 __       __)
(, )  |  /     /) /)
   | /| / _   // // __   _  __    _  __
   |/ |/ (_(_(/_(/_ /_)_(_(_/_)__(/_/ (__[ (c) 1997-99 Frank Pleitz ]
 - / -| -------- .-/ --- .-/ ----------------------------------------
                (_/     (_/)   ___      
                          (__/_____) /)
                            /       (/   _  __   _    _  __
                           /        / )_(_(_/ (_(_/__(/_/ (_[  FAQ  ]
                          (______) ----------- .-/ ------------------
                                              (_/

=====================================================================
                        FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
---------------------------------------------------------------------

This file contains some questions which are asked frequently.  Please
peruse this file- you may find a simple answer to what seems to be a 
perplexing question.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: 1. After i have started Wallpaper Changer, it is now impossible to 
      read many of the labels on my icons ?
         
   2. If I set the caption around the icons to be transparent in 
      Wallpaper Changer, it will work for a while until I click on 
      a icon, now the icons and the captions are blue !                    
      
      This happens with almost all programs that try to do this...
   
   3. Whenever I start Wallpaper Changer, my desktop and folder
      icons all go white or black or sometimes other odd mixed 
      colours ! However, the more times the wallpaper is changed,
      the more icons are affected.    
      
      Any suggestions ?  

A: It seems some systems have problems to display those icons with 
   transparent icon captions. You can only disable this feature in 
   the OPTIONS menu inside Wallpaper Changer or right click on 
   the icon in your system tray area, go to OPTIONS and disable
   the entry "TRANSPARENT DESKTOP ICONS".
                           
                           
   THIS IS NOT A BUG OF WALLPAPER CHANGER, THIS SHOULD HAPPEN WITH
   ANY OTHER PROGRAM THAT WILL PROMISE SUCH FEATURE !!! 
   
   THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO, IS TO UPDATE YOUR DRIVER FOR YOUR
   GRAPHIC ADAPTER. MAYBE THE FEATURE WILL WORK NOW.
    
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: What does the "FORCE EXIT" option mean ?

A: For some features Wallpaper Changer must run in background, 
   because some applications like games will reset the transparent 
   icons. But it's your choice to "force" Wallpaper Changer to "exit"
   after changing your wallpaper on startup.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: I'd like to know exactly what "once a day" means.  Does it mean 
   24 hours after the last wallpaper change (that would be the same 
   as entering 23 hours 59 minutes in the spin controls above), or 
   does it mean each day at midnight or some other time ?

A: "Once a day" mean, only on the first time you start your machine
   on a day, however what time it is. Wallpaper Changer will normally 
   exit after changing and will not change the wallpaper again. If 
   your machine is running over several days, you should use to 
   change in regular intervals and enter the maximum value like 
   23 hours 59 minutes, if you like to change the wallpaper once a
   day. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: I cant get the Wallpaper Changer to work, do you have any idea 
   what I am doing wrong ? 
   
A: If you setup Wallpaper Changer to change in regular intervals, 
   you must click on [Start] on the first options dialog.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: How can I set up Wallpaper Changer, that it starts when I switch 
   the computer on ?                                                
   
   or
   
   I included the program in the start menu and I can see the icon 
   in the system tray when I first start Windows. But Wallpaper 
   Changer does not start to change the pictures !

A: Go to the tray menu and check the item "Start with Windows" or go 
   to Wallpaper Changer [Initial Setup] options inside the program and 
   press the [Add to Startup] button. 
   
   The parameter "/h" will also start changing the background and hide 
   Wallaper Changer in your system tray.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: The "hot key" F6 for the "next option" doesn't work !

A: The hot keys will work only inside the progam at the moment.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: "Global Exception raised" - What the heck does that mean .... ? 

A: This message mostly appears if you try to load invalid pictures.
   Download the latest version (1.7x and above) with improved error 
   handling.
   
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: I am running NT with dual Pentium Xeon Processors. The problem is 
   that the change is so interruptive, that it damages what I am 
   doing in an application.

A: I have serveral bug reports on such dual processors systems
   (not only Xeon), but I can not track the problem, because I have 
   no system to test the Wallpaper Changer in such environment.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: When I select a picture and hit apply, i can see the hour glass 
   stay on the program and it just stop responding, i have to 
   ctrl+alt+del and end task.

A: On some slow machines it takes much time to change the images.
   Please wait, i know no case where Wallpaper Changer hangs after
   this function. It takes much CPU time to unpack JPG's  and resize 
   them to the current size of your desktop. Wallpaper Changer v1.80
   and above will have an option to lower the priority of the program.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: When Wallpaper Changer refreshes the desktop, all other windows 
   open are also refreshed, which is quite annoying if you change 
   wallpaper often. I guess this is a problem with Windows itself.

   Is there any way to prevent this ?

A: No, you can not prevent this. You are right, those are the 
   Windows "redraw" routines. This is no bug in Wallpaper Changer.
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: How can 2 different users keep from putting there wallpaper on the
   others persons screen ?

A: The temporary wallpaper file is for all users the same. This file
   is located in your Wallpaper Changer directory. However you can
   add a registry key to prevent this
                                                                                                                               
   [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Fp Tools\Wallpaper Changer\General]
   
   "UsePersonalFolder"="1"
   
   From now Wallpaper Changer will use your personal folder to store
   the temporary bitmap. This is mostly the "My Documents" folder in
   the directory where your profile is located. To turn off this 
   feature, delete this key or set "UsePersonalFolder" to "0" .

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Could Wallpaper Changer automatically read a directory of files 
   and update itself ? 

A: No, not this time. Later maybe.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: I believe you need a better help file, with step by step on how 
   to use this program.

A: Sure, I only need someone they can write a better one me. If you 
   like to do this, drop a mail to Frank.Pleitz@topmail.de .  ;-)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Some of my pictures would be better as titled, and some centered.
   Is there a way that I can have both type of pictures display 
   properly?

A: Try to use "AutoTile" an let Wallpaper Changer decide, if the
   picture must be tiled or resized.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: If I have active desktop, but not your program, I can select an 
   animated GIF file for wallpaper, and I will get the animation. If
   I select the same GIF through your program, I do not get the 
   animation. Why ?

A: Wallpaper Changer will convert the first frame of the animated GIF
   to a bitmap located in your Wallpaper Changer directory. That's 
   the reason.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Does your program support HTML as a wallpaper file ?

A: At the moment only .jpg, .gif, .bmp files are valid as wallpaper.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Why moves my Internet Explorer 5 vertical scrollbar to the top 
   when Wallpaper Changer refreshes the display to change the 
   wallpaper ?

A: Think, this is a bug in MS Internet Explorer 5. The same should 
   happen if you try to change your background picture using display 
   properties tab in your Windows controll panel.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Can you add an option of NEVER changing the wallpaper until I 
   click on the 'Change WallPaper' icon...  Sometimes, especially 
   when installing new software, you need to reststart the computer 
   many times, and changing the wallpaper each time is unnecessary. 
   Other times I like to keep a good looking wallpaper for many weeks.

A: OK, convinced. ;)

   BTW: All versions 1.80 and above will have such option.
   
---------------------------------------------------------------------   
   
Q: The uninstall function under the options menu does not seem to do 
   anything. Can you please advise how to uninstall without leaving 
   files all over the place.

A: The uninstall function will "REMOVE" Wallpaper Changer from
   your WINDOWS STARTUP. It will NOT remove any files. Wallpaper
   Changer is one single .exe file and some documentation files.
   To uninstall, simply remove all the file you downloaded and 
   nothing will be left over in the system.

   Why you should uninstall Wallpaper Changer ?  ;)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Is there any limit of wallpaper files ?

A: Particular not. But i recommend not to include more than 1000 files
   per listfile (.wpl).

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: After reentering a complete directory of wallpapers the old 
   wallpapers stay in the list. So there are doubles or even triples 
   in the list. Do you think it's possible to prevent double entries 
   in the wallpaperlist ?

A: Not in the current version, in future releases maybe.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: What programming language you have used ?

A: Wallpaper Changer is completely written in Borland Delphi 3. Some
   parts of the code are originally written in C++. I ported them to 
   Delphi, so Wallpaper Changer is very compact and only one single 
   file. There are no external function stored in any .dll file.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Have you wrote any other great products like Wallpaper Changer ?

A: Sure, but the most are not for general purpose.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: The description mentioned command line calls, I could use it to 
   accomplish the task but even if it is possible to specify an image 
   from the command line.

A: You can only specify lists of wallpaper files (*.wpl) to Wallpaper
   Changer.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: With earlier versions I had it set up to change the paper at start
   up only and then the program would automatically shut down. This 
   doesn't happen with 1.70. The program stays on and not only that,
   it keeps changing the wallpaper, even though there is no schedule 
   for that.

A: This is clearly a bug in version 1.70 (only), sorry. :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: I tried downloading your program from your homepage and it 
   downloaded as a .com file, not a .exe file. Any suggestions ?

A: This is a well known Netscape bug. Simply rename the ".com" or
   ".exe" file to ".zip". Now you can extract all files from the
   archive.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: After executing Wallpaper Changer, my Windows NT Workstation 4.0 
   startup screen seems to have disappeared. This is the screen you
   get during the login process that tells you it's Windows NT with 
   IE 4.01, etc. The C:\winnt\winnt256.bmp file does exist (this is 
   the file that is supposed to be displayed during startup). 
   I can't figure out why this doesn't show up. 

A: Wallpaper Changer can change your login picture, if you wish,
   normally on the first start Wallpaper Changer will backup your
   current settings (you can restore those settings by clicking 
   [Restore] button in the options menu [Default User]).

   Remember, if you will not change your login picture, you must set
   the option in [Default User] tab [Change Desktop Wallpaper] 
   to "Never" (default).

   If the restore button will not help (but i think it will work), :) 
   you can open your registry editor and go to

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Fp Tools\Wallpaper Changer\Backup

   you will find two keys like:

   "Default_User_BGColor"="0 128 128"
 
   (this should be your background color, which Wallpaper Changer 
    saved on the first start)

   "Default_User_Picture"="(Standard)"
 
   (this is your login picture)

   In a german Windows NT the constant (Standard) stands for 
   WINNT256.BMP. This should be the same in other languages, in a 
   english version, you can expect a value like

   "Default_User_Picture"="(Default)" .

   Now go to the HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop section 
   of your registry and change the key "Wallpaper" to the value what 
   Wallpaper Changer has saved (like (Standard)) or simply enter the 
   path of your "login picture" (like C:\winnt\winnt256.bmp).


==[frank.pleitz@topmail.de]==============[(c) 1997-99 Frank Pleitz]==
