Sierra Planet - Laura Bow 2 Game Problems

It is recommended that when playing Laura Bow 2 under Windows, no other programs should be running, such as screensavers, virus protection, etc. If the game is exhibiting too many problems under Windows, try running it under DOS. If you have the floppy diskette version of the game, then you need the game manual in order to get past the Egyptian copyright protection questions before each Act. If you lost your manual, then you need to go to Sierra's Customer Service site. There is no online technical document, but there are two patches for this game.

LAURA BOW 2 INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS

PC PROCESSOR: 386SX-16Mhz, 486SX or higher recommended
PC OS: MS-DOS 5.0 or higher, Windows 3.1 or higher
PC RAM: 2 MB, 4 MB recommended
PC RAM CONVENTIONAL: DOS-575K
PC VIDEO CARD: 640x480 VGA 256 Colors
PC HARD DRIVE: 1 MB hard drive space minimum
CD-ROM DRIVE: 1x speed, 2x speed recommended (CD-ROM only)
SOUND CARD: Diskette-No/CD-Yes-Sound Card with DAC

There is no MAC information available.

LAURA BOW 2 INSTALLATION PROCEDURES

LAURA BOW 2 DOS VERSION:

You should not be in Windows. If you are in Windows, quit now. Insert the CD and switch to the CD drive by typing the drive letter followed by a colon, and then press the ENTER key. Ex: D: [ENTER]. Then type INSTALL to begin the installation program. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.

If you have the collection version, then insert the CD that has a "Laura" or "Laura2" or "LB2" directory, and switch to the CD drive by typing the drive letter followed by a colon. For example, if your CD-ROM drive is D:, type D: [ENTER]. From the D:\>, type: CD\LB2 and press ENTER (replace LB2 with Laura or Laura2 depending on what directory it is). Then type INSTALL.EXE

Follow the on-screen prompts. When you reach the Installation Options screen, make sure the settings are correct. Older games often detect today's 16-bit sound cards incorrectly, so check the MUSIC setting. You will probably get the best sound with the SOUNDBLASTER/ADLIB choice for MUSIC and THUNDERBOARD for AUDIO. For best game performance, select "Do not use extra memory" for the MEMORY option.

LAURA BOW 2 WINDOWS VERSION:

In WINDOWS 3.1, insert the CD into the appropriate drive. From Program Manager, click on File, then Run. In the Command Line field, type the letter of the drive followed by \SETUP.

EX: D:\SETUP (press the OK button).

Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.

In WINDOWS 95, insert the CD into the appropriate drive. Click on the Start Button, then Run. In the Open field, type the letter of the drive followed by \SETUP. Ex: D:\SETUP (press the OK button) Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.

If you have the collection version, insert the CD with the Laura, Laura2, or LB2 directory into the appropriate drive. In Windows 3.1, from the FILE menu on the PROGRAM MANAGER, choose RUN. In Windows 95, click on the Start Button, then Run. From the COMMAND line or Open field, type in D:\LB2\SETUP.EXE and click OK. (If your CD ROM is another letter besides D, substitute that letter in the above command. Replace LB2 with Laura or Laura2 if that is the directory on your particular CD-ROM.)

Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation. If you are using a Soundblaster or ProAudio compatible sound card, select Base Level MIDI. If you are using a General MIDI device like a Roland, choose Extended Level MIDI. NOTE: Windows MUST be using a 640x480 resolution and 256 color video driver for Laura Bow 2 to display properly. If you get a message stating that you are not running in the correct resolution for the game, check Windows Setup in the Main program group to find out what display driver you are currently using. Your video card documentation should include information on how to install and change Windows video drivers.

LAURA BOW 2 GAME PATCHES

Sierra has two patches for Laura Bow 2 that are both related to sound issues.

This patch is only for the CD-ROM version of Laura Bow 2. It corrects a problem seen with SoundBlaster 16 ASP sound cards, in which only the first digitized effect is heard.

LAURA BOW 2 PATCH 1 - LB2PATCH1.EXE - 7.1 KB

This patch installs the Gravis Ultrasound driver, which is a DOS-based music/sound driver for certain Sierra games using the Gravis Ultrasound card.

LAURA BOW 2 PATCH 2 - LB2PATCH2.EXE - 202.1 KB

Download the patch you need onto a floppy disk. Then run the program like any other installation program. Follow the instructions. Once the patch is installed, restart the computer and play the game normally. You no longer need the patch program, so just delete it off your floppy disk.

Once it is downloaded, run the program like any other installation program. Follow the instructions. Once the patch is installed, restart the computer and play the game normally. You no longer need the patch program, so just delete it off your floppy disk.

LAURA BOW 2 TROUBLESHOOTING PROBLEMS AND TIPS

For some odd reason, Sierra has no online technical troubleshooting document for Laura Bow 2. However, I am aware of some technical issues and have provided some suggestions on how to get past them.

If at any time during the game, you get an error message stating something like, "Oops, you did something we weren't expecting error 4. version 1.001.069," and you get kicked out, try to restore to an earlier game. If that does not work and you have a collection CD like the Roberta Williams Anthology, you can use one of Sierra's many Laura Bow 2 saved games to get past this point. Another tip to try is to go to your game options menu at the top of the screen. Then turn your sound lever all the way down and put the game on text mode. Then play through the part you are in, and hopefully you can get past the trouble point. Afterwards, you can return to options menu and reset your sound and text buttons.
If you are in ACT 3 and you cannot open the fireplace safe (i.e. you click like nuts on the fireplace portrait, hear a little click, but nothing happens), then you have a speed glitch. Your newer computer is running too fast for this older game at this particular point. You need to download a slowdown program to get past this point.

OTHER CONTACT INFORMATION

If you need more technical support, then try posting your problem over on Sierra's Laura Bow Forums or on the Sierra Planet Forums. More experienced players might be able to help you out relatively quickly. Because this game is so old, Sierra Entertainment (now owned by Vivendi Universal Games) no longer offers technical or customer support as stated in their list of current supported games.

If you are needing to replace your old Laura Bow game or wish to buy one, your best bet is to find used copy from an independent seller or trader off places like Ebay Auctions or Game Trading Zone. The Laura Bow 2 CD-ROM version does not come with copyright protection. However, the floppy diskette version of Laura Bow 2 does have copyright protection, so you will need the Laura Bow 2 game manual. The actual answers to the the Egyptian panels are copyright protected by Sierra and cannot be legally given out. Sorry!

If you still wish to contact Sierra Entertainment, try looking at Sierra's official Customer Service section.