AOTop Program (v2.06) Operation and Features User's Reference Guide

AOTOP PROGRAM
OPERATION AND FEATURES

USER’S REFERENCE GUIDE
Revised Retail Edition, Version 2.06
“AOTOP: Ad Obfuscating Tool for Visual Privacy Protection” (tm)
© 2002-2010 BY ATASPEC SOFTWARE
The AOTOP Program’s Official User Reference Guide and Help Document
Author: Pierre R. Desloover
Revision: 2.06 - Retail - USA Edition - Web site URL: http://www.ataspec-software.com

AOTOP.EXE v2.06 © 2002-2010 Ataspec Software. All Rights Reserved.
NOTICE: THE UTILITY’S 30-DAY FREE TRIAL HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED AS OF JULY 1, 2010.
A PERMANENT USE LICENSE / UNLOCK CODE MUST BE PURCHASED FIRST VIA SECURE WEB
STORE IN ORDER TO RUN THIS RETAIL PRODUCT.
PLEASE DISREGARD ANY REFERENCES TO THE 30-DAY FREE TRIAL IN THIS MANUAL.
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Contents Arranged By Topic:
About AOTop ---------------------------------------------
General
Forward …………………………………………………………………………………. 008
About AOTop …...………………………………………………………………………. 009
System Requirements …………………………………………………………………… 010
Product Release Information ……………………………………………………………. 011
Typical Usage Scenarios (ISP) …………………………………………………………. 012
Typical Usage Scenarios (Browser) ……………………………………………………. 013
Typical Usage Scenarios (Desktop) ……………………………………………………. 014
Registered versus Trial Product ………………………………………………………… 015
Getting Program Help Fast ……………………………………………………………… 090
Registering
How To Register Product ……………………………………………………………….. 016
Contacting Product Support …………………………………………………………….. 017
Privacy Policy …………………………………………………………………………… 018
Legal
End User License Agreement ………………………………………………………….. 019
Copyright Notice ……………………………………………………………………….. 020
Cited Products Notice ………………………………………………………………….. 021
Getting Started ------------------------------------------
Unzipping AOTop
Unzipping AOTop ………………………………………………………………………. 022
Installing AOTop
Installing AOTop ……………………………………………………………………….. 024
Setup Messages …………………………………………………………………………. 025
Installation Notes ……………………………………………………………………….. 027
Installed Notice …………………………………………………………………………. 028
Uninstalling AOTop
Uninstalling AOTop ……………………………………………………………………. 029
Uninstall/Re-Install Troubleshooting …………………………………………………… 030
Controls and Features ----------------------------------
Main Controls Window ………………………………………………………………… 031
Hide Main Form Controls ……………………………………………………………….. 032
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Command Shortcuts …………………………………………………………………….. 033
Links Section
Activate Host Links Window ………………………………………………………….. 034
Create Host Links Window ……………………………………………………………. 036
Edit Host Link Window ……………………………………………………………….. 038
Preferences Section
Set Preferences Window ………………………………………………………………. 040
Select Color Window ………………………………………………………………….. 043
Picture Section
Select Picture File Controls ……………………………………………………………. 046
Select Picture File Window ……………………………………………………………. 044
Title Bar Caption Section

Title Bar Caption Controls …………………………………………………………….. 048
Edit Custom Text Window …………………………………………………………….. 047
Kick Timer Section

Kick Timer Controls …………………………………………………………………… 049
How To Topics --------------------------------------------
How To Topics …………………………………………………………………………. 050
Getting Started
How To UnPack/Unzip AOTop ……………………………………………………….. 022
How To Install AOTop ………………………………………………………………… 024
How To Uninstall AOTop …………………………………………………………….. 029
How To Re-Install AOTop ……………………………………………………………. 024
How To Register Product ……………………………………………………………… 016
Main Operating Controls ------------------------------
How To Operate Controls ……………………………………………………………… 031

How To Show or Hide Controls ……………………………………………………….. 032
Activating or Deactivating Links

How To Activate a Link ……………………………………………………………….. 034
How To Deactivate a Link …………………………………………………………….. 034
How To Bring Host To Top …………………………………………………………… 034
Creating and Editing Links
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How To Add a Link …………………………………………………………………….. 036
How To Delete a Link ………………………………………………………………….. 036
How To Edit a Link …………………………………………………………………….. 036
How to Move or Resize a Link …………………………………………………………. 036
Setting Link Options

How To Enter or Edit a Link's Title ……………………………………………………. 038
How To Set Link's Title Matching Method ……………………………………………. 038
How To Enable/Disable Host Window Class Name Matching ……………………….. 038
How To Record Link's Host Window Class Name ……………………………………. 039
How To Enable/Disable Link's Auto Execute …………………………………………. 039
How To Enable/Disable Browser Host Window Auto Terminate Link ………………. 039
How To Home Link's Position to Host Window's Top Left Corner …………………… 039
Setting Form and Picture Box Options

How To Align Picture Box to Form ……………………………………………………. 040
How To Enable/Disable Picture Box Auto-Sizing ……………………………………... 040
How To Show/Hide the Picture Box Border …………………………………………… 040
How To Set Picture Box Appearance to 3D or Flat ……………………………………. 041
How To Set AOTop Form Startup Window State ……………………………………… 041
How To Enable/Disable AOTop Form Always-On-Top Behavior ……………………. 041
How To Show/Hide AOTop Form Tool Tips Text …………………………………….. 041
How To Set Palette A or B as the Current Active Color Palette ………………………. 041
How To Select Background Color for AOTop Form or Picture Box ………………….. 041
How To Reset Picture Box and Form Preference Options ……………………………... 040
Showing Picture Files

How To Show, Hide or Unload Picture File ……………………………………………. 045
How To Show Previous or Next Picture File …………………………………………… 045
How To Show the Picture File List's Current Selected File ……………………………. 044
How To Show a Previously Viewed Picture File from the Viewed List ………………. 044
How To Edit the Picture File Type Pattern List ………………………………………… 044
Selecting and Editing Title Bar Caption

How To Display Custom Text, Host's or Link's Window Title, or Blank …………….. 048
How To Enter or Edit a Title Bar Caption String ………………………………………. 048
How To Use Special Text String Modifiers in Caption ………………………………… 047
Using Optional KickTimer

How To Select the Kick Timer Interval ………………………………………………… 049
How To Enable/Disable the Kick Timer ……………………………………………….. 049
Trouble-Shooting Topics -------------------------------
4
Trouble-Shooting Topics ………………………………………………………………... 051
Program Messages
Prompt and Info Type Messages ……………………………………………………….. 052
Warning Type Messages ……………………………………………………………….. 054
Critical Type Messages and Trapped/Filtered VB 5.0 Error Messages ……………….. 057
UnPack Messages ………………………………………………………………………. 023
Setup Messages ………………………………………………………………………… 025
Memory Trouble-Shooting
Disabling Resources Low Warning ……………………………………………………. 059
Avoiding Resources Low Scenario …………………………………………………….. 060
Links Trouble-Shooting
What can cause Link to no longer work ………………………………………………... 061
Link is activated for wrong Host ……………………………………………………….. 063
Link loses its On-Topness ……………………………………………………………… 065
Trouble-Shooting Links ………………………………………………………………… 064
General Trouble-Shooting
Entering Product Registration Key ……………………………………………………... 103
Registered versus Trial Product ………………………………………………………… 015
When it is necessary to Re-install ………………………………………………………. 104
Uninstall/Re-Install Troubleshooting …………………………………………………… 030
Unsupported Items ……………………………………………………………………… 079
Don't Do Items ………………………………………………………………………….. 080
AOTop Method or Program Shortcomings …………………………………………….. 078
Reporting AOTop Problems …………………………………………………………….. 066
System-Level Topics -------------------------------------
System-Level Topics ……………………………………………………………………. 067
Program Theory
General
Tool Design Objectives ………………………………………………………………… 068
Brief on Competing Methods ………………………………………………………….. 069
Method Advantages
AOTop Method Advantages …………………………………………………………… 070
Examples of Screen Content that can be Covered …………………………………….. 071
Program Extensions
Configurable Options with Session to Session Memory ……………………………… 072
5
Display the Images you want to ………………………………………………………. 073
Customize Appearance of Picture Box that Displays Images ………………………… 074
Doubles as a Picture Viewer Utility …………………………………………………… 075
Virtual Image Cropping ……………………………………………………………….. 076
Customize Form Title Bar with your Text or a Note ………………………………….. 077
Method Disadvantages
AOTop Method or Program Shortcomings …………………………………………….. 078
Unsupported Items
Unsupported Items …………………………………………………………………….. 079
Don't Do Items
Don't Do Items …………………………………………………………………………. 080
Program Operation ---------------------------------------
General
Main Controls Module …………………………………………………………………. 081
Startup Order …………………………………………………………………………… 082
Main versus Link Operation Differences ………………………………………………. 083
Identifying Links on OS Task Bar and use of Titles …………………………………... 084
Identifying Links or Main Module by Form's Icon ……………………………………. 085
Create and Activate Function Windows ……………………………………………….. 086
Child versus Top Level Application Links …………………………………………….. 087
Multiple Links per Host or Child Window …………………………………………….. 088
Backing-up/Restoring AOTop Registry Entries ……………………………………….. 089
Getting Program Help Fast …………………………………………………………….. 090
Automation
Automatic Window Z-Order/Overlap Logic …………………………………………… 091
Automatic Link Host Window Position Tracking …………………………………….. 092
Automatic Termination of Browser Pop-ups/over/unders …………………………….. 093
Behavior
Startup Minimizing or Maximizing …………………………………………………….. 094
Kick-Timer and Drop Down Menus ……………………………………………………. 095
Browser Scroll Bar Usage ……………………………………………………………… 096
Prevention of Click-Thru to Ads ………………………………………………………. 097
Link Persistence and Auto-Exec ……………………………………………………….. 098
Auto-Term Feature for Browser Window ……………………………………………… 099
OS Task Bar use to Switch Focus to Host or its Link ………………………………….. 100
Registration
Identifying a Registered versus Trial Copy ……………………………………………. 101
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About the Request Number ……………………………………………………………. 102
Entering the Product Registration Key ………………………………………………… 103
When it is necessary to Re-install ……………………………………………………... 104
Optimizing Topics ----------------------------------------
Optimizing Topics ……………………………………………………………………… 105
General
What can or can't be Covered ………………………………………………………….. 106
Window Title Matching Strategies …………………………………………………….. 107
Other Features to Fine-Tune Matching ………………………………………………… 108
Creating Single/Multiple Links for Host Window …………………………………….. 109
Special Reserved Link Title Name "/" ………………………………………………… 114
Usage Illustrations and Sample Links

Typical Usage Scenarios (ISP) ………………………………………………………… 012
Typical Usage Scenarios (Browser) …………………………………………………… 013
Typical Usage Scenarios (Desktop) …………………………………………………… 014
Sample Host Links …………………………………………………………………….. 114
Browser Specific
Browser Tips and Techniques …………………………………………………………. 110
AOL Specific
AOL Tips and Techniques …………………………………………………………….. 111
Creating Link for AOL File Transfer Window ………………………………………... 113
Specifications ----------------------------------------------
System Specifications …………………………………………………………………... 115

Forms Specifications …………………………………………………………………… 116
Sample Links ----------------------------------------------
Sample Host Links ……………………………………………………………………… 117
Glossary ----------------------------------------------------
AOTop Terminology …………………………………………………………………… 119
7
Forward
Ataspec Software wishes to acknowledge and thank those who made it possible to develop and deliver this new software
utility into the realm of practical mass usage for the purpose of enhancing the quality of the Human Visual Experience
when interfacing with the modern day era Windows PC Desktop screen.
2002-2009
WA State, USA
8
About AOTop
AOTop (tm) is an: “Ad Obfuscating Tool for Visual Privacy Protection” (tm)
AOTop Provides Fast, Safe, and Effective Low-Cost Relief from On-Line Banner Ads and Pop-ups!
Each user-created AOTop Link Form targets an area in its Host Application Window to cover and each can be independently
customized in many different ways like displaying your Graphic Art or Photo Files as the content you see instead. AOTop
automatically memorizes and manages all your customizations on a session-to-session basis, so it’s always ready when you are.
AOTop’s Resident Program Module continuously monitors changes in the System in real-time to ensure that it can instantly
provide you with the Visual Privacy Protection you need each time it’s needed!
AOTop Product comparison with other competing Products, Methods and/or Services:
Features AOTop Competitors
Independence: Full, does not need Web site service Tied to Web site service for functionality
Cost: Low cost, yearly subscription High monthly cost = Hundreds yearly?
Customization: Highly customizable and modular None, you’re stuck with what they provide
Security: Inherently secure local app. No control over what service may do, track
Privacy: Cannot be detected by other sites Can be detected by other sites
Coverage Target: Browser, AOL, MSN, Desktop apps. Browser only: no AOL, MSN, or others
Coverage Type: Banner/pop-up ads, plus App. areas Browser only: includ. scrolling (no apps)
Availability: Always ready when you are Subject to availability of site service
Stability: Does not change system files Risky if method changes system files
Ease of use: Easy to use, setup and configure Yes, but setup/proxy configuration difficult
Extensions: Photo/Image viewer + Note utility None
Automation: Full, once Links are defined Full, but requires updates from site
Maintenance: Little maintenance required Little, but requires periodic updates
Memory Use: Each Link uses system memory Amount system memory doesn’t matter
Surfing Speed: Does not affect speed of surfing Speeds up surfing by refusing Ad data
AOTop.exe Version 2.06 Copyright 2002-2009 Ataspec Software. All Rights Reserved. USA Ed.
AOTop was built with Microsoft VB 5.0 Enterprise Edition, SP2.
9
System Requirements
System Requirements for installing and running AOTop (tm) are:
Oper. System: 32-Bit Microsoft Windows 95 - Vista

CPU Type: 486DX or higher, Pentium-Class recommended
Memory: 64 MB RAM minimum, 128 MB RAM or more recommended
Hard Drive: Required (Product must be installed on a Fixed Hard Disk Drive)
Display: VGA, SVGA or better. More than 256 colors and 1024x768 resolution recommended.
Mouse: Microsoft or PS/2 compatible
Keyboard: 101-Key or better
Printer: Optional
Related Topic: System Specifications
10
Product Release Information
Product Release History and Modifications:
Version Build Date Modifications
2.00 .001 04/20/02 Initial Product Release.

2.00 .002 05/04/02 New “Terminate Pop-up” feature.
2.00 .003 06/02/02 “Terminate Pop-up” feature fully functional.
2.00 .004 04/02/04 Allow "Http://..." AOTop Link Titles.
2.00 .006 02/12/09 XP and VISTA OS support added.
11
Typical Usage Scenarios (ISP)
This screen shot illustrates AOTop at work full-time in three places in an ISP Host Application’s Main window. The first
AOTop Link covers the Application’s animation glyph that appears in upper right hand corner. The other two AOTop Links are
concurrently active in the Application’s Child window to cover up the several Ad space areas that constitute part of that Child
Form. If you were to close this Child window, then those two AOTop Child Links would be closed as well leaving one
remaining active AOTop Link for the Host Application window depicted here.
Related Topic: Examples of Screen Content that can be Covered
12
Typical Usage Scenarios (Browser)
This screen shot shows three AOTop Links deployed in a Browser Host Application’s window. The first AOTop Link covers the
Browser’s animation glyph that appears in upper right hand corner. The other two AOTop Links are both active in the Browser’s
Client window providing coverage for several of the Ad space areas that appear on this Site’s Home Page. If you were to browse
to another Page of this Site, then these two AOTop Links would be closed and replaced (if so programmed) by one or more other
AOTop Links created specifically for the newer Site Page.
13
Typical Usage Scenarios (Desktop)
The partial Desktop screen shot shown here illustrates four Top-Level Application windows running with multiple AOTop Links
active. The resident AOTop Main Control Module is the small Application window visible in the upper right corner of this
picture. The five other AOTop Links are located within their respective Host Application windows. One of those applications
has two Links active and the others have just one active Link each. The OS Task Bar at the bottom of the illustration shows these
four active Desktop Applications, the resident AOTop Main Module, and the other five active AOTop Links.
14
Registered versus Trial Product
Differences between the Registered/Licensed Product and the Trial Product:
1. Licensed Product has Full Use of essential AOTop features enabled, where as the Trial Product is limited:
Essential Features Trial Copy Licensed Copy
Total Number Host Links user can Create: 8 32767

Total Number Host Links can Run Concurrently: 4 Limited only by Memory
Total Number Host Links can Run per Host*: 2 Limited only by Memory
(*Host = Any one window that a Link can be created for)
2. Licensed Product (single-user, non-transferable) is good for up to 1-Year of Non-Expiring fully enabled Program feature use
and does not display the Unlock prompting or Trial Copy reminder messages. The Trial Product expires within 60-days of
installation and always displays the Program startup Unlock prompting and Trial Copy reminder messages.
3. Licensed Product program copy can be software Upgraded Freely (Minor or Major version releases) until License Expires.
There is no charge if you upgrade the AOTop program while your Product License is current.
4. Licensed Product users get access to Technical Product Support for answers not found in Program Help.
Related Topic: How To Register Product
15
How To Register Product
To Purchase and Register the AOTop Product for a 1-Year Subscription License Term:
1. Use the link on Ataspec Software’s website (URL: http://www.ataspec-software.com) \UTILITIES page to connect to
the secure web store site hosted by SWREG.org and follow the instructions there to purchase a product license for
AOTop.
2. Copy and Paste the Product Request Number into an email addressed to Ataspec Software product support email
address <pierredesl@aol.com > to get your personalized Product Registration Key. The Product Request Number can be
copied from the installed AOTop Program Main Module About Box, Contact Info Window Request Number Field. Once your
payment has been verified, the Registration Key will be sent to your Email address.
3. Enter the Registration Key. Once you receive your Registration Key, run AOTop program. Select [Yes] in "Register and
Unlock AOTop?" message box. Enter the Registration Key you received from Ataspec Software carefully.
Note: Registration Key must be entered into AOTop within 1-month after you receive it from Ataspec Software. If you allow it
to expire before you enter it and register your Product Program Copy, then you will need to obtain a new one before you can
successfully register your Program Copy.
To Renew the AOTop Product 1-Year Subscription License Term:
1. If the AOTop Program has notified you that your 1-Year Subscription Term has Expired, then re-purchase and re-register the
AOTop Product Program Copy for another 1-Year Subscription Term as detailed above in Registration Steps 1-3. If you allow
your Subscription to expire, the Product copy will automatically revert back to its original Free Trial mode of operation.
2. Or to renew subscription early before it Expires, wait until near the end of your current 1-Year Subscription Term, and follow
above Registration Steps 1 and 2 to obtain your new Product Registration Key. When you get it, re-install the Product using the
[New Install] Setup Program Path and make sure that you answer [Yes] to the warning prompt in order to complete the renewal
correctly. Finally follow above Step 3 to enter your new Registration Key.
Note: AOTop notifies you one month in advance of the 1-Year Subscription Expiration event.
Related Topics:
About the Product Request Number
Entering the Product Registration Key
Registered versus Trial Product
About AOTop
End User License Agreement
16
Contacting Product Support
Contact Ataspec Software Technical Product Support via:
Email address: pierredesl@aol.com
Related Topic: How To Register Product
17
Privacy Policy
Ataspec Software maintains a database of customer contact names, addresses and/or email addresses solely for the purposes of
fulfilling Customer Product orders and Product Support issues. Ataspec Software shall keep this customer data strictly
confidential and will under no circumstances sell, give or otherwise divulge customer data to any other party or individual outside
of Ataspec Software for any reason, except in cases of having to comply with USA law.
18
End User License Agreement
General Terms of Product End-User License Agreement (EULA):
The AOTop (tm) Product Software Programs and Files collectively known as “AOTop” are provided to the End-User “as is”
without any warranties expressed or otherwise implied. Ataspec Software, the manufacturer and distributor of this Product,
promises solely that Product will perform as described in the Program Help Documentation and that End-User may request
refund of Product cost in the event they are not fully satisfied with the Product within the first 30-days of Registered Product
License use. Ataspec Software shall not be held liable for any program errors, system incompatibilities, damage to the End-
User’s data or system, or loss of time that may result from using this Software Product. The Product may not be copied,
modified, disassembled, or reverse-engineered. The Product may not be transmitted, sold, rented, or distributed by any other
entity in any format, electronic or otherwise. The End-User License or use of it does not imply or grant ownership of the AOTop
Product Software. The Software manufacturer retains exclusive ownership of the AOTop Product. The Software manufacturer
and its direct assignees, retain exclusive worldwide distribution rights for all distribution methods (electronic or otherwise) for
the AOTop Product.
Specific Terms of the 1-Year Subscription Product EULA:
This is a Single-user, non-transferable, one-system Software Program Copy Use License that grants Full Feature Use of the
AOTop Product on their computer system for a period of up to 1-Year from the time the Product is Registered on End-User’s
system. When the 1-Year Subscription period expires, the End-User has option of renewing Product License Use by re-
registering their Product Program copy. The product may be used on only one computer system at a time and by one user. End-
user may make one Program copy for back-up purposes only. End-User agrees to destroy their Product copy promptly in the
event that they are refunded Product cost. End-Users may upgrade their Product version at no extra cost provided their
Subscription is not expired. End-User is also entitled to free limited Technical Product Support for answers not found in Program
Help.
Note: Use of the Registered AOTop Product by End-User is an acceptance of the EULA General Terms and Specific Terms of
the 1-Year Subscription Product EULA.
19
Copyright Notice
AOTop (tm) Product Copyright Notice:
The AOTop Product Software Programs and Files collectively known as “AOTop” are copyrighted by Software manufacturer
Ataspec Software as the author of these original works.
AOTop.exe Version 2.06 Copyright 2002-2010 Ataspec Software. All Rights Reserved. Retail Edition USA
(AOTop Program Files: AOTop.exe, AOTLK.exe, AOTunpak.exe, AOTHelp.hlp, AOTHelp.cnt, and Setup1.exe are individually
copyrighted.)
Warning: AOTop is the physical and intellectual property of Ataspec Software and it may at its own discretion seek to protect
its property and prosecute individuals found illegally copying, distributing or using this Product in violation of the Product
EULA, to the maximum extent possible under the laws that govern the rights and protection granted to authors of copyrighted
works.
20
Cited Products Notice
Cited Product Trademark or Service mark Acknowledgements:
Windows, MSN, and Visual Basic are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel
Corporation. AOL is a registered trademark of AOL Time Warner, Inc. Acrobat Reader is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc. Other
cited products, trademark, or service mark names are the property of their respective owners.
21
Unzipping AOTop
The AOTop Version 2.06 Product is distributed electronically in the form of a Zipped Archive File “AOTop206.zip”.
Electronic Distribution Method:
Electronic Distribution via Zipped Archive File named “AOTop206.zip”.
This Zipped Archive File is to be downloaded to your local hard drive, unzipped with a third party unzipping utility, and then
installed on your system by running the AOTop Setup program.
Related Topic: Installing AOTop
22
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23
Installing AOTop
The AOTop Product must be installed first before it can be used on your system. This is done by running the AOTop Setup
program “Setup.exe”. Note: Windows XP/Vista users must use Administrator’s account to Install/Run AOTop.
To Install the AOTop Product on your system, follow these steps:
1. Run the Setup.exe program that is located on your Hard Drive in the Destination directory that you selected to unzip or
unarchive the Product files into.
2. Specify a complete target Destination Path to the directory on your local hard drive to install the Product to. You can accept
the Setup program’s default Destination Path (and name of the Product installation directory), or you can modify the Destination
Path (and name of the Product installation directory) to your liking by clicking the [Change Directory] button and then
specifying a new Destination Path and/or Product Installation directory name. Note: you cannot install the Product to other than
a Local Fixed Hard Drive media type.
3. Click the Large Setup button to complete the Product installation.
Upon the successful installation of the AOTop Product, the Setup program will display the confirmation message: “AOTop
V2.06 Setup was completed successfully”. It will also display an informational message with directions for running and
uninstalling the Product.
The product is now ready for use.
To Run AOTop:
Select the program from the Windows Start, Programs menu. Alternately, create a Windows Desktop shortcut to the AOTop.exe
program located in the product installation Folder by using the Windows Desktop Right-click menu New, Shortcut options to
browse to and then select it.
To Uninstall the AOTop Product: see Uninstalling AOTop.
To Re-Install the AOTop Product, follow these steps:
1. Uninstall the AOTop Product.
2. Run AOTop Setup program.
3. Select the [New Install] button to install AOTop if your program copy has Expired, or to renew your 1-year subscription
early before it Expires. Otherwise, select the [Re-install/Upgrade] button to Re-install AOTop or Upgrade to a newer version of
it.
Related Topics:
Installation Notes
Installed Notice
Setup Messages
24
Setup Messages
The List of Setup Program Messages specific to the AOTop Installation:
Caption: AOTop V2.06 Setup

Description: AOTop V2.06 Setup was completed successfully.
Action: Click the [OK] button.

Description: To RUN AOTop: Select the program from the Windows Start, Programs menu. Alternately, create a
Windows Desktop shortcut to the AOTop.exe program located in the product installation Folder by using the
Windows Desktop Right-click menu New->Shortcut options to browse to and then select it. To
UNINSTALL: First select the Control Panel from Windows Start, Settings menu, and run the Add/Remove
Programs Applet. Next, find and select the AOTop program on the displayed list and then click
[Add/Remove...] button.
Action: Click the [OK] button.

Description: Sorry, AOTop can only be installed from a Fixed Drive. Re-run Setup from Product files located on a Fixed
Drive.
Cause: (Electronic distribution only) You are attempting to run the AOTop Product Installation Setup program on
other than a Fixed Hard Drive media type.
Remedy: Run Setup from a Fixed Hard Drive only. Any other media type is not authorized by Ataspec Software for
this specific distribution method of the AOTop product.

Description: Sorry, AOTop can only be installed on a Fixed Drive. Please select a new Destination Drive to install to.
Cause: You are attempting to install the AOTop Product to other than a Fixed Hard Drive media type.
Remedy: Select only a Fixed Hard Drive media type as part of the Destination Path to install to. Any other media type
is not authorized by Ataspec Software for this specific version of the AOTop product.

Description: AOTop was previously installed on your system. Select the [New Install] button to install AOTop if your
program copy has Expired, or to renew your 1-year subscription early before it Expires. Otherwise, select the
[Re-install/Upgrade] button to Re-install AOTop or Upgrade to a newer version of it. To Cancel Setup,
select the [Cancel Setup] button.
Cause: Setup has determined that the AOTop Product was previously installed on your system.
Action: Select the [New Install] button to install AOTop if your program copy has Expired, or to renew your 1-year
subscription early before it Expires. Otherwise, select the [Re-install/Upgrade] button to Re-install AOTop
or Upgrade to a newer version of it. To Cancel Setup, select the [Cancel Setup] button.

Description: Sorry, your program copy of AOTop is Expired. You must re-run Setup and select the [New Install] option
instead.
Cause: You are attempting to re-install the AOTop Product via the [Re-install/Upgrade] Setup program path option,
but since your AOTop Product program copy is expired, you must use the [New Install] Setup program path
option instead.
Remedy: Re-run Setup and select the [New Install] option instead.
25
Description: Warning: your program copy of AOTop is not Expired. The [New Install] option will invalidate your
unexpired copy. It is recommended that you select the [Re-install/Upgrade] Setup option instead. Are you
sure you want to proceed with the New Install?
Cause: You are attempting to re-install the AOTop Product via the [New Install] Setup program path option, but
since your AOTop Product program copy is not expired, you should use the [Re-install/Upgrade] Setup
program path option instead in order not to invalidate your unexpired program copy.
Action: Select the [Yes] button if you want to proceed with the New Install and invalidate your unexpired product
program copy, or select the [No] button to return to the Setup Path options dispatch selection dialog box
where you can select the [Re-install/Upgrade] Setup program path option instead.
Special Note: Select the [Yes] button to renew your 1-year subscription early before it Expires.
Parent Topic: Installing AOTop
26
Installation Notes
Product Files in the Product Installation Directory:
AOTop Setup places all the necessary files it needs in the Product Installation Directory you selected. Warning: None of the
installed Product Files should be moved, renamed, modified or deleted from the Installation Product Directory, otherwise you
will invalidate your AOTop Product installation and you will need to re-install it. The file named St5unst.log is used by the
Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs System uninstaller should you decide to remove the Product from your system, so it must
not be deleted either.
What Files can be removed safely:
You can remove the product distribution file “AOTop206.zip” from your Hard Drive after you have successfully installed the
product if you are low on free Drive space.
System Registry Entries:
AOTop Setup also creates entries in the Windows System Registry Database that are necessary for running and customizing
AOTop. Warning: Do not remove or modify the AOTop System Registry entries, otherwise you will invalidate your AOTop
Product installation and you will need to re-install it. One exception to this modification rule is the AOTop Registry
MemTestOff Bypass flag.
27
Installed Notice
Free 60-Day Trial Period:
Installation marks the beginning of the AOTop Free 60-Day Trial Period in which time you may use the installed Product
Program Copy freely on your Windows Desktop system solely for purposes of evaluating the Product’s usefulness to you as a
personal productivity tool. The Trial Program Copy will expire and cease to be usable within 60-days from the Date of
installation on your system. Should you ultimately decide to purchase the Fully-enabled and Non-expiring 1-Year Subscription
Product, then it will be as convenient as unlocking the AOTop Program Copy already installed on your system by obtaining a
Product Registration Key from the AOTop Product manufacturer Ataspec Software.
For information on Registering the Product, see: How To Register Product.
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Uninstalling AOTop
To Uninstall the AOTop Product, follow these steps:
1. Select the Control Panel from Windows Start, Settings menu, and run the Add/Remove Programs Utility.
2. Find and select the AOTop program on the displayed list and then click [Add/Remove...] button.
3. Manually remove any Windows Desktop shortcuts to the AOTop.exe program you may have created.
Related Topics:
Installing AOTop
Uninstall/Re-Install Troubleshooting
29
Product Program Files:
Normally, the Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs Windows System utility will be able to completely remove the Product
Files and the Product Installation directory provided that the AOTop Setup created St5unst.log (*) file can be found in the
Product Installation directory.
However, it should be noted that if the System uninstaller does not completely remove all files from the Product Installation
Directory, then subsequent re-installations of the Product Files to the same Installation Directory may cause the AOTop Setup
program to warn you that those files exist already in the Destination Directory. If this happens, exit the Setup program, manually
remove any remaining files from the Product Installation Directory, and then re-run the Setup Program.
AOTop System Registry Entries:
It is not necessary or desirable to remove the AOTop System Registry Entries that are created and updated by AOTop, since these
Registry Entries contain your customized AOTop Data. When the Product is uninstalled and subsequently re-installed, the
AOTop System Registry Entries containing your AOTop Data are left intact to preserve your customizations purposely.
However, in the unlikely event that your attempt to uninstall and then re-install the Product still fails even after trying the [New
Install] Setup program path, then it will be necessary to first run the Windows Regedit.exe (**) utility program located in the
Windows directory to remove the AOTop System Registry Parent Key Entry: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VB and
VBA Program Settings\AOTop]. The down side to this rather drastic course of action is that any AOTop customizations will be
lost.
Warning: If you are not familiar with using the Regedit utility, then do not attempt to modify the System Registry Settings
yourself since making a mistake could render your System completely inaccessible! Seek the help of those who have experience
with this utility or contact Ataspec Software Product Support.
Parent Topic: Uninstalling AOTop

Related Topic: Backing-up/Restoring AOTop Registry Entries
(*) The St5unst.log file is created by the AOTop Setup Program and is placed in the Product Installation directory. This file is
used by the Windows System uninstaller utility to uninstall and remove the Product files in the Product Installation directory and
therefore should not be removed from that directory.
(**) The Regedit.exe Windows System utility is used to modify settings in the Windows System Registry Database. This utility
resides under the Windows directory on your system.
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Main Controls Window
Links Section (Main Module only):

Activate or Deactivate a Link to a Host Application window
Create, Edit, or Delete a Link to a Host Application window
Preferences Section:
Set Preferences for the Picture Box or the AOTop Form
Picture Section:
Show selected Picture File

Hide selected Picture File
Unload Picture File if one has been viewed
Show Previous Picture File from Most Recently Viewed Picture Files List
Show Next Picture File in current selected Picture File Directory
Select and show a Picture File
Title Bar Caption Section:
Display Custom Text in Title Bar Caption

Display Host’s Window Title or Main’s Title in Title Bar Caption
Display Link’s Window Title or Main Module’s Screen Position and Size
Display a Blank Title Bar Caption
Enter or Edit Custom Text in a Title Bar Caption
Kick Timer Section:
Enable Kick Timer with an Interval setting of 0.25 seconds

Enable/Disable optional Kick Timer with the selected Refresh Interval
Main Form:
Hide Main Form Controls
Main/Link Form ID Icons: Main with Focus: w/o: Link with Focus: w/o:
31
Hide Main Form Controls
Button:
To Hide the AOTop Main Form Controls and restore the Main Form Window size dimensions to its previous settings, click this
button (or type <ESCAPE>). If you are viewing one of AOTop’s other function Windows, then you must first [Close] it before
using the Main Form Controls [Hide Controls] button.
To Show the Main Form Controls again, Left click on the Main Form or Picture Box (or type <ENTER>) when Form or Picture
Box has the Focus.
Note: AOTop Form Controls are positioned at the bottom right hand corner of the Form if it is in the Maximized state. This is
done so that the controls are not displayed at the top of any Image that you might have displayed for this Form.
Related Topic: Command Shortcuts
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Command Shortcuts
Commands Mouse Buttons Keys
Get Help Topics: Left Click within Frame <F1> when Form or Control has Focus
Show About Box: Right Click within Frame <ALT+F1> when Form or Picture Box has Focus
Show Controls: Left Click Form/Picture <ENTER> when Form or Picture Box has Focus
Hide Controls: Left Click [Hide Controls] <ESC>
Close Form: Left Click [Close] <ESC>
Exit Main/Link: Left Click Form’s <ALT+F4>
Form Buttons: Left Click [Button N] <ALT>+Underlined Letter on Button N
[Prev.] Picture: Left Click [Prev.] <PGUP> when Form or Picture Box has Focus
[Next] Picture: Right Click Form/Picture <PGDN> when Form or Picture Box has Focus
Move Form: Set Focus to Form, Left Click on Title Bar and Drag it to a new location
Resize Form: Drag any edge or corner of Form to effect a new width and/or height
Minimize Form: Left Click Form’s
Maximize Form: Left Click Form’s or Double-Click on Title Bar when Normalized
Min. Host + Link: Left Click Host Form’s
Rest. Host + Link: Left Click Host on Task Bar, or Double-Click on Title Bar when Maximized
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Activate Host Links Window
Buttons:
Activate selected Memorized Host Window Link if not already active

Deactivate selected Memorized Host Window Link if active
Bring selected Link's Top Level. App. Host window to Top of Window Z-Order
Close the Activate Host Links window
To Activate a Link: Select an inactive Host Link entry on the Memorized List, then click the [Activ.] button. A Host Link is
activated automatically if its Auto-Execute (*) option feature is set to “On” when its Host application window is run while the
AOTop Main module is resident. Likewise, Host Links are also made active if the AOTop Main module is run after you have
run any of your linked Host applications.
Note: a Host Link cannot be manually or automatically activated unless its associated Host Window is running.
To Deactivate a Link: Select an active Host Link entry on the Memorized List, then click the [Deact.] button. A Host Link can
be deactivated manually by clicking on that Form’s System Close “X” Icon at the top of the Form, but only if the Link’s Auto-
Execute option feature is set to “Off”. Closing the Link’s Host Window or the AOTop Main module will also deactivate a Link
automatically.
Tip: You can alternately minimize a Host Link Form to remove it from the screen display temporarily instead of having to set its
Auto-Execute option feature to “Off” first before using either the [Deact.] button or the Form’s System Close “X” Icon to close a
Host Link Form.
To Bring Host to Top: Select an active Host Link on the Memorized List, then click the [Host] button. That will bring that
Link's Top Level Application Host window to the Top of the Window Z-Order (**) (or Child Host window to the Top of the
Child Window Z-Order) if the Link's Host window is active. This feature is useful for situations when the Host Window and its
Link Form are completely hidden behind other Desktop Windows. Note on alternate methods (***).
List
Memorized Host Window Links List: Each List entry is an Active or Inactive memorized Host Window Link. The Total
Host Window Links currently Active is indicated below this List on the screen. All Active Links are listed first in alphabetical
order in the List, followed by any remaining Inactive Links.
Related Topic: Registered versus Trial Product

(*) A Link is automatically activated for its Host Window if the Link’s Auto Execute option is set to “On” in the Edit Host Link
window (accessible via the [Edit] button in the Create Host Links window). “On” is the default setting for this option when a
Host Link is initially created.
(**) Window Z-Order refers to a window’s depth position along the Z-Axis with respect to the Desktop screen and other
windows currently active. When a window is in the foreground position of the Desktop on top of other active windows, it is at
the “Top” of the Z-Order above other Top Level Applications or it is at the “Top” of the Child Z-Order above other Child
windows of the same parent Top Level Application window.
(***) If a Host Link Form or a portion of it is visible on the screen, then Left clicking on the Link Form is another way to bring
its Host Window to the screen foreground. Also, there is the Windows System Task Bar method to select the window to activate
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and bring to the foreground. Identifying which Links belong to which Host Applications on the System Task Bar becomes much
easier when you use the Link’s Title Bar Caption Link or Host Title options so that Links on the Task Bar are easily identifiable
with their Host Applications. This feature is useful when you have many AOTop Links and Applications running at the same
time.
35
Create Host Links Window
Buttons:
Add selected Host Window Title to the Memorized Host Window Links List
Edit the selected Memorized Host Window Link
Delete selected Host Link on the Memorized Host Window Links List
Close the Create Host Links window
To Add a new Link:
1. Run targeted Host Application and/or Window
2. Select its Window Title on the Available Host Window Titles List (List on left side of the window)
3. Click the [Add >] button
The newly created memorized Host Link appears on the Memorized List (List on right side of the window) and then it is Auto-
Executed by default to the Home (Top Left) position of the Host Window.
Note: if the new Window Title already exists on the Memorized List, then you will be prompted to edit the existing Link Title
first to allow for similarly titled Host Links before a new Link can be added for that Host Window. When you close this
prompting message box, the pre-existing and matching Link Title that you should edit is automatically selected in the
Memorized Host Window Links List and scrolled into view.
To Delete a Link: Select an entry on the Memorized Host Window Links List (List on right side of the window), click the
[Delete] button, and then answer “Yes” to the confirmation message box prompt. Once a Host Link is deleted, you must use the
[Add>] button to recreate it.
To Edit a Link: Select the Host Link you wish to edit on the Memorized Host Window Links List, then click the [Edit] button
in this window, or alternately, double-click any one Memorized List entry to save a step.
To Move or Resize a Link:
To Move: First set the Focus to Link’s Window Title Bar and then hold the Left Mouse button down while dragging Link Form
to a new location in the Host Window. The Edit Host Link Window, which is accessible via the [Edit] button on this screen,
has a [Home] function button that can be used to reposition a Host Link to the Home position of its Host Window as well.
To Resize: First Hide Main Controls, then drag any one edge or corner of the Link Form in order to set its dimensions to match
the area of the screen that you wish to cover exactly. While AOTop Controls are visible, you will notice that you cannot resize
the Form to one smaller than the minimum size necessary to see the entire set of controls. If you want to set a smaller size for
any one AOTop Form, then Hide Main Controls first.
The new Host Link position and size is memorized so that the next time the Host Link is invoked, it will automatically be
restored to that same position and size regardless of where the Host Window is located on the screen. If you resize or maximize
36
the Host Window, then it may be necessary to reposition the Host Link to where you want it to be located relative to the new size
of the Host Window.
Lists
Available Host Window Titles List: Each List entry is either a Top Level Window or a Child Window. The entry at the top
of this List is the current Host Application at the Top of the Window Z-Order. If anyone uniquely titled Application or Window
is not shown on this List and it is active, then it is because AOTop does not consider that Host Window to be a valid Host
Window candidate for linking. There are certain Applications or types of Windows that AOTop will not create Links for: Modal
Windows, Titleless Windows, Hidden Windows, and AOTop itself.
Memorized Host Window Links List: Each List entry is a memorized Host Window Link. The current Total number of
memorized Host Window Links defined is indicated below this List in the window. The Total number memorized Host Links
possible is 32,767 when the product is Registered, but only eight (8) for the Free Trial product.
Note: If you already have the maximum number possible, you will need to [Delete] a Host Link first before you can [Add>]
another new Host Link.
37
Edit Host Link Window
Buttons:
Apply any edit changes made to Link's options and/or Close Edit window
Cancel any edit changes made to Link's options and close window
Record Link's Host Window Class Name
Home (Reset) Link's screen position to Host Window's Top Left Corner
Note: (*) Link Auto-Execs and a few other AOTop functions are not available in this window.
Default Settings (**) for this window.
Options:
To Enter or Edit Link’s Title: Enter or edit the Link’s Title string in the Title Textbox. The Host Link Title is the text
string that serves as the basis for matching a Host Window’s Title Bar Caption. When a Host Link Title string is added to the
Memorized Host Window Links List, it is initially the same as the Host Window’s Title Bar Caption, but can be subsequently
edited to a subset of the original string so that Fuzzy matching can be used to activate the Link. Note: Duplicate Host Link Title
strings are not permitted in the Memorized Host Window Links List.
To Set Link's Title Matching Method feature to Exact: Select the Exact Checkbox option. When this method is set, a
Link's Title must match its Host Window's Title exactly. This method is Case Sensitive.
To Set Link's Title Matching Method feature to Fuzzy(***): Select the Fuzzy Checkbox option. When this method is
set, a match with the Host Window’s Title occurs if the Link's Title can be found anywhere within the Host Window’s Title
regardless of Case. This method is Case Insensitive.
To Set Link's Title Matching Method feature to Fuzzy + Exclusion: Select the Fuzzy+Exclusion Checkbox option
and enter the Exclusion text string into the Exclusion Textbox. When this method is set, matching occurs using the same rules as
the Fuzzy method, but the additional Exclusion text will prevent a match with other Window Titles if the Exclusion Text is found
anywhere in that Window's Title. This method’s matching rule more simply stated is: match the Link’s Title string with any
other Window Title using the Fuzzy method, but not if that Window Title contains the additional Exclusion text.
To Enter or Edit the Fuzzy+Exclusion Text: Select the Fuzzy+Exclusion Checkbox option first and then enter or edit the
Exclusion text string in the Fuzzy Exclusion Text Textbox. If you set this text field to blank, then AOTop will deselect the
Fuzzy+Exclusion checkbox and check the Fuzzy checkbox instead.
To Enable Host Window Class Name (****) Matching requirement feature: Select the “Yes” Checkbox option for
this feature. When enabled, this feature helps prevent Fuzzy Method Title matches with other Window Titles that may be the
same or similar that you don’t want to match by additionally requiring a match with the target Window’s Class Name.
To Disable Host Window Class Name Matching requirement feature: Select the “No” Checkbox option for this
feature. When this feature is disabled, Host Window Class Names do not matter at all. This is the default setting for this feature.
38
To Record Link's Host Window Class Name: Click the [Rec.] button to re-record the Link’s Host Window Class Name.
Although AOTop records the Class Name when the Link is initially created, a change in a Host's Class Name will necessitate re-
recording it for proper operation of the Host Window Class Name Matching requirement feature.
To Enable Link's Auto-Execute feature: Select the “On” Checkbox option for this feature. The Link is activated
automatically when the Host Window becomes Active and the matching criteria specified in the Edit Window is satisfied. The
Auto-Execute feature is set “On” by default when a Host Link is first created.
To Disable Link's Auto-Execute feature: Select the “Off” Checkbox option for this feature. The Link is not activated
automatically when the Host Window becomes Active, but can still be activated manually via the AOTop Activate Links
window, [Activ.] function button.
To Enable Browser Host Window Auto Terminate Link feature: Select the “On” Checkbox option for this feature.
This feature is intended for use with Internet Browser type Windows which routinely change the Title to reflect the Web site and
page contents. It enables you to surf Web sites and automatically activate and deactivate Links on-the-fly keyed on changes in
the Browser Window Title. The Link is deactivated automatically when the Browser Host Window's Title changes and the
matching criteria specified in the Edit Window is no longer satisfied.
To Disable Browser Host Window Auto Terminate Link feature: Select the “Off” Checkbox option for this feature.
The Link is not deactivated automatically when the Browser Host Window’s Title changes, but can still be deactivated manually
via the AOTop Deactivate Links window, [Deact.] function button.
To Enable or Disable the Terminate Link’s Host Window or Browser-enabled Pop-ups/overs/unders feature:
Select the “Terminate Pop-up” Checkbox option in this window. Checking this option will also set the Link’s Auto-Execute
“On” Checkbox option. To turn this feature off, un-check it by selecting it again or select the Link’s Auto-Execute “Off”
Checkbox option. Note: once this feature is enabled, the next time the targeted Host Window or Browser-enabled Pop-
up/over/under becomes active, it will be terminated and the associated Link Form you have defined for it will never appear
because you have elected to terminate the Link’s Host window instead.
To Home Link's Position to Host Window's Top Left Corner: Click the [Home] button to reset the Link’s screen
position to the Host Window’s Top Left corner and answer “Yes” to the confirmation message box prompt. The Link’s Form
Top Left window corner is set to its Host’s Form Top Left window corner which is the default position when the Link is first
created. Note: The Link or its Host Window need not be active to perform this function.
Parent Topic: Create Host Links Window
(*) Link Auto Executions and a few other primary AOTop functions are not available while this window is open. Therefore,
make your change(s) and then click the [Apply] button to close the Edit Link window and resume normal AOTop operation.
This is the one exception to the rule that AOTop windows may remain open during the normal course of application usage. It is
permissible, for example, to leave either of the Create Host Links or Activate Host Links windows open in order to view the Lists
presented there which are updated in Real-time.
(**) The Default Settings are: Link Title=Host’s Window Title, Title Matching Method=Exact, Fuzzy Exclusion Text=Blank,
Match Class Name=No, Recorded Class Name=Host’s Window Class Name, Auto-Execute=On, Terminate Pop-up=Off, and
Browser Auto-Terminate=On.
(***) The term “Fuzzy” here means a “partial” or “subset” match, not a wildcard match, although since this method is Case
Insensitive, it is similar to wildcard matching. Host Window Title matching in AOTop is not based on wildcard characters.
(****) The Window Class Name is an internal Window’s Classification Type name given to all Windows and as such is not
normally seen at the User Interface level of interaction with Windows applications.
39
Set Preferences Window
Buttons:
Close the Set Preferences window

Reset Preference Options to their Default settings
Select a Background color from Palette A or B
To Reset Preference Options: Click the [Reset] button and answer “Yes” to the confirmation message box prompt. All
Preference options are reset to their Default settings (*).
Picture Box Section Options:
To Align Picture Box to the Top, Left side of Form: Select the Align Top, Left Checkbox option to align the Picture
Box and the image it contains to the Top, Left corner of the Link Form.
To Align Picture Box to the Top, Right side of Form: Select the Align Top, Right Checkbox option to align the Picture
Box and the image it contains to the Top, Right corner of the Link Form.
To Align Picture Box to the Bottom, Left side of Form: Select the Bottom, Left Checkbox option to align the Picture
Box and the image it contains to the Bottom, Left corner of the Link Form.
To Reset Picture Box Alignment to No alignment selected: Select the None Checkbox option to clear any other
alignment option that is selected and to re-establish the default alignment setting to the Top, Left corner of the Link Form.
Note on Virtual Cropping of Image (**)
To Enable Picture Box Auto-Sizing feature: Select the Auto-Size “On” Checkbox option to enable the Picture Box Auto-
Sizing feature. Picture Box Auto-Sizing enlarges or shrinks the Picture Box size automatically to fit the size of the Image which
is being placed into the Picture Box when you select and show a Picture File.
To Disable Picture Box Auto-Sizing feature: Select the Auto-Size “Off” Checkbox option to disable the Picture Box
Auto-Sizing feature. The Picture Box will not shrink automatically to match the size of a smaller sized Image when the
previously loaded Image size was larger.
To Show the Picture Box Border: Select the Border “On” Checkbox option to show the Picture Box Border around the
Picture Box.
To Hide the Picture Box Border: Select the Border “Off” Checkbox option to hide the Picture Box Border around the
Picture Box.
To Set Picture Box Appearance to 3D: Select the Appearance “3D” Checkbox option to show the Picture Box with a 3-
Dimensional effect.
40
To Set Picture Box Appearance to Flat: Select the Appearance “Flat” Checkbox option to show the Picture Box with a
Flat effect.
(*) The Default Settings are: Alignment=None, Auto-Sizing=On, Border=Off, Appearance=3D, Startup=Normal, Always-On-
Top=On, Tool Tips Text=On, and Active Palette=A. Palette A default Color is Light Gray and Palette B default Color is Light
Blue.
(**) Virtual cropping of the Image can be done by first unmaximizing the Form containing the Image. Next, select one of the
Top (Left or Right), or Bottom Left Alignment options to be the anchor side of the Image (the side that you want to prevent from
moving). Then, drag and resize the Form side opposite of the anchored side to the new size you want. This is useful for seeing
what an Image looks like when its dimensions are cropped.
Form Section Options:
To Set AOTop Form Startup window state to Maximized: Select the Start Up State “Max.” Checkbox option to
automatically maximize the AOTop Main Form state when the program is first run. De-selecting this Checkbox option sets the
Start Up State feature back to Normal, i.e., the Form is neither Minimized or Maximized on Start Up. Note: feature is used for
the AOTop Main Form only.
To Set AOTop Form Startup window state to Minimized: Select the Start Up State “Min.” Checkbox option to
automatically minimize the AOTop Main Form state when the program is first run. De-selecting this Checkbox option sets the
Start Up State feature back to Normal, i.e., the Form is neither Minimized or Maximized on Start Up. Note: feature is used for
the AOTop Main Form only.
To Enable AOTop Form Always-On-Top behavior: Select the Always On Top “Yes” Checkbox option to enable the
AOTop Main Form Always-On-Top behavior. The Main Form will remain in the Foreground position over any other
Application windows. This is the default setting for this essential AOTop feature. Note: feature applies to AOTop Main Form
only since Link Forms are permanently On Top.
To Disable AOTop Form Always-On-Top behavior: Select the Always On Top “No” Checkbox option to disable the
AOTop Main Form Always-On-Top behavior. The Main Form will not remain in the Foreground position over any other
Application window when that application window gets the Foreground Focus. Disabling the Always-On-Top behavior
automatically disables the AOTop Kick Timer feature operation if enabled. Note: feature applies to AOTop Main Form only
since Link Forms are permanently On Top.
Note: Startup or Always-On-Top option settings cannot be changed for Link Forms.
To Show AOTop Form Tool Tips Text: Select the Tool Tips Text “On” Checkbox option to automatically show Tool Tips
Text when the Mouse pointer remains stationary over any one AOTop User Interface Form component or control. This is the
default setting for this feature.
To Hide AOTop Form Tool Tips Text: Select the Tool Tips Text “Off” Checkbox option to hide the automatic Tool Tips
Text display when the Mouse pointer remains stationary over any one AOTop User Interface Form component or control. Note:
Once you are familiar with AOTop’s operation and the Tool Tips Text for the individual User Interface components, you may
want to disable the automatic Tool Tips Text display so that they don’t unnecessarily distract you when you move the Mouse
pointer over any one AOTop Form. This is the recommended setting when the automatic display of Tool Tips Text ceases to be
useful to you.
To Set Palette A as the current active Color Palette: Select the Color Palette “A” Checkbox option to set Palette A as
the current active Color Palette. The AOTop Form or Picture Box background will be set to the Palette A’s selected Color.
To Set Palette B as the current active Color Palette: Select the Color Palette “B” Checkbox option to set Palette B as
the current active Color Palette. The AOTop Form or Picture Box background will be set to the Palette B’s selected Color.
Selected Background Color Indicator for the AOTop Form or Picture Box: The Background Color square in this
window shows the Background color that is selected for either current active Palette A or B.
Note: First set the active Palette (A or B), then click the [Select] button to modify its Background color since Palette A and B
each have their own selected color.
41
Color Select Window:
Select a Background Color from Palette A or B by clicking on the square of the Color you want.
42
Select Color Window
Button:
Close the Select Color for Palette A or B window if Color choice is not made
To Select a new Background color: Select the color you want to use from either Palette A or B by Left clicking on a Color
square or click the [Close] button. The current selected Color in either Palette window is indicated by a differently colored
perimeter band around the selected Color square. Selecting a Color from either palette closes the Palette window automatically
and sets the Background Color Indicator square to reflect your new Color choice.
Palette A: the default Background color Palette with an expanded selection of Gray-Scale color graduations.
Palette B: the alternate Custom Background color Palette which offers a set of Pastels (Tints of high value).
Note: Use of greater than 256 Colors is recommended. The selectable colors of either Color Palette are designed for use with
16-bit or 24-bit Color Bit-Depth, so 256 Color users will see dithered colors instead for most selections.
Parent Topic: Set Preferences Window
43
Select Picture File Window
Buttons:
Show the Picture File List's current selected File

Close the Select Picture File window
Lists
To Show the Picture File List's current selected File:
1. Select and set current active Drive or Device via the drop-down Drive Listbox.
2. Select and set current active Picture File Directory via the populated Drive contents Listbox to a Path and Directory that
contains Picture Files.
3. Select a Picture File from the populated Picture File Listbox. To select and show it, double-click the Filename, or click
[Show] button after a Filename has been selected in the Listbox.
To Show a previously viewed Picture File from the Viewed Files List: Select a List entry by clicking on it. A
confirmation message box will echo your selection. To view this selection, click the [Yes] button in the message box. The first
item in this list is the most recently viewed File. This List will record up to 64 viewed file entries per session, but AOTop only
retains the first five (5) entries in this List from session-to-session.
Note: Entries in both Lists can be accessed and manipulated from the AOTop Main Controls window, Picture section [Prev.]
and [Next] function buttons, or via several equivalent AOTop Mouse and Keyboard Command Shortcuts (*).
Buttons:
Accept any changes made to the File Pattern list.

Cancel any changes made to the File Pattern list.
List
To Edit the Picture File Type Pattern List:
Edit the Picture File Type Pattern List string to specify which File Types to list in the Picture File Listbox. The default string
entries for this List and only Picture File Types supported are:
*.GIF;*.BMP;*.JPG;*.JPEG;*.ICO;*.CUR;*.WMF;*.EMF
Note: Each File Type entry in the Picture File Type Pattern List string must be separated by the “;” character as is shown here.
Parent Topic: Select Picture File Controls
44
(*) Command Shortcuts:
Commands Mouse Buttons Keys
[Prev.] Picture: Left Click [Prev.] <PGUP> when Form or Picture Box has Focus
[Next] Picture: Right Click Form/Picture <PGDN> when Form or Picture Box has Focus
45
Select Picture File Controls
Options:
Show selected Picture File

Hide selected Picture File
Unload Picture File if one has been viewed
To Show selected Picture File: Select the Show option to make any selected Picture File visible in the Form’s Picture Box.
To Hide selected Picture File: Select the Hide option to make any selected Picture File invisible in the Form’s Picture Box.
To Unload Picture File: Select the Unload option to de-select the Picture File for the Picture Box and free-up system
resources. Once this option is selected, the option’s Label text is changed to “None” and a Picture File must be re-selected before
either of the Show or Hide options of this section can be used.
Buttons:
Show Previous Picture File from Most Recently Viewed Picture Files List
Show Next Picture File in current selected Picture File Directory
To Show Previous Picture File: Click the [Prev.] button to view Picture N stored in the Most Recently Viewed Picture
Files List. This List will record up to 64 viewed Picture File entries per session. You can access any one of the 64 previously
viewed and stored entries in a sequential fashion. Note: As you access entries from this List using the [Prev.] button, they are
purposely not re-recorded in the List. Picture Files must be selected first via the [Next] button method, or from within the Select
Picture File window, before they are recorded in this List.
To Show Next Picture File: Click the [Next] button to view the next higher sequentially available Picture File entry in the
active Picture File Directory List if one is available, otherwise the display starts over at the beginning of that File List. Note: a
valid Path to the Directory containing Picture files must be navigated to and a valid Picture File initially selected via the AOTop
Select Picture File Window before the [Next] function button can be used to display Pictures.
Select and show a Picture File
Click [Select] to show the Select Picture File Window and then select the Picture File you wish to display for the Form. Once
selected, the [Show] button is enabled and can be clicked to view the selected Picture File. Alternately, just double-click a
Picture Filename in a populated Filename List on this screen to select and show a Picture File in one step. Once you have
established a Picture File Path and have successfully selected and viewed a File, then the AOTop Main Controls Picture Section
[Prev.] and [Next] buttons will be fully operative and can be used as shortcuts for selecting and showing the next available
Picture File from that Directory, or for showing a previously viewed Picture File without having to access the Select Picture File
Window directly.
Note: When the Show option of the Picture frame and the Custom Text option of the Title Bar Caption frame of the Form’s
controls are both selected, and you are using either of the “%Picturename% or %Picturepath% modifiers in your custom Caption
text string, then the Form’s Title Bar Caption will display “[Picture not selected]” when a Picture File is not selected.
46
Edit Custom Text Window
Buttons:
Accept any changes made to the Title Bar Caption string and Close Edit
Cancel any changes made to the Title Bar Caption string and Close Edit
To Enter or Edit a Title Bar Caption string: Enter your Custom text string into the Textbox field provided and then click
the [Accept] button to keep your edit changes, or click the [Cancel] button instead to disregard your edit changes and restore the
original text string.
String can contain any text that you wish to display in the Form’s Title Bar Caption, including these special Modifiers: %Time
%, %Date%, %Picturename%, and %Picturepath%. These modifiers, when included in your text string, substitute either
the Time, Date, Selected Picture Filename, or Selected Picture Path and Filename, into your string when it is displayed in the
Form’s Title Bar Caption.
Special Text String Modifiers:
%Time% Substitutes System Time in the place of modifier

%Date% Substitutes System Date in the place of modifier
%Picturename% Substitutes selected Picture Filename in the place of modifier
%Picturepath% Substitutes selected Picture Path and Filename in the place of modifier
Note: Modifiers may be entered in any order and up to eight (8) times each within string. The Case of the modifier reserved
keyword text does not matter, but the keyword must be entered between a pair of “%” characters to be recognized and processed
as a modifier.
Example of a custom text string entry that reports Time and Date in Real-time in the Form’s Title Bar Caption:
Today is: %Date% Meeting is at 2:00 PM. The time is now: %Time%
Parent Topic: Title Bar Caption Controls
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Title Bar Caption Controls
Options:
Display Custom Text in Title Bar Caption

Display Host’s Window Title, or Main’s Title in Title Bar Caption
Display Link’s Window Title, or Main Module’s Screen Position and Size
Display a Blank Title Bar Caption
To Display Custom Text: Select the Custom Text option to enable the [Edit Text] button and display any previously defined
Custom Text string in the Form’s Title Bar Caption.
To Display Host’s Window Title: Select the Host Title option to display the Host Window Title associated with any one
Link Form in the Form’s Title Bar Caption. This provides a way to positively identify which Host Window a Link Form is
linked to. This function is available for Host Link Forms only.
For the AOTop Main Module, this option’s label is marked “Main’s Title” instead and selecting it displays the name of the Main
Module (“AOTop [Main]”) in the Form’s Title Bar Caption. This provides positive identification of the Main Module Form via
its Window Title.
To Display Link’s Window Title: Select the Link Title option to display the Link Form’s Title definition in the Form’s
Title Bar Caption. This is the Title definition string that can be edited in the Create Host Links Window via the [Edit] function
button located there. This function is available for Host Link Forms only.
For the AOTop Main Module, this option’s label is marked “Form Pos/Size” instead and selecting it displays the Main Module
Form’s Screen Position (X-coordinate, Y-coordinate) and its Size (Width by Height in pixels) in the Title Bar Caption. When
this option is selected for the Main Module Form and you move or resize the form, the Caption display is updated in Real-time.
To Display a Blank Title: Select the Blank option to set the Link Form’s Title Bar Caption to Blank.
Button:
Enter or Edit Custom Text in a Title Bar Caption
The [Edit Text] button is enabled only when the Custom Text option is selected. Click this button after selecting the Custom
Text option to initially Enter or Edit your custom text string. You can define a Custom Text string and then later decide not to
display it by selecting one of the other available Title Bar Caption options described above.
48
Kick Timer Controls
The AOTop optional Kick Timer provides an additional means of enforcing the On-Topness attribute of AOTop Main or Link
Forms when a Host Application window or other screen area under the AOTop Form continues to force its way to the foreground
position. The Kick Timer will allow you to maintain AOTop Main or Link Form On-Topness while positioned over the OS Task
Bar and other applications that periodically enforce their own On-Topness.
Note: the Kick Timer can interfere with a Host Application’s Drop down Menu display (*).
Options:

To Set Interval setting of 0.25 seconds (least frequent and slowest):

Select the 0.25 seconds option to start the Kick Timer with this refresh interval.
To Set Interval setting of 0.10 seconds:
Select the 0.10 seconds option to start the Kick Timer with this refresh interval.
To Set Interval setting of 0.010 seconds:
Select the 0.010 seconds option to start Kick Timer with this refresh interval.
To Set Interval setting of 0.001 seconds (most frequent and fastest):
Select the 0.001 seconds option to start Kick Timer with this refresh interval.
Button:
Enable or Disable the Kick Timer:
To Enable the optional Kick Timer: click the [Enable] button. When the Kick Timer is enabled, AOTop indicates this by
displaying the Icon within the Kick Timer Controls section of the Main Controls screen and switches this toggle button’s text
face to “Disable”.
To Disable the optional Kick Timer: click the [Disable] button to disable the enabled Kick Timer.
Note: Setting the Always-On-Top option to “Off” within the Form Section of the Set Preferences Window, will disable the Kick
Timer automatically if it’s enabled at that time.
(*) The Kick Timer can interfere with a Host Application’s Drop down Menu display if its position coincides with the position
of an AOTop Form on the screen. In this case, it is desirable for the Menu to be in the foreground instead, and it will be
necessary to either move or Minimize the AOTop Form, or disable the Kick Timer for that AOTop Form, so that the Menu can
be utilized.
49
How To Topics
[Select a general Category below and then refer to individual topic pages manually.]
Activate Links: To Activate a Link, To Deactivate a Link, To Bring Host to Top
Create Links: To Add a Link, To Delete a Link, To Edit a Link, To Move/Resize a Link
Edit Links/Set Link Options:

To Enter or Edit Link’s Title
To Set Link's Title Matching Method to Exact, Fuzzy, or Fuzzy+Exclusion
To Enable/Disable Host Window Class Name Matching Requirement
To Record Link's Host Window Class Name
To Enable/Disable Link's Auto Execute and Enable/Disable Terminate Pop-ups
To Enable/Disable Browser Host Window Auto Terminate Link
To Home Link's Position to Host Window's Top Left Corner
Picture Box/Form Preferences:

To Align Picture Box to Form
To Enable/Disable Picture Box Auto-Sizing
To Show/Hide the Picture Box Border
To Set Picture Box Appearance to 3D or Flat
To Set AOTop Form Startup Window State
To Enable/Disable AOTop Form Always-On-Top Behavior
To Show/Hide AOTop Form Tool Tips Text
To Set Palette A or B as the Current Active Color Palette
To Select Background Color for AOTop Form or Picture Box
To Reset Picture Box and Form Preference Options
Picture Files:
To Show, Hide or Unload Picture File
To Show Previous or Next Picture File
To Show the Picture File List's Current Selected File
To Show a Previously Viewed Picture File from the Viewed List
To Edit the Picture File Type Pattern List
Title Bar Captions:

To Display Custom Text, Host/Link/Main's Window Titles, Main’s Screen Position/Size, or Blank
To Enter or Edit a Title Bar Caption String
To Use Special Text String Modifiers in Caption
Kick Timer: To Select the Kick Timer Interval, To Enable/Disable the Kick Timer
50
Trouble-Shooting Topics
Warning Scenarios/Advisory Messages: Prompting Scenarios/Informational Messages:
Registration Status Register and Unlock AOTop?

AOTop Product Expiration Enter Registration Key
Product Expiration Warning Registration Status
Can't Add Another Host Window Link Exit AOTop Main?

Can't Create Duplicate Link Title Reset Preferences?
Can't Add Selected Host Window Title Deactivate Host Link?
Delete Host Link?
Selected Host Window Link Active Reset Link Position?
Can't Activate Selected Host Link Set Fuzzy Matching Method On?
Can't Deactivate Selected Host Link Show this selected Picture File?
Host Class Name Recorded
Can't Record Host Class Name About AOTop (Registered or Trial Copy)
Can't Bring Host Window To Top AOTop Version 2.06 (C) 2009 Ataspec Software
Can't Execute Function Product Support Contact Information
Critical Scenarios/Error Messages: Setup Program Messages:
Picture File Load Failure Setup Messages

Warning: Resources May Be Low!
Invalid Installation
VB 5.0 Error Numbers
General Trouble-Shooting: Links Trouble-Shooting:
Entering the Product Registration Key What can cause Link to no longer work
Registered versus Trial Product Link is activated for wrong Host
When it is necessary to Re-install Link loses its On-Topness
Trouble-Shooting Links
Unsupported Items Memory Trouble-Shooting:

Don’t Do Items
AOTop Method or Program Shortcomings Disabling Resources Low Warning
Avoiding Resources Low Scenario
Reporting AOTop Problems
51
Prompt and Info Type Messages
The List of AOTop Prompt and Informational Type Messages:
AOTop Prompt Messages:
Caption: Register and Unlock AOTop?

Description: Register this program copy to get Full Usage and License? Purchase AOTop for $19.95 US, then use
Registration Key to unlock this copy.
Action: Click [Yes] or [No], or [Info] button for Product Trial Info and Request Number.
Caption: Enter Registration Key

Description: Please enter the 20-Character Registration Key into the text fields. Letters are Case Sensitive.
Action: Enter the Key and then click [Done] button, or click [Cancel] to Cancel entering it.
Caption: Exit AOTop Main?

Description: Exiting the AOTop Main Application will also terminate any active AOTop Host Window Links. Continue
Exiting AOTop Main?
Action: Click [Yes] or [Cancel] button to Cancel exiting.
Caption: Show this selected Picture File?

Description: [Text is the Fully-Qualified-Pathname to selected filename]
Action: Click [Yes] or [No] button.
Caption: Reset Preferences?

Description: Confirm [Yes] to Reset Preferences to Default settings.
Caption: Deactivate Host Link?

Description: Deactivating a Link resets its AutoExec Option to OFF. You will need to set this Option back ON manually.
Confirm [Yes] to Deactivate this Link.
Caption: Delete Host Link?

Description: Confirm [Yes] to delete the selected Host Link.
Caption: Reset Link Position?

Description: Confirm [Yes] to Reset Link's Position to Host Window's Top Left Corner.
Caption: Set Fuzzy Matching Method On?

Description: Since edited Title is shorter than original one, matching may not occur until Fuzzy Method is set ON.
Confirm [Yes] to set Fuzzy Method to ON.
AOTop Informational Messages:
Caption: Registration Status

Description: Successful entry of the AOTop Registration Key. This product program copy is now REGISTERED. You
are Licensed to use it for up to 1 full Year.
Action: Click [OK] button.
Caption: Host Class Name Recorded

Description: [The text of Host Window Class Name that was recorded]
52
Caption: About AOTop (Registered or Trial Copy)
Description: AOTop.exe Version 2.0.N Copyright 2009 Ataspec Software. All Rights Reserved.
Action: Click [Close] or [Info] button for Product Support Contact/Request Number Info.
Caption: AOTop Version 2.06 (C) 2009 Ataspec Software

Description: Welcome! After initial Startup and Registration message boxes, Left click on AOTop Main Form to show
program Controls, or Left click within any Main Form Frame for context sensitive Help.
Action: Optionally select the message box Checkbox option and/or click [OK].
Caption: Product Registration and Support Information

Description: [Text is the large Trial Program Copy Notification and Product Request Number displayed at program startup
only]
Caption: Product Support Contact Information

Description: Email Address: PierreDesl@aol.com. [The Product Request # is also displayed in this message box]
53
Warning Type Messages
The List of AOTop Warning Type Messages:
Caption: Registration Status

Description: That AOTop Registration Key is either incorrect or has expired. Enter again to correct possible error, or
contact Product Support for new Key.
Cause: Either it has been entered incorrectly (Case and order matter), or the Key is older than 1 Month.
Remedy: Re-enter the Key correctly and within the 1 Month time period that it can be used, or contact Ataspec
Software to obtain a new Registration Key.
Caption: AOTop Product Expiration
Scenario 1: Product Free 60-day Trial Period is now Expired. Register to get 1-Year non-expiring use License.
Cause: The Free Trial Product has been used for more than 60-days.
Remedy: Register your Product program copy for a 1-Year non-expiring use License, or re-install another Free Trial
Program copy.
Scenario 2: Free Trial maximum use count has reached Limit. Register to get 1-Year non-expiring use License.
Cause: The Free Trial Product program copy has been used over 256 times.
Remedy: Register your Product program copy for a 1-Year non-expiring use License, or re-install another Free Trial
Program copy.
Scenario 3: Product 1-Year Subscription Period has Expired. Re-register your copy or use it as a Free Trial.
Cause: The Registered Product has been used for more than 1-Year.
Remedy: Re-register your copy or use it as a Free Trial.
Caption: Product Expiration Warning

Description: Product 1-Year Subscription will Expire within 1 Month. Please renew soon for continued use.
Cause: Product 1-Year Subscription will expire within 1 Month’s time.
Remedy: Re-register your copy to renew the Subscription in order to continue uninterrupted Registered use of the
Product before it expires within 1 Month.
Note: Check the “Don’t show this Warning again” option if you do not wish to be reminded again.
Caption: [AOTop] Can't Add Another Host Window Link
Scenario 1: The AOTop Product Trial does not allow more than 8 Host Links to be created. Delete a Link from
Memorized List before adding new one.
Cause: Product Trial copy only allows creation of up to 8 Total Host Links.
Remedy: Delete Link definition(s) from the Memorized List before adding new definition(s).
Scenario 2: Can't add another Host Link because the maximum number possible 32,767 exist already. You must delete
Host Link(s) before you can add any more.
Cause: Registered Product allows creation of up to 32,767 Total Host Links.
Remedy: Delete Link definition(s) from the Memorized List before adding new definition(s).
Caption: [AOTop] Can't Create Duplicate Link Title

Description: Sorry, you cannot edit a Link Title so that it matches another Link Title on Memorized List. Differences in
case and padding are ignored.
Cause: Host Link Definition Titles must be unique regardless of differences in Case or padding.
Remedy: Re-edit the Link Title so that it is unique, or cancel the editing of that Link Title.
Caption: [AOTop] Can't Add Selected Host Window Title

Description: Title already on List. To create Multiple Links for this Host, use [Edit] to shorten matching Link's Title and
to set its Fuzzy option ON, then [Add>].
Cause: The Host Window Title is already defined as a Link Definition Title in the Memorized List. This happens
when you attempt to create Multiple Links for the same Host Window Title and you haven’t yet renamed the
original Link Definition Title in the Memorized List for that Host window.
54
Remedy: Locate the original Link Definition Title in Memorized List and edit its text to a shorter form so that the two
Titles will not match. Set the Link’s Fuzzy Matching option “On” and then execute the [Add>] function to
create the additional Link Definition for that Host Window Title.
Caption: [AOTop] Selected Host Window Link Active

Description: That selected Memorized Host Window Link is already Active.
Cause: The [Activ.] button was clicked for a selected Host Link in the Memorized List, but it is already running.
Remedy: An entry on the Memorized List in the Activate Host Links Window must be marked as “Inactive” before it
can be activated. Make sure you have selected the correct Host Link in this List.
Caption: [AOTop] Can't Activate Selected Host Link
Scenario 1: The AOTop Product Trial does not allow more than 4 concurrent Active Links Total, or more than 2 Active
Links for any one Host Window.
Cause: The Trial Product enforced maximum number of Active Host Links at one time has been reached for either
the 4 Overall Total limit or the 2 per Host Total limit.
Remedy: Close a Host Link or a Host Application window to allow other Links to be activated, or purchase the
Registered Product so that these limits do not apply.
Scenario 2: The Host Window is not running, or its Window Title has been changed. Run the Host Window, adjust
Link's [Edit] options, or re-create Link.
Cause: Either the associated Host Application window for the Link is not running, or its Window Title has changed
and a match can no longer be performed with the current Host Link Definition Title.
Remedy: Run the Host Application window, or edit the Link’s Definition Title so that it matches or more closely
matches the Host’s new window Title, or edit that Link Definition Title to a shorter form and use the Link’s
Fuzzy Matching option feature to enable partial matches with the Application window Title, or lastly, delete
and then re-create the Host Link for the Host so that the changed Host window Title is applied.
Scenario 3: The Host Window's Class Name does not match Link's recorded one. Use [Edit] Link to turn Require Class
Match “Off” before activating Link.
Cause: The match Host Window Class Name requirement option is “On” for this Link, but its originally recorded
Class Name no longer matches the Host Window Class Name. This can happen when an Application or
Operating System are Version updated, or for a very few applications that dynamically change the Class
Name on-the-fly (Acrobat Reader is one such example).
Remedy: Re-record the Host Application window’s Class Name via the Edit Host Link window, [Rec.] button to
capture the updated Class Name, or set this optional feature to “Off” for this Link.
Caption: [AOTop] Can't Deactivate Selected Host Link

Description: Cannot deactivate a AOTop Host Link that is not currently active. Make sure the Host Window is running
and that its AOTop Host Link is active.
Cause: The [Deact.] button was clicked for a selected Host Link in the Memorized List, but either it or its associated
Host Application window is not running.
Remedy: An entry on the Memorized List in the Activate Host Links Window must be marked as “Active” before it
can be deactivated. Make sure both are running, or that you have selected the correct Host Link in this List.
Caption: [AOTop] Can't Record Host Class Name

Description: The Host Window and its Link need to be active before you can re-record the Host's Class Name. Run
intended Host Window and activate this Link.
Cause: Both the Host Application Window and the its associated Link have to be running before recording the
Host’s Class Name via Edit Host Link window, [Rec.] button function.
Remedy: Run the Host Window and/or the Host Link before recording the Class Name.
Caption: [AOTop] Can't Bring Host Window To Top

Description: Selected Link's Host Window is not active. Run that Host Window before clicking [Host].
Cause: The Activate Host Links window, [Host] button function requires that the associated Host Application
Window for the selected Memorized List Host Link entry be running before it can bring that application
window to the screen foreground.
Remedy: Make sure the Host Application window is running, or that you have selected the correct Host Link in this
List.
Caption: [AOTop] Can't Execute Function
55
Description: This function cannot be performed if the AOTop Form is Maximized or Minimized. Restore it to Normalized
state, then re-execute this function.
Cause: The [Add>], [Activ.], or [Host] button functions cannot be performed when the AOTop Main Form is either
in the Maximized or Minimized state.
Remedy: Normalize the AOTop Main Form first (restore it to a former non-maximized or non-minimized window size
state) and then re-execute the function.
56
Critical Type Messages
The List of AOTop Critical Error and AOTop Trapped/Filtered VB 5.0 Error Messages:
AOTop Critical Error Messages:
Caption: [AOTop] Picture File Load Failure

Description: Cannot load Picture file because either it is not a picture file format supported by VB 5.0, or you tried to load
a non-picture type file. Pick another picture file format or avoid loading non-picture type files.
Cause: You attempted to load a Graphics File Format that is not supported or a non-graphics type file. The only
Graphic File Format types supported by VB 5.0 (and AOTop) are: .GIF, .BMP, .JPG, .JPEG, .ICO; .CUR,
.WMF, and .EMF.
Remedy: Load the supported Graphics File formats only, or avoid loading non-graphic files.
Caption: [AOTop] Warning: Resources May Be Low!

Description: You've reached the maximum number concurrent AOT Links recommended for physical memory in your
system. Check for Low System Resources!
Cause: AOTop has detected that your System’s available Free Physical Memory is less than 4 Megabytes (AOTop
monitored minimum safety threshold) AND the number of Activated Host Links is greater than the Total
number of Active Links recommended for your amount of System Memory.
Action: Immediately terminate Applications or Host Links not needed to free-up System Memory before running the
risk of letting the Operating System intercede on your behalf when it may be too late to salvage the integrity
of your System because you’ve run out-of-memory unexpectantly.
How To: Disabling Resources Low Warning
Caption: [AOTop] Invalid Installation
Scenario 1: AOTop installation is invalid. Run-time AOTop version does not match installed version. You must re-run
AOTop Setup to use product again.
Cause: You’ve mixed-up versions or components from two different versions of AOTop.
Remedy: Uninstall and then re-install the product.
Scenario 2: AOTop installation is invalid. Either you have moved, deleted or renamed product file(s). You must re-run
Cause: You have moved, deleted or renamed Product File(s) in the Installation Folder.
Remedy: Re-install the product.
Scenario 3: AOTop installation is invalid. Program can be run only on a system with a Fixed Hard Drive type.
Removable, CD, Ram, or Remote type not allowed.
Cause: You have attempted to run AOTop on other than a Fixed Hard Drive media type.
Remedy: Run AOTop only on a Fixed Hard Drive Type.
Scenario 4: AOTop installation is invalid. Program must be run on same system as it was installed on. Use original or
re-run AOTop Setup on newer one.
Cause: You are attempting to run AOTop on a system that it was not configured for by Setup. Either the Product
Installation Files have been moved (or copied) to another Hard Drive (or partition) that is different (or has
been reformatted) from where it was initially installed to by Setup, or you have upgraded the CPU Chip in
your system.
Remedy: Only run AOTop on the same system (or Hard Drive) as you installed it on originally, or re-install the
product on a different system after removing it from the current one, or re-install it on the same system if you
have changed (or reformatted) the installation Hard Drive or your CPU Chip.
Scenario 5: AOTop installation is invalid. User changes to the Product Installation are not permitted. You must re-run
Cause: You have changed the Product Installation from its original and only valid configuration for your system.
Remedy: Re-install the product.
57
AOTop Trapped/Filtered VB 5.0 Error Messages:
Caption: [AOTop] VB 5.0 Error Number: 7

Description: Out of Memory
Cause: Not enough system memory is available
Remedy: Close applications or AOTop Host Links.

Description: Bad filename or number
Cause: Invalid filename
Remedy: Correct filename or select another file.

Description: File not found
Cause: File is missing or filename invalid
Remedy: Correct filename or select another file.

Description: Device I/O error
Cause: Device is broken or inoperative
Remedy: Reset device or replace if broken.

Description: Device unavailable
Cause: Device is off-line or media not inserted
Remedy: Place device on-line or insert media.

Description: Permission denied
Cause: Insufficient access rights or RO file
Remedy: Get access rights or remove RO attribute.

Description: Disk not ready
Cause: Drive door open or media not inserted
Remedy: Close drive door or insert media.

Description: Path/File access error
Cause: Media write protected or invalid path
Remedy: Remove write protection or correct path.

Description: Path not found
Cause: Path is missing or pathname invalid
Remedy: Correct path or select another path.
Caption: [AOTop] VB 5.0 Error Number: N

Description: (VB 5.0 supplied Description text for Error N)
Cause: (No AOTop supplied Cause text)
Remedy: (No AOTop supplied Remedy text)
58
Disabling Resources Low Warning
To Disable the Resources Low Warning message (on a per-session basis): select the “Don't show this Warning again this
session” checkbox option in the AOTop Warning message box when it appears.
However, should you need to disable this Warning Message permanently (on a session-to-session basis), then the AOTop System
Registry Memory Check Bypass option flag provided for this purpose will need to be set using the Windows Regedit.exe
program.
To Disable the Resources Low Warning message permanently (on a session-to-session basis):
1. Close the AOTop Main Module.
2. Run the Regedit program and navigate to the AOTop System Registry Key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VB and
VBA Program Settings\AOTop\AOTop [ Main ]\MainOptions]
3. Set the "MemTestOff" Key value to "1" to Enable the Memory Check Permanent Bypass (Warning=Off), or set it to"0" to
Disable the Memory Check Permanent Bypass (Warning=On).
Parent Topic: Critical Type Messages
59
AOTop attempts to notify you of this low resources condition before a Windows Low Memory Critical System Error happens by
displaying the “Warning: Resources May Be Low!” message box when the Total number Active Links recommended for your
system has been reached and the amount of Free System Physical memory has fallen below four (4) Megabytes.
To Avoid the Resources Low Scenario: use the System Resource Meter to monitor memory use and avoid running too low on
system resources by either: (1) closing large or small applications that are running which are not needed, (2) running fewer
AOTop Host Links at the same time, or (3) increase the amount of System Memory available by adding more Physical memory
to your system. Allowing your System Resources available amount to fall below 12% is not advisable and will most likely cause
this Resources Low scenario if you continue to place more demand on remaining resources by running more applications or
AOTop Host Links.
Ultimately, it’s the total amount of your System Memory minus the total memory needs of other concurrent applications running
on your system that determines the maximum number of AOTop Host Links that can be run concurrently in addition to
everything else running on your system.
The recommended maximum values for Total number Active Links per System Total Memory capacity for a moderately loaded
System (mixture of several large and small applications running concurrently) are:
Total System Memory Total Links
Less than 128 MB 6

Less than 256 MB 12
Less than 512 MB 24
Less than 1024 MB 48
Parent Topic: Critical Type Messages
60
What can cause Link to no longer work
1. Auto-Exec Feature is “Off”:
If you are expecting a Host Link to be Auto-Executed for any one active Host Application Window and this doesn’t occur, then
first check in the Edit window for that Host Link to make sure that its Auto-Exec feature option is set to “On”. This option may
have been set to “Off” by AOTop to allow you to temporarily Close a Host Link if you confirmed with a [Yes] to the program’s
Deactivate Host Link? (*) prompting in the Activate window where Host Links are manually deactivated.
2. Host Application Window Title has changed:
Host Links are dependent on AOTop’s ability to identify active Host Application Window Titles from a list of memorized Link
Titles. If you find that you cannot activate an AOTop Host Link as expected, then it is most likely because that Host Application
Window Title has changed. In this case, you will need to edit the Host Link’s Title so that it agrees with the new Host
Application Window Title, or alternately you can first remove that memorized Host Link, recreate it, and then edit the Host
Link’s Title again so that you can use the Fuzzy Title Matching methods for that Host Link if applicable.
3. Host Application Window Class Name has changed:
If your Host Link is using the optional Window Class Name Matching Requirement feature, then a change in the Host
Application Window Class Name can also be a reason why the Host Link cannot be activated as expected. This scenario can
happen when you upgrade a Host Application or the Operating System with a newer version. To see if this is the case, first try
activating the Host Link for the Host Application Window with its optional Window Class Name Matching Requirement feature
set to “No”. If you can activate the Host Link after doing this, then it is an indication that the Host Application Window Class
Name has changed and you should re-record the Host Window’s Class Name via the [Rec.] button in the Edit window for the
Host Link before using the optional Window Class Name Matching Requirement feature for the Host Link.
Note: There are a few Applications (Acrobat Reader 4.0 is one example) that dynamically change a Window’s Class Name on-
the-fly so that using the optional Window Class Name Matching Requirement feature for that Host Window is not possible.
4. Fuzzy or Fuzzy+Exclusion Title Matching methods criteria no longer satisfied:
Another reason why a Host Link might not be activated as expected is that the Fuzzy or Fuzzy+Exclusion Title Matching
methods criteria you have set in the Edit window for that Host Link is no longer applicable. Again, the most likely cause for this
is because of a change in the Host Application Window’s Title. In this case, you will need to edit the Host Link’s Title and/or the
Fuzzy Exclusion Text fields so that either of the Fuzzy Title Matching methods for that Host Link provide criteria that can be
matched or excluded successfully.
5. The Terminate Pop-up feature is “On”:
Any AOTop Host Link that has the Terminate Pop-up feature enabled will never remain active or be visible because you have
elected to terminate the Link’s Host window instead, i.e., once the Host window has been closed with this feature, the associated
Host Link Form is also closed. If a Link’s Terminate Pop-up feature is enabled and you want that Link to remain active and
visible, then you must deactivate its Terminate Pop-up feature in the Edit Host Link program window.
6. Trial Product maximum number Host Links already active:
Yet another (and easily overlooked) reason why a Link cannot be activated may be that fact that you are using the AOTop Trial
Product and you have already activated the Total number Maximum Host Links that can be concurrently active for AOTop or for
any one Host Application Window. The solution is to either adjust your AOTop usage and number of active Host Links by using
only the Host Links that you need to use thereby keeping within the set Trial Product Limits (**), or to purchase the Registered
Product so that you can activate and run as many Host Links as is possible for the amount of free physical memory available in
your PC at any one time.
Note: When you attempt to manually activate Host Links beyond the Trial limits via the Activate window, you are notified of
this by a program message box, however, there is no such notification for Host Links that are activated via the Auto-Exec feature
method where any attempt to exceed the Host Link Trial limit is failed silently.
Related Topic: Edit Host Link Window
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(*) Caption: Deactivate Host Link?
Description: Deactivating a Link resets its AutoExec Option to OFF. You will need to set this Option back ON manually.
Confirm [Yes] to Deactivate this Link.
(**) Licensed Product has Full Use of essential AOTop features enabled, where as the Trial Product is limited:
Essential Features Trial Copy Licensed Copy
Total Number Host Links user can Create: 8 32767

Total Number Host Links can Run Concurrently: 4 Limited only by Memory
Total Number Host Links can Run per Host*: 2 Limited only by Memory
(*Host = Any one window that a Link can be created for)
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Link is activated for wrong Host
Link Auto-Execution mismatches can sometimes occur if you are using either of the AOTop Fuzzy Title Matching methods.
Sometimes that is because different Host Application Windows might have similarly named Window Titles. Or you have since
edited a Host Link’s Title to a subset of its original form and applied the Fuzzy Title Matching method and now you find that the
new Host Link Title matches some other Host Application’s window. In either case, it is best to try to resolve the unwanted
mismatch occurrences by reviewing and perhaps reformulating a better subset Host Link Title if at all possible first before
employing either of the two additional AOTop Title Matching features that help you further refine Link Title matching behavior.
Additional AOTop Matching features to help you prevent Mismatches:
1. You can use the Fuzzy+Exclusion Title Matching method in the Host Link’s Edit window to exclude the other Host
Application window that you do not want to match by first selecting the Fuzzy+Exclusion Title Matching method for this Host
Link and then by specifying a part of that other Host Application’s window Title that does not occur in the Host Link’s Title that
you want to prevent mismatches for as the entry for the Fuzzy Title Matching Exclusion Text field. By selecting the
Fuzzy+Exclusion Title Matching method and using an Exclusion, you can prevent Fuzzy Title mismatches with another Host
Application windows that contain the specified Exclusion text.
2. You can also use the Window Class Name Matching Requirement feature in the Host Link’s Edit window to further limit
mismatches with other Host Application windows. By setting the Window Class Name Matching Requirement feature to “Yes”
for a Host Link, you effectively prevent Fuzzy Title mismatches with another Host Application window that may have a similar
window Title, but typically a different Window Class Name.
Related Topic: Edit Host Link Window
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Trouble-Shooting Links
Problem: Can’t activate or Auto-Execute a Host Link
Solution steps:
1. Make sure that the Link’s Host Application window is in fact running. Links cannot be activated manually or Auto-Exec’ed
unless their Host Application window is running.
2. If it is, then see if you can manually activate this Link for that Host Application window from the program’s Activate window.
If you can, then the Link’s Auto-Exec feature might be “Off”, or there is other Title Matching Criteria not being met (or being
met) in the program’s Edit Host Link window for that Link that is preventing it from being Auto-Exec’ed or activated manually.
3. If that doesn’t enable you to activate or Auto-Exec the Host Link as expected, then it may be possible that you’re using the
Trial Product and the maximum number of Host Links are already active. Check the number of active Host Links reported at the
bottom of the program’s Activate Host Link window and then compare with the Trial Product’s Link Limits for the maximum
overall concurrent number of active Links or the maximum allowable concurrent limit for any one Host Window. If you already
have the maximum number active, then either close other active Links or Host Application windows until you can activate the
Link or Links that you want to use. Alternately you can purchase the Registered product so that you will not be subject to this
limitation.
4. If the Link Limit is not the problem, then the final solution is to recreate the Host Link from scratch. This is done by first
removing it from the Memorized Link List in the program’s Create Host Link window, highlighting the Host Application’s
Window Title in the Available Host Window Titles List that you wish to create the Link for, and then by clicking the [Add>]
button to create the Host Link.
For more details, see: What can cause Link to no longer work
Problem: Host Link is activated for wrong Host
Solution steps:
1. Using the Fuzzy Title Matching method can sometimes cause matches with other Host Application window Titles that are not
intended. First see if you can edit the Link’s Title in the program’s Edit Host Link window to prevent the mismatch.
2. Then try employing one of the additional AOTop Title Matching features to prevent the mismatch from occurring.
For more details, see: Link is activated for wrong Host
Problem: Can’t add a new Host Link
Solution steps:
1. If the Host Application Window Title is not displayed in the Available Host Window Titles List of the program’s Create Host
Link window, then you cannot create a Host Link for it. Either the Host Application Window is not running or it is not
considered to be a valid candidate Host window by AOTop.
2. If that is not the case and you are attempting to create a Duplicate Host Link Title, then you will be notified by the program
when you click the [Add>] button that you cannot create duplicate Link Titles. Follow the instructions provided in this message
to be able to create multiple Links with similar Titles for any one Host Application Window Title.
3. If that doesn’t allow you to create a new Host Link, then it may be possible that you’re using the Trial Product and the
maximum number of Host Links definitions already exist. Check the number of defined Host Links reported at the bottom of the
program’s Create Host Link window and then compare with Trial Product maximum limit. If this is the case, then you will need
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to remove a Host Link definition before adding a new one. Alternately you can purchase the Registered product so that you will
not be subject to this limitation.
For more details, see: Create Host Links Window
Problem: Can’t close an active Host Link
Solution steps:
1. If you cannot close a Host Link form by clicking on its System Close “X’ icon, then it is because its Auto-Exec feature option
is set to “On”. In this case, set the Link’s Auto-Exec feature option to “Off” first from within the program’s Edit Host Link
window, and then close the Link form.
2. It is also possible that you attempted to close a Host Link form manually via the Activate Host Link window [Deact.] button
and the Link’s Auto-Exec feature option was set to “On”. As is with the previous case, you will be prompted to set the Link’s
Auto-Exec feature option to “Off” first before attempting to deactivate the Host Link.
3. Other methods that will close a Host Link are: closing that Link’s Host Application Window and/or closing the AOTop Main
Module application.
For more details, see: Activate Host Links Window
Problem: Host Link loses its “On-Topness”
General Solution:
AOTop Host Links are programmed to remain On Top of their respective Host Windows by default. However, there may be
certain Application windows that refresh their visibility and/or On-Topness attribute in such a way as to cause a Host Link to lose
its On-Topness when it is not desired. The general solution in this case is to simply use the AOTop Kick Timer feature to
provide an extra periodic enforcement of its On-Topness over its Host window. This solution is effective only if the Host
Application does not also periodically enforce its On-Topness in the same manner.
Special Case for AOL Child Windows and use of “Non-Primary” Screen Names:
If you are using one of your AOL “Non-Primary” Screen Names, then some AOL Child windows can cause a Host Link to lose
its On-Topness, notably: the Online Mailbox, Recently Deleted Mail, Welcome, IM and Chat windows. There are three solutions
possible for this problem scenario.
1. Only use your AOL “Primary” Screen Name when you log on to AOL.
2. Use the AOTop Kick Timer feature to enforce On-Topness. Enable the Kick Timer for each individual AOTop Host Link that
is defined for the AOL Child window that is causing this problem.
3. Define and deploy multiple AOTop Host Links (at least two) for the AOL Child window that is causing this problem. If the
number of Host Links you can define is limited (you are using the Program Trial version) and you don’t want to define another
Link, then you might want to use the 2nd work around described above instead because it uses fewer Links.
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Reporting AOTop Problems
AOTop Program problems that cannot be resolved through use of the Program’s Help System should be sent to the attention of
Ataspec Software Product Support via Email: PierreDesl@aol.com.
Please include the system configuration, the exact title and text of any Error Messages issued, any pertinent program details
leading up to the error, plus the exact steps on how to reproduce the problem you encountered and what you may have done to try
to resolve it yourself if applicable. Ataspec Software Product Support will acknowledge your problem report and provide a
solution (or resolution) for the reported problem if there is one known.
Note: Suggestions for product improvements, program feature wishes, or feedback on the product are also welcomed.
Related Topic: Contacting Product Support
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System-Level Topics
Program Theory:
General: Method Advantages:

Tool Design Objectives AOTop Method Advantages
Brief on Competing Methods Examples of Screen Content that can be Covered
Extensions:
Configurable Options with Session to Session Memory
Display the Images you want to
Customize Appearance of Picture Box that Displays Images
Doubles as a Picture Viewer Utility
Virtual Image Cropping
Customize Form Title Bar with your Text or a Note
Method Disadvantages: Unsupported Items: Don’t Do Items:

AOTop Method or Program Shortcomings Unsupported Items Don’t Do Items
Program Operation:
General: Automation:
Main Controls Module Automatic Window Z-Order/Overlap Logic
Startup Order Automatic Link Host Window Position Tracking
Main versus Link Operation Differences Automatic Termination of Pop-ups/overs/unders
Create and Activate Function Windows
Child versus Top Level Application Links
Multiple Links per Host or Child Window
Identifying Links on OS Task Bar and use of Titles
Identifying Links or Main Module by Form’s Icon
Backing-up/Restoring AOTop Registry Entries
Getting Program Help Fast
Behavior: Registration:
Startup Minimizing or Maximizing Identifying a Registered versus Trial Copy
Kick-Timer and Drop Down Menus About the Product Request Number
Browser Scroll Bar Usage Entering the Product Registration Key
Prevention of Click-Thru to Ads When it is necessary to Re-install
Link Persistence and Auto-Exec
Auto-Term Feature for Browser Window
OS Task Bar use to Switch Focus to Host or its Link
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Tool Design Objectives
The AOTop Tool was designed to provide a reliable, automated, seamless, safe, private, customizable and low-cost means of
combating the ever-increasing volume, frequency and nuisance of blatant commercial advertisement banners appearing
unsolicited on your PC screen whether that be via the Browser window or a popular dedicated ISP window like AOL’s. In a very
real sense, AOTop was designed to function as the visual equivalent of the popular TV/Remote Audio "Mute" button, but in an
automated and intelligent way.
One basic goal and tenet of the design philosophy of this Tool was to allow its users to be as independent as possible. To be free
from having to pay outrageous monthly service fees for on-going Ad banner protection, to be free from having to rely on an
ISP’s service being up-and-running (not to mention the sticky Privacy or Security issues here), and to be free from having to use
other commercial available methods of Ad protection that change Operating System files and risk the integrity of your system.
The AOTop Tool meets this desired independence, safety, and low cost criteria by existing as a locally installed and run
Application on your Desktop System without any need for a third party ISP intermediary service, and by accomplishing all it
does programmatically through VB 5.0 and the Operating System’s published Programming API. None of the crucial lower level
Operating System’s Drivers, .DLLs, or .Exe’s are modified or replaced by AOTop as there’s no need to do so.
Another basic goal and tenet of the design philosophy of this Tool, and perhaps as equally important, was the ability to provide a
much higher degree of choice, flexibility, and personalization of the Tool and its operation than is currently provided by or
possible with other commercial Ad protection Tools available. The AOTop Tool meets this flexibility criteria by providing a
large number of directly user alterable features and methods to help it accomplish its Ad coverage goal. It can operate equally as
well in either the Chat, IM, Page or Browser window environments or in any one dedicated ISP’s On-Line service client
application window environment that may contain multiple subordinate Child windows. It can even be used when you are not
connected to an ISP, but still wish to cover up any element of your Desktop or of a running Application. The many
personalization options are detailed in the Tool’s On-Line context-sensitive Help and User’s Guide.
Finally, the AOTop Tool was designed to be able to serve for other purposes beyond just Ad Protection. Notably, one such use is
that the Tool can also double as a simple Image or Picture File Viewing utility that maintains a session’s viewed Image History
list allowing for selective Image recall during that session and from session-to-session automatically. Another such example is
the ability to use any AOTop Link Form Title as a 1-Line Note utility allowing the display of the Date and Time in Real-time, or
any textual content that you might care to display.
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Brief on Competing Methods
There are in fact a number of different methods to accomplish Ad content filtering. Only two of the most popular methods for
the Windows PC are discussed here.
One very popular method requires that you use an Internet Proxy 3rd party service to filter the Ad data for you before it is sent to
your Screen. A great idea since it can potentially speed up your Internet Browsing by not downloading the extra Ad Data to your
PC, but a method that is unfortunately weak in all other areas. The lack of independence from a 3rd party service means loss of
control over the security and privacy of the identity of your browsing site destinations. It also means a high monthly service cost
and dependence on the availability of their service being up and running. The lack of customization, both in terms of what gets
removed and how this looks on your PC, is another weak point of this method.
Another popular method is that of replacing a component of your system level software (wsock32.dll) with a version that
accomplishes the Ad filtering for you but on a local system level, or by altering the Browser on your system to perform the Ad
filtering. The one big problem with this method is that you are risking your system integrity and compatibility with other
applications by replacing that system software, or altering your Browser, and anytime you upgrade your Browser or Operating
System, you will most likely need to upgrade this method’s replacement software or patching again. This leaves you dependent
on the availability of updates from this 3rd party and vulnerable to problems that their System software, or alteration of your
System software, might cause for you.
Admittedly, AOTop cannot speed up your browsing like the Internet Proxy 3rd party service Ad removal method can, but then it
doesn’t degrade your PC’s performance noticeably either.
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AOTop Method Advantages
Neither the Internet Proxy 3rd party service Ad removal method or the system component alteration Ad removal method
discussed in the Brief on Competing Methods Help Topic offer independence, security, privacy, customizability, low cost, the
ability to cover up other than Browser Window Ad content, or the ability to cover up MSN or AOL Ad content. Neither of these
methods address the newest concern of Web sites monitoring your PC and being able to detect that you are blocking their Ad
data. Nor do they adequately address the legal issues that present themselves when you consider that these methods, or services,
actually target and prevent a list of known advertisers from pushing their content to your PC for a cost to you that would
otherwise presumably be potential profit to the advertiser.
The AOTop Tool on the other hand, provides independence, security, privacy, customizability, low cost, and extra utility, and it’s
not limited just to the Browser window. It works with MSN or AOL and it’s numerous Child windows. Finally, since AOTop
doesn’t actually block Ad data, the potential Web site monitoring and legal issues discussed above don’t matter at all. You can
always close an AOTop Link Form and interact with the Ad content if you are so inclined. After all, it’s your PC and ultimately
your choice.
AOTop accomplishes its feat of covering up Ad or screen content not by removing Ad Content, but instead by covering it up with
a customizable Form in a reliable and automated fashion. AOTop only uses Visual Basic and the documented Window’s 32-bit
API, so it functions as a well-behaved Windows application.
AOTop Product comparison with other competing Products, Methods and/or Services:
Features AOTop Competitors
Independence: Full, does not need Web site service Tied to Web site service for functionality
Cost: Low cost, yearly subscription High monthly cost = Hundreds yearly?
Customization: Highly customizable and modular None, you’re stuck with what they provide
Security: Inherently secure local app. No control over what service may do, track
Privacy: Cannot be detected by other sites Can be detected by other sites
Coverage Target: Browser, AOL, MSN, Desktop apps. Browser only: no AOL, MSN, or others
Coverage Type: Banner/pop-up ads, plus App. areas Browser only: includ. scrolling (no apps)
Availability: Always ready when you are Subject to availability of site service
Stability: Does not change system files Risky if method changes system files
Ease of use: Easy to use, setup and configure Yes, but setup/proxy configuration difficult
Extensions: Photo/Image viewer + Note utility None
Automation: Full, once Links are defined Full, but requires updates from site
Maintenance: Little maintenance required Little, but requires periodic updates
Memory Use: Each Link uses system memory Amount system memory doesn’t matter
Surfing Speed: Does not affect speed of surfing Speeds up surfing by refusing Ad data
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Examples of Screen Content that can be Covered
1. Application areas, glyphs, icons, animations, or other areas you want to cover up.
2. Browser window Web Site Home and content pages, areas and banner ads.
3. ISP Sign on and welcome screens that have content you don't wish to see.
4. File Transfer (download) window or Pop-up type window banner ads.
5. Chat room, IM or Send page window banner ads.
6. News story window banner ads.
7. Email window spammed Subject field so you see Senders Name field only.
8. MS-DOS command prompt session window.
9. The Desktop OS Task Bar.
Note: AOTop can also be used to automatically terminate Browser-enabled Pop-up/over/under ad windows.
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Configurable Options with Session to Session Memory
AOTop automatically memorizes all your Link and Main Form customization settings by storing them in the System Registry
Database. It is a good idea to make a back-up of your customized AOTop Registry Data Settings so that you will be able to
restore the last known good saved data set should you ever need to restore it in the future.
Note: All configurable options for Host Link Forms are accessible from each Host Link Form itself, except for the Edit Host
Link window options which are set and controlled by the AOTop Main Control Module only. For example, if you wanted to
change the background color of a Host Link Form, you would open up that Link Form and make your color selection via the Set
Preferences window for that Link. However, if you wanted to set a Host Link’s Auto-Exec feature to “Off”, then you would do
so from the AOTop Main Control Module, Create Host Links window by first finding and selecting the Host Link’s Name in the
Memorized Links List on right hand side of window, and then by clicking the [Edit] button.
Related Topic: Backing-up/Restoring AOTop Registry Entries
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Display the Images you want to
AOTop allows you to display your choice of Graphic material (if at all) in a completely configurable fashion for each AOTop
Host Link Form that you create. Once you navigate to and select a Picture File via the Select Picture File window, AOTop
remembers it and displays it next time automatically when that Host Link is activated. AOTop automatically retains up to five
(5) Picture File names and locations on a session-to-session basis.
Since the background of the AOTop Form becomes important if you decide not to display any images for it, AOTop provides two
custom Color Palettes to select the Form’s background color from. The first palette is a standard ROYGBIV set of hue values
taken from the middle range of intensities and includes an expanded Gray color selection. The second palette set is a Pastel based
rendition (Tints of high value) providing more finer graduations of these hues within a range of fewer overall possible hues. You
can select a really light Pastel background for the Form by using one of the second palette’s hues. The default Palette for any
newly created Host link Form is the first Palette mentioned above with a light Gray background color selected.
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Customize Appearance of Picture Box that Displays Images
AOTop also makes some of Picture Box object physical display characteristics available for your customization. The Picture
Box’s Alignment, Border, Auto-Sizing and Appearance options change the final look of the Host Link Form’s Picture Box
control.
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Doubles as a Picture Viewer Utility
AOTop functions as a convenient and unobtrusive Picture Viewer utility as well.
Your selected Picture files are accessible in a round-robin fashion via the [Prev.] and [Next] buttons within the Picture section
frame of the AOTop Form controls. You can also control viewing selections by Right mouse clicking inside of the Link Form’s
Picture Box area, or by using either the <PGUP> or <PGDN> keys when the Form’s Picture Box object has the Focus. AOTop
retains the last five (5) viewed images for any one session, and will automatically show the last image viewed for the previous
session (if the Form’s Picture section Show option is selected) when you activate that AOTop Host Link Form.
While any AOTop Link form is active, a larger selectable Viewed Picture file History List is maintained (64 entries) so that
finding and selecting a previously viewed image to view during any one session is as easy as selecting it from the Most Recently
Viewed Picture Files List in the Form’s Select Picture File window. You can also select from this List when it is not visible by
using either the [Prev.] button of the Form’s Picture section frame or the <PGUP> key when the Form’s Picture Box object has
the Focus.
Lastly, it is important to note that you can also view your Image Files while any AOTop Form is in the Maximized Form state
regardless of whether the AOTop Form controls are visible or not. Use a Right mouse click (or <PGDN> key) to display the next
available Image File from the current selected Image File directory, or use the <PGUP> key to display the next available Image
file from the Most Recently Viewed Picture Files List.
Note: AOTop Form Controls are positioned at the bottom right hand corner of the Form if it is in the Maximized state. This is
done so that the controls are not displayed at the top of any Image that you might have displayed for this Form. Also, AOTop
supports all the Windows Desktop Color Schemes and all standard screen Resolutions.
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Virtual Image Cropping
An extended use of the AOTop Picture Box Alignment options allow you to perform simple non-destructive Virtual Image
cropping of your Image for experimentation purposes. It is useful for seeing what an Image looks like when its dimensions are
cropped from different sides without changing the Image file permanently.
How to perform Virtual Image Cropping:
1. Virtual cropping of the Image can be done by first unmaximizing the Form containing the Image.
2. Next, select one of the Top (Left or Right), or Bottom Left Alignment options to be the anchor side of the Image (the side that
you want to prevent from moving).
3. Then, drag and resize the Form side opposite of the anchored side to the new size you want.
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Customize Form Title Bar with your Text or a Note
AOTop Window Title Bar contents can be customized to display the Name and/or Path of the Picture File you are viewing, or to
display the current Date and Time as well by first selecting the Custom Text option in the AOTop Form’s Title Bar Caption
frame section, and then by incorporating one or more of the special reserved Text Modifier keywords into the text string Textbox
entry.
To create a Note line, select the Custom Text option and then click the [Enter]/[Edit] button of this frame to enter or edit your
custom text and to optionally add special reserved Modifier keywords in any order to that Link's Title Bar Text string. An
example of a Note line incorporating the %Time% Modifier is: “Meeting is @ 4 this aft. Time is now: %Time%”
Related Topics:
Edit Custom Text Window
Title Bar Caption Controls
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AOTop Method or Program Shortcomings
1. It must be programmed initially and some small amount of maintenance sometimes becomes necessary when the targeted
Applications or Sites change the Titles of their windows. But once you have programmed all your Links, protection against Ad
content space is automatic, i.e., there’s very little maintenance required.
2. The current version of the tool can’t be programmed to automatically move with Scrolling Ad content embedded in the
Browser window. Although the AOTop Main Control Module can be used to manually provide scrolling coverage by
incrementally re-sizing the Form to cover the embedded Ad space target area as you scroll the page content.
3. AOTop does not currently support the OS’s Task Bar right click menu Window Cascade or Tile operations (the System
Minimize All operation does not have any adverse effects however). Use the OS Task Bar right click menu “Undo” operation if
you’ve used either of the Cascade or Tile operations. Then correct Link positions if necessary by repositioning them for their
respective Host Windows, or by using the [Home] button in the AOTop Create Links, Edit Link Function window.
4. Each user created Link Form uses up a small amount of system memory, so you have to exercise some caution not to
overload your PC with a lot of memory hungry Applications and many AOTop Links running concurrently on your system.
AOTop does provide an automated warning message if it has detected that you have almost run out of physical free memory.
The more physical system memory you have available, the more AOTop Links can be run concurrently.
5. There is a very small group of special purpose windows that can’t be covered up by AOTop Links: these are typically
Modal windows and windows that do not have Titles. Also, AOTop was not designed to solve the problem of Ads pushed by
ISPs who take over your desktop environment and feed them to you in some dedicated window application since they are also in
effect an Always-On-Top application battling for the foreground window position and using AOTop in combination with them
with the optional AOTop “Kick” Timer just results in the two applications taking turns at being in the foreground alternately
which may result in more visual distraction than the original problem you were trying to cover up.
6. AOTop Host Link Forms are not automatically repositioned when you resize the Host window or Maximize it (by
design). Adjustments to Link positions are required when you resize the Host window, which includes Maximizing the Host
window. However, when you Minimize a Host Application window, any associated Links are Minimized with the Host
Application window, and when you subsequently Restore the Host Application window, AOTop Links are restored to their
former positions.
7. AOTop Host Links are not designed to support multiple running instances of your Host Applications or Browser.
Only the first running instance of any one application is recognized as a potential Host window by AOTop.
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Unsupported Items
1. System Window Cascade or Tile operations. Use the OS Task Bar right click menu “Undo” operation if you’ve used either
of the Cascade or Tile operations. Then correct Link positions if necessary by repositioning them for their respective Host
Windows, or by using the [Home] button in the AOTop Create Links, Edit Link Function window.
2. Dedicated Ad Bar Applications that take over your Desktop Screen and that are Always-On-Top. Using the optional
AOTop Kick-Timer feature to force a Link’s “On-Topness” may or may not work well with these applications because they also
employ a technique to force their way to the top of the Desktop to guarantee their visibility.
3. Links cannot be programmed to move automatically when you Scroll an embedded Ad in a Browser Page. Use a
resized AOTop Main Control Module Form to cover up the embedded Ad space target area and then manually move or resize the
window edges of the Form incrementally as you scroll the page content.
4. AOTop Host Links are not designed to support multiple running instances of your Host Applications or Browser.
Only the first running instance of any one application is recognized as a potential Host window by AOTop.
5. Program does nothing purposely about the System Audio/Sound. Use your System’s Audio Hardware or system software
controls to enable Audio “Muting” if so desired.
6. Installing the product to other than a Hard Drive.
7. Changes to AOTop System Registry Database values. The only exceptions to this rule are: for the complete restoration of
your AOTop Data Set from a Backup you made or to change the one AOTop Registry Entry that can be modified manually (See:
Backing-up/Restoring AOTop Registry Entries, or see: Disabling Resources Low Warning).
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Don’t Do Items
1. System Window Cascade or Tile operations. Use the OS Task Bar right click menu “Undo” operation if you’ve used either
of the Cascade or Tile operations. Then correct Link positions if necessary by repositioning them for their respective Host
Windows, or by using the [Home] button in the AOTop Create Links, Edit Link Function window.
2. Don't start other applications when a series of AOTop Host Link Auto-Execs are occurring in batch mode. Simply
allow the series of multiple Auto-Execs to finish first.
3. Don’t run out of System resources (See: Avoiding Resources Low Scenario).
4. Don’t manually change the AOTop System Registry Database values. There are two exceptions to this rule however (See:
Item Number 7 of Topic: Unsupported Items).
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Main Controls Module
AOTop has one Main Control Module (AOTop.exe) which must be run first before any Host Links can be activated. Once it is
running, it will be able to activate your programmed Host window Links automatically by default or manually depending on how
you have configured each Link. You can close Host Links independently of the Main Control Module, but closing the Main
Control Module will close all running and active Host Links. Closing a Host Application window closes any associated active
AOTop Link Forms for that Host Application window only.
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Startup Order
You can run the AOTop Main Control Module (AOTop.exe) before or after you run your Desktop Applications. If you have
multiple applications running or windows open that you have programmed AOTop Host Links for, then multiple Links are Auto-
Exec’ed by default by AOTop in batch style when you close and then subsequently re-run the AOTop Main Control Module.
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Main versus Link Operation Differences
The differences between the AOTop Main Control Module and Host Links are:
1. AOTop Host Links are not permitted to change the Form Start-up Mode or Always-On-Top behaviors. Links can be started
automatically even when the Host Application window is minimized, but when a Link is Auto-Executed or activated manually,
it's the Host window state and it place in the Windows Z-Order that determines the Link's actual window state.
2. AOTop’s Main Control Module always remains On Top (unless you change this option) and is not subject to the same
automatic windows Z-Order processing or window overlapping scheme as is applied to AOTop Links Forms.
3. You can close any one AOTop Link independently of the AOTop Main Control Module, but opting to close the Main Control
Module while Host Links are active will prompt and then automatically shut down any active Host Links being maintained by
Main. This is designed to be the "quick" way to shut down all AOTop Links and the Main Control Module in just two Mouse
clicks, i.e., you don’t have to close each active Host Link separately.
4. You can tell the AOTop Main Control Module apart from AOTop Host Links by the Form's Icon at the top left of the Form.
The Main Control Module has its specific Form Icon with individual versions of that Icon for when the Form has or doesn’t have
the Desktop screen foreground Focus. Likewise, AOTop Host Links have their own specific Form Icon with individual versions
of that Icon for when the Form has or doesn’t have the Desktop screen foreground Focus. Here are the Program Icons:
5. Also, when AOTop's Main Module Controls are visible, you'll see that the Links frame section contains two active buttons
(Activate and Create) permitting the Creation or Activation of Host Links, where as a Link's controls for this same Links Frame
section are disabled (grayed out) because Links are not allowed to create or activate Links themselves, i.e., Links are created or
manually activated from the Main Control Module only (by design).
6. Finally, there are several differences in the Title Bar Caption frame of either Form: (1) the second option in that frame for the
Main Module Form is labeled “Main’s Title” instead of “Host Title”, and (2) the third option in that frame for the Main Module
Form is labeled “Form Pos/Size” instead of “Link Title”. The “Main’s Title” option displays Main Form’s Title “AOTop
[Main]” in the Title Bar Caption instead of the Link’s Host Window Title. And the “Form Pos/Size” option displays Main
Form’s Screen Position (X-coordinate, Y-coordinate) and Size (Width by Height in pixels) in the Title Bar Caption instead of the
Link’s Window Title.
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Identifying Links on OS Task Bar and use of Titles
Identifying which AOTop Links belong to which Host Applications on the OS Task Bar becomes much easier when you use the
Link’s Title Bar Caption Link or Host Title options to display the Link’s Title in the Title Bar Caption. This makes it possible to
easily identify Links by name with same or similarly named Host Applications on the OS Task Bar. The usefulness of this
feature is most evident when you have many AOTop Links and Applications running at the same time.
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Identifying Links or Main Module by Form’s Icon
These AOTop Form Identification Icons appear at the top left of any AOTop Form’s window along with its Title Bar when the
Form is active, and they are also displayed concurrently on the OS Task Bar. The Main Control Module has its specific Form
Icon with individual versions of that Icon for when the Form has or doesn’t have the Desktop screen foreground Focus.
Likewise, AOTop Host Links have their own specific Form Icon with individual versions of that Icon for when the Form has or
doesn’t have the Desktop screen foreground Focus.
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Create and Activate Function Windows
The Create Host Links window’s Available Host Window Titles List displays the Top-Level or Child Windows that are currently
running on your system in Real-time and that qualify to be candidates for AOTop Host Links. If an active Application window
does not appear on this List, then you can’t create a Host Link for it.
Top-Level Application windows are prefixed with the text “T:” and any of its Child windows are prefixed with the text ” + C:”
directly below it in the List. You will note that a Top-Level window and any of its Child windows are always grouped together
in this List. Furthermore, the List reflects the current Child window Z-Order in Real-time within the sub-listing of multiple child
windows if applicable. For more information about the Available Host Window Titles List or the Memorized Host Window
Links List in this window, see the Lists sub-topic in Topic: Create Host Links Window.
The Activate Host Links window displays the active or inactive states of your defined Host Links in Real-time. It can be used to
manually activate or deactivate Host Link Forms for Host Application windows that are running, to bring a selected Host
Application window to the Desktop screen foreground, or to help identify and enumerate which of your Host Links are active or
not active. For more information about the Memorized Host Window Links List in this window, see the List sub-topic in
Topic: Activate Host Links Window.
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Top Level Application Links and Child window Links behave slightly different when it comes to the automated window
overlapping management. Child Links are not allowed to be overlapped by other Child windows of the same Parent Application
and this makes them persistent (always visible). This allows you to take advantage of using the same Child window Link and its
positioning for other Child windows that are similarly positioned in the application Client area. You need not create a separate
Child Window Link for every child window that you open. However, like Top-Level Application Host Links, Child Host Links
are closed automatically when their Host Child window is closed.
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Each Top Level Host Application or Child Host Window can have multiple Links defined for it and running concurrently. A
Registered Program copy allows as many AOTop Host Links as your available system memory can support, but a Trial copy is
limited to a maximum of eight (8) definable Links, no more than a total of four (4) Links running concurrently, and no more than
two (2) Links running concurrently for any one Host Window.
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Backing-up/Restoring AOTop Registry Entries
To make a Backup of your AOTop Registry Data Set:
Using the System Regedit utility, select the AOTop Section Registry Branch (\AOTop) under the Registry Database Key
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VB and VBA Program Settings], and then Export the entire section as one *.REG file to
some place safe.
To restore your AOTop Registry Data Set from a Backup *.REG file you made:
1. Uninstall the product.
2. Using the System Regedit utility, select the AOTop Section Registry Branch (\AOTop) under the Registry Database Key
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VB and VBA Program Settings], and then Delete the entire section.
3. Select the VB Parent Key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VB and VBA Program Settings].
4. Import your saved AOTop Data Set *.REG file under the selected Parent VB Key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VB
and VBA Program Settings].
5. Re-install the product.
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Getting Program Help Fast
The AOTop Help System is also the AOTop On-Line User’s Guide. It contains the complete and official User’s Guide to
AOTop Program Operations and Features.
Note: Windows Vista users cannot use the AOTop On-Line Help System because it is incompatible with Vista.
To get Program Help:
Use the <F1> Key when the focus is on any one AOTop user control to get specific context sensitive Help for that control, or
Left click within any AOTop controls frame section or window to jump directly to other Help Content Topics.
Using the <F1> Key when AOTop Form Controls are hidden invokes the Main Controls Help Window which provides
information on the Main Controls Window components and also serves as the Help System’s Main Menu by displaying a
convenient set of custom Icons in a row across the top of this Menu window which are Hyper-Links to other stand-alone related
topic Section Menus that provide Hyper-Links as well to other topics of possible interest in the areas of: Program How-To,
Trouble-Shooting, System-Level, Optimizing, and Command Shortcuts.
Finally, the Help System can be navigated by left clicking on the various custom Icons that appear in the upper right corner for
most Help Topic windows in addition to the Help Window’s Tool Bar [Back] function button. To browse the Help System’s
Topics via the Help Contents, click the [Help Topics] button on the Help Window’s Tool Bar and select topics from the Contents
Tab. To search for topics based on keywords, use the Index Tab dialog box to specify keywords to find related topics and display
a selection List of Hyper-Links to any found topics.
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Automatic Window Z-Order/Overlap Logic
An automated Window Z-Order foreground and overlap management scheme is employed by AOTop to track and process focus
changes between Host Application windows in order to bring associated AOTop Links to the Desktop screen foreground with
their respective Host windows. Likewise, AOTop Links are sent to a background screen position when the Host window loses its
foreground position on the screen.
When you click on either the Link Form or its Title Bar Caption area, then AOTop brings the Host Application window and any
associated Links to the Desktop screen foreground. Likewise, when you click on the Host Application window, any associated
AOTop Host Links are brought to the Desktop screen foreground along with the Host Application window.
AOTop provides automatic Window overlapping management for Links. Link Forms active for any one Top-Level Application
can be overlapped seamlessly by other Top-Level Applications and any of its active Links on the Desktop screen. Child Link
Forms behave the same way, except that Child Link Forms are made persistent (by design) and cannot be overlapped by other
Sibling windows of the same Parent Application.
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Automatic Link Host Window Position Tracking
AOTop Links are designed to automatically move with their respective Host windows. When you move, minimize, or restore a
Host Application window, any of its active AOTop Links follow it exactly on the screen. Links are also automatically restored to
their former established screen positions relative to their Host windows regardless of any new absolute screen positioning a Host
Application might have.
AOTop also provides automatic bad-position correction and fail-safe repositioning logic for worse case scenarios that may
happen when an Application moves its window off-screen before terminating itself (WordPad.exe is one such example) and
causes deactivation of the AOTop Link when it is off-screen too.
Finally, there is the AOTop Edit Link window [Home] button which allows you to dynamically reposition a Link to the Host’s
Home (Top, Left corner) position manually should you need to. The [Home] button will reset the Link’s position even if its Host
Application is not running.
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Automatic Termination of Pop-ups/overs/unders
AOTop Links can be employed to automatically terminate Browser-enabled Pop-up/over/under Host Windows that you do not
wish to see or interact with at all, including most Top Level Application and/or Child Host Windows.
To utilize the AOTop “Terminate Pop-up” feature: (1) identify and create a AOTop Host Link for the pop-up window, (2)
optionally edit its Title String field and set the Fuzzy Matching option to “On”, (3) select the Terminate Pop-up feature option
checkbox, and then (4) [Apply] those changes in the Edit Host Link program window. The next time that targeted Host window
becomes active, it will be closed automatically by AOTop and the associated Link Form you have defined for this Host window
will never appear because you have elected to terminate the Link’s Host window instead.
Besides the obvious benefit of not having your Browsing or work-flow interrupted anymore by advertisement Pop-up/over/under
windows you would rather not see or have to close manually, there is an additional benefit for those who may have relied upon
disabling certain options in their Browser’s Security Settings solely to prevent these windows. AOTop can be used as an
alternate method to terminate these windows instead, therefore perhaps eliminating the need to change the Browser’s Security
Settings from the default and more functional Medium Security Level to accomplish this.
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Startup Minimizing or Maximizing
Only the AOTop Main Control Module Form can be selectively started-up in either the Minimized, Normalized, or Maximized
window states. Host Links, however, are always started-up in a Normalized window state and will automatically Normalize its
associated Host Application window bringing it to the Desktop screen foreground if it is in the Minimized window state when the
Host Link is activated (by design).
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Kick Timer and Drop Down Menus
Normally the Kick Timer is not needed for AOTop Host Links to remain in the foreground above their targeted Host Application
windows. The AOTop Links remain On Top of the Host Application window and are designed not to interfere with the Host's
Drop Down menus and your directed clicks to selections of those menus. However, when you employ the optional Kick Timer, it
can interfere with the operation of any Drop Down menu if its location coincides or overlaps a Drop Down menu. In this case,
you can either not use the Kick Timer or you can reposition the Host Link to another location in the Host Application window
where it won’t interfere with the Drop Down menu.
When the optional Kick Timer feature is enabled the Form’s Kick Timer section displays this Icon:
AOTop can even be employed for use on the OS Task Bar, by using the optional AOTop Kick Timer feature. When the Kick
Timer is enabled, the AOTop Form will come back to the foreground over the OS Task Bar after you have used the Task Bar and
brought it to the foreground.
Note: One important thing to be aware of is that once you enable the Kick Timer for any one Host Link, it will stay enabled on a
session-to-session basis because the current settings for this feature are saved like all the other AOTop option settings in the
AOTop System Registry Data Set. Leaving the Kick Timer enabled for any one Host Link Form is easy to do and leaving it on
by mistake will consume more System CPU processing cycles than is necessary for your system.
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Browser Scroll Bar Usage
By clicking on and dragging the Browser or other Application window’s Scroll elevator control with your mouse, you can scroll
continuously right under and through an AOTop Host Link Form as long as you don't let go of the Scroll Bar’s elevator control.
This capability is useful to know about when you wish to scroll page content by dragging the elevator control to a location that
would coincide with a Host Link Form. If you were to release the Scroll Bar elevator control at that point, your ability to click on
that portion of Scroll Bar beneath the AOTop Form to gain control of the elevator control again would be prevented. In this case,
either don’t release your control on the mouse when you’re scrolling under that Link Form, or reposition or resize the AOTop
Form so that its location doesn’t coincide with the Scroll Bar.
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Prevention of Click-Thru to Ads
AOTop does not propagate Ad Banner “Click-thrus” to a Web site, since the AOTop Form is usually directly On Top covering
that Ad Banner, so it becomes a physical impossibility to Click-thru to it. When you click that AOTop Link Form area it will
open the AOTop control user interface instead. If you wish to Click-thru to any Web site via an Ad Banner, then either
minimize, reposition, or deactivate the AOTop Link Form that is covering it.
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Link Persistence and Auto-Exec
Newly created AOTop Host Links are initially set with their Auto-Exec feature set “On” to ensure that targeted Ad space content
is always covered up by default. Having the Auto-Exec feature set to “On” by default ensures that the targeted Ad content space
is covered 100% of the time without allowing even one case of failure to provide coverage protection. Closing a Host Link Form
via the Form’s System Close “X” icon is only possible after having first turned its Auto-Exec feature to “Off’ manually, so a
convenient alternative to closing a Host Link Form temporarily so it is not visible, is to Minimize it instead. The Auto-Exec
feature constitutes part of what makes a Host Link persistent (always visible).
Another part of what makes Host Links persistent (or not persistent) is when they are used for the Browser Application window
and their Auto-Term feature option is set to “Off”. This will keep the Host Link active and visible even after you have changed
the Browser Site Page you are viewing because the Browser Application window is still running.
The third part of Host Link persistence comes into play for Host Links that are created for an Application’s Child windows. In
this case, the persistence is that they cannot be overlapped by other sibling Child windows of the same Parent Application and
hence remain visible (by design).
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This feature provides a way to automatically terminate Host Links created for different Pages of a Web Site for the Browser
application. If you don’t set the Host Link’s Auto-Terminate feature to “On”, then newly activated Host Links will remain active
and visible (persistent) even if you browse to a different Page and will begin to accumulate in the Browser Host window causing
unnecessary Form clutter until which time that you close the Browser Application window or manually close the persistent Host
Links. There may be times when you may want a Host Link to remain (or not remain) persistent across different Pages of one
particular Web Site. The Host Link’s Auto-Terminate feature is set to “On” by default when the Link is initially created.
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OS Task Bar use to Switch Focus to Host or its Link
The OS Task Bar can be used to provide quick access to the Main Control Module Form or any active AOTop Host Link, or its
Host Application window. By clicking on any AOTop Link Form that appears on the OS Task Bar, you can bring the Link and
its Host Application window to the Desktop screen foreground on demand.
Identifying which AOTop Links belong to which Host Applications on the OS Task Bar becomes much easier when you use the
Link’s Title Bar Caption Link or Host Title options to display the Link’s Title in the Title Bar Caption. This makes it possible to
easily identify Links by name with same or similarly named Host Applications on the OS Task Bar. The usefulness of this
feature is most evident when you have many AOTop Links and Applications running at the same time.
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Identifying a Registered versus Trial Copy
Only the Trial Product displays the several Registration reminder message box windows when the Program is run. Also, the
AOTop Program’s Main Module About Box Title (accessible via <ALT+F1> or a Right Click within any of the Main Module
Form’s frame sections) indicates whether the Program is a Registered or a Trial Copy.
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About the Product Request Number
This is the Product Request Number that must be provided with your Product Subscription payment in exchange for the
Registration Key that will unlock the AOTop Program installed on your system and allow full operating capability of essential
AOTop features for up to 1-Year. Ataspec Software cannot provide you with your personalized Registration Key until you have
supplied the Product Request Number obtained from the installed Program Copy on your system.
Send the Product Request Number via email to Ataspec Software product support email address: <pierredesl@aol.com>.
It can be copied from the AOTop Main Module Program’s About Box, Info window from the Request Number field displayed
there (or from the Request Number field in the large Registration Reminder message box displayed at runtime) and then pasted.
Once you have provided your Product Request Number and your payment has been verified, your Product Registration Key will
be sent to your email address.
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Entering the Product Registration Key
It cannot be stressed enough that taking the time to carefully enter the 20-character Product Registration Key with its mixture of
Upper and Lower Case letters might be well worth the effort spent. The characters that you enter must match the ones you are
sent from Ataspec Software exactly. As you fill up one Key field, you will be automatically advanced into the next available Key
field in the window. You can use the <TAB> Key or a Left mouse click to go back and change any character in any field if you
make a mistake. Alternately you can also copy four (4) of the Registration Key characters at a time from your Email containing
the Registration Key from Ataspec Software and then paste them into one of the five (5) Key fields displayed in the window.
Please remember to double-check your final entry before selecting the [Done] button, otherwise if you made a mistake, then you
will need to re-enter the entire 20-character Product Registration Key again.
Note: Repeated failures to enter the Product Registration Key correctly could indicate that your Registration Key has expired.
You are allowed up to 1-month’s time from when you received the Registration Key to enter it into the Program copy on the
same machine as it was installed on. Contact Ataspec Software with your Product Request Number to obtain a current Product
Registration Key if it has expired.
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When it is necessary to Re-install
1. Moving product to a new system

2. Changing your CPU Chip
3. Moving product to a new Hard Drive or Partition
4. Reformatting your Hard Drive
5. Product Expiration
6. Early Subscription renewal
7. Product version upgrade
8. Restoring your AOTop System Registry Data set from a backup you made of it
9. Any changes to Product Files or Product Installation which are not permitted
If any of the above listed reasons apply, then re-installation of AOTop on your system is necessary.
Note: Physical system memory can be added to your PC without having to re-install the Product.
Related Topic: Installing AOTop
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Optimizing Topics
General: Usage Illustrations and Sample Links:
What can or can’t be Covered Typical Usage Scenarios (ISP)

Window Title Matching Strategies Typical Usage Scenarios (Browser)
Other Features to Fine-Tune Matching Typical Usage Scenarios (Desktop)
Creating Single/Multiple Links for Host Window
Special Reserved Link Title Name “/” Sample Host Links
AOL Specific: Browser Specific:
AOL Tips and Techniques Browser Window Tips and Techniques

Creating Link for AOL File Transfer Window
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What can or can’t be Covered
Generally speaking, if an Application or one of its windows has a non-blank Title Bar Caption, then an AOTop Host Link can be
created for that window, however there are certain Applications or types of windows that AOTop will not create Links for and
these are: Modal Windows, Titleless Windows, Hidden Windows, and AOTop itself. If an active Application window’s title
does not appear on the Available Host Window Titles List in the Create Host Links window, then you can’t create a Host Link
for it.
Here are examples of windows or screen content that can be covered by AOTop:
1. Application areas, glyphs, icons, animations, or other areas you want to cover up.
2. Browser window Web Site Home and content pages, areas and banner ads.
3. ISP Sign on and welcome screens that have content you don't wish to see.
4. File Transfer (download) window or Pop-up type window banner ads.
5. Chat room, IM or Send page window banner ads.
6. News story window banner ads.
7. Email window spammed Subject field so you see Senders Name field only.
8. MS-DOS command prompt session window.
9. The Desktop OS Task Bar.
Note: AOTop can also be used to automatically terminate Browser-enabled Pop-up/over/under ad windows.
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Window Title Matching Strategies
The AOTop Title Matching Method to employ for matching Host Application Window Titles depends on whether you want to
use just a Single Link for a Host Application Window or whether you want to use Multiple Links for a Host Application
Window. It also depends on whether the target Host Application is a Browser type application or not.
1. Single Host Links may be created and used for any one Host Application Window with the Exact Title Matching Method
option in the program’s Edit Host Link window. This is the default Title Matching Method set for any newly created Host Link.
2. Multiple Host Links may be created and used for any one Host Application Window or its Child windows with either the
Exact and/or the Fuzzy Matching Methods. The following configurations are supported: (1) only for same Top-Level Host
Application window, (2) combination of any Top-Level Host Application window and any of its Child windows, (3) only for
same Child window of any one Top-Level Host Application, and (4) for the Top-Level Browser Application window and any of
its uniquely titled content Pages.
Browser Application Host Window:
Creating one Top-Level Host Link that remains visually persistent (*) for a Brower Application Host Window is possible by
taking advantage of the fact that a certain portion of the Browser Window Title text will presumably always be present in that
Browser’s Window Title (typically added to the end of it) no matter what the individual site Page Title is. This allows you to use
one persistent Host Link for the Browser Application Window itself while using other persistent or non-persistent Links you’ve
created for individual site Page Window Titles as you browse to different content Pages.
The AOTop Browser Auto-Termination feature is then used to automatically deactivate Host Links on-the-fly as you browse to
different Browser content Pages. Since the Browser application window itself is never closed when you browse and display
differently titled content Pages, this feature is used to control the lifetime of any one active Host Link by closing it automatically
when its Title Matching criteria set in the Link’s Edit window is no longer satisfied.
Regular Application Host Windows:
Creating one Top-Level Host Link and multiple Links for the same Host Application Window or any of its Child windows for
regular desktop Applications is more straight forward than it is for the Browser because Window Titles for Top-Level
Applications and any of its Child windows are all named differently typically and therefore it is easier to create and maintain
unique Link Titles and/or predictably matchable Fuzzy method Link Titles for them. And it is made easier by the fact that Host
Links are automatically closed when their respective Host Application windows are closed.
(*) Persistent means to remains visible and On-Top of screen content. The AOTop Link Auto-Exec, Browser Auto-Term, and
Kick Timer features all play a part in maintaining and controlling a Link’s persistence and lifetime. Child window Host Links
are also designed to be extra persistent in that they cannot be overlapped by other sibling Child windows of the same Parent
Application.
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Other Features to Fine-Tune Matching
Host Application Window Title matching can be further fine-tuned by using the Fuzzy+Exclusion Title matching method,
Require Window Class Name matching, or Browser Auto-Termination features. The single or combined use of any or all of
these features for a Host Link, together with the Link’s Host window type, determines the Window Title Matching criteria that
AOTop uses to recognize it with and the degree of visual persistence that it has.
Related Topics:
Automatic Window Z-Order/Overlap Logic
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Creating Single/Multiple Links for Host Window
1. To create a Single Host Link for any one Host Application window, simply use the Exact Title Matching Method option in the
program’s Edit Host Link window. This is the default Title Matching Method set for any newly created Host Link.
2. To create Multiple Host Links for any one Host Application window, create different but similarly titled Host Link definitions
for the same target Host Application Window and then use one of the AOTop Fuzzy Title Matching Method options in the
program’s Edit Host Link window to selectively match the targeted Host Application Window Title, or to exclude other Host
Application Window Titles that you don’t want to match.
Related Topics:
Window Title Matching Strategies
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Browser Window Tips and Techniques
Reducing Ad content space clutter in Browser Window:
One general purpose technique that can help to keep advertising clutter to a minimum in a Browser window is to set the Browser
window size to a narrow format (or about half the width of the screen) so that you don’t have to see the dedicated Ad space areas
containing multiple ads that are typically displayed on the right side of the Browser Page. This means of course that if you wish
to see something that is hidden in the right margin, then you need to scroll it into view. One side benefit to viewing the Browser
window in this format is that you can create fewer AOTop Host Links for that Browser Page because some of the Ad space
content is already hidden from view. This technique is not applicable if it is your habit to run the Browser window in the
Maximized state, however.
Using a common Link for Multiple Pages of a single Site:
Although each Site can have its own scheme for the placement of Ad space on its pages, many (if not most) Home Pages and
subsequent content pages are similarly formatted in that there usually is one main Ad Banner at the Top of the Browser window
visible when you first open that page or subsequent content pages of a site. So you can take advantage of this similarity and
create only one AOTop Host Link for that site to serve as the common Link for the Top of the page or any subsequent pages by
allowing it to remain visibly persistent across different pages of that same site by setting the Link’s Browser Auto-Termination
feature option to “Off”. Therefore when you browse to other pages of that site, this common Link will not be closed and will
continue to provide Ad space coverage for the Top of page location. When you browse to different Web Site however, the Link’s
Fuzzy Title Matching method criteria will no longer be satisfied and the Link for that site will be closed automatically.
Using different Links for Multiple Pages of a single Site:
If the Ad Space size and locations on a page vary substantially between Pages on a site, then a better Ad covering strategy to use
for that site is to create individual Page/Title sensitive Links by turning each Link’s Browser Auto-Termination feature option to
“On” so that those specific Links remain visibly persistent for only as long as that Page is being viewed and the Title matching
criteria is satisfied. The net effect of this technique is that when you use the Browser Home, Forward or Back buttons to switch
to a different Page of that same site, Links are Auto-Terminated and replaced by other Links that you have created for that
specific Page of the site to accommodate the Ad space size and location differences between pages.
Creating a Top-Level Link for the Browser Application:
Creating a Host Link for the Browser Application window itself that remains visibly persistent across all Web sites is possible if
the Browser Application always appends its identifying text to the Window Title. Since that text is always contained in the
Window Title no matter what site you browse to, it can always be matched by using AOTop’s Fuzzy Title Matching method and
hence will remain visibly persistent until which time that you close the Browser application. A visibly persistent Top-Level Link
for the Browser Application window is useful for consistently covering-up any screen component or content of the Browser
window that you do not wish to see, example: animations, glyphs, or icons that are typically located in the upper right hand
corner of the window.
To do this, run the Browser Application and note whether or not it appends identifying text to the Window Title as you browse to
different content pages. If it does, then create a Host Link for the Browser Application Window itself in the program’s Create
Host Link window. Next, display this Link’s Edit window and set the Link’s Matching Method to “Fuzzy”, and then edit the
Link’s Title field entry to agree with that identifying text (or a subset of it) that the Browser appends to all window Titles.
Finally, verify that the Link’s Auto-Exec feature option is set “On” and the Browser Auto-Terminate feature option is set to
“Off” before saving the criteria for this Host Link.
Terminating Browser-enabled Pop-up/over/under Host Windows:
AOTop Links can be employed to automatically terminate Browser-enabled Pop-up/over/under Host Windows that you do not
wish to see or interact with at all, including most Top Level Application and/or Child Host Windows.
Once you have identified and created a AOTop Host Link for that window, all that is necessary is to enable its “Terminate Pop-
up” feature option and [Apply] that change in the Edit Host Link program window. The next time that targeted Host window
becomes active, it will be closed automatically by AOTop and the associated Link Form you have defined for this Host window
will never appear because you have elected to terminate the Link’s Host window instead.
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AOL Tips and Techniques
Reducing AOL Marketing Pop-up Ad windows:
Take advantage of this AOL program provided feature via its Preferences menu, Marketing options. Turn Marketing Pop-ups
“Off” and the program won’t display the Marketing pop-up windows typically shown when you first sign-on to the service for
any one session.
Reducing Child window clutter in the AOL Application window:
A useful strategy to employ is to close or minimize AOL Child windows to remove general Window clutter and selectively hide
AOTop Child window Links that would otherwise remain visibly persistent. Alternately, you could run the AOL application in
the maximized window state and have more available screen space to arrange multiple opened Child windows so they don’t
overlap or cause clutter.
The AOL Welcome window can be minimized. Once you’ve signed-onto the service, you can optionally dispense with the
Welcome Child window and any AOTop Links you’ve created for it by minimizing it since the AOL program does not allow you
to actually close the Welcome Child window while the program is running.
Using a common Link for Multiple AOL Child windows:
You will notice that as you open AOL Child windows and other sub-Child windows from the first Child window you opened,
they will remain open until you close them or the Child window that owns them. Therefore you will typically have overlapping
AOL Child windows when the application’s window state is not maximized.
You can take advantage of the visually persistent behavior of AOTop Host Links for Child windows and be able to use common
Links for multiple Child windows by using the “Forget Window Size and Position” and the “Remember Window Size and
Position” options under the AOL application’s Window menu. These options are useful for maintaining the size and position of
Child windows that you open and close, and when used in conjunction with AOTop Host Links created for these Child windows,
can enable you to keep those Child windows aligned so that one Link can serve as a common Link for other Child windows that
have their Ad space banner content in roughly the same location in the Child Window. This helps keep the number of AOTop
Host Links you need to use at any one time to a minimum.
Using different Links for Multiple AOL Child windows:
Single and multiple AOTop Host Links can be created for any one AOL Child window by using AOTop’s Create Host Link
window and then by editing a Link’s options in the Edit Host Link window for each Link. Closing any Child window closes any
associated AOTop Host Links it has and minimizing any one Child window also minimizes its associated Host Links.
Creating a Top-Level Link for the AOL Application:
Employing a Host Link for the AOL Application window itself that remains visibly persistent while it is running is possible
simply by creating a Host Link for the AOL program’s window Title (or matching a subset of it with the AOTop Fuzzy Title
Matching method) in the program’s Create Host Link window and then accepting the default “On” setting for the Link’s Auto-
Execution option setting. A visibly persistent Top-Level Link for the AOL Application window is useful for consistently
covering-up any screen component or content of the Application window that you do not wish to see, example: animations,
glyphs, or icons that are typically located in the upper right hand corner of the window.
Links can be created for most AOL Child windows:
AOTop Host Links can be created for the following example AOL Child and Pop-up windows: Startup, Sign on, Welcome
Screen, Email, News, Chat Rooms, IM, File Transfer (download), etc.
A special case arises for creating a Host Link for the AOL File Transfer (download) window (See: Creating Link for AOL File
Transfer Window).
Another special case arises for matching AOL News Child windows which utilize a changeable Date Prefix in their Title, but
don’t provide other predictably matchable Title text as is the case for other AOL Child window titles. To be able to match these
111
type of window Titles, use the Fuzzy Title Matching method and the special AOTop Reserved Link Title Name “/” Feature (See:
Special Reserved Link Title Name “/”).
Terminating AOL Browser or Top Level Application Child Pop-up/over/under Host Windows:
AOTop Links can be employed to automatically terminate AOL Browser-enabled Pop-up/over/under Host Windows that you do
not wish to see or interact with at all, including AOL Top Level Application Child Host Windows.
This will enable AOL version 7.0 users to optionally and automatically close the AOL “Channels” window that appears each
time the user signs-on to AOL. This feature can also be employed to terminate any AOL Web Browser-enabled Pop-
up/over/under Ad window, including the “Screen Name Service” pop-under window that is not normally seen until the user
closes or moves the Browser Top-Level Application window.
112
Creating Link for AOL File Transfer Window
This is a special case since in order to be able to create a Host Link for any one window, it must be displayed on screen for as
long as it takes to navigate to the Create Host Links window, select the Host window, click the [Add] button, and then
resize/reposition it to where you want it exactly. If a file download takes less time than all this, then the File Transfer window
will disappear before you can add it or customize its position and size.
Therefore, to create a Host Link for this Host window, download a large file that will take some time to allow you plenty of time
to create and reposition the new Link while the Host File Transfer window is still on the screen. Once you have defined the Link,
edit it to remove the “N%” part of the Link’s Title string and set the Link’s Matching method to “Fuzzy”. You will note that this
window always displays the Ad space in the same location within that window.
Note: AOL Users can create a Host Link for the File Transfer window that is used for downloading purposes, but not for the File
Transfer window that is used for uploading purposes since this window is a Modal type window and AOTop does not support
Modal windows. Currently, there isn’t any Advertising displayed in the AOL File Transfer upload window.
113
Special Reserved Link Title Name “/”
This specialized use of the Fuzzy Title Matching feature is intended only for Host Windows that incorporate a dynamic changing
Date as a prefix in their Title Bar Text and there is no other text in the Title Bar Text that distinguishes it uniquely from other
window Titles that would otherwise enable you to match it with the Fuzzy Title Matching method.
AOTop scans the first dozen characters of the window Title Bar Text for a “/” (Forward Slash) character. If it is found, then
AOTop attempts to find a valid Date string pattern in the form of “NN/NN/NN” or “NN/NN” within the Title. If one is found,
then AOTop will activate the user-created Link with the reserved Title Name “/” provided both its Fuzzy Title Matching Method
and Auto-Exec features are set to “On”.
When you first define this reserved Link in the program’s Create Host Links window, use the “/” character by itself (without the
double-quote marks) as the entry for the Link Title Definition textbox and then set the Link’s Fuzzy Title Matching Method to
“On” if necessary. To guarantee fewer possible mismatches with other window Titles that you don’t intend to match, you could
also set the Require Class Name Matching feature “On” for this reserved Link.
Note: If the Date Separator character field under the Operating System’s Control Panel, Regional Settings Properties, Date Tab
sheet for your System is set to other than the default “/” character, then this specialized use of the Fuzzy Title Matching feature
will not be possible.
114
System Specifications
System Memory Use:
Each AOTop Host Link Form uses approximately 4% of available system resources for a system with 128 MB Total System
Memory and running the MS Windows 98 SE Operating System. This percentage figure will be smaller if a system has more
memory than 128 MB and larger if it has less memory than 128 MB.
The recommended maximum values for Total number Active Links per System Total Memory capacity for a moderately loaded
System (mixture of several large and small applications running concurrently) are:
Total System Memory Total Links
Less than 128 MB 6

Less than 256 MB 12
Less than 512 MB 24
Desktop Window Schemes and Screen Resolutions:
AOTop supports all MS Windows Desktop Color Schemes and all standard screen Resolutions, including the use of Large or
Small System Fonts. Use of greater than 256 Colors is recommended. Screen Resolution of 1024x768 is also recommended.
Note: The AOTop Help System is formatted for 1024x768 and 24-bit Color, so using it with other than this Screen Resolution
and Color Bit-Depth combination will adversely affect the displayed results, but it is still fully functional.
Product Installation Media Type Requirement:
AOTop must be installed on a Hard Disk Drive, no other media type is supported by this version.
OS/Software Compatibility:
AOTop is compatible with 32-bit Windows 95-Vista, MSN, MSN Explorer, I.E. 4.X-7.X, NS 4/6, and AOL 4.0-9.0.
Program Type:
AOTop is a set of MS Windows Visual Basic applications built with MS VB 5.0 Enterprise Edition, SP2.
115
Forms Specifications
AOTop Form Shape:
AOTop Forms are always rectangular shaped, i.e., two pairs of parallel sides with opposite sides equal in length. You can
combine several AOTop Host Link Forms side-by-side to cover an irregular shaped screen area however.
AOTop Form Size:
AOTop Forms are always resizable. They can be as large as the Maximized state for your screen and can be no smaller (when in
the normalized window state) than the minimum size necessary to display the top of Form’s System Maximize, Minimize and
Close Icons. Vertically this is just slightly taller than the height of the Form’s Title Caption Bar. Horizontally this is a bit wider
than the combined width of the Form’s System and program Icons and at least several characters of the Form’s Title Bar Caption
text. Close the Form’s controls to resize the Form to sizes smaller than the minimum size necessary to show entire set of AOTop
controls on the Form.
AOTop Window States:
AOTop Forms can be Maximized, Minimized or Normalized.
116
Sample Host Links
This is one registered AOTop user’s sample set of Host Link Title Definitions and Edit Window Option settings. These Link
Titles and option settings can serve as examples to help you create, correctly deploy, and fine-tune your own set of AOTop Host
Links.
Alphabetical List of 107 Link Title Definitions and their Edit Window Option Settings:
Link Title Matching AutoExec AutoTerm Req. Class Exclusion
" AOL Computer Cent" Fuzzy+Exc. On On No "PC"

" AOL Computer Cente" Fuzzy+Exc. On On No "PC"
" AOL Computer Center" Fuzzy+Exc. On On No "PC"
" AOL Computer Center: PC - Business" Fuzzy On On Yes None
" AOL Computer Center: PC - Home Fi" Fuzzy On On Yes None
" AOL News: News Search" Exact On On No None
" AOL People Connection: Welcome!" Exact On On No None
" FTP - File Transfer Protocol" Exact On On No None
" Keyword: Keyword" Exact On On No None
" Live Today Fuzzy On On Yes None
" Mail Center Exact On On Yes None
" Music & Sound Software Library" Exact On On No None
" Search and Explore AOL Computing" Exact On On No None
"/" Fuzzy On On Yes None
"Acrobat R" Fuzzy On On No None
"Add Favorite" Exact On On No None
"Address B" Fuzzy On On Yes None
"Address Book - Main Identity" Exact On On No None
"America Online" Fuzzy On Off No None
"America Online provided by" Fuzzy Off On No None
"AOL by Phone!" Exact On On No None
"AOL Health News" Fuzzy On On No None
"AOL Hometown" Exact On On No None
"AOL Instant Messenger" Exact On On Yes None
"AOL Investment Snapshot" Fuzzy On Off No None
"AOL.COM | AOL Mail" Exact On On No None
"Arts and Entertainment" Fuzzy On On No None
"BrassRing" Fuzzy On On Yes None
"Calculator" Exact On On Yes None
"Calend" Fuzzy On On Yes None
"Calendar" Exact On On No None
"Cannot find server" Fuzzy On On No None
"Control Panel" Exact On On No None
"Desk" Fuzzy On On No None
"Deskt" Fuzzy On On No None
"Desktop" Exact On On No None
"Document - WordPad" Exact Off On No None
"Expedia Travel" Fuzzy On On No None
"Explorer" Fuzzy Off On Yes None
"Exploring - D:\" Exact On On Yes None
"Exploring - D:\My Documents" Exact On On Yes None
"Favorite Places" Exact On On Yes None
"File Transfer" Fuzzy+Exc. On On No "FTP"
"Fool" Fuzzy On On No None
"Friends" Fuzzy On On No None
"Hotmail" Fuzzy+Exc. On On Yes "Home"
"Hotmail Home" Fuzzy On On No None
"InfoQuotes - Charting" Fuzzy On On No None
117
Link Title Matching AutoExec AutoTerm Req. Class Exclusion
"InfoQuotes - Stocks" Fuzzy On On No None

"Infospace" Fuzzy On On No None
"Internet Connect" Fuzzy On On No None
"Internet Connection" Exact On On No None
"Internet Explorer" Fuzzy On On No None
"Investment Snapshot -" Fuzzy On On No None
"List All Communities" Exact On On No None
"Lo" Fuzzy+Exc. On On Yes "Explorer"
"Lobby" Fuzzy On On Yes None
"Loc" Fuzzy+Exc. On On Yes "Location"
"Local" Exact On On Yes None
"Mail Waiting to be" Fuzzy On On Yes None
"Member Directory Search Results" Exact On On Yes None
"Member Profile" Exact On On Yes None
"Microsoft Internet Explorer Help" Exact On On No None
"Microsoft Word" Fuzzy On On No None
"Monster.com" Fuzzy On On No None
"MSDN Online - Advanced Search Page" Fuzzy On Off No None
"MS-DOS" Fuzzy On On No None
"MSFT Graph" Fuzzy On On No None
"MSFT Graph:" Fuzzy On On No None
"My Portfolios" Exact On On Yes None
"Nasdaq Custom Logo Ticker" Fuzzy On On Yes None
"Nasdaq-100 Heatmap" Fuzzy On On Yes None
"News and Photo Search" Exact On On No None
"News Search" Exact On On No None
"Newsgroups" Exact On On No None
"NWclassifieds" Fuzzy On On No None
"Online Mailbox" Fuzzy On On Yes None
"Outlook Express" Exact On On Yes None
"Paint" Fuzzy+Exc. On On Yes "Paints"
"Guest's Online Mailbox" Exact On On No None
"Guest's Recently Deleted Mail" Exact On On No None
"Portfolio: A" Exact On On Yes None
"Quote" Fuzzy+Exc. On On No "infoquotes"
"Quotes" Fuzzy+Exc. On On No "infoquotes"
"Reader.pdf" Exact On On No None
"Recently Deleted Mail" Fuzzy On On Yes None
"Search Results" Exact On On Yes None
"Send Page" Exact On On Yes None
"Sign" Fuzzy On On Yes None
"Sign On" Exact On On Yes None
"Square" Fuzzy+Exc. On On Yes "Town"
"System Monitor" Exact Off On Yes None
"The Nasdaq" Fuzzy On On Yes None
"TheStreet" Fuzzy On Off Yes None
"TheStreet.com" Fuzzy On On Yes None
"Today's chart for" Fuzzy On Off No None
"Town Square" Fuzzy On On No None
"Town Square - A Crowded Room" Fuzzy On On No None
"Welcome" Fuzzy On On Yes None
"Welcome to AOL Anywhe" Fuzzy On On No None
"Welcome to AOL Anywhere" Exact On On No None
"Winamp 2" Fuzzy On On Yes None
"WordPa" Fuzzy On On No None
"Yahoo! Computers and Internet" Fuzzy On On No None
"Yahoo! Search Results" Fuzzy On On No None
"ZDNet: Home Page" Fuzzy On On No None
"ZDNet: Home Page - Microsoft Intern" Fuzzy On On No None
Note: the “Terminate Pop-up” option setting for any one Link Definition above is not shown.
118
AOTop Terminology
Auto-Execution: A Link is automatically activated for its Host Window if the Link’s Auto Execute option is set to “On” in the
Edit Host Link window (accessible via the [Edit] button in the Create Host Links window) and its Host Application window is
running. “On” is the default setting for this option when a Host Link is initially created.
Auto-Sizing: Picture Box Auto-Sizing enlarges or shrinks the Picture Box size automatically to fit the size of the Image which is
being placed into the Picture Box when you select and show a Picture File and the Auto-Sizing feature option is set to “On”.
“On” is the default setting for this option when a Host Link is initially created.
Auto-Termination: The Browser Auto-Termination feature is used to automatically deactivate Host Links on-the-fly as you
browse to different Browser content Pages since the Browser application window itself is never closed when you browse and
display differently titled content Pages. “On” is the default setting for this option when a Host Link is initially created.
Fuzzy: This means a “partial” or “subset” Window Title match, not a wildcard match, although since AOTop Fuzzy Title
matching methods are Case Insensitive, it is similar to wildcard matching. Host Window Title matching in AOTop is not based
on wildcard characters.
Obfuscate: To obscure or cover-up. AOTop is a Tool that obfuscates unwanted Desktop screen content for visual privacy.
Pop-ups/overs/unders: Browser-enabled Ad windows that pop-up over your active Desktop window or hide under it and cannot
be seen until you either move or close the Browser Application window. In either case these type of Ad windows interrupt the
user’s Browsing or work-flow and require manual intervention to close them. AOTop can be employed to automatically
terminate these unwanted Browser-enabled Pop-up, Pop-Over, or Pop-Under windows.
Persistent: To remain visible and On-Top of screen content. The AOTop Link Auto-Exec, Browser Auto-Term, and Kick
Timer features all play a part in maintaining and controlling a Link’s persistence and lifetime. Child window Host Links are also
designed to be extra persistent in that they cannot be overlapped by other sibling Child windows of the same Parent Application.
Regedit.exe: This is a Windows System utility used to modify settings in the Windows System Registry Database. This utility
resides under the Windows directory on your system.
Registration Key: This is the 20-Character Product Registration Key that is entered into AOTop to register a Trial Copy of the
program and unlock it to allow full use of essential program features and not display the startup registration reminder messages.
To get a Product Registration Key you must provide your Product Request Number when you purchase the 1-Year Subscription
Product License.
Request Number: This is the Product Request Number that must be provided with your Product Subscription payment in
exchange for the Registration Key that will unlock the AOTop Program installed on your system and allow full operating
capability of essential AOTop features for up to 1-Year. Ataspec Software cannot provide you with your personalized
Registration Key until you have supplied the Product Request Number obtained from the installed Program Copy on your system.
St5unst.log: This system uninstall data file is created by the AOTop Setup Program and is placed in the Product Installation
directory. This file is used by the Windows System uninstaller utility to uninstall and remove the Product files in the Product
Installation directory and therefore should not be removed from that directory.
Virtual Cropping: Resizing a displayed Image in a non-destructive and interactive fashion. Any side of the Image can serve as
the anchored side that remains fixed and visible when the remaining sides are moved and cropped by resizing the Window
containing the Image. This is useful for seeing what an Image looks like when its dimensions are cropped.
Window Class Name: This is an internal Window’s Classification Type name given to all Windows and as such is not normally
seen at the User Interface level of interaction with Windows applications.
Window Z-Order: This refers to a window’s depth position along the Z-Axis with respect to the Desktop screen and other
windows currently active. When a window is in the foreground position of the Desktop on top of other active windows, it is at
the “Top” of the Z-Order above other Top Level Applications or it is at the “Top” of the Child Z-Order above other Child
windows of the same parent Top Level Application window.
119

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AOTOP PROGRAM

OPERATION AND FEATURES

© 2002-2010 BY ATASPEC SOFTWARE

Revision: 2.06 - Retail - USA Edition - Web site URL: http://www.ataspec-software.com

Getting Started ------------------------------------------

Controls and Features ----------------------------------

Main Controls Window ………………………………………………………………… 031

Hide Main Form Controls ……………………………………………………………….. 032

Title Bar Caption Section

Kick Timer Section

How To Topics --------------------------------------------

How To Topics …………………………………………………………………………. 050

Main Operating Controls ------------------------------

How To Operate Controls ……………………………………………………………… 031

Activating or Deactivating Links

Creating and Editing Links

Setting Link Options

Setting Form and Picture Box Options

Showing Picture Files

Selecting and Editing Title Bar Caption

Using Optional KickTimer

Trouble-Shooting Topics -------------------------------

System-Level Topics -------------------------------------

System-Level Topics ……………………………………………………………………. 067

Program Operation ---------------------------------------

Optimizing Topics ----------------------------------------

Optimizing Topics ……………………………………………………………………… 105

Usage Illustrations and Sample Links

System Specifications …………………………………………………………………... 115

Sample Links ----------------------------------------------

Sample Host Links ……………………………………………………………………… 117

AOTop Terminology …………………………………………………………………… 119

Features AOTop Competitors

System Requirements for installing and running AOTop (tm) are:

Oper. System: 32-Bit Microsoft Windows 95 - Vista

Related Topic: System Specifications

Product Release History and Modifications:

Version Build Date Modifications

2.00 .001 04/20/02 Initial Product Release.

Related Topic: Examples of Screen Content that can be Covered

Related Topic: Examples of Screen Content that can be Covered

Related Topic: Examples of Screen Content that can be Covered

Differences between the Registered/Licensed Product and the Trial Product:

Essential Features Trial Copy Licensed Copy

Total Number Host Links user can Create: 8 32767

(*Host = Any one window that a Link can be created for)

Related Topic: How To Register Product

To Renew the AOTop Product 1-Year Subscription License Term:

Contact Ataspec Software Technical Product Support via:

Email address: pierredesl@aol.com

Related Topic: How To Register Product

General Terms of Product End-User License Agreement (EULA):

Specific Terms of the 1-Year Subscription Product EULA:

AOTop (tm) Product Copyright Notice:

Cited Product Trademark or Service mark Acknowledgements:

Electronic Distribution Method:

Electronic Distribution via Zipped Archive File named “AOTop206.zip”.

Related Topic: Installing AOTop

To Install the AOTop Product on your system, follow these steps:

3. Click the Large Setup button to complete the Product installation.

The product is now ready for use.

To Uninstall the AOTop Product: see Uninstalling AOTop.

To Re-Install the AOTop Product, follow these steps:

1. Uninstall the AOTop Product.

AOTop Program (v2.06) Operation and Features User's Reference Guide

AOTop Program (v2.06) Operation and Features User's Reference Guide