[The MasterCook Cupboard Home Page]

Sierra Technical Support Phone: (206) 644-4343 Note: After April 27th, 1997 our new area

PO Box 85006 Fax: (206) 644-7697 code will be (425)

Bellevue, WA 98015-8506

America Online: Keyword SIERRA

Compuserve: Go SIERRA

Email: support@sierra.com

WWW: http://www.sierra.com

Sierra On-Line, Inc. does not warranty or promise that the information herein will work with any or all computer systems. Sierra does not assume any liability, either incidental or consequential, for the use of the information herein, including any and all damage to or lost use of computer hardware or software products, loss of warranties, or lost data by the customer or any third party. No oral or written information or advice given by Sierra, its employees, distributors, dealer or agents shall change the restriction of liability or create any new warranties. In no case shall Sierra's liability exceed the purchase price of the Sierra software product.

SECTION 1 - HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

SECTION 2 - INSTALLATION PROCEDURES

SECTION 3 - COMMON IMPORTING/EXPORTING QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS

SECTION 4 - COMMON PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS

SECTION 5 - MASTERCOOK 4.0 TIPS AND TRICKS

SECTION 6 - GENERAL PROTECTION FAULTS AND ILLEGAL OPERATION ERRORS

SECTION 7 - OBTAINING A SIERRA PATCH DISK

SECTION 8 - WINDOWS 3.1 BOOT DISK INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION 9 - WINDOWS 95 BOOT DISK INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION 10 - IF YOU STILL HAVE PROBLEMS...

SECTION 11 - FEATURES NOT INCLUDED IN THE MANUAL

486 with 8MB RAM (8MB under Windows 95)

10MB hard drive space

Windows 3.1/ Win 95

VGA (640x480 resolution, 256 colors)

Microsoft Mouse or 100% compatible

8,000KB swap file

2X CD ROM drive

Pentium, 16 MB RAM

Black/White and color printers

Laser, Inkjet, or Postscript

9-pin and 24-pin dot matrix printers

compatible with Windows 3.1 or higher

Insert the CD or disk into the appropriate drive. From Program Manager, click on File, Run. In the Command Line field, type the letter of the drive followed by :\SETUP, for example: D:\SETUP. Follow the on-screen prompts to install.

Insert the CD or disk into the appropriate drive. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation. If the Autoplay function of Windows 95 is disabled or not functioning correctly, click on Start, select Run, and type D:\SETUP.EXE, where D:\ is the letter of your CD-ROM drive.

Problem: How do I export recipes from Cookbook USA?

Solution: In the Cookbook USA main screen, click on Cookbook. Double click on a category at the right. Click on to scan through recipes available in the selected category. Choose a recipe, then click on Save.

Problem: How do I export recipes from Cooking Companion 1.x?

Solution: To export selected recipes, select Additional Options from the main menu. In the Option drop-down menu select Create Cookbook and enter a name for the new cookbook. In the main menu select Recipe Options, then Copy Recipe. In the Copy Recipe window, select the cookbook you wish to copy the recipe from by highlighting the recipe and pressing ENTER ( to deselect press ENTER again). Tab to Recipe Group and select the category to copy the recipe from by highlighting it and pressing ENTER. Press the <F4> key to view the recipes in the selected category. Select the recipe using the arrow keys to highlight, then pressing ENTER. In the Select New Location window, select the cookbook to copy the recipe to, highlight it using the arrow keys, then press ENTER. Select a category under Recipe Groups, highlight it using the arrow keys, then press ENTER. To export an entire cookbook, select Additional Options from the main menu. From the Options drop-down menu select Print Cookbook File. From the recipes drop-down menu select the cookbook to be exported.

Problem: How do I export a recipe from Cooking Light Cookware 1.x?

Solution: Select a category by clicking on a picture located to the left. Select a recipe for export from the recipe list on the right. Click on File, then Save as Text… from the drop-down menu. Select the designation of the file directory and name. Create a name for the file being exported. Click on Open. If the folder shown is correct, click on Save.

Problem: How do I export a recipe from From Scratch 3.x?

Solution: Click on a recipe to highlight it. Double click on the recipe to open it. Click the print button on the bottom of the screen. On the Print Options screen, click on the box "Print draft to Text File". Click OK. Select a directory and a drive where you want the recipe to be exported. Create a name for the file you will be exporting. Click OK.

Problem: How do I export recipes from KeyHome Gourmet?

Solution: In the Open Cookbook window, click on Directories (where the cookbooks are located). Select a cookbook by clicking on it. Click OK. In the Cookbook window, click on File. Highlight the Export Recipes option and click on it. In the Export Recipes window, click on the categories that contain the recipes you want exported and select the recipe(s) for exporting. Create a name for the Export File and select a Directory where the recipe/recipes are to be exported.

Problem: How do I export recipes from Meal-Master 7.x, 8.x?

Solution: At the Meal-Master opening screen press any key to continue. In the Main Menu, open the Utilities Menu. In the Utilities Menu select Export Recipe. In the Recipe Export Menu, create a name for the file that you will be exporting. Select the manner in which you will be exporting the file, either Create (for create a new file), Append (to add the file to the end of the last file), or Replace (to overwrite a file). Select the amount of recipes you will be exporting, either Individual (for an individual recipe to be exported), Marked (to export marked recipes to be exported), or Range (for a range of recipes specified to be exported). Each individual recipe is numbered. Type the number of the recipe you wish to export; in parenthesis will be the number of recipes available for export. Example: (1-15). Export in any of the following three formats: Normal Format, BB Format, or MM Format. Next, select which way the program exports the ingredients, either Single Columns or Dual Columns. Select Go to export the recipe/recipes, or Exit.

Problem: How do I export a recipe from Micro Cookbook 3.x? (Windows version)

Solution: Click on File in upper left corner of the screen. Click on Open Cookbook. Select a cookbook by highlighting it and clicking on Open. Highlight a chapter to select it. Click on the arrow to the left of the cookbook name to see a list of recipes within that cookbook. Choose a recipe to be exported by highlighting it and double-clicking to view the recipe. Click on File, then select Export as Text. Create a name for the file to be exported and click Save.

Problem: How do I export a recipe from Micro Cookbook 3.x? (DOS version)

Solution: In main menu press the <F1> key, to Select a Recipe from an Index. Using the arrow keys, select the recipe by highlighting the name and clicking on Enter. In the recipe view use the arrow keys to highlight FUNCTIONS in the lower right hand corner. Click on Enter. On the drop-down menu use arrow keys to highlight F8 Export Recipe and press enter or <F8>. Create a name for the file to be exported (up to 8 characters), or use the default name that appears. Click on Enter.

Problem: How do I export recipes from Micro Cookbook 4.x?

Solution: Highlight a cookbook to view recipes. Click OK. In the Recipe window, type a recipe name to search the database or use the scroll bar to search for a recipe. Click on the recipe(s) you want to export (the box to the left of the recipe will be marked showing which recipes you've selected). Click the View button to the right. Click the printer icon on the tool bar. In Print Options window, click on the box next to "Print to Text File". Click OK.

Problem: How do I export recipes from Micro Cookbook 5.0?

Solution: At the start, click on Recipes. In Micro Cookbook 5.0 Categories select a category by clicking on the View button in the lower right corner. Select a recipe by highlighting it and clicking again on View. In Recipe View click on the Print icon located on the tool bar. In the Print window click on the box located next to "Print to File", then click OK. In the Print to File window, type a name for the file you will be exporting. Select a drive and/or directory and click OK.

Problem: How do I export recipes from MicroKitchen Companion 2.x?

Solution: In the MicroKitchen Companion main screen, click on File, then select Open. In the Select a Recipe File window, click on a recipe file name where the recipes are located and click OK. Click on Search, select an Index, then select a Name from the drop-down menu. In the Recipe Name index window, click OK. Next, in the Selected Recipes window, click on the List All button located on the menu bar below to see all recipes available. Use the scroll bar to scroll down, if necessary. Select one or more recipes by highlighting with the left mouse button, then mark the recipe with the right mouse button (notice an * appears next to the recipe name when marking). Click on the Form View button located on the menu bar below. In the Recipe View window click on the Print button (located to the left of the menu bar). In the Print Choices window select the following:

Recipe(s) to print

· Current recipe only

· All recipes displayed

· Marked recipes

Print

· All or portion of recipe

· Recipe form (screen)

· List (Single line)

Send Output

· Click on ASCII file

Part(s) of recipe to print

· Classification

· Ingredients

· Instructions

· Nutritional Information

Click OK. In the Create a Recipe Text File window, choose a location for the exported file(s). Create a name for the exported file(s) and click OK.

Problem: How do I export recipes from MicroKitchen Companion 3.x?

Solution: In the Welcome Menu, choose a cookbook by highlighting it and pressing ENTER, or by double-clicking on the Open icon to open any cookbook. In the Cookbook Title Page click OK. Select recipes to export by double-clicking in the Mark & Tag columns to the right of the recipe name. You can select as many recipes as you like. When you've selected a recipe/recipes to be exported, click on the printer icon on the tool bar. Select the following by clicking next to choices given:

· (Export) Current Recipe Only

· (Export) Selected Recipes

Parts to Print (of recipe)

· Classification

· Ingredients

· Instructions

· Nutrition

Printed Output Format

· Multiple lines per recipe (recipe as a whole)

· One Line per recipe (recipe name only)

Send Output to

· Select ASCII file (text file) to export recipe.

Click on the printer icon in the lower right corner. Select a drive, then select a destination folder for the exported file. Create a name for the file you are exporting and click OK.

Problem: How can I format a recipe in Microsoft Word (or another word processor) so that MasterCook can import it?

Solution: Try using the following format for your recipes (note: do not type the greater than or lesser than symbols; they are not necessary). An example recipe is shown on the right.

@@@@@ @@@@@

<Title #1> Fried Fish

<Note #1: one line only> Recipe is excellent with French fries and tartar sauce.

<Ingredient #1> 1 pound fish

1 package bread crumbs

1 stick of butter

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons canola oil

<Direction #1> 1. Fillet fish, making sure fish is deboned.

2. Melt butter and mix in salt.

3. Dip fillets in butter and coat with bread crumbs.

4. Heat oil in pan and fry fish until golden-brown.

@@@@@ @@@@@

<Title #2>

<Note #2: one line only>

<Ingredient #2>

<Direction #2>

@@@@@

This format should allow your recipes to be imported successfully. Make sure you save the recipe in the word processor as TEXT ONLY or ASCII TEXT.

Problem: When I try to install MasterCook, I get a really strange message saying "DDE CONNECT ERROR 400A" (Windows 95).

Solution: Eject the CD and put it back into the drive. When the installation main menu comes up on the screen, click on the Install button and follow the on-screen prompts. If you insert the CD into the drive and nothing appears on the screen, click on Start, then select Run.... At the Command Line, click on Browse and select your CD-ROM drive. Next, click on SETUP.EXE, click on Open, then click OK. Continue as directed above.

Problem: What printers work with MasterCook?

Solution: MasterCook will work with any printer driver installed in Windows. Occasionally, the printer manufacturer's most recent driver may be needed for best printing performance.

Problem: MasterCook seemed to install OK, but it didn't create a program group or any icons. How do I fix this?

Solution: In Program Manager, click on File and select New. Click on the circle next to Program Group and click on OK. Name the group "Sierra". Click on File again and select New. Click on the circle next to Program Item. In the Description box, type "MasterCook". In the Working Directory box, type "X:\SIERRA\MSTRCOOK" (where x: = drive letter you installed the program to). In the Command Line box, type "X:\SIERRA\MSTRCOOK\MSTRCOOK.EXE." Click on the Change Icon button and make sure the chef's hat icon is selected and click on OK. Click on OK again. If this happens in Windows 95, click on the Start button, select Run, and type "PROGMAN", then follow the above instructions. You should now be able to run the program.

Problem: During installation, I get an error message saying "SETUP caused a General Protection Fault in module SETUP.EXE."

Solution: This happens when the Setup program is unable to accurately detect what type of CPU your computer has, and most often occurs with non-Intel processors such as the Cyrix 486DX4/120. Reinstall MasterCook. When Setup asks you if you would like to perform a hardware test, click on NO, then continue with the installation.

Problem: "Wingding" font showing up in pop-up messages and modify recipe design, under Design Name (Windows 95).

Solution: Delete "Monotype" fonts from the Fonts section of the Control Panel. Then uninstall and reinstall MasterCook. The program should function normally again.

Problem: You purchased the upgrade version, and after installing the new version, you have two copies of MasterCook on your computer.

Solution: Setup will try to install over an old version, but occasionally will miss something. Either from the DOS prompt or in File Manager, copy the .MCF files and the USER.ING file from the C:\MSTRCOOK directory to the C:\SIERRA\MSTRCOOK directory (where C: is the drive letter where the each version of MasterCook is located. If you are installing MasterCook Deluxe 4.0 over MasterCook, you do not need to copy the files BARTENDE.MCF, FAMILYFA.MCF, FAMOUSAM.MCF, or KITCHENC.MCF; these are already included with MasterCook 4.0. You may now delete the previous version of MasterCook.

NOTE: Any meal plans, menus, or shopping lists created with versions of MasterCook prior to 3.0 are not compatible with 4.0/Deluxe or Cooking Light.

Problem: When I try to save a recipe I get a message saying " IS NOT A VALID INTEGER.

Solution: You must enter a number greater than zero in the Number of Servings box.

Problem: You cannot send MasterCook 4.0/Deluxe e-mail through CompuServe.

Solution: In Mail setup, where it asks for your name, enter <your name>. Your e-mail address is your CompuServe number (change the comma to a period). Enter "compuserve.com" in the E-mail server box. Now in the mail recipe part first Clear Form if anything is shown there. Then click on FROM. You will see "Pick an Identity". Type your name, then Add, then OK. Click on TO. You will see "Pick an Identity". Add E-mail address of the recipient and then add then OK. These addresses will stay in the list so actually you can add a new one or click on an existing address. Type a Name in the To field. Type in a subject and a message. Then select Send. The program will initialize your modem through the compuserve dialer (the one that WinCim uses to go to the Internet). You will see a box saying your Mail was sent.

Problem: When I task swap out of MasterCook, the screen seems frozen when I come back to MasterCook.

Solution: Use Alt+tab to switch back to MasterCook. Note: Selecting MasterCook from the task bar with the mouse may not always work.

Problem: Why do I have large gaps between text boxes in Book View, which are not in my Recipe Design layout?

Solution: When you create a Recipe Design, the recipe you are working with in your layout is just a sample. Other recipes will be longer or shorter and will automatically adjust to fill in the spaces. The space between empty selection boxes (such as Suggested Wine, Notes, or Categories) will still be there, even if there is nothing in a text box for a particular recipe. The best way to solve this is to keep the spaces between boxes small. Even better, look at your recipes and determine which things you don't have in any of your recipes and eliminate those boxes from your design.

Gaps are more apparent if you manually create 2 or 3 columns instead of using the columns options. You can create a lot of interesting layouts by manually creating columns, but, it can create some problems in Book View. If you manually stack selection boxes in 2 or more columns, keep in mind the length of your recipe's ingredients, directions, and notes; putting the longer items side by side, or stacking several short items on one side (if they occur often throughout your cookbook), and a longer box such as the directions on the other side. You should also drag the bottom of boxes so that they are even with each other. It's a matter of playing with the layouts and finding some that work best for Book View, Right Page only view, and Printing.

Problem: My Recipe Design layout workspace is tight and I can't move recipe elements around.

Solution: Recipe elements are designed to automatically 'snap back' if there is not enough space to move them. You can add more space to the Recipe Design workspace by inserting a bitmap picture and deleting it. MasterCook will insert the picture at the top of the layout. Inserting a picture 3 or 4 times and then deleting all of them, will give you plenty of working space. Afterwards, be sure to drag the boxes to the top of the layout to eliminate the white space at the top.

Another solution is to temporarily turn off some recipe items such as the ingredients. This will create a gap large enough to move things around. When you are done moving things around simply turn the recipe items back on.

Problem: After creating space by inserting art and deleting it, I have blank pages in Book View.

Solution: If you insert a very tall piece of art, it will leave a huge gap when deleted. After following the procedure for creating more space in the layout workspace, make sure to drag the boxes up to the top to fill the space. Some space at the top of the Recipe Design, to create visual interest is fine, but too much will create huge gaps.

Problem: Clipart inserted into the design has a white background when I use colored papers in the Cookbook Looks.

Solution: Art placed in the layout does not have a transparent background on the screen, however, when you print the recipe, the background is treated as transparent and will print fine even on colored paper.

Problem: Clipart inserted in a layout appears in a different position in various print setup configurations from the screen version.

Solution: MasterCook scales the art to fit relative to the size of the page. Therefore, art in Book View is going to appear closest to the Folded Booklet print option than a Single Sided full letter page. Type will appear the same no matter if it's viewed on screen or printed.

Problem: Layouts with 2 or more columns are crowded and hard to read in Book View.

Solution: Some of the 2 column Recipe Designs shipped with MasterCook are intended to be printed instead of viewed on screen. Designs with 2 or more columns created manually, instead of with the columns option, work best in Right Page View and Print. These designs are best viewed in Right Page Only View.

Problem: Why doesn't my printout look like my Book?

Solution: MasterCook scales the Recipe Design for on-screen viewing according to your monitor's display settings and screen size and also treats the book layout differently when it sends it to the printer depending on the settings you have selected in Page Setup. Your Page Setup may have been changed to reflect print settings that you have made. To automatically print the same layout that you are viewing in Book View, select Use Book Design in the Page Setup/Design menu. For more information on printing Recipe Designs, see Page Setup in the Help file.

MasterCook's default layout 'Shows' all elements available to the designer in one column. As you become more familiar with MasterCook, you will probably want to create more complex layouts using more than one column, borders, and art. The best way to start is to sketch a few thumbnails on paper. Think of your page in terms of a grid. Cookbooks and magazines that you own are a great source of inspiration. Experiment with the size and placement of photos, art, borders, column widths, and multiple columns to see what will work best on-screen as well as printed.

If you are creating a layout to be viewed primarily on-screen instead of printed out, you probably want to use a type size that is comfortable for you to view, such as 9 or 10 point. Limit your use of fonts to 1 or 2 for a more professional look. Lighter font colors work well on-screen, but, on the average home printer, they don't print well.

Experiment with Borders to see if you like the effect. Borders placed on the bottom of a text element will appear to be underlined text. This is because the Borders option places the border on the edge of the element. If you prefer to have more 'breathing space' between text elements and borders try creating a border in a paint program and inserting it as art.

1 or 2 columns work best on screen instead of 3 because of the limited screen size. If you are going to view your recipes on-screen more often than on a printed copy, you will get a better idea of how they will look on paper if you view your book in Right Page only view. Otherwise, when using columns, find a happy medium between the on-screen version and the printed version.

It is best to leave some space between elements in the layout view so that your recipe pages won't look so crowded. When you are creating columns yourself instead of using the Columns option on the menu, you have greater freedom and creativity. When planning columns, keep in mind that not every recipe in a cookbook will contain all elements selected from the Show menu so you need to plan for these elements in your design. For example, a recipe might not include a recipe picture, even though the Recipe Design in which it is displayed includes a recipe picture placeholder in its layout. When MasterCook displays such a recipe, it automatically compensates for the "missing" recipe element by moving the surrounding recipe elements into the empty space. It is recommended that you put elements that don't appear in all the recipes such as, notes, serving suggestions, or suggested wines at the bottom of columns or near the end of the recipes.

When creating the Recipe Looks, solid colors work the best for the tabs. Lighter colors work best for the paper. If you place clipart in a design and it contains a white background, the background is not transparent so you probably want to use white paper. You could also put a border around your art, but don't do it in MasterCook because if you crop the art close to the image (as you should in order to keep the file size down), the borders are placed right on the edge of the bitmap so you won't have any "breathing room" around the art. Instead, edit your clipart in a paint program such as Photoshop , Corel Paint, or Paintshop Pro.

If you are inserting clipart into your layouts and your system is only capable of displaying 256 colors, it is recommended that you index the clipart to the MasterCook palette to prevent "flashing" or palette conflicts. If you own Photoshop you can index your clipart to the MasterCook Palette. Place the palette provided (Mastrcook.act) in the directory with your Photoshop palettes. On the Main Menu, Select Mode, Indexed, Custom, locate the palette and click OK. Experiment with the dithering option in the Indexed Palette dialog to see which yields the best results. Make sure to then select any items you want to be pure white (RGB: 255,255,255 in the Edit Color dialog) and fill them with white, as the MasterCook palette does not have a pure white. Change your image back to RGB and save it as a 256 color image. Then go into MasterCook Layouts and insert your picture. This will give you the best results with clipart containing large areas of flat color.

If you own Paintshop Pro, you can index an image to the MasterCook palette by selecting Image, Colors. When the dialog comes up, select the MasterCook Palette (Mastrcook.pal). Try using the different settings for diffusion or no diffusion to see which yields the better results. Remember to fill any areas that you want to be pure white (255,255,255 in the color dialog) other wise, the background will show up on white paper.

Problem: "General Protection Fault in Module ... " The module name will vary. (Windows 3.1)

Solution: A General Protection Fault (GPF) is usually caused by a memory conflict. Make sure that there are no other Windows programs running; disable all screen savers, virus scanners, etc.

If you are using an alternate Windows desktop (PC Tools, Dashboard, Packard Bell Navigator, etc.), use plain Program Manager instead. One quick way to do this is to type "WIN PROGMAN" to start Windows using the regular Program Manager rather than the alternate desktop shell. If you have sound-related Windows programs installed (IconHearIt, SoundBits, etc.), make sure they are disabled before starting MasterCook.

You should also make sure that you are running Windows in 256 colors (16 million/24-bit/True Color to view the MasterCook Deluxe Cookbook included with the CD version of the software). Running in less or more colors can cause errors of this type. To check, double-click on Windows Setup in the Main program group. If the Display line reads "VGA" or "16 color," you will need to change to a driver that supports at least 256 colors. "VGA" is a default Windows video driver that only supports 16 colors and will not work well with MasterCook.

If you've never changed or updated video drivers in Windows, contact the video card manufacturer, refer to the video card manual, or ask a technically inclined friend to walk you through this. To change video drivers, in the Main group in Program Manager, double- click on Windows Setup icon, then pull down the Options menu, then select Change System Settings. Open the Display pulldown box to see the list of video drivers that are currently available. Choose "Other Display". You may be asked to insert your original Windows disks during this process. If you do not have an appropriate 256 color video driver, contact the video card manufacturer to obtain their latest Windows video drivers.

Warning: Be cautious when changing video drivers! If you choose one that is not designed for your particular video card, Windows will not display properly. If this occurs, change to your Windows directory, type SETUP, and choose the "VGA" driver again. You should contact your video card manufacturer for the correct driver. For complete information, consult your video card documentation.

Old and outdated video and sound drivers may be at fault. You should contact your video and sound card manufacturers to make sure that you have the latest version of their Windows drivers.

A Windows boot disk may also help remedy problems with GPFs. Instructions for creating a boot disk are at the end of this document. GPFs can also be caused by outdated or incompatible sound or video drivers. If the above steps do not solve the GPF for you, contact your video and sound card manufacturers to obtain the latest versions of their Windows drivers.

Problem: While running MasterCook in Windows 95, you receive a message saying "This program has performed an illegal operation...".

Solution: An "Illegal Operation" in Windows 95 is similar to a General Protection Fault in Windows 3.1 and occurs for the same reasons. Therefore, the solutions are similar as well. First, make sure that you are not running any Windows programs other than MasterCook. Programs like screen savers and virus detection programs should be disabled. If you are using an alternate Windows desktop (PC Tools, Dashboard, Packard Bell Navigator, etc.), use the default Windows 95 desktop instead. If you have sound-related Windows programs installed (IconHearIt, SoundBits, etc.), make sure they are disabled before starting MasterCook.

You should also make sure that you are running Windows in 256 colors (16 million/24-bit/True Color to view the MasterCook Deluxe Cookbook included with the CD version of the software). Running in less or more colors can cause errors of this type. To check, either right-click on the Desktop, select Properties, and then click on the Settings tab. Alternately, you may double-click on My Computer, double-click on Control Panel, and then double-click on Display and click on the Settings tab. If the Display Type box reads "VGA" and/or the Colors box reads "16 color," you will need to change to a driver that supports at least 256 colors. "VGA" is a default Windows video driver that only supports 16 colors and will not work well with MasterCook. You should contact your video and sound card manufacturers to make sure that you have the latest version of their Windows drivers.

Windows 95 allows you to disable some video acceleration. This often helps with Illegal Operation errors. To do this,

click on Start, then Settings, Control Panel. Double-click the System icon, choose Performance, then Graphics. You should see a slider bar labeled Hardware Acceleration. Lower the bar a notch (slide it to the left), then restart Windows when you are prompted and run MasterCook again. Continue doing this until you cannot lower the bar any more or the problem is corrected. If this corrects the problem, you should contact your video card manufacturer to obtain updated video drivers.

You can also free up memory by lowering your CD ROM Supplemental Cache Size. From Control Panel, click on System, then Performance, then click on the File System button. Click on the tab for CD ROM. Adjust the slider bar for Supplemental Cache Size from "Large" to "Small", then click on OK.

Sierra currently has a patch disk available for Version 4.0/Deluxe.

The fastest way to obtain a Sierra patch disk is to download it from one of the following online services: Sierra On-Line's Web site (http://www.sierra.com), CompuServe (GO SIERRA) or America OnLine (KEYWORD SIERRA). You can also request a patch disk be mailed to you by calling Sierra Technical Support at 206-644-7697, faxing to 206-644-7697 or writing to Sierra Technical Support, PO Box 85006, Bellevue, WA 98015-8506.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please read the entire instructions prior to starting at Step 1. You can skip Steps 3 and 4 if you are not using the CD version of MasterCook.

To make a boot disk, you must system format a high density diskette in the A: drive. This procedure will transfer the "system files" to the disk and allow the computer to boot up correctly. The disk must be in the A: drive; the computer will not boot from the B: drive. At a DOS prompt, type the FORMAT command as follows:

If you get a "Bad command or file name" error message, type:

Then retype the FORMAT command above. If you receive the error again, the MS-DOS FORMAT command may not be on your system, or it may have been renamed. Programs such as PC Tools and Norton Disk Utilities sometimes rename the FORMAT command to prevent accidental loss of data. If you are using a program of this type, check your documentation to find out how to format a SYSTEM DISK, then proceed to Step 2.

The CD ROM drive requires a device driver loaded in the CONFIG.SYS file. This driver must be loaded correctly or you will be unable to access your CD ROM drive. To make sure that the device driver loads correctly on the boot disk, look at the CONFIG.SYS on the hard drive and copy the driver line from there. To display the CONFIG.SYS, type the following at a DOS prompt:

The CONFIG.SYS file will display. Look for the line that loads the CD ROM device driver. For example:

Your device driver may differ slightly from those listed above. Carefully write down the line for use in your boot disk.

To exit the CONFIG.SYS, press the <ALT>, <F>, then <X> keys.

If you have a SCSI CD ROM drive, there may be an additional driver in your CONFIG.SYS that must be loaded for the CD ROM device drivers to load correctly. Check your CD drive documentation for more information.

NOTE: If you cannot locate the driver in your CONFIG.SYS file, check your CD-ROM drive documentation, or contact the drive's manufacturer.

STEP 4 - LOCATING THE MSCDEX CD ROM EXTENSION

In addition to the CD ROM device driver in the CONFIG.SYS, your CD ROM drive requires MSCDEX, the Microsoft extension for CD ROM drives. If this extension is not loaded correctly in the AUTOEXEC.BAT, you will be unable to access your CD ROM drive. To display the AUTOEXEC.BAT, type the following at a DOS prompt:

The AUTOEXEC.BAT file will display on the screen. Look for the line that loads MSCDEX. For example:

Your MSCDEX line may differ slightly from the ones above. Carefully write down the line for use in your boot disk.

To exit the AUTOEXEC.BAT, press the <ALT>, <F>, then <X> keys.

Many sound cards have drivers or initialization lines that must be loaded in the AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS. Some sound cards that require these drivers or initialization routines are the SoundBlaster 16, MAD16 and the Aria 16.

At the end of these Boot Disk Instructions, you will find a section labeled "Sound Cards". These tables contain the sound card lines for many common sound cards. Check to see if your sound card is on the list. If it is, you will need to add the appropriate lines to the AUTOEXEC.BAT and/or CONFIG.SYS on your boot disk. If your sound card is not listed, you should check your documentation for information on what needs to load in the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS.

To create the CONFIG.SYS file on the boot disk, type the following at a DOS prompt:

This will display the blank (usually blue) screen of the DOS Editor. Enter the following lines:

Add the following lines for the Windows versions of MasterCook:

If you're using the CD version, add the CD ROM device driver as you wrote it down in the "Locating the CD ROM Device Driver" section:

If you need to load any sound card drivers, copy them from the "Sound Cards" section now. The following example lines are for the SoundBlaster 16:

Save the file by pressing <ALT>, <F>, then <S>. Exit the file by pressing <ALT>, <F>, then <X>.

To create the AUTOEXEC.BAT file on the boot disk, type the following at a DOS prompt:

This will display the blank (usually blue) screen of the DOS Editor. Enter the following lines:

If you're using the CD version of MasterCook, add the MSCDEX line as you write it down in the "Locating the MSCDEX CD ROM Extension" section. For example:

If you need to run any sound card initialization programs or load any drivers, copy them from the "Sound Cards" section now. The following example lines are for the SoundBlaster 16:

Save the file by pressing <ALT>, <F>, then <S>. Exit the file by pressing <ALT>, <F>, then <X>.

Reboot your system by pressing the <RESET> button on your computer or by using the <CTRL> <ALT> <DELETE> key sequence on your keyboard. Follow the instructions in the program manual to start MasterCook.

Important note: Please read all instructions before beginning this procedure. You can skip Steps 2 and 3 if you are not using the CD version of MasterCook.

To make a boot disk, you must system format a high density diskette in the A: drive. This procedure will transfer the "system files" to the disk and allow the computer to boot up correctly. The disk must be in the A: drive; the computer will not boot from the B: drive.

To format a disk in Windows 95, insert the disk, open My Computer, then right click on the A: icon. From the pop-up menu, select Format. Under "Format type" select Full; under "Other options", choose Copy system files. Click on Start.

After the disk is formatted, you must copy the MSDOS.SYS file from the hard drive to the floppy disk. To do this, leave the floppy disk in the drive, open Windows Explorer and find the MSDOS.SYS file in the root of the C: drive. Right click on the file, then select Send to from the pop-up menu. Send the file to the A: drive.

NOTE: If you don't see the MSDOS.SYS file in Explorer, the file is hidden. To make the file visible, select View, Options, then Show all files. If you do not wish the hidden files to remain visible, you can hide them again after you've made the boot disk by choosing View, Options, Hide files of this type.

The CD ROM drive requires a device driver loaded in the CONFIG.SYS file. This driver must be loaded correctly or you will be unable to access your CD ROM drive. To make sure that the device driver loads correctly on the boot disk, look at the CONFIG.SYS on the hard drive and copy the driver line from there. To display the CONFIG.SYS, click on the Start button, then choose Run. In the command line, type SYSEDIT. The SYSEDIT window will appear. Click on the CONFIG.SYS title bar to display the CONFIG.SYS file. Look for the line that loads the CD ROM device driver. The line should look something like this:

The device driver in your CONFIG.SYS may differ slightly from those listed above. Carefully write down the line for use in your boot disk.

If you have a SCSI CD ROM drive, there may be an additional driver in your CONFIG.SYS that must be loaded for the CD ROM device drivers to load correctly. Check your CD drive documentation for more information.

NOTE: If you cannot find your CD ROM driver in the CONFIG.SYS file, you may need to look in the CONFIG.DOS file. To access this file, choose Start, Run, then type NOTEPAD C:\CONFIG.DOS. If you still cannot locate the driver, check your CD ROM drive documentation or contact the drive's manufacturer.

NOTE: If your CD drive has native 32-bit Windows 95 drivers, you will NOT need to load MSCDEX.EXE on your boot disk. If you can't access your CD drive without MSCDEX, contact your system manufacturer or CD drive manufacturer for Windows 95 drivers. Meanwhile, you can use these instructions to load MSCDEX in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file on your boot disk.

In addition to the CD ROM device driver in the CONFIG.SYS, your CD ROM drive requires MSCDEX, the Microsoft extension for CD ROM drives. If this extension is not loaded correctly in the AUTOEXEC.BAT, you will be unable to access your CD ROM drive. To make sure that MSCDEX loads correctly on the boot disk, use SYSEDIT to look at the AUTOEXEC.BAT on your C: drive and copy the MSCDEX line from there. It should look something like this:

Your MSCDEX line may differ slightly from the ones above. Carefully write down the line for use in your boot disk.

If you cannot find the MSCDEX line in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, then most likely you do not need to load it to access your CD ROM drive in Windows 95. Skip this step and continue to Step 4.

To create the CONFIG.SYS file on the boot disk, choose Start, Run, then type NOTEPAD A:\CONFIG.SYS in the command line field. This will start the Windows Notepad program. In the new Notepad screen, enter the following lines:

If necessary, add the CD ROM device driver as you wrote it down in the "Locating the CD ROM Device Driver" section:

Save the file by clicking on File, Save. Close Notepad by clicking on File, Exit.

To create the AUTOEXEC.BAT file on the boot disk, choose Start, Run, then type NOTEPAD A:\AUTOEXEC.BAT in the command line field. This will start the Windows Notepad program. In the new Notepad screen, enter the following lines:

If your using a CD ROM version of MasterCook, add the line loading MSCDEX that you wrote down in Step 3

Save the file by clicking on File, Save. Close Notepad by clicking on File, Exit.

Leave the disk in the drive and restart the computer by clicking on Start, Shut Down., then Restart the computer. The computer will now re-boot with the boot disk. When Windows 95 restarts, start MasterCook.

The following troubleshooting steps correct most technical difficulties with MasterCook. If you do not see your specific issue listed in this document, going through these procedures should solve the problem.

USE SCANDISK: Run the SCANDISK to check for lost allocation units or other errors on your hard. If SCANDISK reports errors found, correct the allocation table problems. Consult your MS-DOS or Disk Utility manual for more information. Once you have corrected the errors, delete and reinstall MasterCook from the original disks or CD.

CHECK HARD DISK SPACE: Make sure you have enough room on your hard drive to install MasterCook. Running out of hard drive space while installing or running MasterCook can cause file corruption and other problems. After installation, there should be at least 5 MB of disk space available (roughly 10 under a compressed environment).

CHECK YOUR SWAP FILE: (Windows 3.1 and Windows 95) In Windows 3.11 or Windows for Workgroups, disable 32-bit file access as it by default takes up at least 2 MB of RAM. To do this, double click on the 486 Enhanced icon in Control Panel. When the dialog box pops up, click on the Virtual Memory button and then the Change button. If the 32-bit file access box has an "X" in it, remove it. If you are using Windows 3.1, you will see a 32-bit disk access option. Do not disable this option. For these versions of Windows, make sure that you are using a permanent Windows swap file of about 8-9 MB. You can make these changes in the "New Settings" section of the Virtual Memory screen. In Windows 95, make sure that virtual memory is enabled and that the virtual memory settings are being handled by Windows.

MAKE A BOOT DISK: A boot disk will free up memory and prevent conflicts with other TSRs. Detailed boot disk instructions are in Sections 7 and 8 of this document.

REINSTALL MASTERCOOK: Delete and reinstall the program. Delete all files and sub directories off the hard drive and reinstall from scratch. It is highly recommended that you re-install after booting up with a boot disk and SCANDISK.

If you need further assistance, Sierra On-Line has a full library of help documents available electronically. You can download them from the following sources:

· America On-Line: Use keyword SIERRA and choose "Software Libraries", then "Troubleshooting Guides & FAQ's"

· CompuServe: Use go SIERRA, choose "The Sierra On-Line Forum", then search the "Help Documents" library.

· Go to our home page on the World Wide Web at http://www.sierra.com and follow the on-screen information.

Additionally, you can get your document via our automated faxback service. Call (206) 644-4343, choose to use the automated technical support system and follow the voice instructions provided. You will be faxed a catalog of all of the documents that we have to offer and you will then be able to get the documents you need. If you prefer, you can also fax us at (206) 644-7697 with your document request.

If you prefer to get assistance from a technician, Sierra Technical Support will be happy to assist you. All of the online services listed above are staffed by Sierra technicians. Additionally, you can send e-mail to support@sierra.com.

Additionally, a Sierra Technical Support Support request form has been enclosed in case you wish to contact us via fax or U.S. mail. Simply fill it out and return it to us. Our fax number is (206) 644-7697 and our mailing address is:

Sierra On-Line Technical Support

PO Box 85006

Bellevue, WA 98015-8506

For phone assistance, you can reach Sierra Technical Support at (206) 644-4343 between 8:00 am and 4:45 pm, Monday through Friday. Please try to be at your system or have a copy of a Microsoft Diagnostics (MSD) report from it when you call.

If you are in Europe, please contact our office in England. The Customer Service number is (0118) 920-9111, between

9:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. The Internet address is www.sierra-online.co.uk and the fax number

is (0118) 987-5603. Customer Service can also be reached at the following address:

Sierra On-Line Limited

2 Beacontree Plaza

Gillette Way

Reading, Berkshire

RG2 0BS United Kingdom

Thanks for choosing Sierra!

Throughout the lifetime of MasterCook, we've made improvements to our Ingredient List and the Nutritional Analysis it generates. Most of these improvements consist of adding new ingredients and refining nutritional information.

If you have an earlier version of MasterCook, you may notice a difference in Nutritional Analysis. With version 4.0.4 (MC Ingredient List version 4.2) we've also made a change in how we handle refuse and edible amounts. In some cases the Ingredient List will contain different values, and recipes may produce differing Nutritional Analysis. The new values, when different, will generally be more accurate. We're also being clearer about how our values are computed.

If you prefer to use the Ingredients from an earlier version (perhaps you've spent time changing them to suit your needs), you have that option. Just copy your existing User.ing file into your new MasterCook directory. Make sure MasterCook is not running when performing this task. The next time you run MasterCook, your Ingredient list will be converted to the new format. When using an old list, you will always get the same nutritional results as before.

With some ingredients, a certain amount of the weight of the item is not eaten. Examples include the skin and seeds in melons, or bones in meat. Previous versions of MasterCook reduced nutritional values to account for the uneaten portion. This strategy was sometimes obscure and interfered with generating accurate nutrition.

Beginning with this version:

1. Weight amounts are for the weight of just the edible portion, unless the

Ingredient List states otherwise (under the weight field).

2. Volume equivalents are always the volume of the edible portion.

Beginning with version 4.0.4, if the weight includes refuse, the Ingredient List window will state the amount.

MasterCook's flexibility--allowing you to enter virtually anything as a recipe, and being able to import recipes by the thousands from all kinds of formats-- creates challenges for calculating accurate nutrition. This version makes nutrition easier and more accurate without sacrificing any of that flexibility.