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Small Soldiers- Squad Commander
(c)1998 DreamWorks Interactive
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Release Notes
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Thanks for purchasing Small Soldiers: Squad Commander!!
These release notes are intended to provide last minute
information regarding Small Soldiers: Squad Commander.
Small Soldiers: Squad Commander uses the latest in game
design technology. We don't expect you'll encounter any
problems, however, if you are having trouble getting
Small Soldiers: Squad Commander to run on your system,
please read the troubleshooting section below.
Need a hint? Grab a phone!
If you get stuck and need hints or tips on how to defeat
the Commandos or the Gorgonites, call the DreamWorks
Interactive Hint Line at 1-900-454-GAME. It's available
24 hours a day, 7 days a week and costs $.95 per minute
within the United States. If you're under 18 years old,
please make sure you get your parent's permission. Also,
look for the official Small Soldiers: Squad Commander
Strategy Guide from Brady Games, available at your local
retailer or through their website at www.Bradygames.com.
For up-to-date news about this and other DreamWorks
Interactive products, visit us at our World-Wide Web
address- www.DreamWorksGames.com
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CONTENTS
1. HARDWARE AND SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
2. PERFORMANCE TIPS
3. INSTALLATION OF SMALL SOLDIERS
3.1 Install troubleshooting
3.2 Uninstallation of Small Soldiers
4. RUNNING THE GAME
5. VIDEO TROUBLESHOOTING
5.1 Specific Video card trouble shooting
6. AUDIO TROUBLESHOOTING
7. OTHER HARDWARE COMPATIBILITY ISSUES
8. TECHNICAL SUPPORT
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1. HARDWARE AND SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Pentium 100 MHz
4x-speed CD-ROM drive
16 MB RAM
Windows 95
640x480 Super VGA Monitor
1 MB Video Card
Windows compatible sound card
Microsoft compatible mouse
30MB hard disk space
*Warning*
You will be given the option to install the Microsoft DirectX 5.2
drivers. If you do not have DirectX installed on your machine,
Small Soldiers: Squad Commander will not run.
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2. PERFORMANCE TIPS
* Close other programs that are running before playing Small
Soldiers: Squad Commander. Doing this may free up available
memory and improve performance.
* Some sound-producing programs, like a screen saver or any
program that makes a sound in the background, may take over
the sound capability of your computer and interrupt Small
Soldiers: Squad Commander sounds. If you suspect you have such
a program, do not run it or any other sound-producing programs
at the same time as Small Soldiers: Squad Commander.
*Some Desktop toolbars may not be observing Windows logo
requirements and could draw over Small Soldiers: Squad
Commander. If this happens, please disable the tool bar.
* Do not remove the Small Soldiers: Squad Commander disc from
your CD-ROM drive while you are running the program. This
could cause the program or your computer to shut down
unexpectedly.
* Make sure your CD-ROM drive gives you peak performance.
To make sure that Windows is set to run your CD-ROM drive at
its best:
1. Click My Computer with the right mouse-button.
2. Click Properties, and then click the Performance tab.
3. Click the File System button, and then click the CD-ROM
tab.
Make sure that the Supplemental cache size is set to Large and
that the Optimize access pattern is correctly set for your type of
CD-ROM drive you have. Look in your computer or CD-ROM
drive manual to find out what this setting should be.
* Check your monitor and video card settings.
The best settings are 640 x 480 and 256 colors. (See section
5. VIDEO TROUBLESHOOTING for instructions on how
to change the settings.)
* Small Soldiers: Squad Commander requires a certain amount of
free hard disk space in order to function properly. The amount
required depends on the amount of memory (or RAM) your
computer has, and the memory settings for the computer. In
general, the more RAM you have, the less free hard disk space you
need. If you are using Windows with the default settings which
allow Windows to manage the Virtual Memory, Small Soldiers:
Squad Commander runs best with at least 25 megabytes (MB) of
free hard disk space when using the minimum installation option.
If you have more space, you can choose to install the typical or
maximum install options (the next section explains in detail
installation of Small Soldiers: Squad Commander).
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3. INSTALLATION SMALL SOLDIERS: SQUAD COMMANDER
Turn on your computer and start Windows 95 or
Windows NT 4.0 with Service pack 3.
Insert the Small Soldiers CD-ROM into the CD-ROM
drive.
The Small Soldiers install screen should appear.
If the install screen does not appear, open My Computer
then double click on your CD-ROM drive and double click
setup.exe to bring up the install screen.
Click on the install button and follow the directions.
Please note that you will be given the option to install
the Microsoft DirectX 5.2 drivers. If you do not have DirectX
installed on your machine, Small Soldiers: Squad Commander
will not run.
The program will prompt you to choose a directory for
installation. It is preferred that you use the default
directory, which is already displayed in the directory window.
If not you can also choose to install into a different directory by
clicking the Browse button. Please note that you will not be
allowed to install directly to the root directory. You must choose
to install to a folder. If the directory does not exist, you will
be prompted to ok the creation of the directory.
After choosing the directory, you will be given the following
install options:
*Minimum install: this will install just the essential game functions.
*Typical install: this will install the most common game files.
*Maximum install: this will install all game and level functions and
will provide the least amount of loading time during the game.
The approximate required hard disk space is shown in each install
box. The total amount of space that you have on your hard drive
is listed at the top of the window.
If you installed DirectX, you must restart your computer in order
for the settings to take effect.
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3.1 INSTALL TROUBLESHOOTING
If you are uncomfortable trying any of the following suggestions
on your own, you may want to ask your computer manufacturer,
retailer or a more experienced friend to help.
* Small Soldiers: Squad Commander requires Microsoft Windows
95 or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 service pack 3. To purchase a
Windows or NT upgrade, see your local retailer.
"I don't see an installation screen."
If this occurs, try the following:
- When you put the CD in, wait 5-10 seconds for your drive to
recognize the disc.
- If the Installation screen still does not show up, double-click
My Computer on your desktop and double-click the Small
Soldiers: Squad Commander icon.
- If you do not see a Small Soldiers: Squad Commander icon in
My Computer, double-click the CD-ROM icon and double-click
Setup. If setup doesn't start, or you don't see your CD-ROM
drive in the list, you may be having problems with your CD-ROM
drive.
"I'm having problems with my CD-ROM drive."
Check the drive itself. Here are three things to try.
- Make sure the Small Soldiers: Squad Commander disc is inserted
in the CD-ROM drive. (Small Soldiers: Squad Commander won't
run unless the disc is in the drive.)
- If you have an external CD-ROM drive, make sure the power is
turned on and that it is correctly connected to your computer.
- Check for a hardware conflict.
Make sure the CD-ROM drive doesn't conflict with other
Hardware by using the Hardware Conflict Troubleshooter.
To use the Hardware Conflict Troubleshooter:
1. In Windows, click the Start button, and then click Help.
2. Double-click Troubleshooting.
3. Double-click If you have a hardware conflict and follow
the on-screen instructions.
* If, after you try these three things, Small Soldiers: Squad
Commander still tells you it can't find data, check to see if your
CD-ROM drive is installed properly. Refer to the manual that
came with your computer system or CD-ROM drive for help, or
contact the company that supplied the drive.
* Try uninstalling Small Soldiers: Squad Commander before
trying to re-install.
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3.2 UNINSTALLATION OF SMALL SOLDIERS-
SQUAD COMMANDER
This removes all programs files and components from your
hard drive
Turn on your computer and start Windows 95 or
Windows NT 4.0 with Service pack 3.
Insert the Small Soldiers CD-ROM into the CD-ROM
drive.
The Small Soldiers install screen should appear.
If the install screen does not appear, open My Computer
then double click on your CD-ROM drive and double click
setup.exe to bring up the install screen.
Click on the uninstall button and follow the directions.
You will be prompted whether you wish to remove your saved
games. If you choose to keep your saved games then everything
will be uninstalled, except for the saved games.
You must restart the computer for the uninstallation process
to be completed.
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4. RUNNING THE GAME
* Windows 95:
Insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive.
This will bring up the Start screen.
After a few seconds a panel should appear.
Click on 'PLAY' to launch the game.
Alternative 1:
Open the Start menu on your task bar.
Under programs choose DreamWorks Interactive and
'Small Soldiers'.
This will bring up the Start screen.
Click on 'PLAY' to launch the game.
Alternative 2:
On your desktop open My Computer.
Double click on your CD-ROM drive.
Double click setup.exe to bring up the Start screen.
Click on 'PLAY' to launch the game.
Screen savers including After Dark can end the game if
not closed before game play.
Do not change your monitor resolution during game play.
Small Soldiers: Squad Commander automatically switches to
640x480 during game play and other adjustments may cause
problems requiring rebooting and restarting play.
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5. VIDEO TROUBLESHOOTING
"A message appears telling me to run in 256 color mode or
higher."
- Your computer must display at least 256 colors to run Small
Soldiers: Squad Commander. To display 256 colors:
1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click
Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Display icon.
3. Click the Settings tab.
4. Under Color Palette, click 256 Color.
5. Click OK.
If you don't have the necessary 256-color driver, or if you're
not sure that your video card supports 256 colors, contact your
video card manufacturer.
- Make sure you have the correct Monitor Type selected for
your computer. To do this use the following steps:
1. Click the Start button, point to Settings and click Control
Panel.
2. In Control Panel, double-click the Display icon.
3. Click the Settings tab and click Change Display Type.
4. Under Monitor Type, verify that the correct Monitor Type
is selected. If the incorrect monitor is selected or if the
Monitor Type is set to Unknown, click Change to select the
correct monitor.
"When I started the game, I received a message that said my video
drivers do not support DirectX"
-This may or may not affect game play. If game play is affected,
try re-installing DirectX
-To re-install DirectX 5.2:
1. Double-click My Computer on the desktop.
2. Right mouse click on the Small Soldiers: Squad
Commander icon, then click Open.
3. Double-click the setup folder, then double-click the
DirectX folder.
4. Double-click DXSETUP then click reinstall DirectX.
5. After installation, you will be prompted to restart your
machine. Click OK.
- Read through the rest of this troubleshooting section and see
if the other tips solve your video problems.
-If re-installing DirectX does not certify your sound drivers and
the other troubleshooting tips do not work, please contact your
sound manufacturer for the latest DirectX sound drivers.
"Video is choppy and breaks up."
- Try switching from high-resolution video to low-resolution
video. To do this use the following steps:
1. Start Small Soldiers: Squad Commander and start any
mission.
2. Click the options button in the lower right hand corner of the
screen.
3. Click the configure button.
4. Click the Low Res Video button.
- If your computer has a graphics acceleration card, then try
disabling Direct3D Hardware Acceleration. To disable Direct3D
Hardware Acceleration:
1. Run the file \Setup\Directx\Dxsetup.exe from the CD-ROM.
2. Clear the Direct 3D Hardware Acceleration check box.
- If the problem still occurs, change Graphics Acceleration to
Basic.
1. In the Windows 95 Control Panel, double-click System.
2. On the Performance tab, click Graphics.
3. Change the Acceleration slider to one notch above None.
4. Click OK, then click Close.
- Your computer must have a PCI video card with 1 MB
VRAM to display video scenes properly. If your computer has an
ISA video card or a video card with less than 1 MB of VRAM,
it is recommended that you upgrade to a PCI video card with at
least 1 MB of VRAM. To find out how much VRAM you have:
1. Double-click My Computer.
2. Right mouse click on the Small Soldiers: Squad Commander
icon.
3. Click Open. Double-click the setup folder.
4. Double-click setchaos.exe.
5. Read under Installation Information the amount of Video
Memory. If this number is less than 1000000 or Video Memory
is emulated, then you do not have 1 MB of VRAM.
"The desktop area and resolution are different after I quit the game."
It is recommended that you have your display area size set to
640x480 and 256 colors before playing Small Soldiers: Squad
Commander.
To do this use the following steps:
1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click
Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Display icon.
3. Click the Settings tab.
4. Under Desktop area, move the slider to the left so that
640x480 pixels is displayed.
5. Under Color palette select 256 color.
6. Click OK.
7. You may have to reboot your computer before changes take
effect. Be sure to close all any open applications before
doing so.
"The display utility program doesn't work anymore."
If your video card was installed with extra utility software
programs, these may be disabled after installing DirectX.
You may want to re-install the video card utility programs.
"I got a SetDisplayMode Error: DDERR_GENERIC message"
If you receive this error you probably have a video card that
doesn't fully support on the fly mode switching. To fix, set
your resolution to 256 color and restart.
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5.1. Specific Video Card Troubleshooting
* If your computer has an ISA video card, you may experience
crashes or freezes while playing the game. ISA video cards are
not supported by this product. It is recommended that you
upgrade to a PCI video card with at least 1 MB of VRAM.
* If your computer has a Compaq Qvision PCI 1 MB VRAM
video card, your desktop area and resolution may change after
exiting the program. It is recommended that you change your
display resolution to 640x480 and 256 colors before running
Small Soldiers: Squad Commander.
*UniVBE: If you are using UniVBE 5.1, you will need to
disable it before playing Small Soldiers: Squad Commander
or the game could possibly not function properly. Be
sure to re-enable UniVBE 5.1 when finished playing.
To disable UniVBE 5.1 before playing Small Soldiers
Click the Start button, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type sysedit
Click OK. A number of windows will appear.
Click the title bar of the window labeled Autoexec.bat.
At the beginning of the line that lists UniVBE 5.1, type
REM followed by a space. For example, REM UniVBE 5.1.
On the File menu, click Save.
On the File menu, click Exit.
Restart your computer to apply this change, and then
start Small Soldiers: Squad Commander.
To re-enable UniVBE 5.1 after playing Small Soldiers
Click the Start button, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type sysedit
Click OK. A number of windows will appear.
Click the title bar of the window labeled Autoexec.bat.
At the beginning of the line that lists UniVBE 5.1,
delete REM.
On the File menu, click Save.
On the File menu, click Exit.
Restart your computer to apply this change.
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6. AUDIO TROUBLESHOOTING
Most sound cards can play only one sound at a time. Some
sound-producing programs, like a screen saver or any program
that makes a sound in the background, may take over the sound
capability of your computer and interrupt Small Soldiers: Squad
Commander sounds. If you suspect you have such a program, do
not run it or any other sound-producing programs at the same
time as Small Soldiers: Squad Commander.
"I don't hear any sound."
- Make sure your speakers are plugged into a power source,
if applicable, and that the power is turned on.
- Try adjusting the sound card volume with a program that is
often called a "mixer." To access the sound mixer:
1. Click the Start button, point to Programs, point to
Accessories, point to Multimedia and click Volume
Control.
2. Turn up the volume using the volume slider bars under
Volume Control and Wave Balance. Make sure that the
Mute box is unchecked, then close the Volume Control
window.
- Make sure your speakers are plugged into the correct
connection on your sound card.
- Make sure the sound card is pressed securely into its slot.
- Make sure the sound card switches and settings were set
correctly when the sound card was installed. Refer to your
sound card manual for more information on your sound card
settings.
- Make sure the sound card doesn't conflict with other hardware
by using the Hardware Conflict Troubleshooter. The Hardware
Conflict Troubleshooter was designed specifically to help with
hardware conflicts in Windows. To use the Troubleshooter:
1. In Windows, click the Start button, and then click Help.
2. Double-click Troubleshooting.
3. Double-click If you have a hardware conflict and follow
the on screen instructions.
"The sound is distorted, skips, or cuts off."
- If the sound is distorted, try adjusting the sound card volume
with a program that is often called a "mixer." See instructions
above on how to do this.
- If the sound occasionally skips or cuts off, it is possible that the
CD-ROM drive doesn't meet the minimum requirements. Small
Soldiers: Squad Commander requires a quad-speed (4X) or higher
CD-ROM drive. If you keep using the same CD-ROM drive,
you probably will continue to hear the sound break up or skip.
Or you can upgrade your CD-ROM drive for better performance.
- If you have a Media Vision Pro Audio 16 sound card and the
sound is scratchy, the Direct Memory Access (DMA) may be
set incorrectly. For instructions on changing your DMA
settings, refer to your sound card manual.
"When I started the game, the game said my sound drivers do not
support DirectX"
This may or may not affect game play. If game play is affected,
try re-installing DirectX
-To re-install DirectX 5.2:
1. Double-click My Computer on the desktop.
2. Right mouse click on the Small Soldiers: Squad Commander
icon, then click Open.
3. Double-click the setup folder, then double-click the
DirectX folder.
4. Double-click DXSETUP then click reinstall DirectX.
5. After installation, you will be prompted to restart your
machine. Click OK.
-If re-installing DirectX does not certify your sound drivers,
please contact your sound manufacturer for the latest DirectX
sound drivers.
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7. OTHER HARDWARE COMPATIBILITY ISSUES
* If you're using IntelliPoint software with your Microsoft mouse.
The Snap To feature can cause the mouse pointer to jump around
on the screen when you do certain things in Small Soldiers: Squad
Commander. To fix the pointer problem, turn off the Snap To
feature. To turn off the Snap To feature:
1. In Windows, click the Start button, and then point to Settings.
2. Click Control Panel, and then double-click the Mouse icon.
In the lower-right corner of the Mouse Properties box, you'll
see Microsoft IntelliPoint mentioned.
3. Click the Activity tab, and then click Snap To. Make sure
there is no 'x' in the box.
4. Click OK.
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8. TECHNICAL SUPPORT
If you believe you have found any errors or defects in the program
during the warranty period, call Hasbro Interactive's Customer
Support Department at (410) 568-2377 between the hours of
8:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m. Monday through Friday (Eastern Time)
and 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, holidays
excluded. Additional support is available via email at
[email protected] or on the web at www.Hasbro.com. Our technical
personnel will attempt to help you correct any problem that may occur.
If you have a problem resulting from a manufacturing defect in the
CD-ROM, Hasbro Interactive will replace your compact disc with a
corrected version. For problems resulting from your system software or
hardware, Hasbro Interactive will suggest technical solutions to
help you avoid the problem.
Archived by OldGamesDownload.com on 12th October, 2019