    AST RESEARCH, INC.        TECHNICAL BULLETIN # 1507           6-14-96

    TITLE: FIFA 96 Soccer, Adv! 6066d, 611, 613E

    SUMMARY

       The content of CMOS RAM is modified after running a game called
       FIFA 96 Soccer on the Advantage! 6066d, 611, and 613E systems.

       This issue affects the following systems: 501766, 501693, and
       501839.

    ISSUE

       When the system is rebooted after running the FIFA Soccer game
       with the sound enabled, the following configuration changes will
       have occurred in CMOS setup:

       The Date and Time are cleared.
       The Primary Hard Drive is set to none.
       The sound card is set to add-in.
       The joystick is set to add-in.

       If EMM386 is loaded with the NOEMS parameter alone, the system
       hangs when the FIFA 96 Soccer game starts.

    BACKGROUND

       The DOS4GW DOS extender used by FIFA 96 Soccer violates reserved
       upper memory addresses, causing the CMOS configuration changes.
       EMM386, when loaded, prevents the DOS extender from accessing
       these memory addresses.

       When loaded with the NOEMS parameter, EMM386 is incompatible with
       FIFA 96 Soccer.  However, if the Virtual Control Program Interface
       is disabled, FIFA 96 Soccer will work as designed.

    ACTION

       Configure EMM386 to provide UMBs and disable Expanded Memory
       Specification (EMS) memory access and the VCPI by using the
       following statements and EMM386 command line in CONFIG.SYS:

          DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
          DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS NOVCPI DOS=HIGH,UMB

    NOTES

       AST used a FIFA96.EXE executable dated 05/12/95 of the FIFA 96
       Soccer game to verify the problem and resolution that are described
       in this bulletin.

    TAN 000146GL

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