Microsoft Knowledge Base

The information in this article applies to:

• The Microsoft Network versions 1.2, 1.3

SUMMARY

This article contains frequently asked questions about installing V-Chat for MSN, The Microsoft Network.

MORE INFORMATION

1. Q. What are the minimum hardware requirements for V-Chat?

   A. You need a 486DX/66 or better processor, 8 MB of RAM, a 9600 bps
      modem (14,400 bps or faster recommended), 4 MB of hard disk space
      for V-Chat software, and 3 MB of hard disk space for Avatar Wizard.

2. Q. Why does nothing happen when I double-click a V-Chat room?

   A. If you have not upgraded to MSN 1.2, nothing happens when you
      double-click a V-Chat room. V-Chat uses Setup technology that is
      part of MSN 1.2. You cannot install the V-Chat environments without
      performing this upgrade. To find the MSN 1.2 upgrade, use MSN go
      word "MSN12" (without quotation marks).

      To determine if you are running MSN 1.2, go to MSN Central. On the
      Help menu, click About The Microsoft Network. The version number for
      MSN 1.2 is 4.2.5799

3. Q. How long does it take to download V-Chat?

   A. V-Chat takes approximately 14 minutes to download at 28,800 bps; 28
      minutes at 14,400 bps.

4. Q. I installed V-Chat, now what do I do?

   A. Go to the V-Chat Chat Rooms folder, and then double-click any V-Chat
      chat room. The first time you double-click a room, you see the
      following message:

         You don't have this application installed. Click OK to install
         or Cancel.

      Click OK to install the environment to your hard disk. This Setup
      must be performed only once for each environment. The next time you
      double-click this chat room, V-Chat will start.

5. Q. How long do the different V-Chat environments take to download?

   A. This depends on how big or complex the environment is. Some
      environments take longer than others. Approximate times using a
      modem speed of 28,800 bps are 45 seconds (Practice Area) to 8.5
      minutes (Cinemania).

6. Q. How do I make V-Chat perform faster?

   A. All of the following items can help V-Chat perform faster:

       - Shrink the V-Chat Environment viewing window to a smaller size.

       - Switch to a resolution of 640 x 480 with 256 colors.

       - On V-Chat's Tools menu, click Options. Turn off background
         sounds, or click Advanced to change options for display speed or
         memory use.

       - Install a faster video card. The video card in use greatly
         affects performance.

7. Q. Do I have to run V-Chat in 256-color mode?

   A. No. You can run in other modes. However, you may notice a
      performance loss, and you may notice some minor repaint problems.
      The message box that appears is just a warning, not an error
      message.

8. Q. How do I uninstall V-Chat?

   A. In Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs. Click the
      Install/Uninstall tab, and then double-click V-Chat. Note that this
      will delete any custom avatars and all environments you have
      downloaded.