Welcome to MindQ Publishing's Knowledge Odyssey CD-ROM.
ABOUT THIS README FILE
This Readme file provides information for setting up and
maintaining your Knowledge Odyssey. You will find it easier to
view this file if you select Word Wrap from the Edit Menu and
maximize the window so that you can see all the text in a
paragraph. To move around in the file, press <Page Up> and
<Page Down>, or click in the vertical scroll bar. You can print
this file by selecting the Print command from the File menu.
SETUP
The Setup program prepares your computer to run this Knowledge
Odyssey CD-ROM.
-To run the Setup program:
1. In Windows 95, select Run from the Start menu;
in other versions of Windows, select File, then Run.
2. In the command line, type D:\SETUP.EXE
(where D: corresponds to your CD-ROM drive).
3. Click OK.
--The Setup program creates the C:\MINDQ directory (or one you
specify) for you.
--For Windows 95, it also copies some DLLs to the \Windows\System subdirectory.
--For earlier Windows versions, it also copies one or more DLLs and other
system files from the \dlls directory on the CD into the \windows or \windows\system directories on your hard drive.
Newer versions of these files will not be overwritten.
In addition, the Setup program prompts you if you need to
install the latest version of Video for Windows (VFW). After
installing VFWs, you must restart your computer.
You may re-install VFW at any time by running SETUP.EXE in the VFW11 directory on this CD.
You do not need VFW with Windows 95.
The Setup program makes sure that Odysseus is looking in the right place for the CD drive. If, for example, the drive letter has changed as a result of a system change
(i.e.,if a disk or other device has been added or removed), then Odysseus will fail to find its CD-ROM.
You can check that the drive letter is correct by using Windows File Manager (or Explorer for Windows 95) to see which letter is assigned to the CD drive.
Running the Setup program again will solve this problem.
VIDEO PLAYBACK CONSIDERATIONS
For best results on older or slower machines, play the video in
8-bit (256) color mode. Video playback is slower in any video
mode other than 256 colors. Check Windows Setup to ensure that you are using a 256 color video driver. The Windows Setup is usually in the
Main group of the Windows Program Manager for Windows 3.1, or under
the Display icon from the Control Panel for Windows 95)
You can also improve video playback, and overall program performance,
by increasing the amount of buffer memory that your CD-ROM driver
software uses. Most computers communicate with the CD-ROM
drive through the Microsoft MSCDEX driver (for Windows 3.1).
You can sometimes improve performance by adding /M:64 to the MSCDEX
entry in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. This increases the number of sector
buffers from the default of 4 to 64. See your CD-ROM documentation for
more details.
SHARE in AUTOEXEC.BAT FILE
Unless you are running Windows for Workgroups (3.11) or later versions of Windows,
your AUTOEXEC.BAT file should include the line:
"SHARE /L:500 /F:5100"
or something similar.
The /L parameter sets the number of locks, and the /F parameter sets
the number of bytes of file space used to record file-sharing information.
The values shown above are the minimum values required by OLE applications.
Recent versions of Windows do not require this line.
CARE OF YOUR CD
To extend the life of your CD, keep in mind the following guidelines:
1. Handle the CD gently, holding it by its edges--either the
outer edge or the center hole. Be especially careful not to
touch the unlabeled side of the CD. This is the area from which
the CD player takes the stored data.
Handling your Knowledge Odyssey CD-ROM properly and keeping it
clean will ensure that it always runs optimally.
2. To clean off smears or large dirty areas that could inhibit the
CD's performance, use lots of running water. If necessary, you
can gently push off stubborn dirt with your finger or rub the CD
gently with a clean, soft cloth, starting at the center and swiping
toward the outer edge. Commercially available CD cleaning liquids
can also be used.
To dry the CD, gently shake off excess water and then gently
pat the CD dry with a soft, clean cloth.
3. Don't expose the CD to sun, heat, or cold for long periods of
time.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Video:
Problem-
-Videos do not play (in earlier versions of Windows before Windows 95):
Solution--
--You may not have the correct driver. Change the driver to one
that works. Odysseus works best in 800 X 600 mode.
WARNING
SELECTING THE WRONG DRIVER COULD STOP "WINDOWS" FROM WORKING. MAKE
SURE YOU SELECT A DRIVER THAT IS AVAILABLE ON YOUR SYSTEM. GET
HELP IF YOU HAVE NEVER CHANGED DRIVERS BEFORE.
To change drivers in DOS:
1. Note the name of the existing video driver and keep a record
of it in case you have to go back to it.
2. At the MS-DOS prompt, type CD \WINDOWS and press <Enter>.
3. At the MS-DOS prompt, type SETUP and press <Enter>.
4. Respond to the prompts to change the video driver.
Experienced PC users may also change the video display in the
Program Manager Main window:
THE PREVIOUS WARNING ALSO APPLIES TO THIS PROCEDURE.
1. In the Main window, double-click Windows Setup.
2. Click Options.
3. Select Change System Settings.
4. Select the driver from the Display pulldown menu.
--If video still does not play, make sure you are using
the latest video driver for your video board.
Contact your video board manufacturer for more information. You
may also be able to obtain updated drivers from CompuServe in
either the Microsoft forum or in a forum managed by your video
board manufacturer.
Problem-
-Videos do not play under Windows 95:
Solution--
--You may not have the correct driver. Odysseus works best in 800 X 600 mode.
Windows 95 makes it easy for you to change into this mode: click on Display from the Control Panel, then Settings.
There may be problems running videos under Windows 95 related to hardware problems previously or as yet
unidentified by Microsoft. We suggest you go to the Microsoft
to read the most current list of problems identified for running
videos under Windows 95. To avoid this or similar problems, try switching
your system to a color mode above 256.
Different systems call the different color modes by different names,
so we recommend looking for "16 bit" or "65000 color" mode.
Problem-
-Video looks choppy.
Solution--
--Video looks choppy because your CD-ROM drive cannot play the video fast enough. If your CD-ROM drive does not generate a fresh picture every fifteen seconds, you can see the delay between pictures. To speed up video playback:
* If you're using DOS 6.2, try replaying the video immediately after the first try. In this way, you can take advantage of DOS's SmartDrive program, which copies parts of the video file to memory as it plays. On the replay, the video plays more smoothly because your computer does not have to search for the video files on the CD-ROM.
* Verify that your CD drive is MPC compatible, so that it meets the following requirements:
1. It has an average seek time of less than one second;
2. It has a transfer rate of 150KB per second while using less than 40% of the CPU bandwidth.
Problem-
-Soundtracks in the videos are choppy (the people are stuttering).
Solution--
--The soundtracks are not keeping up with the videos.
To permanently fix this problem:
1. Choose the Drivers icon from the Windows Control Panel.
2. Double-click the line reading, "[MCI] Microsoft Video for Windows."
3. Click the checkbox next to the "Skip video frames if behind" option
so that an "X" displays in it.
4. Click the Set Default button.
If you use older versions of Windows Sound System and other
drivers, the audio may be out of synch with the video. Obtain
updated Windows Sound System drivers from the Windows Driver
Library (WDL). For more information about the WDL, contact
Microsoft Product Support. For third-party drivers, contact
your sound board manufacturer's technical support department to
obtain an updated driver.
Audio:
Problem-
-Audio volume is either too high or too low, and you cannot
adjust it on your speakers.
Solution--
--Adjust the volume on your sound card.
To adjust the volume on your sound card when running Windows 95, click
the "sound" icon on the taskbar.
To adjust the volume on your sound card for earlier versions of Windows:
1. Find the icon for your sound card program group in the
Windows Program Manager. It is usually called "sound" or something similar.
2. Find the icon for the Mixer program and run it.
3. Adjust the volume and/or mix of sounds. Some sound cards have software that allows you to adjust the volume AND tone of the sound; start with these tone controls set in the mid position and your volume level set between 80 - 100%. This should give a clear signal with no distortion. If treble or bass is added in this software, you must reduce the volume to compensate, or distortion will occur. Check your sound card manual for the optimum settings.
Problem-
-Audio does not play.
Solution--
--Make sure that the volume for your speakers is set
to an audible level. If your system has a mute option, make sure it is not in effect.
--If audio still does not play, check that your sound board is
set up correctly. Check to see that the audio driver that came with
your sound board is installed correctly and, if necessary, reinstall it.
See the documentation that came with your sound board for more details.
Memory:
Problem-
-You receive an Out-of-Memory error.
Solution--
--Close all unnecessary applications.
--You may find more memory becomes available if you restart Windows.
--If you are running Windows 3.x in Enhanced mode (the default
mode if you are running Windows 3.x on a 386 or better machine),
create a permanent swap file on your hard disk. A swap file
uses some hard drive space as memory.
NOTE
If you have not defragmented your hard drive in a
while, be sure to do so BEFORE creating a swap file. Otherwise,
Windows may not be able to find a large enough area of disk
space to use as memory. Use the DOS DEFRAG command, or another
utility to defragment your hard drive.
To create a swap file:
1. Double-click the 386 Enhanced icon in your Windows Control Panel.
2. Click the Virtual Memory button on the right.
3. If you don't see the word "Permanent" in that box, click the
Change>> button and select Permanent in the Type field.
TEMP Environment Variable:
Problem-
-The Knowledge Odyssey, like other Windows
applications, stores temporary files in the \TEMP directory on
the hard drive. Ordinarily, Odysseus will clear this directory
automatically. In case of a program or system failure, you may
have to delete temporary files manually.
Solution--
--To check the \TEMP setting and/or delete temporary files:
1. Exit from Windows.
2. At the MS-DOS prompt, type SET and press <Enter>. This gives you a listing of the MS-DOS environment settings.
3. Confirm that one of the settings is TEMP= followed by a valid path.
4. When you find the TEMP= setting, check the amount of disk space available on the drive where your temporary directory resides.
5. If you do not have enough disk space, delete unnecessary files from the drive, or
move the \TEMP directory to a partition that has enough disk
space and change the SET TEMP= line in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
Usually, it should read something like "SET TEMP=C:\TEMP".
6. Reboot your machine after modifying the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
Display Problems:
Problem-
The program hangs up soon after you have entered it. You may be able
to access a couple of topics before the program freezes. You will probably see a
blank Windows error message box as well as a blank audiotext
box. This problem is especially prevalent on computers using
the Imagine-128 Display Driver, Version 1.28, manufactured by
Number 9.
Solution--
--Update your display driver:
1. To get the latest release of the driver, dial into the Number 9 bulletin
board (1-617-862-7502).
2. To find the latest driver, do a search for i128*.exe, where the * indicates the
version number. For example, "i128v227.exe" is the filename for
version 2.27 of the driver.
3. Download the latest version of the driver and install it on your hard drive.
If you have any problems loading the driver, contact Number 9 customer support
at 617-674-0009.
Problem-
-Versions of ATI's video accelerator prior to 2.1 do
not work well with Video for Windows version 1.1. Installing
the accelerator software after installing Video for Windows can
overwrite Video for Windows version 1.1 components with
components from the previous version.
Solution--
--Avoid installing any version of the video
accelerator unless it is specifically noted to be compatible
with Video for Windows version 1.1. To obtain updated drivers,
contact ATI Technologies Inc.
Problem-
-Some modems may not respond well to the default settings used
in order to register, subscribe, or send comments; or you may need
to add a prefix, such as 9, to the number dialed.
Solution--
--Call MindQ's modem support staff at 1-703-708-9380
and ask for help adding one of the following commands to the
MINDQ.INI file (Windows 3.1 only) in your windows directory:
ModemInitCommand=AT&C1&D2^M
ModemDialNumber=913014496100
ModemComPort=2
Problem-
-Your customization data has been lost or corrupted. This data is stored in a file
called utitle.ttl in your C:\MINDQ directory (or the directory you created during setup).
Solution--
--The latest version of the ODYSSEUS program always saves a backup copy of your customization data in a file called utitle.bak in same directory as the utitle.ttl file. Copy this file to utitle.ttl.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
If you need help using your MindQ product, or to order more
MindQ products, you can speak to a helpful representative
by calling the MindQ Technical Support Number (1-703-708-9380).
You can also receive technical support by sending Email to support@mindq.com.
Support information as well as information about MindQ Publishing is also
available on the MindQ Publishing World Wide Web Home
Page. You can access this home page at URL, http://www.mindq.com/
