Answers to Install/Demo Questions
Q: The game won't install
correctly on 64-bit Windows 7 or 64-bit Vista? Is there a 64-bit version of the
game?
Q: I just received the full version. Why can't I get
the master disk to install correctly?
Q: I just received an add-on by email and it
doesn't work. What is wrong?
Q: How do I uninstall Inner Space?
Q: The demo I downloaded won't let
me play anymore. What can I do?
Q: I'm playing the shareware demo.
Why should I order the full game?
Q: I ordered the game and installed the
full version from the master disk. It worked fine initially, but now the game says it's
unregistered. How do I fix this?
Q: I went to install the game, but my virus detector
said there was some sort of virus. Can you help?
Q: The game won't run and it
says "Can't find _LANG.DLL". How do I fix this?
Q: I tried to make a backup of the
master disk. Why didn't it work?
Q: The game won't install correctly on 64-bit Windows 7
or 64-bit Windows Vista. Is there a 64-bit version of the game available?
A:
Inner Space is not 64-bit, but it is possible to play it on
64-bit versions of Windows. Not only is there not a 64-bit version of Inner
Space, it's not 32-bit either. It was created as a 16 bit application in
1992. Amazingly and unlike anything else that we know of, it still works
fine on all 32-bit versions of Windows including Windows 7. There are 32 bit
and 64 bit versions of Windows 7. Microsoft allows 16 bit programs to run
normally through a compatibility layer on 32 bit Windows 7, but they do not
include that natively in 64 bit Windows 7 or Vista.
All is not lost. There’s
still a way, but it takes a bit more work on your end. Microsoft offers Windows
Virtual PC for free which allows 16 bit apps to run on 64 bit Windows 7. Windows Virtual
PC does NOT come pre-loaded with any version of Windows 7 but you can download
it. If you have Windows 7
Professional, Ultimate or Enterprise, you can download it and install it.
Get it here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/
Once you have setup the
Virtual PC, you should have an environment which allows Inner Space to install
and play. We created Inner Space in 1992-93 and it’s the only computer game ever
made that is still played by people all over the world in its original
unmodified form. Converting the original game to 32 bit (or 64 bit) would be a
huge undertaking and is not financial viable.
Q: I
just received the full version of the game. Why can't I get the master disk to install correctly?
A:
We're sorry if the installation did not work. All our master disks are
tested before they're sent out, so it's almost impossible for the disk to be
bad, but almost impossible is not the same as totally impossible.
Assuming you are installing from a good master disk or from the emailed
version of the master files:
1) You may have to reboot and turn off some
programs to install Inner Space because it is a 16-bit Windows application.
Sometimes Windows runs out of resources needed for 16-bit
Windows apps, so restarting usually takes care of it. However, if you have a
lot of applications automatically startup when you start Windows, the
resources could be used up right on startup. If restarting Windows and
running the Inner Space installer first thing still does not work, then you
will need to restart Windows in SAFE mode. It stops most programs from
loading and looks ugly, but SAFE mode will let you install Inner Space
correctly. Once installed, Inner Space should run with Windows running
normally (without rebooting or going to Safe mode).
2) You must install Inner Space to a directory with a relatively
short name (8 characters max). If you type a directory name longer than 8
characters or including spaces in the middle into the installer, it won't
work. If in doubt, use the default install directory of C:\SPACE
for installation.
However, if the master disk is corrupted or scratched, installation could
still fail. Check each of the following:
1) If you have had Inner Space for years, the disk has probably become
corrupted and you should get a replacement disk. You can order a
replacement disk for much less than the cost of the game. Since the game
is 20 years old, many users
play this game for a decade or more. Sooner or later, you will then need a
replacement disk.
2) You need to install from the actual master disk from the full package, not
a backup or duplicate.
3) The master disk must not be write-protected for it to work right.
If it's write-protected, it might only install as a demo, or just fail. If
the disk was somehow write-protected, it's easy to switch it.
4) The full version master disk should be v1.29.02 (or newer) if you
received it recently. Take note of the version number displayed in the
installer.
5) When you start the installer and it asks if you wish to keep
previous settings, answer 'No'. This will not eliminate saved games but will
allow the installer to start from scratch.
6) After installing the full version, you need to have one and only
one copy of the game on your computer for it to work right. If you installed
the demo in one directory and then the full version somewhere else, you'll
have 2 copies of the game on the same computer and neither will work right.
When installing the full version, you can install overtop the demo that was
previously installed to replace it or you could delete the demo before
installing the full version. Either way, make sure you end up with
only one copy of the game on your computer.
If you still cannot get the master disk to install correctly, email us with the
problem, the version you have and any error messages or details and we will find a way to
help you.
Q: I just received an Add-on by email and
it doesn't work. What is wrong?
A: We include detailed install
instructions in the email that includes software you can install. Any of our
software add-ons (The Works, Sound Effects, Ship Kit, Ship Sets) can be sent as
e-mail attachments. This saves you the shipping cost and avoids the delay of
snail mail. When we send software via email as an attachment, it needs to first
be renamed to have .zip as a file extension and then be unzipped before it can
be installed. Once the
attachment has been unzipped, it becomes an executable xxx.exe (usually
setup.exe or install.exe) that you can run. Renaming the file extension is a
step that was required to go through gmail, hotmail and AOL email systems.
Q: How do I uninstall Inner Space?
A: If you have installed
the full version from master disk, simply run the installer from master disk again and
choose the Deinstall option. If the deinstall option is not available, follow the
instructions below.
Delete the Inner Space directory (including all subdirectories) and make sure Inner Space
is not set as the active screen saver. To set the current screen saver, open the Windows
Control Panel, Display setting, Screen Saver tab. If the screen saver is set to Inner
Space, set it to None or anything other than Inner Space. If any files will not delete,
restart Windows and try again.
Q: The demo I downloaded won't let
me play anymore. What can I do?
A: If the
demo won't let you play, it's because you have a very old version of the demo. To fix this
problem, download and install the upgrader from our download page.
Also, consider buying the full game. If you enjoy the demo, buying the full version is
very cool. You'll get a much better and newer version of the game with more ships,
weapons, a Ship Factory and other great stuff. Click here for the
Top 10 Reasons to Buy Inner Space.
Q: I'm playing the shareware
demo. Why should I order the full game?
A:
The playable demo isn't the full game. The demo enables some features
for a limited time and then less features after that. The full version is a lot
better and buying it is very cool. If you order the full Inner Space game, we
will give you a code to enable more features and send you the full package
including all ships, all weapons, master disk, reference cards, Ship Factory and
full-color manual with strategy tips and information on designing your own
ships.
We hope you enjoy playing the shareware version, but we don't get paid from
shareware CDs. We only make money when users order the full version. We offer
the shareware version for you to try first so that you can make an informed
buying decision. If you enjoy the game and don't pay for it, that's pretty uncool
and jerky. We love it when people try the demo version of the game. If you enjoy
the game, we'll really appreciate your order to buy a copy. Click here for the Top 10 Reasons to Buy Inner Space.
Q: I ordered the game and installed the full version from the
master disk. It worked fine initially, but now the game says it's unregistered. How do I
fix this?
A: After
reformatting your hard drive or installing some new hardware or software, this sort of
problem can occur, but reinstalling from the a new copy of the game will
almost always fix the problem. If a normal reinstall does not work, reinstall
using the force option as detailed in the Inner Space printed manual. We can
send replacement software to any registered user for $5. When we send it
electronically, there is no shipping charge, so it's both inexpensive and quick!
Q: I went to install the game, but my virus detector said there was some
sort of virus. Can you help?
A: First,
we can tell you that we rigorously check for viruses and bugs before releasing any game
version or upgrader. The upgrader is available only direct from our website and you can be
assured that it is safe. However, there are thousands of copies of the demo available all
over the internet. Since such copies are on other websites, we can't control them or
update them, but if it's a respected game download site or online service, they will also
check for viruses, so the game will be checked twice before you get it.
Some users are still concerned. Some virus detectors assume that any copying of files in
certain directories is probably a virus even though this is often not the case. Viruses
usually copy files, but so does the installer for every software package. Therefore, many
packages specifically tell you to turn off virus detection before installing and re-enable
it afterward to avoid meaningless virus alarms. We recommend McAfee or IBM virus
protection because they have the most thorough virus detection with very few false alarms.
Q: The game won't run and it
says "Can't find _LANG.DLL". How do I fix this?
A: This
problem is almost always fixed by reinstalling. When the installer asks you if you want to
preserve previous settings, answer No. If that does not fix the problem, close the game
and then open INSPACE.INI (in Windows directory) with a text editor. There should be a
line that reads "Language=ENG". If the Language= line is different or empty,
make it read "Language=ENG".
Q: I tried to make a backup of
the master disk. Why doesn't it work?
A: To make a
backup, you must first install from the master disk. Since many disks formatted in DOS or
preformatted will not work as a backup, format a high-density blank disk with Windows File
Manager or Explorer. Then you can run the Backup program in your Inner Space directory to
make a valid backup disk.
