Chapter 5. Using SoftWindows with the Internet
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Chapter 5. Using SoftWindows with the Internet

SoftWindows includes Microsoft Internet Explorer and a range of Internet utilities, to allow you to access the World Wide Web from SoftWindows, and to download files for use with your PC applications.

SoftWindows also provides a range of Internet utilities, to allow you to access the World Wide Web from SoftWindows, and to download PC files from the Internet.

This chapter explains how to run Internet Explorer, and shows how to use it to access up-to-the-minute technical support.

Running Internet Explorer

Microsoft Internet Explorer is supplied already installed on your SoftWindows hard disk file, and it is set up so that you can use it to access the World Wide Web.

Before running Internet Explorer your workstation needs to be connected to the Internet.

To run Microsoft Internet Explorer from Windows 95

Double-click the The Internet icon (Figure 5-1) on the Windows 95 desktop.

Figure 5-1. Internet Icon in Windows 95

Figure 5-1 Internet Icon in Windows 95

The Microsoft Internet Explorer window will then be displayed.

Getting Microsoft support

You can also use the Internet Explorer to access Microsoft's World Wide Web support page, to get support on using Windows and other Microsoft products.

To reach Microsoft's support site

  1. Enter the following address in the internet Explorer address field:

    http://www.Microsoft.com/support/

  2. Press <Enter>.

    After a short delay the Microsoft support home page will be displayed.

  3. Click on the button corresponding to the support topic you are interested in.

Using Internet utilities

SoftWindows includes several Internet utilities to help you work with the Internet.

These utilities are supplied already installed. To run them from Windows 95 click the Start button, then click Programs.

To run them from Windows 3.11 open the appropriate program group and double-click the application's icon.

For more information about each utility double-click the Read-Me file icon in the appropriate folder on the C: drive.

Compressing and expanding files

These utilities allow you to compress files, to save time when sending them as attachments to email, or to expand files that you have received with email or downloaded from the Internet.

  • PKZIP, from PKWARE, compresses and expands files using the popular .ZIP format.

    For more information contact PKWARE's Web site at:

    http://www.pkware.com

  • Stuffit Expander expands and decodes files in a variety of formats, including Stuffit (.SIT), UUENCODE (.UUE), and Binhex (.HQX).

    For more information contact Aladdin Systems' Web site at:

    http://www.aladdinsys.com

Viewing files in different formats

A range of viewers are provided, to enable you to view files you have downloaded from the Internet, even if you do not have the application that created them.

  • Shockwave provides viewers for documents created with Macromedia's products: Director, FreeHand, and Authorware.

    For more information and sample files contact Macromedia's Web site at:

    http://www.macromedia.com

  • Ppview32 is a viewer for documents in Microsoft PowerPoint format.

    SoftWindows 95 also includes Microsoft viewers for Excel and Word.

  • The Acrobat reader views on-line versions of documents created in Acrobat (.PDF) format.

    For more information about setting up your Web browser to recognize Acrobat Reader, and sample Acrobat files, contact Adobe's Web site at:

    http://www.adobe.com

Playing sound files

RealAudio is a compact sound format for transmitting sound files over the Internet. On Windows 95, RealAudio is included with Internet Explorer. On Windows 3.11, it is provided in the RealAudio program group.

To hear a sample sound double-click the Example 1 or Example 2 icons.

For more information contact RealAudio's Web site at:

http://www.RealAudio.com

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Chapter 4. Using MS–DOS  Chapter 6. Troubleshooting