Technical Tips for Windows 95 Last-Minute Information Classics Version - February 1998 This document will be easiest to read if you maximize it, and can be printed if you have a printer attached to your computer. Contents Using WordPad to View This Document What Is This Document? Warning! Some Common Questions and Answers » Memory Issues » Taskbar » Video / Colors » Sound Issues » Registering SimCopter with Electronic Arts How to Reach Maxis Customer Support Using WordPad to View This Document You can enlarge the WordPad window to its maximum size to make this document easier to read. To do so, click the Maximize button in the upper-right corner of the window. Or open the Control menu in the upper-left corner of the WordPad window (or press ALT+SPACEBAR), and then choose the Maximize command. To move through the document, press PAGE UP or PAGE DOWN. Or click the arrows at the top and bottom of the scroll bar along the right side of the WordPad window. To print the document, choose Print from the File menu. For Help on using WordPad, press F1. What Is This Document? This document is intended to be a source of technical information and tips to help you get your Windows 95-based Maxis product running. This document is NOT a substitute for the documentation about Windows 95, about your computer, or about your video or sound cards. You should use those other docs as your primary source of information and as the final authority on how Windows 95, your computer or your cards work. Warning! Some of the information in this document is very technical. Read it very carefully before you do anything to your computer. If you don't understand something, don't do it. You can cause bigger problems than you're trying to solve if you aren't experienced--and careful. With that in mind, read on! Some Common Questions and Answers What Are System Conflicts and What Can I Do About Them? Conflicts are rare, but they do occur. If you are using other programs in Windows 95 that load on startup, you may want to disable those programs to prevent potential conflicts and to free up additional memory and system resources. The most common potential conflicts come from screen savers. If you are using a screen saver other than the default Windows 95 screen saver, you may wish to disable it to prevent conflicts. Some virus protection programs may also cause conflicts. If you experience trouble running a Maxis product for Windows 95, try disabling virus protection programs. How Do I Disable or Check Open Applications? Your Taskbar will show you which applications are currently open and running. A clean (empty) Taskbar is the best way to run your Maxis program. To turn off an application using your Taskbar, click on the Taskbar item with your right mouse button, and select Close from the menu. How Can I Free Up Memory? One of the benefits of Windows 95 is that it manages memory on its own so you don't have to free up memory. If you have 8 MB (megabytes) of RAM memory physically installed in your system, for example, then Windows 95 will always keep that number at 8 MB, regardless of how many programs you turn on. There are some things, however, that you should know about Windows 95 memory management... Windows 95 relies on virtual memory to keep your memory at a specific amount while running applications. When you start an application, Windows 95 borrows a portion of hard-drive space as needed to emulate RAM in order to keep your free memory constant. This means that the more applications you open, the more hard-drive space Windows 95 will require. If your hard-drive is close to full with very little space free, then Windows 95 can't borrow any space for RAM, and you'll likely receive an error telling you there's not enough memory, or else program operation will become very slow. How Can I Remove the Taskbar? If the Taskbar interferes with the normal operation of the program, or if you want it removed for aesthetic reasons, you can hide the Taskbar out of view. 1. Click on the Start button. 2. Select Settings from the menu. 3. Select Taskbar from the next menu. 4. Click the Always on top option off, and the Auto hide option on. 5. Click on the OK button to accept the changes. To retrieve your taskbar, you must minimize or close your open application and return to the desktop. Move your mouse cursor to where your Taskbar used to be, and your Taskbar will now show itself. To undo the changes, follow the above procedure and reverse the settings in Step 4. How Can I Set My Computer for 256 Colors? Although this program will run in any resolution and color depth, best performance is achieved when running in 256 colors. To change or verify the color depth at which Windows 95 is running, access your Display control panel. 1. Click on the Start button. 2. Select Settings from the menu. 3. Select Control Panel from the next menu. 4. Double-click on the Display control panel. 5. Click on the Settings tab at the top of the window. Your color depth is shown in the middle of the window, on the left side. If the colors are not set to 256, then you may wish to click on the arrow next to the color selection and change the color depth to 256 colors. When done, click on the OK button and restart your computer when prompted. The computer must restart in order for new Display changes to take place. You will then restart in 256-color mode. Why Am I Not Hearing Any Sound? Your Maxis program comes complete with music and sound effects. You'll only hear sound if you have a sound card installed in your computer. If you know you have a sound card installed, but you still don't hear any music or sound effects, try the following: »»» If your sound speakers require power, make sure you've installed fresh batteries or have the power adapter plugged in properly. »»» If you're not hearing any sound with other applications either, chances are the problem isn't specific to your Maxis program. Follow the "How Can I Test My Sound System?" instructions below for further assistance. I'm Hearing Sound, But Why Is the Music 'Choppy' or Pausing? Running your Maxis program directly from the CD-ROM may cause your computer to pause occasionally while it is performing other internal tasks. CD-ROM drives operate much slower than your hard-drive. Sound (as well as video and speed) performance will improve by installing your Maxis program to the hard-drive, if that option is available. There are many different sound cards on the market today, and sound performance will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. How Can I Test My Sound System? Most Maxis programs utilize music (MIDI) and sound effects (Wave samples) for your enjoyment. If music or sound effects are not playing cleanly, or if you hear no sound at all, make sure your sound system is running properly on your computer. »»» First, check to see if your problem is solved by reading "Why Am I Not Hearing Any Sound?" and "I'm Hearing Sound, But Why Is the Music 'Choppy' or Pausing?" above. »»» Windows 95 uses a sound mixer control panel to set the volume of different sound devices, like music and Wave samples. Make sure that your volume levels are turned on and turned up. 1. Click on the Start button. 2. Select Programs from the menu. 3. Select Accessories and then Multimedia from the next menus. 4. Select Volume Control from the Multimedia menu. This will display your sound mixer control panel. Make sure all volume controls are about 3/4 of maximum, and that none of the Mute boxes are selected. Close the Volume Control control panel when done. Caution: Be aware that some speakers are amplified, and the sound may be much louder than anticipated. You may have to fine-tune the volume levels of your speakers (if applicable) or the sound mixer control panel to suit your taste. »»» Make sure your sound card's software is properly installed. Follow the sound card manufacturer's instructions to verify proper installation of the sound drivers in Windows 95. »»» You can verify the playback of MIDI and Wave sounds on your computer, using the Windows 95 Media Player utility. This will help determine if your computer is having a global problem playing sound, or if it's only with your Maxis product. If the problem is global, affecting all applications, then contact your computer vendor or sound card manufacturer. 1. Click on the Start button. 2. Select Programs from the menu. 3. Select Accessories and then Multimedia from the next menus. 4. Select Media Player from the Multimedia menu. Play a sample MIDI file to see if MIDI music is playing properly on your system. 1. Make sure Media Player is open. 2. Click on Device in the menu bar and select MIDI Sequencer. 3. Scroll to the end of the folders of the Open window, and double-click on the music file Canyon.mid. This will load the sample CANYON.MID MIDI file into Media Player. 4. Click on the "play" button (the triangle button on the bottom-left) to start playing CANYON.MID. You should see the position bar scrolling along as music plays through your speakers. Pressing the "stop" button (the square button next to the "play" button) will stop playing the file. If you hear music playing through your speakers, then MIDI is working on your system and the problem is likely specific to the Maxis program which you are running. » To verify that your system is playing Wave samples properly, follow the same procedure for MIDI music above, substituting Sound instead of MIDI Sequencer from the Device menu, and loading Chimes.wav instead of Canyon.mid from the Open box. Again, if you hear the sound through your speakers, then the problem is most likely specific to your Maxis program. Media Player Works Fine, But I'm Still Not Getting Sound! If you hear music and sound playing properly through your speakers while running Media Player, but do not hear any sound from your Maxis program, then make sure sound is turned on in the program (usually found in a Sound or Options menu.) If you still don't have music or sound effects, then the Maxis program may not be using MIDI or Wave samples, or still yet another issue to be addressed. First, check the Read-Me file (icon in the Goodies folder) for additional information. Or refer to the Quick Start Guide inside the box or CD-ROM jewel case of your Maxis product for more information about your problem or how to contact Maxis Customer Support for technical assistance. I'm Still Stuck! What Do I Do? If this document does not answer your question, and you've tried solving your problem through your vendor or manufacturer first, then you may want to contact Maxis Customer Support for technical assistance with your Maxis program. Electronic Registration Notes During the SimCopter installation process, you will be prompted to electronically register the product. Afterwards, the install skips the registration and takes you to the next phase of the installation. This is not a problem, however. You may still register via the internet, modem, fax or mail by simply clicking the 'REGISTER' button on the 'MAIN MENU'. This way you can register whether or not you install SimCopter on your hard drive. How to Reach Maxis Customer Support If you have questions about the program, our Technical Support Department can help. Our web site contains up-to-date information on the most common difficulties with our products, and this information is the same as that used by our product support technicians. We keep the product support pages updated on a daily basis, so please check here first for no-wait solutions: http://www.ea.com/techsupp If you are unable to find the information you need on our web site, please feel free to contact Technical Support via e-mail, phone, fax, or letter. All messages are responded to in kind-if you send in a request by fax, response will also come by fax. Please be sure to include the support utility's report in your e-mail message, fax, or letter: To run the support utility, click the Support button on the Autorun launcher then click the Support Utility button. If you need to talk to someone immediately, call us (650) 572-2810 Monday through Friday between 8:30-11:45 AM or 1:00-4:30 PM, Pacific Standard Time. EA Tech Support Fax: (650) 286-5080. Electronic Arts Technical Support P.O. Box 7578 San Mateo, CA 94403-7578 HOW TO REACH US ONLINE Internet e-mail: support@ea.com Warranty inquiries: cswarranty@ea.com World Wide Web: Access our Web Site at http://www.ea.com FTP: Access our FTP Site at ftp.ea.com If you live outside of the United States, you can contact one of our other offices. In Australia, contact: In the United Kingdom, contact: Electronic Arts Pty. Ltd. Electronic Arts Ltd. P.O. Box 432 P.O. Box 835 Southport Qld 4215, Australia Slough SL3 8XU, UK Phone (753) 546465. In Australia: For Technical Support and Game Hints and Tips, phone the EA HOTLINE: 1 902 261 600 (95 cents per min.) CTS 7 days a week 10 AM-8 PM. If you are under 18 years of age parental consent required. NOTICE Electronic Arts reserves the right to make improvements in the product described in this manual at any time and without notice. This manual and the software described in this manual are copyrighted. All rights are reserved. No part of this manual or the described software may be copied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form without the prior written consent of Electronic Arts, P.O. Box 7578, San Mateo, California 94403-7578, Attn: Customer Support.