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  <ENTER>

If after entering this command the system responds with a "Bad command 
or file name" error, then type:

PATH=C:\DOS  <ENTER>

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  <ENTER>	

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:  <ENTER>

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  <ENTER>

NOTE: The | is called a "pipe" command and is created by pressing 
<SHIFT> \ (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  <ENTER>

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 <ENTER> (The cursor will drop down one 
line and blink)
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS  <ENTER>	
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE  RAM 2800 <ENTER>	
FILES=30  <ENTER>	
BUFFERS=20 <ENTER>
DOS=HIGH,UMB  <ENTER>	
LASTDRIVE=Z  <ENTER>	

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  <ENTER>

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 <ENTER>

STEP 6
CREATING THE AUTOEXEC.BAT FILE
Now create an AUTOEXEC.BAT file by typing:

COPY  CON  AUTOEXEC.BAT   <ENTER> (the cursor will drop down 
one line)
ECHO OFF <ENTER>	
SET  COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM  <ENTER>	
PROMPT  SIERRA  CD  BOOT  DISK  $_$P$G  <ENTER>	
PATH=C:\;C:\DOS;C:\WINDOWS;  <ENTER>	

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  <ENTER>	

Complete the file by pressing the  F6  Function key <ENTER>

STEP 7
REBOOT THE SYSTEM
Reboot your system by depressing the <RESET> button on your computer 
or by using the <CTRL>, <ALT>, <DEL> 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.
