Make sure you have disabled any Antivirus or Firewall software you may have. Some examples of these programs are Norton Antivirus, Trend Micro, Mcaffee and Zone Alarm. These types of programs have a tendency to create conflicts with files/programs necessary for the game to run. Please see the manufacturers website for instructions on how to temporarily disable your software.

Method 2: Update Your Video Driver

Contact the manufacturer of your video card to inquire about how to obtain and install the latest version of the video driver for your video card or visit the Windows Update site to look for applicable drivers

To identify the name and manufacturer of your video adapter:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type dxdiag, and then click OK.
3. Click the Display tab.
4. Under Device, look for Name and Manufacturer.
5. Click Exit.
    

Contact the manufacturer of your sound card to inquire about how to obtain and install the latest version of the sound driver for your sound card or visit the Windows Update site to look for applicable drivers. (See the "Method 4" section of this article for contact information.)

To identify the name and provider of your sound driver:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type dxdiag, and then click OK.
3. Click the Sound tab.
4. Under Device, look for Name, under Driver, look for Provider.
5. Click Exit.
    

If you are using an Intel chipset motherboard, you may be able to resolve this issue by installing the most recent drivers for the chipset. Check www.intel.com for the latest drivers available. If you are using a VIA Technologies chipset motherboard, you may be able to resolve this issue by installing the most recent drivers for the chipset. Check www.viaarena.com for the latest drivers available.

For all other motherboard drivers, please contact the motherboard manufacturer for the most recent drivers available.

Method 5: Restart Your Computer by Using a Clean Boot Procedure

When you start Microsoft Windows, typically there are a number of programs that start automatically and run in the background that may interfere with the game. These programs may include antivirus and system utility programs. When you perform a clean boot, you prevent these programs from starting automatically. You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may also prevent you from completing this procedure.

To restart your computer by using a clean boot procedure, follow these steps when you are using Windows XP.

Note You may experience a temporary loss of some services functionality when you follow these steps. Restoring the settings restores the functionality, but may result in the return of the original error message or behavior.

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type msconfig, and then click OK.
3. On the General tab, click Selective Startup.
4. Under Selective Startup, click to clear the following check boxes:
   1. Process SYSTEM.INI File
   2. Process WIN.INI File
   3. Load Startup Items
5. On the Services tab, click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box, and then click Disable All.
6. Click OK, and then click Restart.

Method 6: Remove and Reinstall the Game

If the issue continues to occur, remove and then reinstall the game on a clean-booted computer. Follow these steps to remove and reinstall the game:

Uninstall:

1. Make sure you're on your desktop with all windows closed
2. Click on Start
3. Select Settings
4. Left-Click on Control Panel
5. Double-Click on Add/Remove Programs
6. Left-Click on the name for the program you want to remove
7. Left-Click on the Add/Remove button
8. Follow the on screen prompts for removal, make note of any directories that remained.

1. Make sure you're on your desktop with all windows closed
2. Double-Click on My Computer
3. Double-Click on C:\
4. Follow the original installation path from uninstall remaining directories and delete them
5. That should place the folder into your recycling bin, you may remove these files later

1. Make sure you're on your desktop with all windows closed
2. Double-Click on My Computer
3. Double-Click on C:\
4. Double-Click on Windows or WinNT (depending on your OS)
5. Double-Click on Temp
6. Left-Click on Edit on the top
7. Left-Click on Select All
8. Press the Delete key on your keyboard
9. That should place all temp files into your recycling bin, you may remove these files later

Close all background programs (Win9x/ME only):

1. Make sure you have all programs closed (nothing on your taskbar)
2. While holding down both the Ctrl and Alt key, press delete on your keyboard
3. You should get a Close Program window
4. Left-Click on the name, and hit the End Task button
5. Make sure that you do this for every entry with the exception of "Explorer" and "Systray", those two files are required for any program to run under windows.
6. When you have only "Explorer" and "Systray" left in the window it means you have closed all background programs.
7. Note that when you restart your computer and programs will open again, and you will have to repeat the process.
8. Install the Program:
9. Insert the Disc
10. Autoplay should commence
11. Left-Click on "Install"
12. Follow the instructions to install the program
     

To adjust graphics hardware acceleration, use the method described for your operating system:

Microsoft Windows 2000 or Microsoft Windows XP

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Display.
3. On the Settings tab, click Advanced.
4. Click the Troubleshoot tab.
5. Move the Hardware Acceleration slider two notches to the left of Full (the Disable all cursor and advanced drawing accelerations setting).
6. Click OK, and then click OK again.
7. Test the game.
    

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click System.
3. On the Performance tab, click Graphics.
4. Move the Hardware Acceleration slider one notch to the left of Full (the Most acceleration setting).
5. Click OK, and then click Close.
6. If you are prompted to restart the computer, click Yes.
    

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type dxdiag, and then click OK.
3. On the Sound tab, in the DirectX Features section, change the Hardware Sound Acceleration Level to Basic acceleration.
4. Click Exit.

To download the latest version of DirectX, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://www.microsoft.com/directx

After downloading, open the file and follow the instructions.

Method 10: Create a New User Account in Windows XP

Windows XP Home Edition

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click User Accounts.
2. In the Pick a task list box, click Create a new account.
3. Type the name that you want to use for the account, and then click Next.
4. Select the account type that you want, and then click Create Account.

Windows XP Professional Edition

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click User Accounts.
2. On the Users tab, click Add.
3. Type a name for your user account, your full name, and a description for your account.
4. If your computer is set up as part of a client/server network, type the domain name, and then click Next.
   Note: If your computer is set up as an individual computer (without a network) or in a peer-to-peer network, you do not have to provide a domain name.
5. Type a user password, and then type the user password again to confirm it.
   Important: Passwords are case-sensitive. For example, "MyPassword" and "mypassword" are treated as two different passwords.
6. Click Next.
7. Select the level of access for your user account, and then click Finish.