Using SiMPLE With Windows Vista

With each new release of Windows, Microsoft supplies us with yet another batch of bugs and inconsistencies to deal with -- and Vista is no exception. Here, we will discuss some of the currently know problems/issues (as of 2007 July) insofar as they affect users of SiMPLE.


User Account Control (UAC)

One of the purposes of the new UAC feature is to prevent "guests" from gaining unauthorized access to the computer's hard drive. Unfortunately, because of a bug in Vista, this UAC also gets in the way of "administrators" as well!

Before you can use SiMPLE with Windows Vista, you must turn OFF the User Account Control. (Open the Control Panel, then locate it in "User Accounts")

(If you don't turn OFF the User Account Control, you will get "File creation errors" when you try to run SiMPLE . . . even though you are an "administrator"! )


SiMPLE Icons

Windows Vista has a problem correctly displaying some of the SiMPLE icon images:

Instead, some other  images may be displayed. However, this is merely a cosmetic problem and does not affect the functionality of the icons. (They all work properly, even though the "pictures" on them may be different.)


The "SiMPLE Samples" Folder

When you first install SiMPLE, Windows Vista does not correctly copy the "SiMPLE Samples" folder onto your desktop. (Perhaps you noticed the error message that was displayed in the installer window when the attempt was made.) Fortunately, the "SiMPLE Samples" folder can be manually retrieved very easily. (Click here for instructions.)


Pro-SiMPLE Graphics

One of the biggest disappointments about Windows Vista is that it seems to no longer support the 16-color 640x480 graphics mode. Therefore, you can no longer run any graphics programs with Pro-SiMPLE! All graphics programs must now be written in Ultra-SiMPLE only. (Fortunately, Ultra-SiMPLE's graphics is much better anyway. But you won't be able to run many of the Pro-SiMPLE programs that have already been written.)*

*(The non-support of the 16-color 640x480 graphics mode may actually be a hardware issue rather than a Vista issue. We've seen SiMPLE running on an Apple Macintosh with Vista installed, and the 16-color 640x480 graphics mode was supported!)


Pro-SiMPLE Sounds

Windows Vista no longer supports the "Sound" task. Therefore, all sound programs must now be written in Ultra-SiMPLE only. (No more "beeps" through the computer's tiny built-in speaker.)


Command-Line Full-Screen Mode

This feature (accessed by pressing "Alt-Enter" when in command-line mode) has also been removed in Windows Vista. (It was seldom ever used anyway. )


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