Action Ware 12: Heretic & Hexen/actionware12.iso/acware12/network/apci/install.exe/LOCKUPS!.WHY

Text File | 1995-03-25 | 5.4 KB | 98 lines

IT LOCKED UP!  HELP!                           (Updated:  3/24/95)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If lockups occur after Heretic has loaded but before the game starts, it
is because one of the players did not load Heretic within the maximum time.
All systems MUST be able to load Heretic within 45 seconds.  If your system
is unable to load Heretic from a command prompt within 45 seconds, try
defragmenting your hard disk drive.  If you have 8MB or more of RAM, try
loading HIMEM.SYS and SMARTDRV.EXE.

Multiplayer Heretic is constantly synchronized.  Lockups occur during a game
when a player stops transmitting data without properly exiting Heretic (by
pressing the ESC key and using the provided menu options).  A player stops
transmitting data during a game due to one of the following reasons:

  - the player's or network's modem dropped carrier,
  - the player ran out of allotted time on the network,
  - the player's or network's CPU locked up,
  - the player's serial communication port's 16550 UART failed
    to repond to service interrupts.

Before you panic because of lockups, try to determine if you are causing
them.  First, try pressing ESC when you are locked up.  If the usual Heretic
menu appears, then your CPU is not locked up.  If the menu does NOT appear,
chances are that you have one or more of the following problems:

  + Your system BIOS is configured incorrectly.
    - HIDDEN REFRESH should be off or disabled.
    - HARDWARE VIDEO SHADOWING should be off or disabled.
    - TURBO SWITCH(ING) should be off or disabled.
    - HD1 BLOCK MODE should be off or disabled.

  + Your system has interrupt (IRQ) or memory address conflicts.
    - Make sure your system has a maximum of two (2) serial communications
      devices enabled, and that they are on separate IRQs and base addresses.
      Serial devices must be configured as follows, and ONLY TWO (2) should
      exist at the same time:

                  Port   Base   IRQ
                  ~~~~   ~~~~~  ~~~~
                  COM1:  0x3F8, IRQ4  <--- Best for modem.
                  COM2:  0x2F8, IRQ3  <--- Best for serial mouse.
                  COM3:  0x3E8, IRQ4  <--- CONFLICTS with COM1!
                  COM4:  0x2E8, IRQ3  <--- CONFLICTS with COM2!

    - If you are using a sound card, your IRQ should be set to 5 or 7.
      If you have a parallel port, make sure it is not on the same IRQ
      as your sound card.  If you have an inport (bus) mouse, make sure
      it is not on the same IRQ as your sound card or parallel port.

    - Other conflicts.  Pull everything out of your system that isn't needed
      to run Heretic.  Try playing.  If it works, stick something back in
      and try again.  Keep adding cards until you find the one that is
      causing the problem.  Once you find it, be sure that it doesn't use
      the same memory address, IRQ, or DMA channel as another card already
      in your system.

  + You are using TSR programs, drivers, or memory managers.
    - You should always boot your system "cleanly" before playing multiplayer
      modem Heretic.
    - Load only the drivers needed for your sound card and mouse.
    - Do NOT use memory managers such as EMM386, QEMM, and 386MAX!  These
      memory mangers only TAKE AWAY memory from Heretic because Heretic is
      a protected mode program that will find and use any and all RAM which
      is NOT in use by DOS or other programs.  Memory managers also cause
      additional processor interrupts that will TAKE AWAY processor power
      from Heretic causing your game performance to decrease.
    - Try to avoid hard disk compression software such as Stacker, Double-
      Space, and DriveSpace.

If you press ESC while the game is locked up and the Heretic menu appears,
then you need to determine whether or not you are still transmitting data.

If you are using an external modem, simply look at your modem's send light
(usually labled SD or TX).  It should be flickering brightly and steadily.
If so, your system is NOT the cause of the lockups!  If you are using an
internal modem but you are connected to an external modem, you will have
to have someone look at the receive light (usually labled RD or RX) of the
remote modem to which you are connected.  It should be flickering brightly
and steadily.  If so, your system is NOT the cause of the lockups!

If you are able to determine that your system is NOT sending data, chances
are that the 16550 UART on your serial communications port (or internal
modem) has stopped responding to system interrupts.  Unfortunately, this is
common with many 16550s and 16550 emulators.  The additional interrupt
activity caused by Heretic is simply too much for these UARTs.  NEVER FEAR!
Choose APCiLINK SETUP under the FILE menu in APCiHERETIC.  Remove the "X"
from the USE BUFFERED UART box.  Select OK to save the change.  Your UART
will now be treated as an 8250.  While this may decrease your overall game
performance for all players involved, it should end your lockup problems!

If you have tried everything in the above list and it still doesn't work, try
borrowing a friend's modem or serial card.  If that doesn't work, try playing
on a friend's computer with your modem or serial card.  Once the faulty
hardware has been identified, replace it!