Install.doc
--- I M P O R T A N T ---
Release: March 2002
This is an interim release of the programs covering the period of transition between the pre- and post-14 April 2000 versions of the Total Charge for Credit Regulations. It is also a revised version of the first February 2000 release which contained different routines for converting periods to years and fractions of a year. Please read section 5.6 towards the end of the file CREDIT.DOC for details.
'Interim' might not be quite the right term - this is not a temporary or short-term version, it simply contains some extra material to allow you to switch back and forward between the new and old regimes. As credit agreements typically last for several years, you might want to do this for some time to come - for example, to check the APR on an agreement which is several years old.
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The .zip files downloaded from this site are archives which contains all the files that make up the relevant package as a single, compact file. The files in the archive are Copyright (c) Brian Stewart, 1983-2000, the executable program file RUN.EXE contains the code of PC BBC BASIC(86) v4.82 Copyright (c) Richard Russell 2000, as permitted under the terms of its licence.
EXTRACTING THE PACKAGE
This is fairly simple if you've got the right software - you'll need some 'unzipping' sofware such as WinZip installed. You can get this from most download sites (just enter 'WinZip' in your favourite search engine, you'll soon find it). Alternatively, I use ZipCentral and there's a link to the site for this on the links page.
Then do the following:
When you click on the link for the version you want you will be asked if you want to to open the file from it's current location or download it. Choose download. You will then be asked where you want it saved - I suggest you put it on your Desktop.
Use Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer, sorry, but just in case someone thought ...) or My Computer to create a folder for the package on your hard disc. The default name/location is C:\CREDIT and this will be assumed for the rest of these notes, but you can use another if you prefer.
Double-click on the .zip file on your desktop and your zip software should open a window listing all the files.
Select all the files - usually by clicking on the first and then shift-clicking on the last, and then drag them into your C:\CREDIT folder. They should all be copied across. If this doesn't work, consult your zip software's help on extracting files.
Finally, and this is not very important, create another folder inside C:\CREDIT called 'OTHERS'.
NOTE:
If you are updating the package rather than installing from scratch, you may already have a C:\CREDIT directory or folder. It's best to delete all the files from the old version first. You should of course already have a backup copy in case there are any problems.
Remember to keep a backup copy of these programs. The simplest solution may be to keep a copy of the .zip file on a floppy disc. It's advisable to label the disc appropriately and open the write-protect tab (as this site is still under construction, advice for grandmothers on sucking eggs will be added later). When you've done that you can delete the .zip file from your Desktop.
THE EXTRACTED FILES
For information on using the package and further details, run the file START.BAT by double-clicking on it in Windows Explorer or My Computer and, after reading the initial screen, key RETURN/ENTER and select 'Read Instructions' from the menu.
The standard form of these packages includes a program called INSTALL.BBC which installs the programs from a floppy disc. As you're using a .zip file instead, this has been disabled by renaming it as INSTALL.NOT. The installation program also offers a chance to read various documentation files when installing the package and you miss out on this with the .zip version. Information on using the credit programs is given in CREDIT.DOC and this is where 'Read instructions' takes you. INSTALL.DOC contains further information on installing and setting up the programs in more complex situations (eg under Windows, on Networks etc.) and TECHNIC.DOC contains technical information which may be helpful with trouble-shooting, installation on unusual configurations etc. These two files can be read by keying F2 from the Credit Programs Link menu and entering their filename at the prompt.
Incidentally, the documentation files are all plain ASCII format. I was using the .DOC extension for 'documentation' long before MS-Word came along and used it, so they may appear as MS-Word files on your computer, if you have Word installed. They can be loaded into Word and read. However, please don't save them as Word files, or they will look a mess when the credit programs try to display them.
The instructions on installing a shortcut to the
package in Windows 95/98 are reproduced below:-
WINDOWS 95/98
To add a shortcut icon for the Credit Programs Link to your Desktop, start by clicking on the Desktop with the right mouse button and selecting 'New' and then 'Shortcut' from the resulting menu. The 'Create Shortcut' wizard will appear. Click on 'Browse' and locate C:\CREDIT. Double-click on the file called 'CREDIT.BAT' (you might be faced with a couple of files just called 'Credit', choose the one with a gear-wheel icon). Now click on the 'Next' button to select a name for the shortcut - I suggest 'Credit Programs Link', but it's up to you. Click on 'Next' again and select an icon. A shortcut to the Link will then be added to your screen.
Further refinements can be made by clicking on the shortcut icon with the right mouse button and selecting 'Properties'. You can click on the Program Tab and then 'Change Icon' and 'Browse' to locate CREDIT.ICO or SIGMA.ICO in C:\CREDIT. You can change the font to, say 5 x 12 or, depending on your screen resolution, the 10 x 18 font.
In the 'Screen' options you might want to remove 'Display toolbar' and it may be useful, in the Misc Tab options, to remove 'Warn if still active' - it's natural to click on the close icon rather than choose the quit option on the Link when you've finished using the programs, and you don't really need the resulting message - but remember, any unsaved data will be lost.
It's also useful to select 'QuickEdit' in the Misc Tab - this allows you to grab text from the programs' screens by simply dragging across it and then keying Enter to put it on the clipboard.
WINDOWS NT, 2000 and XP
Please see the 'Windows' link on the menu for information about a patch to run the programs natively on Windows systems. Some of the above information about running the package under Windows 95/98 may also be relevant.
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