In case the program is blocked or you get a security message
If you get a security message, don't panic. Browsers are not antiviruses, and they are just informing you that what you are trying to download is an executable file, like all the other program files with the .exe extension. These measures of general nature do not concern Bel Atout in particular. These warnings, not always very kind with software authors, differ from one browser to the other and may be displayed in this way:
- This type of file can harm your computer.
- The publisher of belatout655e.exe has not been verified.
- You attempted to download malware.
- You attempted to download something from an unfamiliar and potentially dangerous website.
- Etc.
If you set the security level of your browser to "Very high", you are likely to get numerous alarming messages, as well as some functions disabled such as downloading .exe files. Make a search from your browser name and the security message, in order to find out how to manage your security at best without losing important functions.
The only applications entitled to recognize the malicious nature of a program are antiviruses. Have the belatout655.exe file scanned by your antivirus, and you'll see that it contains no virus. It doesn't connect to Internet and collects no data about you (unlike many applications for tablets and smartphones). It is a free and disinterested program, like many others. Fortunately, there are still plenty of them.
Download that blocks and does not go to the end
Edge and Internet Explorer browsers, despite their high quality, often block the download of Bel Atout, because they judge that the program is not downloaded enough. This one has been downloaded almost a hundred times a day for more than 20 years, but with each new version, its reputation seems to start from zero, and for several weeks the following message is displayed:
Here are the different solutions you can try:
- Easy: Click on the 3 dots that I have circled in red. It is then possible to keep the downloaded file (but unfortunately this does not always work).
- Difficult: Temporarily disable SmartScreen as follows:
- Click the Start button on the taskbar, and select the Control Panel menu.
- Then follow the links: System and Security / Security and Maintenance / Security.
- There, a little further down the page, you can turn off Windows SmartScreen and turn it back on later.
- Last resort: Use another browser if you have one installed on your device. Otherwise, I advise you to download and install Firefox, designed by Mozilla. It is a free browser developed by a global community. It is very well known and poses much less problems for downloads.
What to do if your system has blocked the program?
Some new versions of Windows block the programs downloaded from Internet, making them impossible to open from the Downloads folder. There again, if this blocking is not due to your antivirus, it is only a security measure quite commonly used. Several solutions can be provided:
- Right click the downloaded file, next select the Properties menu, next click the Unblock button (if any).
- Copy the downloaded file to another folder, and unblock it like described above.
- Rename the file before downloading by changing its extension (use .txt for example). Copy this .txt file to another folder and unblock it like described above. Once unblocked, change the extension back to .exe.
- Move the downloaded file to a USB stick, and carry out the installation from the stick.
- Download the program from a different computer, and install it from a USB stick.
Sometimes, an antivirus blocks by mistake some programs (including Internet Explorer!). Then, you must find the solution in your antivirus documentation, or on the Web by searching the name of your antivirus and the keywords "blocks" and "program". Generally, other net surfers will have had the same misadventure as yours with other programs. It's a pity but that's the way it is.
Warning at the beginning of the installation
Since Windows Vista, launching the installation of a program like Bel Atout always begins with a warning box and a message such as:
- An unidentified program wants to access your computer.
- Do you want to allow the following program from an unknown publisher to make changes to this computer?
I tried to obtain the "Code Signing Certificate" which prevents this warning when downloading or installing, but as an independent developer not part of any company and having no registration at the commercial register, I am not entitled to it, even by paying the annual 1000 Euros that commercial publishers must pay. Anyway, this certificate does not guarantee that the program is safe (it is the antivirus that takes care of this work). It only guarantees that the downloaded program conforms to the original certified by the author. Now, on my site, you are on the very site of the author. Let's be logical, the author will not distribute from his own site a counterfeit of his program. However, any distribution of Bel Atout from another site is prohibited. See why by reading the short story below:
In the past, there was a web page offering the download of Bel Atout, a page that came first in search engine results, and yet had nothing to do with the program. The page contained no link to my site, no mention of the name of the software. Only a large button marked Download was available on the page, and this one launched the download and installation... of a web browser! I had to file a complaint with the publisher of this browser, to make this fraudulent page disappear, and I was successful. But see how careful you have to be when you download programs.
Here I am at home, hard at work
Other common problems
- Forgetting to carry out the installation. While on tablets and smartphones downloading and installing are made in only one operation, two of them are generally needed on a computer (downloading and then installing).
- The file was downloaded successfully, but Windows says it can't run it. Usually this is because the download was interrupted before completion and the downloaded file is incomplete. Retry the download, and the issue should be resolved.
Be careful, some browsers do not replace the first downloaded file, but save a new file with the number (1) attached to its name. Remember to run the last downloaded file (with the 1), or delete the incomplete file before redoing your download.
- Attempting to download from an Android or iPad tablet. The program has been written for Windows. It counts more than one million lines of code, and it would be for me a titanic work to rewrite the whole of it.
- A user forgetting that on a previous machine he had changed his preferences. So he believes that on the new machine the program doesn't work right. He goes through ten uninstallations and reinstallations (which is useless with my programs). While he should just open the Preferences menu and set the various available options.
- Crash of the computer during the hot summer days. It has nothing to do with Bel Atout. Over 28°C (82°F) with no air conditioning, some devices can no longer work properly.
- Sometimes, the user thinks he's got a limited version of the program, for several menus remain grayed. This version of Bel Atout is complete. The grayed menus are enabled at the end of a deal, or when a deal file is open (Examples menu). The rule preferences remain grayed during the course of a game for then they cannot be changed.
- Some users download an old version from a doubtful site found by a search engine. Only my personal site is allowed to publish Bel Atout. Don't put yourself in danger by visiting sites that use the program name to catch you. In Bel Atout, the Internet / Visit the author's website menu allows you to come to these pages with no risk of being mistaken.
Finally, if you really can't download or install the program, contact me so that I can help you find a solution. Remember to tell me about your operating system, its version number, and any warnings or error messages that prevent you from completing the installation.
Sounds and voices
The standard version of Bel Atout is supplied with a few sounds and voices. But these sounds are in the mp3 format, which cannot be heard by all configurations. If you are in this case, you can download the equivalent sounds in the full wav format :
Must be downloaded only if your configuration cannot read the sounds in the mp3 format. Have a try first. If needed, read the help files of Bel Atout. Note also that some users who could hear the sounds from Windows Explorer but not from Bel Atout, have fixed this problem by installing a new version of their media player.
A few sounds : Laughs, screams, applauds, etc.
waSounds100.exe
Self-extracting zip file for Windows 95 and higher - 1.3 MB
This file must be extracted to the Sounds / waSounds folder of Bel Atout.
Sounds for the comparison
waSounds100comp.exe
Self-extracting zip file for Windows 95 and higher - 203 KB
This file must be extracted to the Sounds / waSounds folder of Bel Atout.
One voice : for the bidding, melding, etc.
waVoice1_BA101.exe
Self-extracting zip file for Windows 95 and higher - 1.89 MB
This file must be extracted to the Voices / waVoices folder of Bel Atout.
Other problems and solutions
After downloading a file, check that its size is the same as the one indicated on this page. Sometimes, the downloading is interrupted without any warning, which causes an error when using the downloaded file. If this happens, you have to download the file again.
When extracting a Zip file, don't forget, BEFORE clicking the Unzip button, to click the Browse button in order to indicate to which folder you want to extract. If you skip this step and click too soon the Unzip button, you extract the file to a temporary folder that is not really accessible.
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