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Graphical setup windows in Visual Installer

In SamLogic Visual Installer it is possible to insert a graphical setup window in the background, that is shown behind the installation dialog boxes. On the setup window you can place pictures and text etc. A striking setup window, with high-quality graphics, can make a good first impression of your product.

A setup window can cover the whole screen or just a part of the screen. Below we are showing examples of how it can look like:

Setup window that covers the screen partially

Setup window that covers the whole screen

No setup window (only setup dialog boxes are shown)
Use of a setup window is optional. You can of course create an installation without a setup window, where only installation dialog boxes are shown during the installation. Below we show how it can look like:

More information
> Visual Installer: Setup windows are handled more easily

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Visual Installer 2012 has now been released

A new version of our setup tool Visual Installer has now been released. The name of the new version is SamLogic Visual Installer 2012 and some of the new features in the new version are:

• Support for Microsoft Windows 8.
• Support for Microsoft Office 2010.
• Support for Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 and 2012.
• Support for .NET Framework 4.0.
• Compatible with TeamViewer.
• Updated support for AutoCAD profiles.
• You can now create a submenu (subgroup) for shortcuts in an easy way.
• Support information etc. can be added to ‘Add/Remove Program’ in Windows Control Panel.
• Improved handling of updates.
• Updated ‘Create setup package’ dialog box.
• New script commands and a new variable.

A more detailed list with the new features is available on this page.

In coming blog posts we will describe the new features in SamLogic Visual Installer 2012 in more detail.

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Outlook will replace Hotmail

Microsoft has decided to replace Hotmail with Outlook. The new web based e-mail service Outlook will have a modern Metro style interface and all Hotmail users will be automatically transfered to Outlook.

Current Hotmail user will also be able to keep the @hotmail.com domain name in their e-mail address, but new users must choose between @outlook.com or @live.com.

Read more:
> CNN: Microsoft reinvents Hotmail as Outlook
> ZDNet: Goodbye, Hotmail. Hello, Outlook.com

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CD-Menu Creator 2012 has now been released

A new version of our menu designer tool SamLogic CD-Menu Creator has now been released. The name of the new version is SamLogic CD-Menu Creator 2012 and some of the new features in the new version are:

• Support for the coming Microsoft Windows 8.
• Template gallery. Design a menu faster by using a template.
• Support for social media like Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
• A Metro style menu interface can be created.
• A menu interface with clickable icons can be created.
• A new button style has been added: Plastic buttons.
• Now you can have more than 2 columns wit buttons. No upper limit.
• More than 10 new menu examples have been added.
• Can co-operate with our USB tool USB AutoRun Creator.

A more detailed list with the new features is available on this page.

In coming blog posts we will describe the new features in CD-Menu Creator 2012 in more detail.

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Windows 8 will be released in October

Microsoft Windows 8 will be released in the end of October, according to officials from Microsoft. More information is available here:

> RTE News: Microsoft says Windows 8 release due in October
> Computerworld: Windows 8-powered PCs, tablets to launch in late October

During the summer we have worked to adapt our software to Windows 8, and new versions of our programs will be released before October. The new CD-Menu Creator 2012 will be released in July.

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Portable Applications (Portable Apps) & USB AutoRun Creator

A menu interface for portable applications (portable apps)

Portable applications – also called portable apps – are small programs that do not require an installation in a computer before they are run; instead they are run directly from a removable drive, for example a USB flash drive. A portable application is usually a utility program, for example a text editor, email client, web browser, antivirus software, backup software, system tool etc, but can also be a game or something else.

One of the biggest advantages using portable apps is that the system itself (for example the Windows Registry) is not affected. All settings are stored in a local folder on the storage device, although there sometimes can be exceptions from this behaviour and some settings can be stored on the computer’s hard disk.

AutoRun menu for your portable applications
If you use our AutoRun tool USB AutoRun Creator in concert with our menu designer tool CD-Menu Creator you can create a menu interface for your portable applications that is automatically opened when the USB stick is inserted into a computer’s USB port – a so called AutoRun menu. This menu interface lets you quickly and easily start a portable app with just one mouse click. The picture in the top of this blog post shows how a menu interface for portable applications can look like. If you press on one of the buttons in the menu, the portable program is launched immediately.

More information
If you want to read more about USB AutoRun Creator, CD-Menu Creator and portable applications, click on the link below:

> Using Portable Applications with USB AutoRun Creator

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The Comeback of AutoRun for USB Flash Drives

(This is SamLogic’s official press release for USB AutoRun Creator)

SamLogic Software has released SamLogic USB AutoRun Creator, a Windows application that lets software publishers add AutoRun functionality to USB flash drives. With USB AutoRun Creator, USB drives can automatically start and launch programs, or automatically open Excel spreadsheets, PDF documents, Adobe Flash animations and other files. USB AutoRun Creator lets software publishers distribute portable programs on a USB flash drive. In addition, software publishers can distribute program updates and upgrades to their customers using USB flash drives, with automatic installation and maximum convenience.

Last year Microsoft removed AutoRun support from the Windows operating system because allowing widespread AutoRun support posed a security risk. SamLogic Software found a way to support AutoRun processing without the security risks. USB AutoRun Creator is not designed for a one-time distribution of information on a USB stick. Rather, it is designed for companies that have an ongoing need to distribute information via USB stick to customers, colleagues, and other stakeholders.

The first time you send a USB stick, your user will have the option to install a small program onto their computer which recognizes USB flash drives distributed by you. After that, the AutoRun feature will only work for files that are created with the USB AutoRun Creator software, and that are distributed on USB drives created by the software. Any attempts by third parties to modify the programs or files on the USB stick will result in the AutoRun process being thwarted. This emphasis on security allows business people to distribute information to stakeholders with the confidence that it cannot be hijacked or infected by malware.

If no data needs to be written to the USB stick, you can increase the security level even more by distributing write-protected USB sticks to your stakeholders. A write-protected USB stick will be read-only, just as CDs and DVDs are read-only.

USB AutoRun Creator is ideal for distributing sales presentations, media-rich reports, vendor price lists, software updates, and any information that needs to be distributed reliably and conveniently. Business people who require a professionally-designed menu system for their AutoRun distribution can use USB AutoRun Creator in concert with SamLogic CD Menu Creator.

SamLogic USB AutoRun Creator runs under the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7, Vista, and XP. Two versions of the product are available: one version is adapted for use in small offices and it cost $49. The other version is adapted for commercial use and it cost $99.

For additional information, contact:
SamLogic Software, Box 102, 135 23 Tyreso, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 531 83 900
Email: support@samlogic.com
Internet: www.samlogic.net

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Responsive Email Newsletter Design

Responsive Web Design (RWD) is something that have attracted much attention over the past year, and we at SamLogic Software sometimes get this question from our MultiMailer users: can I implement responsive design also on an email newsletter? The answer is: yes, it is possible.

Responsive Web Design
Responsive Web Design is normally used on web pages that need to be adapted to very different displays widths; for example the display width of a mobile phone / smartphone, the display width of a tablet (like iPad) and the display width of computer’s screen (that can be very wide today). By implementing responsive web design on the web page, the same version of the web page can be used on all displays. There is no need to create different web pages for different display widths.

Responsive Email Newsletter Design
Same techniques that are used on web pages can also be used with email newsletters. If you are familiar with HTML and CSS then maybe you are familiar with the media query rule (@media). By using this rule you can create a responsive web page and HTML newsletter. More information about responsive email newsletter design and the media query rule is available in this article on our web site:

> Adapt a Newsletter for Different Display Width (Mobile Phone etc.)

If you are not familiar with the media query rule, you will find links to pages with more information in the article.

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Free Email Newsletter Templates

There are many web sites on the Internet that offer free email newsletter templates. The templates can be used for email marketing / email campaigns, or for other purposes. A big advantage of using a ready-made newsletter template is that you will save much time. You don’t need to create a complete newsletter from scratch; you only need to make the changes that are unique for your company, for example adding your company’s logotype. Or maybe adjusting some colors or font sizes in the template.

HTML templates
The templates are mostly created with HTML, but plain text templates are also available. HTML templates are preferable for newsletters because they allow you to include images, colors, different fonts etc. If design is important for you, you should choose an HTML template for your newsletter.

Web sites with free email newsletter templates
If you need to find a well-designed email template you should read this article on our web site:

> Free Newsletter Templates for Email Marketing

There we list some good web sites that offer free email newsletter templates. The web sites also sell newsletter templates, but the price is generally quite low. Some of the web sites also offer to design a tailor-made template just for you or your company.

Compatible with our email software MultiMailer
The newsletter templates on the web sites that we list in the article are compatible with our email software MultiMailer. So if you are a MultiMailer user, you can download the email templates and use them directly in the program.

Compatible with Microsoft Outlook etc.
The newsletter templates are also compatible, and can be edited, with email clients like Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes. Some of the templates can also be edited with Adobe Photoshop. And if you are a web designer and have installed software like Adobe Dreamweaver or Microsoft Expression Web, they can be edited also with these programs. Technically, an HTML newsletter template is just an HTML web page.