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Support for Theme Hospital

Please read this Support information carefully before contacting us for further help

FAQs

Troubleshooting

Downloads

FAQs

Q: My display/sound driver is not listed as certified - will Theme Hospital still work?

Q: Can I run Theme Hospital with other applications open?

Q: Setup displays the message, �Setup has detected drivers that have not been tested with DirectX. To get the best game performance, Setup can replace your existing drivers. Do you want setup to replace the drivers?� Even if I click No, it still installs something and asks me to reset my machine. Why?

Q: I have multiple soundcards, and I am having difficulty getting the sound to work. How can I remedy this?

Q: When my PC restarts, my display preferences have changed. Why?

Q: I am receiving the error � 'Failed to initialize VRE256 Screen'.

Q: My display/sound driver is not listed as certified - will Theme Hospital still work?

A: In most cases, yes. But if you do experience difficulties, you may wish to try reinstalling DirectX and selecting YES when asked if you want to replace your drivers. If you still encounter problems, you should contact the devices supplier/manufacturer for updated Windows 95 drivers.

Q: Can I run Theme Hospital with other applications open?

A: Yes - but if you notice a drop in performance, try closing down some of your larger programs.

A: You have answered No to replacing your existing display/sound drivers, but Setup must install some other DirectX components before Theme Hospital can run. Follow the procedure through and the installation will complete itself.

Q: I have multiple soundcards, and I am having difficulty getting the sound to work. How can I remedy this?

A: If you have multiple sound cards, you must select the sound card you wish to use for digital audio and midi playback. To do this, boot up you machine in Windows� 95 mode, then click the 'Start' button on the lower left hand corner of the screen. Select 'Settings -> Control Panel', then click on the Multimedia icon. To select the digital playback device, click the Audio applet and under the Preferred Devices ensure that it shows the sound card you wish to use. Now click on OK. To select the midi playback device click the Midi applet and under the single instrument section ensure that it shows the midi device you wish to use. Now click on OK.

Q: When my PC restarts, my display preferences have changed. Why?

A: This is a driver issue. You just need to reset your display preferences, but if this doesn't work you will need to re-install your original setup. To do this, select �Install DirectX� from the Theme Hospital Splash screen then click �Restore Windows� 95 drivers�. You may need to contact your manufacturer for the latest drivers to avoid this happening again.

Q: I am receiving the error � 'Failed to initialize VRE256 Screen'.

A: This is a known problem that is caused by an incompatibility issue with your SiS Mirage 3 integrated graphics. At this point in time there is no fix for this, but we are hoping to address a patch that will solve this some time in the future. In the meantime, we can exchange your version of Theme Hospital for an alternative title of equivalent value from our product range if you wish. Otherwise, we can only recommend you upgrade you graphics to a non-integrated solution, you try and return the product to its place of purchase or else try playing the game on an alternative system.

Troubleshooting

PROBLEMS WITH THE GAME?

If you are having a problem installing or playing the game, we want to help. First, please make sure you have read the installation instructions thoroughly. If you have followed the directions in the documentation, and are still having trouble installing or operating the software, below are some hints that might help solve the problem.

Note: Before attempting any of the following suggestions, please make sure you are familiar with the DOS commands being used. Consult your DOS manual for more information.

Creating a Boot Disk for Theme Hospital

Important: To create a boot disk you need a blank disk the same size as your A: drive.

1. Type C: and press Enter

2. Insert a blank disk into drive A:.

3. Type FORMAT A:/S and press Enter

4. You are prompted to insert a blank disk into drive A: DO so if you haven't already, and press Enter.

5. Once the disk has finished being formatted, you are asked to label (name) the disk. Type in a label or press Enter for no label.

6. You are now asked whether you wish to format another disk. Type N and press Enter.

7. You must now create a config.sys file on your boot disk but first you will need some information about your Sound Card and CD-Rom.

Note: Some Windows 95 systems do not have the Sound Card or CD-Rom information on their systems. If this is the case then contact your Hardware Manufacturer and get them to install your DOS DEVICE DRIVERS for your Sound Card and CD-Rom.
To find the information at your C: prompt type;
C:\CONFIG.SYS or TYPE C:\CONFIG.DOS Then look for the following information.
a. Your DOS CD-ROM DEVICE DRIVER. The line should look something like this.
DEVICE=C:\XXXX\XXXX\(CD device driver.SYS /D:XXXXXX This line varies according to your PC, the X's will be replaced by wording specific to your machine. It will start with DEVICE or DEVICEHIGH, and should contain a /D: near the end of the line. Here is an example; DEVICE=C:\SB16\DRV\SBCD.SYS /D:MSCD000
b. Your DOS SOUND CARD DEVICE DRIVER. Here is an example of some of the lines you might be looking for.
DEVICE=C:\SB16\DRV\CTSB16.SYS /UNIT=0 /BLASTER=A:220 I:5 D:1 H:5
DEVICE=C:\SB16\DRV\CTMMSYS.SYS
Note: Some compatible cards do not have lines in the Config.sys file so do not worry if you cannot find any lines for your Sound Card.

8. You are now ready to create a Config.sys file on your boot disk by typing the following at the C: prompt:
EDIT A:\CONFIG.SYS and press Enter
When the blue edit screen appears, type in: DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS for Windows� 95 systems use the following line instead
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
DOS=HIGH
FILES=50
BUFFERS=30
LASTDRIVE=Z
(Type your Sound Card information here)
(Type your CD-Rom information here)

9. Exit and save this file by pressing ALT and F, X, Y.

10. You will also need an Autoexec.bat file on your boot disk but first you will need some information about your Sound Card, CD-Rom and Mouse.

Note: Some Windows 95 systems do not have the Sound Card, CD-Rom or Mouse information on their systems. If this is the case then contact your Hardware Manufacture and get them to install your DOS DEVICE DRIVERS for your Sound Card, CD-Rom and Mouse. To find the information at your C: prompt type;
C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT or TYPE C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT Then look for the following information.
a. Your DOS CD-ROM DEVICE DRIVER. The line should look something like this. C:\XXXX\XXXX\MSCDEX.EXE /D:XXXXXX This line varies according to your PC, the X's will be replaced by wording specific to your machine. It will start with C:\ or LH, should contain words MSCDEX.EXE and a /D: near the end of the line . Here is an example; C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD000 /M:10 /V
b. Your DOS SOUND CARD DEVICE DRIVER. Here is an example of some of the lines you might be looking for.
SET SOUND=C:\SB16
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 T6
SET MIDI=SYNTH:1 MAP:E
C:\SB16\DIAGNOSE /S
C:\SB16\SB16SET /P /Q
c. Your DOS MOUSE DEVICE DRIVER. Here are two examples of lines that you might be looking for.
C:\MOUSE\MOUSE.COM
or
C :\MSINPUT\MOUSE\MOUSE.EXE

11. You are now ready to create an Autoexec.bat file on your boot disk by typing the following at the C: prompt: EDIT A:\AUTOEXEC.BAT and press Enter When the blue edit screen appears, type in:
@ECHO OFF
PROMPT=$P$G
PATH=C:\;C:\DOS;C:\WINDOWS
for Windows� 95 systems use the following line instead
PATH=C:\;C:\DOS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND
(Type your Sound Card information here)
(Type your CD-Rom information here)
(Type your Mouse information here)

12. Exit and save this file by pressing: ALT and F, X, Y.Y

Important: Remember to boot your PC from the boot disk whenever you install the game, and every time you play Theme Hospital (see below).

To Start Your Machine Using The Boot Disk:

Shut down your machine. Insert the boot disk into drive A: then restart your machine. The computer boots up to the A:> prompt.
Type C: and press Enter to return to your hard drive. Once you have finished playing, remove the boot disk and reset your machine.
To install or run the game, use the DOS commands and instructions in the Installation Instructions section of this manual.

For more information consult your DOS users manual.

Video Card Compatibility

Theme Hospital's high resolution graphics require both a VESA compatible SVGA video card and VESA Super VGA BIOS Extension installed before you start the game. VESA stands for Video Electronics Standards Association. This standard allows the graphics to be displayed on any video card that is VESA compatible without the need for the game's programmers to know precisely how each individual card works. If when attempting to run the game in high-res mode you get either a blank screen or garbled graphics, your video card probably needs a VESA driver loaded prior to playing. Consult the documentation and software that came with your video card on the loading of the driver, or contact your video card manufacturer.

Support Downloads

Game Update (2.97Mb)

This file adds difficulty levels to the game and also adds Multiplayer support for Serial connection (2 players), Modem connection (2 players) and IPX Network connections (4 Players)

The file also corrects a number of graphical glitches and common gameplay problems, including crashes in the middle of a game.

Contact Technical Support

If you can’t find the answer to your problem in the information above, please get in touch with our Technical Support team – they’ll do everything they can to help

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