This page details all Windows specific support information. If the help provided below does not resolve your problem then please contact us with as much detail of your problem as you can provide.

Software installation

Please ensure that your PC meets the minimum specifications outlined on the page of the game that you are interested in, as we can't guarantee the software will work if it does not. It is also highly recommended that you try any available demo version before purchasing a full version to ensure compatibility if necessary.

In addition to meeting the hardware requirements for any game, it is always good practice to ensure that any drivers are also up to date. Your graphics card and sound card should be kept up to date in particular, but also ensure that DirectX and/or OpenGL are also up to date, as these can have an impact on performance. Please visit the respective sites of your hardware manufacturers for the latest drivers. The latest version of DirectX is available from the Microsoft site.

All Windows software is provided in an installer form to ensure that everything is set up as it should be. ZIP versions may also be available for those that are familiar with ZIP files/Compressed Folders, but it is recommended that you use the installer version.

After downloading the installer version locate the file using Windows Explorer and double-click on the file to begin installation. Simply follow the on-screen prompts to install your software. After installation several shortcuts will have been created on the Start menu, including an option to un-install the program should you later wish to remove it.

Important note for Vista and Win7 users

It is highly recommended that the installations are run from an Admin account. Also, if User Account Control (UAC) is enabled, you will be prompted to ensure that you wish to continue with the installation. Simply select the option that will allow you to continue. Please do not try the ZIP versions unless you understand the file permissions under this OS.

All SOS Software games have been tested on a Windows Vista set-up and appear to work without any problems. The following did not require any modifications apart from being re-packaged. If you have any of these and have recently upgraded to Vista or Win7, simply re-download rather than use the installer you may already have.

• Attack of The Smilies (v1.00)
• Othello (v1.04)
• Rockfall - The Return (both demo, v1.05, and full versions, v1.30)

The following games initially had problems with audio on some systems. This has now been resolved, but please let us know if this or any other problems still remain. If you have an older version of the program (version number shown on the loading screen), please download the latest version.

• Max Invaders (v1.40)
• Max Invaders DX (v1.10)
• Worm (v1.20)

The above information only covers games that have been produced by SOS Software. If you have problems with a game from another developer you will need to visit their site should you require any further information on compatibility. Our recommendation is that you try any demo first and then seek advice should you experience any problems. Their site and contact details should be in the documentation that came with the download.

As stated in the above section, it is even more vitally important that you install the latest drivers for your graphics and sound cards. Please advise us of any problems encountered.

DirectX

Please note that Windows software requiring DirectX will need version 7.0 or later. Trying to run a program with an earlier version will result in a missing DLL error upon starting.

To check which version you have, go to your Start menu and click on Run. At the prompt enter "dxdiag" and click on OK. The DirectX troubleshooting program will then run. On the first screen you will find the version of DirectX installed, as shown to the right.

If this is earlier than 7.0 you will need to obtain the latest version, which can be downloaded from the Microsoft website by clicking here.

Non SOS Software titles may be compatible with an earlier version of DirectX or may not even need it at all. Details of DirectX version requirements are on each game's page.

If you are running a Vista or Windows 7 set-up you will already have a compatible version of DirectX.

OpenGL

Newer software may have the option to run using an OpenGL renderer instead of the normal DirectX. If you find that a game is running choppy, you may get better performance by swapping to OpenGL. There will be an option to change the renderer used, but you should check the documentation that came with the program (this could be a simple README.TXT file or part of the HTML instructions that get installed on the Start menu). You will either need to press a key on the title screen (there will be a visible prompt for this), or in a separate preferences menu.

Joypad problems

All PC games that have joystick/pad support should work with any DirectX compatible device (including gameport and USB connections). If you find that your joypad does not work, please note that it should be plugged in before starting the game.