Patch Disk Instructions for B2 Spice for Windows

Install the patch to update any version of B2 Spice from version 2.0.0 or later up to version 2.1.6. Follow the steps outlined below:

1) Download the appropriate file:

If you are running Windows 95 or Windows NT, then download the file patch32.exe.

These are self-extracting files which contains this instructions file (readme.doc), the batch file patch_32.bat, and the actual patch executable patch_32.exe.

2) Run the patch program which you just downloaded in step 1. Now it should be in your B2 Spice 2 directory.

If you are running Windows 95 or NT, then the last stage of the installation will install DAO 3.5, which is a database extension from Microsoft and which Spice 2 uses.

The DAO installer will prompt you to make some choices in its second screen, as seen below. At this screen, choose Jet 3.5 only (i.e. uncheck ODBCDirect).

The next screen also prompts you to make some choices. Uncheck all of the options (i.e. Excel, Paradox, etc.) as shown below.

Then proceed with the rest of the installation of DAO.

If the DAO setup program claims that it has failed, don’t panic. To check if the setup program has succeeded, try running workshop on your computer. If it runs and you can place a device from the devices menu into the schematic, then the program is working.

4) Update your parts database. If you have not added any parts to your database, then you can simply replace the parts database file by downloading the file parts32.exe. This is a self-extracting zip file which will open up into parts.mdb, for Windows 95 & NT. If you have made changes to your old parts database and you don't want to lose those, then you can use both the old and new databases in B2 Spice..

After running the patch, the Workshop and Device Editor applications will be updated to revision 2.1.6. You can confirm this by running workshop and choosing the item About… in the Help menu.

The patch program has a couple of idiosyncrasies. They are listed below.

1) While running the patch program, if you choose to select a directory other than the default, you will notice that the directory name that shows up will have "\B2spice2" appended to it, as in the figure below.

You must remove the "\B2Spice2" from the edit field.

When you click on OK to select the destination directory, the program will confirm that you want to install to that directory. Of course you do! Simply click on Yes.