SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: 
Windows 95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP/Vista ...
Animated cursors work with all Windows versions excepted Windows 3.1 or older versions.
32-bit
Animated cursors only work, if 32-bit disk and memory access in Win95/98 is running (the latest Windows versions, ME, 2000, XP, Vista ... don't have this problems). 32-bit disk and memory access is the norm if you are using protected-mode disk drivers. If your cursors are not animated, look "Settings / Control Panel / System / Performance Tab" in Win 95 / 98, where you can see the performance of the system and the access. The File System entry should read "32-bit". If you see the note "Some drives are using MS-DOS compatibility", you found the reason for not-animated cursors. You find some hints for the cause of non-32-bit access at the window too. Select an Item and click "Detail" for more information. Maybe you have loaded old 16-bit drivers/real-mode drivers (CD-Rom, Scanner, Zip Drive with installed guest.exe e.g.). In that case, exchange the old drivers for Win 95 / 98 / NT-drivers.
Here are some causes for MS-DOS compatibility mode:
[SIZE=-1]Tips without warranty of any kind. The entire risk as to the re-
sults of system changings following my tips is assumed by you.[/SIZE]
Cause Solution 1. Windows is unable to identify a special hardware component or doesn't support it. When you start the computer, Windows looks in autoexec.bat and config.sys. If it finds a new driver or a TSR (terminate and stay resident program) on your system it doesn't recognize, it goes into MS-DOS compatibility mode.
But this driver or TSR may works in 32-bit mode ...
In that case Win 95 / 98 users can check out a little trick. You can edit the file ios.vxd in the Windows folder. It's a file in ASCII format and it includes all the drivers Win 95 / 98 "knows". Win 95 / 98 compares a new driver and the entries in ios.vxd and if it finds the driver it turns on 32-bit mode. So try to make a new entry and add the driver which causes the MS-DOS compatibility mode to the list. After that restart Win 95 / 98 and watch whether it turns on 32-bit mode. Maybe it works now ...
2. There's a hardware conflict. A common cause: hard disk controller Go "Start / Settings / Control Panel / System / Device Manager" and look for the hard disk controller.
a) there's a hard disk controller listed
OK, seems not to be a hard disk controller problem
b) there's a hard disk controller listed, but you can see a yellow exclamation mark
Well, there's a DMA-, E/A-, IRQ or Memory conflict or a driver isn't installed or there's a defect driver.
Double click this controller entry and you will see some details on the following tabs.
Go "Start / Settings / Control Panel / System / Performance Tab" , look for "Advanced settings" and click "File System". Then go to the tab "Troubleshooting" . Ensure "Disable all 32 bit protect-mode disk drivers" is unchecked.
c) no hard disk controller listed
Install the hard disk controller. Go "Start / Settings / Control Panel / Hardware" . Don't let the computer search new hardware (check 'no'), after that choose your controller on the hardware list. If your controller isn't recorded ask the controller-manufacturer for the latest Win 95 / 98 drivers.
3. Hard disk controller requires a Win 95 / 98 / NT driver which is not installed Ask your retailer, the manufacturer or search the internet for the latest driver
4. Hardware driver is not compatible (example: CD-ROM is using a real mode driver (16-bit)) Please look "Settings / Control Panel / System / Performance Tab" in Win 95 / 98, where you can see the performance of the system and the access. You find some hints for the cause of non-32-bit access at the window too. Select an Item and click "Detail" for more information. Replace this driver by a new Win 95 / 98 / NT 32-bit driver.
Do you see a driver MBRINT13.SYS listed and did you install a special software for your hard disk ? In that case try to remove the config.sys entry for this driver and restart the system.
Is there an entry like "device=Mh32bit.386" in the system.ini ? Deactivate this entry adding a semicolon before the entry (;device=Mh32bit.386).
5. Hard disk controller is using a DOS driver, which blocks INT 13 Install Win 95 / 98 / NT compatible 32-bit driver
6. Drive is compressed using the software "Stacker" Choose: Stacker OR speed and animated cursors
7. Boot Sector Virus on your system Install and run anti-virus software
Video cards
Some video cards/display drivers don't work with animated cursors.
Symptoms:
- b/w, non animated cursors
- cursor freezes after a few seconds of animation
- flashing cursors
- In "Control Panel/Mouse/Pointer" the only file type you
can select in the file type box is *.CUR files.
There are difficulties with
Spea (original Spea-driver older than version 2.2 - use a newer Spea-driver or the original Win95/98 driver) and V7-Mercury P64,
ATI cards,
Diamond cards, especially Diamond Viper, Diamond Stealth with original Diamond GT driver (try to use Win95/98 original driver), Standard Display Adapter (VGA) and Super VGA e.g.. Try to install the latest drivers, Win 95 / 98 / NT compatible display drivers.
Maybe you only have to change the video mode (256 colors at least are required).
Notebooks / Laptops
On notebooks and laptops you sometimes get only black & white non-animated cursors. In this case Win 95 / 98 / NT selected the display option "laptop" as setting for notebooks and laptops. This setting doesn't support animated cursors. For making the cursors working on your system you must change the display-settings. Select VGA-Modus, Standard VGA e.g.. You can change the driver and display settings in the Win 95 / 98 / NT menu "Settings / Control Panel / Display Properties / Settings". Choose "Change Display type".
Software incompatibilities
It turns out that older
ReachOut (Stac Electronics) versions and the software
Stacker cause some problems. Extract from the ReachOut-readme.txt: On a Windows computer that has a color cursor, you'll see only the standard white pointer while you are running ReachOut. If you are using an animated cursor from the Windows Plus! pack, you can display this cursor properly by putting the switch colorcursor=yes in the [system] section of REACHOUT.INI. The animated cursor will then display in color, but under remote control it shows up on the Viewer as a black arrow. Many thanks to
Pete Cohen, who found out this problem.
Another cause of static animated cursors is a program called
Proxy Host, which allows a troubleshooter to get into your computer remotly. So, if you have that program installed, you should uninstall it after use, to ensure your cursors work correctly. Many thanks to Lona Nichelle for this information.
MS Intellipoint mouse drivers (version 1.1) can cause problems too - single cursor types are not animated. Microsoft says there are problems with point32.dll crashing 16 bit software and they offer upgrades for their Intellipoint drivers and specifically the point32.dll file. Thanks, Gary, for the information.
Virus
If your animated cursors don't work in spite of the above notes, there could exist a boot-sector virus on your computer.
Scan your computer for viruses in this case.
CURSOR INSTALLATION:
You have to install animated cursors / cursors in Windows before you can use them. Copy the files to your choice of folder. Choose "Start / Settings / Control Panel / Mouse" and click on the "Pointer" tab. Windows 95 e.g. uses 14 several pointer types where you can select animated cursors for:
Normal SelectHelp Select Working in Background BusyPrecision Select Text Select HandwritingUnavailable Vertical Resize Horizontal ResizeDiagonal Resize 1 Diagonal Resize 2 MoveAlternate Select In other Windows versions there's an additional cursor for Link Select (windows and active desktop).
Select a pointer, for example "Normal Select" or "Busy". Double-click on it. Then choose a cursor from your choice of folder. A single click will give you a preview in the bottom left corner. The animation is a little bit slow, but in reality the animated cursors run alot faster. Finally press "Open" and click "OK" to exit and confirm the animated cursor as your cursor.
Tip: Cursor previewThere's a simple way to see a little cursor preview. In Windows Explorer right-click the cursor file and select "Properties" in the appearing shortcut menu.
CUR-FILES:
In some cursor collections you will find cursor files with the extension CUR. These cursor files are not animated on principle.
ZIP-FILES:
Most animated cursors are stored as ZIP-files (xyz.zip). ZIP-files are compressed files and you have to extract them with an external program. If you compress ANI-files as ZIP-files the file-size reduces itself on about 90 percent ! For extracting you can use the programs PKUNZIP (Dos) or - much better - WINZIP (Windows) - view ZIP file contents before downloading. The programs are Shareware.
256 / TRUE COLORS CURSORS:
First problem:
If you are using a 256 colors system you probably have little problems with 256 color cursors and high/true color cursors, the cursors may display irrelevant colors. Why ? Windows is able to display 256 colors, but this 256 colors are not the same colors everytimes. The 256 colors vary because the system searches 256 colors which are requested in a special situation. If there's a picture of a sunset on your desktop, the Windows system select many tones of red, there are maybe 200 variations of red. If there's a picture with a blue sky, there are maybe 200 variations of blue. The system selects the most appropriate 256 colors for this picture. When you want to open two or three different colored pictures, the system has problems to display proper colors.
Windows reserves only 20 standard colors for it's own interface elements, especially cursors and icons. These are everytimes the same colors and for this reason you haven't any problems with 16 color cursors. If you have a 256 color system, probably only 20 colors are perfect, the other colors are depending from other factors, wallpaper colors or picture colors e.g.. If there's a sunset, there's only a palette of red tones and in this case the 256 / true color cursor probably looks terrible. So you should run a True Color or - much better - a High Color system to avoid this problems.
Second problem:
The system can't make out the use of 256 / true color cursors automatically and/or in the Windows standard settings this option is switched off. You have to "say" it to the system / switch on the option.
Solution for Windows versions excepted Win95 or NT:
Activate option
There is a special option in "Settings / Control Panel / Display Properties / Effects" where you can switch on displaying symbols with the most highest color-mode. Enable this option.
Solution for Win95 or NT, where the option mentioned above doesn't exist:
If you own MS Plus!
If you own the MS Plus! pack it's no problem to "say" it to the system. Change the desktop settings in "Settings / Control Panel / Display Properties / Plus!". There's an option to display symbols with the most highest color-mode. Enable it.
If you own Microangelo 98
If you own the program Microangelo, open Microangelo Engineer, select "Local System Update" from the Config menu, select the Systems tab and look for the first row where you can see the crayons symbol. There you can see the "Maximum Icon Colors". In case there are only 16 click the little button and choose the option "16bit - (Displays up to 65,535 colors)" or "24bit - (Displays up to 16 million colors)" ....
Neither MS Plus! nor Microangelo
No MS Plus! or Microangelo available ? Once again no big problem. The freeware program MULEVEL (
Impact Software) will allow you to use and display high-color icons and cursors on your computer providing your video driver is running in High-Color or True Color mode. It's a very simple and easy program, see the included readme.txt for further instructions.
Download MULEVEL now (13 KB).
