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PROBLEMS.DOC
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1993-07-10
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Any Problems?
Sorry about that! Here are remedies to possible problems:
Important: read disclaimer at end of document!
1. Program does not talk.
Probable Cause (a): You do not have a sound blaster card.
Solution (a): Buy a Sound Blaster card from your local computer
store or from Lacey Computer Co. (print out order form
in help section).
Probable Cause (b): You did not install the Sound Blaster
drivers.
Solution (b): Locate your Sound Blaster installation disk and
run the Sound Blaster installation program.
Probable Cause (c): You don't have your speakers connected or
the volume is turned all the way down.
Solution (c): Check speakers and volume control on back of card.
Also check for correct jack.
Probable Cause (d): You have less than 512K RAM memory
available. To hear speech you need to have enough
memory for both SBTALKER.EXE and XMWB.EXE to load at
the same time. Our XMWB.EXE program is not a memory
hog, and will run on a 256K machine, but SBTALKER.EXE
requires about 200 KB of base memory.
Solution (d): More memory! (but always check your base memory
with CHKDSK or MEM to see if your base memory is being
efficiently utilized before adding more memory to your
computer. Adding more chips as extended memory will not
help if you already have 640K base memory physically
installed, and would be a waste of money).
2. You cannot find your Sound Blaster installation disk.
Probable Cause: You lost it or never recieved one.
Solution: Call up Creative Labs and have them send you another
disk or contact the store you purchased it from for assitance.
3. You have aleady have a generic sound card that is not
compatitible or does not come with the SBTALKER speech driver.
Solution: Sell it and buy a Sound Blaster card. If you sell your
card for say $50.00 and buy a Sound Blaster for $89.00, then
your net cost is only $39.00 for speech capability. You also get
a lot of new software with the new Sound Blaster card to boot
and a new manufacturer warranty. If you decide your new Sound
Blaster card is not worth it, you can probably resell it for at
least $80, so there is little risk. Sorry, we cannot give
refunds on the Sound Blaster card ourselves because it contains
copyrighted software, notably the SBTALKER.EXE program, which we
are not allowed to distribute except with the sale of a Sound
Blaster card.
4. Xmutant Install program or XMWB program says "Illegal function
call."
Probable Cause (a): A badly written shell statement in your
config.sys file (such as "\command.com" instead of
"C:\command.com)" prevents our program from accessing the DOS
command interpreter.
Solution: fix config.sys file. You need to include the drive
letter in front of the path designation to the command
interpreter.
Probable cause (b): You have a two floppy system and no copy of
command.com on your program disk.
Solution (b): Put a copy of command.com on your program disk (make
sure it is the right version).
5. Program hangs or gives exception error 13 (always an unlucky
number) when using QEMM.
Probable cause: You have the following statement in your
config.sys:
stacks 0,0
This will not work because at least the default stack space.
Solution: delete the line "stacks 0,0" from your config.sys or
increase your stacks according to the directions that come with
your memory manager.
6. The program does wierd things under MS-DOS 6.0*, such as
changing keyboard key definitions.
Probable cause: Something is wrong with the way your system
is configured with the memory manager installed. Check your
configuration and re-run Memmaker. Please note that Lacey
computer cannot help you configure your system properly for you,
with or without MS-DOS 6.0.
Alternate solution: boot your system without memory manager
using either a floppy or a special config.sys (see your MS-DOS
6.0 user guide).
*MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
7. Program says SBTALKER installed and hangs.
Probable cause: You told the installation program that you have a
Sound Blaster card and you really don't.
Solution: Re-run the installation program and answer "N" when
asked if a Creative Labs Sound Blaster Card is installed in your
computer.
8. You have done everything correctly and it still doesn't talk.
Note whether the program says SBTALKER installed or SBTALKER
NOT INSTALLED when it is initializing.
A. If it says SBTALKER NOT INSTALLED then check to make sure you
have the necessary sound drivers present in the XMUTANT
subdirectory. For convenience, our install program attempts to
copy these files from the SBTALKER subdirectory to the XMUTANT
directory. Check to make sure you have the three files:
SBTALKER.EXE, BLASTER.DRV, and REMOVE.EXE, in the XMUTANT
subdirectory.
If you have insufficient RAM (512K should be enough) then the
SBTALKER.EXE program will not load, but you will be able to play
without sound. The solution to this problem is the familiar
"More memory!"
B. If it says SBTALKER INSTALLED then the appropriate drivers
are present.
If the program runs normally but you just don't hear anything
then:
(a) your speakers are plugged into the wrong jack
(b) your volume is turned down
(c) your speakers are the wrong kind
(d) your speakers are broken
If the program locks up after a point, then
(a) There is a conflict with another resident program or
memory manager. Boot from a floppy to test this
hypothesis.
(b) Your system, as configured, is not compatible with the
SBTALKER.EXE sound driver.
Start with a plain configuration and work your way up.
Most problems are in the config.sys file. Always have a
bootable floppy before you mess with your config.sys
file, especially if you are using compression software
or are changing the shell statement, because you can
easily lock yourself out of your system.
Try to make the program work from a floppy first to isolate
the problem. This will tell you what might be wrong with
your hard disk configuration.
Disclaimer of Support: Hard disk configuration can get pretty
involved. Lacey Computer Co. takes no responsibility for helping
you set up your system correctly or for getting you out of any mess
you may get into. If you do not have the technical expertise or the
nerves to configure your system yourself, then seek the assistance
of a competant local computer store or computer consultant.
Everything we know about making talking software work is contained
in this document, which will be updated as new problems and
solutions become known. If you discover a problem not discussed
here, please send it to us in a letter. IF you are a registered
user and would like an update of this sheet please send us an SASE
envelope. No other support is offered for the X-Mutant series
products.
Absolutely no free phone support is provided and any any advice
that is sought is subject to the disclaimers contained in this
document.
Disclaimer of warranty and liability: Although reasonable
precautions have been taken in the preparation of X-MUTANT WORD
BLASTER, Lacey Computer Co. cannot warrant its performance in any
way. This program and subsequent additions and alterations are
provided to you "AS IS" without warranty of any kind, either
expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied
warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Lacey Computer
Co. does not warrant that our software will work with either the
hardware or software of any other party, including Creative Labs,
Inc., or SBTALKER.EXE, which is distributed by Creative Labs, Inc.,
with their sound cards, nor that our products, services, or advice
will meet your requirements, nor that the operation of any version
of the X-Mutant Word Blaster or other products, including install
programs, will be uniterrupted or error free. The entire risk as to
the results and performance of our products, services, and advice
is assumed by you.