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### Setting the BLASTER environment variable ###

I am pasting here below the content of a file I found once shipped with some Apogee game. It's a very good documentation about the BLASTER environment variable.

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This section may be useful if you are having problems with sound or music in a DOS-based Apogee game. If you're trying to run a Windows-based game, this section does not apply to you.

Apogee's DOS games that use Soundblasters look at the BLASTER environment variable to figure out where to send its sound output. Check to make sure that you have the SET BLASTER line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. This code is an example and probably isn't exactly what you need to put in your system.

Note that this BLASTER environment variable applies for many Apogee games regardless of whether or not you have an actual Sound Blaster card or not.
These settings tell the game how your sound card is configured, regardless of what brand it actually is.

NOTE: There can be no spaces between the word BLASTER and the equal sign (=). If you have a space in there, your system will read the parameter incorrectly, and it will not be recognized by our games.

(Some of these parameters (P, H, and E) are dependant on certain types of cards. For example, the E is only needed if you have an AWE 32. The minimum requirements are to have the A, I, D, & T parameters. The other three may or may not be needed depending on what type of card you have.
Please read this entire section to see if you need any of them. If you are using a clone card, or some card that's not a "true" Soundblaster, then you will most likely only need A, I, D, and T.)

Now, these may not (most likely not) be the same for your board, because the Port Address, Interrupt and DMA Channel can be set by adjusting "jumpers" on your sound board. Some newer cards have this information controlled by software, please consult your card's manual for more information on how to set these things. You should also check your manual if you are unclear as to how to tell what settings your card is set at. The information *IS* important, so it's recommended that you know precisely what the settings are. If you are using a card that "emulates" the Soundblaster (such as the Gravis UltraSound through software, or the PAS16), you should check your card's manual on how to set the card for Soundblaster emulation.

For PORT ADDRESS, it's almost always 220. That seems to be the default for most sound cards out there, and unless you know you've switched it away from 220, it's a safe bet it's still there.

The INTERRUPT is something that varies from system to system. Mystic Towers and games prior to Raptor require that your IRQ be set at 7 or less. Apogee does not recommend using IRQ2, as it causes problems.

The DMA CHANNEL sometimes causes problems if it isn't set to 1, which is the usual default. If it is not set correctly, some Apogee games may lock up when the sound is turned on.

The TYPE OF CARD should be 1 if you have an older Soundblaster, or a Sound Blaster emulating card. Use 3 if you have a newer plain Soundblaster. Use 2 for an older Soundblaster Pro. Use 4 for a newer Soundblaster Pro.

The MIDI PORT parameter will only be needed if you are using a card that has MIDI capabilites. If so, this is where you define what MIDI port you are using. 330 seems to be the default, so if you have a MIDI card, and you haven't changed anything from factory defaults, this is probably where it still is.

The HIGH DMA CHANNEL is something that is used primarily on Soundblaster 16 cards. This is not the same as the standard DMA channel, this is a different one. This is only used if you're using a 16 bit sound card capable of playing 16 bit Soundblaster sounds. By default, this is usually 5, so unless you know that it's something else, it's probably still 5.

The E620 parameter is something that is needed _only_ if you have a Creative Labs AWE 32 sound card. If you have one of these, this parameter will have been set up properly assuming you've installed the software that came with the card. Check your AWE 32 documentation for a more thorough explanation of what this parameter is used for.

Note on the Soundblaster AWE64: The AWE64 will not always correctly set up its sound drivers for use in Windows 95 in relation to DOS games. There is information on how to get around this in the README.TXT file that is installed on your hard drive in the AWE64 driver directory.

Note on Hocus Pocus: This game was made when there were only four possible parameters for the BLASTER environment variable (A, I, D, and T). Due to the way the game parses the variable, the game probably won't work correctly unless the BLASTER environment variable ONLY has those four parameters and no others. One way to work around this conveniently is to write a batch file for the game that sets the BLASTER variable so it only contains these four parameters, runs the game, and then restores the settings afterward.

After you have entered the correct SET BLASTER line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, make sure you save the change, delete the game's config file (????.CFG), and reboot before you try playing the game again.