A few years ago, people who bought Microsoft Windows PCs received a nifty feature called Cardfile. Cardfile is a simple set of blank cards that makes it easy to store phone numbers, addresses, and other information without filling in data according to someone else's pre-determined format. But when Microsoft introduced Windows 95, it showed Cardfile the door.

That doesn't need to stop you from using Cardfile, however. Cardfile runs fine on Windows 95/98 (Win 9x) systems, so the only thing you need to do is install it on your Win9x computer. Below are three installation procedures you can use to accomplish this task.



From Windows 3.x To Win9x.

If you have access to a Win3.x computer, you can transfer the Cardfile application to a Win9x computer in a few simple steps.

( NOTE: If you installed Win95 over an existing version of Win3.x, you can quit reading this article because Cardfile is probably already on your system and able to work properly. You can find it by using Windows Explorer to search for Cardfile.exe.)

The diskette method. Transferring Cardfile by diskette might be the old-fashioned way to install the utility on your Win9x computer, but it still works and accomplishes the job at hand.

Step 1. Make sure you have a diskette (formatted for your Win9x computer) that has at least 94,000 bytes free because the Cardfile application is 93,184 bytes.

Step 2. Insert the diskette into the Win3.x computer and open the File Manager. Scan the hard drive and locate the folder labeled WINDOWS. Double-click this folder and scroll through its contents until you find the Cardfile.exe file. Or, you can go to the File Manager's main File menu and use the search command to search for Cardfile.exe, making sure that the Search All Subdirectories box has an "x" in it. Highlight the file, click File, Copy, and within the Copy dialog box, copy the file to your diskette (most likely by typing a:\ in the "To" field). After the copying process is complete, close the File Manager and remove the diskette.

Step 3. Take the diskette and insert it into the Win9x computer. Open Windows Explorer via Start, Programs, and view the contents of the A: drive. Highlight the Cardfile application and drag and drop it to the desired location within the C: drive, such as within the C:\WINDOWS directory. (By the way, you can view all sorts of interesting details about the Cardfile application by right-clicking the file and viewing the Properties dialog box.) Cardfile is now installed.

The e-mail method. The easier way to transfer Cardfile is to use e-mail.

Step 1. From the Win3.x computer, create a new e-mail message and attach the Cardfile.exe file to the message. Next, send the message to an e-mail account that's accessible on the Win9x computer.

Step 2. Log onto the e-mail account on the Win9x computer, open the message, and save its attachment to the desired location on your hard drive. Cardfile is now installed.



From The Win98 CD-ROM.

If you're using a Win98 computer and don't have access to a Win3.x computer, don't worry; you can still install Cardfile as long as you have the Win98 CD-ROM. ( NOTE: The following method does not work for Win95 computers.)

Step 1. Insert the Win98 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive and minimize the Welcome screen.

Step 2. Click Start, Run, and type sfc.exe in the Open field. (In case you were wondering, Sfc.exe is the System File Checker tool that checks for damaged or replaced system files and then prompts you to replace files.) Click OK.

Step 3. Within the System File Checker, choose the radio button next to: Extract One File From Installation Disk. In the Open field, type cardfile.exe and click Start.

Step 4. Within the resulting Extract File dialog box, specify where the file is located and where it should be copied to. In the Restore From field, type the letter designated to the CD-ROM drive and the CD-ROM title. (This is probably D:\win98, but if you don't know the letter of the CD-ROM drive, use the Browse button). In the Save File In field, type the location of the WINDOWS folder (probably C:\WINDOWS) and click OK.

Step 5. Wait for a few seconds and watch for this message: "The file has been successfully extracted." Close the System File Checker. Cardfile is now installed.



Running Cardfile.

That's it; no matter which of the above techniques you decided to use, Cardfile is now on your Win9x computer. Run it by double-clicking the file from Windows Explorer. Or, if you prefer, you can also launch the software by clicking Start, Run, typing cardfile in the Open field, and clicking OK.