18 Wheels of Steel: Haulin' README

18 Wheels of Steel: Haulin' (TM) ValuSoft, a division of THQ Inc.

Software (C) 2006 SCS Software.

18 Wheels of Steel, ValuSoft, and the ValuSoft logo are

trademarks of THQ Inc.
SCS Software and the SCS logo are trademarks of SCS Software.
All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners. All rights reserved.

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For 18 Wheels of Steel: Haulin' Technical Support, please refer to the Help
document in the Start/Programs/18 WoS Haulin/Visit ValuSoft Web site.
If you need further assistance please visit: http://www.valusoft.com

For the latest information on 18 Wheels of Steel Haulin', please visit:

http://www.Valusoft.com

*** There are many choices of rendering paths, and these should only
be changed by advanced users. The game will select the path best suited
to your hardware.

Please see the Troubleshooting section below, and the Troubleshooting

section of the Help file, for more information.

*** most newer integrated Intel graphics chipsets will run Haulin',
even though they are below the minimum system requirements. You must
be sure to install the latest drivers found on www.intel.com.
You will have to keep the detail settings set down for best performance.

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HELP FILE:
There is a full Help File in HTML format that can be accessed from the
Start Menu.

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MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
Pentium 4 1.4 Ghz or 100% compatible
256 MB RAM
540 MB HD Space
64 MB DirectX/Direct3D and T&L compatible video accelerator card
DirectX 9.0c or later
DirectX compatible sound card
Mouse
CR-Rom drive

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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 DirectX 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.

If you are crashing upon exit of the game, please try to obtain the latest
drivers for your video card. More up-to-date info on DirectX can be
found at Microsoft's webpage, at:
www.microsoft.com/directx/

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. For Windows XP, click Start/ Control Panel/ System Properties/
then the Hardware Tab, and then Device Manager. 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 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.3dfx.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: 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 Lowest or Moderate Detail,
or decrease the Resolution in the Options Menu. Running the
game in Fullscreen mode rather than windowed mode can also
improve the performance.

You can also choose to use different renderer pathways

from the Options/Graphics menu. Some cards run better on different
pathways. This is usually a trial and error selection.

Q: My game is crashing for some reason while I�m playing.

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
shadows and grass turned on, try turning them off. Some computer
systems do not correctly handle the drawing of shadows or grass and
can cause crashes.

Q: I am not seeing any textures on the ground, or the textures

don�t look right.
A: Try turning down or up the detail settings in the
Option menu.

Q: I am not hearing any sound or the sounds are broken up.

A: Be sure you have updated the drivers on your sound card
and have the latest version of DirectX installed. You may
also try turning off the 3D Sound in the Options Menu.

Q: The mouse sensitivity is too high, and it is difficult to aim.

A: You can adjust the mouse sensitivity in the Options Menu.

Optimizing your hard drive: Run SCANDISK and DEFRAG your hard drive.
There is a great potential for making games run faster and better
if your system is optimized.