FAQs about Costco Picture CD

(Frequently Asked Questions)

1. How do I use the Costco Picture CD?

You need to have Windows 95, 98, 2000 or NT to use the Costco Picture CD software. A minimum of 200 MHz Pentium class CPU and 32 MB of RAM is required. On some older PCs, the DMA feature of the CD-Rom must be enabled to run the “SLIDE SHOW” of the Costco Picture CD software.

Insert the Costco Picture CD into the CD-Rom drive of your computer. Most computers will automatically start the CD and the launch the Costco Picture CD software. If it does not start automatically, from the taskbar click Start, Run and type D:\Start (where “D” is the drive letter of your CD-Rom drive.)

By clicking on Index.htm file, in the root directory of the Costco Picture CD, you can also launch the HTML VIEWER. This VIEWER requires Internet Explorer (IE) 4 or higher. Similarly, a recent Netscape browser version is required.

2. I have a Macintosh computer. How do I view my photos?

The Costco Picture CD software only runs on Windows PCs. However, the HTML VIEWER in the root directory of the Costco Picture CD lets you to view your photos on the web browser of your MAC. To view the images, double click on the Costco Picture CD on your MAC desktop and then click on the Index.htm file to open the HTML VIEWER.

3. What Monitor Resolution and color depth is best for using the Viewer Software?

You should have your display resolution set to a minimum 800 x 600 pixels and the highest number of screen color to properly use the Costco Picture CD. The software application will not run properly if the monitor resolution is set to 640 x 480.

4. I’m having trouble using the e-MAIL function on the Image Viewer screen. How do I solve this?

Before you can use Photo e-mail function, you must already have an existing e-mail account. Also make sure that you are connected to the Internet so that the e-mail may be properly sent. Select the picture you want to e-mail and then click on the E-MAIL button. Then, enter your complete e-mail address (i.e. name@provider.com). Finish by entering the recipient’s address, a subject and a short note. When you are done, click Send.

5. Which file should I attach to an email if I don’t want to use the built-in e-MAIL function?

You should use an image file from the Low directory on the CD. The file sizes contained in Low directory will quickly transfer over the Internet and will be viewable to everyone it is sent to.

6. Why are there 3 different files sizes of each photo on the Costco Picture CD?

A number of different size files of each photo are included on the CD. Each size is used in a different way.

The Image Viewer software uses the Small images. This image is usually referred to as thumbnails and is approximately 4kb in size. This size is too small for printing.

The Low images are used for e-mail, as their file size will allow for quick transmission over the Internet. The low file size is approximately 100kb in size depending on the image content. This size may be suitable for printing a small print, but will lack image quality.

The images that appear in the Pictures folder are used for saving to the hard drive, editing with the included Photo Editor software and printing. The size of the file will depend on the camera that was used to create the image and the method used to scan the negatives. The Pictures folder will contain the highest JPEG resolution images available.

7. Can I rename a file when I save it to my hard drive?

YES. When you save your photo to the hard drive you are given the opportunity to rename the image anything that you choose.

8. What type of file format are my photos saved as?

The photos on the Costco Picture CD are created as JPEG’s. This type of file can be easily read on almost any computer (PC or Mac). It will generally open directly in your browser for viewing.

9. Why are my APS photos larger on my CD?

APS cameras and film allow for 3 different aspect of each picture. When the image is stored onto the film, the entire image is stored. This CD stores the entire digital image, which allows you more flexibility to change or crop the image in the way you desire.

10. What is the text on the left side of the slide show?

When you use a digital camera, the camera stores information called Meta-data within the JPEG file. This information includes brand, and model of camera, shutter speed and other information about the image.

11. Can I add more photos to this CD?

To ensure safe image storage, the CD is closed after the production process. Once a CD is closed, it will not allow additional images to be written or stored.