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Billy Beezer is not affiliated with Hoyle, Sierra or VUG in any way, shape or form.  This page exists to provide you with answers to questions that I am often asked, and to correct the misinformation that passes for help on the Hoyle message boards, on other web sites, and in the game rooms.  If you can't find what you're looking for here, you can try posting a question on Hoyle's message board (good luck getting an intelligent response), or contacting VUG directly through their contact form.  This page was last updated on February 28, 2005, and will be updated again when I have the time.

Note: Only reinstall WONplay as a last resort.  It is highly unlikely that any of your WON files have become corrupted.  I have yet to hear of anybody who was able to solve their problems by reinstalling.

How come I can't use your backdoor pages?

If you haven't played since March, 2004, you will have to verify your registered screen names at hoylegames.sierra.com.  You are allowed four screen names per e-mail address.  Register new screen names here.

Your screen name can only contain letters, numbers, dashes and underscores.  No spaces or special characters are allowed.

Make sure your screen name and password are spelled correctly, and have the proper case when you log in.

If you are using a computer that's never been used to play Hoyle games, or if Hoyle has recently made changes, you should to go to hoylegames.sierra.com to get in before using the backdoor.  You need to disable your pop-up blocker to use that site.  You may also have to allow cookies from them, too.

Check the WON folder in your Program Files folder to see if wonplay.exe is in there.  The icon is a black square with a violet "VU" on it.  If it doesn't look like that, remove it by going to "Start" > "Settings" > "Control Panel" > "Add/Remove Programs," and try logging in again at hoylegames.sierra.com.

Your computer may be missing the Java Virtual Machine that allows you to run java scripts on your computer.  Virtual Machine was not included with some versions of Windows XP.  To see if your computer has Microsoft's Virtual Machine installed, go to "Start" > "Search" > "For Files or Folders" > "All files and folders" and type "msjava.dll" in the top search box without the quotation marks.  Make sure to look in (C:).  Then click "Search."  If you have msjava.dll, there's no need to proceed any further.  If you don't have it, open your Internet Explorer and click on the "Tools" tab to see if you have the Sun Java Console installed instead.  If it isn't listed, you will need to download it at java.com.

You may have to change your security settings.  In Internet Explorer 6, click on "Tools" > "Internet Options" > "Security" > "Internet" > "Custom Level."  Make sure "Download signed ActiveX controls," "Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins," and "Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting" aren't disabled.  Make sure to enable file downloads, too.  You might have to tinker with other settings if this doesn't work.  The process should be similar in other versions of Internet Explorer, Netscape and other browsers.

If you are using a firewall program, set it to prompt.  Then allow it to download all files from hoylegames.sierra.com.  If you have a newer version of Windows XP, or you've recently did a Windows update, your XP firewall might be turned on by default.  To learn more about using your XP firewall, click "Start" > "Help and Support," and type "firewall overview" in the search box.

If you are using a hardware router, it may have a built-in firewall that has closed ports.  According to Sierra's help page, you need to enable the following TCP ports: 15101; 15200; 15500; 26901-26999; 28901-28999.  If you don't know how to do that, consult your router manual or contact the manufacturer for support.

Make sure your anti-virus program isn't preventing you from downloading wonplay.exe, or other Hoyle game applications.

You may need to update your browser.  All my backdoor pages are written in HTML 4.01, and use style sheets.  Older browsers might not be able to decipher this code correctly.  To update Internet Explorer, go to Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6 download page.  To update Netscape, go to Netscape 7.0 download page.

I use your backdoor pages, but sometimes I have trouble getting in

Try going into a lesser-used room first.  If that doesn't work, close WONplay, wait a few seconds, and try again.  It may take a few tries.

Don't attempt to log in while simultaneously downloading web pages, e-mail, programs, music, news and weather information, stock tickers, or anything else.

Don't attempt to log in while simultaneously uploading anything, either.

Turn off your bloody internet radio!

Turn off your web cam!

Programs that aren't compatible with your operating system may be hogging your processor resources.  In Windows XP, right-click your taskbar and open your task manager.  Look under the CPU column to see if any programs are using an inordinate amount of resources.  If any are, click on the name of the program to highlight it, then click "End Process."  Don't end any processes unless you know what they are.  You can find all about processes at processlibrary.com.

A phone connected to your computer may slow down your internet connection, making it harder to get into the game rooms.  Unplug it when using the internet.

Many programs are set to automatically check for updates - sometimes daily.  These programs include operating systems, anti-virus programs, media players, and many others.  And if they find updates, they will begin downloading the update.  They will do this as soon as you connect to the internet.  Either wait a few minutes before trying to log in, or set your programs (except anti-virus programs) to check for updates less frequently, or manually.

Your computer may be infected with adware or spyware.  Download Ad-Aware AND Spybot Search and Destroy to find and eliminate adware, spyware and other nuisances that may be residing on your computer.  If your computer is infected with CoolWebSearch, you will need to download CWShredder to eliminate it.

You might have a bad internet connection, and you should sign-on again using a different access number.  A high connection speed doesn't necessarily mean a good connection.  You may be sharing an access number with an unusually large number of people, resulting in a bandwidth bottleneck.  If it takes longer that usual to sign on to your ISP, you will probably have a bad connection.

You might have a bad phone line.  Have your phone company test your line, both inside and outside.

There is always the possibility that the authentication server, or a room server is down, or that Hoyle games may be undergoing maintenance.  Check the Hoyle Help Page or the Hoyle Message Boards for information.

Does using Windows XP, AOL, or having broadband make it harder to get in?

It makes absolutely no difference which operating system, browser, or type of connection you use.  Anybody who tells you different doesn't know what they're talking about.

Some people have reported having trouble logging in with broadband.  Those people have been able to log in with dial-up, then switch back to broadband once they're in.  You should learn how to configure your broadband so you don't have to do that.

As for AOL, some people have reported they were able to get in only after reinstalling their AOL adapter, which is known to get corrupted from time to time.  This really shouldn't have anything to do with getting into the game rooms, but it's worth a try if nothing else works.  The AOL adapter is software that integrates AOL with Internet Explorer.  After uninstalling it, AOL will automatically rebuild it from it's backup files on your computer.  I think you have to shut down AOL before uninstalling the adapter.  To uninstall it, click "Start" > "Programs" > "American Online" > "AOL System Information" > "Utilities" > "Uninstall AOL Adapter."  It may or may not tell you to reboot your computer.  Then restart AOL and wait until it installs a new adapter.

Should I delete my cookies, my history and temporary internet files?

It won't make any difference.

Websites that use cookies will search your cookie file for their cookie.  The more cookies you have, the longer the search will take.  Even if you have 10,000 cookies in your file and a very slow processor, it will only add a fraction of a second to the time it takes for a web page to load.  That's WEB PAGES, not game rooms.  The game rooms ARE NOT WEB PAGES.  When you click on a link to a game room, you go directly to that room's server, or to the authentication server first if you are just logging in.  No cookies are involved in the process.

Your browser stores a record of web pages you've visited in your history.  It uses this information to highlight visited links, and to determine when to check for new versions of web pages.  Your history has absolutely nothing to do with getting into the game rooms.

Your temporary internet files (or browser cache) store web pages, style sheets, java scripts, images, audio, flash, and many other types of files that are downloaded from websites.  If your cache is full, it will slow down the loading of web pages, as your browser has to purge the oldest files to make room for new files.  Again, the game rooms ARE NOT WEB PAGES, and are not stored in your cache.  Deleting your cache before it fills to capacity will speed up your web surfing, but will not help you log in or get into the game rooms.

Should I defrag my hard drive?

Defragmenting your hard drive can improve your computer's performance by consolidating files and folders.  If your WON files and folders are fragmented, it may cause a bit of lag, but we're only talking milliseconds here.  It will not make it any harder to log in.  If you haven't downloaded any new Hoyle games since your last defrag, defragging will not help your game room performance at all.  Defragging too often can decrease the life of your hard drive.  Windows XP's defragmenter has an analyzer that will tell you whether or not you need to defrag.

Should I run Scandisk or System File Checker?

Some programs will overwrite system files with an older version when they are installed.  Sometimes system files will be accidentally deleted while uninstalling programs.

Running Scandisk in Windows 98 after installing or uninstalling programs will insure the integrity of your system files.  Scandisk will alert you if any of your system files are missing, or are the wrong version.  It will prompt you to insert your Windows 98 CD, from which it will reinstall the correct system file.  To run Scandisk, click "START" > "PROGRAMS" > "ACCESSORIES" > "SYSTEM TOOLS" > "SYSTEM INFORMATION."  You'll find Scandisk under the TOOLS tab.  (Note: I'm not exactly sure that is where you'll find it.  I'll check the next time I use my Windows 98 computer.)

Windows XP is supposed to be much more stable than Windows 98 when it comes to system files, and will warn you when a program attempts to install an older version of a system file.  Running System File Checker usually isn't necessary after installing programs.  It should always be run after uninstalling programs.  To run System File Checker, insert your Windows XP CD, click "START" > "RUN." Then type "sfc /scannow" into the text box without the quotation marks.

Should I turn off my instant messengers while playing?

In most cases, no.  Windows messenger (the basic version of MSN Messenger) only uses about 3MB of memory.  I assume other instant messengers use slightly more than that.  Only turn them off if you have a limited amount of available memory.

Why do I boot all the time?

Sometimes a whole room will boot. This is caused by a programming error that occurred when VUG took over the games.  There's nothing you can do about that.  If you alone are booting on a regular basis, you probably have a bad phone line.  If it just happens occasionally, you probably have a bad internet connection.

Is there anything I can do about those pesky pop-up ads?

Using a pop-up blocker will make your backdoor experience much more pleasurable.  Your ISP's software might have a built-in pop-up blocker.  I think XP's Service Pack 2 has a built-in pop-up blocker.

Do I have to load the backdoor every time I switch AOL screen names?

Open the backdoor with Internet Explorer, Netscape, or some other browser if you have one.  That way you won't have to reload the page every time you switch between AOL (or other ISP) screen names.

Why do I get error messages when I load the backdoor?

All of my code was validated using W3.org's HTML validator, and is error-free.  The error messages are caused by ads that are placed on the page by my web space providers.  Some ads contain errors, and some are not HTML 4.01 compliant.

Why aren't there any U.K. rooms on your backdoor pages?

The original U.K. rooms have been converted into social, competitive, and tournament rooms.

Which one of your three backdoors is the best?

The 8m backdoor has a banner ad across the top of the page, and will usually have an exit pop-up ad when you close the window.  This backdoor seems to load the fastest.

The Geocities backdoor will usually have either a pop-up ad, a little Yahoo ad down the right-hand side of the page, or both.

The Angelfire backdoor usually has one or two pop-up ads when the page loads.  Sometimes there are no ads.  Sometimes there will be a pop-up when you click on a link.

Note: Save at least two backdoor pages in your favorites just in case one is down for some reason.

Can I put your backdoor link on my web page?

Of course you can, silly.  You can link to any one of my backdoor pages, or you can link to this page instead.  It's up to you.  You can also copy one of the images at the top of the page to use as a link if you'd like.  Feel free to use any border color, or none at all.  You can copy and paste the links below.

http://freewebs.com/billybeezer/backdoors.html  (this page)
http://www.billybeezer.8m.com/backdoor.html
http://www.geocities.com/billy_beezer_2000/backdoor.html
http://www.angelfire.com/games4/billybeezer/backdoor.html

Why don't you put a backdoor page on your personal ad-free website?

I pay for my personal web site, which has a bandwidth limit.  If I put a backdoor page on it, I would have to purchase additional bandwidth.  That's something I'm not going to do.  My backdoor pages load very fast even with the ads on them.

Did you invent the backdoor?

No I did not.  I didn't even know how to write HTML when I started playing Hoyle games on WON/Flipside/Uproar/Sierra in February, 2000.  There used to be a backdoor that was very popular, but it wasn't laid out well.  The rooms weren't in alphabetical order.  On a 640x480 monitor setting, you had to scroll down and across almost three screens to use it.  It took 25 seconds to load at 40Kbs, but it was the best there was at the time.  It eventually moved to a different website, then disappeared altogether in the summer of 2001.  I have since found clones of that backdoor on several sites.

I decided it was time to learn HTML so I could make the best backdoor Hoyle games ever had.  The hardest part was finding a good HTML tutorial on the internet.  There are thousands of them out there, and 99% of them contained outdated or incorrect material.  Not one of them had complete information.  So I created my first backdoor page using a mish-mosh of HTML code.  I wanted to make one that wouldn't require any horizontal scrolling, and as little vertical scrolling as possible.  My first backdoor was about 25 kilobytes, and loaded more than twice as fast as the other backdoors did.

After finding the best HTML tutorial on the internet at W3Schools, I learned HTML 4.01 and style sheets.  Using this code, I was able to reduce the size of the backdoor to 10 kilobytes - a 60% reduction.  With the addition of more game rooms, my backdoor has grown to 15.4 kilobytes - still the fastest-loading, easiest to use Hoyle multi-player backdoor on the internet.  At least three other websites have stolen my code and used it for their backdoors.

Is the backdoor better than those menu programs?

I've never tried any of those programs, but I'd have to say the backdoor is much easier to use.  The backdoor only takes a few seconds to load.  Once loaded, it's one simple click to get to any game room.  With a menu program, you have to click on either Card Games, Board Games or Word Games.  Then you have to click on the game you want, and finally, you have to click on the room.  (I hope they don't make you choose Social, Rated, Competitive, etc., before choosing the room.)  That's at least three clicks, not including any clicks to open the menu.  If you're only going to be playing in one room all day, using a menu program will save you up to three seconds if you have a quick mouse hand.  If you're going to change rooms even one time, the backdoor is the way to go.

Why do I lag all the time?

There are many reasons for lag.  Many of the things that prevent you from logging in also cause lag, such as a bad internet connection; downloading; a phone connected to your computer; internet radio; automatic updates; adware and spyware; incompatible programs; etc.  In fact, any transmission of a significant amount of data to or from your computer can cause lag.  Being in two rooms simultaneously, or having multiple screen names in a room will cause you to lag, too.

Your own computer may be causing you to lag because of insufficient memory or an overtaxed processor.  You can cut down on lag by running as few programs as possible while playing.  Many unnecessary programs may start running when you start your computer.  To prevent these from running on start-up, click "Start" > "Run", type "msconfig" without the quotations, and click "OK."  Click on the "Startup" tab, and uncheck the boxes of the programs you don't want to run at start-up.  Do not uncheck any boxes unless you absolutely know for sure what that program is.  Then click "OK."  Adding more memory may help, too.

Another cause of lag is the room server itself.  The room server sends data to all the players' computers every time somebody enters or leaves a game room; posts lobby chat; changes their character; sits at or leaves a table; edits their profile; etc.  The server also sends data to players at a table when somebody plays a card; rolls dice; moves game pieces; chats; makes a sound; etc.  In a crowded room, a server can easily become overtaxed, causing a whole table or even the whole room to lag.  Some rooms seem to lag all the time, regardless of the number of players in them.  That's probably due to insufficient memory, a slow processor, or both.

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