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*********************************************************
Compton's 3D World Atlas Deluxe
Version 3.2 for Windows 95
*********************************************************
Welcome to Compton's 3D World Atlas Deluxe!
We would like to thank you for your purchase. It is our goal
to make you a happy and satisfied customer, so we have created
this file with useful information and solutions to problems
you may encounter.
This file contains information that was not available at the
time the User's Guide and on-disc help were prepared. It also
contains other important information to help you use this
product successfully. If you are uncertain how to make a
recommended change, please refer to the documentation that came
with Windows and/or your computer system.
CONTENTS
I. Installation Instructions and Suggestions
II. Troubleshooting
III. Contacting Technical Support
IV. Known Problems
V. Other Important Information
I. Installation Instructions and Suggestions
*********************************************************
A. Disk Compression
If you are using a disk compression utility, the available hard
disk space reported by the installation program may not be
accurate. Disk compression utilities can only ESTIMATE available
hard disk space. If the installation process is not successful,
you may need to free additional hard disk space by removing
unneeded files or applications from your hard drive.
B. Network Installation
This product is designed as a "stand-alone" application and does
not support use by multiple users over a network.
C. This Product is not designed to run under Windows 3.1 or 3.11.
D. Memory Management
Windows 95 should manage your "swap" file for you (to
accommodate memory needs beyond your available RAM.
To verify that Windows 95 is managing your swap file, open the
Start menu, choose "Settings," then select "Control Panel."
When the Control Panel window appears, double-click on "System"
to bring up its dialog box. Select the "Performance" tab. Next
click on the "Virtual Memory" button in the lower right-hand
corner and verify that Virtual Memory is set to "Let Windows
manage my virtual memory settings (recommended)."
E. Installation Instructions
Compton's suggests that you exit all applications before
installing this product. Other programs and drivers during
setup may interfere with the installation process.
1. Installation for Windows 95
If the Windows 95 AutoPlay feature is enabled, simply place the
atlas CD in the CD-ROM drive. The AutoPlay function
automatically offers the option to install the program. Click
on "Install" to begin the installation. To change the AutoPlay
setting, refer to your Windows 95 documentation or consult the
manufacturer.
If the CD is already in the CD-ROM drive and you have bypassed
the AutoPlay function, follow these steps to begin the
installation: Click on "Start" and select "Run." In the
"Open" box, type "D:\SETUP.EXE" and press Enter. If your CD-ROM
drive is not drive "D", substitute the letter of your CD-ROM
drive when you type this statement. For example, if your CD-ROM
drive is drive "E", type "E:\SETUP.EXE" and press Enter.
When the program has finished installing the files, you are
notified that the installation has been completed. Then,
whenever you want to use Compton's 3D World Atlas Deluxe,
simply insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive andclick on "OK" when
asked if you want to run the program. To start the program when
the CD is already in your CD-ROM drive, click on "Start,"
choose "Programs," choose "Compton's Home Library," choose
the "Compton's 3D World Atlas Deluxe" folder, and then click on
"Compton's 3D World Atlas Deluxe."
F. Meeting the Minimum System Requirements
The atlas installation program does not automatically determine
if your computer system meets the minimum requirements to run
the program. Check the list below to make sure that your
system meets the minimum system requirements for Compton's 3D
World Atlas Deluxe.
Computer: 486DX/33 - Pentium recommended
Memory: 8MB of RAM - 16MB recommended
Free hard disk space: 17MB **
CD-ROM drive: Double-speed - Quad-speed recommended
Operating system: Windows 95
Monitor: 256-color SVGA graphics display
Sound card: Windows-compatible
Mouse
Keyboard
Printer: Optional; only required for printing functions
Internet Browser: Optional; only required for Online functions
**Program files occupy up to 4MBof hard disk space. An additional
13MB is required for "swap" space. (consult your Windows
documentation for an explanation of "swap" space in Windows 95).
II. Troubleshooting
*********************************************************
This product has been successfully tested with a wide variety of
hardware and peripheral equipment. It should be noted, however,
that Microsoft Windows is a "device-independent" operating
system that relies on device drivers to communicate with the
various devices on your system. Occasionally, issues may occur
with one of these drivers. Conflicts with sound cards, video
displays, and printers are often resolved by reconfiguring or
updating the device drivers supplied by the manufacturers. This
product is not designed specifically for compatibility with any
particular hardware item.
A. Troubleshooting for Windows 95
1. Font Problems/Font Error Messages when Starting the
program.
The program requires that certain fonts be present on your
system to display text correctly. If the program is unable to
find the fonts it needs, some text may display poorly or in
unreadable fonts. See the section "Program Text Is Illegible or
Displays in Wing Ding or Symbol Font" below for additional
information.
If the program cannot find the proper fonts, you may see
one of the following error messages after the introductory
screen:
--"The following TrueType Fonts were not found: ..."
or
"The following Fonts were not found: ..."
To correct this problem, make a note of the missing font or
fonts listed, then exit the atlas program.
To resolve the problem, click on the "Start" button, choose
"Settings" and then "Control Panel". In the "Control Panel"
window, double-click on the "Fonts" folder. Then from the
"File" menu choose "Install New Fonts." Then follow the
instructions below.
Move to the "\WINDOWS\SYSTEM" directory on your hard drive.
A list of available fonts should appear; click on the font
that was listed as missing in the error message and then
click on the "OK" button. Then click on the "Close" or
"Cancel" button; there is no need to restart Windows.
If no list of fonts appears in "\WINDOWS\SYSTEM," consult
your Windows documentation for assistance in loading Windows
fonts.
2. Boosting Performance
Turning off narration and music will boost performance. To
turn off narration and music, click on the "Sounds" option
on the program's menu bar and deselect the Sounds option and/or
Narration option. A check mark next to the option indicates
that the option is turned on. Please note that if narrations
are turned off, the narrations to the videos will still be
heard. Only the narrations for country postcards and feature
introductions are turned off.
3. Program Text Is Illegible or Displays in Wing Ding or
Symbol Font
Certain Lotus or IBM products, such as Lotus Wordpro, install a
font that may interfere with the fonts used by Windows 95. This
problem can be resolved by removing the Monotype Sorts Font
version 2.0 from your system.
To remove the font, click on the Windows 95 "Start" menu, select
"Settings", then select "Control Panel." In the resulting
window, double-click on the "Fonts" icon. In the resulting list
of fonts, find "Monotype Sorts Font" (sometimes listed as
"Mtsorts_.ttf") and remove it by dragging it into the Windows 95
Recycle Bin on your desktop.
4. Problems Reading CD
If you have trouble with your CD-ROM performance, the problem
may be solved by adjusting the cache settings on your CD-ROM
drive. To change these settings, click on the Windows 95 "Start"
menu, select "Settings," and then select "Control Panel." In the
resulting window, double-click on the "System" icon, and then
click on the "Performance" tab. Make sure that in the resulting
box both "File System" and "Virtual Memory" indicate "32-bit."
Click on the "File System ..." button, and then click on the
"CD-ROM" tab. Move the slider in the "Supplemental cache size"
setting all the way to "Large." Make sure that the contents of
the "Optimize access pattern for" box matches the speed of your
CD-ROM drive. For example, if you have a double-speed (2X)
CD-ROM drive, this box should read "Double-speed drives."
When you change these settings, you may have to restart Windows
95 in order for the changes to take effect. Click on "Yes" if
you are offered this option.
5. Optimizing Performance
To make sure your system is operating at peak graphic
abilities, click on the Windows 95 "Start" menu, select
"Settings," and then select "Control Panel". In the resulting
window, double-click on the "System" icon, and then click on the
"Performance" tab. Click on the "Graphics ..." button. In the
resulting box, make sure the "Hardware acceleration" slider is
set all the way to "Full."
To make sure your hard drive is operating to its fullest
potential, click on the Windows 95 "Start" menu, select
"Settings." and then select "Control Panel." In the resulting
window, double-click on the "System" icon, and then click on the
"Performance" tab. Click on the "File System ..." button, and
then click on the "Hard Disk" tab. Make sure that "Typical role
of this machine" reads "Desktop computer." However, due to a
bug in Windows 95, selecting "Network Server" may be a better
choice if your system has 16MB RAM. Also make sure that the
slider bar for "Read-ahead optimization" is all the way to the
right at "Full."
When you change these settings, you may have to restart Windows
95 in order for the changes to take effect. Click on "Yes" if
you are offered this option.
6. Locating Possible Conflicts
To find potential harware conflicts that might be causing
problems with the atlas, use the Windows 95 Device Manager.
Click on the Windows 95 "Start" menu, select "Settings," and
then select "Control Panel." In the resulting window,
double-click on the "System" icon, and then click on the
"Device Manager" tab. In the resulting list, look for yellow
warning triangles with an exclamation point (!) in them. If you
find any such triangle, click once on the item to highlight it
and then click on the "Properties" button. Windows 95 will
display a dialog box that explains the status of that device.
Consult your Windows 95 or computer system documentation for
more information.
7. Working with the Windows 95 Taskbar
If you are using the "Always on Top" and/or "Auto Hide" settings
for the Windows 95 Taskbar, the Taskbar may obscure some of the
atlas interface. To keep the Taskbar from appearing on top
of the atlas program, turn off the "Always on Top" and
"Auto Hide" settings by clicking on the Windows 95 "Start"
button, then "Settings," then "Taskbar."
8. Video or Image Display Problems
Compton's 3D World Atlas Deluxe uses your video card in
standard, but complicated ways. Sometimes this causes problems
with older video drivers. This is true even if the problem
doesn't seem to be related to how the program looks. Examples
of video driver-related problems are: "Potentially Fatal Error"
or "General Protection Fault," especially those that make
reference to your video driver (.DRV), movies or photos that
are black, colors that don't look right, or even a program
crash without an error message. If you are encountering a
problem like this, the first step is to upgrade your video
driver. To load a new video driver, go to "Display" in the
Control Panels. Select "Settings/Change Display Types" and
follow the instructions. You may also want to consult your
video card manufacturer.
If you find that videos in the program are not playing and
fail to play independently of the program, you may want to
reinstall Video for Windows, which has been provided on
this disc. To reinstall it, click on "Start" and select
"Run." In the "Open" box, type "D:\INSTALL\VFW\VFWSETUP.EXE"
and press Enter. Then follow the onscreen instructions. If
your CD-ROM drive is not drive "D", substitute the letter of
your CD-ROM drive when you type this statement. For example,
if your CD-ROM drive is drive "E", type
"E:\INSTALL\VFW\VFWSETUP.EXE" and press Enter.
D. Accessing the Internet
To get the most out of this product's Internet features, we
recommend using Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer,
or America Online. Compton's 3D World Atlas Deluxe will detect
and launch your browser automatically, but unless one of these
three programs is used, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to take you to the proper places on the Internet.
Please make sure that your Web browser or online service is
properly and completely installed before you attempt to use the
program's Internet features. To ensure an automatic connection
via your preferred browser, select "Online Preferences" from the
3D World Atlas "Online" menu, then choose "Use ISP." The next
time you choose an Online menu item in Compton's 3D World Atlas
Deluxe, your browser will be launched automatically. However,
you may need to make sure that you have already established an
Internet connection via modem prior to selecting an online feature
in the program. Consult the documentation that came with your
Internet software for more information.
Specific details about using America Online.
1. Using America Online
To to configure the Program for an AOL connection, select "Online
Preferences" from the 3D World Atlas "Online" menu, then choose
"Use AOL" and enter you screen name and password. The next time
you choose an Online menu item in Compton's 3D World Atlas Deluxe,
AOL will be launched automatically. To connect to AOL from the
3D World Atlas CD-ROM, your account name and password must be
valid and correctly entered in the programs online preferences.
If you experience problems connecting to America Online,
we recommend using the same phone number for the first and
second phone numbers you choose to log on to America Online.
Since Compton's 3D World Atlas Deluxe references only the first
phone number, this setup will eliminate problems connecting to
America Online using the 3D World Atlas Online menu. If problems
persist, we recommend re-installing the AOL software. If you
experience any problems installing, connecting to, or
downloading files from America Online, please call AOL
Technical Support at 1-800-827-3338.
2. Using the "ISP" setting
If you wish to use a program other than America Online, such as
Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, to connect to
the Internet, you must pick "Use ISP" from the list of online
applications in the "Online" section of the menu.
Please note: When the online application is set to "Use ISP," the
program may not be able to take you directly to Web
sites or other Internet features. One option with browsers or
services of this type is to copy the Internet address listed in
program to the Windows clipboard and then paste it into the
proper part of your online application.
III. Contacting Technical Support
*********************************************************
We are here to assist you with any issues regarding this
product. The Learning Company Technical Support Center can be
reached via e-mail, U.S. mail, fax, or phone. Support is also
available on an electronic bulletin board system.
When contacting technical support, please provide as much
information as you can about your computer system and the
problem you are experiencing. Include your phone number so we
can reach you if we need more information.
Check our Web site, http://www.learningco.com, for answers to
frequently asked questions and other technical support
information.
E-mail us at support@learningco.com. Reach The Learning Company
Bulletin Board System via modem at 423-670-2023.
Mail correspondence to:
The Learning Company Technical Support Center
9715 Parkside Drive
Knoxville, TN 37922 USA
Attn: Compton's 3D World Atlas Deluxe
Contact us by fax at (423)670-2021.
Call (423)670-2022, 24 hours a day, for automated technical
support. Call (423)670-2024, 24 hours a day, for fax-on-demand
solutions to common problems.
Call (423)670-2020 between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., Eastern
time, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays), to speak to a
technical support agent. Please be at your computer when you
call.
IV. Known Problems
*********************************************************
A. Video boards
1. Diamond Speed Star Plus Video Board
Diamond no longer supports this video board. If the program
does not run properly on your computer, contact Diamond by
using the information that came with your computer or video
card for information about obtaining an upgrade.
2. Diamond Speed Star Pro Video Board
Check the date on your video driver. If it's dated before
2/17/94, you'll need to update the driver. Contact Diamond
by using the information that came with your computer or
video card for information about obtaining an upgrade.
3. Diamond Stealth 32 Video Board
You may notice problems running the program in 24-bit color
mode (millions of colors). This is because the program is
optimized for 16-bit color mode (thousands of colors). Use
the Display control panel to change the display settings
to 16-bit or 8-bit (256) color mode.
4. Spider Tarantula Lite Video Board
You may notice problems running the program in resolutions of
800 x 600 or 1280 x 1024 while in 8-bit (256) color mode.
Updated drivers may resolve these problems. Contact Spider
using the information that came with your computer or
video card for information about obtaining an upgrade.
5. Paradise Bali Video Board
If you are running in 8-bit (256) color mode, you may notice
some corruption of the screen graphics. This should only
occur if you start the program more than
once without restarting your computer. Before starting the
program a second time within one session, resart your computer.
6. #9 Imagine 128 Video Board
You may experience problems running the program in 32-bit
color mode when the screen resolution is set at 1024 x 768 or
higher. To resolve the problem, reduce your screen resolution.
B. Printer Problems
1. Printing Problem with Line Charts and Ranked Lists
Some computers have trouble printing the small flags on the
line charts and ranked lists in the Statistics area of the program.
If you are experiencing this problem, use the Display control panel
to switch to 8-bit (256) color mode and try again. The problem
occurs because of an incompatibility between some video drivers
and 16-bit (thousands of colors) color mode. The print quality is
the same in 8-bit (256) color mode or 16-bit (thousands of colors)
color mode.
2. Printer Memory Problems
If your printer has less than 3MB of memory installed, you may
run out of printer memory when sending multiple or large print
jobs to it, (you may see an "Error 20" printer memory overflow
message.) This does not mean that the program is incompatible
with your printer. Simply wait for one print job to finish before
starting another. You can also raise the installed printer memory
amount for larger, more complex print jobs, such as some of the
highly detailed and colorful globes in the program.
C. Other Utilities and Miscellaneous items
1. Office Shortcut Toolbar & Multiple Applications
If you notice strange screen colors and palette changes in menu
bars and pictures, we recommend that you disable the MS Office
Shortcut Toolbar or other applications while running the program.
Otherwise, the two active programs may experience a conflict for
control over the Windows palette.
2. Rollover tool tips may not work on systems that have an
older version of a file called COMCTL32.dll. Contact Microsoft
for an updated version of this file.
D. Sound Problems
1. Sounds Drop Out
If you experience sound dropouts in the program, you may need to
increase the buffer setting in the MCI Wave control device. The default
is usually 4 seconds, but it may need to be raised to 6-9 seconds. You
may experience some slow-down in performance with high buffer settings
(8 or 9 seconds). Follow the directions below to change your buffer
settings.
From the Start menu's "Settings," choose "Control Panel."
Open the "Multimedia" control panel. Go to the "Advanced" page
and double click on "Media Control Devices." Double-click on
"Wave Audio Device (Media Control)" and click on the "Settings"
button. This brings up a slider bar that allows you to
change the buffer setting.
Experiencing other sound problems? The sounds in the Program are
compressed using Microsoft's ADPCM format (ADPCM stands for
"adaptive digital pulse code modulation"). Playback of these
sounds requires a piece of software called a decompressor to be
installed on your computer. Most Windows 95 users have support for
ADPCM installed automatically during Windows 95 installation.
It is possible, however, to skip this step, or to disable the
decompressor software after it has been installed. If this is
the case, the program will display an error message stating that
no device is installed to play .WAV format.
Adding the decompressor to your system is simple:
1. Insert your Microsoft Windows 95 CD into the CD drive. If
your computer was delivered with Windows 95 already installed,
the manufacturer should have sent you a copy of the CD with
the computer. If you don't have the CD, contact the retailer
that supplied you with your computer.
2. If the Windows installation program does not automatically start,
double-click on "Autorun.exe" in the "Autorun" directory on the CD.
3. On the main menu, select "Add/Remove Software." This brings
up the Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog.
4. Check only the "Multimedia" entry, select that line and
click the "Details..." button.
5. Ensure that the "Audio Compression" entry in the pop-up
dialog is checked, then click on OK in the pop-up. Then click on
OK in the "Add/Remove Programs Properties" dialog. This will
perform the installation.
6. If you are prompted to restart Windows 95 in order for your
changes to take effect, do so.
To check that installation has been successful, perform the
following steps:
1. On the "Start" Menu, select Settings and click on the Control
Panel entry on the sub-Menu. This brings up the Control Panel
window.
2. Double-click the Multimedia icon in the Control Panel.
3. Select the Advanced tab in the dialog and click on the "+"
sign by the "Audio Compression Codecs" entry. This shows the
decompressors installed in the system, and should contain an
entry for "Microsoft ADPCM CODEC."
4. Double-clicking on this brings up a small dialog that allows
you to enable and disable the decompressor. Make sure that the
"Use this audio codec" entry is checked.
V. Other Important Information
*********************************************************
A. Reinstalling or Removing Compton's 3D World Atlas Deluxe
From the "Start" menu, select "Settings," and then "Control
Panel." Then double-click on the "Add/Remove Programs" icon.
Follow the instructions in the "Install/Uninstall" section of this
readme file to remove the program. Uninstalling the program will
not remove any files you may have created yourself, such custom pin
files that you have created or downloaded from the Internet.
B. Comptons's 3D World Atlas Online:
Your WWW Geography Reference Tool
The Compton's 3D World Atlas Online web site is a wonderful
reference tool for anyone who wants to learn more about our planet.
Compton's 3D World Atlas Online is filled with the great international
and geographical web links, glossary definitions, and downloadable
extras, all of which enhance the already rich content of the
Compton's 3D World Atlas Deluxe. Thousands of
extra city, regional, and country map links are also available.
Compton's 3D World Atlas Online is fully integrated into the Compton's
3D World Atlas Deluxe CD-ROM. From any place in Compton's 3D World
Atlas Deluxe, open the "Online" menu and choose one of the menu
items (note that the first menu item is customized for each
area of Compton's 3D World Atlas Deluxe).
You can access Conpton's 3D World Atlas Online with Internet
browsers such as those offered by Netscape Navigator, Microsoft
Internet Explorer, and America Online (AOL). Compton's 3D World Atlas
Online is also available outside the CD-ROM at http://www.3DAtlas.com.
C. Saving Map Pin Lists from the Compton's 3D World Atlas
Deluxe CD-ROM
Map pin lists cannot be saved unless the asterisk (*) is removed
from the default file name entry box. If this character is
left in the filename, the program will not be able to save
your file. Also, the program will automatically enter a ".pin"
extension regardless of the extension that you may have typed.