Computer rejecting game

[horse23]

When I put in the CD and try to start up ZT2, my comp doesnt play it. Nothing happens. Our comp has done this with other Microsoft games also. (Not ZT1).

I don't know whats wrong. Apart from our comp being 4 yrs old, everything else is fine. We have an up-to-date Windows, a good graphics card and it works day to day.

Please help.

System specifics: Graphics card: Nvidia GeForce FX 5200
Computer: Dell Dimension 8200
RAM: 512 MB

When it didnt work the first time, I uninstalled it and reinstalled it. It didnt work the 2nd time, so I uninstalled it.

This is an old problem. It first happened a couple of months ago. I went to start the game, and it didnt start. This was around the same time a couple of other Microsoft games stopped working also.

When I put the disk in, I go to programs and start it (our comp doesnt have auto-start.). The disk whirrs for a while, then settles down, The game never starts. I waited 10 min, and it didnt start.

[RedNotDead]

more information would be useful like system specs and exact make of graphics card.
run dxdiag on your computer to get your system specs like memory ram, and graphics details .

[csleesburg]

When I put in the CD and try to start up ZT2, my comp doesnt play it. Nothing happens. Our comp has done this with other Microsoft games also. (Not ZT1).
Where do you find memory and RAM?

Now, don't take offense at this, please, but have you installed the game? It won't work if you just put in the disk. If you have installed it, it should have put a shortcut on the desktop. If you click that, what happens? Does it say "insert disk"?

To find out your memory/RAM just right click on My Computer and go to Properties. The page that shows will give you both.

[RedNotDead]

what processor speed do you have

how much memory does your graphic card have

also have you checked the microsoft knowledge base for the answer to your questin
http://support.microsoft.com/search/default.aspx?query=zoo+tycoon+2&catalog=LCID%3D1033&spid=global&qryWt=&mode=r&cus=False

[alloy61]

Sometimes I get this problem with other games, I usually find restarting the computer solves the problem.
Why it happens I'm not sure, it only usually happens with me after the computer has been on for several hours

[horse23]

Sometimes I get this problem with other games, I usually find restarting the computer solves the problem.
Why it happens I'm not sure, it only usually happens with me after the computer has been on for several hours

What games?

Processor speed... Ill have to check on that.

I installed the demo and it works just fine!

[horse23]

If anyone can help me, please, do! Im @ my wits end.

The ES demo works just fine on my comp. Its just the full game that won't start.

[ShenTirag]

If the disk is just whirring but no processes seem to be operating - are you sure that it's not your disk drive that is the problem?

[RedNotDead]

yes what other games do you have what games do work using the disc drive? if none of your discs work then it is more likely the disc drive

[mikaboshi]

Alright, these may sound like silly questions, but are worth looking at just in case:

1. Is the disc clean? If the disc is dirty and scratched, that may be why it isn't running.

2. When you put in the disc, you say you go to programs and start it...Have you tried going to My Computer and then clicking on the actual DISC'S icon as it is sitting in your drive? When I do that on mine, it gives me a few options, Play being the first one. And it will let you know if you have installed the game, too. If the second option is "Install" That means you don't have it installed yet. If the second option is "Uninstall" then the game IS installed.

3. Is the disc in upside down? LOL. Now you must think I've lost my mind. But sometimes, I'll be playing in the dark, just pop in a CD, wonder why its not working, and I've actually put the label down and the shiny side up!

[sheltiefan]

Okay I'm probably just adding to the list of silly questions but did the game even install in the first place? The reason I ask is because there is a way to manually install the game (I found it in the game's readme file) It says

To install the game manually (note this is after you've put the disc in the drive):

1.   On the Windows taskbar, click Start, and then click Run.

2.   Type x:\setup, where x is the letter of your CD-ROM drive, and then click OK.

For example, if your CD-ROM drive letter is D, type d:\setup

3.   Click Install, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

Hope that helps!

[horse23]

It was installed. When I tried to play it, I went into all programs; MS games; ZT2; Play ZT2. It would ask me if I wanted to play; I would say "Yes"; the D drive would make a whirring noise; I would wait ten minutes; it would never play. The same thing happened with These games:
Age of Empires 2 + expansion
Age of Empires 3
Midtown Madness 2 (not made anymore)
ZT2

These are MS games that our comp does play:
Age of Mythoogy + expansion
ZT1 + DD+ MM

A friend of mine thinks a dll file must have been corrupted. He suggests the only way to fix it is to completely re-build the comp.

I really don't want to resort to that; but I may have no choice.

[alloy61]

Have you tried contacting microsoft support? They can be found here, if it is a dll file they may be able to send you a file to paste over it.
Also I know last year my disc drive developed a fault where it would no longer read DVDs, but would carry on reading CDs.
Are the discs it does not read DVDs? (it will usually say on the side of the box at the top)

[ShenTirag]

Very much sounds like a dodgy cd drive to me.  Have you tried playing audio cd's in the drive (especially trying ones from different labels and ages)?

[horse23]

Have you tried contacting microsoft support? They can be found here, if it is a dll file they may be able to send you a file to paste over it.

Good idea! Ill try contacting them. Do some games use the same DLLs? If so, that would explain a lot.

[horse23]

I contacted Microsoft and they siad that the only way to fix this would be to rebuild. I really don't want to do that (I'll lose all my saved data) but I guess I have to. : :  I'm going to do it next weekend. I'll post updates. When I'm done, hopfully ZT2 will work and then I can buy ES and AA!

[tazlover]

Do you have an older back up of your computer - from 4 or more months ago (trying to go back far enough so that the other games were still working)?  

If so, copy your saved data - ie documents, games, the zoo.ini for ZT1 and similar .ini for other games - to a cd then format your disk and use the back up to "rebuild" and then copy the saved data back to the appropriate locations.

[horse23]

Do you have an older back up of your computer - from 4 or more months ago (trying to go back far enough so that the other games were still working)?  

If so, copy your saved data - ie documents, games, the zoo.ini for ZT1 and similar .ini for other games - to a cd then format your disk and use the back up to "rebuild" and then copy the saved data back to the appropriate locations.

I'm not sure. I didn't have too much saved on there anyway; just a giant panda zoo. I didn't have the game for that long before it stopped working.