Don't Steal My Freeware!

I write software for a living. Yet in my spare time I publish useful freeware utilities that I think the Windows community or developers at large may find useful. This is my way of thanking others for sharing their expertise with me. But just because the software is made available for free, doesn't mean it isn't copyrighted.
Recently I was on the phone to a client and needed to look up some information on my SMSQ freeware program. Rather than typing in the URL I did a Google search and to my horror discovered that some random web site called Software Informer had taken it upon themselves to list some of my utilities on their site, and make them available for download. I was horrified.
How dare they? They didn't ask for permission, their listings are incomplete and badly written, and they don't even have the decency to provide an honest link to the original page. I sent a letter to the address provided, and got the following boilerplate reply from some jackass called Kasey Bloome:

Dear Donn,
Please, try considering first what we are:
We (software.informer.com) do not sell anything at all. Our software database serves solely as a source of information; for that purpose, under each software entry, we only provide links to sites run by the actual developers (or copyright owners) of that software - including the download links (if there are any). None of the listed programs (with the only exception of 'Software Informer Сlient', developed by us) is hosted on our site physically or offered as an illegitimate download in any other way.
Each program gets into our database automatically after it is installed by at least one user of siClient (http://software-informer.software.informer.com/). That is, a user clicks 'Refresh' in the client, and our site gets the info about the existence of the new program.
The description (until the program is reviewed) is obtained from the program's PAD file. Alternatively, you can use a link "Suggest a correction" available at the program individual page to change all the information you see fit.
Please, read more about our service at http://software.informer.com/help.html
and about using our siClient: http://software.informer.com/help/
If you still insist on removing any reference to your software, please let me know.
Best wishes,
Kasey Bloome
partners@informer.com

Needless to say I did let them know, and they have done nothing, other than continue to knowingly violate my copyright.
So why get into a big froth when the software is free? Well, firstly, their poor quality listing is a bad reflection on the quality of my software. Secondly, the links links they provide are bogus: Their link to Playsound looks like this:
http://software.informer.com/go/go.php?n=877768&go=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.openaccess.co.za%2FBlackAndWhiteInc%2FPlaySound.htm
instead of like this:
http://www.openaccess.co.za/BlackAndWhiteInc/PlaySound.htm
This is the form that search engines use to provide page ranking. So not only are they making money out of my site, but they are burying the original site in the search listings. It sucks.

And in spite of their public assurance that they only provide links for the download, they also provide a mirror download:
http://download.informer.com/stor/276791/playsoundsetup.exe
i.e. they lied. Kasey Bloome is a liar and a thief.

They also mention the use of a PAD file: not one of my programs uses such a file. So as far as I can see they are happy to deliberately violate my copyright, lie to me, and ignore my complaints. What's more, their SI Client program spies on the user's list of installed programs and reports these back to the web site. In most circles this is known as Spyware, and is actively discouraged and removed by honest users.

Update 1pm: It seems that the people at Software Informer have had their own software copied. Serves them right.
Update 3pm: Casey Bloome wrote:

All the products of your company have been successfully removed from our site. We apologize for the delay and any inconvenience this may have caused.

But the illegal mirror download files are still there, and my company name is still listed. More ducking and diving, but then I expect nothing less from this kind of scumbag.

Update 5pm: It's not only Software Informer that has been doing this kind of thing, although they are by far the worst. I have also sent email removal requests to:

• editor@easyfreeware.com for http://www.easyfreeware.com/files/playsound.zip/192751
• editor@all-freeware.com for http://www.all-freeware.com/details/161494/playsound.html
• contact6784@softwaregeek.com for http://www.softwaregeek.com/download/playsound.html
• admins@2000shareware.com for http://www.2000shareware.com/info/playsound/172704/
• pci@pcwin.com for http://pcwin.com/Audio/Utilities___Plug_Ins/PlaySound/index.htm
• contact@sharewarecentral.com for http://download.sharewarecentral.com/57/349958/playsound.html
• downfocus.com@gmail.com for http://downfocus.com/download_637/playsound/
• contactsw@downloadcollection.com for http://www.downloadcollection.com/publisher/black-and-white-inc.htm
• support@podnova.com for http://windows.podnova.com/software/722217.htm

Then there are the more difficult ones to contact

• http://ptf.com/download/playsound/855538/ (ESET smart security warns that this site is unsafe);
• http://www.filebuzz.com/fileinfo/106041/PlaySound.html;
• http://www.pcpitstop.com/software/Details~Reviews~Download/PlaySound/0.html; and
• http://udm4.com/Windows/PlaySound-158458 doesn't seem to have any means of being contacted at all.

I have also had to re-engineer my web site to check where the download is coming from, and then either allow the download or not. What a pain. I have replaced all the static EXE downloads with my BOFH program, which generates random meaningless error messages, such as this one:

See also: "There is only one AccessOpener" written 5 years ago.

PlaySound and DelayLaunch Improvements

PlaySound is a utility for Windows that allows you to play a sound file from the command line or from a shortcut. I find it useful also as a timer for the startup process in Windows. So useful, in fact, that I recently updated the setup program to do exactly that.
DelayLaunch is a similar utility, but it doesn't play a sound. It waits for a specified period of time, and then opens a specified file, which can be a data file, a batch file, or an application. I use this to fire up certain applications when my PC starts up, and the delay is used to make sure that all the programs don't try to start running at the same time, when the hard drive is still busy.
I have mentioned DelayLaunch before, but it hasn't been available for download until now. Now it is bundled in the PlaySound setup file, since the applications are so similar.

PlaySound.exe Replaces Beep.exe | PlaySound Makes Progress | PlaySound Download Page

There is only one AccessOpener

I'm sure they meant well, but earlier today someone posted a copy of my Access Opener freeware program on a software catalogue site without my knowledge or permission.
It seems that he/she isn't the first offender. Also CNET's downloads.com site, ZDNet, and the TechRepublic site have done the same, again without my permission. I don't mind if people link to my page, but I can't be expected to run around the internet trying to get sites to update their servers to the latest version as well. Please stop it!

Update 5 years later: Don't Steal My Freeware! Some people just won't learn.

SMS Free Software Updated

There's nothing like customer problems to show up missing features or weaknesses in my SMSQ software. A driver was interfering with the GSM modem on one system, so I added "Monitoring Messages" that get sent out on a predefined basis, like every hour during the day. They were so punctual that I could almost set my watch using them, and they helped isolate the problem.
Then one of my largest customers had the SIM card for their GSM modem suspended by Autopage, their cell phone company. This effectively blocked the sending of 2000 appointment reminder messages the first day, and when it was repeated the second day 992 messages were blocked before we picked it up. Needless to say Autopage is a really popular supplier with this client right now.
Catching up the backlog of messages caused me to add a "start time" and "end time" to the package, to prevent messages being sent at rude times, like the early hours of the morning. I also added the ability to read the entire message that was being sent or received, which helps to ensure that the system is working correctly. SMSQ is freeware, and uses an Access database to store the messages.

PlaySound Makes Progress

PlaySound is a freeware utility I wrote to replace the old DOS Beep.exe command. Now I've added another feature: a progress bar.
If you specify a delay time as the second parameter, PlaySound waits the required number of seconds before playing the sound file. Now, if the delay time is specified as a negative value, then it uses a "countdown" progress bar before playing the sound.
I added this because I have a 120 second delay when my laptop starts up before I start using any apps. This is to give the operating system enough time to settle down and load all the services and stuff that Windows XP needs to do on startup. Now I can see how much time I still need to wait.

PlaySound.exe replaces Beep.exe | PlaySound page

Free SMS Software Gets Better

There's nothing quite like watching a program already in use to improve it further. Three weeks ago I released the first version of my free SMSQ program, which allows a database program to send and receive SMS messages.
The program has been in constant use for over 2 weeks already, and numerous minor improvements have been made. We are now on version 1.0030, and there is a support utility called SMSsend that allows you to generate messages from a batch file or shortcut. For example, you can send the administrator an SMS whenever the server reboots, or you can use the Windows Task Scheduler to get the SMS program to run file maintenance on the weekend.
All of these features arose out of a genuine need when running the system in a live production environment. Today I installed the software on an old Windows 98 clunker, and discovered that the MDAC files were missing or out of date. I also added some other minor cosmetic changes. There's nothing like a real world problem to make software better.

AccessOpener 1.20 now supports Access 2007

Microsoft Access 2007 has been available for some time, but I only recently downloaded a trial version to experiment with. As a result I can now announce version 1.20 of AccessOpener, the utility that allows you to open an Access file with the same version of Access as it was originally created, assuming you have it installed on your PC.
The biggest problem with getting the new version to work was Access 2007's insistence that it is the only Access program on the PC, which wasn't true. I kept getting the screen shown below:
It took several attempts to eventually figure out why Access 2007 was doing this, and the new version of AccessOpener seems to work correctly with Access 2007. I have not been able to test it with Access 2003 or Access 2000, but it still works properly with Access 2002 and Access 97 on Windows XP. I suspect there will be trouble with Windows Vista, but haven't been able to confirm this yet.
I have also improved the "train" function, which should make setup a bit more simple. The installation program is also a bit more intuitive. Please report any bugs here or write to me directly.

Access Opener download page

SMS software for databases

Two of my biggest customers send SMS messages to their customers on a regular basis. These messages are generated by an Access database program. One of these is a medical application where patients are reminded of their appointment bookings. Since this is done for numerous clinics around the country, it involves hundreds of message every day.
Until now we have relied on two applications called Trebuchet and EconoSMS, neither of which are sold or supported any more. This has left my clients in a vulnerable position, since a hardware failure on either PCs could leave them high and dry. I tried experimenting with a package called "SmartCell" from Indisoft, but several attempts to contact their support line failed. I'm glad I didn't buy the product since it either isn't supported any more or the company doesn't reply to their emails. Not good.
Then I found a better package for US$124 from Logiccode Software. It's an ActiveX DLL that can communicate with a standard GSM modem, and it has enabled me to create a fully-functional Visual Basic application called SMSQ in a week, thanks to some well-written VB6 demo code, and my experience with other SMS applications.
The most difficult part was writing the database code using ADO, since I'm used to DAO syntax that works in Access97. The new application will work with Access 97, 2000, 2002 or 2003 file formats. I am currently rewriting my Miami libraries to support this application. Miami now supports field encryption, bulk emailing, bulk SMS, mousewheel support, simple barcodes and PDF printing. It also has a runtime installer package for Access 97.

Zippy gets cleverer

Zippy Backup Assist is a utility that I use regularly to save development work into zip files, where the zip file name includes the date. It also gets used to repair and compact Access databases before making the backup, to keep the zip files small and the Access files manageable. Now I have added another feature: a second parameter that is passed to the zip.bat batch file when Zippy quits. This second parameter contains another date, usually one day behind the first one, but it can be any number of days. The new version includes an Inno Setup-generated setup file, and can optionally install the PkZipC software as well. Update: I have made some more improvements to make a backup copy of any mdb file name ending with the word "data", and the "pause" time is less CPU-intensive. It also has a MSG= keyword, and the PAUSE= function works a bit better. Get version 1.0081.

AccessOpener 1.11 gets a boost

If you're an Access programmer you need this free utility. I use it all the time, and it saves me a lot of trouble. It's only when it isn't there that I miss it the most, like when my laptop had to be reinstalled, or when I'm working on a client's machine.
Recently I learnt a lot more about the Windows Prefetch system, and encountered the DiskTrix SystemBoosterXP product, which got me thinking: why not use AccessOpener to read the msaccess.exe file from the disk and place it into cache memory while the computer is booting up? Once it's there it will speed up the time it takes to load Access and open a file.
So I added a /LOAD option to work with the /SET option at startup, and it's all packaged and working, thanks to Inno Setup.

Updated Freebie Software Page

Visitors to the Black and White Inc site have probably looked that the "freebies" page to see what is available for download.
I have just spent a productive Sunday morning updating the list of software that I have installed and use regularly on my PC. Here is the list:

• 7Zip: (freeware) is largely better than WinZip in the variety of formats it can handle.
  
• Access Opener: (myware)
  
• Access Runtime Tester: (myware) The simplest way to repair and compact or decompile an .mdb file.
  
• Ad-Aware SE Personal: (freeware) is largely obsolete because NOD32 does such a good job.
  
• Adobe Acrobat Reader: (freeware) displays all the PDF files I use
  
• allSnap: (freeware) keeps the screen from getting cluttered.
  
• CCleaner: (freeware) keeps the hard drive from getting cluttered.
  
• CmdHere Powertoy: (freeware) Useful for getting a command line where you need it.
  
• Cool MP3 Splitter: (shareware) Useful for managing large MP3 files.
  
• Contig: (freeware) from Sysinternals allows me to defragment an individual file from a batch file. Doesn't replace PerfectDisk, but helps keep the drive tidy.
  
• DS Clock: (freeware) Those chimes are just so cool and you get to decide how the time displays on your desktop.
  
• eMule: (freeware) with the XtremeMod extras. It's the best way of doing file sharing without all the spam and bogus files.
  
• Goldwave: (shareware) is possibly the most useful audio editor available.
  
• Google Desktop: (freeware) finds stuff fast, particularly in Outlook
  
• Google Earth: (freeware) a great way to look at the world
  
• Google Pack Screensaver: (freeware) allows me to view some of my photos when the PC isn't busy.
  
• Google Toolbar: (freeware) indispensable for both IE7 and Firefox
  
• Hamachi: (freeware) the simplest way to set up a secure VPN
  
• Hunter-Killer: (myware) keeps the clutter to a dull roar.
  
• Inno Setup: (freeware) incredibly useful setup program
  
• ISTool: (freeware) the toolkit that makes Inno Setup so easy to use.
  
• iTunes: (freeware) a necessary evil when using an iPod Shuffle.
  
• Jasc Paint Shop Pro 8: (commercial) programmable and easy to use most of the time.
  
• JGsoft Editpad Pro: (commercial) totally indispensable text editor.
  
• LogMeIn: (freeware) great for connecting to remote machines.
  
• Microsoft Access97: (commercial) my favourite database application, bugs and all.
  
• Microsoft Developer Edition Tools: (commercial) used to make the runtime stuff. Inno Setup does a better job, but this licenses you to deploy Access runtime apps.
  
• Microsoft Office XP Developer: (commercial) what a waste of a lot of money. I use Word and Excel, and have yet to write any AccessXP apps.
  
• Microsoft SQL Server 2000: (commercial) comes with Office XP and allows me to test the SQL apps I write with Access97.
  
• Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Professional: (commercial) I don't use it much, but it is still a great programming tool.
  
• miFiles - My Internet Files: (freeware) a simple, effective FTP program. I love it.
  
• Mozilla Firefox 1.5: (freeware) my browser of choice, especially with the following add-ins and extensions:
  
  • NoScript
    
  • Google Toolbar
    
  • Adblock
    
  • FasterFox
  • IETab
  • DownThemAll
  • ForecastFox
  • FoxClocks
  • PDF Download
  • Print Preview
  • Googlepedia
    


• Mustang: (betaware) Mustang 4.x is the basis for the Miami applications I develop every day. No longer available.
  
• MyMail: (myware)
  
• NOD32 Antivirus: (commercial) keeps my PC virus-free and safe.
  
• PerfectDisk: (commercial) keeps my hard drive in order
• PerfOpt XP: (freeware) allows me to tweak some Windows settings
  
• PKZip Command Line: (shareware) used with Zippy to make backups
  
• Plaxo Toolbar for Outlook: (freeware) helps keep my contacts up to date
• PsShutDown: (freeware) from Sysinternals allows me to shut down or Reboot from a batch file
  
• Putty: (freeware) the Telnet client I use when I need to talk to my Ubuntu Linux server.
  
• PrimoPDF: (freeware) is the best way to create PDF files.
  
• Radmin Viewer 3.0: (commercial) indispensable for keeping client PCs organised and operational.
  
• RealPlayer: (freeware) for playing Audible books
  
• SafeXP: (freeware) tweaks Windows XP to make it a bit more bearable.
  
• Search and Replace 2.87: (shareware) I bought this ages ago and its still a quick way to find and replace things across multiple files.
  
• Skype: (freeware) great for long distance conversations
  
• Snadboy's Revelation: (freeware) useful to test security and find lost passwords
• SyncToy: (freeware) great for making backups
  
• Total Recorder 6.0: (commercial) Standard Edition used to convert Audible books into MP3s and for recording Skype calls.
  
• TrueCrypt: (freeware) keeps confidential data safe and secure, especially on laptops.
  
• TweakUI: (freeware) helps control Windows.
  
• UniBlue Registry Boster: (trialware) Compacts the registry, and supposedly finds registry errors. CCleaner works better. Not worth the money. Uninstalled and replaced with Auslogics Registry Defrag.
  
• UniBlue SpeedUpMyPC: (trialware) removes miscellaneous files and allows me to monitor hard drive activity. The Memory Boost option is completely bogus. Not worth the money.
  
• United Devices Agent: (freeware) Uses spare processor cycles for scientific work at grid.org
  
• WavePad: (freeware/commercial) has a great Automatic Gain Control and is useful for converting audio books to my personal MP3 standard format: 32kbps, 22050Khz.
• WinAmp: (freeware) plays most of the media files on my PC
  
• WinZip 9: (shareware) the best ZIP file program, but I won't be spending more money for version 11. See 7Zip.
  
• Zippy: (myware) makes backups of my work. Has saved me days of lost work over the years.

Digg it if you like it

Finally! Access97 Runtime installs correctly thanks to Inno Setup

If you've ever struggled getting an Access97 Runtime installation to work correctly, you'll know what a black hole it is. First you have to buy the ODE Tools, and then the Setup Wizard uses files from your current system installation (not good) and even then the installation is incomplete.
As a result, a lot of Access 97 installations end up having unlicensed copies of Access97 Professional installed, simply to get the darn thing to work. This is no longer necessary, thanks to the brilliance of free software called Inno Setup. I downloaded the "QuickStart Pack" that has an incredibly useful utility called IStool. Then I found a German script for Access97 Runtime, and used it to learn how the whole things works.
Finally, I tried it out on my own software, and added in some additional features. Firstly, it had to install the Visual Basic 6 runtime libraries as well, along with the MouseWheel.dll and MyWeb.ocx files that I use in all my Miami applications. Next, it had to be able to display GIF and JPEG files correctly in Access, something that is left out of the ODE Setup wizard completely. It also had to create shortcuts that work, and install the required fonts if missing.
The end result is a 14.7MB install file that correctly installs the Access97 Runtime libraries, the associated graphics display files, ODBC drivers, some ISAM drivers (not tested) and the Graph display drivers. I went to a lot of trouble to get the correct versions of each of these files, so as not to mix Windows XP files with Windows 98SE files. I have completed the testing on a fresh install of Windows 98SE, and will be doing the same test on Windows XP Pro later.
Update: Testing on WinXP has been completed, and the setup program and script adjusted to set the correct permisions on the install directory.

More details at the Access Runtime Tester page

AmaYeza ousts Princess software for Miami

AmaYeza Info Services provides medical information to various call centres including the Vaccine Helpline. They have relied on software that was developed for them using Delphi, but were unable to get the support they needed when the author emigrated.
The system is quite complex, with numerous many-to-many relationships in the database design, and they need the ability to do unstructured queries on old enquiries to find trends or look for similar cases. I have been working on a replacement program for over 6 months, and finally the program has got to a point where they can use in in place of Princess.
The change to Access97 may seem odd at a time when Access 2007 has just been launched, but there are several advantages for AmaYeza. The most obvious is that they are no longer restricted to using Windows 2000 on their workstations, and can upgrade their MDAC software from version 2.5 to a more contemporary version without their entire database grinding to a halt.
Now that their database is fully normalised, they can extract additional information that was previously much more difficult to extract. In addition, several "merge" wizards have been provided so that the changing face of both the drug manufacturers and the local pharmacies can be tracked. As companies merge or get taken over by other companies, their products can now be automatically updated to reflect the new situation wihout too much fuss.

Many-to-Many Relationships get a new look in Miami

Consider the Many-to-Many relationship shown in the diagram above. Many "References" can be used in many "Enquiries". The list of which references are used in each enquiry is stored in "RefsUsed". The composite picture below shows a new way of managing these relationships in Miami database applications. The edit screen in the background is for the "Enquiry" table.
The page shown lists the relationship between the "Enquiry" table and the "Reference" table, and the combination information is stored in "RefsUsed". This relationship is displayed by using listboxes. The one on the left is based on "RefsUsed", and the one on the right is the "Reference" table.
Double-clicking on the "RefsUsed" record in the listbox on the left allows the user to edit the relationship details, by means of the foreground form. Is has not been possible to do this kind of multiple-table editing in Miami forms before.

Many-to-Many Relationships in Database Design

PlaySound.exe replaces Beep.exe

All I want my computer to do is play a sound when it's ready for me to log in. That's not the same as getting a login screen. After all, this is Windows XP and it has lots to load in the background, and if I hurry it along too much some of the stuff doesn't work properly. I guess 512MB RAM just isn't enough any more.
After scouring the net unsuccessfully for a beep.exe that actually plays anything, I wrote one. Actually, it turns out to be pretty easy to do. You can download PlaySound.exe from this link. You get a ZIP file that contains a small VB app called PlaySound.exe and a test .wav file of Linus Torvalds pronouncing Linux. Now all I need is something similar for uBuntu Linux.
To run it, just specify PlaySound.exe and the .wav file you wish to play. By default it plays "c:\windows\media\The Microsoft Sound.wav" or if not found, you get a standard "beep".
You must have the Visual Basic 6 Runtime libraries installed, and it needs winmm.dll, which is a standard part of Windows 98 and Windows XP operating systems. It uses the PlaySoundA function call in this DLL.
Now the only thing I can't figure out is how to get the sound to play once all the services are loaded and it's OK to log in. At present I just wait for the hard drive light to stop working. It takes about 3 minutes from power on.
Update 4-June-2007: I have added a second parameter which causes a delay (in seconds) before the file is played. The link now takes you to the PlaySound page.

How to pronounce Linux like Linus Torvalds | Nelson Mandela describes uBuntu (YouTube Video) | What uBuntu means.