Before using WorldsAway, you will need TCP/IP access to the Internet and an Internet email address. You will also need to have installed one of the supported Web Browsers.
Recommended: 486-66 MHz (or better)
Minimum Supported: 486-33 MHz (or better)
Recommended: Windows 95
Supported: Windows NT 3.51 or 4.0
Minimum Supported: Windows 3.1 with Win32s
or Windows 3.11 with Win32s
WorldsAway is a 32 bit application and will run as-is on Windows 95 or Windows NT.
To run 32 bit applications on earlier Windows versions (3.1 or 3.11) you must install the Win32s DLLs.
If you receive this error message when you run or install WorldsAway:
This program cannot be run in DOS mode
Win32s is not installed or is not installed properly.
Win32s version 1.25 is the minimum level for WorldsAway client.
Win32s 1.30, installed by PW1118.EXE, is highly recommended. The PW1118.EXE is available for download from the WorldsAway web site at: http://www.worldsaway.com/download/clients/win3.1/pw1118.exe
Information for downloading and installing Win32s directly from Microsoft is available from the Microsoft website in the document "Microsoft Win32s Upgrade"
Microsoft has a troubleshooting guide,"How to Troubleshoot Win32s Installation Problems" that includes instructions on how to reinstall it, including making sure you get all the old installation off first (recommended).
This document is also available from the Compuserve Knowledge Base. Go to the knowledge base (GO MSKB), select Quick Search by document number and enter Q106715.
If you are using Windows 3.1 or 3.11 with Win32s and experience problems, we recommend that you contact Microsoft support. Up to date contact information for Microsoft support may be found at
http://support.microsoft.com/support/.
(including web browser, See Notes):
Strongly Recommended: 16 MB or more
Minimum: 12 MB
While the WA client itself requires only 4 MB of real memory, since it runs as a web browser helper application, memory requirements must take into account the web browser. You may experience slower performance on systems with less than 12 MB and the r ecommended minimum is 16 MB of memory.
If you are using WA on systems with less than the recommended memory, some performance improvements may be achieved by closing all other application (except your web browser) while using WA, and by reducing the memory cache used by your web browser.
In Netscape Navigator the memory cache setting may be changed by selecting the Network Preferences item under the Options menu, thus:
Option->Network Preferences
and selecting the Cache tab.
MS Internet Explorer does not have a memory cache setting option; however IE has a smaller memory footprint than Netscape Navigator, so if you follow our other recommendations, you should have acceptable system performance.
18 MB during installation, 18 MB minimum installed (See Notes)
The Hard Drive requirement only covers the space needed for the WorldsAway software and the initial data files. Each world that you visit will download custom resources that will take additional hard drive space.
If you need to recover hard drive space temporarily, you may delete files from the WSRES sub-directory of the WorldsAway installation directory.
When you next visit a world that uses some of the deleted resources, that world's resources will be downloaded, and the WSRES directory will grow again.
256 colors
While WorldsAway will run with more than 256 colors, the performance will be maximized when a standard 256 color palette driver is used. Most higher color resolution display cards include a 256 color driver as well.
See your display card's documentation for details on selecting the correct driver.
It is possible to run using a standard 16 color VGA display; however, the full range of colors will not be available and the display and response time will be degraded.
9600 baud Hayes compatible or faster (See Notes)
While connection can be maintained using a 2400 baud modem, the periodic downloads of new objects and artwork will take a very, very long time.
Winsock compliant
Recommended: Netscape Navigator 3.0 or later
Supported: Netscape Navigator 2.0 or later
Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 for Windows 95or later (32 bit versions)
On Windows platforms, Web Tour Leaders must be running Netscape Navigator; Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows 95 (32 bit versions) does not implement features needed to enable Web Tour leading. All other web integration features (browsing web link s on in-world objects or following a Web Tour) are available from all the supported web browsers.
Note: Microsoft Internet Explorer for Window 3.11 (16 bit versions) does not have browser features required for WorldsAway to perform in world web links or Web Touring, either leading or following.