                           "TORIN'S PASSAGE"
                           README FILE -- DOS


This file isn't like your normal README file, with a few warnings about
bugs and stuff. We have none!

It's so simple, I bet you'll have no problems installing and playing it,
either in Windows or DOS. However, Sierra's crack tech support team is so
proud of their big new Question & Answer file, they asked me to include
it. Heck, we've got loads of room! Why not? But don't let it scare you.
In fact, why don't you just ignore everything below the next paragraph!

Again, on behalf of our entire development team, thanks for buying
"Torin's Passage." I'm really proud of this game and I hope you'll like 
it too.

                                  Al Lowe
                                  Game Designer




                           RECOMMENDED HARDWARE
                           --------------------

                             MINIMUM            RECOMMENDED
            -----------------------------------------------
            DOS memory    |  540k free       |  600k free
            total RAM     |  8 meg           |  16 meg
            CPU           |  486/25          |  Pentium
            CD-ROM drive  |  double speed    |  quad+ speed
            Mouse         |  yes             |  yes
            msDOS         |  5.0+            |  5.0+
            Sound card    |  see list below  |




                      TECHNICAL TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS
                      ------------------------------

In order for you to receive the best possible performance, here are some
additional technical tips and information.



                            TABLE OF CONTENTS
                            -----------------
                   * Installation Procedures
                   * Handy To Know
                   * DOS Problems and Solutions
                   * DOS Error Messages and Solutions
                   * Memory Troubleshooting
                   * Sound Card Troubleshooting






                         INSTALLATION PROCEDURES
                         -----------------------

To install Torin's Passage under MS-DOS, follow these instructions:

1. Exit Windows completely, if you aren't out already.

2. Insert your Torin's Passage CD into your CD-ROM drive. (Duh!)

3. At your DOS prompt, type:  D: <Enter>
   (If your CD-Drive isn't "D," substitute its letter instead.)

4. Type:  INSTALL <Enter>
   (Note: Do not type:  D:\INSTALL <Enter>.)

5. Follow the on-screen prompts.



                              HANDY TO KNOW
                              -------------

A list of BBS and Tech Support Numbers for Sound Card, Video Card, and
Miscellaneous Computer Peripheral / Software Manufacturers is provided on
the Torin's Passage CD.  To view this file, type:  EDIT D:\CONTACT.TXT
If your CD-ROM drive is not called D:, substitute its letter instead.



                    ERROR MESSAGES DURING INSTALLATION
                    ----------------------------------

    PROBLEM: The INSTALL program fails with the message:
             "Invalid directory. Bad command or file name."
   SOLUTION: You probably typed "D:INSTALL".  Please type "D:" and
             then press ENTER, then type "INSTALL" and press ENTER.

    PROBLEM: "Can't create output file" during installation.
   SOLUTION: You need to free up more hard drive space before
             installing the game.

    PROBLEM: The install doesn't work from your second CD-ROM drive.
   SOLUTION: Run the install from your first CD-ROM drive.

    PROBLEM: Your video card's VESA driver is not listed during
             INSTALL's VESA test.

   SOLUTION: Although we try to provide as many VESA drivers as
             possible, your particular video card may not be listed.
             If this is the case, exit INSTALL, and do one of the
             following:

             a. Look in your video card manual to find the command to
             enable VESA on your particular video card.  Run this
             command to enable VESA, then rerun the Torin's Passage
             INSTALL program.

             b. If you cannot find your video card's special VESA
             driver program or have no information how to enable VESA,
             try using one of the VESA drivers provided on the Torin's
             Passage CD in the \INSTALL\VESA\VESA directory.  Once you
             see the VESA enabled message, rerun Torin's Passage
             INSTALL program. If you do not see a VESA enabled message,
             please call your video card manufacturer for more assistance.



                      STARTING AND RUNNING THE GAME
                      -----------------------------

   QUESTION: How do you start the game?
     ANSWER: Assuming you installed the game to the C:\SIERRA\TORINDOS
             directory, type in the following MS-DOS commands:
                   C:
                   CD \SIERRA
                   TORIN



                       DOS PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
                       --------------------------

    PROBLEM: The game runs too slowly.
   SOLUTION: Here are some things to try:
                a. Make and use a boot disk. (see: MEMORY 
                   TROUBLESHOOTING)
                b. Add the following line to the boot disk's 
                   A:\AUTOEXEC.BAT:
                           C:\DOS\SMARTDRV /512

    PROBLEM: Random crashes on Compaq Presario CDS 524, 920, etc.
   SOLUTION: Make a boot disk.

    PROBLEM: "No VESA support detected" message when the game tries to
             start.
   SOLUTION: This means your video card's VESA program was not run
             before the game started.  VESA allows DOS games to run in
             colorful, crisp high-resolution.  Please refer to your
             video card manual for more information to run your
             particular VESA program to enable high resolution in DOS.
             Some examples are "VVESA.COM", "VESA.COM", and
             "VMODE VESA".

             More Information:  We have provided many popular VESA
             drivers for you on the Torin's Passage CD.  They are
             located in the \INSTALL\VESA\VESA directory on the CD.
             Please refer to the READ.ME file in this directory for
             more information.

    PROBLEM: "Fatal: Unable to find mouse driver"
   SOLUTION: This means your DOS mouse program was not run before the
             game started.  Rerun INSTALL and choose MAKE A BOOTABLE
             FLOPPY DISK to help us find and use your DOS mouse driver.

             More Information: DOS needs a mouse program to be run
             before it can use the mouse.  To see if a mouse program
             is hidden on your hard drive, type "DIR \MOUSE /S /P".
             Let's say you see: Directory of C:\MSMOUSE
                   MOUSE   COM
                   Directory of C:\WINDOWS
                   MOUSE   DRV
                   MOUSE   INI

             A mouse program will end in ".COM" or ".EXE", so the mouse
             drivers in C:\WINDOWS in this example won't do.  To run
             the mouse driver in MSMOUSE in this example, type:

             C:\MSMOUSE\MOUSE.COM

             You should see a message saying your mouse is now enabled.
             You can now play Torin's Passage.  If there is no .COM or
             .EXE file that has to do with your mouse, please refer to
             your mouse documentation or computer dealer for more
             assistance.

    PROBLEM: You get no music on any Sound Blaster compatible card, or
             you get a blank screen when the game starts, or the game
             gets stuck on the opening Sierra logo.
   SOLUTION: Check if your SET BLASTER environment variable is enabled
             and at the correct setting.  To check this, at the C:
             prompt, type  SET and press <ENTER>.  You should see a
             line that says BLASTER = A220 I7 D1 (or something similar).
             If you do not see such a line and your sound card is on
             Address 220, IRQ 10, and DMA 1, at the C: prompt, type
             SET BLASTER = A220 I10 D1 and press <ENTER>.  This line
             tells MS-DOS how to access your sound card.  Now, run the
             game.

    PROBLEM: In MS-DOS, using a Reveal or Aztech Labs sound card, the
             music is fine but the speech is barely audible.
EXPLANATION: The chipset used to emulate the Sound Blaster digital to
             analog conversion is not 100% compatible with the Sound
             Blaster driver built-in to the game.
SOLUTION #1: Rerun INSTALL and choose Windows Sound System for AUDIO.
SOLUTION #2: Try making and using a boot disk to free up more
             conventional memory. This may help.
SOLUTION #3: Install Torin's Passage in Windows for full sound.

    PROBLEM: "EMM386 Error 6 or Error 12... " The error number may vary.
   SOLUTION: This is caused by a memory conflict.  Running the game from
             the boot disk will usually correct this problem.  Please
             see the Memory Troubleshooting section of this README.

    PROBLEM: "Can't allocate X bytes in ..\(somename).cpp"
   SOLUTION: You are running low on conventional memory.  Please rerun
             INSTALL and make a boot disk.

    PROBLEM: "Out of Low Memory" or "Out of High Memory"
   SOLUTION: Make a boot disk.  Please make sure you have enough memory
             to  run the game.  If you have 4 meg of RAM instead of
             8 meg,  the game may try to run, but will fail when more
             memory is required.

    PROBLEM: "CDR 101 Error reading" or "DOS Error, Read Error".
   SOLUTION: This can be caused by an outdated version of the MSCDEX
             file. DOS version 6.2 and above should use MSCDEX version
             2.23. DOS version 6.0 should use MSCDEX version 2.22.
             MS-DOS version 5.0 should use MSCDEX version 2.21.
             If your MSCDEX is before 2.20, upgrade to a later version.

    PROBLEM: "Error 99: Error Loading Resource 999.PAL, restype.cpp(56)
SOLUTION #1: This type of error is usually caused by having the wrong
             game CD in the drive when you try to start Torin's
             Passage. Please make sure the Torin's Passage CD is in
             the drive before you start the game.
SOLUTION #2: If you booted with a non-CD boot disk or bypassed your
             CD-ROM drivers on bootup, you'll  get this error message.
             Please reboot and make sure your CD-ROM is responding
             before starting the game.

    PROBLEM: "Unable To Allocate XXXX Bytes" even with a boot disk.
   SOLUTION: Torin's Passage doesn't require a lot of conventional
             memory, but some users have found adding these lines to
             the Torin's Passage boot disk's CONFIG.SYS solves their
             problems:
                   DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
                   DOS=HIGH



                       MAKING AND USING A BOOT DISK
                       ----------------------------

   QUESTION: What is a boot disk?
EXPLANATION: A boot disk is a way to make games work faster and better
             on your computer.  All you need is a blank floppy disk
             for your A: drive. This will not work in your B: drive.
   SOLUTION: To make a boot disk, rerun the INSTALL program and choose
             the menu option MAKE A BOOTABLE FLOPPY DISK.
             (see: MEMORY TROUBLESHOOTING - CREATE A BOOT DISK for
              more details.)

    PROBLEM: "Can't find FORMAT.COM--Unable to make boot disk"
   SOLUTION: This is caused when our boot disk maker program cannot
             find FORMAT.COM on your hard drive.  This usually happens
             if you installed PC Tools or Norton Utilities.  These
             utilities rename FORMAT.COM to either FORMAT!.COM or
             XXFORMAT.COM. If this is the case, please type the
             following commands:
                   CD \DOS
                   COPY FORMAT!.COM FORMAT.COM
                   COPY XXFORMAT.COM FORMAT.COM
             One of these commands will help restore your FORMAT
             command back to normal, and will allow our boot disk
             maker to work.

    PROBLEM: "Can't make bootdisk since you're not using COMMAND.COM"
             or "Boot disk was not created"
   SOLUTION: This can be caused if you are using 4DOS or NDOS (in
             Norton Utilities). At the DOS prompt type SET and press
             <Enter>. COMSPEC should equal C:\COMMAND.COM or
             C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM.  If COMSPEC = 4DOS.COM or NDOS.COM,
             the boot disk maker will not work.  To correct this, type:
             SET COMSPEC=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM This will allow our boot
             disk maker to work.  When you reboot without a boot disk,
             the COMSPEC will return to your original setting.

    PROBLEM: "Invalid Drive Specification" using a boot disk on a Western
             Digital IDE controller.
EXPLANATION: The Western Digital IDE hard drive controller displays a
             message "Press the SPACEBAR to boot from a floppy disk."
             If you insert the boot disk and reboot before seeing this
             message, you'll get the message "Invalid Drive
             Specification" and won't have hard drive access until you
             reboot without the boot disk.
   SOLUTION: Remove the boot disk from the floppy drive.  Reboot your
             computer.  When you see this message, insert the boot disk
             and press the SPACEBAR.

    PROBLEM: "Invalid Drive Specification" using a boot disk on larger
             Seagate hard drives, such as the Seagate 800 meg hard
             drive.
EXPLANATION: Seagate hard drives larger than 528 meg use a disk manager
             called "EZ-DRIVE".  If you insert the boot disk and reboot
             before seeing this message, you'll get the message "Invalid
             Drive Specification" and won't have hard drive access until
             you reboot without the boot disk.
   SOLUTION: Remove the boot disk from the floppy drive.  Hold down the
             CTRL key and reboot your computer.  You'll see a message
             "Insert bootdisk and hit ENTER to reboot".  Insert the
             boot disk and press ENTER.


                             OTHER PROBLEMS
                             --------------

If you don't see your favorite problem or question listed, most
difficulties with Torin's Passage can be resolved by simply running the
game with a boot disk.  Please see "Create a Boot Disk" under Memory
Troubleshooting.  Also look at the file D:\THEGUIDE.TXT (if your CD-ROM
drive is D:).



                         MEMORY TROUBLESHOOTING
                         ----------------------

Some game players have experienced difficulty getting enough memory to
run Torin's Passage.  This usually occurs on computer systems with 8
Megabytes of RAM, but can happen on machines with more memory.  If you
are having trouble starting the game because of memory problems or are
receiving memory-related errors during the game (such as an "Out of
Hunk" or "Out of Memory" message), please make and use a boot disk.

CREATE A BOOT DISK:  Sierra has included a boot disk maker with Torin's
Passage.  You can create a boot disk by doing one of the following:

   1. Rerun INSTALL on the CD and choose MAKE A BOOTABLE FLOPPY DISK.

   2. Type "BOOTDISK -c -p" at the D:\> prompt (if your CD-ROM is D:).
      Note: the "-c -p" option must be in lowercase.

Once you have created a boot disk, turn off your computer.  Leave the
boot disk in your A: drive and turn on the computer.  This will start
the game for you automatically, allowing us to use all the memory
available in your computer.






                        SOUND CARD TROUBLESHOOTING
                        --------------------------

Torin's Passage can adjust the volume of sound in the game.  If you need
more control, most sound cards' speech and music volume can be
controlled separately through software provided by the sound card
manufacturer.  Here is a list of some common sound cards' mixer volume
control commands in DOS.

Sound Blaster 16:
Type C:\SB16\SB16MIX

Vibra 16 in AST Advantage:
Type C:\VIBRA16\MIXERSET

Sound Galaxy 16 in Packard Bell:
Type C:\SOUND16A\UTILITY\MIXTSR or type C:\SOUND144\MIXTSR

Compaq Presario CDS 524, 920, etc.
If DEVICE=C:\CPQDOS\VOLCTRL.EXE is in CONFIG.SYS on the boot disk, then
press CTRL-RIGHTSHIFT to increase or CTRL-LEFTSHIFT to decrease volume.

Proaudio Spectrum Family:
Press CTRL-ALT-U to increase or CTRL-ALT-D to decrease volume.

Sound Blaster 8 bit:
No software control. Adjust the thumbwheel on the back of your sound
card.

Thunderboard:
No software control. Adjust the thumbwheel on the back of your sound
card.

