Phantasmagoria

Sierra On-Line, Inc. does not warranty or promise that the information herein will work with any or all computer systems. Sierra does not assume any liability, either incidental or consequential, for the use of the information herein, including any and all damage to or lost use of computer hardware or software products, loss of warranties, or lost data by the customer or any third party. No oral or written information or advice given by Sierra, its employees, distributors, dealer or agents shall change the restriction of liability or create any new warranties. In no case shall Sierra's liability exceed the purchase price of the Sierra software product.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 1 - HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
SECTION 2 - INSTALLATION PROCEDURES
SECTION 3 - COMMON SETUP AND INSTALLATION PROBLEMS
SECTION 4 - PHANTASMAGORIA COMMON PROBLEMS
SECTION 5 - SOUND ISSUES
SECTION 6 - MEMORY/SPEED TROUBLESHOOTING
SECTION 7 - TROUBLESHOOTING STEPS
SECTION 8 - OBTAINING A SIERRA PATCH DISK

Note: The following examples assume that you are using hard drive C: and CD-ROM drive D:. If not, substitute all references with the appropriate drive letters.

DOS INSTALLATION
Exit Windows completely by closing Program Manager. Place the CD in the drive. Type C: and press <Enter> to make sure that you are logged to the hard drive. Then, type CHKDSK and press <Enter>. If any errors or problems are found, type CHKDSK /F and press <Enter> to correct them. Also, check the "bytes available on disk" line to insure that you have sufficient hard drive space to do the installation. Please note that you should double the hard drive space requirement when installing to drives that are compressed with utilities like DriveSpace or Stacker.

Assuming you have sufficient space, type D: and press <Enter> to switch to the CD ROM drive. Then, type INSTALL and press <Enter> to begin installation. Follow the on-screen prompts, making sure to verify that all hardware selections are correct for your system.

WINDOWS 3.1 INSTALLATION
Exit Windows completely by closing Program Manager. Place the CD in the drive. Type C: and press <Enter> to make sure that you are logged to the hard drive. Then, type CHKDSK and press <Enter>. If any errors or problems are found, type CHKDSK /F and press <Enter> to fix them. Also, check the "bytes available on disk" line to insure that you have sufficient hard drive space to do the installation. Please note that you should double the hard drive space requirement when installing to drives that are compressed with utilities like DriveSpace or Stacker.

Assuming that you have sufficient space to proceed, type WIN and press <Enter> to restart Windows. Then, from Program Manager, select <File> <Run> D:\SETUP and click on "OK". From this point, follow the on-screen prompts.

WINDOWS 95 INSTALLATION
Run SCANDISK from the Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools menu. Allow SCANDISK to correct any errors it finds. Check the "bytes available on disk" line to insure that you have sufficient hard drive space to do the installation. Please note that you should double the hard drive space requirement when installing to drives that are compressed with utilities like DriveSpace or Stacker.

Assuming that you have sufficient space to proceed, insert Phantasmagoria Disk 1 into your CD-ROM drive. After a few seconds, a window will automatically appear on your Desktop and ask you if you would like to install Phantasmagoria. Choose "Install" and follow the on-screen instructions.

To play Phantasmagoria in Windows 95 after installation, insert the CD in your CD-ROM drive and follow the on-screen instructions.

ALL PLATFORMS

Problem: You are not given the option to do a minimal or full install.
Solution: Because Phantasmagoria is a multi-CD game, there is only one installation size. All of the game's executable and configuration files are copied to the hard drive and the animations and sounds play from the CD's.

Problem: When installing the game, you receive the message "Error reading drive D". Message will vary depending on what drive you are installing from.
Solution: There are several factors that can cause a "read" error of this type. The most common is a dirty or scratched CD. You should check the CD to make sure that there are no smudges, fingerprints, scratches or cracks on it. If you see any smudges on the CD, clean it off with a soft cloth and try it again. If the disk is scratched, it will need to be replaced.

If cleaning the CD doesn't help, the problem may lie with the CD ROM drivers. You should make sure that you are using a recent version of MSCDEX in your AUTOEXEC.BAT. If you're using DOS 6.0 or higher, use version 2.23 of MSCDEX in your C:\DOS directory. If you're using Windows 95, use version 2.25 of MSCDEX in the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory. You should also check with the CD ROM drive manufacturer to make sure that you have the latest version of their CD drivers. Outdated or incompatible CD drivers can cause this type of problem.

If you need to replace your disks or CD, replacement is FREE for the first 90 days of product ownership. After 90 days there is a $10.00 handling fee per program. For the fastest service, simply mail Disk #1 or the CD to us along with a copy of your sales receipt dated within 90 days or the $10.00 handling fee, and a note detailing your computer hardware and the problem that is occurring. Please include your full name, mailing address, and daytime telephone number so we can contact you if necessary. We will then send a complete replacement set of disks to you. The address is: CUC Software Fulfillment, 4100 West 190^th Street, Torrance, California 90504.

DOS

Problem: After typing INSTALL, a row of dots goes across the screen and stops. The computer is locked up with this row of dots appearing on the screen. (DOS installation).
Solution: The dots indicate the hardware detection portion of the installation program. You can bypass the hardware detection (and therefore the lockup) by typing INSTALL /F /M.

WINDOWS 3.1

Problem: Your computer fails the Display test under the Windows setup; you get a message saying "Your video display supports 16 colors...", or "Phantasmagoria requires a 256 color video driver". (Windows installation.)
Solution: Sierra's Windows games require that Windows is running in 256 or better color mode. Using more or less colors will cause errors. Even though your monitor and video card may be capable of displaying 256 colors, Windows may not be set up to use this resolution. To check, double-click on Windows Setup in the Main program group. If the Display line reads "VGA" or "16 color," you will need to change to a driver that supports 256 colors. "VGA" is a default Windows video driver that only supports 16 colors and will not work with Sierra's Windows games.

If you've never changed or updated video drivers in Windows, contact the video card manufacturer, refer to the video card manual, or ask a technically inclined friend to walk you through this. We have included Microsoft's generic 256 color driver for Windows on the Phantasmagoria CD #1 in the \SVGA directory. For more information, refer to Microsoft's README.TXT file in the \SVGA directory. To change video drivers, in the Main group in Program Manager, double- click on Windows Setup icon, then pull down the Options menu, then select Change System Settings. Open the Display pulldown box to see the list of video drivers that are currently available. Choose "Other Display". You may be asked to insert your original Windows disks during this process. Do not copy the files in the \SVGA directory into your Windows directory. The Super VGA 256 color drivers in the \SVGA directory are the copyright of Microsoft. These drivers do not work perfectly with every video card. If they do not work with your card, contact the video card manufacturer to obtain their latest Windows video drivers.

Warning: Be cautious when changing video drivers! If you choose one that is not designed for your particular video card, Windows will not display properly. If this occurs, change to your Windows directory, type SETUP, and choose the "VGA" driver again. You should contact your video card manufacturer for the correct driver. For complete information, consult your video card documentation.

Problem: Your Mitsumi double-speed CD ROM drive does not pass the hardware test.
Solution: Mitsumi double-speed CD ROM drives have two different software drivers available to use with them: a direct memory access (DMA) driver called MTMCDAE.SYS and a non-DMA driver called MTMCDAS.SYS. The MTMCDAE.SYS driver is faster, but can prove to be incompatible with some software; this is the case with Phantasmagoria. The solution is to load the MTMCDAS.SYS driver when you want to play the game. The simplest way to do this is to make a MS-DOS or Windows 95 DOS boot disk for the game and modify the CONFIG.SYS file on it so the MTMCDAS.SYS driver loads. This driver should be in the same directory as MTMCDAE.SYS. If not, you'll need to re-run the installation program for your CD ROM drivers. Instructions for making a bootdisk can be downloaded from Sierra's document page. The documents are called MS DOS Bootdisk Instructions or BDW95DOS.

Problem: "Setup was unable to add an item for Phantasmagoria to a program group" message when installing the game. Phantasmagoria icon not created during game installation.
Solution #1: You may have run out of hard drive space. Free up more hard drive space and try again. See Section 1 for hard drive space requirements.
Solution #2: This can be caused by an alternate Windows desktop, like PC Tools, Norton Desktop or Packard Bell Navigator. You must disable your alternate desktop before installing the game. One quick way to do this is to type "WIN PROGMAN" to start Windows to use Program Manager rather than the alternate desktop shell. When you are back in Windows, reinstall the game. The icons will be created in the Sierra group in Program Manager. The next time you go into Windows, the alternate desktop will display. Tip For PC Tools: Once you finish installing the game, click on FILE, then IMPORT. Import the Sierra group so all the game icons will appear in PC Tools. To restart Windows using your normal desktop, exit Windows and reboot the computer. The next time you go into Windows, the alternate desktop will display. PLEASE NOTE: Phantasmagoria has not been tested under any alternate desktop environment, therefore Sierra cannot guarantee that the game will function properly under these desktops. If you wish to try, however, here are the game icon properties:

Description: Phantasmagoria
Command Line: C:\SIERRA\SCARY\SIERRAW.EXE
Working Directory: D:\
Shortcut Key: None

WINDOWS 95

Problem: Your computer fails the Sound Card test; you cannot hear the voice and fanfare in the Wave and MIDI tests.
Solution: Your sound card may be incorrectly configured for DAC (Audio) or your sound card drivers may not be properly installed or configured for Windows 95. Make sure your speakers are turned on and run the Windows mixer program for your sound card so you can increase its volume levels for MIDI (music) and DAC (Audio). You should consult your sound card documentation or the manufacturer for information regarding the correct configuration of your sound card in Windows 95.

Problem: Your computer fails the Display test because you are not running in 256 colors, or your video card does not meet the Pixels-per-second second Speed requirement for the game.
Solution: First make sure you are running Windows in 256 colors. Even though your monitor and video card may be capable of displaying 256 colors, Windows may not be set up to use this resolution. Click on the Start button, select Settings, then Control Panel. Double-click the Display icon. You will see four tabs: Background, Screen Saver, Appearance, and Settings. Click on Settings. In the box under Color Palette, it should say 256 Color. If it does not, click on the down arrow next to the window to view a list of choices, and select the one that says 256 Color. You will also notice a slider bar under Desktop Area for adjusting resolution from 640 by 480 pixels (the lowest setting) upwards. If your video card failed the initial speed test, try adjusting the resolution to 640 by 480 pixels. This will decrease the screen resolution but may improve the speed of your video card.

Problem: Your computer fails the Memory test; you get a message stating you do not have enough memory to run Phantasmagoria.
Solution: Phantasmagoria requires a computer with a minimum of 8 MB (8192k) of RAM to run. To free up memory in Windows 95, close any and all Windows programs (including screen savers, wallpaper, virus detection programs, shell programs like Norton Desktop or Packard Bell Navigator, etc.) that may be running. On your Taskbar, right-click on the program tab for the program you wish to shut down, and select Close. Then run the Setup test program again. If your system still fails the test, create a Windows 95 boot disk for your system. Instructions can be downloaded from Sierra's document page. The document is called BDWIN95. Then boot up with the boot disk, disable any and all other Windows programs, and start the Setup/Install program again. These steps should give you enough memory to run the program.

PLEASE NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, the following issues occur in both the DOS and Windows versions of Phantasmagoria.

Problem: When starting the game, you get the error message "You need XXXXXX bytes more memory to run this application."
Solution: This problem can be solved by freeing up more memory resources for the game. See Section 6 - Memory Troubleshooting for help with this process.

Problem: The censor option does not work.
Solution: There is no default password, so Phantasmagoria defaults to uncensored mode. If you wish to censor the game's more intense moments, open the game's Control Panel and turn on the censor option. You will then be asked to make up a new password. This password will allow you to return the game to uncensored mode if you wish. If you lose or forget this password, you will have to delete and reinstall the game in order to restore the uncensored mode!

Problem: Choppy video playback in the game's movie sequences.
Solution: This typically occurs when the game does not have enough memory resources available for its use. See Section 6 - Memory Troubleshooting for help in freeing up memory for the game.

Problem: Choppy or distorted sound in the game.
Solution: This typically occurs when the game does not have enough memory resources available for its use. See Section 6 - Memory Troubleshooting for help in freeing up memory for the game.

Problem: The message "Out of movable memory: XXXXXX bytes requested." occurs when playing the game.
Solution: This typically occurs when the game does not have enough memory resources available for its use. See Section 6 - Memory Troubleshooting for help in freeing up memory for the game. Also, if the error is reproducible, save your game shortly before it occurs, exit Phantasmagoria entirely and shut down your system. Then restart and restore your saved game. If the error still persists, try starting a new game in the same chapter where the error is occurring.

Problem: You receive a "DOS 4/GW Professional" error when starting the game, even when using a boot disk. (DOS version)
Solution: This is caused by a memory manager conflict or an incompatible VESA driver or on-card VESA support. First make a bootdisk from the DOS install. If you are using a DOS bootdisk with out the EMM386.EXE line loading in the config.sys and you are still getting this message then it is a conflict with the VESA driver. This is caused by an incompatible VESA driver or on-card VESA support. Download the universal VESA driver (UVBE518) from our BBS (425-644-0112), an online service or obtain it from your video card manufacturer. Load this driver prior to starting the game to avoid this error.

Problem: The screen is black when starting a game. (DOS version)
Solution: First make an MS-DOS bootdisk from the DOS install. Also verify that you have selected a soundcard choice compatible to your soundcard in the install options. If you still receive a black screen when starting the game then it is due to a VESA driver conflict. This is caused by an incompatible VESA driver or on-card VESA support. Download the universal VESA driver (UVBE518) from our BBS (425-644-7697), an online service or obtain it from your video card manufacturer. Load this driver prior to starting the game to avoid this error. Instructions for creating a bootdisk can be downloaded from Sierra's document page. The documents are called MS DOS Bootdisk Instructions or BDW95DOS.

Problem: In Chapter 7, the Hintkeeper quits talking.
Solution: Due to the timing of the video sequences in Chapter 7, the programmers were unable to incorporate audio hints. Instead, the hints are printed in white text above the icons of the Control Panel.

Problem: In Chapter 7, the cursor does not turn red over hot spots.
Solution: Due to the timing of the video sequences in Chapter 7, the programmers were unable to incorporate the red cursor into the interface. This should not pose an excessive game-play problem. Try clicking on different places on the screen to manipulate different objects. Remember, if you do get stuck, you have the Hintkeeper available to lend assistance!

Problem: When starting the game, you get the error message "Cannot load resource 999.pal". (DOS version)
Solution: A likely cause of this is improper CD ROM reading. First, make sure that the proper CD is loaded into the drive and that the busy light has gone off to signify that it has initialized. If it has, remove the CD and inspect the shiny surface for damage or smudging. If the CD needs cleaning, you can do so with a soft, lint-free cloth. Do not use any cleaners!

If the problem persists and you are using a boot disk, check to make sure that the CD ROM drivers properly load with it. To do this, bring up Windows File Manager or Explorer and try to access a directory listing from your CD ROM drive. If you cannot, the MS-DOS or Windows 95 DOS boot disk will need to have the CD ROM driver lines manually added. Instructions can be downloaded from Sierra's document page. The documents are called MS DOS Bootdisk Instructions or BDW95DOS.

Problem: When instructed to switch CD's and press <Enter>, you get a "DOS Error - Read Error" message. You may or may not have the opportunity to retry.
Solution: When switching CD's, make sure to allow the drive to initialize the new CD before hitting <Enter>. Wait for the busy light on the drive to light up and then go dark. At this point, you should be able to press <Enter> without errors. If problems persist, remove the CD from the drive and check the shiny surface for damage or smudging. If the CD needs cleaning, you can do so with a soft, lint-free cloth. Do not use any cleaners!

Problem: You receive a "Case One Double Overrun" error message.
Solution: This is due to cdrom incompatibility. You need the PHANTPAT patch. If you have the latest version of the game (1.1) and you still receive this message then contact your cdrom manufacturer for the latest cdrom drivers. The patch can be downloaded from www.sierra.com/support/technical/updates/content.html.

Problem: When starting the game in Windows 3.1, you get the error messages "Windows Title Not Found" and "Cannot Find SIERRA.ERR".
Solution: A likely cause of this is improper CD ROM reading. First, make sure that the proper CD is loaded into the drive and that the busy light has gone off to signify that it has initialized. If it has, remove the CD and inspect the shiny surface for damage or smudging. If the CD needs cleaning, you can do so with a soft, lint-free cloth. Do not use any cleaners!

If the problem persists and you are using a boot disk, check to make sure that the CD ROM drivers properly load with it. To do this, bring up Windows File Manager and try to access a directory listing from your CD ROM drive. If you cannot, the MS-DOS or Windows 95 DOS boot disk will need to have the CD ROM driver lines manually added. Instructions can be downloaded from Sierra's document page. The documents are called MS DOS Bootdisk Instructions or BDW95DOS.

Problem: While playing in Windows on a Compaq computer, you get a General Protection Fault in module ES688WIN.DRV. (Windows 3.1)
Solution: Play the game in DOS, as this problem will occur only in Windows.

Problem: "General Protection Fault in Module ... " The module name will vary. (Windows 3.1)
Solution: A General Protection Fault (GPF) in a module other than POINTER.DLL or ES688WIN.DRV is usually caused by a memory conflict. Make sure that there are no other Windows programs running; disable all screen savers, virus scans, etc.

If you are using an alternate Windows desktop (PC Tools, Dashboard, Packard Bell Navigator, etc.), use plain Program Manager instead. One quick way to do this is to type "WIN PROGMAN" to start Windows using the regular Program Manager rather than the alternate desktop shell. If you have sound-related Windows programs installed (IconHearIt, SoundBits, etc.), make sure they are disabled before starting the game.

Old and outdated Video and Sound drivers may be at fault. Please refer to the SUPPORT button displayed when the game's SETUP.EXE is run in Windows for more information how to upgrade your Windows drivers. Look under SUPPORT - CONTENTS - CONTACT INFORMATION.

A Windows 3.1 or Windows 95 boot disk also helps with GPFs. GPFs can also be caused by outdated or incompatible sound or video drivers. If the above steps do not solve the GPF for you, contact your video and sound card manufacturers to obtain the latest versions of their Windows drivers. Instructions can be downloaded from Sierra's document page. The documents are called BDWIN31 and BDWIN95.

Problem: While playing Phantasmagoria in Windows 95, you receive a message saying "This program has performed an illegal operation...".
Solution: An "Illegal Operation" in Windows 95 is similar to a General Protection Fault in Windows 3.1 and occurs for the same reasons. Therefore, the solutions are similar as well. First, make sure that you are not running any Windows programs other than the game. Programs like screen savers and virus detection programs should be disabled. If you are using an alternate Windows desktop (PC Tools, Dashboard, Packard Bell Navigator, etc.), use the default Windows 95 desktop instead. If you have sound-related Windows programs installed (IconHearIt, SoundBits, etc.), make sure they are disabled before starting the game.

Old and outdated Video and Sound drivers can also cause this type of error. Please refer to the SUPPORT button displayed when the game's SETUP.EXE is run in Windows for more information how to upgrade your Windows drivers. Look under SUPPORT - CONTENTS - CONTACT INFORMATION.

You should also make sure that you are running Windows 256 colors. Running in less or more colors can cause errors of this type. Consult the steps given for changing display settings in Section 2 - Common Installation Problems.

Windows 95 allows you to disable some video acceleration. This often helps with Illegal Operation errors. To do this, click on Start, then Settings, Control Panel. Double-click the System icon, choose Performance, then Graphics. You should see a slider bar labeled Hardware Acceleration. Lower the bar a notch (slide it to the left), then restart Windows when you are prompted and run the game again. Continue doing this until you cannot lower the bar any more or the problem is corrected. If this corrects the problem, you should contact your video card manufacturer to obtain updated video drivers.

You can also free up memory by lowering your CD ROM Supplemental Cache Size. From Control Panel, click on System, then Performance, File System. Click on the tab for CD ROM. Adjust the slider bar for Supplemental Cache Size from "Large" to "Small", then click on OK.

DOS

Problem: Distortion or choppiness in sound.
Solution: Proper sound in the DOS version of Phantasmagoria depends on proper initialization of the sound card before playing the game. If you are having problems getting proper sound - especially if you're using a boot disk - make sure that the sound card is properly being configured on boot up. Check the soundcard chart, SNDCHRT, for the proper lines to load. If, after the sound card is properly configured, problems persist we recommend running the game in Windows. SNDCHRT can be downloaded from Sierra's document page. The documents are called BDWIN31 and BDWIN95.

Problem: The music is too loud, you can't hear the speech - or vice versa.
Solution: Access the game's Control Panel - the large letter "P" on the game interface. Here you can access volume controls for the DAC (speech) and MIDI (music) separately. If you cannot sufficiently adjust these levels to find a proper balance, you'll need to adjust your sound card with it's mixer software. Most sound cards will have a DOS or Windows program group with this utility. If not, see your sound card documentation for assistance.

Problem: During the game, you receive an "Error 29 - Unable to initialize your audio hardware".
Solution: You need the PHANTPAT patch, which can be downloaded from www.sierra.com/support/technical/updates/content.html.

Problem: The sound and/or music cut out randomly during the game. This may occur during the movies.
Solution: You need the PHANTPAT patch if you have version 1.0. PHANTPAT can be downloaded for free from www.sierra.com/support/technical/updates/content.html. With version 1.1, create a MS-DOS, Windows 3.1, or Windows 95 bootdisk. Instructions can be downloaded from Sierra's document page. The documents are called MS DOS Bootdisk Instructions and BDWIN31 and BDWIN95.

WINDOWS 3.1

Problem: When playing the game in Windows, the last music note played on one screen hangs and carries over to the next screen.
Solution: This is caused by improper Windows MIDI Mapper setup. From the Main program group, go to the Control Panel icon and select the MIDI Mapper icon. Click on the Edit radio button to check what configuration is loading.

You'll see a large chart with 16 rows on it and five columns. The rightmost column is headed "Active" and consists of check boxes. If you have a 16-bit or wavetable sound card, like the SoundBlaster 16, Pro Audio Spectrum 16, ESS Audio Drive, Mozart or Ensoniq Soundscape, only the boxes in rows 1-10 should be checked. If you have an 8-bit sound card like the SoundBlaster Pro or Mediavision Thunderboard, the boxes for rows 13-16 should be checked. In all cases, the numbers in the first and second columns - SRC Channel and Dest Channel - should be the same on each line. Finally, the Port Name column should have a name in it that mentions "FM" or "Synth" in it. The Patch Map column should show [none] for all rows. Once the MIDI Mapper is reset, the sound in the game should work fine. If you'd like a more graphical explanation of the MIDI Mapper, please refer to the file README.WRI in the root directory of CD #1. This file is specifically made to be viewed with Windows Write.

Problem: When playing in Windows, you aren't hearing all of the music in the game. For example, you crank the player piano and only get silence.
Solution: This is caused by improper MIDI Mapper setup in Windows. Please see the solution for the previous problem for troubleshooting information.

Problem: When using a boot disk, an error message displays an "Incorrect DMA setting" message for your Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 sound card.
Solution: The boot disk maker will occasionally miss some lines necessary to configure the SB16 properly. Using a text editor, make certain that the following lines appear in the files below on the boot disk. PLEASE NOTE: The following lines are for default configuration of the Sound Blaster 16 with the latest driver set and may vary with your particular system. Please consult your sound card documentation for further information.

AUTOEXEC.BAT
SET SOUND=C:\SB16
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H1 P300 T6
SET MIDI=SYNTH:1 MAP:E
C:\SB16\SB16SET /P /Q
C:\SB16\DIAGNOSE /S

CONFIG.SYS
DEVICEHIGH=C:\SB16\DRV\CTMMSYS.SYS
DEVICEHIGH=C:\SB16\DRV\CTSB16.SYS /BLASTER:A220 I5 D1 /UNIT:0

Problem: The music is too loud, you can't hear the speech - or vice versa.
Solution: Access the game's Control Panel - the large letter "P" on the game interface. Here you can access volume controls for the DAC (speech) and MIDI (music) separately. If you cannot sufficiently adjust these levels to find a proper balance, you'll need to adjust your sound card with it's mixer software. Most sound cards will have a Windows program group with this utility. If not, see your sound card documentation for assistance.

Problem: While playing in Windows, you start up the game and get a "Waveout Unprepared Header" or "Waveout Open" error message. (Windows 3.1)
Solution: This means that another program is trying to use the sound card at the same time as the game. First, before playing the game, press <Ctrl-Esc> to bring up a Task List window. Before playing the game, Program Manager should be the only active task listed. All other tasks, especially those that use the sound card (like IconHearIt, Wired for Sound, screen savers, etc.) should be ended before playing. If this does not solve the problem, run the Boot Disk Maker for the game included in the Sierra program group. This will keep your system from loading programs at the DOS level that may be contributing to the problem.

If problems still persist, go to the menu bar below Program Manager, choose <File> <Run> and type in SYSEDIT to bring up the System Configuration Editor. A window with 4 smaller cascaded windows inside of it will appear. Click on the title bar of the one that says "C:\WINDOWS\WIN.INI" to bring it to the forefront. In the first 10 lines or so, look for two specific lines that begin with "load=" and "run=". When you find them, place a semi-colon (" ; ") in the leftmost spot of each line. Then, go to the tool bar and click on <File> <Save>. Now, exit Windows and restart to disable the programs loading on those two lines. Please note that any utilities that may be loading on those lines will be disabled until you run SYSEDIT again and simply remove the semi-colons.

NOTE: Improperly altering Windows configuration files can disable Windows. If this should happen to you, don't worry; you can recover easily. Simply type the following commands from any DOS prompt, pressing <Enter> after typing in each line. Do not type in the information in parentheses! (These lines assume that Windows is installed to the directory C:\WINDOWS. Make any necessary adjustments.)

C: (This should bring you to a prompt on the C: drive.)
CD \WINDOWS (This will bring you to a prompt in the Windows directory.)
REN WIN.INI WIN.XXX (Renames your corrupted WIN.INI file.)
REN WIN.SYD WIN.INI (Restores WIN.SYD, a snapshot of the file before it was edited, to the original WIN.INI.)

WINDOWS 95

To make sure that your sound card is configured correctly in Windows 95, check the Audio and MIDI settings in the Multimedia section of Control Panel. The Audio setting defines what driver will be used to produce digitized sound (DAC). Speech and sound effects in a game are usually DAC sounds. The MIDI setting indicates what driver is being used for music playback. The following examples are for the SoundBlaster 16:

AUDIO: SB16 Wave Out
MIDI: MIDI for Internal OPL2/OPL3 FM Synthesis

The names of the Audio and MIDI drivers will vary, depending on your sound card. However, they should be similar to these SoundBlaster 16 drivers. For complete information (including driver names and installation instructions) on Windows 95 drivers for your sound card, contact your sound card manufacturer.

Problem: You hear no sound during the game
Solution: This usually occurs when your sound card's Windows 95 drivers are not installed correctly. Click on Start, then Settings, Control Panel. Double-click the System icon and choose Device Manager. Then double click on the sound, video and game controllers line. If this line is not present or after clicking on it there is no soundcard driver listed, then the soundcard is not set up correctly for Windows 95. Contact your soundcard manufacturer for the latest Windows 95 drivers and for the correct soundcard set up. See the above paragraphs for further information on checking your Windows 95 sound card drivers.

Problem: The game locks in Windows 95 with an MWave soundcard.
Solution: You need the MWave Windows 95 sound driver, PHATFIX. Contact IBM for this driver update.

If you are having difficulties freeing up sufficient memory to play Phantasmagoria or are experiencing problems with choppy video playback, try the following steps:

Make a Boot Disk: An MS-DOS, Windows 3.1, or Windows 95 boot disk will allow you to start your system with only the minimal memory-resident programs necessary to run and with a memory configuration optimal to the game. To make a boot disk, simply place a new, high-density diskette in your A: drive and either double-click on the Boot Disk Maker icon in the Sierra Windows program group or run the game's DOS INSTALL program and choose the "Make bootable floppy disk" option. Then follow the on-screen prompts. Instructions can be downloaded from Sierra's document page. The documents are called MS DOS Bootdisk Instructions and BDWIN31 and BDWIN95. Please note: Many systems equipped with large IDE hard drives have special procedures that must be followed to boot from a boot disk. Two common examples are holding the <Shift> key while pressing the Reset button or pressing the <Spacebar> after rebooting. If your system has difficulties reading the boot disk, check your system documentation for the correct procedure to boot from a boot disk in the A: drive.

Close Other Memory-Resident Programs: If playing in Windows, try to free up as many resources as possible. If you have Windows 3.11, start Windows from your DOS prompt with the command WIN /N. This will disable the built-in network drivers that Win 3.11 loads. You should also make sure to close any other memory-resident programs before playing Phantasmagoria. If you are using an alternate Windows desktop shell, like PC Desktop, Norton Desktop or Tabworks, try disabling it to free up more resources to the game.

Make Virtual Memory Adjustments: If playing in Windows 3.11 or Windows for Workgroups, disable 32-bit file access as it by default takes up at least 2 MB of RAM. To do this, double click on the 386 Enhanced icon in Control Panel. When the dialog box pops up, click on the Virtual Memory button and then the Change button. If the 32-bit file access box has an "X" in it, remove it. If you are using Windows 3.1, you will see a 32-bit disk access option. Do not disable this option. For these versions of Windows, make sure that you are using a permanent Windows swap file of about 8-9 MB. You can make these changes in the "New Settings" section of the Virtual Memory screen. In Windows 95, check the virtual memory setting in Control Panel, System, Performance. Virtual memory should be enabled, and the size of the swap file should be handled by Windows 95.

Play the Game in DOS: The Windows operating system takes up resources above and beyond those of DOS. To free up the most resources for the game, try running the game in DOS instead. If you're using Windows 3.1, exit Windows. If you're playing in Windows 95, restart in DOS mode. Place the first Phantasmagoria CD in the drive, change to that drive by typing the drive letter of the CD ROM followed by a " : " (colon) and pressing <Enter>. From the resulting prompt, type INSTALL, press <Enter> and follow the on-screen prompts.

Reduce the Game Window: Graphics are an extremely memory-intensive operation. To free up memory, and make the game run more smoothly, access the game's Control Panel - the large letter "P" in the center of the game's interface - and make the following change. Reduce the game window from full screen to half-screen. The game videos will play in a smaller window, but should be much more smooth.

If you do not see your specific problem listed above, these standard troubleshooting procedures correct most problems running Phantasmagoria.

Step 1 - Run the program from a minimal boot disk. (DOS and Windows versions)
A MS-DOS, Windows 3.1, or Windows 95 boot disk is a tool that can be used to resolve most conflicts. Boot disks will free up more system resources and memory for your games. The boot disk also creates an environment that is "cleaner" or free of extra TSR and utilities that can sometimes cause conflicts. Instructions can be downloaded from Sierra's document page. The documents are called MS DOS Bootdisk Instructions and Win 3.1 Boot Disk Instructions and Win 95 System Disk Creation Instructions.

Step 2 - Check for corrupted files. (DOS and Windows versions)
Run CHKDSK /F or SCANDISK to detect and correct any hard drive errors and corrupted files. If you find any errors such as cross-linked or truncated files or lost allocation units, correct them, then delete and reinstall Phantasmagora.

Step 3 - Check for sound card conflicts (DOS version).
Many lockups in games can be traced to sound card configuration. To determine if you have a sound card lockup, run the INSTALL program and check the current setting for "MUSIC". Make sure the selection is supported by the hardware in your computer. See your sound card's documentation for help resolving sound card conflicts.

Step 4 - Reinstall the game in a clean boot environment (DOS and Windows versions).
Lockups and other technical problems can be caused by corrupted game files. No program will run correctly if the data or executable files are corrupted. These corruptions will occur during the installation of the game and are usually due to conflicts with TSRs or other utilities running in DOS during the installation. Reinstalling the game in the same DOS environment will usually result in the same corrupted data. You should install the game in a "clean" boot environment.

Step 5 - Create a clean Windows environment (Windows version).
Make sure that all screen savers, virus scans, and sound-related Windows programs (IconHear It, Wired for Sound, etc.) are disabled before starting the game. In addition, if you are using an alternate Windows desktop like Norton Desktop or PCTools, use the default Windows desktop instead. Check your swap file settings. If you are using Windows 3.1, swap file should be between 6-10 MB. If you are playing in Windows 95, make sure that your virtual memory is enabled.

Step 6 - Check your drivers!
Outdated or incompatible video or sound drivers can also cause lockups and errors in Windows. Sierra recommends you check with your sound and video card manufacturers to make sure you have the latest versions of these drivers. Some manufacturers update their drivers several times a year, so it's easy to get behind.

There is one patch available for Phantasmagoria. This patch, PHANTPAT, corrects the "Error 29" sound card problem, cdrom incompatibility issues and some memory error messages found with version 1.0. The patch can be downloaded from www.sierra.com/support/technical/updates/content.html. You can also request a patch disk be mailed to you by calling Sierra Technical Support at 425-644-7697, faxing to 425-644-7697 or writing to CUC Software Fulfillment, 4100 West 190^th Street, Torrance, California 90504.