This file is designed to help you solve the problems most common to beginning Executor users. Use the search feature of your favorite editor to jump directly to the sections which interest you. I. Executor won't install II. Executor won't start III. Registration problems IV. Problems reading your Mac floppies or CDs V. Problems using mouse or keyboard VI. Your Macintosh program won't install VII. Your Macintosh program won't run This file assumes that you know how to use Unix-style command line switches. If you don't, see the "Command Line Switches" section of the minimanual for instructions. If your problem is not addressed here, consult the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) file. If it does not contain a solution, call +1 505 766 9115 or write to support@ardi.com with details of the problem. --------------------------------------------------------------------- COMMON PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS --------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Executor won't install A. Is there enough disk space free? Executor needs 10 MB of hard drive space for installation. B. If the installation seemed to proceed OK but you don't see an icon, this is normal. See os_tips.txt or w3x_tips.txt for instructions on how to create an icon for OS/2 or Windows 3.x. --------------------------------------------------------------------- II. Executor won't start A. If you are using OS/2, Windows 3.x, or Windows 95, check out the os2_tips.txt, w3x_tips.txt, or w95_tips.txt files for configuration advice. B. Executor/DOS users -- do you have a DOS mouse driver loaded and enabled? Since Executor/DOS is a DOS-native program, it needs a DOS mouse driver. C. Are you running under Windows NT? If so, you need to start from a FULL-SCREEN DOS prompt rather than a windowed prompt. You may also need to use the "-vga" switch. Executor has trouble with SuperVGA video modes on some NT machines. D. When all else fails, try starting in so-called desperation mode, with the following command line: executor -desperate This combines the effects of a variety of troubleshooting switches, to disable (among other things) Executor's usual probing of hardware. It runs Executor in a minimalist mode. If this succeeds, then you can begin eliminating switches one by one until you find the problem area. --------------------------------------------------------------------- III. Registration problems A. If the "OK" button doesn't work, it's almost always caused by a typo in the serial number or key. Check your typing, and use all lower-case letters. If you used previous versions of Executor, note that you must use the new key which came with Executor 2 and not your old key. B. Linux and NEXTSTEP users, are you still running as user root? You must be superuser (root) to register. C. If Executor tells you that it's registering, but then asks you to register again when you start it again, it may mean that you have somehow installed two different copies of Executor in two different locations. Make sure you have only one copy on your hard drive. D. Are you trying to run Executor from the CD? The expanded version of Executor is there in case you want to replace specific files from it -- YOU CAN NOT RUN Executor DIRECTLY FROM THE CD. You must install Executor on your hard drive in order to run it. --------------------------------------------------------------------- IV. Problems reading your Mac floppies or CDs A. Are your floppies high-density (1.44 MB) floppies? PCs cannot read Macintosh 400K or 800K floppies. In fact, PCs cannot read high-density floppies if they've been formatted in 800k format, so even if your floppy says "HD" on it, if it was created on an old Mac (like an SE), it may be in 800K format. We apologize for the inconvenience this creates, but it's a physical problem that would take special hardware to resolve. B. Did you select Check for Disk from the File menu and scroll along the hotband to view all the Volumes icons? C. If you were using another disk earlier, did you eject it via the File menu before removing it physically? Macintoshes do all their floppy ejection via hardware that's controlled by software. That means that Macintosh programs always know when a floppy has been ejected. As such, Executor requires you to explicitly tell it before you remove a floppy from the drive. If you just pop a floppy out and put a new one in, Executor will get confused and quite possibly crash, or even worse, corrupt data on the floppy. D. Is your CD a hybrid, with both DOS and Macintosh sections? There are different ways that hybrids can be made. Some hybrids won't work with Executor. E. If you are running under Windows '95, and Executor is having trouble reading your Mac CDs, you will have to tell Windows '95 to run MSCDEX (which is what Executor uses to see CDs). Simply remove the rem - By Windows 95 Setup portion from fthe mscdex line in your C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT file. You will also need to edit your C:\CONFIG.SYS file and make sure the CD-ROM driver is also not commented out. See w95_tips.txt for details. CD-ROM problems are so common, that the file "CDINFO.TXT" should be installed in your Executor directory, and it contains even more information about MSCDEX. --------------------------------------------------------------------- V. Problems using mouse or keyboard A. If you are using a non-United States keyboard, type executor -keyboards (plural) to get a list of keyboard maps Executor can support. Start with the line executor -keyboard keyboard_map_name (with "keyboard" singular) to invoke that keyboard map. If this does not work properly, you may need to set your system software to American keyboard mode and then try the "-keyboard" switch again. B. Does your right alt key work as a second command key instead of as an option key? Linux users, check your .Xdefaults file to make sure that the right_alt line is not commented out. It is commented out by default in many distributions. C. Are you running on a laptop with only one alt key? There is yet no easy way to change another key to function as an option key. You will have to use the pull-down menus to access these functions. --------------------------------------------------------------------- VI. Your Macintosh program won't install A. Does the installer fail to work? The older version of Apple's Apple Installer will not run under Executor. See the install.txt file for instructions on installing these programs. B. Does the program complain that there is not enough disk space to install? Make a new Macintosh volume with the makehfv program (see "Making HFV Files" in the minimanual), and install the program there. --------------------------------------------------------------------- VII. Your Macintosh program won't run A. Are you installing a program? The older version of Apple's Apple Installer will not run under Executor. See the install.txt file for instructions on installing these programs. A. Does the program need System 7.5 or QuickTime? Is it an INIT or CDEV? Does it require a modem or a network? Executor does not currently support those Macintosh features, and so such programs won't run. B. Does it need System 7? Use the "-system" command line switch to start Executor in System 7 mode. Then save your preferences in the Preferences Panel (see "Command Line Switches" and "The Preferences Panel" in the minimanual). C. Try allocating more memory with the "-memory" switch. Insufficient memory can cause a variety of strange errors. D. Try setting Executor to "Pretend" sound (see "The Preferences Panel" in the minimanual), or turning Executor's and the program's sound completely off. Sound support is new, and some programs will work better without it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------