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GENERAL TROUBLESHOOTING
Why use General Troubleshooting?
It has been our experience general troubleshooting can resolve many performance issues experienced with running a program. If the issue you are experiencing is not listed in the Frequently Asked Questions, please try the following suggested General Troubleshooting Steps.
Please remember, when making changes to your system it is a good practice to take notes along the way to enable you to reverse your changes.
Update Drivers
In general if you are experiencing performance issues, lock ups, black screen, error messages, etc. it is advisable to check with the machine manufacturer to ensure that you are using the most current drivers available. Sound, Video, USB and CD-ROM manufacturers often release a number of new driver versions in a year to enable the user to get the best out of their hardware. These drivers often contain improvements and sometimes include fixes for known issues with the hardware. If you are unfamiliar with updating your drivers or have any questions about your system drivers, please contact your computer manufacturer or supplier for assistance.
System Resources
When beginning to troubleshoot an issue with program performance or error messages it is important to close any programs running in the background. The performance issue or error message could simply be related to a conflict between two programs trying to use the same resources.
Close Programs in Background
On many systems there are programs that are started and run when the computer is first booted.
When beginning to troubleshoot an issue with program performance or error messages it is important to close any of these programs running in the background.
The performance issue or error message could simply be related to a conflict between two programs trying to use the same resources.
To close all programs running in the background please do the following:
Select Start
Select Programs
Select Accessories
Select System Tools
Select System Information.
Select Tools in the system Information window
Select System Configuration utility
In the System Configuration utility click on the General tab
Select Selective Startup
Deselect Load startup group items by clicking on the box to clear the checkmark
Deselect Process Config.sys file by clicking on the box to clear the checkmark
Deselect Process Autoexec.bat file clicking on the box to clear the checkmark
Click the Apply button to save your changes
Click on the Win.ini tab
Click on the + sign next to WINDOWS
Deselect load= by clicking on the box to clear the checkmark
Deselect run= by clicking on the box to clear the checkmark
Click the Apply button to save your changes
Next click on the Startup Tab
Confirm that all entries in the list are deselected, if they do have a check, deselect it by clicking on the box to clear the checkmark.
Click the Apply button to save your changes
Click the OK button.
Windows will ask to restart the computer, select OK
After restarting the computer press the keys, Ctrl, Alt, and Del (or Delete) at the same time, once. This will pop up the Close Program window. All the programs listed in this window are running currently on the computer. To close each program, click on them one at a time, then click the End Task button. Continue pressing Ctrl, Alt, and Del to open the Close Program window and close the programs with End Task until just the Explorer and the Systray programs are left.
Close all running programs by using End Task, except the Explorer and Systray (these are needed to run Windows). If Explorer or Systray are accidentally closed you will need to restart the computer. If the Ctrl, Alt, and Del combination is pressed more than one time in series, the computer may re-start.
The programs closed from the Close Program Window will re-start when the computer is rebooted, so there should be no worries of accidentally deleting an important program.
Free Hard Drive Space
Clear Windows Temp Folder & Empty Recycle Bin
Temp Folder
The Windows Temp folder is available to programs during installation as a 'swapping' or 'storage' location. Often times after the installation of a program files will remain in the Temp folder that are no longer needed. These files can be removed to free up additional hard drive space.
IMPORTANT: DO NOT DELETE THE TEMP FOLDER. Make sure all applications are closed before removing files from the WINDOWS\TEMP folder. Also, please be very careful when deleting any files from the system.
Right Click on Start
Left Click on Explorer (Windows Explorer, not Internet Explorer)
Find the WINDOWS folder (double click to open)
Find the TEMP folder (double click to open)
Select the files on the right side of the window
Click on File
Select Delete (repeat this action until all files are deleted)
Close all the windows and restart the computer. v
Empty Recycle Bin
To free up necessary hard drive space for swapping of files and installation empty the recycle bin.
Desktop
Right Click on Recycle Bin
Empty Recycle Bin
Click on YES when prompted
Scandisk & Defrag
It is advisable to maintain your machine to prevent errors/crashes from occurring. We recommend that you run Scandisk and Defrag on your hard drive(s) to prevent data loss/corruption.
These tools can easily be found by double clicking the 'My Computer' icon on the desktop, right clicking on your hard drives, choosing properties, and then clicking on the Tools tab. v
Clean CD
The CD-ROM drive reads the CD with an optical laser. If there are any dust particles, smudges or fingerprints on the silver side of the CD the CD-ROM drive may have difficulty reading the CD. This difficulty can result in error messages, lock ups and blue screens. To clean the CD, use warm soapy water and a soft cloth towel. Only wipe the CD from the inside out like the spokes on a wheel with a soft lint free cloth. Make sure the CD is completely dry before using it in the computer.
Graphic Hardware Acceleration
The Hardware Acceleration settings control how Windows uses your graphics hardware. They can help you troubleshoot display-related issues. Please take changes one notch at a time.
Click on Start
Settings
Control Panel
Double Click on the System icon.
Click on the PERFORMANCE tab
Click on the GRAPHICS button at the bottom of the screen.
Move your Hardware Acceleration from Full down one notch to Most Accelerator functions. Apply changes. Restart computer when prompted. Try the program again. If you are still experiencing difficulty, repeat the action. Note Do not move Acceleration below the BASIC setting or last notch.
DirectX
Many of the LEGO Media programs use the DirectX components to manage sound and video within the program. If you are experiencing choppy sound or broken or choppy video please review your settings with the DirectX diagnostics tool.
Start
Run
Type DXDIAG
Click OK
If for any reason the file does not launch from the run command. The default folder for the DXDIAG file is C:\Program Files\DirectX\Setup\DXDIAG
The version and computer information will be displayed on the first tab (system)
DirectX Drivers
The DirectX diagnostics tool has several pages of information regarding your system. Select the DirectX Drivers tab. Review the page to confirm all of the drivers on the system are DirectX CERTIFIED. If there are any drivers identified as uncertified, please contact your computer manufacturer or supplier for assistance in updating the uncertified drivers.
Display
To access the DirectX display properties click on the Display tab at the top of the DirectX diagnostics tool. If you are experiencing choppy or broken video while using the program, disable Direct Draw in the DirectX features section of this page. Close the DirectX diagnostics tool and the program. If this resolves the issue, consider contacting your computer manufacturer or supplier for assistance in updating the video drivers.
Sound
To access the DirectX sound properties click on the Sound tab at the top of the DirectX diagnostics tool. If you are experiencing choppy or broken sound while using the program move the Hardware Sound Acceleration Level in the DirectX features section of this page down one level. Close the DirectX diagnostics tool and restart the program. If the sound issues persist continue with this troubleshooting method one notch at a time until the Hardware Sound Acceleration Level is moved to NONE. If this resolves the issue, consider contacting your computer manufacturer or supplier for assistance in updating the sound drivers.
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