The information given in this document is for reference only and any changes made to your PC is made wholly at your own risk. SEGA Europe, or any of its affiliated companies can not be held responsible for any problems arising from the use of the information given in this document.
While many different errors and problems may occur while attempting to run a game within Windows (from corruption in graphics and sound to black screens on loading or crashing) the majority can be quite easily fixed with some input from the user.
While issues with graphic or sound corruption can often be fixed by simply installing the latest drivers for your graphics and sound cards, we do recommend you follow all the steps in the guide.
If after updating your PC you still find you are experiencing problems we will require some further information on your system. Details on submitting your Direct X Diagnostic (DXDIAG) can be found by Clicking Here.
Run the Microsoft Windows Update. Windows Update allows you to choose updates for your computer’s operating system, software, and hardware. As new content is added regularly, it is essential to get the most recent updates and fixes to protect your computer and keep it running smoothly. Make sure to select all Critical Updates and Driver Updates. This may involve one or more reboots.
Windows XP
From the Start menu click on the Windows Update icon:
(You must be connected to the Internet in order for your PC to connect to Microsoft’s site)
Windows Vista / Windows 7
Click Start
Click Control Panel
Click Windows Update
Ensure all drivers for your system are up to date and make sure you have the latest version of Microsoft’s DirectX. (If you are having any problems downloading or installing drivers, SEGA Europe will not be able to assist you and you will need to contact your hardware manufacturer).
Hardware manufacturers are constantly updating driver software to improve performance of their products and the latest version of all drivers should be installed for the best performance and stability (It should be noted that even brand new computers very rarely arrive with the latest drivers installed).
If you have a branded PC (Dell, Hewlett Packard, Packard Bell etc) then it is recommended you first contact the manufacturer directly for a driver package.
If you are unable to get any updates from them or have a custom built PC follow the steps below:
First you will need to identify the make and model of the graphics / sound card and the driver version:
- Click on Start
- Choose Run
- Type DXDIAG in the Open field
- Click OK
- Click on the Display and Sound tabs.
The upper left box ‘Devices’ shows the make and model of card; the right box ‘Drivers’ shows the driver version number.
After identifying the manufacturer and model, navigate to the manufacturer’s website and search for the latest driver.
Below are the most common video and sound card vendors. If your manufacturer is not listed here please refer to your computer manufacturer for further details.
Video
ATI - http://www.ati.com/support/driver.html
NVIDIA - http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp
INTEL - http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df/Support_Intel.asp
Sound
Creative - http://www.soundblaster.com/drivers/
Realtek - http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloads.aspx
For details and information on installing and troubleshooting with Direct X please visit the following link:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.aspx?url=/windows/directx/productinfo/faq/
Ensure a clean product installation. File corruption is a common cause of game problems and can be avoided by uninstalling any previous installation of the product from the hard drive. Always use the Uninstall option through the set up program if it has one.
Check for errors on the hard drive by running a Check Disk.
Windows XP
- Open My Computer and select the local disk you want to check (e.g C:)
- From the File menu, click Properties
- On the Tools tab under Error Checking, click Check Now.
- Under Check Disk Options select Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors
- Click Start
Windows Vista / Windows 7
- Click Start
- Click Computer
- Right click on Local disk
- Click Properties from the menu
- Click on the Tools tab
- On the Tools tab under Error Checking, click Check Now.
- Under Check Disk Options select Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.
- Click Start.
Defrag your hard drive:
The Disk Defragmenter Utility is designed to reorganise files and optimise their placement on the hard drive for increased reliability and performance.
- Click Start
- Click Programs
- Click Accessories
- Click System Tools
- Click Disk Defragmenter
- Click Defragment
Be aware that the amount of time a scan disk and defrag takes is dependent on the size of the hard drive and the amount of space used.
Ensure your PC is free of any spyware that may be residing on the machine. Download a free spyware-checking programme such as Ad-Aware or Spy-Bot.
Carry out a full scan and delete any Spyware found. Reboot your PC.