 
                    "LifesBattle(TM)" README.TXT file


1. Starting in Windows95
2. Memory problems
3. Mouse problems
4. Error messages or erratic behavior
5. If all else fails...
6. Legal Statements


1. Starting in Windows95

   To start the game from Windows95, go to the subdirectory
   "Battle", and double click on the file "Battle".


2. Memory problems

   If you have Windows95, and get the blue memory warning
   screen when starting the program, go ahead and press "2".
   This will start the program anyway.  The Windows95 system
   causes the program to think there is a memory problem,
   when many times there is not.  The remainder of this
   section is mainly for Windows 3.1 or MS-DOS users.

   Note, we DO NOT recommend configuring you AUTOEXEC.BAT
   or CONFIG.SYS files.  Only do this as a last resort, and
   take proper precautions as described below.

   Because of the limitation of the DOS operating system,
   there is a limit of 640k of RAM available.  So, it does
   not matter whether you have 4 megabytes or 32 megabytes
   of RAM in your computer.  The only thing that matters
   is how the first 640k is configured.  This configuration
   occurs when your computer boots up (when you turn it on).
   When the computer is starting up, it reads two text files
   from your C: drive.  One is called CONFIG.SYS and the
   other is called AUTOEXEC.BAT.

   Because making changes to your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT
   file on your C: drive is risky, we recommend that you make
   a bootable floppy disk.  Then you can boot DOS from your 
   floppy disk.  The computer will be reading the CONFIG.SYS
   and AUTOEXEC.BAT files from the floppy disk instead of
   your C: drive.

   LifesBattle(TM) has a program called BOOTDISK which will
   attempt to create a boot disk for you.  Because everybody's
   sound card and mouse driver are different, you may need
   to edit these files (CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT) on the
   floppy disk.  However, the BOOTDISK program will format
   the floppy, and create a basic CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT
   on the floppy disk for you.

   You can run the BOOTDISK program directly from the DOS
   prompt by typing BOOTDISK, or you can start LifesBattle(TM)
   and choose option 1 when the blue memory warning screen
   comes up (this only comes up when you have memory
   problems).

   The BOOTDISK program can attempt to copy lines from your
   C: drive configuration files.  At one point, you are asked
   if you want to do this.  Try typing 'Y' first.  If your
   boot disk fails, then you may want to try again, and next
   time type an 'N'.

   When the computer tells you that the boot disk is done,
   you may reboot your computer.  Leave the floppy disk in
   the A: drive, and hit Control-Alt-Delete to reboot.  (In
   Windows95 it is better to shut down with the start button).

   If error messages come up during reboot, then perhaps
   there is something wrong with the floppy CONFIG.SYS or
   AUTOEXEC.BAT in the lines that deal with the mouse.  If
   your MOUSE.COM is not in your DOS directory on your
   C: drive, then make sure the lines in your CONFIG.SYS
   have the full filename of the MOUSE.COM driver.  For
   example:

                C:\MOUSE\MOUSE.COM
                       - or -
                C:\OPTIONS\IMOUSE.SYS
                       - or -
                LOADHIGH C:\UTIL\LMOUSE
                       - or -
                DEVICEHIGH=C:\KIDMOUSE\KIDMOUSE.SYS

   All of these mouse drivers above have full pathnames,
   so the computer can find them.

   If LifesBattle(TM) still will not run because it reports
   there is no mouse, then see the section on mouse problems
   later in this document.

   Make sure that you are actually rebooting from your floppy
   drive.  Most computers are setup to try booting from the
   floppy disk if there is one in the A: drive.  However, some
   are set to always boot from the C: drive, even if there is
   a floppy disk in the A: drive.  In that case, you must go
   into your computer's BIOS setup, and change the boot order.

   After booting from your floppy disk, you should have your
   computer configured in the correct way to use
   LifesBattle(TM).  If you want to check on how much DOS
   memory is available, type the word 'MEM' at the DOS prompt.
   You should have at least 2.5 Megabytes of EMS RAM, and
   your 'Largest Executable Program Size' should be around
   600,000 bytes.

   The other very important line in your CONFIG.SYS is the
   FILES=30 line.  If this number is too small, the game may
   act erratically (see below).
 

3. Mouse Problems
  
   As above, the information below is mainly for Windows 3.1
   or MS-DOS users. If you are running the program from
   Windows95, and experience problems with your mouse, try
   reinstalling your mouse through the "Install New Hardware"
   option located in the Control Panel. (To get to the
   Control Panel, click on the "Start" button, then select
   "Settings".

   The BOOTDISK program attempts to copy the mouse driver
   lines from your C: drive CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files
   to your floppy disk.  However, the BOOTDISK program will
   not be able to identify the right lines, or in some other
   cases, the PATH variable is set differently when booting
   from floppy, so you get an error message when the floppy
   is booting up.  In either case, you should print out both
   your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files, and compare them
   to print outs from your boot disk CONFIG.SYS and
   AUTOEXEC.BAT files, and try to figure out why the mouse
   isn't working.  Most of the time, the mouse driver's name
   is MOUSE.COM or LMOUSE.COM, or IMOUSE.COM.  These would
   be loaded from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.  Sometimes,
   instead of being in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, they are in
   your CONFIG.SYS file.  In this case, the mouse program
   is usually called MOUSE.SYS or something similar.

   The most common problem with the mouse when booting from
   the floppy is that the mouse driver needs a full pathname.


4. Error messages or erratic behavior

   If you get Critical Error messages, here are some common
   causes:

        a. If you ignore the blue memory warning screen in
           Windows 3.1 or MS-DOS mode, and select option 2
           to try to run the LifesBattle(TM) anyway, you may
           have trouble.  All sorts of Critical Errors or
           crashes can result from running out of RAM.

        b. Critical Error 174 results when there is no
           subdirectory.  LifesBattle(TM) requires a DATA
           subdirectory.  This error should not happen
           unless you did not use the setup program on
           Disk 1.

        c. Critical Errors and crashes can occur if the
           line in your CONFIG.SYS file in your C: drive
           has the FILES=30 set to a lower number than 30.
           If the FILES= line is non-existent in your
           CONFIG.SYS file, or set to a value lower than 30,
           LifesBattle(TM) will not function.

        d. There is only one Video Card known to be
           incompatible with LifesBattle(TM) and that is
           the Matrox Impressions card.


5. If all else fails...

   Finally, if you have problems understanding this help,
   or it does not fix your problem, contact us at our
   website www.hummersoftware.com.  However, only do this
   if you really cannot come up with the solution on your
   own.


6. Legal Statements

   Copyright.  LifesBattle(TM) is protected by copyright
   laws and international treaty provisions.  LifesBattle(TM)
   must be treated like any other copyrighted material,
   except that you may either make one copy of LifesBattle(TM)
   for backup or archival purposes, or install LifesBattle(TM)
   on a single computer provided that you keep the original
   copy solely for backup or archival purposes.

   Trademark.  LifesBattle(TM) is a trademark of Hummer
   Software in the United States of America.


7. LifesBattle(TM) is not warranted in anyway, but we will
   refund your purchase price if you are not satisfied.