System Requirements

Your computer system must meet the minimum requirements. Learn how to check system information (see below).

Operating System (OS)

Your PC must be operating under the following conditions:

  • Windows 2000
  • Windows XP
  • Windows Vista

Note: Mac OS, UNIX, Linux, DOS are not supported.

Hardware

The minimum system requirements suggested are:

  • 1 GB of Hard Drive Space available
  • Pentium III Processor
  • At least 256 MB RAM
  • Direct X compatible Audio Card
  • Direct X compatible Video Card
  • Joystick (for games that require a joystick)
  • Mouse (or compatible pointing device)
  • Super VGA 256-color or better, capable of 800 x 600 display

Network

  • Computer must be connected to the Internet
  • 250 Kbits/second minimum (Cable/ADSL line or better)
  • Firewall (if any) should be configured to allow internal machines to connect to the outside world on port 80 and not restricting/filtering this traffic to http packets
  • No HTTP Proxy servers

Other

  • The account you are using to logon to your computer must have Administrator rights.

How to Check System Information

Use Microsoft's DirectX Diagnostic Tool - a utility included with DirectX 6.0 or higher - to get information about your system. To access this information tool, please do the following:

  1. From Windows, click on Start -> Run
  2. Type in dxdiag, then click OK
  3. If dxdiag does not come up, or if you receive an error message, you may need to download and install the latest version of DirectX. Go to www.microsoft.com/directx to download and install the latest version of DirectX.
  4. Once you open DirectX, you should see the following:
  5. From the DxDiag tool, you will see a listing of information specific to your computer in the box labeled 'System Information'. From this main screen, you will be able to determine the following information:
    • Operating System - Exact Operating System and version number.
    • Language - Language your Operating System uses.
    • Processor - The type of processor, or CPU, in your system. Pentium III or higher is required. If you have DirectX 7.0a or higher, there will also be a number, in Mhz. This number is the speed of your processor.
    • Memory - The amount of RAM installed in your system. A minimum of 128 MB RAM is recommended.
    • Page file - The amount of space on your hard drive has available for loading and running programs. This number is determined by the amount of hard drive space you allow Windows to use for swap file space. By default, Windows allocates this space automatically according to your hard drive space.
    • DirectX Version - The exact version number of Microsoft DirectX that is currently installed on your system.
  6. At the main system information, click on the Display tab. Once you select this tab, the following screen will appear:

    Again, this tab shows your sound card name and driver version number. There is also a slider in the DirectX Features that allow you to decrease the amount of hardware acceleration for your sound card. This is most helpful in the event of losing sounds or having sound related problems.

    These areas are the most important for determining system specifications. Other areas that may be of interest to you are the 'Network' tab for determining networking problems as well as the 'More Help' tab that gives step-by- step general troubleshooting for DirectX related problems.
  7. You acquire information on your sound card in a similar manner. Clicking on the sound tab should result in the following screen:

    Again, this tab shows your sound card name and driver version number. There is also a slider in the DirectX Features that allow for you to decrease the amount of hardware acceleration for your sound card. This is most helpful in the event of losing sounds or having sound related problems.

    These areas are the most important for determining system specifications. Other areas that may be of interest to you are the Network tab for determining networking problems as well as the More Help tab that gives step by step general troubleshooting for DirectX related problems.

Check System Information Via Documentation

Other than using the DXDIAG tool, the next best way of determining your system information is to simply refer to the documentation that came with the computer, or contact your computer manufacturer. For example, you will most likely need to contact your system's manufacturer to find out the specifications of your CD-ROM drive.

Available Hard Drive Space

To make sure your system has enough free hard drive space to install the game as some games may require up to 1 GB of free space on your hard drive. To check this, please follow these steps:

  • From Windows Desktop, double-click the My Computer Icon with the LEFT mouse button.
  • Using the RIGHT mouse button, click on your C:\ Drive.
  • LEFT click on Properties.

You should see the screen below. The pink area, labeled Free Space, is the amount of free hard drive space you have on your system. In addition to the amount of space needed to install the game, you will need an additional 100 MB free on each of your hard drives, regardless of where you install the game. For example, if you install the game to a secondary hard drive, you will still need at least 100 MB free on your primary drive (C:\) to install DirectX and to allow for proper Windows operation.