No cheat codes are currently available for this game. If and when any codes become available, they will be added to the Falcon 4.0 Frequently Asked Questions document.
For other hints, please refer to the Falcon 4.0 Flight Handbook included in your game package. This comprehensive guide covers everything from basic flying to dogfighting.
The following is a description of the minimum system requirements for Falcon 4.0. If your system does not meet or exceed these requirements, then the game will run incorrectly, or not at all.
IBM PC or 100% compatible computer
Pentium 166 MHz or faster processor
Windows 95, 98, or ME
32 MB RAM
175 MB available hard drive space
4X or faster CD-ROM drive
SVGA-compatible video card capable of 800 x 600 x 16-bit color*
Windows 95/98/ME compatible sound card*
* Compatible with DirectX version 5.0 or higher
For better performance, you'll want to ensure your hardware meets the above specifications, plus:
Pentium 2 266 MHz or faster processor
64 MB RAM
400 MB available hard drive space
8X or faster CD-ROM drive
3D-accelerator video card, compatible with DirectX 5.0
Joystick with throttle control
For the very best performance, you'll want to meet everything above, plus the following:
Pentium 2 450 MHz or faster processor
128 MB RAM
600 MB available hard drive space
24X or faster CD-ROM drive
8MB or larger 3D-accelerator video card, compatible with DirectX 5.0
Fully programmable joystick, throttle, and rudders
In addition, if you want to take advantage of the multiplayer functions of the game, you'll need either a null modem cable, or a 28.8K modem or a network interface card, and a connection to a local area network or the Internet.
This game supports the Windows AutoPlay feature. Simply insert the installation CD into your CD-ROM drive and wait for the installation screen to appear. Then, simply follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation.
If the AutoPlay program does not start automatically:
Double click the My Computer icon on your Windows desktop
This game requires that Microsoft's DirectX version 5.0 be installed on your computer prior to playing the game. Windows 98 and ME users already meet this requirement, and do not need to install anything extra. Normally, if this is necessary, it will happen at the end of the installation process automatically.
If you are running Windows 95 and do not already have DirectX version 5.0 or higher installed on your machine, or you need to re-install it for any reason, just follow these steps.
Insert the game CD into your CD-ROM drive.
Double click on the "My Computer" icon.
RIGHT click on the game icon.
LEFT click on "Open".
Double click the "DirectX" folder.
Double click the Dxsetup icon.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
Ignore any warnings you may receive by clicking on YES.
Restart Windows to complete the installation.
WARNING: While DirectX 5.0 should be able to determine what version of DirectX currently resides on a system and halt the installation if it deems it to be harmful or unnecessary, you should not attempt to install DirectX 5.0 on a Windows system running a more recent version of DirectX.
How to determine what version of DirectX you have installed on your Windows 95 or 98 system:
Click Start, then Run.
In the Open box, type "DXDIAG"
If the DirectX Diagnostic Tool launches, you are at least running DirectX 5.0. To see what version, note the bottom line in the System Information box on the first page, "DirectX Version". Click Exit in the lower right hand corner of the window when you are finished.
If you receive an error that starts with "Cannot find the file 'DXDIAG'…", then click OK, which should return you to Step 2. Type "DXINFO"
If this launches a DXINFO program, the left-hand pane contains information about what version of DirectX is installed, with the version number in the hundredths slot of the "DirectX Version (Registry)" entry. (For example, 4.05 is DirectX 5.)
If you receive the error in Step 4 again, you do not have DirectX installed on your system. Follow the directions above to install it.
You absolutely can. Consult the README.DOC file, available either on the CD or from Start > Programs > MicroProse > Falcon 4.0 > README.DOC, for details on what keys to use to play the game entirely from the keyboard.
This game uses the DirectInput portion of DirectX to interact with joysticks and throttles attached to the system. Because of this, as long as a controller is working in the Windows Control Panel named Game Controllers or Gaming Options (depending on what version of DirectX you have installed), it should work fine in the game. If you are having problems getting the controller to work in Control Panel, you should contact the manufacturer of the controller for additional assistance.
"My joystick has a throttle control on it, but I want to control the throttle with the keyboard. Can I do that?"
No. If you have a throttle or rudder on your joystick, you must use it for those controls; the keyboard equivalents will not work.
"I have a Logitech wheel mouse. When I try to click in the cockpit, no controls are responding to my clicks."
There are situations where keeping the scroll wheel activated on a Logitech mouse will cause Falcon 4.0 not to pick up mouse clicks for turning on buttons and switches in the cockpit. If you are having problems of this sort, we recommend disabling the scroll wheel in the Mouse Control Panel before running the game. If you do not know how to do this, you will need to contact Logitech for assistance.
The game's README.DOC file, available either on the CD or from Start > Programs > MicroProse > Falcon 4.0 > README.DOC, has a large amount of information on how to set up multiplayer games. We suggest referring to that file if you need any assistance.
"Nothing happens when I insert the game CD into my CD-ROM drive."
The AutoPlay feature may be turned off on your computer.
If you wish to install the game without enabling AutoPlay, you can start the setup process manually by double clicking on the "My Computer" icon on your Windows desktop, then on your CD-ROM drive icon, then on "SETUP.EXE".
If a CD-ROM icon does not appear when you open the "My Computer" icon, or if clicking on SETUP.EXE doesn't start your game either, then your CD-ROM drive may be in "MS-DOS compatibility mode".
To learn how to enable AutoPlay on your system, or to learn how to see if your CD-ROM drive is in MS-DOS compatibility mode, please refer to our Windows 95/98/ME General Troubleshooting FAQ.
"The Installer starts to copy files, but then just quits to the desktop."
Make sure that you have enough hard drive space available on your system before installing. If you don't have at least 50 Megabytes free, the game can't install.
If you have enough space, check the shiny underside of the CD for fingerprints, smudges, scratches, or anything else that may cause your drive to have trouble reading it.
If the CD looks clean and undamaged, then your CD-ROM drive may be running in "MS-DOS Compatibility Mode".
"I receive an error message: 'Query interface failed. CCore application error'."
This error will occur if the video card does not meet the requirements for the game. Falcon 4.0 requires a card supporting 800 by 600, 16-bit high color resolution. If your card meets those requirements, try changing your screen resolution to 800 x 600 x 16-bit color. If that doesn't help, ensure that DirectX v5.0 is installed on your system.
To learn how to reinstall DirectX, please see the "DirectX Installation" portion of this FAQ, or our Direct X FAQ page.
"I receive an error message: 'Error Move Data Process 115'."
This error comes up during the installation process when you a) have selected the root directory of a drive as the install point, b) have a critical file on the CD open in another application, thereby locking it down and making it impossible to copy, or c) do not have enough free drive space to run the game.
To fix this, make sure you are installing the program to an actual folder on your hard drive (or go with the suggested defaults), ensure that all background applications are closed when you install, and make sure you have the 175 MB free on your hard drive that the program requires for installation.
The install program generates this error when it is unable to access enough memory in which to run. Close all other open applications, including screensavers and anti-virus programs, then install the game.
"I receive an error message about a missing DDRAW.DLL, D3D.DLL, or DSOUND.DLL file."
This is an indication that DirectX was not successfully installed. You should try reinstalling DirectX from the program CD.
To learn how to reinstall DirectX, please see the "DirectX Installation" portion of this FAQ, or our Direct X FAQ page.
"I'm getting an error message referring to MSVCRT.DLL when I try to launch after installing."
If you are receiving this error, you need to copy the MSVCRT.DLL file from the Programs folder of your installation CD to the Falcon4 directory on your hard drive. Once this is done, reboot the system, and the error should go away.
"I get an error when I launch that says 'SCIERR_ObjectNotFound'."
This error indicates a mismatch between the controller listed in the Game Controllers or Gaming Options icon in Control Panel, and what is actually connected to the system. Make sure the two match up, either by changing the entry in Control Panel, or connecting the appropriate joystick. Also, be sure that the stick you wish to use with the game is numbered ID#1.
"I get an Invalid Page Fault when I try to launch the game or run the MPRTEST utility."
This happens if you switch from a Glide-based video card to a Direct3D-based card without uninstalling and reinstalling Falcon 4.0. To fix this, you need to remove or rename the file named GR3DFX.MPR from the Falcon4 directory. At that point both programs should run correctly.
"The game randomly freezes, crashes, or locks up the computer."
First, shut down all other applications that may be running on your computer. Other applications can interfere with the game's operation. For instructions on how to do this, please see our Windows 95/98/ME General Troubleshooting FAQ.
If this doesn't help, then the software drivers that Windows uses to communicate with your hardware may be out of date, or incompatible with the game. Install the latest DirectX compatible drivers available for your video and sound card from the card's manufacturer. If you have already updated to the latest driver version from the manufacturer and the problem persists, you may want to see if reference drivers are available from the video chip manufacturer. Reference drivers are usually more standardized than the manufacturer's versions and may work better with a wider variety of games.
For more information on this topic and contact information on a wide variety of hardware vendors, please see our How to Update Your Drivers FAQ.
First, check your speakers to make sure that they are turned on, connected properly to the rest of the system, and that the volume controls are turned up. If they are, then check your windows volume controls by clicking on the small yellow speaker icon on your taskbar.
If you have already tried the solutions above and still can't hear sound, then you'll need to update your sound card drivers to the latest versions available.
There is a great deal of information on video issues and optimization in the README.DOC document, available either on the CD or from Start > Programs > MicroProse > Falcon 4.0 > README.DOC. If you are having any video problems, or are interested in optimizing video performance in Falcon 4.0, we advise consulting this document first.
"I have a PowerVR-based video card, and can't get the game to run in Direct3D mode."
Unfortunately, PowerVR cards will only work in software mode. They do not have the frame buffer that is required for the game to work in Direct3D mode.
"What are the video utilities included with Falcon 4.0?"
We have included two utilities in the default Falcon 4.0 directory: F4INFO.EXE will give you information about Falcon 4.0, your video cards and DirectX. Run MPRTEST.EXE to display a list of all available video cards drivers, devices and resolutions. Run "MPRTEST.EXE -HELP" for more information on how to use this utility to test your graphics capabilities. To run either utility, select "Run" from the Start menu and type either "C:\MicroProse\Falcon4\F4info.exe" or "C:\MicroProse\Falcon4\MPRtest.exe" in the dialog box. (If you've installed to a folder other than the default, then use the appropriate path.)
This game uses Microsoft's DirectX for all graphics and sound effects. It cannot run properly unless DirectX version 5.0 or higher is installed on your computer. (Again, this is standard equipment on Windows ME, you only need to worry about this if you are running Windows 95 or 98.) It may also exhibit problems if the video card and/or sound card in your computer are not 100% DirectX compliant.
Re-install DirectX from the installation CD, then reboot your computer and try playing the game again. For instructions, see the section near the top of this document labeled "DirectX Installation".
If the problem still occurs, then you'll need to update your video and/or sound card drivers with the latest versions available from the manufacturer. For more information on this topic and contact information on a wide variety of hardware vendors, please see our How to Update Your Drivers FAQ.
"I've encountered a problem that was not mentioned in this document."
REBOOT your computer after installation, especially if you needed to install or update DirectX. Several updated system files are copied to your hard drive during installation, which can't take effect until you reboot.
Make sure that your system meets the minimum system requirements as listed on the box and at the top of this document. If your system does not meet or exceed the minimum requirements, it will run poorly, or not at all.
Shut down all other programs that you may have running on your system before playing. Other programs can interfere with the operation of the game. For detailed instructions on shutting down all of your other applications, please see our Windows 95/98/ME General Troubleshooting FAQ.
Make sure you have plenty of room left on your hard drive, or Windows may not have enough room for a swap file. This can cause some very strange problems. (As a general rule, make sure you have at least 100 MB free on your C: drive for your swap file.)
Make sure that the CD itself is not dirty or damaged in any way. If the CD is dirty, it can be cleaned. Most computer stores carry inexpensive CD-ROM cleaning kits that will safely restore your CD. If you want to try cleaning the CD without a kit, you can wash the CD using lukewarm water, MILD NON-ABRASIVE dish soap, and a very soft and clean COTTON cloth. Do NOT use any kind of paper product or abrasive soap to clean the CD, as these WILL scratch! Once the CD is clean, be sure to let the CD dry completely before inserting it into your CD-ROM, or damage may result.
If the CD is scratched or physically damaged in any way, you may need to send it in for replacement. For our mailing address and other important information regarding replacements, please see our Consumer Service Policies and Information.
Try uninstalling, and then re-installing the game.
