Blast! Software Thank you for purchasing this Blast! Software title. In order for you to receive the best possible performance with this product, Encore and Blast! Software has included technical tips and information. IMPORTANT Blast! Software highly recommends not running other Windows applications at the same time as this software title. _________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS: SECTION 1 - HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS SECTION 2 - INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS SECTION 3 - COMMON INSTALLATION PROBLEMS SECTION 4 - COMMON PROGRAM PROBLEMS SECTION 5 - MEMORY PROBLEMS SECTION 6 - SOUND PROBLEMS SECTION 7 - TECHNICAL SUPPORT INFORMATION SECTION 1 - HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS REQUIRED: 486DX 8 MB RAM CD-ROM drive, double speed or better Windows 95, Windows 98 SVGA video card that supports 640x480x256 colors or better in Windows Sound card is optional. Mouse RECOMMENDED FOR BEST PERFORMANCE: Pentium 16MB RAM Quad speed CD-ROM SECTION 2 - INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS For Windows 95 or 98, if Autoplay is active just follow the on-screen prompts. Otherwise go to START and select Run. In the Open field type: X:\SETUP.EXE (Where X is the drive letter specified for your CDROM.) and click "OK". Then just follow the on-screen prompts. SECTION 3 - COMMON INSTALLATION PROBLEMS In order to insure a successful installation, it is necessary to restart Windows when prompted at the conclusion of the installation. Problem: During installation you receive the error "DISK ERROR / READ ERROR" or "NOT READY READING DRIVE X" (Where X is the drive you are installing from). Solution: The first step is to make sure that the CD is clean. If cleaning the CD doesn't help, the problem may be associated with the CD ROM drivers. When using Windows 95, use version 2.95 of MSCDEX in the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory. You should also check with the CD ROM drive manufacturer to make sure that you have the latest version of their CD drivers. Outdated or incompatible CD drivers can cause this type of problem. SECTION 4 - COMMON PROGRAM PROBLEMS Problem: The art work looks like it is using the wrong colors or this program tells you that you need 256 colors or higher. Solution: Blast! Software's Windows programs require that Windows is running in 256-color mode or higher. Even though your monitor and video card may be capable of displaying 256 colors, Windows may not be set up to use this resolution. To check, double-click on Windows Setup in the Main program group. If the Display line reads "VGA" or "16 color," you will need to change to a driver that supports 256 colors. ("VGA" is a default Windows video driver that only supports 16 colors and will not work with Blast! Software's Windows games.) To change video drivers, select Options, then Change System Settings. Open the Display box to see the list of video drivers that are currently available. You should check your video card documentation for information on what 256-color driver to select. WARNING: Be careful when changing video drivers! If you choose one that is not designed for your particular video card, when you restart your computer, Windows may not launch. If this occurs, change to your Windows directory, type: SETUP, and choose the "VGA" driver again. You should then contact your video card manufacturer for the correct driver. Changing your display settings in Windows 95 and 98: Depending on how recent and "stable" your video card drivers are, this title will operate in various high resolutions. But if any video difficulties are encountered, we recommend running this title on a desktop of 800x600 pixels in 256-color mode. To change your display settings, click on the Start button, select Settings, then Control Panel. Double-click the Display icon. You will see at least four tabs: Background, Screen Saver, Appearance, and Settings. Click on Settings. In the box under Color Palette, it should say 256 Colors. If it does not, click on the down arrow to the right of the field to view a list of choices, and select the one that says 256 Colors. The field to the right of colors is DeskTop Area. Move the horizontal slider until the display reads 800x600 pixels. Click on OK. Restart windows when prompted to do so. If you have any trouble running Windows 95 in 256 Color mode, your computer will start in "safe mode". Do not panic. Repeat the steps above to reset your computer to its previous settings and contact your video card manufacturer for assistance in obtaining a driver that supports 256 Colors. SECTION 5 - MEMORY TROUBLESHOOTING To free up memory in Windows 95, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE on your keyboard to bring up the Close Programs list. Highlight all programs (one at a time) other than Explorer and Systray (including screen savers, wallpaper, virus detection programs, shell programs like Norton Desktop or Packard Bell Navigator, etc.) and click on the "End Task" button to close them. Do this until only Explorer and Systray are listed. Make sure that Windows in managing your virtual memory. To do this, click on the Start button, select Settings, then Control Panel. Double click on the System icon to display the System Properties. Select the Performance tab and then click Virtual Memory. Make sure that "Let Windows manage my virtual memory settings" is selected. SECTION 6 - SOUND CARD CONFIGURATION AND SOUND ISSUES If you experience sound problems, make sure you are using the most current drivers available for your sound card before calling technical support. If you do not have the current Windows drivers for your sound device, you may need to contact the manufacturer of your sound device or your local hardware supplier for an updated set of sound drivers. Check your Windows documentation or your sound device documentation for full instructions on updating your sound drivers. Problem: Starting the game gives you a "Waveout Open" or "Waveout Prepare Header" error message. Solution: The Windows error message you are receiving indicates that your sound card is in use by another program. This is occasionally caused by another sound program taking control in Windows and not sharing the sound card properly. Programs like Icon Hear It, Wired for Sound or Packard Bell Navigator can cause this type of problem. Some screen savers like After Dark will also access the sound card directly instead of using Windows to produce sounds. You should disable all programs of this type before playing the game. If you are still experiencing sound problems, you may need to update your sound drivers. If you do not have the current Windows drivers for your sound device, you may need to contact the manufacturer of your sound device or your local hardware supplier for an updated set of sound drivers. Check your Windows documentation or your sound device documentation for full instructions on updating your sound drivers. SECTION 7 - TECHNICAL SUPPORT INFORMATION See this programs electronic manual for technical support contact information.