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Flags of the World 1.0 - Windows

Frequently Asked Questions Top Questions 1. How do I install FlagPride once I have purchased a Keycode? 2. How do I load my own photos as a Flag? 3. How do I create my own Flags? Before You Buy 1. Basic Information - Please Read 2. What are the FlagPride system requirements? 3. Will I receive a CD with my online order? 4. Will FlagPride work with Windows NT 4.0? 5. Will FlagPride run on my notebook computer? 6. Will FlagPride run on Dual Monitors? 7. Will FlagPride run on a Mac? 8. Where can I talk to real people who have used this product? 9. Can I get a custom version of Flags of the World, with my logo in the background, or on a flag? Accounts & Keycodes 1. I lost my Keycode OR I made my purchase but have not received my Keycode. 2. I enter my Keycode and nothing happens OR I am told to place the CD in the drive. 3. How do I copy and paste my Keycode? 4. I have to enter my Keycode each time. Installation 1. How do I test FlagPride on my computer? 2. How do I install FlagPride once I have purchased a Keycode? 3. I cannot get the FlagPride CD to install across a network. 4. How do I set FlagPride as my default screen saver? 5. How do I uninstall FlagPride? 6. My FlagPride is no longer working correctly. How do I re-install the program? Operation 1. Where are the other Flags and how do I choose them? 2. How do I load my own photos as a Flag? 3. How do I create my own Flags? Troubleshooting 1. Basic Information - Please Read 2. FlagPride works perfectly on my friend's computer, but not mine. Why? 3. The Flag waves slowly and/or the program freezes. 4. Updating Your Video Card Driver. 5. When I try to run FlagPride I get the error "FlagPride is linked to missing export D3D..." 6. When I run FlagPride from the shortcut on my desktop, my computer launches a different program. Screen Savers & Burn-in 1. What is burn-in? 2. Screen savers 3. How can I prevent burn-in? 4. How do I fix burn-in? Miscellaneous 1. What are the flags that come in Flags of North America? 2. How do I register my FlagPride Product? Before You Buy 1. Basic Information - Please Read Before purchasing the FlagPride program we strongly recommend you test the program to see if it works on your computer. You can do this by downloading the program and running the demo version as outlined HERE. 2. What are the FlagPride system requirements? To run FlagPride, you will need: Windows 95, 98, 98SE, ME, 2000, or XP (Home or Professional). A Pentium-class CPU (120 MHz or faster). 16 MB of system RAM. A DirectX 6 compatible, 3D Accelerator Video Card with 16 MB or more of on-board RAM. 7 MB of free Hard Disk Space. DirectX 6 or better installed on your computer. The latest drivers for your video card. These are best found at the video card manufacturer's site. The Windows update feature is not sufficient for this task. For more information, click HERE 3. Will I receive a CD with my online order? No. We do not ship CDs with online orders. You may purchase the CD at any CompUSA Store, Fry's Electronics Store (a West Coast electronics chain). You can also purchase a FlagPride CD online from Encore Software For more details, you can contact our Sales Department via Email 4. Will FlagPride work with Windows NT 4.0? No. FlagPride will not work on Windows NT 4.0. FlagPride requires DirectX 6 or better to run and Windows NT 4.0 does not support DirectX. 5. Will FlagPride run on my notebook computer? Only notebooks with a GeForce2Go, Rage Mobility or S3 Savage chip will run the Marine Aquarium. The NeoMagic chip will not work. 6. Will FlagPride run on Dual Monitors? Not yet. We are working on built-in support for dual-monitor setups. Currently, running FlagPride on a dual monitor system will either blacken one monitor or not affect it at all. Dual monitor support is a feature that we are working on for our next upgrade, which should be available soon. 7. Will FlagPride run on a Mac? Not yet. Flags of North America for Mac OS X is currently under development and will be available in the near future. Check back later for the latest news and product updates. To register your e-mail address to receive e-mail notifications of product updates, please fill out click HERE. 8. Where can I talk to real people who have used this product? Check out the FlagPride forum on the Inside:SereneScreen fan site. Click below: FlagPride Forum 9. Can I get a custom version of Flags of the World, with my logo in the background, or on a flag? A custom version of Flags of the World is being considered. You can currently add your own photos or artwork as a Flag. See HERE for further instructions. If you are interested in having a name or logo tastefully added to the background, please contact us at Sales@FlagPride.com. Accounts & Keycodes 1. I lost my Keycode OR I made my purchase but have not received my Keycode. Please go HERE and enter your email to retrieve your Keycode. If this procedure does not work, Email us the following information where applicable and we can retrieve your information from our customer database: The full name you registered under. The Order Number from your confirmation e-mail. Both the first four AND last four numbers of the credit card you used. Your email address at the time of purchase. The date of your purchase. 2. I enter my Keycode and nothing happens OR I am told to place the CD in the drive. There are three things that can cause this error. 1. Some characters in the Keycode can be easily confused (i.e. O and zero, capitol I and the number one, etc.). Try to copy and paste your Keycode into the registration space to avoid any possible input errors. 2. You may be attempting to use your code in another version of FlagPride. Check your confirmation email to see which version you purchased and make sure this is the version you downloaded. 3. Your copy of FlagPride may have been corrupted during download or installation. Try downloading a new copy of the program and reinstalling it. Be sure to deactivate your anti-virus software for the duration of the download and install. For full installation instructions, click HERE 3. How do I copy and paste my Keycode? To copy and paste the Keycode, do the following: 1. Hold down the left mouse button and pass the cursor over the Keycode. This will highlight the code in black. 2. Let go of the mouse button and move the cursor to the center of the highlight without pressing any buttons. 3. Press the right-most mouse button and select "Copy" from the pop-up menu. 4. Start FlagPride. 5. After the program starts, press the space bar. This will bring up the registration window. 6. Put the cursor in the registration window, press the right-most mouse button again and select "Paste" from the pop-up menu. The Keycode should appear in the registration box. Be sure to eliminate any spaces before or after the code so you can have a clean paste. 7. Press the Enter key. The program should start right up. 4. I have to enter my Keycode each time. On a computer with multiple user profiles, only profiles that have administrator access can effect changes to the computer's registry, where our Keycode is stored. Not having Administrator access to the computer means that FlagPride cannot register itself correctly. You will have to change each user profile to accept registry changes and then enter the Keycode into each profile. To change the user profile in Win 2000/XP: 1. Click on the START button and select "Control Panel". 2. Double-click "User Accounts". 3. Select the task "Change an Account" and then click on the account to be changed. 4. Click on "Change my account type" and read the instructions for changing each profile to "Administrator" status. Installation 1. How do I test FlagPride on my computer? We have a separate demo version of FlagPride for just this purpose. To properly install the FlagPride demo, follow the instructions below: 1. IMPORTANT: Before installing, make sure your desktop color is set to 16 bit. Also, be sure your anti-virus software is deactivated for the duration of the download and install. 2. Delete any old versions of FlagPride on your system to avoid conflicts. 3. Disable any virus protection software you might be running for the duration of the download and installation. 4. Download the FlagPride Demo from HERE 5. After downloading the program, find the folder you downloaded to and double-click on the FlagPride installer file. This will run the Setup Wizard, which will install the FlagPride Demo on your computer, simply read and follow the instructions for installation. 6. Once the installation process is complete, there should be a new icon on your desktop that looks like a red Flag. Double-click on the new Flag icon to start the FlagPride Demo. 7. Don't forget to reactivate your anti-virus software. 8. While the FlagPride Demo is running, press the space bar to change your settings. 9. Let the FlagPride Demo run for a little while to be sure everything is working properly. If you have any problems consult the graphics or troubleshooting sections of our FAQ. 2. How do I install FlagPride once I have purchased a Keycode? Once you have purchased your Keycode you can activate the full version of the program. To properly install FlagPride, and activate the full version, follow the instructions below: 1. IMPORTANT: Before installing, make sure your desktop color is set to 16 bit color, have your Keycode handy and be sure your anti-virus software is deactivated for the duration of the download and install. 2. Delete any old versions of FlagPride (including the FlagPride Demo) on your system to avoid conflicts. 3. Download the newest release of the FlagPride product you purchased from one of the links below: Flags of North America Flags of the World 4. After downloading the program, find the folder you downloaded to and double-click on FlagPride installer file. This will run the FlagPride Setup Wizard, which will install FlagPride on your computer, simply read and follow the instructions for installation. 5. Once the installation process is complete, there should be a new icon on your desktop that looks like a red Flag. 6. Double-click on the Flag to start the program and press the spacebar on your keyboard to bring up the registration window. 7. Copy and paste your Keycode into the registration space to avoid any possible input errors (Some characters can be easily mixed up i.e. the letter O and zero, capitol I and the number one, etc.) and press enter. 8. Once the program is running, press the space bar to change your settings. 9. Don't forget to reactivate your anti-virus software when you are finished. 3. I cannot get the FlagPride CD to install across a network. To use the CD version of FlagPride, the computer you are installing to needs to have a CD-ROM drive. (Link: See the System Requirements) When FlagPride is first run the program looks for the CD to register the program. Using a network CD-ROM will not work for this purpose, but a portable CD-ROM drive will suffice. 4. How do I set FlagPride as my default screen saver? To set FlagPride as your screensaver follow the instructions below: 1. Right-click on your desktop. This will bring up a small menu window. 2. Select "Properties" from the menu. This will open the "Display Properties" window. 3. Click on the tab along the top marked "Screen Saver" 4. Using the scrolling menu, select FlagPride. The FlagPride logo should appear in the small computer monitor at the top of this window. 5. The length of time until the screen saver activates can be adjusted at the right. 5. How do I uninstall FlagPride? Tto uninstall FlagPride, run the Uninstall option through the Start menu under Programs/FlagPride/Flags of... Alternatively you can use the Add/Remove Programs utility located in the Control Panel to remove FlagPride. This should clean your system of any FlagPride data. 6. My FlagPride is no longer working correctly. How do I re-install the program? There are several cases where you may need to uninstall and reinstall FlagPride. Please consult the Graphics and Troubleshooting sections of our FAQ first for a solution there. However, corrupt downloads, new system settings, new video card drivers, or other such circumstances may make FlagPride stop running properly. If you cannot find another solution and would like to do a full re-install of the program we suggest the following steps: 1. Perform the uninstall process outlined HERE 2. Install the program as outlined HERE These two steps will give you a clean slate as it were, allowing FlagPride to adjust to your system's current settings. Operation 1. Where are the other Flags and how do I choose them? To access the Flag library, press the space bar while the program is running. This will bring up the 'Flags' window where you will find the flag selection screen. Double click or Drag any flag from the library of flags on the right, into the display box on the left. 2. How do I load my own photos as a Flag? IMPORTANT – Pictures you would like to use as Flags, must be in JPG or PNG format and work best when they are around 800x600 to 1024 x768 pixels in size, though actual ratio can vary. 1. Start FlagPride. 2. Press the space bar to bring up the Settings Menu. 3. Click the "Flags" tab. 4. In the upper part of the page you will see all of the Flag folders. Click the one labeled "My Photos". 5. Two new buttons, "Add" and "Remove", will appear above the Flag preview window. 6. Clicking the "Add" button will allow you to search your Hard Drive for your pictures. If they do not appear where you think they should, double-check that the files are in JPG format and in the correct folder. Clicking "Open" will add the file to your "My Photos" folder in FlagPride. 7. Once you have added the picture, you can select it like any other Flag. 8. Selecting the picture and clicking "Remove" will remove the picture from the "My Photos" folder. It will not delete the file. 3. How do I create my own Flags? 1. Create your flag design using any graphics program (MSPaint, Jasc Paint Shop Pro, Adobe Illustrator, etc.). Picture size should be between 800x600 to 1024 x768 pixels in size, though actual ratio can vary depending on design. Any larger or smaller than that and FlagPride may change the size automatically. If you are using one of the more advanced graphics program, you can make your flag any shape you want by making the background transparent and saving it in PNG format. 2. You must save the finished Flag as a JPG of PNG file. This is the only way FlagPride will be able to use it. 3. Lastly, load your custom flags into FlagPride as you would a photo. Click HERE for more information. Troubleshooting 1. Basic Information - Please Read The graphics used in FlagPride require a fairly up-to-date computer with a strong graphics card. If you do not have your computer set up for this kind of activity, do not worry, 99% of all graphics problems can be solved by simply updating your computer's video card drivers. See the driver update section HERE. The best way to test the FlagPride's compatibility is to download the program and run the demo version as outlined HERE 2. FlagPride works perfectly on my friend's computer, but not mine. Why? We are sorry, but without knowing the exact specifications of both computers, this is impossible to answer. You may fill out a troubleshooting form found HERE, to help us solve your problem. 3. The Flag waves slowly and/or the program freezes. There are a few things that can cause this problem so let's try a couple of basic fixes. Any combination of the below may get your Flags moving again. 1. First, be sure you have your desktop color resolution set to 16bit (This is called High Color on WIN98, but Medium Color on WINXP). 2. If you are running the full version, press the spacebar to bring up the Settings menu. Click the "Settings" tab. De-select the "Desktop resolution" option and chose another resolution like 800x600. Also de-select the "Exit on mouse move" if it is enabled. 3. Sometimes a program (Some Internet connections, communication/chat programs and media players) will access the system periodically and terminate or disrupt FlagPride. Try disabling these types of programs to see if it makes a difference. IMPORTANT - If you go through all of the basic fixes and your Aquarium is still slow or freezing, the problem may be your video card driver. Click HERE for information on how to check and update your video card driver. 4. Updating Your Video Card Driver. It is important to make sure you have the latest driver for your video card from the manufacturer. We have found that outdated drivers are the number one reason for many graphics problems. PLEASE NOTE - The Windows update function is often not sufficient for updating your video card drivers. To check which video card you have, follow the instructions below: 1. Right click on the "My computer" icon and choose "Properties". 2. Click on the "Device Manager" tab. In Windows XP or 2000 you can open Device Manager by double-clicking on the System icon in Control Panel (located in the Start menu), choosing the "Hardware" tab, and clicking "Device Manager" button. 3. Now click on the "+" sign next to the entry "Display Adapters". This will open a branch under the "Display Adapters" heading listing your video card or chip set. 4. Double-click this branch to bring up the video card properties. In the properties window, the "General" tab will show you your card and manufacturer. The "Driver" tab will tell you the date your drivers were last updated. 5. The "Update Driver" button at the bottom of this screen will also not suffice for your update. Video card manufacturers update their drivers once every THREE to SIX months. These new drivers can usually be found on their websites. Using the information you gathered above about your video card, you should search the Internet for the manufacturer's website and download the driver from there. Read the installation information on the manufacturer's site very carefully. There is no standard way to install updated drivers, though many companies include auto-installers with their driver downloads. If, and only if, the new driver does not solve the problem you may need a more compatible driver, possibly an older one. For a list and links to a tested video driver for your video card and operating system, please check the SereneScreen Fan Site HELP While this is the SereneScreen Aquarium fan site drivers page, it is kept updated by constant feedback from Aquarium users with all kinds of Windows systems and Windows problems. This is the quickest way to find the most compatible driver for FlagPride, however we recommend that you try the manufacturer's site first. 5. When I try to run FlagPride I get the error "FlagPride is linked to missing export D3D..." Your computer may not have Direct X, or may have an old version of Direct X. Direct X is a graphics language program required for running the Marine Aquarium. Click on the following link to the Microsoft Direct X website and download the latest version. If you know that you already have Direct X installed on your computer, than you may want to run the program's self-diagnostic tool as outlined below: 1. Click on the "Start" button and select "Run". 2. Type in "dxdiag" and click OK. This will open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. The version of DirectX you are running will be displayed toward the bottom of the first page. 3. Go through each tab and click the buttons with the word "Test.." in them. This will take you through a series of diagnostic tests. 4. When you get to the "Display" tab make sure that "Directdraw" and "Direct3D" are enabled. If Direct3D is "Not Available" right click your desktop and click "Properties." Go to the "Settings" tab, click "Advanced." Go to the "Performance" tab and make sure hardware acceleration is set to Full. 5. If you find any problems you will need to download and reinstall DirectX from the link above. 6. When I run FlagPride from the shortcut on my desktop, my computer launches a different program. AutoCAD or some other program has changed the association of the .scr file type. Here is a way to work around that: 1. Open your My Documents folder and select "View" ("Tools" for Windows XP) from the Menu Bar then click on "Folder Options..." 2. Click the "View" tab, uncheck "Hide file extensions for known file types" and click the "Apply" button. This will allow you to view the file extensions for all files. 3. Close your My Documents window. 4. Delete the FlagPride icon from your Desktop. 5. Copy and Paste the Flags of North America.scr file from your C:WindowsSystem (System32 for Windows XP) folder to your Desktop. 6. Right-click on the new FlagPride icon and select "Rename" from the menu. Change the Icon's name to Flags of North America.exe. You can now run the Aquarium manually by double-clicking this Icon. Screen Savers & Burn-in 1. What is burn-in? Burn-in is a generic term for a ghost-like image that appears on a monitor or television after displaying an image that does not change for a long period of time. Burn-in is also called ghosting or image persistence. While the exact cause is different for different types of monitors, the result is the same, a light or dark area of the screen where the non-moving image was displayed. Due to better technology, energy saver options, and screen savers, burn-in is much less of a problem than in the past. However, any program, even a screen saver, can cause burn-in if left running long enough. 2. Screen savers Screen savers were originally designed to help avoid the effects of burn-in by automatically changing the images on the screen when the computer was not in use (thus "saving" the screen from burn-in). They are usually set up to launch automatically by the computers operating system, waiting a specified amount of time after the last keystroke or the last mouse movement made by a user. The screen saver then blanks the screen, or more commonly produces animation effects, thus avoiding any "fixed" images. Modern monitors are much less susceptible to burn-in than older models due to better technology and energy saver options . For these reasons, screen savers today are primarily decorative or for entertainment, and usually feature moving images or patterns and sometimes sound effects. Our LifeGlobe and SereneScreen products are hyper-realistic simulators. They model real creatures in real environments. They are completely unpredictable, and follow behaviors modeled after their real life counterparts. As a result, the background can remain on screen for long periods of time without change. By default our simulators ship in a mode that cycles the background and/or lighting. Changing these options can effect some monitors over a long period of time. If you are concerned about burn-in, do not turn off this cycle. 3. How can I prevent burn-in? Most computers have several layers of protection against burn-in: Better technology Advancements in monitor hardware and software mean that todays monitors are less likely to burn-in. Energy saver options To save electricity, monitors will switch to an energy saving mode after a period of time, either reducing the brightness of the display or turning off the display entirely. Screen savers Finally, there are an incredible number of screen savers that display moving images to reduce the persistence of a single image on the screen helping to avoid burn-in. However, even with these advancements and options, in rare cases, burn-in can still occur. To prevent burn-in, we recommend the following: Different monitors have different needs when it comes to burn-in. You should check the users manual for specific information, or even contact the manufacturer, just to be sure what steps you can take for your specific monitor. Set the energy saver options to turn off your monitor when not in use for a long period of time. With any of our products, the background and foreground lighting change constantly on an automatic cycle. If you are concerned about burn-in, do not turn off this cycle. 4. How do I fix burn-in? This depends on the kind of monitor you have. CRT Unfortunately, once burn-in occurs on a CRT monitor, there is no fix as the actual process that produces the image has been damaged. LCD & Plasma monitors The approach to fixing burn-in on plasma and LCD monitors is the same: Display a white screen on the display for a length of time equal to the image that burned-in. Apple has an excellent article on how to go about this: Apple: Avoiding image persistence on Apple LCD displays Miscellaneous 1. What are the flags that come in Flags of North America? All of the Flags that come with your FlagPride program are listed on the product info pages: Flags of North America Index Flags of the World Index 2. How do I register my FlagPride Product? If you purchased a CD from a retail store or from Encore Software, you can register this product using the link below: Encore Software Registration Page Products purchased directly from our website as an electronic download do not need to be registered, all of your information was entered into our database at the time of purchase. However, if did not check the "I would like to receive email updates, notices, free offers and gifts." option when you made your purchase then you will receive none of these services.