Snow for Windows: User Guide
Applies to version 1.6, will update for 1.7

  • Automatically start Snow for Windows
  • Start Snow for Windows
  • Stop Snow for Windows
  • Settings

    Automatically start Snow for Windows and how to stop this

    While installing Snow for Windows you will be asked the question:
    "Do you want Snow for Windows to start automatically when you logon or start Windows?" If you choose "Yes" the snow will start to fall the moment you logon to your computer.

    If you do not want Snow for Windows to start automatically any more, easiest is to uninstall Snow for Windows first, then re-install Snow for Windows and answer "NO" when Setup asks you if you want Snow for Windows to be started automatically.

    As an alternative open the directory C:\Windows\Start menu\Programs\Startup and remove Snow for Windows from that directory. Any program that is stored in this directory is started when you start your computer.

    Snow for Windows does not install DLL's or other system files. All files of the Snow for Windows program may be deleted without any danger to your system.

    Start Snow for Windows

    To start Snow for Windows double-click the application icon:  By default it is placed on your desktop when you install Snow for Windows. Else, you can start Snow for Windows from the Start menu at the bottom of your screen:
    Start -> Programs -> Snow for Windows ->

    When you start Snow for Windows a little icon is added to the task bar at the right bottom of your screen:

     

    Stop Snow for Windows

    You can stop Snow for Windows by clicking the icon:  with the right mouse button.
    A pop-up appears where you can click "Exit".

    Settings

    When you click the icon in the lower right of your screen with the left mouse button you get the following window, where you can specify the settings:

     

    The icons have the following meaning:


         The number of snowflakes. (max. 20 in unregistered programs, 500 when registered, though 50-100 is more realistic on normal computers.)
         The "whirl" factor: how much snowflakes move from right to left and vice versa
         The number of pixels a snowflake moves right or left each time
         The number of pixels a snowflake falls each time
         How thick snow will build up on windows
         How thick snow will build up on the task bar
         Santa or no Santa
         Trees or no trees
         Santa blows with the wind (or not)
          Repaint snow: when you drag an icon from window to window, all snow will have melted, by selecting this option you can have the snow automatically repainted.

    Select the Santa you want:

     
     
     

         When checked Rudolf has a red nose! (Only with registered copies.)

    Bear

    The value here is a percentage you can vary from 0-100%
    This is the step the bear moves forward each time. If you check the "Automatic" option the bear step is automatically set so that the bear will take bigger steps if he's bigger. Else he may appear to do a moonwalk like Michael Jackson, and that is SO last century.

    The smaller the number the smoother the bear moves.

    Select the snow flakes you like:


    You can select the snow flakes you like by clicking on every snow flake in this list. Every square is a push button selecting or deselecting a snow flake.


    Choose the color for the snow flakes by pressing the icon. The color you selected is shown right.

    Control the wind and how fast Snow for Windows runs:

    50:  Snow for Windows runs every 50 milliseconds by default (that is 20 times per second). If you make the number smaller it will snow smoother, but Snow will use more CPU time. If you make the number larger the snow will fall jerkier, but uses less CPU.

    4:    The second number tells how often Santa moves.

    Make the number larger and Santa will move slower (less often). This setting does not affect CPU usage. 

    40: The maximum force of the wind. If you set this to 0 (zero) there will be no wind
    30:  This number is the minimum period in seconds between winds. Make the number larger and the wind will blow less often, make it smaller and wind will blow more often. This setting does not affect CPU usage.
    100:  This number tells how fast the wind grows in force. A bigger number makes the wind grow slower.
    6:  This is the time in seconds the wind actually blows, before slowing down again.
    100:  This number tells how quick the wind slows down. A bigger number makes the wind slow down slower.
    4:  This is the time in seconds it takes to stop the wind from full blast to zero.

    Save settings: saves the current settings (registered programs only). Next time you start Snow for Windows these settings will be used.
    Restore settings: restores the settings as you saved them last time.
    Factory settings: restores all settings to the default values.s


    Rick Jansen, rick.jansen@xs4all.nl