Question:
How do I extract Speculator files from a ZIP file package, and put them in a folder where I can run the software?
Answer:
Let's presume you downloaded Spec150.zip to your Desktop. Or you may need to reinstall one of the other versions of Speculator received from Guy Wadsworth in a ZIP file. Let's presume you use Windows XP. WinXP treats ZIP files like folders: if you double-click on a ZIP file, it opens up to display a list of files contained within it, as if you were looking at a regular folder of files.
- First, using Windows Explorer, make a new folder for your Speculator files. It is always best to start with a clean, empty folder.
- Next, double-click on the ZIP file containing your Speculator (e.g. found on your Desktop, or wherever you downloaded or stored it). A list of files appears.
- Press Ctrl+A to highlight all the files contained within the ZIP file.
- Press Ctrl+C (or right-click, then choose Copy) to Copy all the highlighted files to the Windows Clipboard (there's no message - it just happens).
- Switch to the new Speculator folder you created in Step #1.
- Press Ctrl+V (or right-click, then choose Paste) to paste the files you just Copied, into the new Speculator folder. You should see the same files you highlighted now being copied one by one.
- Locate the Speculator program (depending on version: Spec150.exe, SpecPA.exe, etc) and double-click on it to test run the software.
- For future use, make a Desktop icon for Speculator, by right clicking on the program (e.g. Spec150.EXE, SpecPA.exe, etc)then choose 'Send To' from the popup menu, then 'Desktop (create shortcut)'. A small DOS icon will be placed on your Desktop which you can click on to run the program you just installed.
Don't forget, you need to download TrackMaster files to a folder named C:\TRKMAST - that's where Spec and Val look for race cards.
Now, if you use a Windows vesion earlier than WinXP (e.g. Win98, WinME, Win2000) or your Windows XP does not have ZIP extraction built in by default, you will need to first download a ZIP file extraction utility such as WINZIP (
http://www.winzip.com/). Install this software, then when you double-click on a ZIP file to open it, choose to open it with (e.g.) WinZIP (and make WinZIP the default program to open ZIP files), then follow the instructions above.