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ImagiNation Network (INN) Common Problems & Solutions =========================== This following information was developed after the ImagiNation Network manual was printed. If you're having difficulty installing or running INN, please read this document carefully. CAN'T HEAR THE MODEM DIAL - ------------------------- If you can't hear the modem pick up the phone and dial, then INN is having trouble finding your modem. You may need to change the COM port setting for INN. To do this, go into the directory into which you installed the INN software, run the Install program, and choose "COM Port" from the menu and select a different check marked selection. NOT ENOUGH MEMORY - ----------------- If you get the message "Not Enough Memory..." before starting INN or during game play, you need to make a DOS Boot Disk. A Boot Disk will create an optimal setup for your computer to install and play INN. To make a INN Boot Disk run the program BOOTDISK.EXE from either the #1 diskette (if you haven't already installed the software) or from the directory into which you installed the INN software. After creating the Boot Disk, restart your computer with the Boot Disk still in the A: drive. INN GIVES AN ERROR #12 - ---------------------- Make sure you've chosen the modem brand that you have installed in your computer. You can re-run the Install program to check what brand modem you have installed and change it to the correct brand if necessary. For additional information on this problem, see the technical information on Error #12 below. SUFFERING FROM EXCESSIVE DISCONNECTIONS? - ---------------------------------------- If you are finding you are getting disconnected from the ImagiNation Network an excessive number of times, and specified 9600 baud as your communication speed in the Install program, try re-running the Install and change your communication speed setting to 2400 baud instead. More times than not, this will solve the problem. ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION ================================ NON-STANDARD IRQ AND COM PORT CONFIGURATIONS - -------------------------------------------- If you have a non-standard IRQ setting for your modem, run the Install program and change the COM Port setting by moving the highlight bar to the COM Port line, hit Enter, and choose "Non-standard..." at the bottom of the COM port list. Note: You will always be told that your system does not appear to support this choice. This is the nature of a non-standard system and should not be cause for alarm. You will then be prompted for the IRQ and I/O Address settings. If you are unsure as to what you need to select, just hit F1 for Help and you will be given information that should help you in determining the proper answers for these prompts. Remember, in most cases you cannot adversely affect your system in any way by making an incorrect selection, at worse you will simply have to re-run this process and indicate a different selection. MORE ABOUT COM PORTS - -------------------- If you have an internal modem, please examine the COM port settings of any previously installed Asynchronous Communications Adapters (ASYNC) or multi-function boards, as well as the COM port setting of the internal modem, to ensure there are no addressing conflicts. COM ports 1 and 3 share IRQ #4. COM ports 2 and 4 share IRQ #3. We recommend that if you have a mouse on COM 1 you should set your internal modem to COM 2. If another device in your computer conflicts with COM 2, try setting your modem to COM 4. Avoid using COM 3 if you have a serial mouse on COM 1. MORE ABOUT BOOT DISKS - --------------------- A Boot Disk will allow you to bypass your computer's normal configuration to create an optimal environment for installing and playing INN. To make a INN Boot Disk, run the BOOTDISK.EXE program from either Disk #1 (if you have not already installed INN) or from the directory into which INN is installed. After creating the Boot Disk, restart your computer with the Boot Disk in the A: drive. A Boot Disk will not alter your existing system configuration. Your computer is designed to recognize a Boot Disk in the A: drive as an alternate method of starting and configuring itself. You might think of the Boot Disk as your INN Startup Disk. It's the best method we have of ensuring that your memory configuration is set to best run INN. SOUND BLASTER - ADLIB - --------------------- Since INN uses mostly FM synthesis music, you can eliminate many Sound Blaster conflicts by simply choosing AdLib as your music device in the Install program. OF MICE & MODEMS - ---------------- If you have an internal modem and a serial mouse you must make sure that they aren't both using the same COM port. Your modem and mouse each need their own COM ports and IRQ interrupts. Setting both mouse and modem to the same COM port or interrupt may cause problems. Changing your modem to COM 2 or COM 4 (see your modem instruction manual for directions) should resolve most conflicts. AN ENEMY PLANE SHOT DOWN MY MOUSE - --------------------------------- Occasionally, on a few brands of computers, you might find that your mouse is misbehaving after a game of Red Baron. Perhaps every time you click on something, you get help instead of actually doing what you told your computer to do. What's happening is that your computer thinks you are pressing one of the shift keys. You can fix the problem by pressing and releasing the two shift keys (you don't have to press them at the same time. Just press and release each one). I CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE (Reconnect Failure) - ----------------------------------------------- When you move from one area to another on INN you actually change from one host machine to another. Although you can't see it, your software tells the network to disconnect you from your current host machine and connect you to another one. In order for the network to get the message to move you, it must receive a break signal from your modem. If your modem isn't configured properly, the break signal may not be passed through to the network properly. If this occurs you will see a "Reconnect failure" error message and INN will automatically re-dial the modem to re-establish your connection. Most often the solution is to add a command to the modem initialization string that changes the way break signals are handled. The Install program has a list of initialization strings for various makes and models of modems. Check for yours in the "Modem model" section of the program. If your modem is not listed, start by choosing "ImagiNation Network Default Settings". If that doesn't work with your modem, try one of the two "Generic" switchless modems. Some modems designed with Rockwell ROM chips have problems sending a break signal due to the design of the control chips. The two modems best known to exhibit this behavior are the Boca 14.4K internal Fax modem and the Gateway Telepath internal 14.4K Fax modem. Our programmers have designed an alternate modem driver that works around this hardware problem. While this replacement driver was designed specifically for the Boca and Gateway modems, other 14.4K internal fax modems that use a Rockwell chipset may benefit. You can choose this driver by selecting "Generic switchless (alternate)" in the "Modem model" section of the Install program. 9600 BPS V.32 Connections - ------------------------- In order for INN to successfully connect and reconnect you must disable MNP 5 error correction. Our modem initialization strings automatically disable MNP. If your modem isn't listed in our setup strings check your modem manual, or call your modem manufacturer, and insert the control codes to disable MNP 5 error correction. A FEW WORDS ABOUT VIRTUAL MEMORY - -------------------------------- With our ever-increasing variety and attention to detail, things just got a little big. So we needed more memory. Well, we looked really hard, and we found a couple of ways to get it. One way is what we call Virtual Memory (VM to its closest friends). If our software finds that your are running low on available conventional memory (less than 580K), it will attempt to use any available Extended memory (XMS) or Expanded memory (EMS) your computer may have. The Virtual Memory system requires a minimum of 311,296 bytes of XMS or EMS memory. It can use up to 1,048,576 bytes of XMS or EMS if available. Our Boot Disk Maker (BOOTDISK.EXE) will attempt to install an XMS manager if you have DOS 5.0 or higher. If you do not have enough available XMS or EMS memory, the Virtual Memory feature will use some of the space on your hard disk for temporary storage, in much the same way that Microsoft Windows (tm) uses its temporary swap files. This works as long as you have at least one megabyte of available space on your hard disk. But it has one drawback - it can seem slow at times. You'll know that VM is active because your cursor will look like a 3.5" diskette. VOLUME CONTROL ============== Have you heard the opening music for INN so many times that you're humming it in the shower? Have the neighbors called asking that you turn down the map music? Well, now you can either turn the music down, or turn it off altogether. To accomplish this you simply need to add the line LOGONVOL=0 to the LSCI.CFG file on your hard disk. This will shut the music off in the dialing screen and the map. If you wish to lower it, simply increase the number from 0. The maximum volume is 127. After you are done editing the LSCI.CFG file, run the INSTALL program and choose "Accept these choices and save configuration" without changing any of the values. From then on, the music and sound effects you hear when logging on will be turned off. SEASONS ======= INN has seasonal maps! If at any time you would like to restore the original INN main map, you may add the following line to the LSCI.CFG file in your INN directory: SEASONS=OFF To turn seasons back on, either remove that line or replace the word OFF with ON. To force INN to show a particular season, replace the word OFF or ON with WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER, or FALL. Make sure to run the INSTALL program after making any changes. When you see the main menu of the INSTALL program, select "Accept these choices and save configuration" to save the new settings. This will compleate and save the changes you made. Otherwise you may notice that when you go from land to land the map screen changes. Unless you have specified a particular season, the seasons are dependent on your computer's internal clock setting. If your computers' internal clock is wrong, the seasons will not change correctly. ERROR MESSAGES AND THEIR MEANINGS ================================= ERROR #1 - -------- The connection to INN has been lost. Check to make sure that someone else in your household isn't attempting to log on to INN using the same Member number. If two people log on at the same time using the same number they will both be dropped. ERROR #8 - -------- The system that lets you reach out and touch INN is busy at the phone number you chose during the installation process. If you wait a few minutes and try connecting again, you should be able to get through. If the number nearest you is busy on a regular basis, please call 1-800-462-4461 (between 8:00 am and 10:00 pm PST, seven days a week) and report the busy phone number. In the interim you can try calling another nearby access node, but YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY TOLL OR LONG-DISTANCE CHARGES. Run the Install program from the directory into which you installed INN, choose "Access Phone #", and press F1 for a list of local access numbers. ERROR #9 - -------- First, double-check the Network access number you chose for INN to call. Make sure you've selected an access number from the list in the INSTALL program. If you cannot hear your modem pick up the phone and dial, the "COM Port" setting in the Install program may be incorrect. Check which COM port your modem is using, re-run Install and choose that COM port. Also, check to make sure your phone line is plugged into the modem. If you have an internal modem, and if you can hear the modem go off hook, dial, and connect, but you still get Error #9, try changing the COM port the modem uses. If your modem is set to COM 2 or COM 3 try changing to COM 4. Check your modem manual for the proper switch settings or jumper positions to change the COM port on the modem. ERROR #10 - --------- Verify the network access number by running the INSTALL program. If you have selected a valid network access number, then the system that lets you reach out and touch INN may be experiencing network trouble. If the problem persists for more than a few minutes, call 1-800-462-4461 (between 8:00 am and 10:00 pm PST, seven days a week) and report the problem, including the number you are calling, so that we can get it fixed. In the interim you can try calling another nearby access node, but YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY TOLL OR LONG-DISTANCE CHARGES. Run the Install program in the directory into which you installed INN directory, choose "Access Phone #", and press F1 for a list of local access numbers. ERROR #12 - --------- Your modem initialization string may need modification. INN works best if MNP 5 error correction is disabled. If your modem is not on the list of modem models in the Install program and the default choice gives you this error, check your modem manual for the initialization command that disables MNP error correction. While advanced modem commands vary, often this command is AT&Q0 or AT\N0. If you are unable to find the commands to disable MNP error correction please call INN Tech Support at 1-800-462-4461 between 8:00 am and 10:00 pm PST, seven days a week. ERROR #13 - --------- The system that lets you reach out and touch INN may be experiencing network trouble. If the problem persists for more than a few minutes, please call 1-800-462-4461 (between 8:00 am and 10:00 pm PST, seven days a week) and report the problem, including the number you are calling, so that we can get it fixed. In the interim you can try calling another nearby access node, but YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY TOLL OR LONG-DISTANCE CHARGES. Run the Install program in the directory into which you installed INN and press F1 in the access number screen for a list of local access numbers. ERROR #21 - --------- Reconnection Failure can be caused by two conditions. First, check your modem initialization line to make sure that the modem init string disables MNP error correction. Second, if your modem has the Rockwell ROM chips you may need to use the alternate modem driver. If you are receiving this error and your modem does not appear on the modem model list in the Install program, please call 1-800-462-4461 (between 8:00 am and 10:00 pm PST, seven days a week). ERROR #999 - ---------- This indicates that you have encountered an unknown problem and the system was unable to determine what went wrong. This error message indicates that something unusual that the software cannot identify occurred on your system. Check your system configuration for COM port conflicts and available memory. If you have an external modem your serial cable may be defective. Try switching serial cables and see if the problem persists. If you continue to get this error please call 1-800-462-4461 (between 8:00 am and 10:00 pm PST, seven days a week). UNABLE TO LOAD VIDEO DRIVER - --------------------------- This indicates that the LSCI.CFG file in the directory into which you have installed the INN software has been damaged. To fix this run the Install program, make sure the Video option is set correctly, and choose "Accept these choices". This will re-write the LSCI.CFG file for the INN software. INN TECHNICAL SUPPORT ===================== If you experience problems installing or operating INN, or if you have any questions concerning any of the above steps, our Technical Support team will be happy to assist you. CONTACTING INN TECHNICAL SUPPORT - -------------------------------- Please call 1-800-462-4461 between 8:00 am and 10:00 pm PST, seven days a week. You can also reach us on INN at mailbox #950, by fax at (209) 642-0885, by TTY/TDD (for the hearing impaired) at (209) 658-7977, or by mail at the following address: The ImagiNation Network P.O. BOX 1550 Oakhurst, CA 93644 ATTN: Technical Support BEFORE YOU CALL - --------------- To help us provide the best service possible please be in front of your computer when you call and have the following information ready: What is your member number or Mailbox number? Modem brand name and type (internal or external)? What COM port is the modem is set to? Do you have a Serial or Bus mouse? Are you getting an Error message? What network access phone number did you choose for the program to call?