Sierra Technical Support PO Box 85006 Bellevue, WA 98015-8506 Phone: (206) 644-4343 Fax: (206) 644-7697 America Online: Keyword SIERRA Compuserve: Go SIERRA Email: support@sierra.com WWW: http://www.sierra.com Leisure Suit Larry 7: Love for Sail Troubleshooting Guide for PC's using DOS 5.0 or higher, Windows 95, or Win 3.x Revised 11/27/96 Sierra Technical Support provides this documentation as a reference to Sierra customers using Sierra software products. Sierra Technical Support makes reasonable efforts to ensure that the information contained in this documentation is accurate. However, Sierra makes no warranty, either express or implied, as to the accuracy, effectiveness, or completeness of the information contained in this documentation. SIERRA ON-LINE, INC. DOES NOT WARRANTY OR PROMISE THAT THE INFORMATION HEREIN WILL WORK WITH ANY OR ALL COMPUTER SYSTEMS. SIERRA DOES NOT ASSUME ANY LIABILITY, EITHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL, FOR THE USE OF THE INFORMATION HEREIN, INCLUDING ANY AND ALL DAMAGE TO OR LOST USE OF COMPUTER HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE PRODUCTS, LOSS OF WARRANTIES, OR LOST DATA BY THE CUSTOMER OR ANY THIRD PARTY. NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR ADVICE GIVEN BY SIERRA, ITS EMPLOYEES, DISTRIBUTORS, DEALER OR AGENTS SHALL CHANGE THE RESTRICTION OF LIABILITY OR CREATE ANY NEW WARRANTIES. IN NO CASE SHALL SIERRA'S LIABILITY EXCEED THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE SIERRA SOFTWARE PRODUCT. TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1 - HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS SECTION 2 - INSTALLATION PROCEDURES SECTION 3 - COMMON INSTALLATION PROBLEMS SECTION 4 - COMMON GAME PROBLEMS SECTION 5 - RUNNING THE GAME IN WINDOWS 95 SECTION 6 - SOUND CARD CONFIGURATION AND SOUND ISSUES SECTION 7 - OBTAINING A PATCH FROM SIERRA SECTION 8 - BOOT DISK INSTRUCTIONS FOR DOS AND WINDOWS 3.1 SECTION 9 - SYSTEM DISK INSTRUCTIONS FOR WINDOWS 95 SECTION 10 - IF YOU STILL HAVE PROBLEMS SECTION 1 - HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS REQUIRED: 486DX2/66, mouse 12 MB RAM for Windows 95, 3.x 8MB RAM for DOS (MS-DOS 5.0+) 2X CD-ROM drive 22 MB Hard Drive Space for install (minimum) SVGA (640 x 480 x 256 colors) 100% SoundBlaster Compatible sound card with DAC RECOMMENDED FOR BEST PERFORMANCE: Pentium 16 MB RAM 4X SPEED CD-ROM Drive 30 MB Hard Drive Space SECTION 2 - INSTALLATION PROCEDURES DOS: Insert the CD and switch to the CD drive by typing the drive letter followed by a colon. Example: D:[ENTER]. Then type INSTALL [ENTER] to begin the installation program. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation. WINDOWS 3.1: 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. Example: D:\SETUP. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation. WINDOWS 95: Insert the CD and wait for the Leisure Suit Larry window to appear. Click on Install. If you do not have Autorun enabled, insert the CD into the appropriate drive. Click on the Start Button, then Run. In the Open field, type the letter of the drive followed by \SETUP. Example: D:\SETUP. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation. SECTION 3 - COMMON INSTALLATION PROBLEMS DOS AND WINDOWS: Problem: During installation you receive the error "DISK ERROR / READ ERROR" or "NOT READY READING DRIVE X" (Where X is the drive you are installing from). Solution: The first step is to make sure that the CD is clean. If it appears clean you may need to update your drivers. CD-ROM drivers are provided by the hardware manufacturer. If you have tried both of these steps and you are still receiving the error, this usually indicates a bad CD. If you have had the product less than 90 days, Sierra will replace your CD for free. Send Disk #1 with a copy of a dated receipt and a letter requesting disk replacement. Be sure to include your full name, mailing address and a phone number. If you have had the product over 90 days you will need to include a check or money order for $10.00. The address is: Sierra On-Line Fulfillment, PO Box 485, Coarsegold, CA 93614-0485. DOS ONLY: Problem: After typing INSTALL, a row of dots goes across the screen and stops. The computer is locked up with this row of dots appearing on the screen. Solution: The dots indicate the hardware detection portion of the installation program. You can bypass the hardware detection (and therefore the lockup) by typing INSTALL /M. If this entry doesn't work, try INSTALL /F. One of these entries should get you past the lockup. If these alternate INSTALL commands do not correct the problem, create a boot disk using the boot disk instructions in Section 6 and install the game under the boot disk environment. WINDOWS ONLY: Problem: You receive an error message stating, "Your current display driver is not supported by this game." Solution: Sierra's Windows games require that Windows is running in at least 256 color mode. Running Windows in less or colors will cause this error message. The following instructions should help you change your Windows video resolution to 256 colors: Windows 3.1: Double-click on Windows Setup in the Main program group. If the Display line reads "64,000", "32 million", "Hicolor (16bit)", "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. 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 or for additional help changing the Video Driver. Windows 95: Click on the Start button, select Settings, then Control Panel. Double-click the Display icon. You will see four tabs: Background, Screen Saver, Appearance, and Settings. Click on Settings. In the box under Color Palette, it should say 256 Color. If it does not, click on the down arrow next to the window to view a list of choices, and select the one that says 256 Color. Restart Windows when prompted to do so. If you have any trouble running Windows 95 in 256 color mode, please contact your video card manufacturer for assistance. SECTION 4 - COMMON GAME PROBLEMS Unless otherwise stated, the following issues can occur in both the DOS and Windows version. Problem: In the Windows version, you experience a possible lockup with the wait cursor showing, when Larry has flatulence near the casino table. Solution: Run Windows NOTEPAD and open the file C:\SIERRA\RESOURCE.WIN. (This is the default directory. If you installed the game to a different directory, you will find the RESOURCE.WIN file in that directory.) In the file, Look for the line that reads: leadsubmits=4. Change the number 4 to a 6. You can also try the number 8, but it may cause other audio breakups later on in the game. Once you've made the change, save the file, exit, and then try the game. If this doesn’t completely fix the problem, try eating the bean dip exactly 3 times, and then let Larry commit his flatulence. Eating the bean dip 3 times produces a different sound effect which should work fine. Problem: In the DOS version, the game crashes back to DOS if you type anything longer than 20 letters such as "Victorian Principles" in the "Other" window while talking to Victorian Principles. Solution: Don't do that! There is no need to type "Victorian Principles" or anything longer than 20 letters anywhere in the game. Problem: In the manual under the Be A Star, CyberVOX 2000 section, it states to open the file named VOICE.TXT under the Larry 7 directory to access the script for the voice-overs. Solution: The correct file to use is BEASTAR.DOC, for Windows 95, or BEASTAR.WRI for Windows 3.x. These files can be found on the CD ROM. NOTE: Some features are for Windows 95 only and are explained in the documentation. Problem: Can't get the Larry wallpaper to show up on your desktop. Solution: This feature works in Windows 95 only. To activate the wallpaper, Click START, SETTINGS, CONTROL PANEL, then double-click the DISPLAY icon. In the Wallpaper box, click on BROWSE. In the File Name box, type the letter of your hard drive followed by a colon and backslash and the path to the wallpaper file. For example, if C: is your hard drive and the game is installed to its normal default directory, you would type: C:\SIERRA\LSL7\WALLPAPR.BMP. Click on OKAY and then APPLY and your wallpaper will now be set to the Larry wallpaper feature. This will automatically update each time you perform certain tasks within the game. When the game indicates that your wallpaper has been updated, you will not see the change until your system has been restarted. Problem: LSL7 has prompted you that the wallpaper has been updated, but nothing has changed. Solution: See above. The system must be restarted before Windows 95 makes the change. Problem: When you attempt to run the game, you receive an error message indicating insufficient memory. Solution: Make sure you meet the system requirements for physical memory. DOS requires 8 megs of RAM and Windows and Windows 95 require 12 megs. Create a boot disk using the instructions in Section 8 or 9 and run the game under the boot disk environment. This should free up enough memory to run the game. SECTION 5 - RUNNING "Love For Sail" IN WINDOWS 95 The following basic troubleshooting steps should help you resolve problems such as memory errors, crashes, lockups and illegal instructions errors (GPFs): Step 1 - Run the program from a Windows 95 system disk. Memory conflicts are a common cause of problems with DOS games in the Windows '95 environment. Creating a system disk will free up more system resources and memory for your games. The system disk also creates an environment that is "cleaner" or free of extra TSR and utilities that can sometimes cause conflicts. Detailed boot disk instructions are included in Section 8 of this document. Please see SECTION 9 for instructions on creating a system disk. Step 2 - Check for corrupted files and hard drive errors. Windows 95 contains a program called Scandisk that will check your hard drive for errors. To run Scandisk, click on Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools and choose Scandisk from the list. If Scandisk finds any errors on the hard drive, fix them, then delete your game and reinstall it. Step 3 - Reinstall the game in a clean boot environment. Lockups and other technical problems can be caused by corrupted game files. No program will run correctly if the data or executable files are corrupted. These corruptions will occur during the installation of the game and are usually due to conflicts with TSRs or other utilities running during the game installation. You should install the game in a "clean" boot environment. See Section 9 for complete instructions on creating a boot disk. Step 4 - Create a clean Windows environment. Make sure that all screen savers, virus scans, and sound-related Windows programs (IconHear It, Wired for Sound, etc.) are disabled before starting the game. You should also check to make sure that you have virtual memory enabled. You can check this by clicking on Start, Settings, Control Panel, System, Performance, Virtual Memory. Make sure that "Let Windows manage my virtual memory settings" is checked. Step 5 - Check your sound card drivers. Windows '95 ships with many sound card drivers, however, there are many sound cards are not directly supported. When a sound card is not directly supported by Windows '95, the game may lock up or crash. Check with your sound card manufacturer to see if they have Windows '95 drivers. If no Windows '95 drivers are available, running the game in MS-DOS mode may correct the problem. Step 6 - Check your CD-ROM drivers. Windows '95 ships with the most common CD ROM drivers, however, there are some CD ROM drives that Windows '95 does not support directly. If you are having trouble reading CD's, check with your CD ROM drive manufacturer to find out what lines need to appear in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT and for driver updates. Check your system to be sure that Windows 95 is properly set-up for your CD ROM. Right click on My Computer and choose PROPERTIES to see the System Properties window. Next, click on the PERFORMANCE tab, and then FILE SYSTEM and finally CD ROM. Make sure that the Optimize Access Pattern box is set for the speed of your CD ROM drive. It may also help to set the Supplemental Cache Size to the halfway mark. Restart your system and try again. Step 7 - Run the game in MS-DOS mode. If you have Windows 95 but are running the DOS version of the game, restart the computer in MS-DOS mode by selecting Start, Shut Down, Restart in MS-DOS mode. Then follow the instructions in the manual for the DOS installation. Many DOS games will run better in this environment. SECTION 6 - SOUND CARD CONFIGURATION AND SOUND ISSUES DOS SOUND CARD CONFIGURATION: In DOS, the best sound card settings for a SoundBlaster compatible card are I/O 220, DMA 1 and IRQ 5 or 7. If you're using a Pro Audio card, the best settings are I/O 220, DMA 3 and IRQ 5 for the Pro Audio portion of the card, set the SoundBlaster portion of the card to DMA 1 and IRQ 7. Make sure that the SoundBlaster and Pro Audio portions DO NOT share the same DMA! Settings outside these parameters can cause lockups and/or choppy, repeating or garbled speech. Most sound cards have test utilities that will tell you what settings you are using. Check your sound card documentation for more information. DOS SOUND ISSUES: Problem: Choppy, repeating or garbled speech. Solution: This is caused by non-standard sound card settings or a conflict between the sound card and another piece of hardware on your computer. See "DOS Sound Card Configuration" above for supported settings and refer to your sound card documentation for information on resolving hardware conflicts. WINDOWS 95 SOUND ISSUES: Problem: No sound or music. Solution: This may be caused by incorrect sound card driver selection, outdated or incompatible sound card drivers. For more information on troubleshooting sound issues in Windows '95 you can download SOUNDW95.TXT from our web page or on-line services, or contact your sound card manufacturer for driver updates. SECTION 7 - OBTAINING A PATCH FROM SIERRA There is one patch for Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail, named LSL7PAT.EXE. The fastest way to obtain a patch disk is to download it from one of the following on-line services: Sierra On-Line's Web site (http://www.sierra.com), CompuServe (GO SIERRA) or America OnLine (KEYWORD SIERRA). You can also request a patch disk be mailed to you by calling Sierra Technical Support at 206-644-4343, faxing to 206-644-7697 or writing to Sierra Technical Support, PO Box 85006, Belleuve, WA 98015-8506. SECTION 8 - BOOT DISK INSTRUCTIONS FOR DOS OR WINDOWS 3.1 IMORTANT NOTE: Please read the entire instructions prior to starting at Step 1. If you are playing in Windows 3.1x, skip Step 2. STEP 1 FORMATTING THE DISK To make a boot disk, you must "system" format a high density diskette in the A: drive. This procedure will transfer the "system files" to the disk and allow the computer to boot up correctly. The diskette must be in the A: drive; the computer will not boot from the B: drive. At a DOS prompt, type the FORMAT command as follows: FORMAT A: /S If you get a "Bad command or file name" error message, type: PATH=C:\DOS Then retype the FORMAT command above. If you receive the error again, the MS-