alt-C "hotkey"
combination is user configurable--in case you regularly run
a program that uses that same Alt-C combination. If this
happens, the .EXE will override Appointment Calendar and you
won't be able to call it up to the screen. To remove this or
any other TSR, delete it from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, then
reboot your computer. It will no longer be in memory and it
will not be available.

                        *    *    *

I have tried to update BBD Indexer with ODM #73 files. The
program only reads BBDISSUE.BID, regardless of how many .BID
files are in the directory. Then I remembered I had the same
problem with #64 and #68. I give up--HELP!. How can I merge
a file that it won't read?

Also, another program I can't get to work is "Rainbows" on
issue #66. All I get is a black field with error messages
and occasional score increases. Where are the rainbows?
                                  Anthony E. Chaffee
                                  Bartlesville, OK

RESPONSE: Pull out issue #64 and launch the ODM Indexer
program (or ODM Librarian from the Special Intro Issue).
Choose "Load a Catalog," then select the ODMISSUE.BID file.
Once it has loaded, choose "Merge a Catalog." If you are
updating your program from one of our previous floppy
updates, Insert a floppy (#68 contains a 65-68 update; #73
contains a 69-73 update) into your A: or B: drive. Press the
Up Arrow to access the Path "field." Type A: or B:
(whichever now contains the floppy), and press Enter. ODM
Indexer will automatically search the floppy for a .BID
file. If you are working from your hard drive, type the path
where your update is located and press enter. When that
filename appears on the screen, make sure it is selected and
press Enter to merge the update into your currently loaded
"main" file. Repeat these steps with other updates. NOTE:
the updates we provide every three (or four) issues do not
overlap, so there are no duplicate entries. However, if you
have already manually updated your Indexer file, this merge
WILL duplicate entries for those issues. I'm not sure why
you can't run Rainbows. Please call our Tech Support number.

                        *    *    *

I am very pleased and glad to get [Print Shop Utilities 5.0]
(#71). All works fine except the "Enhanced Label" feature.
My problem is that the print driver does not send the
correct size of line feeds. My computer is an Apex 200/40 by
Epson, with an Epson Action printer 4000, and it works
perfectly with other label programs that I have. I use
standard labels (3.5" x 1"). Please tell me what I am doing
wrong or can it be corrected?
                                  C.H. Walton
                                  Clearwater, FL

RESPONSE: You are in luck! When you choose a printer type in
Print Shop Utilities, it asks you if your printer stretches
graphics (many do). Answer "yes" to this question and your
problem should be solved. Keep the heighth set on 1 inch
(the default). By the way, some of you have noted that you
can only buy labels that are 15/16" high. Those are the
right ones. Measure between perforations and you'll get 1".

                        *    *    *

I now have a new IBM PS/1 486 with a 170 meg hard drive, two
floppy drives, 4M RAM and SVGA. Got a problem! Here is a
list of programs I cannot run on my new system: Poker
Squares, Circuitry, Catacomb Abyss and Morphose. To add
insult to injury, when I ran Catacomb Abyss I got a system
bulletin that I am running an unknown PC with a 386 CPU at a
processor speed of +50MHz and VGA graphics.
                                  Ted Wojciehowski
                                  Lemont, IL

RESPONSE: We don't have enough information to be 100 percent
sure about your problem, but we strongly suspect that the
sound routines used in those games are the culprit. Try
running any of those games with a "/NOSOUND" or "/PCSP"
parameter. You can also try the "/NOMOUSE" parameter (in
case a mouse driver is the culprit). Finally, try each of
the graphics mode parameters: "/C", "/M", "/E" and "/V".
If none of this works, please call our tech support
department and let's try to figure it out. Did your computer
come with any type of built-in multi-media capabilities?
In regard to the Catacomb Abyss system detection routine, I
apologize. The text was supposed to read "...a 386 or better
CPU" and "...VGA or better graphics." We goofed.

                        *    *    *

All programs except the menu and DirSize in issue #73 will
not run from the command line. They all WILL run from the
menu. ODM programs are useless to me if I cannot run them
the way I want to and at the command line or in batch files.
                                  Robert N. Fagan
                                  Erie, PA

RESPONSE: We believe we have an answer to this one.
Unfortunately, the fix may have to come from you. Get
ready--this is going to be technical. You apparently have an
Adaptec Controller Card. Your card uses pointers or
interrupts #60-#66 as strictly data areas instead of as
pointers (which our programs expect). A pointer is an
"address" than points to either code or more data. If we
wrote programs that changed this "rule" like Adaptec's card
seems to have done, we'd be producing software that wouldn't
work properly. For at least seven years, interrupt #67 has
been used as the expanded memory interrupt (Lotus, Intel and
Microsoft), while interrupts #60-#66 are supposed to be
reserved for "user interrupts." Most of our software uses
interrupt #60 as a pointer. I understand that you can change
your card's settings so that our software will run from the
DOS prompt as it should. Your manual may cover this, but I
suggest that you contact Adaptec for technical help and
suggestions. At the same time, we'll look for a software
"solution" here.

                          LETTERS
                          -------

I have been a subscriber of ODM (Big Blue) since disk #20.
When I initially subscribed, I received a copy of the "Best
of Big Blue Disk," which included the first Family Tree
program. I received Enhanced Family Tree shortly thereafter.
This got me into genealogy in an addictive way. I have four
different files, from 123 names in one to 1,434 names in
another. Then I received Family Tree 3.0 on issue #69.

I decided to transfer information from a file with 303 names
from Enhanced Family Tree to Family Tree 3.0. I found to my
dismay that the comment line in Enhanced Family Tree held 65
characters compared to only 61 in Family Tree 3.0. I had to
edit over 100 comment lines. Needless to say, I did not
transfer my other files.

Since I solved my own problem on the above, I have run into
one I cannot solve. I owned a Panasonic KX-P 1092i printer
that allowed me to print on half (33 lines) of a page. I
just purchased a Panasonic KX-P 2123 printer and it will
only allow me to print on a full page (66 lines). I now have
to print one file, then roll the paper back 33 lines to
print the second file. This is a real time consuming
problem--particularly when I am printing a book for my
relatives. Is is possible to rework the print driver in the
Family Tree 3.0 program to do this?
                                  Robert J. Schell
                                  Arlington, VA

COMMENTS: Thanks for letting us know that the comment area
is four characters shorter than in the previous version of
Family Tree. I'm sorry for the inconvenience and I promise
we'll fix that one in our next version of Family Tree.
Family Tree doesn't have a "printer driver" as such. It's
simply sending up to 60 consecutive lines of type, then a
page break to the printer. You might try setting the number
of lines per page to 33 instead of 60. If you have already
tried this and it didn't work, this means your printer will
only interpret a page break in full-page terms. Family Tree
doesn't really "control" the printouts; your printer does.

                        *    *    *

I would like to respond to Walter E. Paulsen's letter in
issue #73. I use the Leading Edge Word Processor also, and
we recently changed printers. I hope the following
information will help solve Walter's problem. I called
Leading Edge Products Support at 1-800-245-9868 and
explained my problem. For a toll free phone call, a charge
of $5.00 on the company Visa and a few days mail time, and a
very few minutes of installation time, our new printer was
on-line and running fine. Printer updates are still
available for $5.00 at that number.

I was very disappointed when Christine told me the last
version of LEWP was 1.5 and it does not run with DOS 5.0. I
like my new IBM system (PS/1 386SX with Windows 3.1), but
the Microsoft Works Word Processor that came packaged with
it is not as friendly, and in a lot of cases does not
perform the task at hand as well as LEWP does. I look
forward to the challenge of learning all the new things I
now have access to; it just seems like a relatively large
byte at one time.
                                  Myrna R. Maherg
                                  Mobile, AL

COMMENTS: It seems that reports of the demise of Leading
Edge were greatly exaggerated by me (or rather by the staff
member who assured me that the company was no longer in
business). I apologize to Walter and to Leading Edge. Thanks
for taking the time to write!

                        *    *    *

I haven't written to you before, but I have been a
subscriber for years--since back in my Commodore 64 days. I
don't always find all your programs useful, but they are
always of high quality. I really enjoy reading the
Mailbag--usually the first thing I do.

I would like to recommend a few items that I would like to
see in the future. First, a .PCX cataloger such as Print
Shop Utilities has. Second, a converter program to convert
Print Shop graphics to .PCX format and vice versa. Third, a
biography or autobiography program to compliment Family Tree
3.0.

Please take my comments under serious consideration, and
keep up the great work.
                                  Franklin R. Quick Sr.
                                  Albany, GA

COMMENTS: We're mulling over all of your ideas, especially
the first two. I'm not ready to tell you what issue they'll
appear on, but we'll probably do them in the near future.

                        *    *    *

I have a few complaints to make. First, on ODM #71, I cannot
get the game of solitaire to work at all. I called several
times to complain about it, but wound up on hold and after a
few minutes I hung up. One time they told me that they would
call back. It's a good thing that I didn't hold my breath.

Next, I purchased "AUTOMAP" from you and that was a waste of
time and money. Just looking on a regular road map, I could
figure out better routes than this thing came up with.

Since you changed your name to On Disk Monthly, your programs
have gone downhill. I'm really unhappy with ODM. I doubt if
anything will come of my complaints, but at least I'll let
you know how I feel.
                                  Clifford F. Steele
                                  Martinez, CA

COMMENTS: Since you don't mention your particular computer
setup, I can't "solve" your Klondike problem. However, I do
apologize for the treatment you received from tech support.
That department usually does an outstanding job. Klondike2
had two problems that we know about. First, you must have a
recent version of your mouse driver because older mouse
drivers will not recognize the EGA/VGA resolutions Klondike2
utilizes. Second, we soon learned that the published version
of this program would not run properly on a PS/2-25. For a
long time we couldn't figure out why. Therefore, tech
support didn't know why. We've now isolated the problem (had
to do with MCGA graphics) and plan to "remaster" that issue
by mid-January, at which time you can call our 800# to
request a copy of it.

I haven't personally used AutoMap--maybe you're right about
it. However, it's one of the most popular retail programs,
so somebody likes it. Please let our customer service
department know that you're unhappy with it. Finally, I'm
sorry you don't like our current format. However, you may be
happy to learn that we have been meeting and discussing the
future focus and program mix of On Disk Monthly. When I know
more, I'll let you know.

                        *    *    *

Have any of you people ever heard of the phrase "USER
FRIENDLY"? In this rapidly growing market of new computer
users, that phrase is almost a concrete MUST for new
computer programs of any kind. Put simply, they must be made
easy and quick to comprehend by the average eight-year-old,
so that all of us, young and old alike, can understand and
use them easily.

I thought Print Shop Utility 3.0 was great and used it
extensively. When PSU 4.0 came out there were problems with
it, but after considerable manipulation, it was OK. At that
time I thought that when PSU 5.0 comes out it will be really
great. How do the kids say? NOT! I printed out the help file
of PSU 5.0 and while I do admit to being somewhat
thick-headed, if I hadn't had previous experience with 3.0
and 4.0 I would have been completely lost. Remember the
eight year olds and please make them...user friendly.
                                  Jim Fellwock
                                  Santee, CA

COMMENTS: I'm now making an extra effort to explain every
function and to walk users through every action in our help
text. However, complex programs that offer many functions
will always require a period of learning (trial and error)
and adjustment--particularly if an update is as extensive
(function AND interface) as PSU 5.0's was. Also, we'll make
all help files printable when possible (sometimes with
particular game "engines" or submissions that's not
practical). If we can't make the help file printable, we'll
try to put a separate help file on the disk that you can
load into your own word processor or into Edit Meister
(issue #72).

                        *    *    *

Letters used in ODM's Mailbag may be edited for length and
clarity.
        Please send your questions and comments to:
                        ODM Mailbag
    On Disk Monthly, PO Box 30008, Shreveport, LA 71130
