Short: Amigaize Windows95 Environment Author: TAO Uploader: chantao@hotmail.com Version: 2.0 (A Total Amiga WorkBench Conversion Kit) Type: misc/emu Requires: Windows 95 on a PC or an Amiga with a PC emulator, Internet access and lots of patience IMPORTANT ========= The Following archives are actually zip format. Rename their extension as zip before decompression: MA21.LHA Changer2.LHA IcnSwtch.LHA ICO.LHA What is new in this Version (written on 1st May 1998) ===================================================== Yes, it has been a few weeks since I last released Version 1.0. During the past few weeks, I have been busy gathering software, drawing icons and animation bits and putting more ideas together for this archive. And Now..........proudly present Version 2.0, the total Amiga conversion kit including 3 very powerful and easy to use shareware/freeware packages, lots of New Icons (a few very original ones drawn by myself), a Boing Logo for your Start Button, 2 Boing Anim Pointer, and a bouncing Boing Logo to replace the Egg Timer and lots more of new ideas..... so, read on............................ : 0 ) . Introduction ============ Don't we all hate the look and the feel of Windoz95. The sad fact is, we all have to use it, torment by it and put up with it somehow from our work, school and so on. Would it not be wonderful to change it all? Well, may be at least cosmetically to make us feel more at home. Yes, I am talking about changing the whole Win95 environment to look and perhaps a tiny bit more like an Amiga Workbench environment. What you must do ================ -Install all of these files onto your own PC or Win95 on your Amiga -Install all of these files onto your Dad's, friends' and relatives' PC. I mean with their permission ; 0 ) -Amaze your PC friends and colleagues ; 0 P and make them believe that Amiga is taking over the universe. What you must not do ================ Install any of these files onto any PC without permission such as the ones in the police stations, Home Office, White House, and especially Bill Gates's personal LapTop ; 0 ) . ======== FEATURES ======== Effect Author Contact ======================================================================== Boot & Shut down Pictures Me (TAO) chantao@hotmail.com ======================================================================== New Icons + add on Marko Schuster ns103@fen.baynet.de ======================================================================== More New icons Me (TAO) chantao@hotmail.com ======================================================================== Boing Start Button Me (TAO) chantao@hotmail.com ======================================================================== Boing Pointer Me (TAO) chantao@hotmail.com ======================================================================== Amiga Screen Saver Midas midas@tomtec.abg.sub.org ======================================================================== AmigaGuide Steven Eckles steve@intech.co.uk ======================================================================== Lots of Cool Ideas Me (TAO) chantao@hotmail.com ======================================================================== ======================================= How to do it and where to get the files ======================================= Boot & Shut down Pictures ========================= From the designer's (me) point of view, the Win95 boot & shut down Pictures are really naff. Two picture files enclosed in this archive were drawn by me with DPaint IV. You can view them with any PC Paint packages or multiview if you have Bmp DT on your Amiga. Where to get the files? They are included in this archive. (Logo.sys & LogoW.sys) How to install? Put Logo.sys in C:\ (This file previously does not exist) Put LogoW.sys in your win95 directory (If you don't want to over write the existing file, (but why not ; 0 ) ?) rename it as Logow.old or something first before copying the new file into the directory) That is all : 0 ). Reboot or shut down your system and welcome Amiga aboard!! New Icons + utilities ===================== This is a real cool and impressive implementation. Marko even managed to replace Windows logo with an Amiga Logo on the start Button. Where to get the files? You can obtain the information and icons substitute + utilities files from : http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Peaks/1559/pc_n.htm How to install? Hmm.... It is neither easy nor straight forward. Read the document carefully before you do anything. You will have to use Regedit.exe and certain software to do the job. Apart from the software mentioned in Marko's document you can also get Easyicon.zip from Shareware.com. If you do not understand much about windows structures give this one a miss, unless reinstalling Win95 onto the computer is your favourite hobby. I strongly advise you to contact the author Marko Schuster if you have any problems, that is if you are brave enough to use his methods. More New icons ============== As mention above Marko Schuster's methods are not for any beginners, therefore, out from the goodness of my heart, I have been very busy drawing and converting Amiga icons as well as collecting the best icon shareware/freeware in the last few weeks so that you can now all have a beautiful (WorkBench) like mine. Where to get the files? 3 Software archives are included in this archive (Changer2.zip, MA21.zip & IcnSwtch.zip). They will make life a lot easier when changing system icons and Recycle Bin etc. I have also included lots of Icons(a few original designs of mine not previously seen on Amiga) + 2 Icon library (originally from Marko Schuster's archive) . How to install? Unzip the ico.zip inside the windows directory. An Ico directory will be formed with 2 more sub-directories. Unzip the software and install them onto your hard drive. These software are capable of doing most things and beyond if you read their documents properly. Before you do anything further, you need to change icon size to 40 x 40 pixels. Go to Control Panel click on /Display/Appearance/Item/Icon and change to 40. For the best result, you will need to change icons to at least 8 bit or better still 16/24 bit as they look so much nicer. Go to TaskBar and run Regedit. Access hkey_current_user/control Panel/desktop/windowmetrics/Shell Icon BPP - 4 and change 4 to 8 or 16. You can also change most icons globally by clicking on the window menu view/options/file types. Choose a file type and click edit /change icon. Then change the path where you store the icons and icon libraries, browse and click on the icon you want. If you want to draw your own icons you can draw 40 x 40 icons with PPaint or Paint Shop Pro and save them as BMP. You will have to change the extension to ico for windows to recognise them. Boing Start Button ================== The Start button icon is found in the file USER.EXE in your \Windows\System directory. You cannot edit this file while Windows is running, so copy USER.EXE and rename the new file something like USER1.EXE. Just for good measure, make another copy and call it USER_OLD.EXE, so if you ever want the original back, you have a copy of it. Where to get it? Unzip ico.zip and you will find it inside ico directory 3 icons namely boing.ico, B22.ico and B16. How to install it? Use microangelo-Librarian (MA21.zip) to open up user.exe. Use cut and paste to replace the first icon. The TaskBar logo is 16 x 16, so use B16.ico. Put all three in anyway so as to cover the other resolutions. To change to word Start to Boing, Use a Hex editor to edit copy of user.exe and look for the ASCII of "S.t.a.r.t" at 02DF0E 53 00 74 61 00 72 00 74 and Change it to "B.o.i.n.g" or "A.m.i.g.a". For more reassuring measure, change all ASCII "Start" to Boing or Amiga. Replace user.exe from dos without booting up windows by pressing F7. Boing Pointer ============= You can now have an Amiga animated Curser/pointer on you PC. Believe me it is really cool : 0 ). Where to get it? When you unzip the ico.zip file you will find three files inside ico\ani subdirectory. How to install? Use Micro-angelo-Engineer to do the conversion. Choose either Amicur-a.ani or Amicur-b.ani for the pointer and Boing.ani to replace the egg timer. Of course, it does not stop you from here, you can certainly make you own animated pointer. Amiga Screen Saver ================== Can you imagine lots of Amiga Logos zooming in and out on a PC screen. Well, this is what this screen saver can do. Where to get it? Aminet/misc/emu or any full mirror sites. http://ftp.wustl.edu/pub/aminet/misc/emu/ablank11.lha How to install? Put Amiga.scr into your windows directory. Click on My computer\Control panel\display and change the screensaver to Amiga. Incidentally, you can also install this file onto any MsWindows system including NT and 3.#. AmigaGuide ========== If you use Aminet from work as I do and want to read the Amiga Guide Docs from your downloaded files, this proggy is an absolute revelation. Where to get it? Aminet/misc/emu or any full mirror sites. http://ftp.wustl.edu/pub/aminet/misc/emu/winguide.lha How to install? Put winguide.exe in your windows directory and make a shortcut icon on the desk top. You can drag and drop the documents onto the icon for viewing. It comes with a beautiful Boing logo icon. Miscellaneous ============= Of course, there are many more thing you can do apart from the above 4 options. Here is just a few more: Workbench95 BETA V0.01 ---------------------- This is a very new contender. You can get a demo from: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/7094/ to find out what it is all about. Amiga Wallpaper --------------- Change your desk top wall paper (back drop) to your own favourite Amigan One. How to do it? Convert your back drop file to BMP format 256 colour with Personal Paint or Paint Shop Pro. If you to have a full screen wallpaper instead of tiling the desk top, choose a picture or convert the size of the picture to the same resolution of your screen display. For example, if you are using a 800x600 display use a 800x6000 picture as well. Put the picture file in your windows directory and click on my computer\control panel\display and change the background wallpaper to your own file. Renaming the icons ----------------------------- You can always rename my computer as Workbench, Control Panel as System, A: Drive as DF0:, C: as DH0: etc, etc.... Use Changer2 to do it : ). Removing White Arrows on Shortcuts ------------------------------------------------------ Open Regedit, Search to locate "piffile" folder as well as "inkfile" folder for "IsShortcut", and delete any instances of it. Go back to your desktop, press F5, and that is all. UAE ---- You'll need to run it on a P200 MMx to get a decent speed but of course it is second best to the real thing. Where to get it? Shareware.com or commercial version "Amiga for Ever" CD Rom Siamese System -------------- HiQ's new baby. Where to get it? Siamese Systems Limited 9 Church Lane, Hockliffe, Bedfordshire, LU7 9NQ Tel 01525 211327 Fax 01525 211328 email steve@siamese.co.uk Use a real Amiga ------------------------- Hmmm..... This must be the most sensible solution of all but we are not in an ideal world ; 0 ) About the Author ================ I am an UK based 2/3D designer & PC Multimedia author. You can contact me via Email:chantao@hotmail.com if you are looking for a Designer/Artist for your project. Recent Involvement with the Amiga Community: 1. Designed/contributed Art work for Black Balde's TSotTM (version 1 & 2) 2. Designed/contributed Art work for Geosync Media's Star Fighter. My next project will be a Conceptual Amiga Audio/video Multiplayer. COPYRIGHT ========= All mentioned trademarks & archives are subject to their owners including myself of course. NO WARRANTY =========== The author can not be held responsible for any damage caused by the use or misuse of this documentation and/or the program(s)/project(s) it describes. DISTRIBUTION ============ This software package is for freely (re)distribution. You are not allowed to change it in any form, except for compression purpose.