I had similar problems with the Windows installer/game executable of NFS:SE on my K6 machine (running Windows 98SE).

Here is what fixed it for me:
- Right-click on the desktop, open "Properties" -> "Settings" -> "Advanced".
- In the "Performance" tab reduce "Graphics Hardware acceleration" by one or two notches.

Now both the installer and the game should run without problems. Don't forget to set it back when you're finished playing 😉

5u3 wrote:

I had similar problems with the Windows installer/game executable of NFS:SE on my K6 machine (running Windows 98SE). […]
Show full quote

I had similar problems with the Windows installer/game executable of NFS:SE on my K6 machine (running Windows 98SE).

Here is what fixed it for me:
- Right-click on the desktop, open "Properties" -> "Settings" -> "Advanced".
- In the "Performance" tab reduce "Graphics Hardware acceleration" by one or two notches.

Now both the installer and the game should run without problems. Don't forget to set it back when you're finished playing 😉

Thank you! This worked perfectly! I had to turn acceleration down two notches (1 wouldn't work) and then the game installed and played. The videos don't work though. My monitor displays a message that the signal is out of range, so they probably play in some real low resolution that it can't handle. No big deal though, I'm more interested in playing the game.

Thanks again. 😁

After playing a few races, I now remember why I hate this game...

The tracks are beautiful to look at, which is mainly why I wanted to play it again, but the gameplay sucks (in my opinion). All the cars drive like tanks and it's impossible for me to beat the computer drivers.

When the race starts, I can get an early lead, but the first sharp curve I come to, I start bouncing off the walls. I know what you're thinking; "You have to slow down for the curves." Yeah, the second I slow down even a little, the computer shoots into the distance like I'm standing still.

How is it that I'm not able to keep my car on the road going around a curve at 60 MPH, but yet the computer can go zipping around the curve and disappear into the distance? If he passes me, that means he's going faster than I am, so why is he able to fly through the curves, while my car acts like it's glued to the outside edge?

Need for Speed II is much fairer in this respect, all the computer cars pretty much slow down for the same curves as you do (mostly, although they seem to ignore physics on the Monolithic Studios track).

I appreciate the help in getting it to run, but I'll probably be uninstalling it in the very near future because trying to play it just ends up pissing me off.

Rekrul wrote:

but the gameplay sucks (in my opinion). All the cars drive like tanks and it's impossible for me to beat the computer drivers.

....and I thought I'm the only one who found it impossible to win in the first NFS.

Rekrul wrote:

Need for Speed II is much fairer in this respect, all the computer cars pretty much slow down for the same curves as you do (mostly, although they seem to ignore physics on the Monolithic Studios track).

Agree.

I was only able to unlock all features if I did that trick to change the car's spec to the secret car's one.

filipetolhuizen wrote:

I was only able to unlock all features if I did that trick to change the car's spec to the secret car's one.

I wanted to see the bonus track, which I wasn't even aware of the last time I had this installed. After searching in vain for a code to unlock it and discovering that I'd have to actually beat the computer to be able to see it, I gave up and uninstalled the game.

I wish it was possible to drive the NFS tracks with the NFS2SE engine.

Rekrul wrote:

After playing a few races, I now remember why I hate this game... […]
Show full quote

After playing a few races, I now remember why I hate this game...

The tracks are beautiful to look at, which is mainly why I wanted to play it again, but the gameplay sucks (in my opinion). All the cars drive like tanks and it's impossible for me to beat the computer drivers.

When the race starts, I can get an early lead, but the first sharp curve I come to, I start bouncing off the walls. I know what you're thinking; "You have to slow down for the curves." Yeah, the second I slow down even a little, the computer shoots into the distance like I'm standing still.

How is it that I'm not able to keep my car on the road going around a curve at 60 MPH, but yet the computer can go zipping around the curve and disappear into the distance? If he passes me, that means he's going faster than I am, so why is he able to fly through the curves, while my car acts like it's glued to the outside edge?

this could be involved in fews things

- like driving with keyboard,
- or choosing automatic gear box
- also the knowledge about the game it self , every game need some time to master it

i really like the challenge of nfs se , it reminds me of hot pursuit II online hehe

The cars were much more heavy (realistically?) in NFS1, my brother used to make use of the handbrake to help get around the corners, but the best bet is just to learn the tracks and shift/brake as best you can and use the invisible walls to best effect!

5u3 wrote:

I had similar problems with the Windows installer/game executable of NFS:SE on my K6 machine (running Windows 98SE). […]
Show full quote

I had similar problems with the Windows installer/game executable of NFS:SE on my K6 machine (running Windows 98SE).

Here is what fixed it for me:
- Right-click on the desktop, open "Properties" -> "Settings" -> "Advanced".
- In the "Performance" tab reduce "Graphics Hardware acceleration" by one or two notches.

Now both the installer and the game should run without problems. Don't forget to set it back when you're finished playing 😉

I was having the same issue on my Win98SE Retro setup, and this post set me onto an improved solution! The above procedure does work, but it requires we restart the PC twice. I wanted an automated scripted solution, and this is what I ended up with:

LAUNCH.BAT:
nircmd regsetval dword "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\DirectDraw" "EmulationOnly" "0x00000001"
nfs.exe
nircmd regsetval dword "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\DirectDraw" "EmulationOnly" "0x00000000"

This requires the nircmd EXE be placed into C:\Windows or somewhere within your PATH variable. Just google nircmd and download it.
This works like a charm. Save LAUNCH.BAT to your NFSSE program folder and create a desktop shortcut to it and you can launch the game as easily as originally intended. The DirectDraw renderer is placed into software emulation mode, the game is launched successfully, and the settings are automatically reverted - without any restarts required.

Ah, the first NFS and its physics... Well, the flaws of the game are known, if you want to look at them as flaws. It tried to be too much of an accurate simulation of driving physics, but gameplay suffers because it's hard.

Back when I was playing it regularly (maybe 20 years ago?), I managed to win every track against computer opponents, multiple times, but the time investment was enormous. You really have to know the track by heart, and make no mistakes. I never felt like doing it again, and don't think it's worth the effort.

With that said, playing with the keyboard (or any digital controller) is a serious handicap in this game. Analog sticks/wheels allow the wheel to be locked in a certain half-way position for long curves, whereas with a digital controller you have to constantly tap-and-release the button, readjusting the wheel, which costs you time and is more error-prone.

I discovered it at some point after spending a lot of time and many trials to make what felt to me a near-perfect drive on "Lost Vegas". Then I downloaded a demo of someone who got a noticeably faster time, and I wondered how he managed to do that; he had a steering wheel which allowed him to do things I couldn't physically perform with a keyboard, that's how.

Has anyone found out how to run NFSSE on Win7 without heavy stuttering?

filipetolhuizen wrote:

Has anyone found out how to run NFSSE on Win7 without heavy stuttering?

Doesn't the game run fine in DOS Box? I wouldn't know how to run the game on Windows 7 without it.
Unless you are talking about Need for Speed 2: Special Ediiton 😕

Yes, NFS:SE have both DOS and Windows executables.

mrpenguinb wrote:

filipetolhuizen wrote:

Has anyone found out how to run NFSSE on Win7 without heavy stuttering?

Doesn't the game run fine in DOS Box? I wouldn't know how to run the game on Windows 7 without it.
Unless you are talking about Need for Speed 2: Special Ediiton 😕

The Windows executable requires some special fixes, one of them is the single processor affinity, which causes the massive stuttering. It would run without it but will randomly stop responding. The DOS version works fine under DOSBox, but since I was planning to try some DX wrapper enhancements, it's no use.

dr_st wrote:

Ah, the first NFS and its physics... Well, the flaws of the game are known, if you want to look at them as flaws. It tried to be […]
Show full quote

Ah, the first NFS and its physics... Well, the flaws of the game are known, if you want to look at them as flaws. It tried to be too much of an accurate simulation of driving physics, but gameplay suffers because it's hard.

Back when I was playing it regularly (maybe 20 years ago?), I managed to win every track against computer opponents, multiple times, but the time investment was enormous. You really have to know the track by heart, and make no mistakes. I never felt like doing it again, and don't think it's worth the effort.

With that said, playing with the keyboard (or any digital controller) is a serious handicap in this game. Analog sticks/wheels allow the wheel to be locked in a certain half-way position for long curves, whereas with a digital controller you have to constantly tap-and-release the button, readjusting the wheel, which costs you time and is more error-prone.

I discovered it at some point after spending a lot of time and many trials to make what felt to me a near-perfect drive on "Lost Vegas". Then I downloaded a demo of someone who got a noticeably faster time, and I wondered how he managed to do that; he had a steering wheel which allowed him to do things I couldn't physically perform with a keyboard, that's how.

This game is simple because I have won easily with keyboard.

Joystick is better when you turn because movement is not binary.