Errors During Installation or Setup
Before installing any program, it's important to know whether your computer
is capable of using it. Look for a section on the box cover or near the
beginning of the manual titled "System Requirements." If your
computer doesn't meet the basic requirements, there's no point trying to
install it.
NOTE: Refer to the page 'Out-of-memory
problems for DOS programs' for information about the memory aspect
of System Requirements.
If your program makes use of a sound card or graphics, make sure you
know what the correct driver settings are. For example, most sound cards
are compatible with Sound Blaster and use a corresponding I/O address,
IRQ number, and DMA channel. Video drivers might run with standard VGA
or require VESA compatibility. Check your computer's manual for compatibility
information and for where to find the numbers you need.
If you type in the command to start the program and your computer complains
with "Bad command or file name" or "Cannot find the file...",
make sure you are typing the command correctly (see Manual
Tips.).
Be aware that a few manuals are incorrect, and you may have to search the
disk itself for the proper installation method. In most cases, you will
find a program called SETUP or INSTALL on the first disk of the set.
If this is a Windows program and it claims that it can't copy or change
a file because it is already in use, make sure you aren't running any other
Windows programs than what the instructions say. In Windows 95/98 you can
press ctrl + alt + del at the same time once and it will show you the active
tasks running. Normally, you should see Explorer listed. If there is anything else in there,
you can close it by highlighting its name
and pressing the End Task button. If this doesn't work, you may need to
exit completely out of Windows and then restart it. Make sure no unnecessary programs are being loaded in your StartUp group or from the WIN.INI file.
If you are certain you have followed the installation instructions exactly
and are still having inexplicable problems, check to see whether the disk
you are installing from is good. For floppy disks, use SCANDISK,
Norton Disk Doctor, or other disk repair utility to do a surface analysis
of the floppy to see if there is a physical problem. If you don't have
such a utility, or if you need to test a CD, here's a simple check you
can use. Exit to the DOS prompt and type
COPY A:*.* NUL:
if you are checking a floppy disk in drive A:, or
COPY D:*.* NUL:
if you are checking a CD in drive D: (if your disk is in a different
drive, simply substitute the correct letter). If the computer ends up with
"1 file(s) copied", then there is no physical problem with the
disk. If you get an error such as "General failure reading..."
or "Data error reading...", then your disk definitely has a problem.
If it's a CD, make sure it's clean by using a CD cleaning kit or glass
cleaner with a soft cloth (spray the cloth, then wipe the CD from the center
outwards). If that doesn't work, you need a new set of disks.
