**************** * * * HotTools * * * **************** The HotTools folder contains some useful tools for maintaining HotWire and its associated files. This text file gives a brief description of the functions of the Hot Tools. All of the Hot Tools may be distributed freely as long as any existing doc files are included with them. They may not be sold, altered, or reprinted without our permission. HotSaver is Shareware for all non-HotWire owners. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ KickStart --------- If HotWire seems complicated to you, KickStart may be just what you need. KickStart will set up HotWire for you along with a number of HOT files to get you started. When you run KickStart you will be asked to select the drive on which you'd like to install HotWire. After that it's all automatic. KickStart will first create two folders in the drive you've selected, named AUTO and HOTSTUFF (skipping the creation of either folder if it already exists). It will then load HotWire, install HOTSTUFF as its default setup path, and copy HotWire into the AUTO folder. Next KickStart will load each HOT file contained in the current directory, change all paths (set to A:\) to the HOTSTUFF path, and copy it into the HOTSTUFF folder. Lastly KickStart will run HotWire from your AUTO folder. HotWire will come up with the main menu installed. The HOT files supplied in the KIKSTART folder contain many "headers" suggesting possible ways to set up your HotWire system. They also contain HOT file entries which call each other. You can easily page between several HOT menu lists by clicking on them or hitting their hot keys. The main menu (HOTWIRE0.HOT) contains entries for all of the other menus. The other menus all contain an entry in the lower left corner to return to the main menu (with hot key "X" for eXit) so you can always get back to the main menu by clicking there, hitting "X", or hitting zero on the numeric keypad (since the main menu is named HOTWIRE0.HOT). The Billboard menu is simply a pretty display advertising HotWire. Since it is called HOTWIRE1.HOT, you can call it up at any time by hitting the "1" key on the numeric keypad (versions earlier than 2.0 require pressing the shift key also). You may want to examine two special shell menus, MultiDesk and ArcShell. In the MultiDesk menu, MultiDesk is installed as a program with document types ACC and ACX. There are a few sample documents (ACCs) installed below. If you set the paths for all of these entries to existing ACCs and MULTDESK.PRG, you can then simply click on an accessory to run it like a program. The ArcShell menu is more powerful yet (and quite a bit more complicated). It contains some rather complex command lines which give it almost as much power as Charles F. Johnson's popular ArcShell program. Before you can examine these command lines, you must use "SET PATH" in the program Options Box (press the right mouse button on a menu entry) to locate the appropriate archive utilities. You can then hold Control while clicking on an entry to see the command line installed in that slot. NOTE: KickStart is safe to use. It will not overwrite any existing files. If KickStart comes across an existing HotWire or existing HOT files of the same name, it will ask you if you want to overwrite that file before proceeding. You will have to intentionally click on "Yes" in order to destroy anything in your system. If you're running KickStart from your HotWire disk, no setup is required (make sure you first register HotWire). If you want to run KickStart from your hard drive, copy KIKSTART.PRG, all the HOT files in the KIKSTART folder, and HOTWIRE.PRG into the same directory of your hard drive. If KickStart doesn't find HotWire in the current directory, it will look for it on the disk in drive A. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hot PathSetter -------------- HOTPATH3.PRG allows you to load a HOT file and relocate any of its entries' paths or filenames. Read the file HOTPATH3.TXT for full instructions. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Clock Setter ------------ CLOCKSET.PRG is provided for a convenient way of setting your system time and date. See pages 6 and 8 of the HotWire Release Notes for a complete description of its use. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HotSaver -------- HOTSAVER.PRG is the CodeHead Screen Saver. Its functions are described in detail in the file HOTSAVER.TXT. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HotStart -------- HOTSTART.ACC is included in case you have trouble getting HotWire to wait until all accessories are loaded before autostarting a program. Normally you will not need to use HotStart. See page 3 of the HotWire Release Notes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HotSwitch --------- HOTSWICH.PRG allows you to reboot with a different DESKTOP.INF file and a different HOTWIRE0.HOT file simply by pressing a key. This is perfect for those times when you (or your kids) want to change to low resolution and come up with your low res HotWire menu or vice versa. Of course, there are also many other uses for the Hot Switch Program. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NewPath ------- NewPath will search all of your HOT files for a particular path and replace each occurence with another path of your choice. This allows you to easily update all of your HOT files after rearranging things on your hard drive. If, for instance, you have moved an entire folder full of games from one drive to another, NewPath will find all the games installed in your HOT files and change them to the new location. When you run NewPath, you must first locate the directory which contains all of your HOT file, e.g. "D:\HOTSTUFF\". Next you should locate the path you want changed, e.g. "C:\GAMES\". If you have already deleted the folder, you may select any path and NewPath will let you edit the path string. Finally, select the new path you'd like to write into your HOT files, e.g. "E:\GAMES\". In the examples shown above, NewPath would search all files in the folder "D:\HOTSTUFF\" with the extension ".HOT". Whenever it found the path "C:\GAMES\", it would replace it with "E:\GAMES\". As NewPath works, it will display the filename that it is converting along with the number of search path occurences that are being replaced. In case you forget how to use NewPath, there are brief instruction on the opening screen when you run it. WARNING: NewPath will alter your HOT files. Make sure you have made copies of them if you need them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Redirect Hot ------------ REDIRHOT.PRG allows you to easily relocate your HotWire default folder (the folder containing all of your HOT files). It will first ask you to locate your current HotWire folder and then locate the destination folder (you must first create that folder). It will then load each HOT file from your HotWire folder, change all old paths to the new path, and copy the HOT file into the new folder. Your original HOT files and folder will be left intact where you may delete them later if you like. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~