=========================================================== Running Falcon Gold Under Windows 95 FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Last revised: March 19, 1997 =========================================================== Compatibility With Windows 95 ============================= Unfortunately, because Falcon 3.0 was programmed in 1990-1991 (long before Windows 95 was released), the simulations in Falcon Gold are not compatible with Windows 95. You cannot run them in a DOS box under Windows 95 because you will not hear digitized sounds correctly and they will sound too slow. We recommend instead that you run the simulations in Falcon Gold in MS-DOS mode. To do so, we recommend using a boot disk. You can download the BOOTALL utility from us at our Web site at www.holobyte.com, our FTP site at ftp.holobyte.com, our BBS at 510-522-8909 or from online services such as America Online, CompuServe and GEnie. The BOOTALL utility will make a boot disk specifically for running Falcon Gold under Windows 95. To use your boot disk, however, you will need to install the games completely to your hard drive. If you have Falcon Gold, be sure to install the games and choose the "Full install" option instead of "CD-ROM install." The full install will take up 23MB on your hard drive, but you won't have to load a DOS-based CD-ROM driver in order to play the games. As long as you are not running disk compression software (such as DriveSpace), you should be able to run the simulations in Falcon Gold on a Windows 95 system. How to Make a Boot Disk ======================= If you wish to make your own boot disk, please refer to page 13 in the "Falcon Gold Flight Manual" or "Falcon 3.0 Release Notes and Communications Handbook" and follow the instructions there for creating a boot disk. At step 2, use the batch file called "Bootmice." Follow the rest of the instructions, but when it says to reboot your computer, do not do so. Because Windows 95 changed the location of some of the system files, you will need to edit the files on your boot disk so that it will find the necessary files. Follow the instructions below: 1) Change to your floppy disk drive by typing "A:" and pressing [Enter] at the DOS prompt. 2) Type "EDIT CONFIG.SYS" and press [Enter]. You will see a blue screen with white letters. You will need to change two lines in your CONFIG.SYS file. 3) Change the line that reads "DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS" to "DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS." 4) Change the line that reads "DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE 1024 RAM" to "DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE 1024 RAM." 5) Click on the File menu and then "Save." 6) Click on the File menu and then "Exit." 7) You should now see the A:\> prompt. 8) Type "EDIT AUTOEXEC.BAT" and press [Enter]. 9) Change the PATH or SETPATH command so that it reads "PATH C:\;C:WINDOWS\;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND;C:\DOS;" 10) Click on the File menu and then "Save." 11) Click on the File menu and then "Exit." How to Use a Boot Disk ====================== 1) Leave your new boot disk in drive A and restart your computer. 2) At the A:\> prompt, type "C:" and press [Enter]. The prompt should now read C:\>. 3) Type "CD FALCONCD" (or "CD FALCON3 if you have just Falcon 3.0, not Falcon Gold) and press [Enter]. 4) Type "FALCONCD" (or "FALCON3" if you have just Falcon 3.0) and press [Enter] to run the game.