How much does DeskFlag cost?
DeskFlag is free.

How can I show my appreciation for DeskFlag?
By making a donation directly to the relief organization of your choice. The following is a partial list of Web sites with more information:

Why don't you charge for DeskFlag and give a portion of the money to relief efforts?
Most organizations prefer to receive donations directly to prevent fraud. Donating directly gives you assurance that the organizations will receive every cent of the money you donate.

Is there a Macintosh/Linux/WebTV/Palm/TiVo/etc. version available?
Sorry; DeskFlag is presently available only for Windows computers, for reasons that are partly technical and partly due to time constraints. We know that people would like us to provide different versions, and we'll do so if it becomes possible.

Is DeskFlag Y2K compliant?
Yes.

Can I put DeskFlag on my Web site?
Because DeskFlag is a standard Windows program, there's no way to directly put it on a Web page. However, you're welcome to either link to the DeskFlag Web site, or to use the DeskFlag logo or screenshot GIF image on your site, if that helps. If you're just looking for an animated flag, see the links above for some animated flag GIF images.

Will I get a virus if I download DeskFlag?
(This seems like an odd question to us: if we thought it had a virus in it, we wouldn't continue to distribute it — and if we were intentionally trying to infect your computer with a virus, we'd be unlikely to admit it when asked.) Anyway: DeskFlag, when downloaded from our Web site, does not have any viruses in it. Like all our software, it was checked with multiple antivirus programs before we made it available to the public, and it's been downloaded by over six million people with no trouble.

I sent DeskFlag to a friend, and he says it has a virus.
Your friend probably works at a company that blocks all programs attached to e-mail messages (whether they have a virus or not) and is seeing a message saying something like "this content is blocked to protect against viruses". It does not mean that DeskFlag has a virus; it means that the company has adopted a draconian policy of rejecting all programs received via e-mail. Instead of sending your friend a copy of the program, you should tell your friend to visit the DeskFlag Web site and download it using his Web browser.

(Another less likely reason for this problem is that your computer already had a virus before you installed DeskFlag, and the virus is infecting every new program you put on your computer. If so, you should use an antivirus program to remove any virus from your hard disk.)

When I click to download DeskFlag, my Web browser tells me it can't find a plugin.
Your Web browser has somehow become convinced that .exe files (Windows programs) need a plugin to open them. This is a problem with your Web browser that's too complicated to explain how to fix here, but you can avoid it by right-clicking on the DeskFlag download link and choosing "Save Target As..." (or whatever your browser's equivalent is).

The installer says "CRC invalid", "installer too small" or "not a valid Win32 application". What does that mean?
The installer you downloaded is damaged or incomplete. Scroll down to the "Having Trouble?" section of the downloading page and request the file by e-mail instead. This will avoid any problems your Web browser may be having downloading the file.

I downloaded DeskFlag, but nothing happened.
When you downloaded the program, a file named DeskFlagSetup.exe was placed somewhere on your computer's hard disk (the location depends on where you chose to put it when the "Save File" box appeared). Just find the file on your disk and double-click on it. If you can't find it, use the Windows "Find Files and Folders" command (in your Start menu) to search "My Computer" for "DeskFlag" (with no spaces).

If you're using Internet Explorer, you may find it easier to "run the file from its current location" when prompted during the download. That will install DeskFlag without you needing to find it on your disk.

How do I remove DeskFlag?
You can use the DeskFlag uninstaller: click the little flag icon next to your clock, then choose "Uninstall DeskFlag". Alternately, use the standard Windows "Add/Remove Programs" control panel, or click the Start button and choose Programs, DeskFlag, Uninstall DeskFlag.

How can I tell what version I'm using?
Click once on the little flag icon near your clock, then choose "About DeskFlag" from the resulting popup menu.

The flag is covering up something I need to see or click on.
See the DeskFlag help to learn how to make the flag draw on the desktop, instead of drawing on top of all other windows. (To view the help, click the little flag icon next to your clock, then choose "DeskFlag Help".)

Why does the animation skip a frame or two after I move my mouse?
This is intentional. The pause stops DeskFlag from triggering a bug in Windows that would otherwise prevent tooltips from working correctly.

My flag is moving in a jerky motion instead of displaying smooth animation.
First, make sure this isn't a result of moving the mouse while you're looking at the flag, as described in the topic above. (In normal use of your computer, you probably won't be looking at the flag while moving the mouse — you'll be surprised how you don't notice the little pause.) Assuming that's not the problem, use the settings window to increase the flag animation speed (click the flag icon in your taskbar, then choose "DeskFlag Settings"). If that doesn't help, something else on your computer is unfortunately slowing down the animation. We intentionally designed DeskFlag so as to interfere with other programs as little as possible, meaning it only draws animation frames when it thinks your computer isn't doing anything else. Your computer either has little idle time left over, or something else is fooling DeskFlag into believing that's the case.

I'm using an early version of Windows 95. Why doesn't my screen saver start when I'm using DeskFlag?
Some versions of Windows 95 prevent screen savers from starting if any window on the screen is changing shape or moving. Later versions of Windows do not have this problem. If you're stuck with an older version of Windows 95, and you want to make sure your screen saver will start, you can set the DeskFlag animation speed to "Off".

Why does the help screen appear each time I turn on my computer?
The first two screens of the help are designed to make sure you know how to control the program by clicking on the flag icon (in the taskbar, next to your clock). If you don't ever click on the icon, the program assumes you haven't yet read the help. To fix this, click once on the flag icon, as the help says, and the help will no longer automatically appear. (This may seem like an annoying feature, but we found that if we don't do this, a lot of people don't notice the flag icon; they then write to us later asking how to exit the program, control the settings, and, yes, get help.)