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All binary files in CD-Menu Creator are now SHA-2 code signed

All binary files in CD-Menu Creator 2017 are now code signed using a SHA-2 certificate instead of the older SHA-1 certificate. This will improve the security and reduce the risk for annoying warning messages in Windows. Starting with 2016, Microsoft Windows and web browsers like Chrome, Internet Explorer, Edge etc. started phasing out the support for the older SHA-1 certificate. In February 14th, 2017 the support for SHA-1 will be reduced even more, and in 2020 the support will end.

SHA-2

All binary files in CD-Menu Creator from year of 2015 and older uses the old SHA-1. In 2016 we updated some files to SHA-2 and in this new release all binary files uses SHA-2. If you plan to distribute a menu during 2017, we recommend you to upgrade to CD-Menu Ceator 2017 first and create the menu using the new version of the tool.

See also
> What is SHA-1 and SHA-2 and what’s the difference between them?

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New button command in CD-Menu Creator: Open Excel File

We have added a new button command to CD-Menu Creator that may be useful for all of you that open Excel files from a menu interface created with CD-Menu Creator. The name of the command is Open Excel File, and it have some special functionality that can not be achieved with the other button commands in an easy way. You can for example send command line parameters (switches), together with a path to the Excel file, to the Microsoft Excel application.

There is a new button command in CD-Menu Creator with the name 'Open Excel File'

With the new Open Excel File command you can open the following types of Excel files: .XLS, .XLSX, .XLTX, .XLSM, and .XLTM.

You can open different kind of Excel files with the new button command

By entering command line switches in the Parameters text box in CD-Menu Creator you can control how Excel files are opened in Microsoft Excel. For example, if you enter /r in the Parameters text box, the Excel file is opened in read-only mode.

Read more about available command line switches for Excel here:

> Command-line switches for Excel (opens a page on Microsoft’s website)

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Easy to create multiple menu pages with CD-Menu Creator’s new wizard

Sometimes one menu page is not enough in a menu system. Sometimes you may want to create a menu system with many menu pages, for example one main menu and some sub menus. Although it has been possible to create such a system with CD-Menu Creator since many years, it has sometimes been complicated to get all file paths in all buttons correct. With CD-Menu Creator 2015 things have changed. We have now included an easy-to-use wizard that creates a menu system with more than menu page (for example a main menu and some sub menus) very easily.

When you use the wizard, all file paths will be set to correctly automatically. All files will also be created and copied to correct folders on your hard disk or USB flash drive, and all necessary project files (.CDP files) will be created automatically.

When you create a system with a main menu and sub menus, all sub menus will automatically have the same visual theme and use same colors, fonts, button styles etc. as the main menu. If you have added a logotype or menu picture to the main menu, they will be included automatically in all sub menus also.

All necessary buttons to open a sub menu or return to the main menu are included automatically in all menu pages and in all project files. If you create menu systems with many menu pages often, we are sure that you will appreciate this new function a lot!


More information
More information about the new wizard in CD-Menu Creator 2015 is available on this tip page on our website.

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CD-Menu Creator now supports Unicode characters

You can now use Unicode characters in a menu that you create with CD-Menu Creator. This allows you to use characters from any language in the world in your menus. E.g. Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Arabic, Greek, Russian etc. You can also mix different languages in the same menu interface. For example, you can use Chinese, Japanese and English text in the same menu. Unicode characters can be used for titles, button text, tip text etc.

The Unicode characters in created menu interfaces will be shown correctly regardless of which language the Windows itself uses.

More information
Support for Unicode characters is a new function in CD-Menu Creator 2015. On this web page you can find more information about Unicode characters and information about how to use them in CD-Menu Creator 2015:

> Tip: How to use Unicode characters in a menu

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Build a setup package or menu interface silently using a batch file

With Visual Installer 2015 and CD-Menu Creator 2015 it is possible to build a setup package and a menu interface silently, without any interaction with a graphical user interface. The build process is invisible, and you use command line parameters and switches to handle the build operations. And errors that occur (if there are any) are returned via a log file that contain detailed error descriptions and error codes etc.

Build servers
The silent build processes via command line parameters / switches makes it easy to call Visual Installer 2015 and CD-Menu Creator 2015 from build servers. A build server is useful if you work in a team and your team want to, for example, compile applications, build setup packages and (perhaps) build menu interfaces in one operation.

Batch files
You can also utilize this new function from local batch files (for example from traditional .BAT files). You can add one line of code for each setup package or menu interface that you want to build, in the batch file. For example:

VI.exe C:\MyProjects\MySetup.vip /BUILD /BUILDFOLDER:C:\MyCreatedSetups\Setup1

More information
We have added two detailed tips on our website that describes how to use this new function in Visual Installer 2015 and CD-Menu Creator 2015:

> Tip: Visual Installer’s command line parameters
> Tip: CD-Menu Creator’s command line parameters

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CD-Menu Creator 2015 has now been released

A new version of our menu designer tool SamLogic CD-Menu Creator has now been released. The name of the new version is SamLogic CD-Menu Creator 2015 and some of the new features in the new version are:

• Support for Microsoft Windows 10.
• A wizard to create a system with a main menu and sub menus is now available.
• Full Unicode support. You can now create menu interfaces in any language in the world.
• The social media functions now also support Pinterest and Instagram.
• Menus can now be built without user interaction from build servers and batch files.
• The social media functions now also support Pinterest and Instagram.
• The logotype in the menu interface can now be clickable.

A more detailed list with the new features is available on this page. In coming blog posts we will describe the new features in CD-Menu Creator 2015 in more detail.

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Updated CD-Menu Creator 2014 with many improvements

We have now released an update of SamLogic CD-Menu Creator 2014. The version number of the update is 7.5.9 and contains many improvements of the tool. Below are some examples of news in the updated CD-Menu Creator:

– CD-Menu Creator supports now the OpenType font format.
– The menu template gallery has been extended with more menu templates. Read more.
– More menu interface examples have been included. Read more.

How to download the update
If you have CD-Menu Creator 2014 and a 12 months maintenance plan you can download the update from the following download page:

> Download – CD-Menu Creator 2014 – Latest update

If you have an older version of CD-Menu Creator, for example CD-Menu Creator 2012, you can upgrade to the latest version of CD-Menu Creator from this order page:

> Upgrade to CD-Menu Creator 2014

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New menu interface examples in CD-Menu Creator 2014

We have included some new menu interface examples in CD-Menu Creator 2014. The new menu interface examples are available in CD-Menu Creator 2014 version 7.5.9 and later (read more in this blog post).

New menu example

The menu interface examples that follow CD-Menu Creator gives you examples of which kind of menu interfaces that can be created with CD-Menu Creator. You can also use the menu interface examples as templates when you create your own menus.

Read more:
> CD-Menu Creator 2014 – New Menu Examples

See also this tip:
> Tip: How you use CD-Menu Creator menu examples as templates for your own menus

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SamLogic’s tools adapted to Windows 8.1

All of SamLogic’s programs, and other tools, are now adapted to the new Microsoft Windows 8.1. But the software also work fine with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and some other older operating systems. If you want more information about a specific product, you can click on a link below:

Programs
> CD-Menu Creator – AutoRun menu designer program.
> USB AutoRun Creator – AutoRun USB stick creator.
> Visual Installer – Installation software / setup tool.
> MultiMailer – Newsletter / e-mail marketing software.

Product suites / Bundles
> Media Tools – Program bundle with 5 tools.
> USB Menu Creator – Program bundle with 3 tools.

We have also tested our component libraries in Windows 8.1, and they are fully compatible. If you want to test a program you can visit the web page below:
> Download a Demo / Free Trial