Index Downloading Issues Requirements Compatibility Discontinued Software About Software Download Sites JSWare and Windows Vista - A Cautionary Note

Downloading

   For most of the software here you can just download the "EXE" installer file and double-click it to install the software.

Download Difficulties?

• Problems Specific to Windows XP - If you use Internet Explorer in Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) you might see a warning that the download may not be "trustworthy". You can ignore that warning. It is caused by a problem specific to Internet Explorer and only in XP SP2. (See this page for more explanation and ways to stop being nagged by spurious IE "security" warnings.)

   In some cases, using Internet Explorer in Windows XP SP2 or later, your download may even be blocked "for your safety". That behavior can be adjusted if you want to keep using IE. (See link above.) We recommend that you just switch to using the Firefox or Opera browser instead. Fixing the increasing nags, restrictions and security problems with Internet Explorer is not an easy endeavor. It requires that you familiarize yourself with the convoluted IE security settings and that you adjust undocumented Registry settings.

• Problems Using Download Helper Software - If you use download helper software such as Download Accelerator, GetRight, FreshDownloads, etc. the download may fail with an error page or an unexpected password prompt. That is because the JSWare site blocks such programs. You do not need a password to download from this website. (If you see a password prompt that is caused by a bug in your download helper program.) You do not need to enable cookies, javascript, or anything else in order to download from JSWare. But please use a browser for downloading. We regret any inconvenience this policy may cause for people downloading files from JSWare.net. Unfortunately, there is no way to inform you, the visitor, of what the problem is when downloading because most download helper programs do not properly handle link referrers or the "403 - restricted" error code from the server. In other words, these programs have not been designed to properly inform you that the download is blocked or to forward you to an explanation page.

Download helpers are blocked for the following reasons:

1) In general, download helper programs serve no useful purpose except to maintain a download link in order to resume when download of extremely large files is interrupted. There are no files that big on this website.

2) In many cases download helper programs install with adware and/or spyware, exploiting the gullibility of web surfers who think they will have a better online experience in some way by using a "download accelerator" or similar program. For the most part, all you are likely to get from such programs is an invasion of your privacy.

3) Download helper programs generally download files in multiple pieces. In fact, they often require that you download far more bytes than are contained in the downloaded file. For example, a browser will download a 50 KB file in one piece. A download helper will often download the same file in 4-7 pieces, with a total download volume of more than 100 KB. That behavior makes your download slower, taxes the server unnecessarily, and makes it difficult for webmasters to keep track of how many files are being downloaded.
   The theory behind this download method is that downloads can be speeded up by downloading through multiple connections simultaneously, but that only works if a) the server is slower than you connection speed, b) the server allows multiple connections from the same address, and c) the file being downloaded is very large.

Required System Files

   People using Windows 2000/ME/XP/2003/Vista do not need to install any support files for any JSWare software.

   If you are using Windows 95/98/NT4, you probably do not need any extra support files. However, if you see an error message about MSVBVM60.DLL when running any of this software, that will indicate that the "VB6 Runtime" file needs to be installed. In that case, see one of these links to download the runtime installer:

Download VB6 Runtime Installer from Microsoft
Go To Simtel.Net to download the VB6 Runtime Installer

Files Replaced During Install

   None of the software currently available from JSWare replaces any system files. None of it requires any extra system files.

   All of the EXE installers are self-executing ZIP files. If you want to inspect the contents or read the "readme" file before installing, just rename the file with a ".ZIP" extension and open it with any ZIP program. Inside you will find a CAB file that can also be opened with a ZIP program. The CAB file contains all installed files.
    (Note: Most ZIP programs will open such a renamed file but the limited ZIP functionality built into WinXP will not.)

About Spyware and Adware

   None of the software from JSWare has built-in advertising and none of it carries out remote communication apart from the software's normal operation (such as clicking a remote link in the WEB-ED Editor browser window or sending email in Web-Sender Studio). There is no spyware, adware or other sleazeware here. There is also no "theirware" infested with DRM (digital restriction management) that restricts where you can install the software. We just have plain software.

   All software downloads from JSWare can be opened and inspected before installing. (You may have noticed that many software companies go to great lengths to prevent you being able to know exactly what is being installed.) All the downloads from this site are either ZIP files or self-executing ZIP files. A self-executing ZIP can be opened by any reasonably good ZIP program. Just rename the file extension from ".exe" to ".zip" and open it as a normal ZIP file. Some downloads may also contain a CAB storage file inside. CAB files can be opened by most ZIP programs just as ZIP files can be. In other words, you can freely inspect the files included in any software download from JSWare.

Windows XP note: The ZIP file functionality built into Windows XP is "barebones". It cannot open self-executing zip files. If you use XP you may want to download an actual archiver program that can fully handle ZIP and CAB files. Power Archiver may be a good choice for a commercial program. There are also many free ZIP programs available.

About Private Information: You do not have to divulge any private information to use this website or the software here. Some information is required for credit card purchase of software. In that case your name and email address are retained by JSWare solely for the purpose of product support queries and update notices sent out as a courtesy to paying customers. Such information will not be retained if you so request, but in that case you will not have access to full version software updates and replacement key codes because we will be unable to confirm your purchase.

Compatibility

Free Software

The free programs and utilities here do not require any further system files. Some are very simple programs that do not need to be installed. Others may have specific installation requirements that are explained on the respective webpages.

WEB-ED Webpage and Scripting Editor

WEB-ED is compatible with Windows 95/98/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003/Vista.

JS PhotoPrep

JS PhotoPrep is compatible with Windows 95/98/NT4/2000/ME/XP/2003/Vista.

Discontinued Software

Web-Sender Studio

Web-Sender Studio has been discontinued due to lack of interest. WSS provided the ability to package a website into a self-opening file to be emailed. It was released at a time before there were commonly problems with email viruses. Given the typical settings of current email filters and anti-virus programs, WSS packages can no longer be sent to most people.

Tweak Revisited

Tweak Revisited (for Windows 95/98/ME) is no longer actively supported, however, as of this writing it is still available from the Simtel software hosting servers here.

If you use Tweak Revisited and need an activation code for the full version, use these (case sensitive):
Email: FreeTR@jsware.net
Activation Code: N505815-U562417

  About The Tweak Revisited 1.5 Fiasco at CNet / ZDNet / Download.com

   If you have come from CNet, ZDNet, Download.com or the Microsoft Windows Marketplace, you may have linked from a webpage listing "Tweak Revisited 1.5". Please note:

There is no Tweak Revisited 1.5.
   There once was a Tweak Revisited version 1.5, but that was in 1999.

JSWare does not list any software on CNet, ZDNet, Download.com, or Windows Marketplace.
   CNet, ZDNet and Download.com are all the same company. JSWare does not list any software on those sites because they are no longer a software review and listing site. It is now an advertising site that charges a fee to software companies in order to be listed. (The shareware listings at Microsoft's Windows Marketplace are merely a "skinned" version of CNet / ZDNet / Download.com.)

CNet / ZDNet / Download.com / Windows Marketplace currently have an unauthorized listing for "Tweak Revisited 1.5"    The listing is falsely attributed to JSWare or Joe'Software. Email requests to have the page removed have been ignored.

Do not install "Tweak Revisited 1.5".
   The unauthorized download link to "Tweak Revisited 1.5" is an unknown file originating in Russia. If you do install "Tweak Revisited 1.5" please do not write to JSWare for help. Write instead to CNet / ZDNet / Download.com and ask them to fix their listings.

A Word About Software Download Websites

Not always what they seem...

   Many people visit software download websites, such as CNet/download.com, Tucows, etc. to look for software. There are hundreds of such sites. Originally these websites were like newspapers, announcing new software, providing links for download, and sometimes writing software reviews. Their income derived from banner ads and their popularity derived from the fact that there was no other way to easily find specific software.

   Over time things have changed. Many software listing sites had trouble making a profit from banner ads, and in the meantime Google has become an easier way to look for software. One result of those changes is that many software listing sites have been trying out different business models to increase their income. Unfortunately, many sites are now blurring the line between software news and advertising, such that their listings and ratings can no longer be trusted. Some sites require payment for each listing. Some sell reviews. Many charge for high visibility. Some require a reciprocal advertisement for their website before they will list software. And some even require a cut of the selling price for listed software. In other words, many sites still pretend to be neutral download and review websites while actually having a direct financial interest in the software that they list.

   JSWare programs are not submitted for listing on websites that require payment, or that "strongly encourage" payment, for listings. We also do not take part in the other common scam of commercial software: Trading links for awards. (JSWare receives regular "announcements" that our software has "earned 5 stars" and that we need only place an ad for the reviewing website on jsware.net in order to retain that 5-star rating!)

Not always dependable...

    Inaccurate listings, outdated listings, and even false listings, are not uncommon at software listing sites. It is always a good idea to visit the software homepage before downloading software, and preferably download the software from the author's site directly. Any reputable software listing site will at least include a link to the author's website as part of each software listings.

JSWare and Windows Vista - A Cautionary Note

   The software available from JSWare is generally supported on all versions of Windows, from Windows 95 to Windows XP. With Windows Vista things are changing.

   In the case of JSWare commercial software - WEB-ED Editor and JS PhotoPrep - please feel free to request help via email if you have trouble with the software on Vista. While this software is not being specifically re-written for Vista compatibility, it should run without problems, aside from the problems created by Vista's restricted access settings.

    Vista access restriction problems:

   To use Windows Vista you need to be aware of the extreme access restrictions. By default on Vista, you are assumed to be a corporate employee who has no right to access the files on your PC outside of the "Documents" folder. If you try to access files, Vista will block you. If you try to access the Windows Registry Vista will block you. Worse, Vista will not inform you that your access is blocked. It will pretend that it is not blocking you. In effect, Vista restricts you to a sort of child's playpen and only lets you play with copies of the files that you want to access. That situation can result in a great deal of confusion and will result in problems with software. For example, some WEB-ED Editor settings changes may not take. You may be unable to find saved files. You may be able to open a file but be unable to save changes to that file. Etc. In order to use JSWare software without problems you will need to "give yourself permission" to fully access your PC, by disabling "User Account Control" (UAC - the "playpen"), running as "Administrator" (without restricted permission), and giving yourself full access to the program folder, as well as any other folders that you may want to open files from or save them to.

   In the case of JSWare free software and components, no Vista support is offered and no Vista support is planned. In fact, much of the JSWare freeware has been specifically designed not to run on Windows Vista at all, in order to avoid unnecessary confusion for people using Windows Vista, and also to avoid unnecessary support queries at JSWare.

   Read on if you would like a more thorough explanation of JSWare support for Windows Vista and why it is changing.

The Windows Operating System - Platform vs Service

The role of an operating system:

   The basic function of an operating system - such as Windows, Linux, or MacOS - is to provide an interface between a computer and its software. The computer provides raw computational functionality. The operating system interfaces between that functionality and the software, allowing useful software to make the computer itself useful. In programming terms, Windows has traditionally been referred to as a platform because of its role as a hardware interface. Windows is the platform that supports software.

Changes in the marketplace:

   Over the past decade, most of the software commonly used on PCs has matured, as have operating systems. Products like Windows, office suites, browsers, email, graphic studios, etc. have not changed radically since the mid-90s. At one time software companies made large profits by periodically releasing new versions of their software with new functions. But for several years now, most people have not needed much in the way of new functions.

   In the face of reduced software sales, a popular idea now current among software companies is "software as a service", also known as "SaaS". The strategy behind SaaS is to sell software usage rather than software programs. In other words, "service" software is rented, leased, or charged for on a per-use basis, so that software companies do not have to depend on future sales of new product. (Note that SaaS is not an idea for improving software. It is an idea for improving profits.)

   Imagine if the auto makers, faced with plummeting sales, decided to stop selling cars and open taxi businesses. And imagine further that one auto maker, with over 90% of the market - and monopoly control - decided to also stop the sale of replacement parts so that their customers would be virtually forced to switch over to the new taxi service. Obviously that would not be a good scenario for most car owners. But that is essentially what Microsoft is doing with their "software as a service" strategy. And Windows Vista is a big step in that direction - a step away from the the idea of Windows as a platform.
   Actually, Microsoft is now talking about "software and service". In other words, they hope to charge you for Windows and charge you for using software on Windows.

   For a thought-provoking description of just how much Microsoft has already changed the definition of their software, see John Dvorak's story about the day that Microsoft's Vista spyware system malfunctioned, causing thousands of computers to be disabled while their owners were accused of software theft.

A warning about Windows Vista:

   If you do not own a full version CD for an earlier version of Windows then you may be forced to either use Vista or leave Windows behind altogether the next time that you buy a PC. At JSWare we consider Windows Vista to be bloated, overpriced, restrictive, DRM-infested spyware. We do not recommend using Windows Vista. We do not consider it a worthy product. And we do not intend to support Windows Vista per se, or to write software for it.

Bloated and overpriced: If you look at the newspaper flyers for national, US electronics stores, you'll see that the base price for a cheap PC has gone from a bit over $300 to somewhere in the range of $600-$700. It will cost you about an extra $300 to buy the hardware necessary to support Vista's frivolous, and entirely superfluous, 3-D techno-kitsch.

Restrictions and spyware: To get a sense of just how much Windows is changing, and how little of that change is likely to be of benefit to Microsoft's customers, you might find it interesting to read the Windows Vista license (EULA).

   Among the ominous details you will find in the Vista license are the following:

• Even a full version CD of Vista is licensed only for use on one PC. If you need to upgrade hardware, or want to install on a different PC instead, you will have to get permission by applying for a new Product Activation. (sections 1b, 2a) Even that option is restricted in some upgrade scenarios. (section 15b)

• According to Microsoft, it is "illegal" for two people to use a PC running Vista at the same time! (section 2b)

• Windows Vista will periodically contact Microsoft and send information about your Windows installation. You have no choice in this matter. If, during one of these clandestine communications, there is any problem confirming that your copy of Windows is not stolen, your PC will be crippled to the point of being virtually unusable until such time as you prove to Microsoft that you paid for their software.(section 5a-c) (See link above to the John Dvorak article.)

• Under default settings, Windows may remove installed software at Microsoft's discretion, without asking you. (section 6)

• Under default settings, Windows Update will make changes to the operating system, without asking you. (section 7a)

• Windows Media Player, a spyware product, cannot be removed from Windows Vista under normal conditions. In addition to DRM functions, WMP will also make contact with Microsoft for the purposes of finding commercial music sellers for you to buy from, and to download and install newer versions of itself. You have no choice in this matter if you use WMP. (section 7a)

• "You may not work around any technical limitations in the software". (section 8) In other words, Windows is now a service and you may only use it as Microsoft wants you to use it.

   Note that under US copyright law you have a right to use purchased material as you see fit and you have a right to make copies for your own use. If you buy a book or a music CD, for example, you can legally do anything with those except distribute copies to other people. It is perfectly legal to use your old Windows operating system on your new PC, and to copy it to your notebook PC, under fair-use laws. But Microsoft has made that virtually impossible through their Product Activation scheme. And now they claim that you do not even have a right to use the product as you see fit.

   In addition to the unusual rules set forth in the Vista license, Vista also institutes extensive security changes that may interfere with software running properly and will likely result in a constant barrage of frivolous security warnings.

   It is due mainly to the quasi-legal restrictions and the spyware functionality that we recommend against using Windows Vista. It is due mainly to the new compatibility problems that most JSWare software is not supported on Windows Vista. The compatibility issues in Windows Vista involve both hardware and software problems. But the biggest problem is restriction of user rights. The average person using Vista under default settings will be disallowed from accessing most of the files on their computer! It is difficult for most software to run properly under those conditions.

   In fact, even if you turn off all user restrictions on Windows Vista, you will still be blocked from the system folder. In other words, with Windows Vista you are not allowed to alter any files that are part of the actual operating system. On the face of it that may seem reasonable to many people. After all, most people do not want to rebuild their computer operating system. But this restriction means that you bought a product and are blocked from using that product as you see fit. While you may not want to alter or replace operating system files, you might want to install software that does so. Or you might want your tech. support person to be able to do so. With Windows Vista you are blocked. You have no more control over the actual operating system than you do over your cable TV box.

   It's an ironic situation, in a way: For years, conspiracy theorists have speculated over whether Microsoft might have installed a secret "back door" into Windows. Were they spying on customers? Were they giving access to governments? Now Microsoft has installed an enormous locked front door, and you don't get a key. Not only can Microsoft access your computer remotely. They can control and access parts of your system that you can't. Yet few people are complaining.

Windows XP and Vista: A Product That Lies by Design

   As is outlined in the sections above, Microsoft is gradually trying to switch from selling software to selling services. Unfortunately, Microsoft is also trying to force their software customers to become their service customers. This started with Windows XP: The Windows XP system is designed to lie to you in order to control your actions. Even if you run Window XP "as administrator", with full rights, Windows will still hide Registry keys; it will still pretend to let you delete files even though you will be blocked from doing so; it will go through the motions of removing force-installed software like Windows Media Player, but the software is not actually removed.

   In Windows Vista the situation gets worse. You will be blocked from accessing most of your own computer by default and Vista will pummel you with nag messages if you attempt to "give yourself permission" to control your own PC. In many cases downloading files or running software may simply not work: No explanation... no options... no messages... nothing.

   These security measures are not really aimed at protecting you from bad software or online attacks. If that were the case, Windows XP and Vista would naturally provide clear explanations and clear option settings, so that you could use security options as desired. But in most cases, Windows XP and Vista do not even tell you that you are being restricted. And in many cases where settings can be adjusted, those settings are "secret" - unpublished and only known to a few.

   The changes in XP and Vista are actually aimed at protecting your PC from you, rather than vice versa. Microsoft is attempting to gradually herd their customers toward acceptance of a services device, through restrictions and endless nag messages. The idea is that eventually you will use Windows mainly for things that pay Microsoft: Movie and music rentals, software rentals, etc.

   If you think the explanations here are far-fetched, or that they consitute "Microsoft bashing", you might consider reading some of the articles linked below. Also, consider the fact that Microsoft announced, in May, 2007, the purchase of AQuantive for $6 billion. AQuantive is an online advertising company. It includes "AvenueA", an ad-hosting operation similar to Doubleclick. So the world's biggest software company, the company that provides over 90 percent of PC operating systems worldwide, is moving into the advertising business. Oddly, the mass media reporters and columnists generally do not seem to find that fact alarming. Then again, the mass media receives a great deal of advertising money from Microsoft. At the very least there is a notable conflict of interest here, in that Microsoft, the company with monopoly control over the computing medium itself, is now moving to control, and profit from, the content of that medium.

JSWare support for Windows Vista

   In brief, our view is that Windows Vista is an unsuitable and unusable product for its purpose. Rather than wasting everyone's time with support requests that can't be helped, we decided that it makes more sense to simply block Vista support altogether. With most of the free JSWare programs and components, if you try to use them on Vista you will see a message saying that Windows Vista is not supported and the software will then either stop responding or will close itself.

Vista Links:

Read analysis of the Vista license:
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/1640/159/
http://www.securityfocus.com/columnists/423

Read about Vista DRM (Restriction of digital music and video):
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9005047

Read analysis of Vista changes:
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9009961

Information about Windows spyware functions:
http://www.heise-security.co.uk/news/86429
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/431027/30/0/threaded

Read about the extreme hardware requirements resulting from software bloat in Vista:
http://www.betanews.com/article/Vista_Minimum_Requirements_Unrealistic/1165596677

A glimpse of one possible future - See the "integrated spyware/adware" patent application that Microsoft filed in September, 2007. It describes a method to show you ads in Windows, with the ad content being based on your actions:
MS adware patent at US Patent Office