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Pcreadme.txt
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1998-01-18
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PC ReadMe File - LAUNCH
//////////////////////////////////////
For an HTML version of this document, open README.HTM (D:\README.HTM,
D: being your CD-ROM drive)
To start Launch:
Windows 3.1: D:\Launch.exe
Windows 95: Run from Autostart menu or run D:\Launch95.exe
********************************************************************
* QTVR
-- If you get an error message when entering a part of Launch that has
QTVR (QuickTime virtual reality), please make sure you have the version
of QTVR included with the disc installed on your system. Please run the
Quicktime installer included with this CD.
********************************************************************
* Bonus Game Demo - Total Annihilation
Beware, this demo requires approximately 20 MB hard disk space
for installation. DirectX 5.0 required.
********************************************************************
* DIRECTX 5 Installer
-- IMPORTANT NOTE: DirectX is required (Windows 95) for the game demo
to run. Launch includes a version of DirectX on the disc but if you
have problems you should download the latest version from
http://www.microsoft.com/directx/default.asp. The version
included with Launch is the core distribution, without video and
sound drivers. If you find that you require updated drivers, please
download DirectX 5 with drivers from the above location.
*It is advised that you make note of your current video driver before
installing DirectX.
Install DirectX at your own risk -- for technical support please
refer to: http://www.microsoft.com/directx/Resources/support.htm
************************************************************************
SECTIONS
----------------------------------------
1. Tips
2. Startup Problems/Requirements
3. Audio/Video problems
4. Technical/Customer Support Options
----------------------------------------
=====================================================================
1. Tips
* Make sure you have the latest version of Quicktime (2.1.2.59)
installed. This includes QTVR components.
* Alt-F4 to quit out of Launch
* Switch to High Color (16-bit) display mode for best-looking graphics
and video. (go to Control Panels / Display / Settings tab /
Color palette)
* Connect to your internet provider before running Launch for content
off the web. Be sure to have Microsoft Internet Explorer 3 (or higher)
installed (http://www.microsoft.com/ie) -- Win 95 only.
* Multitasking is not recommended. (Quit other applications before
running Launch for best performance)
=====================================================================
2. Startup Problems
------------------
* Slow Load Time -
------------------
Minimum system requirements have increased slightly starting with
issue 15. Slow load times can be caused by a number of factors or
combinations of system components. Surpassing the following suggested
system requirements (particularly RAM) will improve performance of
Launch. If your computer is near the minimum requirements, Launch
should play but load times may be slow.
If you receive a "Cannot open START.DXR" or something similar when
starting up Launch, most likely a component on your system falls below the
minimum requirement.
* Suggested System Requirements *
Windows 95
Pentium 120
24 MB RAM
4X CD-ROM drive
16-bit soundcard
---------------------------------------------
* Nothing appears when CD is put into drive -
---------------------------------------------
Autoplay may be turned off on your computer. In this case, please go
to "My Computer" and double-click on the Launch CD-ROM icon.
----------------------------------------
* Freeze at startup/video out of place -
----------------------------------------
1. Quicktime may be misidentifying your video card. Try changing the
Quicktime video optimization/draw method. Do this by going to:
Control Panel -> Quicktime (for Windows 3.1 version) or
Control Panel -> Quicktime 32 (for Windows 95/NT).
Then go to the More button -> Video Tab -> Draw Method and highlight
Bitmap (BMP), apply settings.
If that does not help, try Window's Bitmap (DIB) in the Draw Method
window.
Another possible solution is to get updated video drivers
from the manufacturer.
2. A Launch initialization file may have become corrupted. Delete the
c:\windows\program\lnchprfs directory and restart Launch.
---------------------------------
* Installing Quicktime 2.1.2.59 -
---------------------------------
When installing Quicktime, the installer program may ask you if you
want to remove old versions of Quicktime. Go ahead and have the
installer delete these old versions. There may be conflicts if older
versions are left of the computer.
It is ok to have both 16-bit and 32-bit versions of Quicktime on your
system, they have been designed to coincide on the same system
with no conflicts.
Note: A Quicktime for Windows program group will be created. You don't
need any of these files to access Launch. These icons are just there
as part of the Quicktime installation program and may be used to
run Quicktime - movies externally, such as ones that are downloaded
from the internet.
------------------
* General Errors -
------------------
* Launch does not install anything on your system (Windows 95 or
later) besides Quicktime. In Windows 3.1, Launch installs some
icons to run the program, in addition to Quicktime.
* Some temporary files are stored in the C:\Windows\Program
directory, please delete these if you are getting errors running
Launch.
* Re-installing Quicktime may also fix other errors.
=====================================================================
3. Audio/video problems
----------------------
* Color mode/palette -
----------------------
Launch is optimized for Windows 95, videocard at 16-bit color setting.
* Windows 95 -- To run in 16-bit color, your video card setting must be
set to that color bit-depth. The ways to switch color bit-depths vary
from computer to computer, usually it is a control panel installed
along with the video card. In Windows 95, go to:
Control Panel -> Display -> Settings and change the color palette
setting to High Color (16 bit).
----------------------
* No Sound in Launch -
----------------------
Make sure WAV volume is turned up in your mixer (Windows 95 -
double-click on the speaker in the bottom right hand corner of the
screen) and that you can play .WAV audio (you should be able to hear
previews in the Sounds control panel).
-------------------------
* Intel 3D RSX 3D Audio -
-------------------------
Please fully uninstall RSX before running Launch. There are some known
conflicts and a solution is currently being researched.
--------------------------
* Jumping/skipping audio -
--------------------------
Launch uses the highest-quality 16-bit audio and video, there may be
some performance problems on lower end machines.
In the Quicktime control panel, select the "More" button on the bottom
and then the "Audio" tab near the top. If there is a setting called
"Automatic Rate Adjustment," turn it off.
Also reducing the sample depth to 8-bit and the sample rate to 22050
may reduce skipping.
* Intel 3D RSX 3D Audio - please fully uninstall RSX before running
Launch. There are some known conflicts and a solution is currently
being researched.
* IBM Aptiva / M-Wave soundcards have a reported problem with
Quicktime 2.1.2.59 (32-bit), in which the sound will skip every few
seconds. This problem is said to be fixed with the next release of
Quicktime (3.0), due out late 1997. For now, please run the 16-bit
version of Launch, accessible from the Options button on the autostart
menu.
--------------------------------
* Audio noticeably out-of-sync -
--------------------------------
* In the Quicktime control panel, first try checking the "Auto Rate
Adjustment" box in the Audio section of the Quicktime control panel.
If that is ineffective, try changing the rate algorithm to
"Manual Override", the requested rate to 22050, and then experiment
with the actual hz (usually 22000-22200). Different sound cards will
require different rates, refer to the Quicktime readme file for more
info.
* If specific interview topics/features are slightly out of sync, it
is possible that your CD-ROM drive or overall system performance is
lagging.
=====================================================================
4. Technical/Customer Support Options
We have worked really hard to make LAUNCH bug-free and easy to use.
But there may still be some problems that you will encounter. If you
are convinced that everything is OK with your computer, you may have
discovered a bug or design problem. If so, we'd like to hear about it.
---------------------
* Technical Support -
---------------------
e-mail: bugs@2launch.com
website: http://www.launchcdrom.com
Or, you can call the Technical Support helpline at: 310-319-5320
(between 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM (PST) Monday through Friday).
Describe the problem in as much detail as you can, such as the error
message and exact steps taken. Include all the details about your
computer too (e.g. make/model of computer, model of videocard, RAM
installed, etc.). Your bug report will help make future issues better.
--------------------
* Customer Support -
--------------------
Subscriptions: 1-800-2LAUNCH
For billing/general customer support issues:
e-mail: mail@2launch.com
phone: 310-656-4322
Thank you for using Launch, we welcome any suggestions or comments.