Packard Bell Pulsar 300+ Series

If you try to take the multimedia tour in Money 98 (part of the software bundled with the computer), you will be asked to insert the Money 98 CD ROM. What you actually need to insert is the MASTER CD No. 2.

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When you run the Master CD, you will be presented with 3 options,

1. Normal - Choosing this option launches straight into FORMATTING the HARD DRIVE. There is no warning! This only takes a minute. The screen will then show an Orange progress bar moving up and down. It will also say "Copying Files to Hard Drive... Please be patient. This will take some time..."

If the CD ROM draw is opened - it will show a Device Error (R)etry, (F)ail? As long as the progress bar is moving and the hard drive light is flashing, remastering is progressing OK. When ready, you will be asked to insert Master CD 2 and press any key to continue. On completion, you will be asked to remove the floppy disk and press any key to restart the computer. The computer will go into setting up and detecting hardware followed by the standard win 98 first time setup. When this is finished, the computer will restart and go on to "Preinstalling Software....". The computer will restart automatically several times before eventually getting to the User information section.

2. Advanced Feature - Gives you 4 other options,

• 1. OS Only - No further warnings are given. The Hard Drive is formatted, with the message "Please be patient. This will take some time..." Only the operating system is reinstalled.
• 2. Reinitialize Hard Drive - No further warnings are given. This option runs FDISK, reboots and then formats the hard drive. Once completed, it returns you to previous menu.
• 3. Format Hard Drive.
• 4. Return to previous menu.

3. Cancel - Exits the restore progam.

Creating New Master CD Boot Disk

In the C:\DRIVERS\MCDBF folder there is a file called either MKMCDBF.BAT or MKMCDFD.BAT. If you run this program and put a floppy disk into the disk drive, it will format the disk, and create a new Master CD boot disk for you.

Incorrect CD Version

If when running the Master CD, you get the above message, here's how to get round it -

• Edit the Autoexec.bat on the floppy disk
• REM out the 'CDTEST'
• REM out the 'IF Errorlevel 1 Goto END'
• save and reboot, the MCD will now operate correctly.

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To get the CDROM drive to be recognised in MSDOS mode, do the following,

• Click on Start, then Run.
• Type in sysedit and click on OK.
• In the Autoexec.bat window, add the following lines at the bottom,
  cd\drivers\cdrom
  cdinst
  
• Save and Exit out of Sysedit.
• Restart the computer so it runs back into Windows.

Next time you want to go into MSDOS, the CD drive should be detected.

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When using phone tools, the voice options will be missing. Check the model of modem. The MDP 3858 comes in two versions - the 3858-E (without voice) and the 3858-VE (with voice). Of course if you have the version without voice capabilites, then you won't have the voice options in Phone Tools.

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SmartRestore allows you to reinstall the software that was preloaded on the computer or restore the original hardware configuration. Reinstalling a program will discard any changes made to its settings. For some programs, like PhoneTools, this means that you will have to run the first time use installation procedure again.

• Close all running programs.
• Insert Master CD 1 into the CD-ROM drive.
• Click on Start - Programs - Tools - Smart Restore.

Depending on how many components or programs are selected, the restoration procedure may take as long as one hour.

If SmartRestore is not present on the Start menu, then insert Master CD 1, and goto
Q:\Setup\Restore.exe

Software Restore

To select the program you wish to reinstall, click its name. When a program has been selected, there will be a green check mark next to it. You can select as many programs as you wish. SmartRestore will reinstall them one after another. The actual programs available for restoring will depend on the model.

Hardware Restore

This allows you to reinstall the drivers for the hardware that came supplied with the computer.

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To access PC Doctor, just press the 'AUX' button on the keyboard.

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The label for the Foreign Language Learning CD, Talk to Me, claims that it includes English, French, Dutch, Spanish, and Italian. Apparently this is a misprint, and it does not contain an Italian section.

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When trying to access the PB Navigator, you get a "Range Check Error", then the butterfly goes to any room, you may also get an error "You Must Initialise the File Name Properly Before Calling the Methods". The solution. This normally happens when there is a joystick installed, remove it and Navigator should load up (You may need to reinstall the Joystick afterwards).

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If your keyboard's multimedia buttons are not working,

• Open the "MEDIASCAPE" folder (Contained on the root directory).
• Double click the "MULTIMEDIA KEYBOARD" icon.
• Double click the "MMKEYBD" icon.

This runs the Multimedia keyboard software, switching the keyboards media buttons back on. This folder also contains the "UNLOAD"icon which allows you to switch the keyboard media functions off, and a configure option which allows you to customise the keyboard functions.

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If when you run Printmaster Gold, it asks you to insert the CD, the CD you need is the Pingu disc (part number 6733280001).

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Packard Bell computers with a Yamaha sound card such as the Pulsar C300 have a utility to control 3D sound called RSX 3D. This conflicts with the BBC childrens cartoon program The Really Wild Show and the programme will not run.

If you go Start/Find/Files or Folders and put in RSX you will find Uninstall RSX. Run that program and The Really Wild Show will work notwithstanding that it may have occasional scripting errors. Sound still works fine but 3D sound effects will not be available.

Presumably, RSX is re-installed if you use SmartRestore to reinstall the Sound Video and Game Controllers.

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'Restore my Account and Aliases' Function

All information about your Netp@ss account is stored on the Netp@ss regisration server, so if after running the Master CD, you want to restore your account details, do the following -

• Double-click the 'My Computer' icon in the top left corner of the Windows Desktop.
• Double-click 'Dial-Up Networking'.
• In this window, click the 'Packard Bell NETp@ss' icon with the secondary mouse button.
• From the menu that comes up, select the option 'Delete'.
• Click 'Yes' to confirm the warning message that appears.
• Repeat the previous three steps for any other 'Packard Bell NETp@ss' icons you might find in this particular window.
• Close the 'Dial-Up Networking' window.
• Double-click the 'Packard Bell NETp@ss' icon on the Windows Desktop.
• Click 'OK'.
• Select the language of your choice and click the 'Next' button.
• Select the country where you live.
• Fill in your area code.
• If you need to dial a number to access an outside line, make sure it is filled in in the next field, otherwise leave it empty.
• Any other options should not be selected. If they are selected, please deselect them. Then click 'Next'.
• Check your personal registration details and click 'Next'.
• Click the button 'Connect'.

The NETp@ss program will now connect to the Packard Bell registration server and present you a screen on which you are greeted by name, indicating that your account still exists. Please click the item 'View Account Information'. We strongly advise to write down or print out the screen containing all information about your account, especially the lines 'Login', 'Password', 'Challenge Phrase' and 'Answer'. Keep this information in a safe place. As this information is not easy to trace for the Packard Bell Helpdesk, having the information on paper will reduce the possibility of needing to do this again in the future. Now click the 'Menu' button and proceed as described next.

• Click the item 'Restore my Account and Aliases'.
• Answer your challenge phrase. This is the question you have entered when creating the account. Remember that your answer is case-sensitive.
• If the answer is correct, you can click the item 'Restore my Account and Aliases'.
• A message will come up saying 'Configuration completed'.

Removing NETP@SS From The System

Please perform the following steps if you want to remove NETp@ss from your system in order to use another Internet Service Provider :

• Double-click the 'My Computer' icon in the top left corner of the Windows Desktop.
• Double-click 'Dial-Up Networking'.
• In this window, click the 'Packard Bell NETp@ss' icon with the secondary mouse button.
• From the menu that comes up, select the option 'Delete'.
• Click 'Yes' to confirm the warning message that appears.
• Start up Outlook Express.
• Open the 'Tools' menu and select the option 'Accounts'.
• Click the 'Mail' tab.
• Click once the account marked 'default' to highlight it and click the 'Remove' button.
• Click 'Yes' to confirm the warning message that appears.
• Finally click the 'Close' button and close Outlook Express.

You can now install the software from any other Internet Service Provider according to their instructions.

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The HP Laserjet II printer software is installed on the Packard Bell Pulsar machines by default in the factory (and may be reinstalled by the Master CD). This is because some of the bundled software (I forget which) requires printer software installed before it will work.

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