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Pcreadme.txt
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1998-03-16
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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:\Setup95.exe
Quicktime should be installed first, if you have not installed it since ISSUE 15.
*ISSUE 18 NEW FEATURE (Win 95/NT only): Launch Live Link, chat - enhanced interactivity
and chat with other Launch and MyLaunch users online. Please run the LiveLink setup
program before choosing "online" in Launch. Installing Internet Explorer 3.0 or 4.0 is highly recommended also.
-1. It's recommended that you start your internet connection before entering Launch.
-2. Logging in to the chat server takes a little while (~60 to 90 seconds after starting
Launch), so please be patient.
We will be adding more interactivity in the future - please give us your thoughts and
suggestions and report any problems you may find to: mail@2launch.com. Thanks.
************************************************************************
SECTIONS
1. Tips
2. Startup Problems/Requirements
3. Audio/Video problems
4. Technical/Customer Support Options
************************************************************************
* 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
=====================================================================
1. Tips
* 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)
* Make sure you have the latest version of Quicktime (2.1.2.59) installed. This includes
QTVR components.
=====================================================================
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 133
24 MB RAM
4X+ CD-ROM drive
16-bit soundcard
For the smoothest Launch experience, a Pentium II-class computer, 32 MB RAM, and a
24X CD-ROM drive is highly suggested.
-------------------------------------------
* 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 and run "Setup95.exe".
--------------------------------------
* Freeze at startup/video out of place
--------------------------------------
* 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.
* A Launch initialization file may have become corrupted. Delete the
c:\windows\program\lnchprfs or c:\windows\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 on 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
and ActiveX Controls. 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\Lnchprfs 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).
------------------------
* 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). 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
-------------------
* 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.