LODE RUNNER TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: DOS floppy disk (3.5") version: Requirements 386SX/20 2MB RAM (3MB required for color) Conventional: 550K Expanded: 1MB (2MB required for color) Hard Drive To Install: 15MB(Compressed 30MB) To Play: 12.1MB(Compressed 24.5MB) MS-DOS 5.0 or higher Mouse VGA Recommendations 486 4MB Expanded: 2MB SVGA Windows floppy disk version: Requirements 386SX/25 4MB RAM Extended: 2MB Swap File: 4096K Hard Drive To Install: 12MB (Compressed 24MB) To Play: 12MB (Compressed 24MB) MS DOS 5.0 or higher Windows 3.1 VGA Recommended 486 4MB RAM Extended: 2300K Video: 256 color Windows CD ROM version: Requirements 486SX/25 4MB RAM Extended: 2300K Swap File: 4096K Hard Drive To Install: Full Install: 16.5MB (Compressed 33MB) Small Install: .7MB (Compressed 1.4MB) To Play: Same as to install MS DOS 5.0 or higher Windows 3.1 VGA Recommended Same as above INSTALLING THE GAME Installation Procedures: DOS: Insert disk 1 and switch to the floppy disk prompt by typing X: (where X=drive letter) and pressing enter. The type INSTALL and enter to begin installation. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation. WINDOWS: Insert disk 1 or the CD into the appropriate drive. From Program Manager, click on File, the 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. COMMON INSTALLATION PROBLEMS DOS: Problem: After typing INSTALL, a row of dots goes across the screen and stops. The computer is then locked-up, with the row of dots on screen. Solution: The dots indicate the hardware detection portion of the installation program. You can bypass this section (and therefore the lock- up) by typing INSTALL/M. If this does not work, try INSTALL/F. One of these entries should get you past the lock-up. Problem: Error message reading; DATA ERROR READING DRIVE (A, B, C or D). Solution: This is probably a faulty disk, and should be returned for replacement. SOUND PROBLEMS DOS sound problems: Problem: No music or speech. Solution: Type SETSOUND from the directory of Sierra\Loderunn. Select the sound card drivers manually, do not use the autodetect. Make sure the DMA, IRQ and Port Address settings agree with your sound card. Problem: Can't hear sound with PC speaker during sound test, game pauses. Solution: If you do not have a sound card or have an incompatible sound card, you can choose PC speaker during the installation, or later by using the SETSOUND feature. If you choose "IBM internal speaker- background" and "IBM internal speaker-foreground," your PC may pause for a while whenever it makes a sound. If you select "IBM internal speaker" there will be no pause. After selecting "IBM internal speaker" the program will ask if you hear music. You won't, but choose Y for "yes, I hear music" anyway. You can then complete the installation. Problem: Game Runs Extremely Slow Solution: Run SETSOUND and manually select the driver, IRQ, and DMA settings. They must match the correct settings of the sound card. Windows sound problems: Problem: Crashes in the Teleporter Puzzles: On some systems with version 1.0 of Lode runner the game may crash when too many sounds are playing at once in one of the Teleporter puzzles. This is most likely in puzzles #140 and #144. Solution: If this occurs, you can simply turn off the sounds while playing these puzzles. Problem: No music, or no speech. Solution: Windows games such as Lode Runner use Windows built-in sound set up. There are no adjustments that can be made to the game. To check your Windows set up, click on Main, click on Control Panel, then click on Drivers. Make sure the midi and wave drivers for your brand of sound card are there, as well as Timer, Midi Mapper, MCI Sound and MCI Midi Sequencer. If any are missing, refer to your Windows manual and install them. Exit from Drivers and click on Midi Mapper. Click on edit, and check the Port Name column. There should be an FM driver of some type loaded into channels 13-16. If not, contact the manufacturer of your sound card for assistance. Problem: No Music, Lode Runner CD only. Solution: Lode Runner CD uses CD audio for music. To play CD audio, there must be a proper connection between the CD ROM drive and the sound card. To check your hardware, plug a set of headphones or powered speakers to the headphone jack on the front of the CD ROM drive. If you hear music through this jack, but not through your sound card, then your hardware is not set up for CD audio. Contact your sound card's manufacturer for information concerning this hook-up. COMMON DOS PROBLEMS Problem: Black and White Graphics. Solution: If you experience black and white graphics in the MS-DOS version of Lode Runner, you are either not loading VESA support for your video card or you have not allocated 2 MB of expanded (EMS) memory. Create a boot disk to solve the EMS problem. If the problem persists, load an appropriate VESA support program. Problem: Graphics Distortion. Solution: When exploding a bomb near the edge of the screen, sometimes a "piece" of the border goes with it and remains gone. This does not cause any problem in the game. Problem: Joystick response is erratic. Solution: You can calibrate the joystick in Lode runner by clicking the upper left corner of the joystick icon in the game's "control panel" (the icon represented by a check mark). Erratic joystick behavior can also be caused by having two separate joystick ports active at the same time. Disable any extra ports. Single cards with dual ports should pose no problem. If the game does not recognize the joystick port, or the joystick is erratic, the problem may be that the joystick port is unable to support the joystick properly. Joystick ports built onto the motherboard or sound card are often very slow (8 MHz) and unable to comply with the polling requests of advanced games on fast computers. Installing a dedicated game card with adjustable speed will solve the problem. Problem: Unable to Get Past Level 24. Solution: The exit never appears on level 24, preventing you from completing the level. The exit on this level is accessed only after finding the hidden gold. The player must dig or bomb until the hidden gold is found. COMMON WINDOWS PROBLEMS Problem: Application Error. Solution: If you restore your game after losing your last man, you may get an APPLICATION ERROR. If this occurs, apply the patch LRWIN. Problem: Can't Restore Games Saved in Version 1.0 in Version 1.2. Solution: After applying the patch LRWIN games saved in the original version of Lode Runner will not work. This does not effect games started and saved after patching the program. If you wish to finish a game begun under V. 1.0 you can use the following work-around: 1) Boot up the game. At the main menu, click on the dark dot in the upper left hand corner of the border. 2) Type cthulhu. 3) You should hear a clang if you have the sound enabled. 4) Begin the saved game (ideally before a missed mini-flick). 5) Go to the pull-down cheat menu and select "add a life to player 1." 6) Save the game 7) Quit Lode Runner 8) Restart Lode Runner 9) Begin the saved game. It should now be playable in Version 1.2. Problem: Divide Overflow/Divide by Zero. Solution: If you experience either error message, apply the patch LRWIN. Problem: GPF in module LOAD.EXE. Solution: This is usually a problem with the display driver in Windows. Try changing drivers. In some cases changing from a small font to a large font driver may help. Problem: Lockup with Blank Screen. Solution: This is usually a problem with the display driver in Windows. If the current display driver is a small fonts driver, try changing to a large fonts driver. COMMON WINDOWS CD PROBLEMS Problem: Game Freezes For a Second, Then Continues. Solution: This game uses RedBook audio. Because of CD seek times, there is a delay when the music loops, or when a new song is starting. This is normal. Disabling the music will eliminate the pausing. Problem: Not Enough Memory to Run Lode Runner Solution: Lode Runner requires at least 4000 KB , in a combination of physical and virtual memory. If there is less than 2300 KB XMS memory in 256 color mode, make a windows boot disk. In 16 color mode the game actually requires more memory, at least 2800 KB of free XMS. Make sure there is also a large enough permanent swap file. With 4 MB of RAM, a 4 MB swap file is adequate. Problem: Error: Unable to Load Game, Make Sure the CD is in the Drive and the MCI CD AUDIO Driver is Present. Solution: Lode Runner uses CD audio for music, and requires an MCI CD AUDIO driver. Check your installed drivers in the drivers icon in control panel to be sure this is present. Problem: Win 32 error; Unable to Install Win 32 Because Paging is not Enabled. Solution: On all versions of Windows, make sure you have a swap file set up in virtual memory. This is located in control panel, under 386 enhanced. Problem: Other Win 32 errors. Solution: If you have Windows 3.11, disable 32 bit file access. If you have Windows 3.1 or disabling 32 bit file access does not work, edit the LODERUNN.INI file in the Windows directory. Change the following two lines to read like this: DibBlit=GDI WinGFound=1 This will disable WinG. BOOT DISK INSTRUCTIONS FOR DOS for IBM compatibles using MS-DOS 5.0 or above revised 12/2/94 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. IMPORTANT NOTE: Please read the entire instructions prior to starting at Step 1. You can skip Steps 3 and 4 if you are not playing a CD game. 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 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 If after entering this command the system responds with a "Bad command or file name" error, then type: PATH=C:\DOS 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 MOUSE DRIVERS If you are going to use a mouse in your game, you will need to load it with the boot disk. To do this, locate the mouse driver and copy it to the boot disk in your A: drive. There are two types of mouse drivers available, MOUSE.SYS, which must be loaded in the CONFIG.SYS file and MOUSE.COM (MOUSE.EXE on some systems) which must be loaded in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. You do not need to load both MOUSE.SYS and MOUSE.COM. Locate the MOUSE.SYS or MOUSE.COM file. Because the file MOUSE.SYS is usually smaller than MOUSE.COM we recommend that the MOUSE.SYS file be used in order to free more memory. a) Locating the mouse drivers: If you do not know where the MOUSE.SYS or MOUSE.COM files are located on your system, the command below should help in locating your mouse drivers. For users of MS DOS 5.0 or above, type the following at the C:\> prompt. DIR \MOUSE* /S This command will cause the system to search all sub directories for a file called MOUSE. If the system locates a file called MOUSE, it will display the path where the mouse files are located. For instance, if the MOUSE.SYS file is located in a C:\MOUSE> directory, the system will display: Directory of C:\MOUSE MOUSE SYS 55160 03-10-92 3:10a MOUSE COM 56408 03-10-93 6:00a If the system does not locate a mouse, your driver may have a different name or these files may not be currently installed on the system. Some other common names for mouse drivers are IMOUSE, GMOUSE, and HPMOUSE. Your mouse drivers may have been included on a floppy disk which came packaged along with your mouse. For information on the proper name for your driver, check the owners manual which came with your mouse. b) Copying the mouse driver: Once you have located the mouse driver, you will need to copy it to the boot disk. In this step, we will assume that the mouse drivers were located in the C:\MOUSE> directory as shown in the step above. To copy the MOUSE files to the boot disk, type the following at the C:\> prompt: COPY C:\MOUSE\MOUSE.* A: Please substitute the appropriate path and file name for your mouse driver in the command line above. You should then see a message indicating some files were copied. STEP 3 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 NOTE: The | is called a "pipe" command and is created by pressing \ (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. Please write down the entire line following the drive letter in the space provided below. Be sure and include the full drive and path to your MSCDEX file. For example, any of the above lines should appear as follows: LH C:\DOS\MSCDEX /D:MSCD001 STEP 4 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 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. Please write down the entire line following the drive letter in the space provided below. Be sure and include the full drive and path to your CD ROM device driver. For example, any of the above lines should appear as follows: DEVICEHIGH=C:\DRV\CDROMDRV.SYS /D:MSCD001 /P:220 STEP 5 CREATING THE CONFIG.SYS FILE Now switch to the A: drive and type the following: COPY CON CONFIG.SYS (The cursor will drop down one line and blink) DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM 2800 FILES=30 BUFFERS=20 DOS=HIGH,UMB LASTDRIVE=Z If you're playing a CD game, add the CD ROM driver line as you wrote it down in the "Locating your CD ROM Device Driver" section. If you are using the MOUSE.SYS file to load your mouse, add the following line to the CONFIG.SYS. DEVICEHIGH=A:\MOUSE.SYS If you have compressed your hard drive with DoubleSpace or DriveSpace, add the applicable line below: DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\DBLSPACE.SYS /MOVE or DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\DRVSPACE.SYS /MOVE Complete the file by pressing the F6 Function key STEP 6 CREATING THE AUTOEXEC.BAT FILE Now create an AUTOEXEC.BAT file by typing: COPY CON AUTOEXEC.BAT (the cursor will drop down one line) ECHO OFF SET COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM PROMPT SIERRA CD BOOT DISK $_$P$G PATH=C:\;C:\DOS;C:\WINDOWS; If you're playing a CD game, add the MSCDEX line as you wrote it down in the "Locating the MSCDEX CD ROM extension" section listed above. If you are using the MOUSE.COM file to load the mouse, add the following line to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. LH A:\MOUSE.COM Complete the file by pressing the F6 Function key STEP 7 REBOOT THE SYSTEM Reboot your system by depressing the button on your computer or by using the , , key sequence on your keyboard. Once you receive an A:\>, go to your hard drive and follow the instructions to begin the game. SHOULD YOU STILL HAVE PROBLEMS If you continue to experience any problems with the Boot Disk, or if you have any questions concerning any of the above steps, 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 Please outline the problems along with detailed information about your computer system, and we will gladly respond to your fax, letter or message as soon as possible.