MS agent characters don't work

[sparkyr2]

Now of my Microsoft agent characters work with Hal. Not even merlin, wizard. Any one no why? I just get an error message and no image. The only ones that work are Hal and Zaba. What's up with that?

[Bill819]

quote:Originally posted by sparkyr2

Now of my Microsoft agent characters work with Hal. Not even merlin, wizard. Any one no why? I just get an error message and no image. The only ones that work are Hal and Zaba. What's up with that?

This may not be the answer, but sometimes if your pc is not shut down correctly the settings for Hal get messed up. I suggust go back into Hal's configuration and re enter your preferences. That should make it work again.
Bill

[sparkyr2]

I've actually done a clean boot. Reinstalled Windoze ME. with nothing else running in the background. No matter what I try, it does not load any Ms Agents. I am only slightly computer illiterit. What is wrong here? No Merlin, no Peedy, no Wizard, nothing by Hal and Zaba. It does not load a character unless the character has a ".htr" If I rename a different character "hal" or "zaba", with the ".htr" it'll load. My question is.......why won't it load ".acs"? Anybody else run into this problem? I'm thinking about buying this 'cause it's my favorite AI but...........If I can't change characters........I've installed Desktopmates..........free Brandy.......with her setup files. Does not load either. I've got a million MS agents...none load....I get an error message and then Hal starts up with a blank screen. Am I missing something?

[KnyteTrypper]

Check to be sure you have MS Agent installed. You might have deleted it somehow in the process of reinstalling Windows. If you don't have all the MS Agent components, you would only be able use the characters that come with Hal.

[sparkyr2]

What exactly "MS agent components" are required? I think I've installed them all at one time or another. I'm totally confused why it won't load MS agents. Like I said, I did a clean boot of Windoze, ran NORTON virus scanner to make sure there was nothing interfering, shut down everything in the background, enabled everything in the background. Apparently, I'm missing something. This should be a simple problem but it is escaping me.

[sparkyr2]

More info: I installed Hal a couple of weeks ago. I've used it in the past but stopped for some reason. When I installed it, (a couple of weeks ago), it worked fine. All MS agents worked. But now for some reason they don't. I formatted my hard "C:" to make sure there is nothing on it. I also have drive "D:" (partition), I use to store backup files on. I zipped my Hal backup to drive d: so that my computer had no reference to Hal. I've gone to Microsoft and installed and uninstalled every MS Agent component I could find. Hal will not load ANY MS Agent. I attached the error message.

Download Attachment: HAL.jpg
33.02 KB

[Crichton]

I'm just fishing for a little more info.  Have you tried running any other Agent type software?  Something like Cyberbuddy or Smartbutler.  That would tell you if the error was something to do with Agent or with a setting in HAL.  If they all work in one of those other programs, but not in HAL then HAL has a problem.  If they don't work in those other programs, then it is an Agent problem.

I remember getting that same error once while running Smartbutler and hal at the same time.  HAL is supposed to automatically make those .uhp files for each of your characters in your characters in your C:WINDOWSMSAGENTCHARS directory.  Your characters are in that directory are they not?  Hal mixes very well with Cyberbuddy, but not to great with smartbutler.

Is there something else using Agents that you are running at the same time?  I'll wait for a reply.  I'm poking around in the dark and grasping at straws in the dark here.

[sparkyr2]

Hal is setup in the default directory. Ms Agents are setup correctly. I also have cyberbuddy installed and that is working good. All of the agents work with cyberbuddy. Hal does create a ".uhp" file for each agent in my agents folder. Hal just won't open the agent. It gives me the error message attached in one of my previous posts. Agents are in the c:windowsmsagentschars folder. Hal creates the .uhp file, hal lists the agents in the character tab, hal lets me change to the ms agent character, wants to change the name and all. Hal just won't load the character when you click on the taskbar icon. I get the error message, then Hal starts up the chat screen and the box where Hal appears is empty except for the background. Only Hal and Zaba appear. No Merlin, Peedy, Wizard, Free Brandy, (desktopmates), no other characters appear. Like I said, they all work with cyberbuddy. Please help if you can. I like the Hal program alot. It's entertaining to say the least, but let's face it, Hal and Zaba could easily be replace with a nice looking girl.

[vonsmith]

All,
A search of the forum turns up these postings on this subject. Give them a read.

http://www.zabaware.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=535

http://www.zabaware.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1016

I hope these help.


=vonsmith

[Crichton]

Ah ha!  That's where I saw this error message before.  Yes, I'm now using HAL as a regular program and not from the start up task bar.  I was having the same problem until I statred using HAL like a regular program.  I read those links you gave vonsmith.  thanks.  I knew I had those errors in the past.  I just changed so long ago I forgot I did it.

[sparkyr2]

You guys are geniuses! I knew I had this working at one time but couldn't remember how. Oh, yes. The old "start like a normal program" button. Took it out of the tray and it seems to work fine. At least I got brandy up. (Just tried Wizard, too). They're starting up great!!! Thanks a lot for the help. I am saving this help page in my agents backup in case it happens again and I forget how to fix it.