THE AMERICAN GIRLS DRESS DESIGNER (TM) CD-ROM
for PC
 
Readme File

Congratulations on your purchase of THE AMERICAN GIRLS DRESS DESIGNER (TM)
We have included this Readme 
file to supply you with up-to-the-minute information 
about the program. You may want to print this 
document for future reference.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT:

For answers to common questions or to send an email to our support department use the Mattel Consumer Affairs web page at: "www.service.mattel.com".

If you wish, you can also contact us by phone.  Our technical support specialist can be reached at the numbers listed below:

In the US, call the 1-888-MATTEL9 ( 1-888-628-8359) toll free
In Canada, call1-888-MEDIA11 (1-888-633-4211) toll free
In Australia, call 1-902-262-513 (Calls charges at $1.50 per minute.  A higher rate applies from public or mobile phones)
In UK, call (0171) 519-5049

Comments or questions can also be mailed to:
Mattel Consumer Affairs
Tech Support M1-0109
Mattel, Inc.
333 Continental Blvd.
El Segundo, CA 90245
USA


TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Section 1.....System Requirements

Section 2.....Install and Uninstall Tips
              A.) Installing the Program
              B.) Running the Program
              C.) Uninstalling the Program
              D.) Registering your Software
              E.) Problems with Installation

Section 3.....General Program Use Tips
              A.) Optimizing the Display 
              B.) Slow Program Performance
              C.) Problems with Sound or Music
              D.) File Saving Tips

Section 4.....Printing Issues and Tips
 	      A.) Problems with Printing
              B.) Known Epson(R) Printer Issues
              C.) Known HP(R) DeskJet(R) Issues
  
Section 5.....Legal Notices

Section 1.....System Requirements

Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 95 or Windows(R) 98
Multimedia PC IBM(R) or compatible
Pentium(R) 166Mhz or faster processor
Quad-Speed (4X) CD-ROM drive or faster
32 MB of RAM or higher
75 MB of free disk space
VGA monitor with at least 640X480 resolution
16-bit color 
Standard AT-101 keyboard
Microsoft(R)-compatible mouse
16-bit Sound Blaster(R) or 100% compatible 
sound card
Color inkjet printer


Section 2......Install and Uninstall Tips

A.) INSTALLING THE PROGRAM

1. Insert THE AMERICAN GIRLS DRESS DESIGNER (TM) CD-ROM 
   into your drive.
2. If you have the AutoRun feature enabled for your 
   CD-ROM, the installation will start automatically and 
   you can follow the on-screen prompts.
3. If you do not have the AutoRun feature enabled for
   your CD-ROM, follow these steps:
        * Click Start and then Run from the 
          Windows(R) 95 or Windows(R) 98 Taskbar
        * Type d:\setup (d: refers to your CD-ROM 
          drive.  If your CD-ROM drive is not d:, type 
          the appropriate drive letter.)
        * Click OK and follow the Installation 
          Instructions on screen. 
4. Review the 'ReadMe.txt' file for any important last 
   minute information.
5. After installation is complete, you'll find the 
   program icon in Start\Programs\AMERICAN GIRL\ 
   DRESS DESIGNER folder. You will also find a shortcut
   icon to the program on your Desktop.


B.) RUNNING THE PROGRAM

1. Insert THE AMERICAN GIRLS DRESS DESIGNER (TM) CD-ROM 
   into your drive.
2. When the Autostart window appears, click the PLAY
    button to run the program.
3. Or select the program icon in Start\Programs\
    AMERICAN GIRL\ DRESS DESIGNER folder. You can also 
    double-click the shortcut icon on your Desktop.


C.) UNINSTALLING THE PROGRAM

1. Select Start\Programs\AMERICAN GIRL\DRESS DESIGNER.
2. Find and click THE AMERICAN GIRLS DRESS DESIGNER (TM)
   Uninstall icon and follow the on-screen prompts.


D.) REGISTERING YOUR SOFTWARE

Follow the on-screen instructions in the electronic registration.
If the text is cut off on the registration software
screens, set your monitor to small fonts by following 
these steps:
1.  Click on Start\Settings\Control Panel
2.  Double click on the "Display" icon
3.  Click on the "Settings" Tab
4.  Choose "Small fonts" in the list under Font Size

You may need to restart your computer for the new 
settings to take effect.


E.) PROBLEMS DURING INSTALLATION

You may encounter problems during installation if 
there are other applications running at the time 
you try to install the software.  If you do have 
a problem, exit THE AMERICAN GIRLS DRESS DESIGNER (TM)
installation and shutdown other applications that 
are running.  Run the installation again.


Section 3......GENERAL PROGRAM USE TIPS

A.) OPTIMIZING THE DISPLAY

To improve the appearance of the software on your 
monitor, you should set the monitor depth to 16-bit 
or higher.  

To do this, click on the START menu, choose SETTINGS 
and select CONTROL PANEL. Double click on DISPLAY.  
Choose SETTINGS and change the COLORS to HIGH COLOR 
(16-bit) or higher.

B.) SLOW PROGRAM PERFORMANCE

If the program seems to be running slowly try the 
following suggestions: 

1. Make sure your system meets the minimum requirements
2. Close any open programs to free up more memory (RAM)
3. If you have used the program for an extended period 
   of time, try exiting the program and re-starting your
   computer before re-starting the program
4. Try clicking on the MUSIC button and selecting
   SILENT
5. If the program won't launch, shut down all applications,
   re-boot the computer and re-start the program.

C. PROBLEMS WITH SOUND OR MUSIC

If you experience problems with the music or sound, 
try the following suggestions: 

1. Make sure you have the speakers plugged in to the
   computer and turned on with the volume adjusted properly
2. Make sure that you do not have the sound muted by 
   double clicking the small speaker icon in the Windows(R) 
   Taskbar
3. Make sure your system meets the minimum requirements
4. Make sure you have the latest version of the sound
   card driver installed (you may be able to download this
   from the internet)
5. Try clicking on the MUSIC button and selecting
   SILENT

D.) FILE SAVING TIPS

1. When you leave the Dress Designer or Pattern Maker screen 
   you will be prompted to save your design.
2. A maximum of 8 dress designs, and 10 pattern designs, can 
   be saved per girl, after that the program will replace a 
   design that you choose to replace. 
3. If you shut down the machine without quitting the program, 
Your file will not be saved.

Section 4.....PRINTING ISSUES AND TIPS

A.) PROBLEMS WITH PRINTING

Make sure you have the latest version of the driver for
your printer.  Drivers can be downloaded from the 
printer manufacture's website.

If nothing prints, try the following suggestions:
1. Make sure the printer is connected and turned on.
2. Do a test print from another software program.
3. Check the printer manual for other troubleshooting
   suggestions.

If the print out is cut off, try the following:
1. Make sure you are loading the paper correctly.
2. Make sure you have selected the following 
settings: PLAIN paper, and NORMAL quality 
(using the Best setting will apply too much 
ink).

If the printout seems to have the wrong colors or 
has bands throughout, try the following:
1. Check that the printer nozzles are clean and 
   functioning (see the printer manual for instructions)
2. Check that there is enough ink in all the color 
   cartridges (if the printer runs out of a single color 
   such as yellow, all other colors will appear to be 
   wrong)

If you get a dialog box saying that 2-way 
communication with your printer has been lost 
(most commonly seen on the HP(R) DeskJet(R) 600 
series), try the following steps:
1. Quit the program
2. Re-boot your computer
3. Re-start the program
4. Turn off the music in the program before trying 
   to print again.

Spool32 Error:
If you experience a Spool32 error, change the spool data format to "RAW".
1. Save your dress or pattern design and quit THE AMERICAN GIRLS DRESS DESIGNER (TM).
2. Click on START.
3. Click on SETTINGS.
4. Click on PRINTERS.
5. Right mouse click your printer and select PROPERTIES.
6. Select the DETAILS tab.
7. Click Spool Settings.
8. Under the Spool Data settings, click on the arrow and click on RAW.
9. Click OK.
10. Restart THE AMERICAN GIRLS DRESS DESIGNER (TM).
11. It might be a good idea to return the format to the original setting when you are finished.


Section 5.....LEGAL NOTICES

(c)& (P) 1999 Pleasant Company, a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc., Middleton, WI 53562 U.S.A.    All Rights Reserved.  MATTEL, MATTEL MEDIA and other trademarks designated by (R) and (TM) are trademarks of Mattel, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries, except for the following: The American Girls Dress Designer, American Girl the names and images of the American Girls and the American Girl logo are trademarks of Pleasant Company;  Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries;  QuickTime and the QuickTime logo are trademarks used under license.  QuickTime is registered in the U.S. and other countries;  Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation; 
HP and DeskJet are U.S. registered trademarks of Hewlett-Packard Company;  EPSON is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation, registered in the U.S. and other countries;  IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States;  Sound Blaster is a trademark of Creative Technology in the United States and/or other countries.

See User Guide for additional notices.

THE AMERICAN GIRLS DRESS DESIGNER (TM) CD-ROM
For PC