My Need for Speed: Underground 2 Freezes

Patch

• Every significant piece of software has minor or major errors in it when it's released, and later the company that developed the software may update it to increase its efficiency and stability. If Need for Speed: Underground 2 freezes, it may be because you haven't installed the most recent updates that fix many problems. You can find the patch by searching for "Underground 2 patch" at FilePlanet.com. After you download it, you can install it by double-clicking on the downloaded file.

System Requirements

• Any modern computer meets the major system requirements of Underground 2, but if you're using an older machine, it may not meet the requirements and could cause the game to freeze. The simplest way to test your computer is to visit canyourunit.com, where you can select "Need for Speed: Underground 2" from the drop-down menu and then click the "Can you run it?" button to test your computer. If you don't meet the requirements, you can look into the hardware updates that the site recommends.

Incompability

• Unfortunately, Need for Speed: Underground 2 is incompatible with Windows 7, and often Vista struggles to run the game. Ideally, you should play the game in Windows XP, but some gamers have reported getting Windows 7 and Vista to work. Compatibility mode may solve the problem. You'll need to find the main "executable" file with the file extension ".exe" in the game's installation directory, so less advanced users may have difficulty here. Normally the file is in the "C" drive's "Program Files" folder, then in the Underground 2 game folder. You should right-click the file and select "Properties," then the "Compatibility" tab, then the "Run this program in compatibility mode for" option, where you can click the drop-down menu to choose "Windows XP (Service Pack 3)." If the program still doesn't work, you can try "Windows XP (Service Pack 2)."

Automatic Driver Update

• You computer uses software called "drivers" to maintain control of its own hardware. If your video card's drivers are out-of-date, then they may cause instability in games like Underground 2. Often you can just run Windows Update to find driver updates. If you click the start menu and type "Windows Update," you'll find the update utility in the search results, and when you click it you can begin the update check by clicking "Check for updates." If you don't see any results that say "drivers" in the "Important" or "Optional" sections, you can try a manual update, though many users may find this challenging.

Manual Driver Update

• Intermediate or advanced users can manually find driver updates from their video card manufacturer's website. Find your video card manufacturer by typing "Personalization" in the Start menu's search box and then clicking the "Personalization" utility when it displays; within that utility you should open "Display Settings" by clicking that option. Click "Advanced Settings," then the "Adapter" tab, where you'll see your card and its manufacturer specified. Then you need to go to the support section of the manufacturer's site and locate drivers for that card; after you download the file, you can just double-click it to install.

Reinstallation

• If you've tried everything you can but the game still doesn't work, you should reinstall it. You can uninstall the game by clicking the "Start" button, then "Control Panel," then the "Uninstall a program" option in the "Programs" section. There you can click on "Need for Speed: Underground 2" in the alphabetized list and then click the "Uninstall" button After the uninstall completes, you can insert the game disk and install it again using the default settings.