18 Wheel of Steel - Convoy README

18 Wheel of Steel - Convoy (TM) ValuSoft, a division of THQ.
Software (C) 2005 SCS Software

Developed by SCS Software, uses Prism3D engine (C) 2005 SCS Software

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IMPORTANT:

The game requires at least DirectX 9.0 installed on the computer to work
properly. You can find DirectX 9.0c distribution on the game CD
in the DirectX9 folder

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For 18 Wheels of Steel - Convoy technical Support, please
please visit:
http://www.valusoft.com

Please see the Troubleshooting section below.

For the latest information on game, please visit:
http://www.valusoft.com

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INSTALLATION

To install 18 Wheels of Steel - Convoy, insert the game CD
into your CD-ROM drive.  If installation does not start automatically,
click on START and then Run and type d:\launch.exe and click OK.
If your CD-ROM drive uses a different drive letter, replace the "d" with
the letter that your computer uses for the CD-ROM drive.  Click on the
Install button to begin the installation process.  Follow the on-screen
instructions to install the game.

If you experience problems running the autorun.exe try using the setup.exe
also found on the CD.

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MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon 1.2 GHz or 100% compatible processor
256 MB RAM
32MB 3D Video Accelerator with DirectX 9.0 compliant video drivers
DirectX 9.0 compatible sound card
500MB Hard disk space
4X CD-ROM Drive
Mouse

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TROUBLE SHOOTING:

The most common errors are related to video & sound card drivers.
This game requires DirectX 9.0 or later. If your drivers are not 
DirectX certified, please download or obtain the latest drivers 
from your card manufacturer. This is the number one problem people 
have with current 3D games. Even if you think you have the latest drivers, 
you probably don't. This will most likely solve your problem. 
 
After you have updated your drivers, you should reinstall DirectX (from 
whatever folder you downloaded it to), and restart Windows. If you are 
having sound or video problems, you should try reinstalling DirectX.
 
 
Q: How do I get DirectX?
A: DirectX is most likely already installed on your computer, but there 
may be a more up to date version available. DirectX is a free download 
from Microsoft. We recommend getting the most up to date version, as it 
will most likely make all your games perform better. You can get the 
latest version from their website at:
www.microsoft.com/directx/
 
 
Q: How do I determine if my video card is DirectX compatible? 
A: For DirectX diagnosing tools, open Windows Explorer and go to the 
C:\Program Files\DirectX\Setup\ directory. Run the program named 
Dxdiag.exe. This will give you detailed information for all your drivers 
and other DirectX components. This will also help tech support if you 
should need to call them.
 

Q: How do I update my video drivers?
A: You must first know what video card you are using. To find this out, 
either look at the documentation that came with your computer / video 
card purchase or you can find out by looking at your computer's System 
Properties. If you already know what card you have, go to that 
manufacturer's web site and follow their instructions for downloading 
and upgrading your driver. If you do not know what card you have, follow 
the instructions below.
 
Your System Properties can be viewed by right clicking on the My Computer 
icon on your desktop, selecting Properties, then selecting the Device 
Manager tab. You will see a monitor icon with the text Display Adapters 
next to it. Left click on the + and you should see what driver you are 
currently using. 
 
Click on it and then click the Properties button. That should tell you 
the manufacturer.
You must now go to the manufacturer's web site to obtain the free driver 
upgrade. The drivers are usually located in the Support section of their 
site. Other areas to look are Downloads, Drivers, Files, Upgrades, 
Technical Support or User Support.
 
Some of the larger hardware manufacturer sites are:
www.nvidia.com
www.ati.com
www.creative.com
www.matrox.com
www.s3.com
www.intel.com
www.micronpc.com
www.gateway.com
www.compaq.com
www.hp.com
www.dell.com
 

Q: Will the game run on 3dfx Voodoo3, Voodoo5, Kyro chipset based cards,
Matrox G400, or Matrox Parhelia?
A: Proper function on 3dfx cards cannot be guaranteed.  Unfortunately,
3dfx ceased doing business in late 2000.  All official development of
drivers for Voodoo video cards ceased prior to the release of DirectX 9.0
compliant drivers. We cannot support or guarantee the installation, visual
quality or performance of beta, third party or unofficial driver versions.
Your best bet with older cards is selecting the "ARB" rendering path
not using any special graphical effects, and setting all game settings
to low.


Q: The game is running choppy or slow.
A: Make sure your computer meets the minimum system requirements.  You 
should be running the latest version of DirectX and have updated drivers 
for your video card. You may also want to turn down the Visual Quality 
settings to lower details, or decrease the Resolution in the 
Options Menu.  Running the game in full screen mode rather than windowed 
mode can also improve the performance.


Q: My game is crashing for some reason.
A: This could be related to several things, and is most likely a driver 
related issue. Make sure you follow the instructions above for updating 
your driver. If you are running with Special Effects turned on, try turning
them off.  


Q: I am not seeing any textures on the ground, or the textures don’t look 
right.
A: Try turning down or up Detail in the Options Menu.


Q:  I am not hearing any sound or the sounds are broken up.
A:  Be sure you have updated the drivers of your sound card. Users of
sound cards or integrated chipsets based on CMedia 8738 chipset who experience
instability problems are advised to turn the Windows sound hardware
acceleration level to lowest possible level.
