HOME IMPROVEMENT 1-2-3 Technical Notes (MPC) Version 1.0 System Requirements: -------------------- * MPC or equivalent * 33 MHz 80486SX or better * Minimum 8MB RAM * DOS 5.0 or later * Microsoft Windows 3.1 or later (Windows 95 compatible) * MPC-2 Compatible CD-ROM drive (2x or faster) * SVGA monitor\display at 256 colors * MPC compatible audio board * Mouse * Microsoft CD-ROM Extensions 2.2 or later General Installation Instructions: ---------------------------------- The following are instructions for installing HOME IMPROVEMENT 1-2-3 on your hard drive. This procedure installs a few small files onto your hard drive that allow you to run our program. Please note that after installing, the CD must be in the CD-Rom drive whenever you wish to run HOME IMPROVEMENT 1-2-3. - WINDOWS 3.1 - 1. Insert the HOME IMPROVEMENT 1-2-3 CD into the CD-ROM drive. 2. From Program Manager, select RUN from the FILE menu. 3. Type D:\setup (where D is the letter name of your CD-ROM) and click OK. - WINDOWS 95 - 1. Insert the HOME IMPROVEMENT 1-2-3 CD into the CD-ROM drive. 2. Go to the START menu on the taskbar and click RUN. 3. Type D:\SETUP.EXE (where D is the letter name of your CD-ROM drive) and click OK. Notes on Uninstallation: ----------------------------- You will notice the option to uninstall HOME IMPROVEMENT 1-2-3 with the installation procedure. We included this feature to make the uninstallation process easier should you wish to remove the program from your hard drive. Under Windows 3.1, running this Uninstall program is all you need to do to remove the program from your hard drive. - Windows 95 - - Run SETUP.EXE as above and click on uninstall - After uninstalling, click EXIT to quit the Uninstall program - Go to the START menu and click on SETTINGS and then TASKBAR - In the resulting dialogue box, click to select START MENU PROGRAMS - Click REMOVE - Go into the MULTICOM folder (under the PROGRAMS folder) - Click on "Home Improvement 1-2-3" and click REMOVE - Click on "Home Improvement 1-2-3 Read Me" and click REMOVE - Click "Multicom Products" and click REMOVE - Click CLOSE which will return you to the TASK BAR PROPERTIES dialogue box. - Click OK to close the final dialogue box. To avoid conflicts and for best performance: -------------------------------------------- * Turn off Wallpaper and Screen Savers [Set to in the Desktop control panel]. * Make sure no other programs are running in the background while running HOME IMPROVEMENT 1-2-3. * To avoid printing problems, make sure that BACKGROUND PRINTING is OFF in your print dialogue box. Trouble-shooting: -------------------------------------------- HELP: HOME IMPROVEMENT 1-2-3 has an extensive on-line help section. You can access it at any time by clicking on the OPTION menu (located on the tape measure) and selecting HELP. Problem: Errors displaying files, reading the CD drive, and printing (among assorted others). Solution 1: Do not run any other applications simultaneously with HOME IMPROVEMENT 1-2-3. This includes any TSR's or Startup applications. (e.g. Microsoft Office or Bookshelf, Packard Bell Navigator) You can check your Windows Task List in Windows 3.1 by holding the Crtl-Esc keys down. Program manager should be the only task listed. If there are others, highlight them and select "End Task" for each of them. In Windows 95, there should be no other programs listed in the task bar at the bottom of the screen. Solution 2: Increase the size of Virtual Memory Swap File. Please refer to your Windows manual for instructions on this procedure. (We recommend a swap file of at lease 7 megabytes.) General Protection Faults, Application freezes... ------------------------------------------------ Aside from the above listed procedures, try switching your video card settings to 640x480 and 256 colors. If the problems still continue, contact the manufacturer of your video card and confirm that you have the most recent version of their Video Driver. (Video drivers are often updated several times a year and are usually available free of charge.) Rarely, under certain system configurations, General Protection Faults can occur when printing a large number of projects successively (usually over 25 projects at a time). If this occurs, you must quit the program and restart your computer. If Picture and Video Quality is Poor... ------------------------------------------------ Make sure you are using the correct video driver for your video card and not the Windows VGA driver. (Go to the Windows Setup in your Main group. If it says "VGA" next to Display, then you are using the wrong driver.) Do not try switching drivers unless you know what you are doing! It is safest to contact the manufacturer of your computer or video card to correct this problem. TECHNICAL SUPPORT ------------------------------------------------ For free technical support, call our offices in Seattle, WA at (800) 850-7272 or (206) 622-5530 during the following hours: Mon.-Fri. 7:30am -7:30pm (Pacific Time) Sat. 9am - 5pm Sun. 11am - 4pm We can also be contacted via: Fax: 206-622-4380 E-mail: techsupport@multicom.com