Robert Frost: Poems, Life and Legacy CD-ROM

Created by Joe Matazzoni

Edited by Donald Sheehy, Ph. D.

narrated by Richard Wilbur

(c) Henry Holt and Company, Inc., 1997

The Frost CD-Rom was created to run on MacIntosh OS 7.1 and Windows 3.01, Windows 95. Many people have had difficulty opening the CD-ROM in subsequent versions of Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

Thanks to Mark Ritter, who is both a Frost enthusiast and a computer expert, here are instructions for opening the Robert Frost CD-ROM in Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

FROST CD INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Before trying to install the CD, you must change the display font settings.

 

Windows 98:
1) Right click on desktop.
2) Select "Properties" from list by a Left Click of the mouse.
3) The screen for "Display Properties" will pop up with a number of tabs near the top of the dialogue window with choices "Background, Screen Saver… Settings".
4) Left Click on "Settings".
5) Left Click on the "Advanced" button near the bottom right of the "Settings" screen.
6) Another window should pop up with a title related to the particular display adapter which is installed in your computer. There will be a number of tabs near the top of this window. Left click on the "General" tab of this display adapter window.
7) At the top of this "General" dialogue box will be a "Display" section with selections for "Font Size".
8) Left click on the little "down arrow" on this font size box and select "Small Fonts" from the list. (Default is Large Fonts, I believe).
9) Left click on "Apply" and "OK" at the bottom of this dialogue box.
10). Close all these windows and reboot the machine.
11) The Frost CD should now install correctly.

 

P.S. Even after the program is installed, you MUST have the disk in the drive to access the material. Without the disk in the drive, you get a bluescreen.

 

Windows 2000:
I do not have a windows 2000 machine to try this on, I only found sketchy instructions on the web. The procedure is likely similar to the detailed Windows 98 instructions given above.

1) Right click on desktop.
2) Select "Properties" from list by a Left Click of the mouse.
3) From properties select small fonts (I think under "Display Properties," then choose "Advanced settings" as for Windows 98).

 

Windows XP: (we are currently having some difficulty, but try this)
1) Right click on desktop and select Properties.
2) Select "Appearance" tab
3) Select "Advanced" button near bottom right of "Appearance" window
4) An "Advanced Appearance" window will appear. From the "Item" list dialogue near the bottom of this window, left click on down arrow and select "Active Title Bar" from the list.
5) The font for inactive title bar is most likely Trabuchet MS, Size 25. Change this font to Tahoma, Size 10.
6) select "Inactive Title Bar" from the "Item" list.
7) The font for inactive title bar is most likely Trabuchet MS, Size 10. Change this font to Tahoma, Size 10.
8) Left click on "OK" at the bottom of the "Advanced Appearance" window.
9) Left click on "OK" at the bottom of the "Display Properties" window.
10) As for all system changes, you may need to reboot your computer for these font changes to take effect (I do not remember whether I had to reboot).
11) You can now install the Frost CD. If the setup screen does not come up automatically when you insert the CD in the CD/DVD drive, select from the Start Menu or Desktop "My Computer" and from the "My Computer" screen double-click to open the CD/DVD drive.
12) From the file list on the CD, you will see a "SETUP.EXE" file. Double click on this file to begin the setup process.

 

Window XP Alternative:

Before inserting the disk:

1) Click Start

2) Select Control Panel> Settings> then Display. In the Themes dialog box, select "Windows Classic" from the pulldown menu.

Click Apply, OK and close. Restart your computer.

 

Insert the Frost CD in the drive. If installation doesn't start automatically, click My Computer> Click the CD drive icon> double click on Setup and follow onscreen instruction.

 

If this doesn't work and you want to restore your settings, do a "system restore" to an earlier date.

Click Start>Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore (follow instructions).

 

As for navigation in the Frost program, I have a few tips, but learning all the nooks and crannies of the program requires exploration. On the right side of the window there are three thin blue bars with little gray rectangles. If you click on these bars, you will see menus for different functions. The bottom right bar has the "Quit" option to end the program. The middle bar has a search option. The top bar is not always functional- it is context sensitive and, only in some sections of the program will contain action choices.

 

Thank you,
Mark Ritter, Ph.D.