********************************************************* Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia, 1999 Edition Version 7.0.0 for Windows 95/98 August 1998 ********************************************************* Welcome to Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia, 1999 edition! We would like to thank you for your purchase. It is our goal to make you a happy and satisfied customer, so we have created this file with useful information and solutions to problems you may encounter. This file contains information that was not available at the time the User's Guide and on-disc help were prepared. It also contains other important information to help you use this product successfully. If you are uncertain how to make a recommended change, please refer to the documentation that came with Windows and/or your computer system. CONTENTS I. Installation Instructions and Suggestions II. Troubleshooting III. Contacting Technical Support IV. Other Important Information I. Installation Instructions and Suggestions ********************************************************* A. Disk Compression If you are using a disk compression utility, the available hard disk space reported by the installation program may not be accurate. Disk compression utilities can only ESTIMATE available hard disk space. If the installation process is not successful, you may need to free additional hard disk space by removing unneeded files or applications from your hard drive. B. Network Installation This product is designed as a "stand-alone" application and does not support use by multiple users over a network. C. Installation for Windows 95/98 NOTE: Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia will not install/run on a Windows 3.1 system. Compton's suggests that you exit all applications before installing this product. Other programs and drivers running on the computer may interfere with the installation process. Simply place the encyclopedia disc in the CD-ROM drive. The Windows 95/98 AutoPlay function automatically offers the option to install the program. Click on "Install" to begin the installation. If the program disc is already in the CD-ROM drive and you have bypassed the AutoPlay function, follow these steps to begin the installation: Click on "Start" and select "Run ...". In the "Open" box, type "D:\SETUP.EXE" and press Enter. If your CD-ROM drive is not drive "D", substitute the letter of your CD-ROM drive when you type this statement. For example, if your CD-ROM drive is drive "E", type "E:\SETUP.EXE" and press Enter. When the program has finished installing the files, you are notified that the installation has been completed. Then, whenever you want to use Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia, simply insert the disc into your CD-ROM drive and click on "OK" when asked if you want to run the program. To start the program when the CD is already in your CD-ROM drive, click on "Start", choose "Programs", choose "Compton's Home Library", choose the "Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia" folder, and then choose "1999 Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia". D. Meeting the Minimum System Requirements The encyclopedia installation program automatically determines if your computer system meets the minimum requirements to run the encyclopedia. If your system fails to meet the requirements, the installation program tells you exactly which requirements were not met. Three potential problems you may encounter and their solutions are described below: "Detected: No suitable wave device" or "Detected: No MIDI device" or "Detected: No suitable MIDI device" If you get any of these messages, make sure that you have installed the Windows drivers that came with your sound board. The encyclopedia requires at least one wave device capable of at least 8-bit mono at 22.050kHz, and at least one MIDI device with FM synthesis, all channels. NOTE: Because of their special hardware setup, certain IBM Aptiva and Thinkpad systems may generate these messages even though they DO have the proper equipment and software. If you own one of these systems and encounter one of the above messages, disregard the message and proceed with the installation. To check that your system has met the minimum requirements, you can run the program CNMSYSI.EXE, located in the "\WIN32" directory. Alternatively, load the encyclopedia and click on the "Help" button. Then, while holding down the "Ctrl" key on your keyboard, click on the "About CIE" button. A screen will display the minimum program requirements and the components found on your system. II. Troubleshooting ********************************************************* This product has been successfully tested with a wide variety of hardware and peripheral equipment. It should be noted, however, that Microsoft Windows is a "device-independent" operating system that relies on device drivers to communicate with the various devices on your system. Occasionally, issues may occur with one of these drivers. Conflicts with sound cards, video displays, and printers are often resolved by reconfiguring or updating the device drivers supplied by the manufacturers. This product is not designed specifically for compatibility with any particular hardware item. A. Troubleshooting for Windows 95/98 1. Font Problems/Font Error Messages when Starting the Encyclopedia The encyclopedia requires that certain fonts be present on your system to display text correctly. If the program is unable to find the fonts it needs, some text may display poorly or in unreadable fonts. See also the section "Encyclopedia Text Is Illegible or Displays in Wing Ding or Symbol Font" below. If the encyclopedia cannot find the proper fonts, you may see one of the following error messages after the introductory screen: "The following TrueType Fonts were not found: ..." or "The following Fonts were not found: ..." To correct this problem, make a note of the missing font or fonts listed, then exit the encyclopedia program. Click on the "Start" button, choose "Settings" and then "Control Panel". In the "Control Panel" window, double-click on the "Fonts" folder. Then from the "File" menu choose "Install New Font...". Move to the "\WINDOWS\SYSTEM" directory on your hard drive. A list of available fonts should appear; click on the font that was listed as missing in the error message and then click on the "OK" button. Then click on the "Close" or "Cancel" button; there is no need to restart Windows. If no list of fonts appears in "\WINDOWS\SYSTEM", consult your Windows documentation for assistance in loading Windows fonts. 2. Changing the MIDI Playback Device The encyclopedia program automatically detects the MIDI device on your system upon loading. To change the MIDI device used by the encyclopedia, click on the "Help" button on the encyclopedia program's control bar, and then click on the "Preferences" button. Click on the "Sound & Media" tab, and then click on "Setup MIDI Device ..." to manually select a MIDI device. 3. Boosting Performance Turning off button sounds will boost performance. To turn off button sounds, click on the "Help" button on the encyclopedia's control bar, choose "Preferences", choose the "Sound & Media" tab, and then remove the "X" or checkmark from the "Play sounds when buttons are clicked" checkbox. 4. Program Installed Successfully but Will Not Launch If this happens, you will need to make two changes: first, locate the "PREFS.INI" file in the program's directory on your hard drive. In the "[view]" section, insert a semicolon (;) at the start of the line reading "SplashFile=.\splash.spl". Next, go to the "[Prefs]" section and change the line reading "ButtonSounds=1" to "ButtonSounds=0". The encyclopedia should now launch successfully. 5. Movies Do Not Play: "Cannot find VIDS:CVID Decompressor" To address this problem, click on the "Start" menu, select "Settings", then select "Control Panel". In the resulting window, double-click on the "Add/Remove Programs" icon, and then click on the "Windows Setup" tab. Scroll down the list to "Multimedia" and double-click on it. In the new list that appears, scroll to "Video Compression" and make sure that the box next to it is checked. Click on the "OK" button, and then click on "OK" again. When you change these settings, you may have to restart Windows in order for the changes to take effect. Click on "Yes" if you are offered this option. 6. Encyclopedia Text Is Illegible or Displays in Wing Ding or Symbol Font Certain Lotus or IBM products, such as Lotus Wordpro, install a font that interferes with the fonts used by Windows 95/98. This problem can be resolved by removing the Monotype Sorts Font version 2.0 from your system. To remove the font, click on the "Start" menu, select "Settings", then select "Control Panel". In the resulting window, double-click on the "Fonts" icon. In the resulting list of fonts, find "Monotype Sorts Font" (sometimes listed as "Mtsorts_.ttf") and remove it by dragging it into the recycle bin on your desktop. 7. Problems Reading CD If you have trouble with your CD-ROM performance, the problem may be solved by adjusting the cache settings on your CD-ROM drive. To change these settings, click on the "Start" menu, select "Settings", and then select "Control Panel". In the resulting window, double-click on the "System" icon, and then click on the "Performance" tab. Make sure that in the resulting box both "File System" and "Virtual Memory" indicate "32-bit". Click on the "File System ..." button, and then click on the "CD-ROM" tab. Move the slider in the "Supplemental cache size" setting all the way to "Large". Make sure that the contents of the "Optimize access pattern for" box matches the speed of your CD-ROM drive; for example, if you have a double-speed (2X) CD-ROM drive, this box should read "Double-speed drives". When you change these settings, you may have to restart Windows in order for the changes to take effect. Click on "Yes" if you are offered this option. 8. Optimizing Performance To make sure your system is operating at its peak graphic abilities, click on the "Start" menu, select "Settings", and then select "Control Panel". In the resulting window, double- click on the "System" icon, and then click on the "Performance" tab. Click on the "Graphics ..." button. In the resulting box, make sure the "Hardware acceleration" slider is set all the way to "Full". To make sure your hard drive is operating to its fullest potential, click on the "Start" menu, select "Settings", and then select "Control Panel". In the resulting window, double- click on the "System" icon, and then click on the "Performance" tab. Click on the "File System ..." button, and then click on the "Hard Disk" tab. Make sure that "Typical role of this machine" reads "Desktop computer". Also make sure that the slider bar for "Read-ahead optimization" is all the way to the right at "Full". When you change these settings, you may have to restart Windows 95/98 in order for the changes to take effect. Click on "Yes" if you are offered this option. 9. Locating Possible Conflicts To find potential conflicts with your hardware that might be causing problems with the encyclopedia, use the Device Manager. Click on the "Start" menu, select "Settings", and then select "Control Panel". In the resulting window, double-click on the "System" icon, and then click on the "Device Manager" tab. In the resulting list, look for yellow warning triangles with an exclamation point (!) in them. If you find any such triangle, click once on the item to highlight it and then click on the "Properties" button. Windows will display a dialog box that explains the status of that device. Consult your Windows or computer system documentation for more information. 10. Working with the Windows Taskbar If you are using the "Always on Top" and "Auto Hide" settings for the Windows Taskbar, the Taskbar may obscure some of the encyclopedia interface. To keep the Taskbar from appearing on top of the encyclopedia program, turn off the "Always on Top" and "Auto Hide" settings by clicking on the "Start" button, then "Settings", then "Taskbar...". B. Accessing the Internet To get the most out of this product's Online features, we recommend using Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. Compton's can launch any Web browser or commercial online service you may have, but unless one of these two programs is used, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to take you to the proper places on the Internet. Please make sure that your Web browser or online service is properly and completely installed before you attempt to use the Compton's Online features. Additionally, you may need to make sure that you have already established an Internet connection via modem prior to trying to access the Internet through Compton's. Consult the documentation that came with your Internet software for information about this. Specific details about using America Online, the "Other" setting, and Prodigy Internet follow below. 1. Using America Online -- Versions Supported At the time this product shipped, the most recent version of the America Online software for Windows was version 3.0. America Online periodically upgrades their software, and they may have done so since this product was shipped. There is a strong possibility that America Online will not make the new version backward compatible with version 3.0, and this could cause problems when using America Online with this product. For information should this occur, consult our technical support Web page as described in "Contacting Technical Support" below for the most up to date information on this issue. To use America Online version 3.0 with Compton's, select "America Online" from the list of online applications in the "Internet" section of the "Preferences" screen. (Make sure that the "Use Default Internet Browser" checkbox is NOT checked.) Selecting "Other" and then browsing to your America Online software will NOT work properly; users with this setup may see America Online open a text editor instead of launching to the desired Internet site. Attempting to use Internet features in Compton's with America Online version 2.5 can result in the following type of error message: "WAOL caused a general protection fault in module FILER ..." Users of America Online version 2.5 or earlier can obtain a free upgrade to version 3.0; simply contact America Online to inquire about the upgrade. For technical support or information regarding the 3.0 upgrade for America Online, please call 1-800-827-3338. 2. Using America Online -- Making Sure Compton's Can Find Your America Online Software If you install America Online version 3.0 onto your computer in one location on your hard drive, and then later move the America Online program files to a different location on your hard drive, Compton's will not be able to locate your America Online software. To fix this, re-install America Online to the new location on your hard drive. For technical support in using America Online, please call 1-800-827-3338. 3. Using the "Other" setting If you wish to use a program other than Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, or America Online version 3.0 to connect to the Internet, you must pick "Other" from the list of online applications in the "Internet" section of the "Preferences" screen. You will then need to enter or browse to the location of your online software on your hard drive. Consult the on-disc help for more detailed instructions. Please note: When the online application is set to "Other", the Compton's program will not be able to take you directly to Web sites or other Internet features. One option with browsers or services of this type is to copy the Internet address listed in Compton's to the Windows clipboard and then paste it into the proper part of your online application. 4. Using Prodigy Internet -- Error message "Prodigy Internet is already running on your system" If you have chosen "Other" as your online application and have instructed Compton's to use Prodigy Internet, you may get this error message when you click on an Internet link in Compton's. To work around this, copy the desired Internet address in Compton's to the Windows clipboard, open Prodigy Internet, paste the copied text into the address field in Prodigy, and press Enter. 5. Using CyberPatrol If you have installed CyberPatrol and are denied access to certain web links from the encyclopedia, do not be concerned. CyberPatrol works by filtering "key" information like words or sequences of letters depending on how you have your personalized settings configured. In this case, CyberPatrol is filtering certain sequence of letters that are found within the URL link of your selected topic. To deactivate this particular feature so that it does not interfere with the encyclopedia, follow these steps: Click on "Start" and select "Programs", then select "Cyber Patrol", then select "Cyber Patrol HQ". On the screen that appears, enter the password that you have chosen for your access. If you have not chosen a password yet, then press the "Enter" key. On the main configuration screen, select the button "WWW, FTP & Other" located in the top right of the screen. On the following screen, locate the line text "Apply IRC Keyword filters to URL Names" and make sure that the checkbox to the left of this line is empty. Now select the button "Save Changes". NOTE: This will also disable CyberPatrol's ability to filter the information in URLs outside of the encyclopedia as well. To reactivateURL filtering, follow the steps above and make sure that the checkbox "Apply IRC Keyword filters to URL names" is checked, and save your changes. III. Contacting Technical Support ********************************************************* We are here to assist you with any issues regarding this product. The Learning Company Technical Support Center can be reached via e-mail, U.S. mail, fax, or phone. Support is also available on an electronic bulletin board system. When contacting technical support, please provide as much information as you can about your computer system and the problem you are experiencing. Include your phone number so we can reach you if we need more information. Check our Web site, http://www.learningco.com, for answers to frequently asked questions and other technical support information. E-mail us at support@learningco.com. Reach The Learning Company Bulletin Board System via modem at (423) 670-2023. Mail correspondence to: The Learning Company Technical Support Center 9715 Parkside Drive Knoxville, TN 37922 USA Attn: Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia '99 Contact us by fax at (423) 670-2021. Call (423) 670-2022 24 hours a day for automated technical support. Call (423) 670-2024 24 hours a day for fax-on-demand solutions to common problems. Call (423) 670-2020 between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays), to speak to a technical support agent. Please be at your computer when you call. IV. Other Important Information ********************************************************* A. Reinstalling or Removing Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia If you installed Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia under Windows 95/98, the operating system can help you remove the program and its associated files. From the "Start" menu, select "Settings", and then "Control Panel". Then double-click on the "Add/Remove Programs" icon. Follow the instructions in the "Install/Uninstall" section to remove the encyclopedia. Uninstalling the encyclopedia will not remove any files you may have created yourself, such as bookmark lists, Presentation Maker shows, or Report Starter files; additionally, the directories in which these files reside will not be deleted.