The first time a Screentime Windows screen saver runs -- e.g. in the preview monitor of the Display Control panel, in preview mode, or as a screen saver -- Screentime will ping www.wc3.org to trigger the end user's firewall software.

We do this to give your end-user a convenient opportunity to train their firewall software to allow your Flash content an internet connection.

If your screen saver does not require an internet connection or online content, add a text file named "ping.txt" to your "Included" files in ScreenTime's Content panel. The text file should contain the text "1" (without the quotes) and that's it. When ScreenTime runs and finds this file it will NOT ping www.wc3.org and thus not trigger the firewall software.

If your end-user has "Password protected" (or "Return to Welcome Screen" on XP) checked in the Screen Saver control panel, their firewall software will lock up the computer when your Flash content attempts to make an internet connection. The firewall software is opening an alert window behind the screen saver the user does not see and can't to respond to it, forcing the user to restart their computer. Thus, the best time to deal with firewall software is before the computer sleeps.

If you are making a connected screen saver, we recommend you build the screen saver installer to open the Display Control panel after installation and advise the user to select "Yes" when given the option to open the Display Control panel after a successful installation. Once the Display control panel opens and the preview monitor is visible, ScreenTime will connect to the internet and the firewall software will ask the user to approve access. Instruct the user to allow the screen saver .scr file access to the internet The path to the .scr file will be C:WindowsSystem32yourscreensavername.scr. This access is the same the user gives a browser, an email client, or any other web connected application and will enable your screen saver to interact with online content.

Other approaches for Firewall training:

• Open the personal firewall software, ex.Norton Internet Security or Zone Alarm, and set it to allow the screen saver .scr file access to the internet as you would Internet Explorer, an email client, or any other web connected application. The path to the .scr file will be C:WindowsSystem32yourscreensavername.scr.

• Open the screen saver control panel and preview the screen saver. When your saver attempts to connect to the internet, the personal Firewall software will open an alert window asking the end user to approve access. Select "Always Allow Access".

• Let the computer timeout and launch the saver. When your saver attempts to connect to the internet the personal Firewall software will open an alert window asking the end user to approve access. If the user has passwords enabled, this window may only appear momentarily over the screen saver. If this is the case, have your end user press "esc", or cntl-alt-del to quit the saver, return to the desktop, and show the alert window. Select "Always Allow Access".