Aladdin DropStuffª 6.0 Read Me

New in this version of Aladdin DropStuff
		¥ Free Upgrade for 5.x Users
		¥ Now use DropStuff on Mac OS X¨ Public Beta
  ¥ Automatic Internet updates

Thank You!
We at Aladdin Systems would like to thank you for using DropStuff and for your continued support. 

"Read Us First!" Folder
Once the software is installed, please refer to the files in the Read Us First! folder in your DropStuff 5.5 Folder on your hard disk. This folder contains the following files:

Aladdin Order Form
Aladdin Product Overview
DropStuff Read Me
License Agreement
What was installed (and where)

Licensing Information
Aladdin DropStuff is copyrighted evaluation software. You should not run the software until you have read, and agreed to, the document called ÒLicense AgreementÓ. By running the software you signify that you agree to the terms of the License Agreement.

DropStuff is Shareware
Aladdin DropStuff is evaluation software. You may use it and pay nothing for up to 15 days. After 15 days, you must register with Aladdin Systems.

Upgrading to DropStuff 6.0 is FREE when upgrading from a previous version of DropStuff 5.0 and higher. Simply enter your prior registration number into the "Registration Number" field in the "Register" area. You now have a FREE registered copy of DropStuff. 

Upgrading costs $15 when upgrading from DropStuff versions 4.5.x and earlier, and DropZip versions 5.5 and higher. Register DropStuff via the web, E-mail, fax, mail, or phone. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, checks, and money orders (U.S. funds only).

If you do not own any of the above listed versions, DropStuff costs only $30. Register DropStuff via the web, E-mail, fax, mail, or phone.

Registration entitles you to technical support and special offers from Aladdin Systems.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING EVALUATION SOFTWARE!

Register Your Software
To register your copy of DropStuff, run the DropStuff application, and choose ÒSoftware Registration...Ó from the ÒiSupportÓ menu. It will connect to the Aladdin Registration Web site and allow you to register via your Web browser. Registered users are entitled to technical support, upgrade notices, and special offers on Aladdin products.

After Installing, Rebuild Your Desktop
Now that you've installed DropStuff, you should rebuild your desktop. This process will ensure that the new StuffIt icons are correctly displayed. 

To rebuild your desktop, first select Restart from the Special menu. Hold down the option and command keys (the command key has an apple and/or clover symbol on it and is usually located next to the option key). Continue to hold down these two keys until you get a dialog asking whether you are sure you want to rebuild your desktop. Click OK. This process may take several minutes. When it is finished, you can launch and begin using DropStuff.

About Internet Updates
Aladdin DropStuff now has the ability to automatically check the Aladdin Systems web site for updates. If you have an active internet connection DropStuff will check for an update when it quits. Since your privacy is of utmost importance we would like you to know that (a) only your product code and version number are being sent, and (b) you have the option to turn this feature off in the component's Preference settings.

Description
Aladdin DropStuff consists of two components, the program DropStuff, and the StuffIt Engineª. The StuffIt Engine does the stuffing when you drag items onto DropStuff. 

DropStuff is designed to meet two needs

(1) Create StuffIt archives quickly and efficiently.
Using DropStuff, you can create StuffIt archives by simply dragging & dropping your files and folders onto the DropStuff icon. DropStuff compresses a copy of the information into a StuffIt archive and puts the archive in the same location that you dragged from, using the name of the file or folder as the name of the archive.

(2) Enhance third-party products that use the StuffIt Engine.
There are many programs written by other companies that will take advantage of the StuffIt Engine if it is present. Once you have installed DropStuff these products can stuff and expand files.

About Archives
An archive is a single file which acts like a container, holding one or more files or folders. Usually the files in an archive are compressed, so they take up less room on a diskette or hard drive, and take less time to transmit over networks and modems. Unless the archive is Òself-extractingÓ (.sea), you need a separate utility to access the files in an archive. StuffIt Expander lets you decompress the contents of archives. All archives created by any version of StuffIt are supported, including files created with other members of the StuffIt family, including StuffIt Deluxe, StuffIt Lite, or DropStuff.

Using DropStuff
Files, folders, or disks can be stuffed by dragging their icons onto the DropStuff icon.
1) In the Finder, select one or more items that you want stuffed.
2) Drag them over the DropStuff icon until it is highlighted.
3) Let go of the mouse/trackball/trackpad button. DropStuff will compress the item(s) you selected. DropStuff will automatically quit, when it finishes stuffing.

If you prefer to manually stuff your files or want to compress items from multiple locations:
1) Double click the DropStuff icon.
2) Choose ÒStuff...Ó from the File menu.
3) In the dialog that appears, locate and select the item you want to stuff.
4) Click the "Stuff" button.
5) In the dialog that appears choose the location you want the StuffIt archive to be saved in and click the "Save" button.

To create a self-extracting StuffIt archive that any Mac OS user can unstuff (.sea), even without a StuffIt product:
1) Double click the DropStuff icon.
2) Choose ÒPreferences...Ó from the File menu.
3) Select the ÒStuffingÓ icon from the list on the left.
4) Click the ÒMake self-extractingÓ checkbox (so the box is checked).
5) Be sure that the "Macintosh" radio button is selected.
6) Click "OK".
You can create a self-extracting StuffIt archive that any Windows OS user can unstuff (.exe) by selecting the "Windows" radio button in step 5 above. For self-extracting archives to work, you must choose the appropriate radio button for the OS to which you are sending the file.

Now proceed to stuff files, using either the manual or drag & drop techniques. All new archives you create will be self-extracting until you deselect the ÒMake self-extractingÓ checkbox in the DropStuff ÒPreferences...Ó dialog.

DropStuff is not able to create segmented archives and is therefore unable to create multi-disk self-extracting archives. If you need to segment very large archives to fit onto floppy disks, you will need to obtain StuffIt Deluxe (our commercially available ÒComplete Compression SolutionÓª). If youÕre a registered user of DropStuff you can get StuffIt Deluxe at a special price. Contact Aladdin for details (831/761-6200) or see the order form located in the "Read Us First!" folder.


Special Topics for DropStuff

Shortcuts
While dragging and dropping a file onto DropStuff...
		¥   Holding down the control key will delete the original after stuffing is finished. You are not warned, so use this feature carefully. Any file on a computer is subject to possible damage. If you do not have a backup copy of the file, it is not recommended that you use this feature.
		¥   Holding down the option key brings up the one-time preferences dialog. Any preferences you set in the preferences dialog will be used for the current stuffing operation only.
		¥   If you drop a StuffIt archive on DropStuff with BinHex encoding turned on, the archive will just be BinHexed (as opposed to being re-stuffed and BinHexed).

Known Issues
 ¥  If DropStuff does not highlight when dragging a file onto it, try rebuilding your desktop by restarting your computer while holding down the Option and Command keys until a dialog appears. Click ÒOKÓ when asked if you want to rebuild your desktop.
		¥  If DropStuffÕs preferences are set to ÒMake self-extractingÓ and ÒEncrypt with PasswordÓ, when you drag a StuffIt archive onto DropStuff it will turn the archive into a Self-Extracting Archive (.sea or .exe) but will not encrypt the .sea or .exe.

Visit our web site for the latest FAQs
We hope that you wonÕt have any problems with StuffIt Expander, but if you do, you can contact Aladdin Systems. We have a consistently updated set of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) about every Aladdin product on our web page. Bookmark this page: 

<http://www.aladdinsys.com/faqs/index.html>  

Aladdin Expanderª
For those of you using Windows machines as well, Aladdin Expander for Windows expands files from the most popular archiving and compression formats found online, including StuffIt (.sit) and ZIP (.zip). Aladdin Expander will also expand files in uucoded (.uue), BinHex (.hqx), and MacBinary (.bin) formats, such as those commonly found on the Internet. Other archive formats supported include ARC (.arc), Arj (.arj), and gzip (.gz). Aladdin Expander will also expand self-extracting archives created by StuffIt, ZIP, and Arj. Expander 5.1 is the only Windows decompression tool that can expand StuffIt-compressed files, the standard compression utility on the Macintosh. So, if you encounter a file in the .sit format, with Expander you can access it! You can download Aladdin Expander for Windows FREE at: 

<http://www.aladdinsys.com/expander/index.html>

DropStuffª (Windows)
Aladdin Systems just made it easier to send and receive files over the Internet! Whether you're communicating with other Windows users or Mac users, the new shareware, Aladdin DropStuff for Windows, is a cross-platform communication breakthrough. Aladdin DropStuff is the only Windows software that lets you create either .zip or .sit compressed files. Aladdin Expander gives you total access to virtually any file format you may find on the Web. The power of these two programs is all you need for communication and access on the Internet. If you don't already have Aladdin Expander Ñ we recommend you download it.

<http://www.aladdinsys.com/dropstuff/index.html>

Commercial Distribution of .SIT and .SEA Files
When files are compressed, they become .sit files. If they are made self-extracting, they become .sea files. You are allowed to freely send these to your friends, colleagues, and partners as long as you do not charge them for receiving the files. Should you have a fee involved, you must have a distribution license from Aladdin Systems. Contact Aladdin for more information at sitelicenses@aladdinsys.com.

How to Contact Us
If you would like information about our other award-winning products (like Spring Cleaning, PowerTicker, DragStrip(r), ShrinkWrap, Aladdin Tuner, or InstallerMaker), just ask us. For the quickest way to learn more about Aladdin's products, visit our Web site listed below.

MAIL:
Aladdin Systems, Inc.
245 Westridge Drive
Watsonville, CA 95076
USA

PHONE:    			(831) 761-6200
FAX:        		   (831) 761-6206

INTERNET:                 http://www.aladdinsys.com
 
  http://www.aladdinsys.com/support (Web based Technical Support)

Technical Support is available by several different methods. We encourage our customers to take advantage of our Web Based Support. You can receive this support instantly 24 hours a day by using the "iSupport" Menu in any StuffIt application and choosing "Product Support..." or by going to:

  http:// www.aladdinsys.com/support

The majority of customers with technical questions find their issues are resolved most quickly by using this method. It offers a fully searchable knowledge base of solutions.

Technical Support is also available by phone, fax, or mail at the above contacts.


ELECTRONIC MAIL:
Customer Service & Sales:     sales@aladdinsys.com

General Information:             info@aladdinsys.com
______________________________________________________

Special Note to Developers, Product Managers, and Network Administrators

This installer was created using StuffIt InstallerMaker. StuffIt InstallerMaker provides many advanced features while being very easy to use. To try StuffIt InstallerMaker for free, download it from our web site: 

  http://www.aladdinsys.com/developers/installermaker/index.html. 

By using InstallerMaker for this installer, we not only saved  media space and download time due to Aladdin's advanced compression technology, but also provided our users a way to easily customize installation. If you are interested in making installation easier for your users while saving distribution costs, contact our licensing department at:

MAIL:
Aladdin Systems, Inc.
Installer Licensing
245 Westridge Dr.
Watsonville, CA 95076
USA

PHONE:    (831) 761-6200
FAX:        		(831) 761-6206

ELECTRONIC MAIL:  dev.sales@aladdinsys.com

Copyright (c) 1996-2001 Aladdin Systems, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.
StuffIt, StuffIt Deluxe, StuffIt Engine, Spring Cleaning, PowerTicker, DragStrip(r), ShrinkWrap, Aladdin Tuner, InstallerMaker, the StuffIt clamp, and the Aladdin Logo are trademarks of Aladdin Systems, Inc.  All other product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.  Now our lawyers are happy.