Chapter 2: MegaDots Installation

Your MegaDots software package contains an installation CD-ROM and a card giving your MegaDots Serial Number and Password.

You need administrative privileges to install MegaDots.

Installing MegaDots 2.3

• Have your serial number and your password ready when you install.
• Insert the CD-ROM. The installation menu appears.
• Select the choice, Install MegaDots.
• If given a choice, indicate you want to run the MegaDots install program (as opposed to just saving the installation file somewhere on your hard drive).
• Indicate where you want to install the software. This is usually c:\Program Files\mega23.
• Indicate the directory of choice where you want to place your MegaDots files. You can save files anywhere on your computer, but you need a default spot. We recommend c:\Megawork. Note that the Tutorial (Chapter 6) is based on using c:\Megawork.
• Click Yes when asked if you want to install a working copy of MegaDots (no means you want to install a demo copy).
• Give your name, Serial Number, and Password.
• If you are not installing in c:\mega, and c:\mega exists on your system, you are asked if you want personalization files copied into the new directory. Do not do this if copying these older files would over-write something important. This choice is supplied in case you have an earlier copy of the software installed, and you want to retain the files that make MegaDots work efficiently for you.
• Indicate your choice of localization: North American, United Kingdom, or Australia.
• Indicate if a the primary user of MegaDots uses JAWS or Window-Eyes.
• See Chapter 5 of the User Manual about how to configure your embosser and your printer.
• You need to make changes in the control panel (using the Performance button under System, Advanced to favor background services over applications) to avoid sluggish speech with JAWS or Window-Eyes. The details are in Chapter 13 of the User Manual. Since new details come all the time, up to date information about speech access to MegaDots 2.3 is found on the Duxbury Systems website.

MegaDots is an MS-DOS Program with a Windows Installer

You cannot install MegaDots 2.3 on a pure MS-DOS system since it uses a Windows-based installation program. You can install MegaDots 2.2 on a pure MS-DOS system if this is a concern.

MegaDots was written as an MS-DOS program. It still is an MS-DOS program. The new Windows Installer sets up all the Windows icons and shortcuts for you. When you run the program, it is an MS-DOS program. This means that you cannot use the Windows clipboard to move material in or out of MegaDots (except in the limited way provided by the Windows control menu). It also means that you need to use short (8 dot 3) file names to locate files on your computer. However, MegaDots can read Windows files and can output to Windows devices. But do note that there are some inexpensive Windows-only printers that do not work with MegaDots (see Chapter 5).

What the Installation Does

The installation should produce the following directories: a Program Directory (usually c:\Program Files\mega23) and a work directory (c:\megawork).

There should be the following icons on your Desktop:

• MegaDots without speech (intended for use by those with sight)
• MegaDots with speech (intended for use with a speech program for the blind)

There should be a Duxbury Group from the Start Menu, Programs. The Duxbury group should have the following icons:

• MegaDots without speech
• MegaDots with speech
• Embossit 2.0
• MegaDots Documentation
• Command Line for MegaDots

The file extension MEG is registered to MegaDots.

If you have one or more JAWS or Window-Eyes directories, the MegaDots script files are copied into them automatically. If you use MegaDots with speech, see Chapter 13 for additional information on avoiding problems, such as sluggish Eloquence speech in MegaDots.

Add-Ons are Built in

Previous editions of MegaDots had two add-on programs, Beginner Braille and the MegaMath Nemeth Mathematics Translator. They are now built in. You do not have to pay extra to get the features of these powerful additions to MegaDots. The documentation for Beginner Braille and MegaMath are now integrated into the MegaDots User Manual.