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Q286467: MechWarrior 4 Err Msg: STOP: Cannot Create Options.ini

Article: Q286467
Product(s): Microsoft Home Games
Version(s): 
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kberrmsg kbimu
Last Modified: 06-AUG-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft MechWarrior 4: Vengeance 
- Microsoft MechWarrior 4: Black Knight 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When you start Microsoft MechWarrior 4, you may receive one of the following
error messages:

  STOP: Cannot create "options.ini"

  -or-

  STOP: This is isn't a database.

CAUSE
=====

This behavior can occur if the Options.ini file is missing.

RESOLUTION
==========

To resolve this issue, run the Autoconfig configuration utility before you start
the game:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.

2. In the Open box, type the following line, and then click OK

  <drive>:\program files\microsoft games\mechwarrior
  vengeance\autoconfig.exe

  where <drive> is the letter of the hard disk on which MechWarrior 4 is
  installed.

3. Click Continue.

4. Restart MechWarrior 4.

If the problem continues to occur, remove and then reinstall the game. To do
this, use the following methods in the order in which they are presented.

Uninstall MechWarrior 4
-----------------------

To uninstall MechWarrior 4:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.

3. Click Microsoft MechWarrior 4: Vengeance, and then click Add/Remove or
  Change/Remove.

4. Click Uninstall.

5. Click "Remove saved games files".

6. Click OK.

7. Follow the instructions on the screen to uninstall MechWarrior 4.

Delete the MechWarrior Vengeance Folder
---------------------------------------

To delete the MechWarrior Vengeance folder:

1. Click Start, point to Find, and then click "Files or Folders".

2. In the Named box, type "MechWarrior Vengeance" (without the quotation marks).

3. In the "Look in" box, click My Computer.

4. Make sure that the "Include subfolders" check box is selected.

5. Click Find Now.

6. Right-click the MechWarrior Vengeance folder, click Delete, and then click
  Yes.

7. Close the Find: Files Named MechWarrior Vengeance window.

Clean Boot the Computer
-----------------------

To clean boot the computer, use the appropriate method for your version of
Microsoft Windows.

Microsoft Windows Me:

1. Click Start, click Run, type "msconfig" (without the quotation marks) in the
  Open box, and then click OK.

2. On the General tab, click Selective startup.

3. Click to clear all of the check boxes under Selective startup.

4. On the Startup tab, click to select the *StateMgr check box.


5. Click OK. When you see the prompt to restart your computer, click Yes. After
  the computer restarts, click Start, click Run, type "msconfig" (without the
  quotation marks) in the Open box, and then click OK.

IMPORTANT: Ensure that the check boxes you cleared in the General tab are still
cleared. Proceed to step 6 if all of the check boxes are cleared. If you see a
disabled or gray check box, your computer is not clean-booted and you may need
assistance from the manufacturer of the program that places a check mark back
into Msconfig.

6. After you verify that your computer is clean-booted in step 5, you can
  isolate the issue. If the original issue does not reoccur after the clean
  boot, select one item at a time under Selective startup, and then restart the
  computer to see if the additional entry reproduces the original issue.

Microsoft Windows 98:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.

2. In the Open box, type "msconfig" (without the quotation marks), and then
  click OK.

3. On the General tab, click Selective Startup, and then click to clear the
  following check boxes:

   - Process Config.sys File
   - Process Autoexec.bat File
   - Process Winstart.bat File (if available)
   - Process Win.ini File
   - Load Startup Group Items

4. Click OK. When you are prompted to restart the computer, do so.

For additional information about how to clean boot Windows 98, click the article
number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q192926 How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for Windows 98


NOTE: To restore your original Startup options, click Normal Startup on the
General tab in System Configuration Utility.

Microsoft Windows 95:

1. Restart the computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press
  the F8 key, and then select Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu.

2. At the command prompt, type "win" (without the quotation marks), and then
  press ENTER. Press and hold down the SHIFT key until the Windows startup
  sequence is complete.

3. Disable any anti-virus or disk tool programs installed on the computer.

  For information about how to disable these programs, see the printed or online
  documentation for the program.

4. Quit all running programs except Explorer and Systray. To do this, press
  CTRL+ALT+DELETE, click the program that you want to quit, and then click End
  Task. If you receive a message that the program is busy or not responding,
  click End Task again. Repeat this step to quit all programs except Explorer
  and Systray.

For additional information about how to clean boot Windows 95, click the article
number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q177604 Multimedia: Troubleshooting Using Clean Boot of Windows 95

NOTE: To restore your original Startup options, restart the computer normally,
and then enable any anti-virus or disk tool programs installed on the computer.
For information about how to enable these programs, see the printed or online
documentation for the program.

Install MechWarrior 4 into a New Folder
---------------------------------------

1. Insert the MechWarrior compact disc into your computer's CD-ROM or DVD-ROM
  drive, and then follow the Setup Wizard instructions on your screen. If the
  Setup Wizard does not appear, complete steps 2 and 3 below. Otherwise, skip
  to step 4.

2. Click Start, click Run, and then type "<drive>:setup" (without the
  quotation marks), where <drive> is the drive letter of your computer's
  CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive.

3. Click Install, click Next, and then click Change.

4. In the Path box, delete the existing path, and then type the following line:

  "<drive>:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\MechWarrior 4" (without the
  quotation marks)

  where <drive> is the drive letter of the hard disk on which you want to
  install MechWarrior Vegeance.

5. Click OK. When you are prompted to create the folder, click Yes.

6. Click OK, and then follow the instructions on the screen to reinstall
  MechWarrior Vengeance.

7. Restart if prompted.

Additional query words: msgame mech4 database options.ini

======================================================================
Keywords          : kberrmsg kbimu 
Technology        : kbGamesSearch
Version           : :
Issue type        : kbprb

=============================================================================

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