DirectX 7 During the game setup, the installation process will determine if Microsoft DirectX 7 needs to be installed on your computer. If so, the Microsoft DirectX 7 setup program will install the appropriate files on your computer. If you choose not to install DirectX 7, and you find that later you need to install it, you can click the Install DirectX button from the game's Autoplay screen, under the Help section. Who makes DirectX and how can I contact them? Microsoft created DirectX. If this help file does not answer your DirectX questions, you may want to contact Microsoft via mail at: Microsoft Customer Sales and Service One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052-6399, USA Microsoft can also be reached in the USA at (800) 426-9400, or internationally at +1(206) 882-8080. Microsoft's DirectX web site is located at: http://www.microsoft.com/DirectX/Default.asp What is DirectX and why do I need it? Microsoft DirectX 7 is an API (Application Programming Interface) that increases the speed at which games play under the Windows 95 operating system. These APIs allow direct access to the enhanced features of hardware under Windows 95. With DirectX 7, a program has instant access to the hardware, allowing for great advances in graphics, sound, video, 3D, input and network capabilities of games. Since Windows 95 and DirectX 7 are relatively new in the computer world and have not achieved compatibility with some older video and audio cards, many manufacturers are releasing updated drivers for Windows 95 to meet the DirectX standard. If you are not sure about your video or audio card's compatibility, consult the Vendor List for the company that makes your video or audio card. If the Microsoft DirectX Installer does not detect DirectX 7 on your computer, it will install DirectX 7 for you. After installation is complete, you will need to restart your computer in order for DirectX 7 to take effect. If you have other Windows 95 games on your computer, chances are you already have an earlier version of DirectX installed on your computer. In this case, the Microsoft Installer will overwrite that version with DirectX 7. The DirectX installation process will then be complete. You will need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect. If you already have DirectX 7 installed on your computer, the Microsoft DirectX 7 installer will detect it and not overwrite any DirectX 7 files. In this case, you will not need to restart your computer after installation in order to run the game. The installer may prompt you to replace old video card drivers. If you do not replace the drivers, Star Trek: Hidden Evil may not run properly. DirectX 7 should not affect any titles designed for the earlier versions of DirectX. Should you encounter difficulties with DirectX 7, please contact Microsoft for further information. How do I check to see if my computer supports DirectX? Place the disc in the CD-ROM drive and exit from the menu screen when it comes up. Using Explorer, left-click your CD-ROM drive to display the contents of the CD. Double-click the DirectX folder to display its contents. Double-click the DXDiag file to execute the DirectX diagnosis tool. If any of the components of DirectX are not certified, please call your hardware manufacturer for the updated drivers that support DirectX. I am having problems with running the game and think it might be related to my Direct X installation. What should I do? Execute the DirectX diagnosis tool, DXDiag (as described above). If all drivers are certified, run all tests on each tab. If your drivers fail any of the tests, please contact your hardware manufacturer for assistance in correcting your driver issues. Otherwise, contact Activision's Customer Support. I have heard DirectX is not compatible with some video or audio cards. What can you tell me about this? DirectX is relatively new in the computer world and provides many features not anticipated by the creators of some older hardware. As such, some hardware drivers have not achieved compatibility with it yet. Many manufacturers are releasing updated drivers to meet the DirectX standard. If you are not sure about your video or audio card's compatibility, consult the Vendor List and contact the company that makes your video or audio card. If I don't have DirectX, will the game install it for me? Yes. If the Star Trek: Hidden Evil Installer does not detect DirectX on your computer, it will start Microsoft's DirectX Setup program for you. After installation is complete, you will need to restart your computer in order for DirectX to take effect. How do I restore my video and/or audio drivers once DirectX has been installed? Microsoft's DirectX Setup program maintains an archive of the drivers you were using when you last installed it. These drivers can be restored by following these steps. Place the disc in the CD-ROM drive and exit from the menu screen when it comes up. Double-click My Computer. Right-click your CD-ROM drive and choose Install DirectX. Choose the button that fits your need (e.g. Restore Audio drivers). This process will restore your previous drivers and prompt you to restart Microsoft Windows. Contact your video card manufacturer directly for further support or driver updates.