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KING'S QUEST VII TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE for IBM and compatible PCs using Windows 3.1 or higher Revised 1/10/95 The following instructions have been prepared by Sierra's Technical Support Department as a service to our customers. PLEASE NOTE: Sierra does not make any claims, guarantees, and/or promises that the following instructions will work on any and/or all computer systems. IMPORTANT NOTE: After the game shipped, we discovered some problems with version 1.1 of the program. These problems show up as errors during installation, lockups and fatal errors during the game. We have corrected these problems and currently have a new version of the game available. To find out what version of the program you have, check the label on the floppy disk that was included with the game. If it says "VER 1.1", you need the update. If the floppy says "VER 1.4" or you did not receive a floppy, you have the latest version and do not need the update. To obtain the update, please fax or mail Customer Service the S/N number from the floppy disk or a photocopy of the floppy or CD, and a note indicating you would like a replacement for King's Quest VII. Their address is Sierra Customer Service, PO Box 3404, Salinas, CA 93912. Their fax number is 408-644-2018. Please include your name and mailing address so we send the new game to the right place! If you have any questions regarding the exchange procedure, you can reach Sierra Customer Service at 1-800-SIERRA5. TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1 - HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS SECTION 2 - INSTALLATION PROCEDURES SECTION 3 - COMMON INSTALLATION PROBLEMS SECTION 4 - MEMORY TROUBLESHOOTING SECTION 5 - COMMON PROBLEMS SECTION 6 - SOUND ISSUES AND SOUND CARD SETTINGS SECTION 7 - KING'S QUEST VII BOOT DISK INSTRUCTIONS SECTION 8 - IF YOU STILL HAVE PROBLEMS... SECTION 1 - HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS REQUIRED 386SX 4MB RAM CD ROM drive 1MB hard drive space (compressed 2MB) MS-DOS 5.0 or higher VGA (256 colors) Mouse Windows 3.1 or higher (King's Quest VII runs in Windows ONLY) Sound Card with DAC RECOMMENDED FOR BEST PERFORMANCE 486DX 8MB RAM Double speed CD ROM or better SECTION 2 - INSTALLATION PROCEDURES Insert the CD into the appropriate drive. From Program Manager, click on File, then Run. In the Command Line field, type the letter of the drive followed by \SETUP. Ex: D:\SETUP. Click on TEST HARDWARE to perform the hardware checks to verify that your computer can run King's Quest VII. If you fail any of the tests, see Section 3, Common Installation Problems After performing the hardware tests, click on INSTALL to install King's Quest VII. 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 is incorrectly configured for Windows. See Section 6, Sound Issues and Sound Card Settings for information on setting up your sound card. Problem: Your computer fails the Display test; you get a message saying "Your video display supports 16 colors...". Solution: Sierra's Windows games require that Windows is running in 256 color mode. 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 Sierra'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, Windows will not display properly. If this occurs, change to your Windows directory, type: SETUP, and choose the "VGA" driver again. You should contact your video card manufacturer for the correct driver. Problem: Your computer fails the Memory test; you get a message stating you do not have enough memory to run King's Quest 7. Solution: First, create a King's Quest VII boot disk using the instructions at the end of this document. Reboot the system using the boot disk, then create a clean Windows environment. Make sure that there are no other Windows programs running. Disable all screen savers, virus scans, etc. If you are using an alternate Windows desktop (Norton Desktop, PC Tools, Dashboard, Packard Bell Navigator, Tabworks, etc.), use plain Program Manager instead. If you have sound-related Windows programs installed (IconHearIt, SoundBits, etc.), make sure they are disabled before starting the game. Also, turn off your Wallpaper in Desktop in Control Panel. Wallpaper can often take up a considerable amount of memory. These steps should give you enough memory to run the game. If they do not, please refer to Section 4, Memory Troubleshooting. Problem: Game installation halts and displays a STOP message with a path and filename. The only way out is to reboot the computer. Solution: Take careful note of the path and filename. Reboot the computer and change to the directory that the error message specified (for example, C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\WIN32S). In that directory, type ATTRIB -R *.* then go back into Windows and reinstall the game. Problem: King's Quest VII icon not created during game installation. Sierra group and other icons are created fine. Solution: This is usually caused by an alternate Windows desktop, like Norton Desktop, PC Tools or Tabworks. You must disable these desktops before installing the game. The easiest way to do this is to type PATH=C:\WINDOWS at the DOS prompt, then start Windows. This should start Windows with Program Manager as the desktop. When you are back in Windows, reinstall the game. The icons will be created normally. To restart Windows using your normal desktop, exit Windows and reboot the computer. The next time you go into Windows, the alternate desktop will display. PLEASE NOTE: King's Quest VII has not been tested under any alternate desktop environment, therefore Sierra cannot guarantee that the game will function properly under these desktops. SECTION 4 - MEMORY TROUBLESHOOTING Some game players have experienced difficulty getting enough memory to run King's Quest VII. This usually occurs on computer systems with 4 megabytes of RAM, but can happen on machines with more memory. If you are having trouble starting the game because of memory problems or are receiving memory-related errors during the game, here is a list of troubleshooting steps to try. Do Not Load WinG: Follow these steps to make sure WinG is not activated 1. Edit the RESOURCE.WIN file and make sure the following line appears: WING=FALSE If this line does not appear, or if the WinG line is set to a TRUE value, WinG will be loaded. This will take up 200K+ of memory and can cause memory problems. 2. Copy the file SIERRAW.EXE from the CD to the C:\SIERRA\KQ7 directory. 3. Access the King's Quest 7 icon properties by pressing ALT-ENTER when the KQ7 icon is highlighted. Change the Command Line to read: C:\SIERRA\KQ7\SIERRAW.EXE C:\SIERRA\KQ7\RESOURCE.WIN This line usually defaults to SIERRAWS.EXE; changing it to SIERRAW.EXE will force WIN-G not to load. Lower SCIMinK Value: Edit the RESOURCE.WIN file and lower the SCIMINK value to 1900. Do not lower this line below 1900; values lower than 1900 will cause problems during the game. NOTE - Lowering the SCIMINK to 1900 will force the CD drive to access more often, and will result in slightly slower game play, but may help solve memory problems. Check the Swap File: Establish a permanent swap file at about 6 MB. This will help free up memory. Do not set the swap file too high, 6-8 MB permanent should be enough. Follow these steps to access and change the Windows swap file. 1. Close all Windows applications. 2. Open the "Main" folder on your Windows desktop. 3. Double-click on the "Control Panel" icon. 4. Double-click on the "386 Enhanced" icon. 5. Click on the "Virtual Memory . . ." button. 6. Click on the "Change>>" button. 7. Type "6000" in the "New Size" selection box, under the "New Settings" heading. 8. Select "Permanent" from the "Type" pull down combination box, if it is available. If "Permanent" is not available, select "Temporary". 9. If "32-bit File Access" is checked, un-check it. This should remain turned off. If you have a "32-bit Disk Access" option, leave it checked. 10. Click the "OK" button. 11. Click the "Restart Now" button. Windows will restart and take you back to the main Windows desktop. Create a Boot Disk: Sierra has included a boot disk maker with King's Quest VII. The Boot Disk Creator is the last option available in the Setup program. You can run it manually by double-clicking on the boot disk creator icon in the SIERRA program group. In addition, instructions for creating a boot disk manually are included at the end of this troubleshooting guide. Disable SMARTDRV: King's Quest VII will often run faster with SMARTDRV disabled. Making a boot disk will disable SMARTDRV. Boot disk instructions for King's Quest VII are at the end of this document. Create a Clean Windows Environment: Make sure that there are no other Windows programs running. Disable all screen savers, virus scans, etc. If you are using an alternate Windows desktop (PC Tools, Dashboard, Packard Bell Navigator, Tabworks, etc.), use plain Program Manager instead. If you have sound-related Windows programs installed (IconHearIt, SoundBits, etc.), make sure they are disabled before starting the game. Also, turn off your Wallpaper in Desktop in Control Panel. Wallpaper can sometimes take up a considerable amount of memory. Turn Off 32-Bit File Accessing: Windows for Workgroups and Windows 3.11 include a setting for 32-bit File Access in the Virtual Memory settings. This should be turned off. If you are using Windows 3.1, you will see 32-bit Disk Access instead. Leave this on. Windows for Workgroups v3.11: Because of Windows for Workgroups' memory requirements, you may experience trouble getting enough memory for the game if you have only 4 MB of RAM. If you are using Windows for Workgroups, we highly recommend that you have at least 8 MB of RAM on your computer. Update Win32s: King's Quest VII uses WinG, Microsoft's video accelerator, to improve speed performance within the game. Microsoft has recently updated Win32s, a key element of the WinG drivers. Version 1.2 of Win32s may improve game performance and help eliminate random lockups, memory errors, or random reboots of the computer. You can download this latest version from the Microsoft BBS at (206) 936-6735. Download the file called PW1118.EXE from the Articles file area. The file is also available on CompuServe. Download the file WIN32S.ZIP from the PCEForum/Material location. SECTION 5 - COMMON GAME PROBLEMS Problem: When game starts, it displays a black screen or throws you out to DOS. This can also happen randomly during the game. Solution: First, make sure you have the latest version of the game. To find out what version of the program you have, check the label on the floppy disk that was included with the game. If it says "VER 1.1", you need the update. If the floppy says "VER 1.4" or you did not receive a floppy, you have the latest version and do not need the update. See the IMPORTANT NOTE on the first page of this document for information on obtaining the updated version. If you have the latest version, the problem you are experiencing is probably caused by a memory conflict. Running the game from the boot disk will usually correct this problem. Please see "Create a Boot Disk" and "Create a Clean Windows Environment" under Section 4, Memory Troubleshooting. In addition, the problem may be caused by outdated or incompatible video or sound card drivers. You should check with your video and sound card manufacturers to make sure you have the latest versions of their drivers. Problem: "General Protection Fault caused by GROWSTUB in POINTER.DLL" when game starts. Solution: This is caused by a Microsoft mouse driver version 9.01 GROWSTUB component. One of these three suggestions should correct the problem. 1. Remove POINTER.EXE from the load= line in the file WIN.INI and then restart Windows. 2. Download the file HD1061.EXE from the Microsoft BBS at (206) 936- 6735. This file is self-extracting. Run "HD1061" and follow the instructions in the newly created README.TXT file. 3. Upgrade to the Microsoft Mouse IntelliPoint software version 1.0. For information about obtaining this upgrade, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. Microsoft charges a fee for this upgrade. Problem: "General Protection Fault in Module ... " The module name will vary. Solution: A General Protection Fault (GPF) in a module other than POINTER.DLL is usually caused by a memory conflict. Make sure that there are no other Windows programs running. Disable all screen savers, virus scans, etc. If you are using an alternate Windows desktop (PC Tools, Dashboard, Packard Bell Navigator, Tabworks, etc.), use plain Program Manager instead. If you have sound-related Windows programs installed (IconHearIt, SoundBits, etc.), make sure they are disabled before starting the game. A Windows boot disk also helps with GPFs. Instructions for creating a boot disk are at the end of this document. GPFs can also be caused by outdated or incompatible sound or video drivers. If the above steps do not solve the GPF for you, contact your video and sound card manufacturers to obtain the latest versions of their Windows drivers. Problem: "EMM386 Error 06 ... " The error number may vary. Solution: This is caused by a memory conflict. Running the game from the boot disk will usually correct this problem. Please see "Create a Boot Disk" and "Create a Clean Windows Environment" under Section 4, Memory Troubleshooting. Problem: "Application Error: C:\SIERRAWS.EXE..." When attempting to run the game. Solution: This problem is usually caused by the IFSHLP.SYS driver. To get around this error, simply remove the IFSHLP.SYS driver. The easiest way to do this is to create a King's Quest VII boot disk. You can use the automatic boot disk maker (double-click on Boot Disk in the Sierra Group) or create one manually by using the boot disk instructions included at the end of this document. Problem: "The instruction at (memory address) referenced memory at (memory address). The memory could not be read from". Solution: This is called a "bad pointer". It happens if you don't have the latest SoundBlaster 16 drivers for Windows. Download the file SB16UP.EXE from the Creative Labs BBS at (405) 742-6660. This file is self-extracting. Run "SB16UP" and follow the instructions in the newly created README.TXT file. If you do not have a modem, you can contact Creative Labs at 405-742-6622 and request the latest SoundBlaster 16 Windows drivers. If you do not have a SoundBlaster 16 card, or are still receiving the error after updating the drivers, the message probably indicates a memory conflict. See Section 4, Memory Troubleshooting for information on resolving memory conflicts. Problem: Error message "Panic. Error 76 - invalid handle 45" at game's title screen. Solution: Your MIDI Mapper is probably set up incorrectly for the game. See Section 6, Sound Issues for information on configuring your MIDI Mapper. Problem: When starting the game, you get "EMM386 Error 6 - No XMS memory". Solution: Make a boot disk with the Boot Disk maker by double-clicking on the Boot Disk icon in the Sierra Group. Or you can create a boot disk manually by following the instructions at the end of this document. Problem: When starting the game, you get an error message "Cannot load Win32 because paging is not enabled". Solution: This is caused by a very small or nonexistent swap file. Create a 6 MEG permanent swap file. See "Check the Swap File" under Section 4, Memory Troubleshooting for complete instructions on changing the swap file settings. Problem: Game will not start and displays an error message indicating improper WIN32S installation. Solution: First, delete the directory C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\WIN32S. Make sure you ONLY delete the WIN32S directory. Do not delete the other directories! Then, at the C:\WINDOWS prompt, type REN W32SYS.DLL W32SYS.OLD to rename the WIN32S file. Reinstall the game. This should install WIN32S correctly on your system and prevent the error message from occurring when you restart the game. If this does not work, you will need to run the game without loading WinG. See "Do Not Load WinG" in Section 4, Memory Troubleshooting. Problem: You experience random lockups during the game, or your computer reboots during the middle of game play. Sometimes you receive memory errors or other problems when playing King's Quest VII. Solution: Update Win32s. King's Quest VII uses WinG, Microsoft's video accelerator, to improve speed performance within the game. Microsoft has recently updated Win32s, a key element of the WinG drivers. Version 1.2 of Win32s may improve game performance and help eliminate random lockups, memory errors, or random reboots of the computer. You can download this latest version from the Microsoft BBS at (206) 936-6735. Download the file called PW1118.EXE from the Articles file area. The file is also available on CompuServe. Download the file WIN32S.ZIP from the PCEForum/Material location. Problem: "Windows title not found" error when starting game, followed by "Cannot find SIERRA.ERR". Solution: These error messages are caused by a corrupted or incorrect RESOURCE.WIN file. The RESOURCE.WIN is a small text file that contains information about your computer. The game program looks at this file to determine where the game is installed and where to look for the game CD. If this file is missing information, you will get the above error messages. To correct this, edit the RESOURCE.WIN file (it's in the game directory!) and check that the first three lines look like this: [Windows] title=King's Quest VII titleBar=TRUE If these two lines are missing or show different information, add them or change them to match the ones above. Remember, they must be the first three lines in the file. Then, check that the last five lines look like this: resAud=D:\ resSfx=D:\ patchDir=C:\SIERRA\KQ7 movieDir=D:\AVI audio=C:\SIERRA\KQ7 These lines assume that King's Quest VII is installed to C: and that your CD ROM drive is D:. If your drive letters are different, make the appropriate substitutions. If these five lines are missing or show different information, add them or change them to match the ones above. You should also check that the King's Quest VII icon's properties indicate the correct working directory. To do this, click once on the King's Quest VII icon to highlight it. Then press ALT-ENTER to access the icon's properties. The command line should read: C:\SIERRA\KQ7\SIERRAWS.EXE C:\SIERRA\KQ7\RESOURCE.WIN The working directory should be your CD ROM drive, for example, D:\. If your CD ROM drive is another letter, substitute the appropriate letter. Click on OK when the working directory is correct. Problem: "I can't save my games!" Solution: The King's Quest VII save game feature is different than in previous King's Quests. Your game is saved automatically for you when you leave the program. In King's Quest VII, it is impossible to get "stuck" by missing something from earlier in the game. The program will not let you finish a chapter unless you have completed the minimum of puzzles necessary to continue. Remember there are several different ways to complete each chapter! Problem: King's Quest VII runs slowly on your computer. Solution: Make a boot disk with the Boot Disk maker by double-clicking on the Boot Disk icon in the Sierra Group. Or you can create a boot disk manually by following the instructions at the end of this document. In addition, with Windows for Workgroups and Windows 3.1.1, we recommend NOT using 32-bit file access (which can be changed in your Virtual Memory settings dialog box). Also, make sure you have a permanent swap file of 6-8 MEGS. See "Check the Swap File" under Section 4, Memory Troubleshooting for complete instructions on changing the swap file. You may also try updating Win32s. King's Quest VII uses WinG, Microsoft's video accelerator, to improve speed performance within the game. Microsoft has recently updated Win32s, a key element of the WinG drivers. Version 1.2 of Win32s may improve game performance and help eliminate random lockups, memory errors, or random reboots of the computer. You can download this latest version from the Microsoft BBS at (206) 936-6735. Download the file called PW1118.EXE from the Articles file area. The file is also available on CompuServe. Download the file WIN32S.ZIP from the PCEForum/Material location. Problem: "Error 111" in Chapter 1 when clicking the turquoise piece several times on the stone head. Solution: Don't do that! You only need to click the turquoise there one time. HINT: Make sure the turquoise piece is "complete"! Problem: "Error 108" in Chapter 3 when using the comb on the statuette. Solution: Don't do that! This is an action the programmers did not anticipate, so the game gives an error message when you try it. Just take the statue instead of using the comb on it. Problem: "Panic! Error 47 not an object " in Chapter 4. (Versions 1.1 and 1.4 only.) Solution: The floppy disk was not installed. The game program is looking for a file that is copied into the game directory when you install the floppy disk. Exit Windows, put the disk in the drive and change to the floppy drive prompt. Type INSTALL. Restart Windows and go back into the game. This should prevent the error from occurring. Problem: "955.snd not found" error message. Solution: You have version 1.1 of King's Quest VII and need to get the latest version. See the IMPORTANT NOTE at the beginning of this document for information on obtaining the new version. Problem: "Error 105: Attempt to load wrong type" or "Error 99: Error loading resource 10005". Error numbers may vary. Solution: This type of error is usually caused by corrupted program files or a bad installation of the game. To correct this, delete the game and run CHKDSK /F or SCANDISK to detect and correct any hard drive errors. Then, boot up with a King's Quest VII boot disk and reinstall the game in a clean Windows environment. Please see "Create a Boot Disk" and "Create a Clean Windows Environment" under Section 4, Memory Troubleshooting for complete steps. If you don't see your question listed in this document: Most difficulties with King's Quest 7, including lockups and Fatal or Panic errors can be resolved by simply running the game with a boot disk and in a clean Windows environment. Please see "Create a Boot Disk" and "Create a Clean Windows Environment" under Section 4, Memory Troubleshooting. Incompatible or outdated sound card and video drivers can also cause lockups and errors. You should make sure that you are using the latest versions of your sound card and video drivers. Contact your sound and video card manufacturers to obtain the latest drivers. SECTION 6 - SOUND CARD CONFIGURATION AND SOUND ISSUES The Soundblaster 16, Pro Audio Spectrum 16, and compatibles support "Extended FM" in Windows. SoundBlaster Pro, SoundBlaster 2.0 and compatibles, use "Base FM" in Windows. The Extended and Base FM settings are defined in the MIDI Mapper. If your MIDI Mapper is configured incorrectly, you may hear just music and no voice, or vice versa. The following MIDI Mapper instructions cover the most common types of sound card setups. If you are using a sound card that is not listed here, please consult your sound card documentation for the correct MIDI Mapper setup. Soundblaster 16, ProAudio Spectrum 16 and compatibles: Click on Main, then Control Panel and then on MIDI Mapper. If you have an option called Extended FM or something similar, choose it. Close MIDI Mapper and run King's Quest VII. If you don't have this option, you will need to make a new MIDI Mapper setup. From the MIDI Mapper screen, click on New. Enter a name such as "Extended FM" and then hit OK. You will be at a screen with four columns and 16 rows. Click on the word None in the 3rd column and the 1st row. Now click on the small arrow that appears on the right of this box. Choose the FM choice or Synthesizer choice. Do this for ports 1 through 9. Click on OK and close out the MIDI Mapper. The music and voices should now play correctly in King's Quest VII. For further information on the correct MIDI Mapper configuration for your sound card, please contact your sound card manufacturer. SoundBlaster Pro and compatibles: Click on Main, then Control Panel and then on MIDI Mapper. If you have an option called Basic FM or something similar, choose it. Close MIDI Mapper and run King's Quest VII. If you don't have a Basic FM option you will need to make a new setup. From the MIDI Mapper screen, click on New. Enter a name such as "Basic FM" and then hit OK. You will be at a screen with four columns and 16 rows. Click on the word None in the 3rd column and the 13th row. Now click on the small arrow that appears on the right of this box. Choose the FM choice or Synthesizer choice. Do this for ports 13, 14 , 15, and 16. Click on OK and close out the MIDI Mapper. The music and voices should now play correctly in King's Quest VII. For further information on the correct MIDI Mapper configuration for your sound card, please contact your sound card manufacturer. Problem: The speech breaks up or hesitates in King's Quest VII. Solution: Each speech sample or recording needs to be loaded into memory before it can be played. By reducing the buffer size, you will cause the CD to actually play the speech segments faster, because it does not have to fill a large buffer area. The buffer size is set in the C:\SIERRA\KQ7\RESOURCE.WIN text file. Edit this file and change the dacSize" line to dacSize =15360. 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. Note to Gravis UltraSound owners: If you have a Gravis UltraSound, you will need to run King's Quest VII without loading WinG. (See "Do Not Load WinG" in Section 4, Memory Troubleshooting). Then, you must have the game re-initialize the sound card. To do this, click on the Sierra Setup icon and run the hardware test for sound, then run the game. This will load the MIDI patches for you and you should get full sound within the game. Note to Mozart sound card owners: If you have a Mozart sound card, you will need to run King's Quest VII without loading WinG. (See "Do Not Load WinG" in Section 4, Memory Troubleshooting). Then, you must change your MIDI Mapper to use Mozart FM Synth. To do this, click on Main, then Control Panel and then on MIDI Mapper. The MIDI Mapper name will probably be set to Mozart MIDI Out, change it to Mozart FM Synth. If you do not have this FM Synth option, please contact your sound card manufacturer for help in setting up the correct MIDI Mapper. SECTION 8 - IF YOU STILL HAVE PROBLEMS... If you continue to experience any problems with King's Quest VII, or if you have any questions, our Technical Support Department will be more than happy to assist you. Please call (206) 644-4343 between 8:15 am and 4:45 PM Monday through Friday. We can also be reached by fax at (206) 644-7697, by BBS at (206) 644-0112, or by mail at the following address: Sierra On-Line P.O. Box 85006 Bellevue, WA 98015-8506 ATTN: TECHNICAL SUPPORT You can also reach our Technical Support Team on one of the following services: Sierra BBS (206) 644-0112 (settings 8, N, & 1, up to 38,400 baud) Compuserve Sierra: GAMAPUB (ID 76004,2143) Dynamix: GAMCPUB (ID 72662, 1174) America Online Keyword: SIERRA If you decide to email, write or fax, please be sure to include the following information: *CPU type (386, 486, etc.) *Type of graphics (VGA, SVGA, etc.) and brand of video card *DOS version (MS-DOS 6.2, MS-DOS 5.0, PC DOS 4.0, DR DOS 6.0, etc.). *Total RAM memory in your system (4MB, 8MB, etc.). *Whether or not you have tried using a boot disk. *Type of sound card (Pro Audio Spectrum, Sound Blaster, etc.) and the sound card settings. *Copies of your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS *Version of Windows Also, please let us know if are you using any of the following programs: *DoubleSpace, Stacker, DriveSpace, or any other disk compression program. *Alternate Windows desktops like Norton or PC Tools And finally, please state in detail the situation you are experiencing, including any error messages. Thanks! ******************************************************************* KING'S QUEST VII BOOT DISK INSTRUCTIONS for IBM Compatibles using Windows 3.1 or higher Revised 1/10/95 The following instructions have been prepared by Sierra's Technical Support Department as an added service to our customers. PLEASE NOTE: Sierra does not make any claims, guarantees, and/or promises that the following instructions will work on any and/or all computer systems. STEP 1 FORMATTING THE DISK PLEASE NOTE: It is necessary to format the disk even if the disk is already formatted. The /S switch will transfer files to the boot disk which are necessary for the disk to work correctly. To make a CD-ROM Boot Disk, format a high density diskette in the A: drive. (Use /F:360 or /F:720 parameter if using a low density diskette) For more information on using the FORMAT command, consult your DOS manual. Note: This will not work in the B: drive. Type the command as follows: FORMAT A:/S <ENTER> If after entering this command the system responds with a "Bad command or file name" error, then type: PATH=C:\DOS <ENTER> Now retype the FORMAT command above. If you still receive the same error, the MS DOS FORMAT command may not be on your system or it may have been renamed. Programs such as PC Tools and Norton Disk Utilities can rename the format command to prevent accidental loss of data. If you are using a program like this, check your documentation to find out how to format a SYSTEM DISK, then proceed to Step 2. STEP 2 LOCATING THE MSCDEX CD ROM EXTENSION MSCDEX is the Microsoft extension for CD ROM drives. It must be loaded in order for your CD ROM drive to operate. The following steps should assist you in locating this file on your system To locate MSCDEX, at the C:\> prompt, type: TYPE AUTOEXEC.BAT | MORE <ENTER> NOTE: The | is called a "pipe" command and is created by pressing <SHIFT> \ (backslash). Now look for the line which loads "MSCDEX". This line should look something like this: : C:\DOS\MSCDEX /D:MSCD001 LH C:\DOS\MSCDEX /D:MSCD001 LOADHIGH /L:14429 \DOS\MSCDEX /D:MSCD001 Your line may differ from the ones listed above. Write down the entire line following the drive letter. Be sure to include the full drive and path to your MSCDEX file. For example, any of the above lines should appear as follows: C:\DOS\MSCDEX /D:MSCD001 STEP 3 LOCATING THE CD ROM DEVICE DRIVER Along with MSCDEX, the CD ROM also needs a device driver. This driver is loaded in the CONFIG.SYS file. To determine the correct CD ROM device driver, at the C:\> prompt type: TYPE CONFIG.SYS | MORE <ENTER> NOTE: If you have a SCSI CD ROM drive, there may be an additional driver in your CONFIG.SYS that must be run for the CD ROM device drivers to load correctly. Check your CD ROM drive documentation for more information. Now look for the line that contains CD ROM device name which immediately follows the same "/D:" switch as the MSCDEX line in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Using the example above, we would be looking for a line containing "MSCD001". This line should look something like one of the following lines: DEVICE=C:\DRV\CDROMDRV.SYS /D:MSCD001 /P:220 DEVICEHIGH=C:\DRV\CDROMDRV.SYS /D:MSCD001 /P:220 DEVICEHIGH /L:14652 =C:\DRV\CDROMDRV.SYS /D:MSCD001 /P:220 Your line may differ from the ones listed above. Write down the entire line following the drive letter. Be sure to include the full drive and path to your CD ROM device driver. For example, any of the above lines should appear as follows: DEVICE=C:\DRV\CDROMDRV.SYS /D:MSCD001 /P:220 STEP 4 CREATING THE CONFIG.SYS FILE Now switch to the A: drive and type the following: COPY CON CONFIG.SYS <ENTER> (The cursor will drop down one line and blink) DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS <ENTER> FILES=15 <ENTER> BUFFERS=10 <ENTER> DOS=HIGH <ENTER> Now add the CD ROM driver line as you wrote it down in the "Locating the CD ROM device driver" section above. Complete the file by pressing the F6 Function key <ENTER> STEP 5 CREATING THE AUTOEXEC.BAT FILE Now create an AUTOEXEC.BAT file by typing: COPY CON AUTOEXEC.BAT <ENTER> (the cursor will drop down one line and blink) ECHO OFF <ENTER> SET COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM <ENTER> C: <ENTER> PROMPT SIERRA CD BOOT DISK $_$P$G <ENTER> PATH=C:\;C:\DOS;C:\WINDOWS; <ENTER> Add the MSCDEX line as you wrote it down in the "Locating the MSCDEX CD ROM extension" section listed above. Complete the file by pressing the F6 Function key <ENTER> STEP 6 REBOOT THE SYSTEM Reboot your system by depressing the <RESET> button on your computer or by using the <CTRL>, <ALT>, <DEL> key sequence on your keyboard. When you are at a C:\ prompt, type WIN /3 to start Windows.