WELCOME TO EASY MENU Easy Menu has two modes, Configuration and Usage. When first installed it is in configuration mode. You will be presented with a dialog box with fields for: The text to display on the menu The command line for the program to be called (or a sub-menu) The working drive and directory The access allowed The password if required The first field is the text which will be displayed eg. Word Perfect where you wish to start Word Perfect, or Utilities, where you wish to create a sub-menu for your utility programs. The second field is the command line for the program including any parameters eg. C:\progdir\prog.exe /param1 param2 When the cursor first enters this field, Easy Menu will automatically call the disk browse utility with which you can choose the program you wish to run. If you prefer to type in the command line yourself, just press Esc. To recall the browser at any time press F1. To create a sub menu, cancel the browser and type "Sub-Menu" followed by a name. eg. Sub-Menu Utilities. When you select this item from your main menu you can then add modify and delete items on the sub menu. You can have any number of sub menus and you can have sub menus of sub menus. If you delete an item on the main menu which calls a sub menu and there are still items on the sub menu then the item is deleted but the sub menu is not - you can reinstate it by adding another item which calls the sub menu name. The third field is the drive and directory you wish to make current when the program is called. If you have used the browser to select the program, Easy Menu will have filled this with the drive and directory of the program. If you wish to make a different drive and directory current, you can edit this. The fourth field is the access you wish to allow to the menu item. This can be "Open", "Administrator Only" or "Password" If you select "Administrator Only" Then the item will only be accessible while in configuration mode. When you have configured your menu you press F8 (Lock) for "User mode" When you lock to user mode any items configured as "Administrator Only" are not displayed. The Alt menu with items to edit autoexec.bat and config.sys is also removed in user mode. To return to Configuration mode press F8 again and supply your administrator's password. If you set the access to "Password", you enter the password in the final field. When you lock to User Mode, this item will remain on the menu but will not run unless the user enters the item's password. ................................................................. Press F2 to add further items. F3 to modify the selected item. F4 to delete the selected item. Esc to exit the program or return from a sub menu. To make a selection from Easy Menu you must highlight your choice and press the return key. If there are more than seventeen choices then only the first seventeen will be displayed. The rest can be scrolled. To speed selection Easy Menu provides several methods of moving the highlight bar. Cursor Keys Up and down arrows move the bar one choice at a time. The home key selects the first choice. The end key selects the last choice. The Pg up and Pg Dn keys move from top to bottom of each batch of seventeen choices and vice versa. Numeric Selection If you can see the number of the selection you require then just type the number and the highlight bar will move to that selection. When you type a number to select an item, Easy Menu will start your program without the enter key being pressed provided there is no ambiguity. Eg. Typing 2 will start item 2 provided there are less than 20 items. Alphabetic Search If there are many choices and you cannot see the one you require then just start to type out what you are looking for. The highlight bar will move to the first selection which begins with the character or characters that you have typed. You can run a program without adding it to your menu with the "Run Program" item on the Alt Menu. You can change the administrators password from the Alt menu while in configuration mode. You can also enter a User name which will be displayed above the menu in User Mode. Easy menu includes a screen saver. You can enable or disable it from the Alt menu. When you lock to User mode you are given the option to allow access to DOS or not. If you choose yes then the user cannot alter the configuration but he can return to DOS with the escape key. If you choose no and you call Easy Menu from the Autoexec.bat file then the user will not be able to use anything other than the Open Access items on the menu. CAUTION If you do not allow access to DOS and forget your password then you will have to boot from a floppy drive in order to access DOS. PROBLEMS 1. Easy Menu fails to start a program. Easy Menu starts programs via a batch file in order to leave all your memory free. So that it can run batch files, it automatically inserts the DOS "Call" command. If you are running an early version of DOS this command may not be recognised. 2. Easy Menu starts a program but is not recalled when that program terminates. This can happen if the called item is a batch file which in turn runs another batch file and does not use the "Call" command. EVALUATION LICENCE This is an evaluation copy. You are licenced to use it for thirty days for evaluation purposes only. If you wish to continue using Easy Menu you must purchase a registered version. Should you continue to use the evaluation copy beyond the 30 day period, it will remind you of this obligation. At no time However will it cease to function.