Customer Support

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Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

My game score or progress isn't saving between sessions!

So, you played up to level 3-4, closed the game, and came back to continue it later, but when you launched it this time, it started you back at level 1-1?  There are a few possibilities.  The simplest is that the game wasn't closed so much as the computer got turned off suddenly mid-game, which would prevent any data from being saved.  The second simplest is that you may have clicked on the "X" at the upper corner of the game to close the program instantly rather than exiting through the Main Menu and choosing Quit.  

But if you know you exited the game the long way and clicked every button and said Yes to every prompt, and your progress still didn't save, then it's probably a matter of a very simple change to the Compatibility settings for your game.  The steps are just slightly different depending on whether your Operating System is Windows Vista or Windows 7.
 
Windows Vista: 
  1. Right click the shortcut to your game (if you don't use a shortcut, right click the .exe file).
  2. Click Properties.
  3. Click the Compatibility tab.
  4. Click the box marked "run this program as an Administrator."
  5. Click ok.
Windows 7:
  1. Right click the shortcut to your game (if you don't use a shortcut, right click the .exe file).
  2. Click "Run as Administrator."

This should keep your game progress from being lost the next time you play!  We're sorry for any frustration.  The best part about replaying levels, though, is that you'll almost certainly score higher the next time through!

 
Need further help?

I have a problem running my game on Windows 7, Vista, or XP

Sometimes, operating systems and software from other companies aren't completely compatible. While we continually test all our games on all operating systems, each computer is different, and there are far too many variables.  Running a game in Compatibility Mode can sometimes resolve technical problems that arise.

Windows 7

  1. Right click the shortcut to your game (if you don't use a shortcut, right click the .exe file).
  2. Click Trouble Shoot Compatibility.
  3. Click Try Recommended Settings.
  4. Click Start the program....
  5. A blinking shield should appear near the bottom of your desktop. Click the shield to bring up the prompt that reads Do you want to allow the following program to make changes to this computer?
  6. Click Yes
  7. If the game launches in the background, click on the game window to start playing and test whether the game runs properly.
  8. When you close the game, the program compatibility trouble shooting window will still be open. If the game worked, click next, then Yes, save these settings for this program. (If the game worked and you saved these settings, skip to step 11)
  9. If the game didn't run properly, after closing the game, click No, try again using different settings.
  10. Check all of the boxes that describe what happens when you try to run the game, then click next.
  11. Click Start playing, and test your game. The game should now run properly.

Windows Vista

  1. Right click the shortcut to your game (if you don't use a shortcut, right click the .exe file).
  2. Select Properties in the right-click menu.
  3. Click on the Compatibility tab.
  4. Check the box beside the text: Run this program in compatibility mode for:
  5. Select Windows XP (Service Pack 2)
  6. Check the box beside Run this program as an Administrator.
  7. Click Apply, then OK.
  8. Restart your game and play!

Windows XP

  1. Right click the shortcut to your game (if you don't use a shortcut, right click the .exe file).
  2. Select Properties in the right-click menu.
  3. Click on the Compatibility tab.
  4. Check the box marked Run this program in compatibility mode for:
  5. Select Windows 98/Windows ME.
  6. Click Apply, then OK.
  7. Restart your game and enjoy!
 
Need further help?

How to "Show Hidden Files and Folders" in Windows Vista or 7.

In order to access your PopCap Games user profiles/game progress, you may need to set your Folder Options to allow you to view the directories that are hidden by default.  To do so, please follow the steps below.

Windows 7:

  1. Click the Windows ("Start") button in the left corner
  2. Click Control Panel
  3. If your Control Panel is set to Category view, change View by option to Large Icons
  4. Click Folder Options
  5. Click the View tab
  6. Click Show hidden files and folders
  7. Click OK
Windows Vista:
  1. Click the Windows ("Start") button in the left corner
  2. Click Control Panel
  3. Click Appearance and Personalization
  4. Click Show hidden files and folders under the heading Folder Options
  5. Click the radio button beside Show hidden files and folders
  6. Click Apply, then OK
 
Need further help?

Can I save my game progress when I reinstall my game for PC?

So you bought a new computer, or you're upgrading to a new Operating System, or reformatting your computer, and you don't want to have to start your games again from the beginning and lose awesome high scores and unlocked game modes?  No problem! We're more than happy to point you toward the files you'll want to save to carry over your userdata for the games.

The steps and file locations vary by Operating System as well as by game.  What you'll find below is going to be the most common set of instructions; if you don't find the files for some of your games by following these steps, please contact our Customer Support team for further assistance.

Windows XP

  1. Click START
  2. Click MY COMPUTER
  3. Open the drive you installed the game to (most likely the Local Disk (C:)
  4. Open PROGRAM FILES
  5. Open POPCAP GAMES
  6. Open [Game Name]
  7. Please locate and save the USERS, PLAYERS, or USERDATA (saved game) folder

Windows Vista or 7

If you are using Windows Vista or 7, the file is in a different directory:

C:\ProgramData\PopCap Games\[game name]\[users, players, OR userdata]

If you're accustomed to Windows XP, then this might be a little hard to get used to, because there is still a directory called Program Files, and it still contains a subfolder called PopCap Games.  But on Vista & 7, only the game's operating files get stored there, not your user profile and saved game data.  That gets stored in a new directory called ProgramData, which is hidden by default.  In order to view and access these files, you will need to set your Folder Options to "Show Hidden Files and Folders."

If you do not find a folder called USERS, PLAYERS, or USERDATA, then the game you are looking for stores those files in a different directory.  Please contact Customer Support for game-specific instructions.

Now that I've found my saved game files, what next?

You'll want to save your users/players/userdata folder to a secure location like a flash drive or a writeable CD-ROM.  

Once you've installed the game on the new computer, the first step is simply to launch the game, create a user, and play for a minute or so.  This is important, because it ensures that your computer properly creates a game save folder in the right location.  Close the game, and then navigate to the game save directory just like before.  (Don't forget to "Show Hidden Files and Folders" on your new computer if it's Vista or 7!)

For instance, if you have installed AstroPop on Windows 7, navigate to:

C:\ProgramData\PopCap Games\AstroPop

If you have run the game briefly, you'll see a "users" folder has been created in this directory.  All you need to do now is Copy the "users" folder from your saved backup and Paste it into the AstroPop folder.  You'll be asked if you want to replace the existing files in that location (you do).

After the files are successfully pasted, you should be able to see your old user profile(s) and scores when you launch the game again!

Please note: Some games' save files are stored in non-standard locations. If you cannot locate your files using the instructions above, please contact us!

 
Need further help?

"<The game> has not been properly installed and will not work if you try to use it."

This installation error can be solved most simply by redownloading the installer and running it in Compatibility mode.  First, delete the downloaded installer file and restart your computer.   After the system restarts, download the file again, but make sure that instead of automatically running the installer, you instead save it to your desktop.

Follow the instructions below to activate Compatibility mode for the installer.

  1. Right-click the Desktop shortcut to your downloaded installer file.
  2. Click Properties.
  3. Click the Compatibility tab.
  4. Click the box marked "run this program in compatibility mode for:" and select an earlier version of Windows (e.g. Windows XP Service Pack 2).
  5. Click the box marked "run this program as an Administrator."
  6. Click ok.
  7. Run the installer.

If this does not resolve the issue, it is possible that your Windows Installer service is disabled. To check the settings and correct them if necessary, follow the steps below:

  1. Click on the Windows icon and type services.msc in the Search bar, then press Enter to launch the Services console.
  2. Right-click Windows Installer in the list of services, and select Properties.
  3. There is a drop-down menu labelled Startup type:.  If it is set to Disabled, please change it to Manual.  
  4. Click OK.
  5. Right-click Windows Installer again, and click Start.

Please try running your installer again with the Windows Installer service correctly enabled.

 
Need further help?

How to clear your browser cache & cookies

We have provided the basic steps for clearing your browser cache/cookies in most common browsers.  However, as you may have noticed, the basic steps for completing simple actions change all the time.  Software is constantly updated, and little details are altered each time. We strive to keep this updated whenever we notice the processes are changed and whenever a new browser or version is released.  If the steps for any particular browser are no longer quite what you see here, please simply check the Help menu for your browser to find the updated information.

Disclaimer: Clearing your cache may fix game issues, but may also result in the loss of automatically saved passwords and web page settings.

Internet Explorer 9

  1. Launch your Internet Explorer browser.
  2. Click on the Tools icon at the top right corner of the browser window.
  3. Click Safety, then Delete Browsing History.
  4. Make sure Temporary Internet Files is selected.
  5. Click Delete.
  6. Close your browser and restart Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer 8

  1. Launch your Internet Explorer browser.
  2. Click on the Safety menu at the top of the browser.
  3. Click Delete Browsing History.
  4. Make sure Temporary Internet Files is selected.
  5. Click Delete.
  6. Close your browser and restart Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer 7

  1. Launch your Internet Explorer browser.
  2. Click on the Tools menu at the top of the browser.
  3. Click Delete Browsing History.
  4. Click Delete All.
  5. Close your browser and restart Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer 5.x and 6.x: 

  1. Launch your Internet Explorer browser. 
  2. Click on the 'Tools' menu at the top of the browser. 
  3. Click on 'Internet Options' from the drop-down menu. 
  4. Click on the 'Delete Cookies' button. 
  5. Click on the 'Delete Files' button. 
  6. Click 'OK'. 
  7. Close your browser and restart Internet Explorer.

Firefox for PC:

  1. Choose 'Tools' from the main menu (at the top of the Firefox window). 
  2. Click on 'Clear Recent History'
  3. Select all the checkboxes other than 'Cookies,' 'Active Logins,' and 'Site Preferences.' 
  4. Click the 'Clear Now' button. 
  5. Your computer may take a minute or two to delete everything. 
  6. Now, close all Firefox windows and re-open Firefox again.

Firefox for Mac: 

  1. Launch your Firefox browser.
  2. Click on the Tools menu at the top of the screen and select Clear Recent History.
  3. Click Clear Now.
  4. Close your browser window and restart Firefox.

Google Chrome:

  1. Click on the Customize menu icon (looks like three parallel lines) at the upper right.
  2. Scroll down to Tools, then to Clear browsing data in the Tools submenu.
  3. On the window that opens, you will see a checklist.  Please make sure Clear browsing history, Clear download history, Empty the cache, & Delete cookies and other site data are checked.
  4. Click the Clear browsing data button.

Safari for PC:

  1. Click on the Gear icon at the top of the Safari window.
  2. Select Reset Safari.
  3. Make sure "Empty the Cache" is selected. (Unselect any items you do not want to reset.)
  4. Click Reset.
  5. Close all Safari windows and relaunch Safari.

Safari for Mac: 

  1. Launch your Safari browser. 
  2. Click on the History menu at the top of the screen. 
  3. Click on Clear History from the drop-down menu. 
  4. Click Clear.
  5. Close your browser window and restart Safari.
 
Need further help?

My game crashes or freezes!

Is your game crashing, freezing, or running sluggishly?  

Restart your computer

"Have you tried turning it off and on again?"  It's a cliche for a reason!  Whenever anything about your computer or a piece of software you're running seems wonky (that's a technical term!) or isn't doing quite what you expect it to do, start by turning your computer off and back on (using the proper Shutdown technique, of course).  

If the problem recurs after a restart:

Step 1: Uninstall/reinstall

The first thing we will suggest in most cases is that you uninstall your game, restart your computer, then download and install the game again.  This is because all software relies on a lot of little pieces all being in the same places every time, but since our games are probably not the only thing you use your computer for, it's likely the other programs you run are moving some of the crucial pieces around, or even renaming or deleting them.

Uninstalling and reinstalling puts everything back where it's supposed to be.

Step 2: Stop making your computer work so hard.  

Games are intense!  There's all sorts of stuff happening at once, heavy-duty graphics being generated, zippy sound effects being triggered, peppy music going the whole while, not to mention the constant decisions being made within the program: you moved your mouse this way, so the game reacts; you clicked here, the game reacts; you made a massive gem explosion, and now the game reacts to that.  We take great pride in making games that surprise and thrill the player at every turn, and that makes for software with a lot of moving parts (so to speak...I mean it's all lines of code and bits of data, but they're in motion!).

So if you're playing a game, and it's slowing down or crashing, take a look at what other programs you were running at the same time.  Your anti-virus program should always be running in the background, sure, but if it's downloading updates or running a scan of your computer, then that's going to cause a resource drain that could affect your game.  

Do you have an email client up in the background?  If it's set to Send/Receive and check for new messages every 10 minutes, that may be causing that intermittent graphics delay you're seeing in your game.

There are all kinds of processes you may have running on your computer without really thinking about the amount of processor power they use.  So, if you're not actively using some of those programs, it might be good to shut them down until you need them again.  Your computer will thank you for it.

Step 3: Run your DxDiag report:

The DirectX Diagnostic Tool (DxDiag) is a Windows tool designed to take a snapshot of your computer's operating components such as the graphics card, sound card, and DirectX version.  To launch this tool:

on Windows XP:

  1. Click on your Start menu
  2. Click Run...
  3. In the text field, type dxdiag
  4. Click OK.

on Windows Vista or 7:

  1. Click on your Windows icon (bottom left corner)
  2. In the Search box at the bottom of your Start menu, type dxdiag
  3. Click Enter on your keyboard.

Note: Occasionally, you may be prompted with a Yes or No question concerning Microsoft Windows digitally signing your drivers. If this occurs, and your computer is connected to the internet, select Yes, otherwise, select No.

Step 4: Update your graphics driver:

What's a driver?  Just as your computer uses an Operating System like Windows XP to run, your computer is made up of a lot of smaller devices that have operating systems of their own.  The operating systems for graphics and sound cards are called drivers. 

Graphics and sound card manufacturers release driver updates regularly to address compatibility issues.  Typically, a new driver is available every 3 to 6 months.

The model and manufacturer of your graphics card can be located under the Display tab in your DxDiag. You will find the model of your graphics card next to Name and the manufacturer of your graphics card next to Manufacturer.

Usually, the best way to locate and download the most current drivers is by visiting the manufacturer's website, and searching for your particular model of card under the support or drivers section.  Many manufacturers' websites will offer to automatically select the correct driver update for you; this is highly recommended.

If you need more in-depth assistance with this process, we recommend contacting the manufacturer of the graphics card or of your computer.

Step 5: Update your sound driver:

The model and manufacturer of your sound card can be located under the Sound tab in your DxDiag. You will find the model of your sound card next to Name and the manufacturer of your sound card next to Manufacturer.

Usually, the best way to locate and download the most current drivers is by visiting the manufacturer's website, and searching for your particular model of card under the support or drivers section.  Many manufacturers' websites will offer to automatically select the correct driver update for you; this is highly recommended.

If you need more in-depth assistance with this process, we recommend contacting the manufacturer of the sound card or of your computer.

Still having trouble after updating your device drivers? Try this!

Step 6: Update DirectX:

DirectX is a set of drivers from Microsoft that controls the sound and video displays on your computer.

Please uninstall the game, update your DirectX, restart your computer, and then reinstall the game.

You can update your DirectX drivers by visiting Microsoft's web site and downloading the latest version. Once you have installed the latest version of DirectX, your game(s) should function properly.

DirectX drivers are required for many games and utilities besides PopCap Games products. Having the latest version of DirectX installed on your computer is just a good idea all around!

If you are still having trouble after trying these suggestions, click Contact Us and provide as much detail as possible about your experience to our Customer Support team.

 
Need further help?

Common Error Messages

Invalid file or File too short error in Plants vs Zombies

We're so sorry you've encountered this error message in Plants vs Zombies.  We are investigating this issue on an ongoing basis and hope to fix it in a future update.  This error message means that the save data for the game has become corrupted, preventing the game from launching again.  There are a few possible ways to fix this and get back to knocking down the FunDead with your photosynthetic arsenal.  We've listed all three below, and some are more complicated than others.  

Option 1: Windows 7 "Restore Previous Versions"

Windows 7 offers a feature that allows you to restore a file or folder to its previous saved state.  First, you will probably need to change your folder options to "Show Hidden Files and Folders" before you can access the ProgramData directory where the game stores its userdata files.  Click here for instructions on changing this setting.

Once you have enabled the "Show Hidden Files and Folders" option, navigate to the following folder:

C:\ProgramData\PopCap Games\Plants vs. Zombies

Right-click on the userdata folder in this directory, and select the "Restore previous versions" option.  Select the date you would like to reset to, and click Restore.  You will be prompted to confirm this is what you want to do, so just click Restore again.  

If this step is successful, you should be able to launch the game and continue from the saved state you restored.

Option 2: Delete your progress and start over.

The simplest fix for this issue is to delete the corrupted save data.  Unfortunately, this means that you will lose your game progress and have to start over from the beginning, but we’re confident that you can use your superior botanical powers to quickly dispatch those slow-poke, lower-level Zombies.  You can locate your save data in the folder location listed below:

If you are on Windows XP: 

C:\Program Files\PopCap Games\Plants vs. Zombies\userdata

If you are on Windows Vista or 7:

C:\ProgramData\PopCap Games\Plants vs. Zombies\userdata

(Note: if you're on Vista or 7, you probably need to change your folder options to "Show Hidden Files and Folders" before you can access the ProgramData directory and find these files.  Click here for instructions on changing this setting.)

These folder paths refer to the PopCap.com download version and the retail CD-ROM version of the game.  If you bought the game through any other website, the folder path may be different.  Try searching for folders called userdata, and don't forget to change your folder options so that you're searching hidden files as well.

Option 3: Rebuild your files.

This one is the most complicated, but if done successfully, it will allow you to resolve the error without losing any game progress.  It looks like a lot of information, but it's actually very fast--we just want to be thorough in describing the steps.

Once again, you will start by navigating to the folder location listed below:

If you are on Windows XP: 

C:\Program Files\PopCap Games\Plants vs. Zombies

If you are on Windows Vista or 7:

C:\ProgramData\PopCap Games\Plants vs. Zombies

(Note: if you're on Vista or 7, you probably need to change your folder options to "Show Hidden Files and Folders" before you can access the ProgramData directory and find these files.  Click here for instructions on changing this setting.)

  1. Copy the contents of the userdata folder, and save them to a secondary location.  The simplest option will be to copy the entire folder and paste it into your Documents directory or onto your Desktop.
  2. Now delete the userdata folder from its original location.  
  3. Launch Plants vs Zombies.  You will be prompted to create a new user profile.  If there were multiple user profiles, you will need to create the correct number of players to match the number of profiles you need to restore.

    Look in your saved userdata folder to verify how many profiles you need to create.  If you have only user1.dat, then you only need to create one profile.  If you have user1.dat and user2.dat, you need to create two profiles.  If you have ever deleted a profile, you may see that your files are out of sequence; you may have user1.dat and user3.dat, for example.  If that is the case, you need to create three profiles.

    It is important to recreate the profiles in the correct order.  If Mikey played the game first, make sure your first profile is named Mikey, and so forth.  

    It is not necessary to play the game under any of these new profiles; all you're doing is making placeholder files of the same names so that you can replace them with your saved originals.

  4. Exit Plants vs Zombies.
  5. Go to your saved backup folder, and delete the users.dat file.  That's the file that's causing your pain, so be sure to take a moment and revel in the satisfaction of hitting Delete!
  6. In the new userdata folder, delete all of the files EXCEPT users.dat.
  7. Copy the rest of the files from your saved backup folder, and paste them into the userdata folder in the game directory.  You may be prompted to confirm that you want to replace existing files in that location.  You do, so just say yes!
  8. Launch Plants vs Zombies again.  Your game should be right where you left it before that error message came and ate it all up like yummy, yummy brains.

If options 1 and 3 did not resolve the issue, unfortunately the only remaining solution is the deletion of the userdata files so that you can start the game over again.

 
Need further help?

Error message: "Sorry, things aren't working out. It's not you. It's us."

This error indicates that the build of the game is out of date.  Please simply uninstall the game, then download it again from the link below to obtain the current version!

Plants vs. Zombies

Vacation Quest: Australia

Mystery P.I. The Curious Case of Counterfeit Cove

 

 
Need further help?

Error message: Failed to create high score file

We recommend changing a simple setting for your game.

The steps are just slightly different depending on whether your Operating System is Windows Vista or Windows 7.

Windows Vista: 
  1. Right click the shortcut to your game (if you don't use a shortcut, right click the .exe file).
  2. Click Properties.
  3. Click the Compatibility tab.
  4. Click the box marked "run this program as an Administrator."
  5. Click ok.
Windows 7:
  1. Right click the shortcut to your game (if you don't use a shortcut, right click the .exe file).
  2. Click "Run as Administrator."
 
Need further help?

Graphics & Sound Issues

My cursor isn't visible in the game!

If you can't see your cursor on the screen when you launch the game, that will make aiming way more challenging!  And hey, maybe that sounds like extra fun to you super hardcore gamers, but most of us probably like to play without a blindfold.  Changing your mouse settings should allow the cursor to display properly.

  1. Click the Windows icon to open the "Start" menu.
  2. Choose "Control Panel."
  3. Click on "Appearance & Personalization."
  4. Click on "Personalization."
  5. Click on "Mouse Pointers."
  6. On the window that opens, click the tab labelled "Pointer Options."
  7. Under "Visibility," uncheck the box beside "Display pointer trails."
  8. Click Apply, then OK.

When the Display pointer trails option is disabled, you should be able to see your mouse move within your game again.

If that didn't fully restore the cursor, try opening the game's Options menu next.  I know, that will be a little bit tough when you're not seeing the cursor consistently, but if you move the mouse around, you will see the menu buttons light up as you mouse over them, so just feel around for the Options menu until you see that button engage, then click to open it.

In the game's Options, try enabling Custom Cursors.  Or, if it's currently enabled, try disabling it.  Then click OK.  Turning Custom Cursors off or on will often fix problems with your cursor display.

If these steps haven't restored your Cursor visibility, you may need to update your graphics card driver.  Click here for instructions.

 
Need further help?

Sound/Audio issues on Windows

Are you having problems with the sound effects or music in your game?  Or have you received an error message referring to the component bass.dll?

These issues usually stem from outdated sound card drivers.  

What's a driver?  Well, your computer uses an Operating System like Windows XP to run, but your computer is made up of a lot of smaller devices that also need operating systems of their own.  The operating systems for graphics and sound cards are called drivers.

Sound card manufacturers release driver updates regularly to address compatibility issues.  Typically, a new driver is available every 3 to 6 months.

Updating your driver should be a fairly simple process, though it may sound intimidating.  You may need to contact your computer manufacturer for direction, but first we'll walk you through trying this out on your own, because it's easier than it sounds.

Start by running the DirectX Diagnostic Tool (DxDiag).  This is a Windows tool designed to take a snapshot of your computer's operating components such as the graphics card, sound card, and DirectX version.  To launch this tool:

Windows XP:

  1. Click on your Start menu
  2. Click Run...
  3. In the text field, type dxdiag
  4. Click OK.

Windows Vista or 7:

  1. Click on your Windows icon (bottom left corner)
  2. In the Search box at the bottom of your Start menu, type dxdiag
  3. Click Enter on your keyboard.

Note: Occasionally, you may be prompted with a Yes or No question concerning Microsoft Windows digitally signing your drivers. If this occurs, and your computer is connected to the internet, select Yes, otherwise, select No.

The model and manufacturer of your sound card can be located under the Sound tab in your DxDiag. You will find the model of your sound card next to Name and the manufacturer of your sound card next to Manufacturer.

Usually, the best way to locate and download the most current sound card drivers is by visiting the manufacturer's website, and searching for your particular model of sound card under the support or drivers section.

If you need more in-depth assistance with this process, we recommend contacting the manufacturer of the sound card or of your computer.

 
Need further help?

Graphics issues on Windows.

Is your game not displaying properly on your screen?  

These issues are often the result of outdated graphics card drivers.  

What's a driver?  Just as your computer uses an Operating System like Windows XP to run, your computer is made up of a lot of smaller devices that have operating systems of their own.  The operating systems for graphics and sound cards are called drivers.

Graphics card manufacturers release driver updates regularly to address compatibility issues.  Typically, a new driver is available every 3 to 6 months.

Updating your driver should be a fairly simple process, though it may sound intimidating.  You may need to contact your computer manufacturer for direction, but first we'll walk you through trying this out on your own, because it's easier than it sounds.

Start by running the DirectX Diagnostic Tool (DxDiag).  This is a Windows tool designed to take a snapshot of your computer's operating components such as the graphics card, sound card, and DirectX version.  To launch this tool:

Windows XP:

  1. Click on your Start menu
  2. Click Run...
  3. In the text field, type dxdiag
  4. Click OK.

Windows Vista or 7:

  1. Click on your Windows icon (bottom left corner)
  2. In the Search box at the bottom of your Start menu, type dxdiag
  3. Click Enter on your keyboard.

Note: Occasionally, you may be prompted with a Yes or No question concerning Microsoft Windows digitally signing your drivers. If this occurs, and your computer is connected to the internet, select Yes, otherwise, select No.

The model and manufacturer of your graphics card can be located under the Display tab in your DxDiag. You will find the model of your graphics card next to Name and the manufacturer of your graphics card next to Manufacturer.

Usually, the best way to locate and download the most current graphics card drivers is by visiting the manufacturer's website, and searching for your particular model of graphics card under the support or drivers section.

If you need more in-depth assistance with this process, we recommend contacting the manufacturer of the graphics card or of your computer.

If you are still having graphics/display issues with your game, it may help to change your resolution settings:

Your game cannot be running while you adjust these settings.

  1. Right-click the shortcut icon for your game (if you don't use a shortcut, right click the .exe file).
  2. Click Properties.
  3. Click the Compatibility tab.
  4. Click the box to run your game in 640 x 480 resolution.
  5. Click OK.

There may also be settings on your monitor itself that are affecting how your games display. Try using the monitor buttons to look for a display setting with options such as 1:1, Aspect, & Fill. Based on the resolution you have your monitor set to, it may or may not be possible to alter those settings. When you run at a very high resolution, your monitor knows what aspect ratio it is capable of displaying.

 
Need further help?

Installation & Registration Issues

Will my games run on a new Windows 8 PC?

We are pleased to announce that we have released Bejeweled Live in the Windows 8 Marketplace!  This game is made specifically for the touch-screen interface and can be purchased exclusively through the Windows store.  
 
All previously released PopCap games have been tested for Windows 8, and they should run on that Operating System without any issues.  If you are having trouble with your game after updating to Windows 8, please try running the game in Compatibility Mode.
  1. Right-click the game icon and choose Properties.
  2. In the Properties dialog box, click the Compatibility tab.
  3. Click the button marked Run Compatibility Troubleshooter.

If this is unsuccessful, try manually selecting your Compatibility setting:

  1. Right-click the game icon and choose Properties.
  2. In the Properties dialog box, click the Compatibility tab.
  3. Check the box for "Run this program in Compatibility mode for:"
  4. Select Windows Vista or Windows 7 in the drop-down.
  5. Click OK and again run the game.

If these suggestions do not resolve your issue, it may be necessary to uninstall the game and download the most current version available from our site, as you may still be running a pre-Vista version of the game.

We have not fully tested our games for Surface compatibility, only for standard PC play with a mouse and physical keyboard.  However, it is possible to install the games on a Surface device.  The primary difficulty you may encounter is in the creation of a user name, as the user name prompt will not bring up your virtual keyboard automatically.  You may be able resolve this for some games by tapping the icon to set the game to windowed mode, which will then allow you to manually activate the virtual keyboard via the keyboard icon at your lower-right corner.  However, not all games will display an icon to change the window size. In that event, the only way to enter a user name may be to attach a physical keyboard via the USB port.

 
Need further help?

I'm having trouble downloading a game.

If you're having trouble downloading a game from PopCap.com, there are some very simple suggestions that resolve most issues.

1. Download only one file at a time.

This wasn't usually an issue on Windows XP; you could download as many files at a time as your Internet connection could handle.  But starting with Windows Vista, you may have noticed that it's harder to run multiple simultaneous downloads.  So our simplest suggestion is just to take your time and let one download complete before you start another!

2. Clear your browser cache.

3. Restart your browser.

Computer programs often need a little mini-reboot to get back on track.  

4. Try a different browser.

This sounds like voodoo, but it's not. Sure, browsers all do the same stuff, so it's easy to think of them as equivalent, so why would using one instead of another make a difference? Well, in this case, each browser stores its downloads, temp files, cache, etc. in a different destination folder.  So maybe one of those folders is full?  Or you started the download earlier and there's already a partial file with that same name?  Just using a different browser can bypass all this little stuff.

5. Restart your computer.

This is just always a good idea if something seemingly simple isn't working quite right.  It's so obvious, even I sometimes overlook it in the troubleshooting process.  And then, 90% of the time, it turns out to be the answer.  

6. Add PopCap.com to your "safe" or "trusted" site list for your Firewall and Anti-Virus.

If your security settings are preventing you from downloading, you may need to add us to your exceptions list.  Please refer to your security software's help articles for instructions on adding safe/trusted sites.

 
Need further help?

Error message: Unlock Code Doesn't Match System

We're terribly sorry about the error you've encountered with your game!  

Why this error may occur:

When you registered your game on this computer, a registration key was generated and inserted into your Windows registry.  The key is unique and specific to your computer, and unfortunately, there are actions that can invalidate it, such as:

  • Replacing hardware components such as graphics card, motherboard, etc.
  • Switching your Internet provider or connection method (from cable to DSL, for instance)
  • Reinstalling or upgrading your Operating System (OS)
  • Running disk utilities that are not native to your OS

When you receive this error message, the first troubleshooting step we recommend is to use our online Game Unlock Helper (click here for instructions).  You will need your PopCap Games Order Number to register your game again (if you do not have this information, click here).

If the Game Unlock Helper does not resolve this error message, please click Contact Us below, and we will reply with more in-depth assistance.  

Please be sure to reference the error message in your help request, and include the following details:

  • Game title(s) you are experiencing the issue with
  • Order Number or Email Address used to place the order
  • Whether you have already tried the Game Unlock Helper instructions (so we don't start by suggesting that!)
 
Need further help?

Error message: We were unable to locate your license...

This error may appear during the registration process for one of the following reasons:

  • Incorrect Order Number (click here for help locating your order information)
  • The game is out of licenses

Click Contact Us below for assistance with this issue.  Please include the following information:

  • Order Number
  • Game title
  • Error message received
 
Need further help?

Error message: "Unable to read installer data."

If you have downloaded a free trial from PopCap.com but receive the error message "Unable to read installer data" when you try to run it, please follow the steps below to resolve the issue.

First, you will need to clear your Internet browser cache and cookies.  Click here for instructions on doing so in various browsers.

Next, please follow the steps below to empty your temporary files folder:
  • Windows XP users: click Start and then Run.
  • Windows Vista/7 users: click the Start menu/Windows icon, and type Run in the text field, then hit Enter or choose the program called Run in the search results.
On the Run prompt, type temp in the text field and press Enter on your keyboard.
 
Click Organize and choose Select All.  Then click Organize again, and choose Delete to delete all the files in this folder. If prompted, click Yes or Yes to all to remove these files.
 
Finally, we recommend restarting your computer before downloading the installer file again.
 
Need further help?

I can't see the "I Agree" button to click on it!

If you are having difficulties with installing your game because the Agreement page is too large for your screen, please try the following steps, which should resolve the issue.

You will want to adjust your screen resolution and font magnification settings to allow the installer’s Agreement page to display properly. 
 
To access these settings:
  • Click on the Start menu / Windows icon and open the Control Panel.
  • Double-click the Display icon to open the Display settings window.
  • Click on the Appearance tab, and make sure the Font size is set to Normal rather than Large or Extra Large.
  • Next, click the Settings tab, and increase your Screen Resolution using the slider bar.
  • Click Apply, then OK.
You should now be able to view the Agreement page and click on the I Agree button.
 
Need further help?

My game registration didn't work!

Trouble registering your game?  The very simple steps below should get your game unlocked in no time!  

Note: This process only works in Internet Explorer.  

The game you are trying to register must be installed on your computer, but do not launch the game at this time. If it is running, please close it before proceeding.

  1. Open Internet Explorer and click on the following link or copy/paste the link into your address bar - https://us.shop.popcap.com/popcap_gazoo/unlock/form
  2. At the next screen, enter the Order Number from your order confirmation email (it will look something like this: POP123456789).
  3. Click the GENERATE REGISTRATION CODE button.
  4. There will be a large yellow button on the page, labeled REGISTER NOW. Click this button.
  5. Then, launch your game from the shortcut icon on your Desktop. The game should now be registered, so it will open straight to the game without asking you to Register or Buy Now.

Enjoy your game!

If your game is not unlocked, or you receive an error message during the above process, please click the Contact Us button below and provide us with the following information so we can provide an alternative registration solution:

  1. Exact details of what occurs including the wording of any error message you receive.
  2. Your Operating System and Browser names and version numbers.
  3. The name and version number of any anti-virus or firewall software you may have running on your machine (Click HELP and ABOUT on your software to obtain the name and version number).
 
Need further help?