RSX Frequently Asked Questions

This document is posted periodically to the intel.rsx newsgroup.
Maintained by MichaelX_Harvey@ccm.jf.intel.com.
Last updated 8/18/97


Table of Contents


Introduction to RSX

Q.
What is RSX?
A.
RSX is a 3D audio library. It provides a simple interface for audio rendering. This library makes adding audio to 3D environments very straightforward for applications. This library is similar to a 3D graphics engine (e.g., 3DR). Graphics has objects and cameras, whereas Audio has emitters and listeners.

Q.
What are the meanings of these terms and does RSX support these: Streaming, Mixing, Reverberation, Doppler Effects, Pitch, and MIDI?
A.
Here are some quick definitions:

Streaming audio objects can accept and process real-time data. RSX can handle multi-channel streams with multiple sample rates.
Mixing: RSX acts as an audio mixer by supporting multiple sound-emitting audio objects that are audible simultaneously.
Reverberation: RSX provides an interface to model room acoustics or simulate sound effects that occur in a confined space. This enables you to add further realism to an audio environment.
Doppler Effects: RSX automatically calculates the change in frequency of a sound wave resulting from the relative motion of the sound source and the listener when rendering an audio object (if the speed of sound is non-zero). You can turn this feature on or off when you create an audio object.
Pitch: RSX lets you alter the height, depth, and timing of a tone to create effects such as acceleration or fadeout.
MIDI: RSX has the ability to play back a single MIDI file with distance attenuation.

Q.
What is the difference between RSX 2.0 and 3D RSX?
A.
By comparing the RSX 2.0 features http://www.intel.com/ial/rsx/Features.htm and the 3D RSX features http://www.intel.com/ial/rsx/Feature3.htm you can see the differences.

Q.
Does RSX uses HRTF?
A.
The 3D sound on 3D RSX is based on HRTF technology. To understand HRTFs see our external resource page: http://www.intel.com/ial/rsx/extresrc.htm

Q.
What is the difference between "directsound" and "wave" as Device Type?
A.
The 3D RSX DirectListener uses either DirectSound (including it's APIs and drivers) or the older Windows WAVE functions to output audio to the audio device. Wave tends to use slightly less CPU and DirectSound tends to have lower latency. Wave will also work on all Windows 95 and Windows NT machines with a sound card. Go to www.microsoft.com/directx/ to obtain DirectX.

Download problems

Q.
I am having problems trying to download RSX from the web.
A.
Please try ftp://download.intel.com/ial/rsx/. If the URL begins with FTP already, try downloading later when there might be less traffic on the Internet or on Intel's server. If you've been working on-line for a long time, clear your browser cache and try the download again. Sometimes your cache can be too full to store the incoming file. If you've unsuccessfully downloaded the same file more than once, again, clear your browser cache and try the download again. If the incomplete download happened on the first try, your browser may be loading the incomplete file from the cache rather than performing a new download. If you use a screensaver, disconnect it. If the screen saver turns on during a download, it can interrupt the data transfer.

Q.
When I try to unzip RSX files, I get an error message "Can not create output file" or "File is corrupt", etc. What is the cause?
A.
A possible cause is you do not have enough disk space. Please make sure you have enough disk space.

Installation

Q.
When I try to install RSX, I am told that my audio and video drivers will be overwritten. It does not say that they will be backed up. How do I know what these files are, so that I can back them up manually before installation.
A.
This part of the installation is done by Microsoft’s DirectX. There is no way to backup files manually. The only way is to restore is to reinstall the windows audio/video drivers. If you are concerned, you do not have to install DirectX. RSX works without DirectX.

Q.
I have recently downloaded the rsxrunds.exe file and installed it on my system. I am now unable to use my cd players.
A.
Possible cause of this problem is DirectX. The only way for your CD to work is to reinstall the CD drivers. To report a bug on DirectX, you can send email to dxbugs@microsoft.com.

Q.
I have uninstalled RSX 2.0, and am now getting a "Can't initialize sound manager" message from Netscape when trying to download a VRML scene with Live3D. What has RSX damaged?
A.
RSX is the sound manager. By uninstalling RSX, Live3D no longer has audio services.

Q.
Is there any way to uninstall RSX on Win95 except using the Add/Remove Programs in the control panel?
A.
The Microsoft approved method for uninstalls is to use the Add/Remove Programs applet in the control panel. Thus you MUST use the Add/Remove Programs applet for a correct uninstall.

Q.
Why does the RSX install program not give a choice of where to be installed?
A.
We would like to give the users more choice but it is due to a Microsoft limitation that we have to use the windows/system directory.

Q.
After installing RSX, I lost all playing capabilities of WAV and MIDI files.
A.
If you installed DirectX with RSX this could disable your audio. If this is the case, please contact Microsoft tech support. If you did not install DirectX please test your volume levels and possibly fresh reboot your PC.

Q.
I am creating an application using Macromedia Director and wish to include RSX along with the installation process. My question is, in writing my own installation procedure, do I need to include any version of DirectX?
A.
No - DirectX is not required for RSX.

System Requirements

Q.
What are the system requirements for RSX?
A.
RSX requires a 90MHz Pentium(R) processor, 8 Megabytes RAM, a stereo sound card, and Windows 95 or Windows NT (3.51 or 4.0) operating system. For optimal performance, we recommend using a 166Mhz Pentium(R) MMXTM processor with 16 Megabytes RAM. For the latest information, please check http://developer.intel.com/ial/rsx/require.htm

Q.
I wish to use RSX in combination with programs being developed in Macromedia Director; I need to know how much memory RSX itself takes. And, does the memory that RSX uses come from the system memory, or from memory inside the Director application?
A.
As RSX is a DLL it allocates memory from the Director process space - (when being used within Director). This of course comes from system memory. RSX requires approximately the size of itself rsx.dll and rsxdata.dll. Additionally - the amount of memory allocated depends on the type and number of emitters as well as the type of listener and amount of buffering.

Licensing

Q.
What are the licensing requirements for RSX?
A.
The RSX Software Developer’s Kit license (License.txt comes with the product) applies to all of the developer tools, sample source, documentation, and licensed binaries delivered with your RSX Software Developer’s Kit Release 2.0 package. A user needs to read the license agreement carefully before using this product. If you would like to ship RSX 2.0 with your application, contact Intel for a commercial, redistribution license at IAL_Product@ccm.jf.intel.com. See Chapter 8 of the User’s Guide for details and a description of how to include RSX with your application.

Operating Systems

Q.
On what operating systems does RSX work?
A.
RSX has been tested on Windows 95* and Windows NT* 3.51 and 4.0.

Q.
Is RSX available on Mac?
A.
Currently, RSX is available only on Windows 95 and Win NT 3.51 and 4.0. Intel recognizes the importance of cross-platform support, particularly for internet technologies. We will work with industry partners to deliver this technology on multiple platforms in the future.

Q.
Does RSX support Windows NT Workstation v4.00.1381?
A.
Yes it does and has been tested on this build of NT.

Q.
I'm experiencing trouble with RSX on Windows NT 4.0. Everything runs fine whenever the user has administrator rights. When the user has normal rights, RSX returns with a message: cannot create IRSXCachedEmitter. Microsoft ADPCM and IMA ADPCM are installed.
A.
It looks like you may only have "read" access to certain directories on your drive. RSX writes a temporary file during diagnostic testing. Please add "write" access.

Q.
Are there any extra procedures necessary to ensure a clean shutdown of 3D RSX under Windows NT* 4.0?
A.
No. There are no extra procedures necessary. RSX should work the same as in Windows 95*.

Browsers and VRML

Q.
Is there any plan for RSX to work with Microsoft Internet Explorer?
A.
Intel is planning to make an ActiveX control for RSX. It will be released in Beta form during Third Quarter 1997.

Q.
The Live3D plug-in of Netscape browser uses RSX. So do I need to install RSX, if I install Live3D?
A.
Currently the Live3D installation does not install RSX, so you do need to install RSX runtime for sound to work properly.

Q.
I have installed Live3D and RSX. When I try to go to a VRML world, I get an unrecognized encoding x-gzip.
A.
This is not an RSX issue. This file is an encoded VRML file. Please address your question to Netscape.

Q.
I have uninstalled RSX 2.0, and am now getting a "Can't initialize sound manager" message from Netscape when trying to download a VRML scene with Live3D. What has RSX damaged?
A.
RSX is the sound manager. By uninstalling RSX, Live3D no longer has audio services.

Q.
After loading RSX and Cosmo Player plug-ins for my Navigator 3.0 beta, I tried to run the audio test scenes on this page. In all cases, the Cosmo Player plug-in opened, and I immediately received a "syntax error" message for "line 2: file did not contain valid data" Other VRML files from the Cosmo page work fine, as does the rsx config/diagnostics program. What is the problem?
A.
These worlds are not compatible with the Cosmo Player. Cosmo Player implements VRML 2.0 and these samples are currently for Live3D. We are planning to update these samples for VRML 2.0 very soon.

Q.
When I run diagnostics, I get a message that "Your internet settings are probably wrong." What could be wrong?
A.
If you are using "internet access through a proxy server", one possible problem could be the way you have set your proxy server. The proxy server name should also contain the port number. The format is "server:port". For example, it can be proxy.xyz.com:911. Please check your proxy server entry in the configuration page after running the rsxconfg.exe utility.

Q.
When I try to load a 3d site I get ERROR IN VRML FILE. I am using MS IE 3.01.
A.
IF the VRML add-in is a Netscape Plug-in it may work better with Netscape Navigator instead of MS IE 3.01. You might try other VRML files like those at vrml.sgi.com or www.planet9.com.

DirectSound*

Q.
I have installed DirectSound with RSX. Where can I get more information on DirectSound?
A.
DirectSound is part of Microsoft DirectX. It provides high performance audio drivers for Win95.

Product Specific Issues

Q.
Is there any plan for a DirectShow filter using RSX technology?
A.
A DirectShow filter will be available in Third Quarter 1997.

Q.
When I use Black Sun with RSX I get: "error on module KERNEL32.DLL"
A.
This is a bug we have already fixed . Please tell the user to download the RSX 2.0 release version of our runtimes at http://www.intel.com/ial/rsx/ This should fix his problem.

Q.
The Live3D plug-in of Netscape browser uses RSX. So do I need to install RSX, if I install Live3D?
A.
Currently the Live3D installation does not install RSX, so you do need to install the RSX runtime for sound to work properly.

Q.
I have installed Live3D and RSX. When I try to go to a VRML world, I get an unrecognized encoding x-gzip.
A.
This is not an RSX issue. This file is an encoded VRML file. Please address your question to Netscape.

Q.
I have uninstalled RSX 2.0, and am now getting a "Can't initialize sound manager" message from Netscape when trying to download a VRML scene with Live3D. What has RSX damaged?
A.
RSX is the sound manager. By uninstalling RSX, Live3D no longer has audio services.

Q.
After loading RSX and Cosmo Player plug-ins for my Navigator 3.0 beta, I tried to run the audio test scenes on this page. In all cases, the Cosmo Player plug-in opened, and I immediately received a "syntax error" msg for "line 2: file did not contain valid data" Other VRML files from the Cosmo page work fine, as does the rsx config/diagnostics program. What is the problem?
A.
These worlds are not compatible with the Cosmo Player. Cosmo Player implements VRML 2.0 and these samples are currently for Live3D. We are planning to update these samples for VRML 2.0 very soon.

Q.
I am trying to build a 3d solar system which spins. When I use pointsound the volume is constant (as it should be) but the sound does not go from right to left as a planet goes by. When I manually move the planet from left to right the sound moves. Is there a compatibility problem with the spin command?
A.
This is a Live3D problem.

Q.
I'm using cybergate and I'm not hearing sound within the worlds. I also cannot see anyone or myself.
A.
This sounds like the problem is probably in either CyberGate or Live3D which is used by CyberGate. I say this because you can't see anything as well as hear anything in the program. You may want to try the latest version of Live3D from Netscape's site.

Drivers

Q.
Does RSX modify the sound drivers and change the way a DOS based game runs?
A.
No. If you install DirectSound from Microsoft (an option while installing RSX), then DirectSound may update the sound drivers. This is not an RSX problem, nor does RSX change the way a DOS based game runs.

Q.
When I run the Diagnostics, I get: Creating IRSXCachedEmitter object... RSX Diagnostics failed and aborted
A.
The cached emitter fails in this case if your disk is full or if you don't have the Microsoft* IMA ADPCM CODEC and ADPCM CODEC drivers. This is installed with Win95. Look in control panel, multimedia, advanced, under "Audio Compression Codecs" to see if you have such drivers. If you don't, please go to control panel, add/remove programs, Windows setup and find the Multimedia in the list. Make sure that the little box to the left of the word "Multimedia" is white and checked. You will either find it empty or gray and checked. You change it by clicking it until it becomes white and checked. Hit ok.. and the Codecs should be installed. Look again in control panel, multimedia, advanced, under "Audio Compression Codecs" to see if you have such drivers now.

Q.
Are the Microsoft* IMA ADPCM CODEC and ADPCM CODEC required to run RSX?
A.
No. They are not required to run RSX unless you are trying to play non-PCM audio formats through RSX. As such, the RSX config tool uses compressed audio files (to shorten the download time from the Internet).

Q.
My MIDI doesn't function with RSX.
A.
3D RSX doesn't do anything to the system MIDI. If the MIDI doesn't work in Media Player, then your MIDI driver is broken. If you installed DirectX with RSX, it may have caused the problem. You should use the Control Panel/Multimedia applet to see if you can reset your MIDI.

Java

Q.
After I installed RSX Release 2.0, I tried to run the RSX Java samples. The three of them did not start.
A.
The java samples only work with Microsoft's Internet Explorer. If you install Microsoft's Internet Explorer after installing RSX the Java samples will not work. Simply reinstall RSX or add the RSX SDK path (default is \rsx2 unless you changed it at install time) to the Classpath value in the registry (the registry key is: My Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Java VM). Just make sure the Classpath registry key above includes the directory into which you installed RSX, i.e. c:\rsx2.

Q.
Java does not run either. Perhaps it is the same problem. I tried to compile the code in JDK and it flunked.
A.
The Java stuff requires the Microsoft Java SDK and Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.01 to be installed.

Demos/Samples

Q.
When I try to run some of the demos, I get message that some of the DLLs are missing.
A.
Possibly these DLLs are DirectX dlls. The names of the DLLs should indicate that they are part of DirectX. In this case, possibly you have not installed DirectX. Some of the demos need DirectX to be installed.

Q.
Is DirectX required to run RSX samples?
A.
For chopper, clown and asteroids, DirectX II or DirectX III is required as stated in our release notes.

Q.
I can not run any demos (chopper, clown, etc.) -- it can not create D3DRM from the clipper. But C and C++ work fine.
A.
The demos will work fine if DirectX II SDK with Direct3D is installed. Please try the Direct3D demos that come with DirectX II SDK. The DirectX III SDK will also work.

Q.
When I hear the RSX demo files on the web, the RSX headphones on the taskbar do not appear. So I believe that I am not hearing these files in 3D.
A.
The RSX wave file demos on the Intel web page are "preauthored" 3D samples that do not require RSX to run. You should be able to hear the 3D sound effects from any computer by listening to the wave files with headphones. This is why you do not see the RSX headphones when you listen to the files. Try playing the wave files with sound recorder or media player while you listen with headphones. You should be able to hear the 3D effects.

Functionality

Q.
For some reason I am only receiving sound out of my left speaker. Nothing is coming out of the right speaker. There are other applications that run in DOS mode that both the right and left speaker will work.
A.
Do you have any Windows programs where you hears sound from both speakers? Possibly your wave balance control in the Win95 mixer is set to full left balance. If that is not the problem, then please mail us the output from your RSX diagnostics.

Q.
Would it work to set the recording format to stereo, even though the source is mono, so that both the recording and Direct Listener formats are the same, and then discard one channel of the recording (presumably they'd both be the same)?
A.
There in no problem making a stereo recording from a mono source. One channel can be tossed in this situation.

Q.
Does RSX work with my sound card?
A.
If there are no Win95 drivers then it probably won't work. However, if you can play Media Player files through this card then RSX should work.

Q.
Can RSX render the 3d sound to an .AVI file? Does this have to be done in real-time?
A.
RSX supports a streaming listener so it can be used to render the sound in real-time or pre-render the sound when the avi file is created. This will require some additional programming though to use the streaming listener and then run this audio stream into the AVI file. Intel is working on a DirectShow filter which will make it easy to pre-render 3D sound to a file.

Q.
I downloaded the Cosmo player. The test for the audio is messed up. On the initial installation (Windows NT 3.51) audio reverses left and right.
A.
This is in our release notes. The audio on NT 3.51 (and sometimes on NT 4.0 ) reverses itself. This is not a bug in RSX but is a bug in Windows NT. We have told Microsoft about it but they have not fixed it. It seems to work better on NT 4.0 so you may want to try that.

Q.
Do I need to install RSX to listen to RSX-created sound effects?
A.
You do not need to install RSX to listen to RSX-created sound effects. We have preprocessed these files to contain the true 3D data. Simply use Sound Recorder, Media Player or your favorite wave player to listen to the sounds on our web page. Make sure you use headphones to get the full effect.

Q.
Is more than one listener supported with RSX? If not, is this ability something arriving in a future version?
A.
More than one listener is not supported directly but can be implemented with a little extra work. Simply create multiple 3D RSX environments with multiple listeners and update all of them. If you are thinking about multi-person applications over a network then each individual client can run RSX with one listener.

Q.
When creating a cached emitter, what happens when the same file is specified as one used previously to create a cached emitter? Does RSX play out of a single copy of the file, or does it create a separate, in memory buffer?
A.
RSX plays out a "single copy" of the file so memory is not wasted.

Q.
Does RSX include functions which will automatically decode an AC-3 audio stream into RSX format?
A.
RSX does not automatically decode AC-3 audio, but rather, is designed to spatially render audio from a multi-channel source after another hardware or software component has decoded the audio into multiple streams.

Performance

Q.
How much performance degradation is incurred by setting RSX to use "wave" as the output device?
A.
When RSX uses the Wave API, the performance degradation is in the form of higher latency. On your fast system you can cut the latency way down using the RSX Configuration applet in the "Advanced Settings - Buffer Times" tab. The default is 120ms but you should be able to run at 40ms with no problem. You can run the DEBUG version of RSX to determine which audio service is currently used by RSX.

Q.
I picked up the 3D RSX demo CD at the Internet Show and the overview demo pauses frequently (clips the sound). Is this caused by my 486/66 processor or the 2X CD ROM drive?
A.
The demo is streaming a lot of data (high quality audio and video) from the CD-ROM. You can try copying the demo to your hard drive as this will improve the data I/O performance. The demo is on the CD in the directory \demos\cool\hp for the headphone version and \demos\cool\speaker for the speaker version. If this still doesn't work then your CPU just doesn't have enough speed.

Q.
The new Monster sound card from Diamond claims it will accelerate DirectSound and DirectSound3D. It also claims that all localization processing is done on board. Will the audio localization done by RSX also be accelerated by this card?
A.
Yes, we will support it.

Q.
How can I minimize the performance overhead of RSX?
A.
There are several things you can do:
  • MOST IMPORTANT: Limit the number of active sounds! Inactive sounds, or sounds which are out of range or too faint to be heard, use almost no CPU time.
  • Use the RSXEMITTERDESC_PREPROCESS flag in your cached emitters, which performs decompression of audio files at load-time rather than on demand.
  • Use the RSXEMITTERDESC_INMEMORY flag on cached emitters to make sure that all data is preloaded into memory before it is needed.
  • Try turning off RSXEMITTERDESC_NOREVERB, since this uses a lot of CPU time.
  • Setting your configuration to use Wave audio rather than DirectX will result in a slight speedup, though DirectX provides lower latency.
  • Enabling debugging can seriously impact performance. Turn it off.
  • When using true 3D, using speakers results in additional processing for cross-cancellation; headphones provide direct output with minimal overhead.
  • You can disable the "Use True 3D" flag in the RSX Configuration utility; this causes RSX to use a simpler "panning" algorithm which is much less CPU intensive than True 3D.
  • Make sure your sound drivers are up to date. Old drivers are often a lot slower than more recent drivers.

For more specific information, please contact us about your particular configuration.


Developer Issues

Q.
Is RSX optimized to use MMXTM technology?
A.
Yes, RSX is fully optimized and will take advantage of MMXTM technology if present.

Q.
Is there a limit to the number of sound sources?
A.
There is no restriction imposed by the RSX software. However, CPU speed and memory capacity vary with machine configuration and place a practical limit on how many sound sources can be efficiently processed.

Q.
Does the RSX SDK work with MSVC++ 4.2 or 5.0?
A.
Our samples are compatible with MSVC 4.2 and 5.0.

Q.
When I change the position, model, intensity, and pitch of a streaming emitter and then send my buffers, the changes aren't reflected for about half a second. My application uses a lot of short sounds (less than half a second) with constant updating of all these fields. Is this a problem with streaming emitters? What can I do?
A.
The update rate is dependent on the Listener. If you are using a DirectListener you may need to decrease the output buffer size. You can do this with the RSX configuration utility or modify the registry directly. The registry key is: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Intel/Realistic Sound Experience/2.0/Buffersize This is the buffersize in milliseconds. The default is 120, and the minimum is 40.

If this doesn't provide enough control, a streaming listener can be used and then the audio must be written to the audio device by your application. The buffers that are submitted by streaming emitters are put on a queue. When a Streaming listener calls RequestBuffer (either by your application or internally by the DirectListener) data is pulled from the queues for each emitter, processed and mixed together.

Q.
Can I use 3D RSX in C++ without MFC?
A.
Yes. Use RSX exactly the same way you would in MFC. Be sure to include rsx.h in your program!

General

Q.
I downloaded the Cosmo player. The test for the audio is messed up. On the initial installation (Windows NT 3.51) audio reverses left and right.
A.
This is in our release notes. The audio on NT 3.51 (and sometimes on NT 4.0 ) reverses itself. This is not a bug in RSX but is a bug in Windows NT. We have told Microsoft about it but they have not fixed it. It seems to work better on NT 4.0 so you may want to try that.

Q.
Is there a VB OCX available yet?
A.
An OCX (Active Control) will be available soon.

Q.
RSX audio reversed left and right on Win95 using Toshiba Tecra 720.
A.
We have never seen the problem with Windows 95 even with OSR2. It may be that the specific audio driver for his computer is broken - We suggest you go to the Toshiba web page and look for a newer driver. It is also possible that the speakers are wired wrong internally. There is no easy way around this. You could use headphones with the laptop and put them on backwards.

Q.
If you applied the RSX technology to music to give the effect of this or that part coming from different areas in the sound spectrum, would it have a pleasurable result?
A.
Yes, 3D spatialization in music provides another dimension of creativity for authors and can add a lot to the end user's experience. It is possible to buy some music CD's from specialized stores that contain music authored in 3D.

Diagnostics and Diagnostic Errors

Q.
When I run the Diagnostics, I get: Creating IRSXCachedEmitter object... RSX Diagnostics failed and aborted.
A.
The cached emitter fails in this case if your disk is full or if you don't have the Microsoft* IMA ADPCM CODEC and ADPCM CODEC drivers. This is installed with Win95. Look in control panel, multimedia, advanced, under "Audio Compression Codecs" to see if you have such drivers. If you don't, please go to control panel, add/remove programs, Windows setup and find the Multimedia in the list. Make sure that the little box to the left of the word "Multimedia" is white and checked. You will either find it empty or gray and checked. You change it by clicking it until it becomes white and checked. Hit ok.. and the Codecs should be installed. Look again in control panel, multimedia, advanced, under "Audio Compression Codecs" to see if you have such drivers now.

Q.
How to run the diagnostics?
A.
RSX provides a Diagnostic utility to determine whether RSX is functioning properly. When you complete an RSX installation, this utility runs and verifies the installation. To access this utility at other times, either open the Intel RSX 2.0 folder on your Start menu and click Configuration, or locate and run Rsxconfg.exe, which the installation copies into your RSX2\BIN directory.

Q.
RSX does not work properly. What do I need to do?
A.
Bring up the RSX configuration utility (rsxconfg.exe), go to the Diagnostics page and run diagnostics. After the diagnostics is done look through the results carefully. It will indicate you why RSX is not working properly. If you can not figure out the problem, then copy this output to a text file and mail it to rsx@intel.com along with a description of the problem.

Q.
The RSX diagnostics fails as follows: Initializing COM... "Creating IAAudio object... Creating IAAudioListener object... RSX Diagnostics failed and aborted." What does this mean?
A.
First, you should try to play a wav file using Sound Recorder. If this file can not be played, then you should fix this first. If wav files can be played without any problem, then one possible cause is that your audio device is busy. Make sure that the audio device is not busy. One way to do this is to first make sure that there is no program in the Startup folder which uses the audio device, and then perform a fresh boot of your system. Now try RSX diagnostics.

Q.
I downloaded rsxrunds.exe from your web page and installed it. The first time I ran the diagnostics everything seemed to work, but after I restarted, I got a message that the Es1688.VXD file was outdated followed by a message that an illegal operation had been performed and the application was closing. I get an illegal operation message when I try to visit a VRML site and then Netscape closes down. I have none of these problems with my NT workstation on which I installed Cosmo Player 1.0 and rsxrun.exe.
A.
ES1688 is a DirectSound driver. This problem is not related to RSX. Please contact Microsoft or your laptop vendor for a solution.

Q.
Verifying RSX Object Server... RSX Diagnostics failed and aborted.
A.
It appears that the file aaudio.dll wasn't found. It stopped before rsx.dll was even checked. You should reinstall RSX to fix the problem. The Config tool should have given more info; there was a bug in the tool, but it has been fixed and will be in the next release.

Getting Help

Q.
How can I contact customer service?
A.
You can send email to rsx@intel.com.

Q.
What information do you need from me?
A.
TODO...

Q.
Is there an RSX newsgroup or mailing list?
A.
Yes, there is an intel.rsx newsgroup which is monitored by both Intel customer service and the RSX development team. There is no mailing list at this point.

Q.
I am a developer. Where can I obtain technical help?
A.
We are very interested in helping developers incorporate RSX into their projects. The RSX development team monitors the intel.rsx newsgroup for bug reports and developer problems, so questions may be posted there. You may also send mail to rsx@intel.com and it will be forwarded to the development team.

Q.
How do I obtain debugger output?
A.
TODO...

*Indicated names are trademarks of other companies.