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Frequently Asked Questions
about Vista:

Click here for information about
problems with Vista.

Q:  I have new PC with Windows Vista.  Now Spot The Difference isn’t working.  I can’t get
the pictures to come up.   Do you have a fix?

A:  We continue to look at this problem on a case-by-case basis because different methods fix
the issue on different PC’s.   Most users find option 1 to be all they need.

OPTION 1:   Change the compatibility settings
Games that were not designed for Windows Vista, but designed for Windows XP (or lower)
can be set to work in Windows Vista Compatibility Mode.

Follow these simple steps to change the compatibility settings.  NOTE: You must be logged on
as System Administrator to make these changes.

Find the executable file for the game:
This is the actual EXE that is launched to run the game, not the shortcut. This should be
located in the folder in which you installed the game.  In the case of Brain Teasers, the EXE is
located in the program folder located at C:\Program Files\On Hand Software\Brain Games
Brain Teasers.

To find the executable game file, follow these steps:

1. Click START in the lower left corner of your screen.  
   
2. Click on COMPUTER
   
3. Open your C:\ (drive) by double-clicking on it  (or by right-clicking and choosing ‘Explore’)
   
4. Open the PROGRAM FILES folder by double-clicking on it (or by right-clicking and
   choosing ‘Explore’)    
   
5. Open the ON HAND SOFTWARE folder by double-clicking on it (or by right-clicking and
   choosing ‘Explore’)    
   
6. Open the folder for BRAIN GAMES BRAIN TEASERS
   
7. Inside this folder, you will find the executable file for Spot The Difference 2.
   

Change the compatibility settings:

1. Right-click on the executable file for the game (“SpottheDiff' 2.exe")
   
2. Select PROPERTIES from the pop-up menu and click the COMPATIBILITY tab.
   
3. In the top third of the window, in the section marked “Compatibility Mode”, you will see
   a check box marked "Run this program in compatibility mode for..." Check that box.   
   This will activate a drop down list. Select the Operating System you wish Vista to
   attempt to emulate when running this program. The best choice from this would be
   Windows XP (Service Pack 2).
   
4. At the bottom third of the window, in the section marked "Privilege Level", check the
   box marked "Run this program as an Administrator"
   
5. Click "OK" to close the window and then launch the game normally.
   

OPTION 2:  Replace the actual game .exe
We have an updated version of the "Spot the Diff' 2" program to fix the Vista issues.  You
should download the file to the Brain Games folder.    Print these instructions so you have
them in front of you when you perform these steps.  NOTE: You must be logged on as System
Administrator to make these changes.

Download the update

1. Download the update by RIGHT CLICKING ON THIS LINK  Spot the Diff 2
   
2. Choose SAVE TARGET AS…
   
3. From the SAVE AS window, navigate to DESKTOP
   

After you have downloaded the file, open the folder where you’ll need to place it.

1. Open your C:\ (drive) by double-clicking on it  (or by right-clicking and choosing ‘Explore’)
   
2. Open the PROGRAM FILES folder by double-clicking on it (or by right-clicking and
   choosing ‘Explore’)    
   
3. Locate and open the ON HAND SOFTWARE folder by double-clicking on it (or by right-
   Clicking and choosing ‘Explore’)    
   
4. Open the BRAIN GAMES BRAIN TEASERS folder by double-clicking on it (or by right-
   clicking and choosing ‘Explore’).
   
5. Change the name of the Spot The Difference 2 .exe in this folder to std.exe
   
6. Go back to your desktop, locate the file you just downloaded and copy and paste it OR
   drag and drop it into the Brain Games folder you still have it open.    
   
7. Once the update is placed in the folder, you can delete the std.exe file you previously
   renamed as you no longer need it.    
   

In general, we also suggest the following:

STEP ONE:
Be sure you are running the most recent version of DirectX from Microsoft.  Go to http://www.
microsoft.com/windows/directx - click on "Games for Windows" and it will take you to the
page to download the latest version of DirectX.

STEP TWO:
Update your video/display drivers through your PC manufacturer (ie Dell, HP, etc).  Updates
are released often and could help you avoid any problems you might be having with games.  

STEP THREE:
Since we use accelerated graphics in our games, we recommend you alter your hardware
acceleration slider.   

1. Go to START.  
   
2. Select CONTROL PANEL.
   
3. Select DISPLAY.
   
4. Click on the tab for SETTINGS.
   
5. Click on ADVANCED button.
   
6. Click on TROUBLESHOOT tab.
   

Here you will see a slider to adjust the hardware acceleration in Windows.

This adjusts the control Windows has over your video card. The video card's built-in
instructions and features may cause a conflict with the game. The lower the setting, the
fewer features the video card will use. The higher settings allow the video card to use more
features. Games with high 3D requirements will usually work best with this setting on “full,”
while older games may not work correctly until you lower this setting to “none” or “basic.”  

We suggest setting your slider towards FULL.   Click APPLY, then OK to exit out of this area.

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