Microsoft® Zoo Tycoon® 2 and Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species Readme File
Microsoft® Zoo Tycoon® 2 and Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species Readme File
This Readme file contains updated information as well as troubleshooting information about Zoo
Tycoon 2 and Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species. You can find information on Microsoft Product
Support Services in the printed or online manual.
Note: If Zoo Tycoon 2 or Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species came installed on your computer as
an OEM version, contact the manufacturer of the computer or other hardware or software it was
bundled with for product support. Refer to the documentation that came with your computer or
hardware for the product support telephone number.
Content
A. System Requirements......................................................................................................... 1
B. Installation............................................................................................................................ 2
Installing Zoo Tycoon 2 or Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species.............................................2
Installing DirectX 9.0c............................................................................................................. 3
Installation Issues................................................................................................................... 3
Installation Tips...................................................................................................................... 3
Starting Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species.........................................................................4
C. Getting Help.......................................................................................................................... 4
Overview................................................................................................................................ 4
Viewing the Online Print Piece............................................................................................... 4
D. Zoo Tycoon 2 Manual Corrections......................................................................................5
E. Gameplay Issues.................................................................................................................. 5
F. Configuration Issues............................................................................................................ 6
G. Graphics Issues................................................................................................................... 6
Screen Resolutions................................................................................................................ 6
Using Multiple Monitors.......................................................................................................... 7
Graphics Cards and Video Drivers......................................................................................... 7
Graphics Card Drivers and Manufacturers.............................................................................8
Graphics Card Manufacturer’s Websites................................................................................8
OEM Manufacturer’s Websites............................................................................................... 9
Specific Graphics Card Issues............................................................................................... 9
H. Audio Issues....................................................................................................................... 13
General Audio Issues........................................................................................................... 13
Specific Sound Card Issues................................................................................................. 13
A. System Requirements
Zoo Tycoon 2 and Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species require a personal computer with the
following minimum requirements:
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A Pentium 733 or higher processor.
Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows XP.
256 Megabytes (MB) of RAM.
900 MB of available hard disk space (requires the CD in the CD-ROM drive to play the
game).
A 4× CD-ROM drive.
A Direct3D-compatible super VGA display adapter with 16 MB of VRAM.
A keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device.
A sound card and speakers or headphones for audio.
DirectX 9.0c or later (included on CD; see below for installation instructions if not installed
automatically).
Internet access for optional downloadable content.
Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species requires that you have Zoo Tycoon 2 installed.
B. Installation
This section describes how to manually install the software components necessary to play Zoo
Tycoon 2: Endangered Species in the event that they are not installed automatically.
NOTE: We recommend you uninstall earlier Beta, Trial, and OEM versions of the game before
you install the Retail version.
On the Windows taskbar, click Start, point to Programs (All Programs in Windows XP),
Microsoft Games, and Zoo Tycoon 2, and then click Uninstall Zoo Tycoon 2 (or Uninstall
Zoo Tycoon 2 Endangered Species).
–or–
The default Zoo Tycoon 2 root directory is located at x:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Zoo
Tycoon 2, where x is the letter of your hard drive.
You can also use Add or Remove Programs to remove previous versions of Zoo Tycoon 2. To do
so, click Start, click Settings and Control Panel (or just Control Panel, depending on your
operating system), and then click Add or Remove Programs.
If your computer does not automatically start Zoo Tycoon 2 or Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered
Species Setup after the CD is inserted into the CD-ROM drive, perform the following procedure.
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2. Type x:\setup, where x is the letter of your CD-ROM drive, and then click OK.
3. Click Install or Express Install, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
1. Insert the Zoo Tycoon 2 or Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species CD in the CD-ROM drive.
3. Type x:\directx\dxsetup, where x is the letter of your CD-ROM drive, and then click OK.
If you experience video, graphics, or sound problems using DirectX, check with your graphics or
sound card manufacturer for the latest DirectX-compatible drivers, or go to
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/ for the latest troubleshooting information.
Installation Issues
If you are running Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) and installing Zoo Tycoon 2, selecting a
language for the End-User-License Agreement (EULA) in the Languages dropdown list during
installation may not take you to the start of the End-User-License-Agreement (EULA) in the
selected language. In addition, some hidden text fields may be displayed in red. To fix these
issues, update to Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 and install all critical updates, located at
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/.
If you encounter the message “cannot create this folder” while running Setup, your All Users
folder may not be at the following location: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users. To fix, create an
All Users folder in C:\Documents and Settings, and then run Setup again. After the game is
installed, close Setup, and then copy the contents of C:\Documents and Settings\All Users to the
location of your actual All Users folder.
Installation Tips
If you have problems installing Zoo Tycoon 2 or Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species, try the
following troubleshooting steps in the order they are listed:
1. Before installing Zoo Tycoon 2 or Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species, make sure all open
software applications, including antivirus software, are closed.
2. Inspect the Zoo Tycoon 2 or Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species CD for visible deformation
or scratches. If the disk is damaged, contact Microsoft Sales to obtain a replacement CD. The
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phone number for the sales office in your area can be found at
http://www.microsoft.com/worldwide/.
Note for OEM Versions: If the Zoo Tycoon 2 or Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species CD was
provided with your computer as an OEM version, contact the manufacturer of the computer or
other hardware or software it was bundled with to obtain a replacement CD.
3. Clean the Zoo Tycoon 2 or Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species CD. To do this, use a CD
cleaning kit, or gently wipe the silver side of the CD with a soft, lint-free cotton cloth. Do not
use paper cloth, which can scratch the plastic and leave streaks. When you clean the CD,
wipe from the center of the disc outward. Do not use a circular motion. If the installation issue
is not resolved, try cleaning the CD with a damp cloth or a commercial CD-cleaning solution.
Dry the CD thoroughly before you insert it into the CD-ROM drive.
4. Adjust the system settings for your CD- or DVD-ROM drive. For instance, reduce CD
Caching, disable DMA, or turn off Auto-Inset notifications.
For more information about how to troubleshoot game setup issues, see Microsoft Knowledge
Base article “Games: How to troubleshoot Setup problems in Microsoft games (258496)” located
at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/258496/.
Double-click the Zoo Tycoon 2 Endangered Species icon on the Windows desktop.
–or–
If you chose not to have Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species add a desktop icon during
installation, you can start the game by clicking Start on the Windows taskbar, pointing to
Programs (All Programs in Windows XP), Microsoft Games, and Zoo Tycoon 2, and then
clicking Zoo Tycoon 2 Endangered Species.
C. Getting Help
Overview
You can get help for Zoo Tycoon 2 or Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species in the following ways:
Visit the official Zoo Tycoon 2 website for the latest updates and support information:
http://www.zootycoon2.com/.
For an overview of the game as well as for information about getting started and playing
the game, see the printed manual.
For help with specific screen elements in the game, hold your mouse pointer over the
area you want help with. Information appears on the screen.
For Help, general tips, and a thorough overview of the Zoo Tycoon 2 and Zoo Tycoon 2:
Endangered Species animals and their biomes, access Zoopedia by pressing the F1 key.
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You can also get help from Zookeeper Recommendations. Click an animal, and then click
the zookeeper icon in the panel that appears. This will give you a list of objects that are
appropriate for the animal.
E. Gameplay Issues
Crocodiles and other large animals cannot eat meat piles if placed next to a fence: If your
crocodiles or other large animals are becoming critically hungry even though they are provided
with sufficient food, make sure their meat piles are not placed too close to a fence.
Delete Game button is available in the Save Game list even if you have no saved games: In
the game, if you click Display Game Options and then click Save Game, the Delete Game
button is available even if you have no saved games. If you click Delete Game, you will get a
confirmation dialog box when attempting to delete a game that doesn't exist. Click Cancel to
immediately return to the Save Game screen.
Fences placed adjacent to deep water may become submerged when graphics detail
setting is changed from low to high or medium: If you place one of the following high or low
fence types—acrylic glass fence, brick wall, concrete fence, hedge fence, iron bar, or stone wall—
adjacent to deep water, you may discover that portions of the fence you placed are below the
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water line if you change your graphics detail setting from low to high or medium. This will not
affect an animal’s ability to escape from the fenced enclosure.
Games cannot be saved to profile folders created outside the game: If you create a profile
folder in addition to the Profile folder that Zoo Tycoon 2 provides, either within or outside of the
main game folder, any game saved to that profile folder you created will not appear in the Saved
Games list. To avoid this problem, always use the Zoo Tycoon 2 Profile Manager to create,
delete, and organize your player profiles.
Keyboard repeat rate set to Fast may cause screen scrolling to lock in one direction: If
your keyboard repeat rate is set to Fast, using the keyboard and/or mouse to scroll the screen
may lock the movement of the screen, cause your computer to beep, and/or freeze the mouse
pointer. To fix this problem, reduce your keyboard repeat rate by clicking Start, clicking Settings
and then Control Panel (or just Control Panel, depending on your operating system), double-
clicking Keyboard, clicking the Speed tab, and then moving the Repeat Rate slider toward Slow.
Mouse pointer does not line up perfectly with button graphics that activate actions and/or
display rollover Help: If you are in full-screen mode and your screen resolution is set particularly
high or low (for example, 640 × 480), your mouse pointer will activate buttons (when clicked)
and/or display rollover Help when pointing slightly askew of the exact button graphic borders. To
fix, try pressing ALT+TAB, playing in windowed mode, or exiting the game, changing to a more
intermediate screen resolution (e.g., 1024 × 768), and restarting the game.
Multiple Photo Albums do not display page numbers properly: When switching among
different Photo Albums, page numbers are not properly displayed. No resolution exists for this
issue.
Loading a saved game while playing a tutorial locks the UI: If you load a saved game while
you are playing a tutorial, several of the UI tabs and buttons will not work properly. To fix, save,
exit, and then restart the game.
F. Configuration Issues
Visit the official Zoo Tycoon 2 Web site for the latest updates and support information:
http://www.zootycoon2.com/.
Game may not run on computers that do not meet the systems requirements. If your
computer does not meet the System Requirements listed at the beginning of this file, you may be
unable to run the game.
Pressing ALT+ENTER does not switch to windowed mode on Windows 98 and Windows
Me. No resolution exists for this issue.
Game may not display properly if desktop resolution is set to 24-bit color. If your desktop
resolution is set to 24-bit color, Zoo Tycoon 2 may not display properly if you change the in-game
video resolution on the Game Options screen. To resolve this issue, change your desktop
resolution setting to 16-bit or 32-bit color.
In-game video resolution higher than monitor supports. If you use the Game Options menu
on the Zoo Tycoon 2 Main Menu to change the video resolution to a setting higher than your
monitor supports, your screen may go black. To restore the previous settings, click Reject when
the Accept or Reject dialog box appears.
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G. Graphics Issues
Screen Resolutions
Text is blurry or difficult to read: At lower screen resolutions (particularly, 640 × 480), text may
be blurry or difficult to read in low detail on some graphics cards. You may be able to improve text
legibility by making the following changes in the Options screen: (a) change Video Detail to
Custom, (b) set the Anti-Aliasing slider to Disabled, and (c) set the Font Shadow slider to
Enabled. After making these changes, click the green checkmark to apply and save the changes.
Screen cut off on some laptops in full-screen mode: The display adapters on some laptop
computers may let you select a resolution that is larger than the LCD device can support. In these
cases, the screen may be cut off when running Zoo Tycoon 2 in full-screen mode. To see the full
screen, either lower the resolution on your laptop or use windowed mode. Driver updates do not
resolve this issue.
Changing monitor resolution on some configurations can cause problems with UI click
zones for buttons: Changing the monitor resolution drastically on some machines will cause
some UI icons to have “click zones” (the area where the icon detects the mouse click) moved
away from the actual graphic. To fix this problem, exit the game and restart in a different
resolution, or switch to another application and then back again by pressing ALT+TAB.
Corrupted desktop images: When running the game in windowed mode, interacting with the
desktop while the opening game movie is playing may result in corrupted desktop images. To
resolve, restart your computer and then Zoo Tycoon 2. This may occur more often on computers
with ATI graphics cards.
Multiple-monitor setup can cause mouse pointer problems while playing: While playing Zoo
Tycoon 2 in full-screen mode using multiple monitors, it is possible to move the mouse pointer
into the area of one of the nonprimary monitors, even though no game screen can be seen on
those monitors. This can cause problems with effectively scrolling across the map and, if you click
an area in a nonprimary monitor, the game will be minimized. To avoid these problems, turn off
support for multiple monitors by clicking Start on the Windows taskbar, clicking Settings and then
Control Panel (or just Control Panel, depending on your operating system), double-clicking
Display, and then clicking the Settings tab.
Enabling or disabling a second monitor while Zoo Tycoon 2 is minimized may cause game
to become unresponsive: If you are playing Zoo Tycoon 2 on a multiple-monitor setup, minimize
the game on the primary monitor, enable or disable the second monitor, and then attempt to
maximize Zoo Tycoon 2, the game will become unresponsive. To avoid this problem, turn off
support for multiple monitors by clicking Start on the Windows taskbar, Settings and then
Control Panel (or just Control Panel, depending on your operating system), double-clicking
Display, and then clicking the Settings tab.
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may not be taking full advantage of your graphics card and its features. Please contact your
graphics card manufacturer’s website for the most recent graphics card drivers.
Your graphics card or its drivers may not be recognized until you update the drivers to the latest
version. Use the DirectX Diagnostic Tool to determine the version number of the video driver
installed on your computer.
4. Under Device, note the Name, Manufacturer, and Chip Type and, under Drivers, note the
version number of your driver on the Version line.
5. If multiple graphics cards are installed on your computer, repeat steps 3 and 4 to determine
the version number of the video driver for each additional graphics card installed on your
computer.
6. When you have noted the version numbers for all of the video drivers installed on your
computer, click Exit.
7. With this information at hand, contact the manufacturer of your graphics card to inquire about
how to obtain and install the latest driver for your graphics card.
If you purchased your computer from an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) such as
Compaq, Dell, Gateway, or Hewlett Packard (HP), and you encounter any graphic anomalies
when playing Zoo Tycoon 2, it is recommended that you visit your computer manufacturer’s
website for updated video drivers. In many cases, graphics hardware and drivers are designed
specifically for OEM systems. Installing reference drivers or other drivers provided by the
graphics card manufacturer may cause system instability and/or graphic corruption.
A list of common OEM websites is included below. Please visit the appropriate OEM website for
updated video card drivers specific to your system, or contact your computer manufacturer
directly for assistance.
8
Creative Labs—http://www.creative.com/
Gainward—http://www.gainward.com/
Gateway 2000—http://www.gw2k.com/
Guillemot/Hercules—http://www.guillemot.com/
I/O Magic—http://www.iomagic.com/
Jaton—http://www.jaton.com/
Leadtek—http://www.leadtek.com/
Matrox—http://www.matrox.com/
Micro-Star International (MSI)—http://www.msicomputer.com/
NVIDIA—http://www.nvidia.com/
PNY—http://www.pny.com/
Silicon Integrated Systems Corporation (SiS)—http://www.sis.com/
STB (see 3dfx Interactive)—http://www.3dfx.com/
S3 Graphics—http://www.s3graphics.com/
VIA Technologies—http://www.viatech.com/
VideoLogic—http://www.videologic.com/
VisionTek—http://www.visiontek.com/
XGI—http://www.xgitech.com/
All 16 MB graphics cards: If you increase the game resolution setting for Zoo Tycoon 2 with 32-
bit color, you may experience some game screen anomalies. To resolve this issue, lower the
game resolution and set the color depth to 16-bit.
3Dfx Voodoo 3: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card, the game will
not start. Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
AOpen PA256MX: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card, the game will
start but then crash when either Campaign, Challenge, or Freeform is selected on the Main
Menu. Please update your video drivers to the latest manufacturer or reference drivers.
Asus V-3800: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card, the game will not
start. Please update your video drivers to the latest manufacturer or reference drivers.
Asus V-6600 (GeForce 256): Using this graphics card with the retail drivers may result in the
game becoming unresponsive when playing in windowed mode. To fix this problem, update your
drivers to the latest reference driver from http://www.nvidia.com/.
Asus V-6800 (GeForce 256): Using this graphics card with the retail drivers may result in the
9
cursor not displaying properly. To fix this problem, update your drivers to the latest reference
driver from http://www.nvidia.com/.
Asus V-7700 (GeForce2 Ti chip): Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics
card, the game will not start on Windows 98 and Windows Me. Please update your video drivers
to the latest manufacturer drivers.
ATI All-in-Wonder (AIW) 128 MB: Using this graphics card with the retail drivers may result in
the game not starting. To fix this problem, update your drivers to the latest manufacturer drivers,
from the manufacturer’s website (http://www.ati.com/). For more information on how to do this,
see “Graphics Cards and Video Drivers,” earlier in this Readme file. Due to limitations with
DirectX compliance of this display driver, however, even with the latest drivers, the status bar
icons or other graphics may not be displayed correctly. Furthermore, on Windows 98, the game
may not start. Driver updates do not resolve the preceding two issues.
ATI AIW 8500 DV: Using this graphics card may cause graphic corruption or the game to briefly
hang. To fix this problem, update your drivers to the latest manufacturer drivers. For more
information on how to do this, see “Graphics Cards and Video Drivers,” earlier in this Readme file.
ATI Mobility 7500: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this display driver, the Main
Menu screen appears as blank using this card. Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
ATI Mobility M9: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card using retail
drivers, the game may not launch. Try updating your drivers to the latest manufacturer drivers,
although this is not guaranteed to fix this problem. For more information on how to do this, see
“Graphics Cards and Video Drivers,” earlier in this Readme file.
ATI Radeon (all cards): After doing a clean installation or updating your ATI drivers, the game
may be unstable. To fix this problem, restart your computer and then Zoo Tycoon 2. If you make
AGP or PCI settings changes in the Catalyst Control Center, your game screen may become
distorted. To fix, reboot your computer twice after making these changes.
ATI Radeon 7200: Using this graphics card with the retail drivers may result in the game
interface appearing corrupted. To fix this problem, update your drivers to the latest manufacturer
drivers. For more information on how to do this, see “Graphics Cards and Video Drivers,” earlier
in this Readme file.
ATI Radeon 8500: Using this graphics card with the retail drivers may cause graphics corruption
or system instability. To fix, update your drivers to the latest manufacturer drivers. For more
information on how to do this, see “Graphics Cards and Video Drivers,” earlier in this Readme file.
ATI Radeon 9800 XT: Using this graphics card with the Catalyst 4.9 drivers, the opening movies
are very choppy. To fix, open the Catalyst Control Center, click SMARTGART, and then disable
the PCI Write and PCI Read settings. This should significantly improve the movie quality. In
addition, if you make AGP or PCI settings changes in the Catalyst Control Center, your screen
may become distorted. To fix, reboot your computer twice after making these changes.
ATI Rage Fury MAXX: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card, the game
will either not start (with the retail driver) or will become unresponsive after starting (with the latest
manufacturer driver). Please update your video drivers to the latest manufacturer or reference
drivers.
ATI Rage Xpert 128 MB: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this display driver,
however, even with the latest drivers, graphics may not be displayed correctly.
Creative Blaster TnT: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card, the game
10
will not start. Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
Diamond Stealth III S540: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card, the
game will not start. Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
Diamond Viper II (S3 Savage 2000 chip): Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this
graphics card, the game will not start. Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
Diamond Viper V-550: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card, the game
will not start. Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
Elsa Gladiac 920: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card, the game will
freeze upon or soon after starting. Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
Elsa Gladiac MX: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card using the retail
driver, the game may become unresponsive. Try updating your drivers to the latest reference
drivers, although this is not guaranteed to fix this problem. For more information on how to do
this, see “Graphics Cards and Video Drivers,” earlier in this Readme file.
Hercules 3D Prophet II MX: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card,
changing to windowed mode will cause the game to freeze. Please update your video drivers to
the latest manufacturer or reference drivers.
Hercules 3D Prophet DDR-DVI: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card,
the game may become unresponsive when any option is selected on the Main Menu. Try
updating your drivers to the latest reference drivers, although this is not guaranteed to fix this
problem. For more information on how to do this, see “Graphics Cards and Video Drivers,” earlier
in this Readme file.
Intel 82810 and 82815 chips: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of these graphics chips
(built into the Intel 810 and 815 chipsets), the game will not start. Driver updates do not resolve
this issue.
Intel 82830 chip: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics chip, ground and
wall textures may flicker. Driver updates do not resolve this problem.
Intel 82830 Mobile Graphics chip (on Dell X200 laptop): Due to limitations with DirectX
compliance of this graphics chip, the game may not start or run. To fix this problem, update your
drivers to the latest reference drivers. For more information on how to do this, see “Graphics
Cards and Video Drivers,” earlier in this Readme file.
Matrox Millennium G-400: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card,
colors may not appear correctly in the game. Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
Matrox Millennium G-550: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card, the
cursor may not appear correctly in the game. Driver updates do not resolve this issue. If you
experience other graphical corruption or system instability after playing on certain maps, try
updating your drivers to the latest reference drivers. For more information on how to do this, see
“Graphics Cards and Video Drivers,” earlier in this Readme file.
Matrox Parhelia 128 MB: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card,
changing your resolution with this card while running the manufacturer’s drivers can result in
some graphics corruption on the Main Menu. Furthermore, you may see flickering shadows while
playing the game. To fix this problem, restart the game or try updating your drivers to the latest
reference drivers, although this is not guaranteed to fix these problems. For more information on
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how to do this, see “Graphics Cards and Video Drivers,” earlier in this Readme file.
nVidia GeForce (all cards): If you are using an nVidia GeForce graphics card in combination
with the Windows 98 or Windows Me operating system and a computer motherboard running an
Intel 845 or 850 series chipset, you may encounter graphics corruption when you play the game.
Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
If you use the Windows Control panel to change the resolution setting for your desktop, your
change will be reflected in the resolutions for windowed mode in the game. Unless the game’s
screen resolution setting is higher than the selected desktop resolution setting, this will affect the
resolution setting for the game.
Minor in game texture corruption or system instability may occur when running Zoo Tycoon 2:
Endangered Species on the GeForce family of video cards. To resolve this issue, please update
your video drivers to the latest manufacturer or reference drivers.
nVidia GeForce 4 MX 440: If you experience graphical corruption on this graphics card, update
your drivers to the latest reference drivers. For more information on how to do this, see “Graphics
Cards and Video Drivers,” earlier in this Readme file.
nVidia Vanta: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card, the game will not
start. Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
Quantum 3D Obsidian 2: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card, the
game will not start. Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
S3 Graphics Delta Chrome S8: During gameplay, you may experience graphical corruption and
your system may become unstable. Driver updates do not resolve this issue. To fix, click Start,
click Control Panel, and then double-click Display. On the Settings tab, click Advanced, and then
click the Troubleshoot tab. Move the Hardware Acceleration slider to None, and then clear the
Enable Write Combining check box. Note that this prevents the display driver from programming
the hardware incorrectly, but you may lose some display functionality and performance.
S3 Graphics Pro Savage: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card, the
game will not start. Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
S3 Graphics SuperSavage: If you cannot start Zoo Tycoon 2 using the S3 Graphics line of
SuperSavage cards, update your drivers to the latest reference drivers. For more information on
how to do this, see “Graphics Cards and Video Drivers,” earlier in this Readme file.
S3 Graphics SuperSavage/IXC 1179: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics
card, the game will not start. Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
S3 Graphics TwisterK HP: If you cannot start Zoo Tycoon 2 or if your mouse cursor is not
present or blinks using this card, update your drivers to the latest reference drivers. For more
information on how to do this, see “Graphics Cards and Video Drivers,” earlier in this Readme file.
SiS 315: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card, the mouse pointer will
change color from gray to white when ALT+TAB is pressed to minimize and then again to
maximize the game. Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
If you cannot see terrain and objects using this graphics card, click Game Options on the Main
Menu, set Video Detail Settings to Custom, and then set the Shader Detail Quality to Low by
moving the slider to the left.
SiS Xabre: When painting water with the biome brush, you may see graphical corruption at the
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edge of the shore. To fix, click Game Options on the Main Menu, and then set Water Detail to
Medium or Low.
Trident Cyberblade XP: Using this card, you may see flickering shadows or graphical corruption
while playing. Check your driver to make sure that you are running the latest reference drivers;
however, note that updating your driver may not resolve this issue. For more information, see
“Graphics Cards and Video Drivers,” earlier in this Readme file.
Trident XP 4: Due to limitations with DirectX compliance of this graphics card, the game will not
completely load after selecting a map. Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
XGI Volari: Using these cards, the mouse cursor is corrupted and may display horizontal lines
running through it when you are playing in windowed mode with your desktop set to 16-bit color.
Driver updates do not resolve this issue.
H. Audio Issues
General Audio Issues
Sound problems when using some sound card providers: Some Zoo Tycoon 2 sound card
providers are not fully compatible with certain sound cards, leading to only some or no game
sounds being played. To restore all sounds, set the sound card provider option in Zoo Tycoon 2’s
Game Options menu to Miles Fast 2D Positional Audio (this is the default selection).
Various environment sounds are distorted: If you are using DirectSound3D software
emulation with Hardware Acceleration turned off, animal, building, and other zoo sounds may
sound distorted. To fix, try using the Miles Fast 2D or the Dolby Surround sound provider.
Environment sounds coming from the bottom of the screen are louder than sounds
coming from the center of the screen: While you may achieve a better sound experience by
adjusting the settings related to your particular sound card, speakers, and/or headphones, no
global resolution exists for this issue. Sound coordinates in the game have been intentionally set
so that sounds coming from the bottom of the screen are louder, as this provides the best
experience for all players, who are using a wide variety of different sound cards.
Aureal A3D Interactive: Using this sound provider for your audio card, you may not hear entity
or object sounds in your zoo. To fix, set your sound card provider to Miles Fast 2D Positional
Audio as the default sound card provider.
Creative Labs EAX, EAX 2, and EAX 3: Using these sound providers for your audio card, you
may not hear entity or object sounds in your zoo. To fix, set your sound card provider to Miles
Fast 2D Positional Audio as the default sound card provider.
Creative Sound Blaster Extigy: All audio may stop if you turn off the Extigy sound card and then
back on again. To restore the audio, exit Zoo Tycoon 2, turn on the Extigy card, and then restart
Zoo Tycoon 2. This card may also cause system instability if you attempt to change your sound
provider while the card is turned off. To prevent this, always make sure the Extigy card is on when
changing your sound provider.
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Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2: Audio may not play correctly if you are running Windows 98
SE and using hardware acceleration. To fix, use the Windows Control Panel to set hardware
acceleration to Off or Basic.
DirectSound3D Hardware: Using this sound provider for your audio card, you may not hear
entity or object sounds in your zoo. To fix, set your sound card provider to Miles Fast 2D
Positional Audio as the default sound card provider.
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