http://www.microsoft.com/msdn/msdnfaq.htm (PC Press Internet CD, 03/1996)
Last Updated: November 1995
This document includes four sections, which provide answers to the following categories of questions:
One-year memberships:
Upgrades :
2. How can I join the Developer Network?
In the United States and Canada, call (800) 759-5474 Monday through Friday, 6:30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. Pacific time.
Outside North America, call the phone number listed below for your country. If your country is not listed, call this U.S. number for ordering information: (303) 684-0914.
Note: Developer Network program benefits may vary by country.
Asia
Hong Kong: (852) 804 4234
India and Central Asia: 91 11 646 0694
Japan: 03 5600 5033
South Korea: (080) 022-7337
Taiwan: 886 2 504 3122
Caribbean
Same as the U.S. and Canada: (800) 759-5474 or (402) 691-0173
Europe
For Austria, Belgium, Channel Islands,Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland,Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, call the European Subscription Centre in the Netherlands: +31 10 258 88 64
France: 05 90 59 04 (toll-free)
Germany: 0130 81 02 11 (toll-free)
Netherlands: 06 022 24 80 (toll-free)
Russia and neighboring countries: 7 095 244 3474
United Kingdom: 0800 96 02 79 (toll-free)
Latin America
Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay: 54-1-814-4807
Brazil: (55) 011-542-4781
Chile: 56-2-2042597
Colombia: (57) (1) 618-2245
Mexico and Central America: (915) 325-0911
Venezuela: 58-2-910008
Middle East and Africa
Israel: (972) (3) 575-7034
South Africa and Southern Africa: 27 11 445 0000
Turkey and Northern Africa: 90-212-258 59 98
United Arab Emirates and the Middle East: 971 4 513888
Southeast Asia and Australia
Australia: 61 2 870 2100
Malaysia: 800-1108 (toll-free)
New Zealand: 64 9 308 9318
Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines: (65) 2207380
Thailand: 001-800-65-6591 (toll-free)
3. When will the next editions of the Development Library, Development Platform, and BackOffice Test Platform ship?
The Development Library, Development Platform, and BackOffice Test Platform editions are shipped quarterly (mid-month), in January, April, July, and October. Development Library, Platform, and BackOffice Test Platform editions for members outside North America are shipped at the same time to international fulfillment centers. The centers then distribute the shipments to Developer Network members worldwide.
4. What is the difference between the Microsoft Developer Network and TechNet?
The Microsoft Developer Network is a membership program for developers of Microsoft Windows-based applications and anyone who uses Microsoft development tools. Membership benefits include quarterly updates of the Development Library, Development Platform, and BackOffice Test Platform CD-ROMs, which deliver technical information plus API-level SDKs, DDKs, and Windows and Windows NT Workstation operating systems from Microsoft. For more information about the Microsoft Developer Network, please call (800) 759-5474.
TechNet is for support professionals, system integrators/administrators, and MIS professionals. TechNet delivers a monthly CD-ROM providing information on applications, operating systems, and database products. TechNet also provides a Drivers and Patches CD, which is shipped monthly. For more information about Microsoft TechNet, please call (800) 344-2121.
5. What is the difference between Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 memberships?
Microsoft Developer Network Level 1 membership provides all the information you need to develop for Microsoft Windows and Windows NT Workstation through four quarterly updates of the Development Library (on CD-ROM, with an application that allows easy searching and navigation) and six bimonthly issues of the Microsoft Developer Network News newspaper.
Level 2 membership includes Level 1 benefits, plus the quarterly Development Platform CD-ROMs, which contain all the Windows and Windows NT Workstation operating systems and Windows-related API-level SDKs and DDKs.
Level 3 membership includes Level 2 benefits, plus the BackOffice Test Platform CD-ROMs, which contain the latest released versions of the five server components of Microsoft BackOffice: Windows NT Server, Microsoft SQL Server(TM), Microsoft SNA Server, Microsoft Systems Management Server, and Microsoft Mail Server.
6. How do I get setup support for the Development Library, Development Platform, or BackOffice Test Platform?
For setup support, call (800) 936-5800.
7. What licensing agreements are available for Level 1, 2, and 3 memberships?
Level 1: Level 1 membership includes a single-user license for the Development Library.
Additional user licenses to share a single Development Library CD over a network may be purchased for $40 ($55 CAN) each. Each additional user license allows one designated user to install the Development Library viewer software on a single workstation to access the CD's contents. To order additional user licenses, call (800) 759-5474.
For large workgroups, Level 1 memberships with concurrent-user licenses are available in two configurations: a 5-user license is $595 ($835 CAN), and a 25-user license is $2495 ($3495 CAN). Concurrent-user licenses permit the members of a large group to install the Development Library viewer software on their workstations, but allow no more than 5 (or 25) users to run the application at a given time. The number of developers supported by a concurrent-user license depends primarily on their usage patterns and network performance. Developers who expect to make heavy use of the Development Library should consider individual memberships.
Level 2: Level 2 membership includes a single-user license for both the Development Library and Development Platform.
Level 3: The BackOffice applications included with each Level 3 membership come with a license for five simultaneous connections to be used exclusively for development and testing purposes. BackOffice is hard-coded to accept no more than five connections at any one time.
8. Are the tools necessary to build the Development Library available?
The tools used to build Infoviewer, the content browser used by the Development Library, are internal Microsoft tools and are currently not available.
The libraries used by the Development Library are available in the MediaView Development Toolkit. MediaView includes the RTF display engine, the search engine, and the RTF compiler.
The MediaView Development Toolkit itself and the associated documentation are on the Development Platform.
9. I'm not a Developer Network member yet, but I'd like to check out the Developer Network News free of charge. How can I do that?
Please call the Developer Network Service Center at (800) 759-5474 to start your trial subscription.
10. Where can I send suggestions?
Please send your suggestions to us using one of these methods:
For membership questions or concerns, please call the Developer Network Service Center at (800) 759-5474. A service representative will address your membership problem and get you what you need immediately.
If you live outside the United States and Canada, please call the number listed for your country in the "How can I join the Developer Network?" topic.
12. How do I access CompuServe using WinCIM?
The instructions for installing the WinCIM software and connecting to CompuServe are included in the Member Kiosk, Other Postings section of the Development Library, in the document titled "How to Access CompuServe using WinCIM".
The most common reason for this is debris and dust on the disc. Use a soft cloth or facial tissue and some water (use a mild detergent if necessary). Wipe the disc from the center to the edge. NEVER use solvents of any kind because they may have an adverse effect on the polycarbonate material that the CD is made of.
The second most common reason is that the CD-ROM drive is in need of cleaning or repair. Any dust on the drive's lens will cause read problems. Although most CD-ROM drives have doors that minimize exposure to dust, there is no firewall. Try using aerosol air (found in computer stores and camera stores) to clean the lens, or take the drive in for a cleaning.
Some older CD-ROM drives are unable to read more than 540 MB on a CD. Trying to read past this point is sometimes actually prevented by a physical bar in the drive. Check with your drive manufacturer that your drive can read at least 640 megabytes. Most drive manufactures will send you the firmware upgrade (if available) at no charge.
Although a CD has yet to be found to be the culprit, the CD manufacturing process is not error-free. If you suspect a bad CD, call the Microsoft Developer Network order center at (800)759-5474 for a replacement disc.
2. Can I copy the CD contents to a large hard drive and run it from there?
Yes. See the Licensing topic in the Member Kiosk, Developer Network Postings section of the Development Library or the LICENSE.HLP file for licensing information. Please note that licensing is required for additional users.
3. I see Dr. GUI bitmaps instead of graphics. Why?
There is nothing wrong with your system. The Dr. GUI bitmap is an anchor for graphics that were not prepared in time, or were simply never delivered to the Developer Network for inclusion on the CD. If there are important graphics missing, please send e-mail to INTERNET:msdn@microsoft.com, and we will see if they can be acquired.
4. Can I move my bookmarks to another computer that has the Library installed?
Yes. Bookmarks are stored in your MSDN install directory, in files with the .BKM extension. Each edition of the Library has a separate file, for example, MSDNCD10.BKM for CD 10. To copy your bookmarks, you can copy this file into the Development Library installation directory on your new computer.
Note: Moving your bookmarks to another computer will erase any bookmarks that are defined on the target computer. You should therefore make a backup of the target computer's .BKM file before doing this.
Other Library files work much the same way:
Samples that are missing from or incomplete on the Development Library CD will be placed on ftp.microsoft.com in the /developer/msdn/newup area as they are discovered.
6. Where can I find the sample code listed in the Knowledge Base articles?
The files referred to in the Knowledge Base and the Microsoft Systems Journal articles are part of the Microsoft Software Library, which can be found at the following locations:
7. There are wrong hyperlinks on the CD. Why?
The hyperlinking process is automated, and therefore sometimes words such as "if" and "then" will be hyperlinked when they are used in normal sentences. Unfortunately, these false jumps are unavoidable. If you find jumps that are obviously wrong (for example, ANY jumps to a topic called AND) in a topic, please report these. See "Feedback Channels" for instructions.
The Development Platform includes full SDK tools, headers, libraries, and similar files. Traditionally, SDKs do not contain compilers. The Development Platform is intended to be a development platform on top of which you add the compiler of your choice, for example, from Borland, Microsoft, Symantec, and so on.
2. How do I get product support for the contents of the Development Platform?
Development Platform support is available by calling (800) 936-5800. You can also post a message in the appropriate product-specific forum on CompuServe®. Please note, however, that questions posted in the MSDN forum will NOT be answered by technical support staff.
If there is a defect in one of the products delivered with the Platform, or if there is a problem with the interaction between the Installer and the Development Platform CDs, please report the problem. See "Feedback Channels" for instructions.
3. Some of the .DOC and .WRI files are unreadable. Why?
The Development Platform CDs contain all the operating systems and API-level SDKs, including international versions. Some versions (for example, Japanese) use double-byte character sets (DBCSs). Files created for these systems can only be read on DBCS-enabled systems (for example, Win31-J). To find the equivalent files, search the disc that has the English version in the same directory.
4. Why does the Windows 3.11 Setup program install Windows 3.1?
The Microsoft Windows® 3.11 Setup program does install Windows 3.11. But because Windows 3.11 was a silent release, the splash screen still says Windows 3.1. You can verify the version number of the operating system by choosing About Program Manager from the Program Manager Help menu.
5. How do I install Windows NT 3.5 without boot floppies?
In addition to your regular WINNT.EXE and WINNT32.EXE network installations, you can use the /ox switch if you have an HCL CD-ROM with Microsoft Windows NT(TM). This will create three floppies for CD-ROM installation.
Additional Information: The /ox switch is usable only with WINNT.EXE, but /o is used by both. If you need a CD-ROM installation disk and you cannot boot to MS-DOS®, do the following:
For non-technical information, call the Microsoft Developer Services Team at (800) 426-9400.
2. How can I participate in Microsoft product beta programs?
To apply to test or evaluate Microsoft beta software, please e-mail BETAREQ@MICROSOFT.COM with the following information. If you are interested in multiple products, you must submit a separate application for each product.
Name
Company name
Physical address (no P.O. boxes)
Phone number
Fax number
CompuServe ID (most beta programs are supported through CompuServe)
Internet address
MSN ID
Also include the following information:
For DevCast information, send e-mail to >INTERNET:devcomm@microsoft.com.
4. How can I find out more about the Windows Certification Program (MCP)?
Complete information about the Microsoft Certification Program is available in the Microsoft Roadmap to Education and Certification. The Roadmap is available in the following locations:
You can contact the MSJ fulfillment line directly by calling (800) 666-1084 or by sending mail e-mail to the following CompuServe® address: 71572,341.
