The problem:

What to look for:

No connection to the RCX

or

“Download triangle” is not lit up.

v       Make sure the RCX is on and facing the download tower.  Go to Tools, Find RCX.

v       Check to see if both the RCX and IR Tower have good batteries.  There will be a battery symbol on the display if the RCX’s batteries are bad. When you download a green light should light up on the IR tower if the IR tower batteries are OK. 

v       If it still doesn’t work, check for firmware  (press run and see if the little guy is walking or frozen in walking position). If the little man is frozen, there is no firmware.  To download it go to Tools, Download firmware.

Although you are telling both motors to go in the same direction, it is spinning in circles.

v       Rotate 1 motor cable 180^o.  If this causes  

Your car to go backward instead of     

     Forward, rotate them both another 180^o.

Parse Error

v       Does every line have a Semi-colon at the end?  Or an open bracket { ?

v       Is everything spelled correctly?

v       Do you have the same number of open brackets { as you  have close brackets } ?

Undefined variable

v       Is everything capitalized the way it should be?

v       Is everything spelled correctly?

v       Do you use a variable in the program that is not defined?

Undefined function

v       Is everything capitalized the way it should be?

The computer stops responding.

You are unable to do anything.

v       Wait a couple of seconds, see if you can do anything.

v       Hold down Ctrl, Alt and hit Delete. Click “End Task” then hit “End task” again.  This will close the program.  Open it again by double clicking the RCXCC icon.  Go to File, Open, then open temp.nqc which contain the file you were working on.