Installation Problems

Q: I can't get my Smart Games product to install under Windows XP. How can I fix this problem?
A: First of all, make sure that you have installed all of the Service Packs, critical security updates and other patches and fixes Microsoft makes available for Windows XP. To find out if you have, please go to the Microsoft site at http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp and scan for and apply any updates that Microsoft indicates are needed. Please be advised that we are not responsible for these updates and the impact they may have on your system, Microsoft is. If you have any support issues regarding Windows XP updates, please contact Microsoft directly. If, after the update process, you are still having installation problems, we recommend that you do the following as it has worked for almost all Windows XP users that are having installation problems.

Create a new folder on your hard drive and name it anything you like. Copy the entire contents (including all sub-folders) of the Smart Games CD-ROM to this folder and remove the CD-ROM from your computer. Navigate to the new folder and double click on the SETUP.EXE program. The installation process should start and you should elect to install all of the Quick Access files (typically done via a Custom install but read your specific product manual for details) so that the CD-ROM is not required to run the program (see Puzzle Challenge 3 section below for the additional steps that are sometimes needed to run the Hasbro version of Challenge 3 without the CD-ROM). Once you have successfully installed the entire game and all of the required files are present on your hard drive, you can delete the folder containing the copy of the CD-ROM that you originally created. Finally, if you have multiple user accounts with different rights (as you can with Windows XP) and you install one of our products under a user name that has Administrator rights then anyone that wants to use the game may also have to have Administrator rights. This procedure is mandated by the way Windows XP assigns rights to multiple users on a machine, not by our code.

Q: I can't get Puzzle Challenge 3 or the Blue Game Pack or the Green Game Pack to install. How can I fix this problem?
A: For Windows 95 / 98 users: If you have not updated your system with the Service Packs and Critical Security Updates provided free from Microsoft, then you will not have the latest version of the Windows Installer Service and Challenge 3 will not automatically install on your system. You can check your system by going to Microsoft's website at http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp and can then scan for and apply any updates that Microsoft indicates are needed. Please be advised that we are not responsible for these updates and the impact they may have on your system, Microsoft is. If you have any support issues regarding Windows updates, please contact Microsoft directly. Please be advised that Microsoft has already discontinued support for Windows 95 and will do likewise for Windows 98 sometime in 2003 which may result in Windows updates for those versions no longer being available.

If you do not want to apply or cannot obtain the Microsoft updates for your version of Windows, then as an alternative solution, you may also follow this simple procedure to fix the installation problem. Place the Challenge 3 CD-ROM in your CD-ROM drive, click on the Windows START button, select RUN, select BROWSE, select MY COMPUTER and then double click on the Challenge 3 CD-ROM to display the files on the CD-ROM and then double click on the file INSTMSIA.EXE and then Run this program. This will upgrade your system so that it uses the standard Microsoft Installer Service that was available starting with Windows 2000. Follow the onscreen prompts and close the program when it has finished (usually less than a minute on most systems). You may then open and close your CD-ROM drive to initiate the automatic install process for Challenge 3. From that point on, just follow the on screen prompts.

Q: I'm having trouble installing Challenge 1 or Word Puzzles. How can I fix it?
A: In order for Challenge 1 or Word Puzzles to run properly, you must either:
A) Select CUSTOM install with the QUICK ACCESS option (allowing you to run the game without having to have the CD-ROM in your system) or
B) Select EXPRESS install using the standard file path names.
WARNING: If you select CUSTOM but then do not select the QUICK ACCESS option and also change the standard file path names, the program will not be able to find the data files it needs to run. To fix this, simple UNINSTALL the program completely and reinstall it using one of the acceptable options described above.

Windows XP Problems - Using The Windows Application Compatibility Mode
Q. My new computer uses Windows XP. All of my Smart Games used to run perfectly on my old computer but now the games won't run or crash under Windows XP. What can I do to fix this?
A. When you use Windows Application Compatibility mode, many of the most common issues that prohibit our games from working correctly are resolved. If you run a game and it does not function as expected, it is recommended that you run it in one of the compatibility environments. To run programs in Windows Application Compatibility mode in Windows XP, follow these steps:
Right click on the link of the program that you want to fix.
Click on Properties.
Click on the Compatibility tab.
Click on Run this program in compatibility mode and select one of these:
· Windows 95 (best bet for Challenge 1, Word Puzzles, and StrataJams / Car Jam Deluxe but these may run in other modes)
· Windows 98
· Windows NT 4
· Windows 2000
Under Display settings, check mark the mode that you think that is necessary for the program to work correctly:
· Run in 256 colors.
· Run in 640 X 480 screen resolution.
· Disable visual themes.
Click on Apply. Click on Ok. Double click on the program.
NOTE: The Compatibility tab is only available for programs installed on your hard drive. Although you can run the Program Compatibility Wizard on programs or setup files on a CD-ROM or floppy disk, your changes will not remain in effect after you close the program. For more information about an option on the Compatibility tab, right-click the option and then click What's This.

Puzzle Challenge 3 Questions
Q: How can I run Puzzle Challenge 3 without using the CD-ROM?
A: Put the CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive. When it tries to start the program, select EXIT. From the Windows Desktop, select My Computer. RIGHT MOUSE click on the PC3 item and select EXPLORE from the menu. Open the PPK folder and RIGHT mouse click on a large file (~72MB) named SGPC3.PPK and copy it to your hard disk into the folder that has the file SGPC3.EXE (you can do a FIND in Windows to locate the path and folder name, I recommend that you write it down on paper as it can be rather long.) Then, in the same folder, OPEN SGPC3.INI (you can open it by pointing at it and then performing a RIGHT mouse click and OPEN will be the first menu option.) Once the NOTEPAD edit screen appears, find the 2 lines that contain the PuzzlePackDirectory=. Erase everything after the = sign on both lines and then click FILE SAVE and then FILE EXIT. Close up everything and then restart the game. You should no longer need to insert the CD-ROM.

Puzzle Challenge 2 Questions
Q: I start the game and try to go into Pic Pax, and it gives me the following error message: "Not enough memory to run this program." It was working before. What's wrong?
A: 1. Sign in under a new name and try to run Pic Pax. If you can play OK, then the program is fine but the data is damaged. In that case, use Windows Explorer and open up the folder SMRTGAMS, then SGPC2, and then ROSTER. In the folder ROSTER, find your folder (they have cryptic names but if you poke around a little you can find the right one.) Once you find the correct folder, look for WIP files (work in progress) that start with PIC (for PicPax). You then need to identify the level of Pic Pax that you last played (if you played the levels in sequence, it would be the highest number PIC file). The levels are numbered with three digits (ex. level 7 would be PIC007.WIP). Find the PICxxx.WIP for the last level you were playing and delete it (you can also delete the companion SOL file but usually they are not present if the WIP is damaged.) The SOL files (solution files) have a similar format: level 7 would be PIC007.SOL. Once the WIP (and SOL if present) for the last played level is deleted, you can close up the Explorer and restart Puzzle Challenge 2. Sign in using you existing name and you should be able to play if we found the level that was causing the problem. If not you may need to repeat the process. It is recommended that WIP files are to be deleted one at a time because each one you delete erases your work for that puzzle.

2. If you can't play, then you can make a copy of the ROSTER folder and then uninstall Puzzle Challenge 2 and then reinstall it. 99% of the time that will cure the problem. If your score is missing try copying the ROSTER file back to its original place. WARNING : There is a chance that when you uninstall/reinstall, you may lose your work to date. If you still get the same error, then the CD is probably bad and you should contact us to get a new one (send us an e-mail at TechSupport@SmartGames.com and describe the situation in detail.)

Q: Smart Games Challenge 2 caused an invalid page fault in module "Writer's Block PDLAO22F:015BLBE 2" (for example).
A: Page faults are 99% due to damaged code. If you copy the ROSTER file to a safe place on your hard drive, you can erase the program from your hard disk and reinstall it. Copy the ROSTER folder back and you should be OK. (Warning: there's a small chance that you may lose some or all of your work to date). If that doesn't fix it then you've got a bad CD and we'll send you a new one (even with the new CD you have to delete and reinstall, so both of these methods pose the same risk to your existing work, so reinstalling your existing copy is the quickest way to see what your problem is.)

Q: I downloaded the PC bonus game for Puzzle Challenge 2 onto a floppy disk. I need instructions on how to load this into my Challenge 2 program, which is already on my hard drive.
A: Copy the PC2BONUS.EXE file to the folder that contains Puzzle Challenge 2. If you use the defaults, that would be C:\SMRTGAMS\SGPC2. Once it is there, double click on it to expand the file, then run the PC2 program and from the main menu select NAVIGATE and PUZZLE PACK option. Then select the bonus puzzle pack from the list. When you want to switch back, use the NAVIGATE button and reverse the process.

Q: Problem with level 5 in "Gates of Trivia".
A: If you reach the final stage of "Gates of Trivia" (level 5) here's some help: In the HISTORY category, on the first question- "Which of these presidents was NOT a Union general during the Civil War?" - choose the empty option (that is, highlight the line with nothing on it.) You'll be credited with the correct answer (even though Grover Cleveland is the correct answer).

Q: Sticks and Stones, problems with levels 28 and 35.
A: For level 28 make sure that the length of all the pre-positioned pieces matches the length of all the pieces you have placed in their new locations. For level 35, this is the most difficult level and accepts only one particular solution.