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Sierra Technical Support
PO Box 85006
Bellevue, WA 98015-8506
Phone: (206) 644-4343
Fax: (206) 644-7697
America Online: Keyword SIERRA
Compuserve: Go SIERRA
Email: support@sierra.com
WWW: http://www.sierra.com
Front Page Sports: Football '97
Troubleshooting Guide
revised 2/7/97
Sierra Technical Support provides this documentation as a reference to
Sierra customers using Sierra software products. Sierra Technical
Support makes reasonable efforts to ensure that the information
contained in this documentation is accurate. However, Sierra makes no
warranty, either express or implied, as to the accuracy, effectiveness, or
completeness of the information contained in this documentation.
SIERRA ON-LINE, INC. DOES NOT WARRANTY OR PROMISE
THAT THE INFORMATION HEREIN WILL WORK WITH ANY OR
ALL COMPUTER SYSTEMS. SIERRA DOES NOT ASSUME ANY
LIABILITY, EITHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL, FOR
THE USE OF THE INFORMATION HEREIN, INCLUDING ANY
AND ALL DAMAGE TO OR LOST USE OF COMPUTER
HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE PRODUCTS, LOSS OF
WARRANTIES, OR LOST DATA BY THE CUSTOMER OR ANY
THIRD PARTY. NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR
ADVICE GIVEN BY SIERRA, ITS EMPLOYEES, DISTRIBUTORS,
DEALER OR AGENTS SHALL CHANGE THE RESTRICTION OF
LIABILITY OR CREATE ANY NEW WARRANTIES. IN NO CASE
SHALL SIERRA'S LIABILITY EXCEED THE PURCHASE PRICE
OF THE SIERRA SOFTWARE PRODUCT.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 1 - HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
SECTION 2 - INSTALLATION PROCEDURES
SECTION 3 - COMMON INSTALLATION PROBLEMS
SECTION 4 - COMMON GAME PROBLEMS
SECTION 5 - SOUND ISSUES
SECTION 6 - GAME PLAY TIPS
SECTION 7 - OBTAINING A SIERRA PATCH DISK
SECTION 8 - FOOTBALL PRO `97 BOOT DISK INSTRUCTIONS
FOR WINDOWS 95
SECTION 9 - CONTACTING SIERRA FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE
SECTION 1 - HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
REQUIRED:
486 DX2 66 Mhz
8MB RAM
270mb Hard drive space (full install)
124mb Hard drive space (medium install)
30mb Hard drive space (minimum install)
Double Speed CD ROM drive
Windows 95
SVGA (640x480x256 colors)
RECOMMENDED FOR BEST PERFORMANCE:
Pentium or Better
16MB RAM
Quad speed or faster CD ROM
14.4 bps modem
TCP/IP Network Play (Coaching mode only)
SECTION 2 - INSTALLATION PROCEDURES
If you are in Windows 95, insert the CD and Autoplay will ask if you
wish to install Football Pro '97. Respond by clicking on "Yes". Follow
the on-screen prompts to complete the installation. If you do not have
AUTOPLAY enabled, or if this option does not appear, click on your
START button, then select RUN. In the box, type your CD ROM drive
letter followed by a colon, then a backslash, and "SETUP". Ex:
D:\SETUP. Finally hit <ENTER>.
SECTION 3 - COMMON INSTALLATION PROBLEMS
Problem: Your computer fails the Sound Card test; you cannot hear the
voice and fanfare in the Wave and MIDI tests.
Solution: Your sound card may be incorrectly configured for DAC
(Audio) or your sound card drivers may not be properly installed or
configured for Windows 95.
Make sure your speakers are turned on and run the Windows mixer
program for your sound card so you can increase its volume levels for
MIDI (music) and DAC (Audio). You should consult your sound card
documentation or the manufacturer for information regarding the correct
configuration of your sound card in Windows 95.
Problem: Your computer fails the Display test because you are not
running in 256 colors, or your video card does not meet the Pixels-per-
second second Speed requirement for the game.
Solution: First make sure you are running Windows in 256 colors. Even
though your monitor and video card may be capable of displaying 256
colors, Windows may not be set up to use this resolution. Click on the
Start button, select Settings, then Control Panel. Double-click the
Display icon. You will see four tabs: Background, Screen Saver,
Appearance, and Settings. Click on Settings. In the box under Color
Palette, it should say 256 Color. If it does not, click on the down arrow
next to the window to view a list of choices, and select the one that says
256 Color. You will also notice a slider bar under Desktop Area for
adjusting resolution from 640 by 480 pixels (the lowest setting)
upwards. If your video card failed the initial speed test, try adjusting the
resolution to 640 by 480 pixels. This will decrease the screen resolution
but may improve the speed of your video card.
Problem: Your computer fails the Memory test; you get a message
stating you do not have enough memory to run Football Pro `97 Season.
Solution: Football Pro `97 Season requires a computer with a minimum
of 8 MB (8192k) of physical RAM to run, of which 7168k must be free.
To free up memory in Windows 95, close any and all Windows
programs (including screen savers, wallpaper, virus detection programs,
shell programs like Norton Desktop or Packard Bell Navigator, etc.) that
may be running. On your Taskbar, right-click on the program tab for the
program you wish to shut down, and select Close. Then run Football
Pro's Setup program again and try the memory test. If your system still
fails the test, consult the boot disk instructions at the end of this
document and create a Windows 95 boot disk for your system. Then
boot up with the boot disk, disable any and all other Windows programs,
and start the Setup program again. These steps should give you enough
memory to run the program.
Problem: You get a message that says your system does not have
enough disk space to install Microsoft SDK.
Solution: Click on the Start button, select Run. In the text line type
X:\directx\dxsetup (replace X with the letter of your cdrom drive) and
then click on OK. From the directx setup window select Reinstall
DirectX. When DirectX is through installing it will want to restart your
computer. After your system restarts, proceed with the normal
installation procedure and the game will install normally.
SECTION 4 - COMMON GAME PROBLEMS
Problem: I can't use the joystick to call plays.
Solution: When in the play calling screen, hold down button 2 on your
joystick or gamepad and then move the joystick to call the play. The
selection arrow will not respond without holding down button 2.
Problem: I can't use 2 joysticks at same time to play head to head.
Solution: This issue is addressed in version 1.3 of the game. SECTION
7 contains information on obtaining the version 1.3 update.
Problem: I can't play in arcade mode when playing over a modem or
network.
Solution:. This issue is addressed in version 1.3 of the game.
SECTION 7 contains information on obtaining the version 1.3 update.
Problem: The game can't find the CD when my CD drive is greater
than H:
Solution: This issue is addressed in version 1.3 of the game. SECTION
7 contains information on obtaining the version 1.3 update.
Problem: My mouse flickers making it difficult to see.
Solution: There are a couple of ways to help this problem.
1. Switch your mouse pointer settings to the
WINDOWS STANDARD pointer selection in the
mouse control panel settings
2. Change your display at 640X480 (256 colors).
Problem: When playing FBPro97 in Windows 95, you get a message
"Please put the CD in the CD-ROM drive" going into a football game
and the CD is in the drive.
Solution: This will only happen with a large installation of the game. If
you eject the CD and then replace the disk in the drive, select RETRY
and the game will usually start. If this doesn't allow the game to run,
you may need an updated CD-ROM driver for Windows 95.
Problem: The OLDPRO and NEWPRO commands are not working to
change the camera views as the manual states.
Solution: This is an error in the manual. You cannot automatically
change the camera views to the old settings. The only way to change
camera views is by using F9 while running a game.
Problem: Slow game play.
Solution: The graphics in Football `97 require more computer resources
than earlier Football games. Therefore, by reducing graphics detail you
can usually increase game speed. Change the field from grass to turf.
You can also turn off the end-zone graphics and the sound effects to help
the game move faster. You should also run the game with a Windows 95
Systems disk to make as much memory available to the game as
possible.
Problem: After calibrating joystick in the Windows 95 control panel,
the joystick is still not recognized by the game.
Solution: Sierra and most major joystick manufacturers recommend a
dedicated joystick card that can be calibrated to the speed of your
computer. CH Products, Thrustmaster and Gravis all make excellent
speed-adjustable joystick cards. You can find these cards at your local
software or hardware dealer. Dedicated joystick cards are relatively
inexpensive ($20-$40) and will usually solve this kind of problem.
If you use a dedicated joystick card already, you should make sure that
all other joystick ports are disabled. Other joystick ports can be found
on your sound card, game port or multi-I/O card. Check your hardware
documentation for more information on disabling joystick ports.
Problem: The Pro Bowl rosters are mixed up and the teams have the
wrong colors.
Solution: This issue is addressed in version 1.3 of the game. SECTION
7 contains information on obtaining the version 1.3 update.
Problem: The game won't let me print the Pro Bowl rosters, the Hall of
Fame, or the Awards.
Solution: This issue is addressed in version 1.3 of the game. SECTION
7 contains information on obtaining the version 1.3 update.
Problem: The stats and roster screens are too hard to read.
Solution: This issue is addressed in version 1.3 of the game. SECTION
7 contains information on obtaining the version 1.3 update.
Problem: When I copy an existing league to a new league it doesn't
retain all of the attributes.
Solution: This issue is addressed in version 1.3 of the game. SECTION
7 contains information on obtaining the version 1.3 update.
Problem: My printer is having problems printing the play diagrams in
the Play Editor.
Solution: This issue is addressed in version 1.3 of the game. SECTION
7 contains information on obtaining the version 1.3 update.
Problem: The game doesn't always register a double click when I'm
trying to choose a play.
Solution: This issue is addressed in version 1.3 of the game. SECTION
7 contains information on obtaining the version 1.3 update.
Problem: The plays don't highlight when I'm trying to select them
Solution:. This issue is addressed in version 1.3 of the game. Note: The
game will not highlight your play if you are playing a multi-player game.
SECTION 7 contains information on obtaining the version 1.3 update.
Problem: The rain is a black "acid rain."
Solution: This issue is addressed in version 1.3 of the game. SECTION
7 contains information on obtaining the version 1.3 update.
Problem: The screen doesn't take up the full screen, and I don't want to
switch to a resolution of 640x480.
Solution: This issue is addressed in version 1.3 of the game. SECTION
7 contains information on obtaining the version 1.3 update. The arcade
can now be set to run in full screen mode. When full screen mode is
enabled the game will automatically stretch the onfield display to fit the
current windows resolution. In higher resolutions (1024x768 and up)
you may experience some loss in game performance. Higher color
settings (more than 256) will also negatively impact game performance.
We recommend that you set windows to 256 color mode prior to playing
Football Pro '97.
To enable full screen mode edit the setup.ini file found in
SIERRA\FBPRO97. Under [Arcade], add the following line:
Screen=Full
NOTE: The SETUP.INI file is case sensitive so you MUST type the line
in exactly as it is shown above.
General Troubleshooting Steps
If you do not see your specific problem listed above, these standard
troubleshooting procedures correct most problems running Football '97:
Step 1 - Boot with a clean system disk before running the game.
A systems disk is a tool that can be used to resolve most conflicts. A
system disk will free up more system resources and memory for your
games. The systems disk also creates an environment that is "cleaner"
or free of extra TSR and utilities that can sometimes cause conflicts.
System disk instructions are included in Sections 8 of this document.
Step 2 - Check for corrupted files.
Run SCANDISK to detect and correct any hard drive errors and
corrupted files ( Click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and
Scandisk). If you find any errors such as cross-linked or truncated files
or lost allocation units, correct them, then delete and reinstall Football
Pro `97.
Step 4 - Reinstall the game in a clean boot environment.
Lockups and other technical problems can be caused by corrupted game
files. No program will run correctly if the data or executable files are
corrupted. These corruptions will occur during the installation of the
game and are usually due to conflicts with TSRs or other utilities during
the installation. Reinstalling the game in the same environment will
usually result in the same corrupted data. You should install the game in
a "clean" boot environment.
Step 5 - Create a clean Windows environment
Make sure that all screen savers, virus scans, sound-related programs
(IconHear It, Wired for Sound, etc.) and other Windows programs are
disabled before starting the game. In addition, if you are using an
alternate Windows desktop like Norton Desktop or PCTools, use the
default Windows desktop instead. In Windows 95, make sure that your
virtual memory is enabled.
Step 6 - Check your drivers. Outdated or incompatible video or sound
drivers can also cause lockups and errors in Windows. Sierra
recommends you check with your sound and video card manufacturers to
make sure you have the latest versions of these drivers. Some
manufacturers update their drivers several times a year, so it's easy to get
behind.
SECTION 5 - SOUND ISSUES
To make sure that your sound card is configured correctly in
Windows 95, check the Audio and MIDI settings in the
Multimedia section of Control Panel. The Audio setting defines
what driver will be used to produce digitized sound (DAC). Speech
and sound effects in a game are usually DAC sounds. The MIDI
setting indicates what driver is being used for music playback. The
following examples are for the SoundBlaster 16:
AUDIO: SB16 Wave Out
MIDI: MIDI for Internal OPL2/OPL3 FM Synthesis
The names of the Audio and MIDI drivers will vary, depending on
your sound card. However, they should be similar to these
SoundBlaster 16 drivers. For complete information (including driver
names and installation instructions) on Windows 95 drivers for your
sound card, contact your sound card manufacturer.
Problem: You hear no sound during the game
Solution: This usually occurs when your sound card's Windows 95
drivers are not installed correctly. See the above paragraphs for
information on checking your Windows 95 sound card drivers.
SECTION 6 - GAME PLAY TIPS
Technical Support has limited information on Football `97 strategy and
game-play hints. This section contains answers to some frequently-
asked questions. For additional game-play information, Sierra
recommends the Football `97 manual and on-line forums that address
sports simulations. CompuServe and America On-Line have active
forums where you can obtain valuable information from your fellow
football fans! In addition, there is a good tutorial on page 15 of the
manual.
Question: How do I create a league using the NFL Teams and Rosters?
Answer: From the main menu, take these steps:
1. Click on League Play.
2. Click on League Data.
3. Click on New League.
4. Choose Career or Single Season.
5. Choose the desired League Size.
6. Click the Select Team button.
7. If a league appears other than a NFLPA or NFLPI roster in
the windows on the gray box, choose the load
league button.
8. Find the NFLPA or NFLPI roster you want to use and double
click on it.
9. Find the team you want and double click on it, which should
highlight it in red.
10. Click the Select Team button.
11. Locate the team in this window and double click on it. Note:
You need to repeat step 9 through 11 for each
team in your league.
12. Once you have selected every team click on Return.
13. If you select the "Draft all players" option, all players will be
released from their current teams to a draft pool for you
to select from.
14. Now, click on the Ground Rules section and set up your
leagues rules. Note: These rules cannot be
changed once you have saved your league.
15. You now want to go to the manage teams screen and make
your selections.
16. You have created your league! Give your league a name and
save it.
Question: How do I choose the team I want to play as?
Answer: From the main menu, take the following steps:
1. Click on League play.
2. Click on Teams and Standings.
3. Double click on the name of the team you want to control.
4. Go to the Team Data button.
5. Click on the window next to ownership. Enter your password
and confirm it.
6. You are now the owner and manager of that team.
Question: I do not like the new camera angles. How can I change them?
Answer: From the play field screen, take these steps:
1. Press F9 on the playing field.
2. You will have the option to setup any camera angle you like.
3. Click on the camera controls buttons at the top of the screen
to get the desired camera position.
4. Once you have positioned the camera press the red square
next to the MODE window.
5. The VIEW ASSIGNMENT Window will then appear
showing all of the current view assignments.
6. You can now press on any one of the buttons marked 1-0 and
it will program that number of the keyboard to switch
to this angle. Pages 73 - 74 in your manual explains this in detail.
Question: I want to back up my league files but I don't know which
ones to back up.
Answer: The game has a utility to a back up leagues: BAKLEG.BAT.
This batch file will allow you to make a back-up of any league(s) you
choose, and copy them to a target drive and/or directory.
To use this utility, you must first be in the FBPro97 game directory, then
follow the syntax below:
BAKLEG [league-name] [drive] [directory] <ENTER>
If you do not specify a drive and/or directory, your league will be copied
to the BACKUP directory under the installed FBPro '97's game
directory.
For further reference on this feature refer to page 200 in your game
manual.
Question: I can snap the ball but after I do this the computer takes
control of the game. What can I do?
Answer: The computer only takes over if you are in the Basic action
mode. You should set the game to either Advanced or Standard mode.
You can make the change by pressing F7 while on the playing field.
Question: How come when I go to call a play it only says "Run Right",
"Pass Middle", etc.? Why can't I see where my receivers are going?
Answer: You are in the Basic play calling mode. You need to select
Standard play calling mode to see the plays. You can make the change
by pressing F7 while on the playing field.
Question: I want to know how many first downs I have so far, but I am
only 1 minute into the second quarter of the game. Can I see these or do I
have to wait until halftime?
Answer: You can view your stats at anytime during the game by
pressing the F2 button while on the playing field.
Question: Another team has offered me three different people for one
of my players, I want all three but I am only allowed to select one of
these offers.
Answer: You can only make one for one trades in Football `97. You
will want to select wisely when this occurs.
Question: How can I use the Play Wizard to create a play and save it so
I can add it to a game plan.
Answer: From the Play Editor, take these steps:
1. Select Game Plan.
2. Select Play Wizard.
3. Then select Offense or Defense.
4. Then proceed through the steps of the play wizard selecting
Next until finally your play is complete.
5. Once your play is completed, select Play Editor and select
Save
6. You may then add your play to an existing game plan.
Question: How do I import my stock plays from FBPro96?
Answer: You can't import the stock plays to FBPro97 as they are. You
need to enter the play editor in FBPro96 and load the stock play that you
want to transfer to FBPro97. Once you have it loaded, click on the save
button and retitle the play. You now have this play saved as a custom
play and it can be imported into FBPro97. Once you have renamed your
play, copy it into the \Sierra\FBPro97\Custom folder in you Windows
Explorer. When you go to load your custom plays in FBPro97, you will
be able to select your new play.
Whenever you make changes to a play, plan or profile, make sure that
you rename the file after you have made the changes. If you save the
changes and do not retitle it, then you have lost the original format of the
item you changed. The only way to restore this is to reinstall the game.
Question: I am in the roster screen and cannot change the depth slot of
my player. How can I do this?
Answer: You need to turn to the position rosters instead of the full
offense or defense roster. Once you have turned to the specified position
roster then you can move the players depth.
SECTION 7 - OBTAINING A SIERRA PATCH DISK
There are currently three updates available for Front Page Sports:
Football Pro 97. The latest update available will update the game to
version 1.3. Depending on what version of the game you currently have,
you will need one of the following patches to update to version 1.3:
To upgrade from: Use:
Version 1.0 FB97130.EXE
Version 1.1 FB97131.EXE
Version 1.2 (beta) FB97132.EXE
If you are not sure what version of the game you are currently using,
open the README.TXT file and read the opening lines. These lines
will indicate what version of the game you are playing.
For more information on what the patch changes and how to apply it,
please read the README.TXT file included with the patch.
The fastest way to obtain a Sierra patch disk is to download it from one
of the following on-line services: the Sierra BBS (206-644-0112),
CompuServe (GO SIERRA) or America OnLine (KEYWORD SIERRA)
or Sierra website (http://www.sierra.com). You can also request a patch
disk be mailed to you by contacting Sierra Technical Support. Our
contact information appears later in this document.
SECTION 8 - FOOTBALL PRO `97 BOOT DISK
INSTRUCTIONS FOR WINDOWS 95
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please read all instructions before beginning
this procedure.
STEP 1 - FORMATTING THE DISK
To make a boot disk, you must "system" format a high density diskette
in the A: drive. This procedure will transfer the "system files" to the disk
and allow the computer to boot up correctly. The disk must be in the A:
drive; the computer will not boot from the B: drive.
To format a disk in Windows 95, put the disk in the drive, open My
Computer, then right click on the A: icon. From the pop-up menu,
select Format. Under "Format type" select Full; under "Other options",
choose Copy system files. Click on Start.
After the disk is formatted, you must copy the MSDOS.SYS file from
the hard drive to the floppy disk. To do this, leave the floppy disk in the
drive, click on Start, Find, Files or Folders. In the "Named" box, type
in: MSDOS.SYS. Click on "Find Now". Right click on the highlighted
file name at the bottom of the window, then select Send to from the pop-
up menu. Send the file to the A: drive.
STEP 2 - REBOOT THE COMPUTER AND START THE GAME
Restart the computer with the disk in the A: drive by clicking Start,
Shut Down, Restart the computer. Follow the instructions in the game
manual and start Football Pro `97.
SECTION 9: CONTACTING SIERRA FOR FURTHER
ASSISTANCE
Sierra On-Line has a full library of help documents available
electronically. You can download them from the following sources:
America On-Line: Use keyword SIERRA and choose "Software
Libraries", then "Troubleshooting Guides & FAQ's"
CompuServe: Use go SIERRA, choose "The Sierra On-Line Forum",
then search the "Help Documents" library.
Go to our home page on the World Wide Web at
http://www.sierra.com and follow the on-screen information.
Additionally, you can get your document via our automated faxback
service. Call (206) 644-4343, choose to use the automated technical
support system and follow the voice instructions provided. You will be
faxed a catalog of all of the documents that we have to offer and you will
then be able to get the documents you need. If you prefer, you can also
fax us at (206) 644-7697 with your document request.
If you prefer to get assistance from a technician, Sierra Technical
Support will be happy to assist you. All of the online services listed
above are staffed by Sierra technicians. Additionally, you can send e-
mail to support@sierra.com.
Additionally, a Sierra Technical Support Support request form has been
enclosed in case you wish to contact us via fax or U.S. mail. Simply fill
it out and return it to us. Our fax number is (206) 644-7697 and our
mailing address is:
Sierra On-Line Technical Support
PO Box 85006
Bellevue, WA 98015-8506
For phone assistance, you can reach Sierra Technical Support at (206)
644-4343 between 8:00 am and 4:45 pm, Monday through Friday.
Please try to be at your system or have a copy of a Microsoft Diagnostics
(MSD) report from it when you call.
If you are in Europe, please contact our office in England. The Customer
Service number is (0118) 9209111, between
9:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. The fax number is
(0118) 987-5603. Customer Service can also be reached at the following
address:
Sierra On-Line Limited
2 Beacontree Plaza
Gillette Way
Reading, Berkshire
RG2 0BS UNITED KINGDOM
Thanks for choosing Sierra!
SIERRA ON-LINE TECHNICAL SUPPORT REQUEST FORM
(for IBM PC's & Compatibles)
If you decide to write or fax, please provide the
following information so that Sierra Technical Support
can assist you as efficiently as possible. Please
provide as much of the information requested below as
possible. Attach additional pages if necessary. Please
Print clearly.
Name :
Full Mailing Address :
FAX Number:
Phone Number:
Email Address:
Name/Description of Program:
Description of Problem (Please be as specific an detailed as possible.)
How are you running the
program?
* As a DOS Application in DOS
* As a Windows Application in Windows
* As a DOS application in or through Windows
Computer Brand:
Computer Model:
Operating System (DOS 5.0, Windows 95, etc.):
CPU Brand (Intel, Cyrix, etc.):
CPU Type (486DX2, Pentium, etc.):
CPU Speed (66 mhz, 133 mhz, etc):
Total RAM installed in the system in MB (4 MB, 8 MB, etc.):
Total Hard Drive Space (in MB):
Free Hard Drive Space after installing the Program (in MB):
CD ROM Brand/Model:
CD ROM Speed (2x,4x, etc.):
Video Card (Diamond Stealth, Matrox Millenium, etc.):
Video Memory (in MB):
Screen resolution you are using in Windows currently:
Color Depth you are using in Windows currently:
Sound Card Brand/Model/Description/hardward settings:
Disk Compression Software (if applicable):
Please note any steps below which you have tried:
-SCANDISK, Delete & Re-install program
-A DOS & Windows installation (for programs supporting both)
-Boot Disk
-Disk or CD replacement
-Patch Disk (If applicable) Name of patch:
-Updated Drivers
-Temporarily disabling Sound card/Sound in Program
-Other: