Sierra Technical Support       Email:  home@sierra.com	
WWW:  http://www.sierra.com

MasterCook 5.0 Troubleshooting Guide 
Revised 4/16/99

Sierra Technical Support provides this documentation as a reference to Sierra customers using Sierra software products. Sierra Technical Support makes reasonable efforts to ensure that the information contained in this documentation is accurate. However, Sierra makes no warranty, either express or implied, as to the accuracy, effectiveness, or completeness of the information contained in this documentation.

Sierra On-Line, Inc. does not warranty or promise that the information herein will work with any or all computer systems. Sierra does not assume any liability, either incidental or consequential, for the use of the information herein, including any and all damage to or lost use of computer hardware or software products, loss of warranties, or lost data by the customer or any third party. No oral or written information or advice given by Sierra, its employees, distributors, dealer or agents shall change the restriction of liability or create any new warranties. In no case shall Sierra’s liability exceed the purchase price of the Sierra software product. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1 - HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
SECTION 2 - INSTALLATION PROCEDURES & PROBLEMS
SECTION 3 - COMMON PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS 
SECTION 4 - GENERAL PROTECTION FAULTS AND ILLEGAL OPERATION ERRORS
SECTION 5 - WINDOWS ‘95/98 BOOT DISK INSTRUCTIONS
SECTION 6 - CONTACTING SIERRA FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE

SECTION 1 - HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS	

REQUIRED	RECOMMENDED FOR BEST PERFORMANCE	
Pentium 90 
16 MB RAM
60 MB hard drive space
Windows 95/98
SVGA 800x600 resolution, 256 colors
Microsoft Mouse or 100% compatible
2X CD-ROM drive
Soundcard (for Recipes & Tips movies)	Pentium 133
32 MB RAM
4X CD-ROM
Windows compatible Laser, Inkjet, or Postscript
9-pin and 24-pin dot matrix printers
16-bit high color display	

SECTION 2 - INSTALLATION PROCEDURES & PROBLEMS

Insert the CD or disk into the appropriate drive.  Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.  If the Autoplay function of Windows is disabled or not functioning correctly, click on Start, select Run, and type D:\SETUP.EXE, where D:\ is the letter of the CD-ROM drive.

Problem: Errors during installation or incomplete installation
Solution: The following steps will ensure a clean install of the program.

First, delete all files in the Windows\Temp folder. To clear the Temp folder in Windows:

1. Click on Start, go to Programs and choose Windows Explorer.
2. In Windows Explorer, scroll down the left column to the Windows folder.
3. Click on the "+" next to the Windows folder.
4. Scroll down the left side to the Temp folder and click once on word Temp to highlight that folder.
5. With Temp highlighted on the left, go to Edit and choose Select All.
6. Then go to File and choose Delete.

Secondly, make sure all hard drives have at least 75-100 Mb of free space.  The installation drive will need to have at least this amount of hard drive space free in addition to the amount of space required for installation. To clean up the hard drive, run a Scan Disk (or Error Check) and a Disk Defragment on those drives. To check the drive space and run those utilities, do the following:

1.	Double-click on the My Computer icon.
2.	Right click on the C: drive and choose properties (If installing to a hard drive other than C: follow these steps for that drive, as well).
3.	In the properties window it will show the available space.  Insure that this is 75Mb or higher, after the installation.
4.	Click on the Tools tab and click on Check Now for Error Checking Status. Allow this utility to run a THOROUGH Scan Disk.
5.	Then again in the Tools tab, click the Check Now button for Defragmentation Status and allow that utility to complete.
6.	Shutdown and restart the computer.

To avoid conflicts with programs currently running on the system, do the following before running the installation:

1.	Hold the Control and the Alt key on the keyboard and press the Delete key once.  This will pull up a Close Program window. 
2.	End task on each item in the box EXCEPT "Explorer" and "Systray". To do this click on each item one-by-one and click the End Task button in the bottom left corner.
3.	Run the installation for the program again. 

SECTION 3 - COMMON PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS

Problem: When trying to install MasterCook a “DDE CONNECT ERROR 400A” occurs.
Solution: Eject the CD and put it back into the drive. When the installation main menu comes up on the screen, click on the Install button and follow the on-screen prompts. If nothing appears on the screen after inserting the CD into the drive, click on Start, then select Run. At the Command Line, click on Browse and select the CD-ROM drive. Next, click on SETUP.EXE, click on Open, and then click OK.

Problem: Screen is flashing when the Video Tips are being played.
Solution: The Video Tips will run best at the 16-bit (high color) display setting. In the Windows Control Panel, double-click the Display icon and choose the Settings tab. Change the Color Palette setting to 16-bit (high color) and click Apply. This change may require you to restart the system. Once the setting has been changed, the Video Tips should play correctly.

Problem: The system locks up or stops responding when adding a large photo to a recipe.
Solution: While MasterCook does not have a specific set limit to the size of photos it can add to recipes, it may have problems with larger files. If experiencing errors or lock-ups when adding a photo, please reduce the size of that picture and try adding the photo again.

Problem:  When creating a Wine List, it always starts with the program provided wines already in the list.
Solution: If you wish to create a Wine List from scratch, you must first clear the wines from the list manually. To remove those wines, highlight each wine individually and click the Remove button. 

Problem: In Advanced Search, the Limit Search To list will not display the changes until another topic is selected.
Solution: Go through the list and make the desired adjustments to the recipe search. As the next adjustment is made the previous change will be locked in and displayed in the Limit Search To window. The change will also be locked in when the Search button is clicked. 

Problem: Undo feature is not working in certain areas of the program. 
Solution: The Edit/Undo feature of the program may differ from the manual. These features were still being perfected and adjusted when the manuals were printed. In addition, some operations in the program will not Undo with the Edit/Undo feature. 

Problem: Errors when playing the Video Tips or Video Tips playing incorrectly.
Solution: The Video Tips use Apple’s QuickTime 3.0. This utility should have installed with the program but may have failed to install correctly. To insure that QuickTime is installed properly, first insert the MasterCook CD into the CD-ROM drive. Close any windows that automatically appear. Click on Start and choose Run. Click on the Browse button and choose the CD-ROM drive for Look In at the top of the Browse window. Below Look In, double-click on the QuickTime folder then double-click on the QuickTime30.exe (The Run window should read D:\Quicktime\Quicktime.exe).  Click OK and follow the on-screen prompts to install QuickTime 3.0.

Problem: The manual states that I can save my searches, how is this done?
Solution: The “Save Search” feature of the program was removed after the manual was completed. The screenshot in the manual was taken while the program was still in the design phase.

Problem: What printers work with MasterCook? 
Solution:  MasterCook will work with any Windows compatible printer driver.  Occasionally, the printer manufacturer’s most recent driver may be needed for best printing performance.

Problem:  Recipes will not print, or parts of the layout are missing from the recipe when printed.
Solution: From the Start button click on the Run option.  In the box after the word Open type CONTROL and click on OK.  This will open the Control Panel.  In the Control Panel open the Printers folder, right-click on the printer and select Properties.  Click on the Details tab then click on the Spool Settings button.  Put a dot next to Print Directly to Printer and make sure the Spool Data Format is set to RAW. 

Depending on the printer and printer driver these options may not be available.  Click on the Graphics tab and try lowering the DPI setting in the Resolution box.  Click on the OK button, go back to the Printers screen in the Control Panel and single click on the printer so it is highlighted.  Then click on the File menu and click on Set As Default, close the Printers windows and the Control Panel.  Try printing.

Make sure the printer is directly connected to the computer.  Hooking up a printer through a scanner or switch box may cause problems resulting in information failing to arrive at the printer.  If there are any devices connected between the computer and printer, disconnect these devices and connect the printer directly to the computer.

If problems continue, contact the printer manufacturer for the latest printer drivers.  These drivers will often correct errors and may improve the performance of the printer.

Also, make sure there are no other programs running in Windows ‘95.  To make sure there are no other programs running:

1.	Hold down the CTRL and ALT keys and press the DEL key.  This will bring up a Close Program Box. The Close Program Box will show the currently running programs.  
2.	The only program that should be listed in the task list is Explorer (or Microsoft Explorer).  If there are other programs in the task list highlight one of them and click on the End Task button.
3.	Repeat steps 1 and 2 until the only program listed in the Close Program Box is Explorer.  NOTE:  some programs can not be shut down using these steps.  You will need to shut down those programs according to the instructions specific to those programs.
4.	Once the Explorer is the only program in the Close Program Box try the program again.

SECTION 4 - GENERAL PROTECTION FAULTS AND ILLEGAL OPERATION ERRORS

Windows ‘95/98:
An “Illegal Operation” or a General Protection Fault in Windows ‘95/98 can be caused by insufficient memory, conflicts between two or more drivers or programs, or corrupted files.  Try troubleshooting the problem with the following steps:

1.	Create a Windows ‘95/98 boot disk. See Section 5 for boot disk instructions.
2.	Disable any and all other Windows programs (if any) that are running prior to starting the program (this includes all screen savers).  You can which programs are running by hitting ALT-CTRL-DEL.  When troubleshooting you will want to make sure that everything besides Explorer and Systray are closed.
3.	Try running Windows in 256-colors. Running in less or more colors can sometimes cause errors of this type.
4.	To change the color depth of the display, right-click on the Desktop, select Properties and then click on the Settings tab. Alternately, you can click START, Settings, Control Panel, and then double-click on Display and click on the Settings tab.  The Color Palette listing should read 256 colors.  Sierra also recommends periodically checking with the video card manufacturer to check for updated Windows ‘95/98 display drivers.
5.	Run SCANDISK on the hard drive by clicking Start, then Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Scandisk. Let Scandisk correct any errors, then delete the program and re-install it.  You should also make sure that you have at least 20-30 MB of free hard drive space after installing for Windows ‘95/98 Virtual Memory allocation.
6.	Windows ‘95/98 allows you to disable some video acceleration. This often helps with Illegal Operation errors. To do this, click on Start, then Settings, Control Panel. Double-click the System icon, choose Performance, then Graphics. You should see a slider bar labeled Hardware Acceleration. Lower the bar a notch (slide it to the left), then restart Windows when you are prompted and run MasterCook again. Continue doing this until you cannot lower the bar any more or the problem is corrected. If this corrects the problem, then the display driver may not be working right or there may be an incompatibility between the hardware acceleration of the video card and MasterCook.   You can contact the video card manufacturer to check for updated Windows ‘95/98 display drivers.

You can also free up memory by lowering the CD-ROM Supplemental Cache Size. From Control Panel, click on System, then Performance, and then click on the File System button. Click on the tab for CD-ROM. Adjust the slider bar for Supplemental Cache Size from "Large" to "Small", then click on OK.

SECTION 5 - WINDOWS ‘95/98 BOOT DISK INSTRUCTIONS

Important note: Please read all instructions before beginning this procedure. 

STEP 1 - FORMATTING THE DISK
To make a boot disk, you must system format a high-density diskette in the A: drive. This procedure will transfer the “system files” to the disk and allow the computer to boot up correctly. The disk must be in the A: drive; the computer will not boot from the B: drive. 

To format a disk in Windows ‘95/98, insert the disk, open My Computer, then right click on the A: icon. From the pop-up menu, select Format. Under “Format type” select Full; under “Other options”, choose Copy system files. Click on Start. 

After the disk is formatted, you must copy the MSDOS.SYS file from the hard drive to the floppy disk. To do this, leave the floppy disk in the drive, open Windows Explorer and find the MSDOS.SYS file in the root of the C: drive. Right click on the file, then select Send to from the pop-up menu. Send the file to the A: drive. 

NOTE: If you don’t see the MSDOS.SYS file in Explorer, the file is hidden. To make the file visible, select View, Options, and then Show all files. If you do not wish the hidden files to remain visible, you can hide them again after you’ve made the boot disk by choosing View, Options, Hide files of this type.

STEP 2 - REBOOT THE COMPUTER AND RUN MASTERCOOK
Leave the disk in the drive and restart the computer by clicking on Start, Shut Down, then Restart the computer. The computer will now re-boot with the boot disk. When Windows ‘95/98 restarts, start MasterCook.

SECTION 6 – CONTACTING SIERRA FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE

Sierra On-Line has a full library of help documents available electronically.  You can download them from Sierra’s home page on the World Wide Web at http://www.sierra.com by following the on-screen information.

Other options include leaving a message for Sierra’s technical support staff at the web site above or e-mailing home@sierra.com with a complete description of the program, the system, and the problem you are experiencing.

You can also receive the document via our automated faxback service.  Call (425) 644-4343, choose to use the automated technical support system and follow the voice instructions provided.  You will be faxed a catalog of all of the documents that we have to offer and you will then be able to get the documents you need.  If you prefer, you can also fax us at (425) 644-7697 with the document request.

Additionally, a Sierra Technical Support, Support Request Form has been enclosed in case you wish to contact us via fax or U.S. mail.  Simply fill it out and return it to us.  Our fax number is (425) 644-7697 and our mailing address is:

Sierra On-Line Technical Support
PO Box 85006
Bellevue, WA  98015-8506

For phone assistance, you can reach Sierra Technical Support at (425) 644-4343 between 8:00 am and 4:45 pm, Monday through Friday, Pacific Standard time.    Please have the program installed and be at the system when you call.

If you are in Europe, please contact our office in England. The Customer Support number is (0118) 920-9111, between 
9:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.   The fax number is (0118) 987-5603.  Customer Service can also be reached at the following address:

Sierra On-Line Limited
2 Beacontree Plaza
Gillette Way
Reading, Berkshire
RG2 OBS United Kingdom

SIERRA ON-LINE TECHNICAL SUPPORT REQUEST FORM (for IBM PC’s & Compatibles)

Please provide as much of the information requested below as possible. Attach additional pages if necessary. Please Print clearly.)

Name :		
Full Mailing Address :		
FAX Number:		Phone Number:		Email Address:		

Name/Description of Program:		

Description of Problem  (Please be as specific an detailed as possible. Again, feel free to attach additional sheets if necessary.) 

	

How are you running the program? (Circle one)	* As a DOS Application in DOS	*  As a Windows Application in Windows	* As a DOS application in  or through Windows	

Computer Brand:		Computer Model:		

Operating System (circle all that apply)	DOS 5	DOS 6	DOS 6.2+	Win 3.1/3.11	Win 95	OS/2*	Windows NT*	

*NOTE: Windows NT, OS/2 & Other Operating Systems are not officially supported.

CPU Brand (circle):	INTEL	AMD	CYRIX	NEXGEN	Other:		
CPU Type (circle):	386SX	386DX	486SX	486DX	Pentium	Pentium Pro	Other:		
CPU Speed (circle):	25	33	40	50	66	75	100	120	133	150 	166	Other:		

Total RAM installed in the system in MB (circle)	1 MB	2 MB	4 MB	8 MB	16 MB	32 MB	Other:		
Total Hard Drive Space in MB:		Free Hard Drive Space after installing the Program (in MB):		

CD-ROM Brand (circle):	NEC	Mitsumi	Creative Labs	Diamond	Sony	Teac	Other:		
CD-ROM Model:		 CD-ROM Speed (circle)	1x	2x	3x	4x	6x	8x	

Video Card (circle):	Diamond	ATI	Number9	STB	Cirrus	Matrox	Hercules	Trident	Other:		
Video Card Model:		Video Memory (circle):	512k or less	1 MB	2MB 	4MB or more	

Screen resolution you are using in Windows currently (circle)	640x480	800x600	1024x768	1280x1024	1600x1200 +	
Color Depth you are using in Windows currently (circle)	16	256	32,768+ (High Color)*	16.7 Million (True Color)*	

*NOTE: If you are using anything other than 256 colors, we generally recommend using 256 for most programs.

Sound Card Brand/Model/Description (please write in):		
DMA (circle)	0	1	3	5	Other:		IRQ (circle)	3	5	7	10	Other:		Port Address(circle)	220	240	Other:	

Disk Compression Software (circle):	Doublespace 	DriveSpace	Stacker	SuperStor	None	Other:	

Please check any steps below which you have tried:

	SCANDISK, Delete & Re-install program		A DOS & Windows installation (for programs supporting both)	
	Boot Disk 		Disk or CD replacement	
	Patch Disk (If applicable) Name of patch:		Updated Drivers	
	Temporarily disabling Sound card/Sound in Program		Other: