Microsoft Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection Readme File

July 2003
© Microsoft Corporation, 2001–2003. All rights reserved.

Welcome to Microsoft Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection!

This file contains information to help you troubleshoot issues with Zoo Tycoon: Complete
Collection. You can find more information about these products on the Zoo Tycoon website at
http://www.microsoft.com/games/zootycoon/. You can find information on Microsoft Product
Support Services in the printed or online manual.

Note: If Zoo Tycoon came installed on your computer as an OEM version, contact the
manufacturer of the computer or other hardware it was bundled with for product support. Refer to
the documentation that came with your computer or hardware for the product support telephone
number.

CONTENTS
A. System Requirements
B. Installation
Installing Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection
Installation Issues
Installing DirectX 8.0a
SafeDisc Issues
C. Getting Help
D. Gameplay Issues
E. Configuration Issues
F. 3D Card Issues
G. 3D Card Drivers and Manufacturers

A. System Requirements
Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection requires a personal computer with the following minimum
requirements.

 Multimedia personal computer with a Pentium 233 or higher processor.

 Microsoft Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Me, Windows
2000, or Windows XP.
 64 Megabytes (MB) of RAM required (128 MB required for Windows XP).
 1.3 GB of available hard disk space.
 150 MB of available hard disk space for a cache file.
 4× CD-ROM drive.
 Super VGA video display with 4 MB of VRAM.
 Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device.
 Sound card and speakers or headphones (recommended for hearing audio).
 DirectX 8.0a (included on CD; see below for installation instructions).

B. Installation
This section describes how to manually install the software components necessary to play Zoo
Tycoon: Complete Collection in the event that they were not installed automatically.
NOTE: We recommend you uninstall any versions of the game before you install the Zoo Tycoon:
Complete Collection version. This includes the original release of Zoo Tycoon and the Dinosaur
Digs and Marine Mania expansion packs.

To uninstall earlier versions of Zoo Tycoon

 On the Windows taskbar, click Start, point to Programs (All Programs in

Windows XP), Microsoft Games, and Zoo Tycoon (or Zoo Tycoon – Dinosaur Digs or
Zoo Tycoon Expanded), and then click Uninstall Zoo Tycoon.
–or–

 In the Zoo Tycoon root directory, double-click Uninstal.exe.

NOTE: By default, your saved games and screenshots will not be deleted when you uninstall and
will be available to you after you have installed Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection. Your progress
in the scenarios and any items you have unlocked will not be saved. However, you can move
your progress to the new installation. For instructions on doing so, see “Section D: Gameplay
Issues.”

Installing Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection

If your computer does not automatically install either Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection disc after
the CD is inserted into the CD-ROM drive, perform the following procedure.

To install Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection manually

1. On the Windows taskbar, click Start, and then click Run.

2. Type x:\setup, where x is the letter of your CD-ROM drive, and then click OK.

For example, if your CD-ROM drive letter is D, type d:\setup

3. Click Install, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

NOTE: Perform this procedure twice, once for each Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection disc, if
neither disc installs automatically.

Installation Issues
Using original Zoo Tycoon, Zoo Tycoon: Dinosaur Digs, or Zoo Tycoon: Marine Mania CDs
to uninstall or reinstall: After you have installed Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection, if you insert
the original Zoo Tycoon, Zoo Tycoon: Dinosaur Digs, or Zoo Tycoon: Marine Mania CDs in the
CD-ROM drive, you will have an option to reinstall or uninstall the game. Uninstalling the game
will fail to remove expansion pack files from your hard drive, and reinstalling will prevent you from
being able to access Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection content. To avoid this issue, only use the
uninstallation methods listed above under “To uninstall earlier versions of Zoo Tycoon.”

Using downloadable content after uninstalling and reinstalling Zoo Tycoon: Complete
Collection: If you have downloaded additional content and then uninstall and reinstall Marine
Mania, you will notice that there is no text associated with that additional content after reinstalling.
If you encounter this problem, reinstall your additional content.

Minimum processor error message may appear: During installation on some computers that
meet at least the minimum system requirements, the following error message may appear
anyway: "Zoo Tycoon requires a Pentium 233 or higher processor. Setup has not detected the
required minimum processor but will continue with installation." If your computer does meet the
minimum system requirements, you will still be able to play the game as normal.

Installing DirectX 8.0a

If for some reason DirectX 8.0a was not installed with the game, use the following procedure to
install it manually.

To install DirectX 8.0a manually

1. Insert Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection Disc One in the CD-ROM drive.

2. In Windows Explorer, double-click the CD-ROM drive and then the DirectX folder.

3. Double-click Dxsetup.exe, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

You must restart your computer when installation is complete.

If you experience video or sound problems using DirectX, always check with your video or sound
card manufacturer for the latest DirectX-compatible drivers, or go to
http://support.microsoft.com/support/directx/ for the latest troubleshooting information.

SafeDisc Issues
The Zoo Tycoon copy-protection software, SafeDisc, requires that the game must be installed
from the CD; you cannot copy files from the CD to the computer and then install from the
computer's hard drive.

SafeDisc with Software

SafeDisc is incompatible with some software, which includes the following.

McAfee (Network Associates) Nuts & Bolts: Nuts & Bolts causes the game to fail if the Bomb
Shelter utility is in a certain configuration. The following steps allow SafeDisc-protected products
to be used:

1. Maximize Bomb Shelter.

2. In the Bomb Shelter dialog box, click Properties.

3. In the Error Protection group, click Advanced.

4. In the Advanced Properties tab, deselect the Write Protect VMM check box.

5. Click Apply or OK, and then click OK on all subsequent screens.

C. Getting Help
You can get help for Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection in the following ways:

 For an overview of the game as well as for information about getting started and
 playing the game, see the Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection 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 general tips and notes about the game, press the F1 key.
 You can also get help from Zookeeper, Scientist, and Marine Specialist
Recommendations. Click an animal, then click the image of the animal caretaker in the
panel that appears. This will give you a list of anything the selected animal might want to
become happier.
 When you choose an animal to adopt from the Adopt Animals tab, click the
Animal Information button. This will display information on how to make the animal
happy.
 Visit the Support Center Games Web site (http://support.microsoft.com/?pr=gms)
to view top support issues, product-specific content, and other related resources for
playing games. Additionally, to help you troubleshoot issues associated with game setup,
performance, multiplayer networking, sound, video, or your game controller, visit one of
the Troubleshooting Resource Centers available on the site.

Viewing the Online Print Pieces

Adobe Acrobat Reader allows you to view and print the online versions of the Zoo Tycoon:
Complete Collection, which are located in the Manuals folder of Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection
Disc One as .pdf files.
To install Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.05
1. Insert the Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection Disc One in the CD-ROM drive.
2. In Windows Explorer, double-click the CD-ROM drive and then the Goodies folder.
3. Double-click Acroread.exe, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

Copyright © 2003 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Adobe, Acrobat, Acrobat Reader, and After Effects are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems
Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.

D. Gameplay Issues
The following are the known gameplay issues for Zoo Tycoon.

Improve performance with terrain blending options: A feature of Zoo Tycoon is terrain
blending, which causes two adjacent terrain types to blend together to make a more attractive
and realistic image of the zoo's landscape. To improve Zoo Tycoon's performance, you may
reduce the degree that Zoo Tycoon blends terrain. Click the Game Options tab then the Sound
& Video tab to change terrain blending. The following options are available:
 Don’t Blend will turn off terrain blending, which will result in better performance.
 Delayed will wait to blend terrain until it will not adversely affect performance.
 Balanced will generally blend terrain immediately but will wait when the
processor is particularly busy to reduce sluggishness.
 Immediate will blend terrain immediately.

Blinking cursor: If, prior to running Zoo Tycoon, the Display Pointer Trails check box is selected
in the Mouse Properties dialog box, the cursor will blink when you are playing Zoo Tycoon. To
stop the Zoo Tycoon cursor from blinking, deselect the Display Pointer Trails check box. You
can also switch between a black-and-white and a color cursor by pressing CTRL+C while playing.

Building sections disappear: If you have a line of buildings running from the upper left to the
lower right of the screen and place a building perpendicularly near that line, and then move your
view of the game screen so the newest building is near the top of the screen, the building may not
be displayed correctly. This is merely a display issue—the building will function normally. To view
the building normally, move your view of the game screen so the building is toward the center of
the screen.

Deleting saved games with the Uninstall application: If you move Zoo Tycoon saved games
to a location other than the Saved Games folder, those saved games will not be deleted when
you uninstall Zoo Tycoon. To avoid this, always keep your saved games in the Saved Games
folder in the Zoo Tycoon folder prior to uninstalling Zoo Tycoon; otherwise, you will have to delete
your saved games manually from the folder you saved them in.

Display resolution issue: If your computer's graphics card does not support 1280x1024
resolution but you select that option in Zoo Tycoon, Zoo Tycoon may be displayed correctly in the
current game but not correctly on subsequent games. To avoid this, set Zoo Tycoon to use only
the resolutions that your computer's graphic card supports. Refer to your graphics card
documentation for help in determining the best resolution setting for your computer.

Empty Adopt Animals panel: If you play a game that has gained animals through research and
conservation programs, quit that game, and then start a new game, the Adopt Animals panel may
be blank. To fix this, scroll to the top of the Adopt Animals panel, and the animals available in the
game you have just started will be displayed properly.

New content causes crash: If Zoo Tycoon crashes on startup after you load new content
(animals, buildings, etc.), you have likely loaded a corrupt file. To repair your installation of Zoo
Tycoon, delete the corrupted file from the Updates folder in the Zoo Tycoon program folder. It is
possible that user-created content may alter some Zoo Tycoon files which may cause the game
to stop working properly. If this occurs, re-install Zoo Tycoon.

Restarting after adding new items: After you add new items to Zoo Tycoon using the Zoo
Tycoon built-in feature for adding new items, a message appears stating that Zoo Tycoon will
restart automatically. If Zoo Tycoon doesn't restart automatically, restart the game manually by
exiting the game and then launching it again.

Running in the background: If you are playing Zoo Tycoon and decide to minimize it so it's
running in the taskbar, and then press CTRL+ALT+DEL and select Lock Computer, Zoo Tycoon
may crash. To avoid this, quit Zoo Tycoon before locking your computer.

Uninstalling updates: You may add updates and additional content to the Zoo Tycoon game
from Zoo Tycoon's main menu, but Zoo Tycoon will not delete them for you. To uninstall additional
Zoo Tycoon items, you must delete them from the Updates folder in the Zoo Tycoon folder.

"(Caretaker) having trouble …" messages: This message may appear if you have built a zoo
that requires an animal caretaker (zookeeper, scientist, or marine specialist) to walk a long
distance from exhibit to exhibit. The exhibit gates and paths may be clear, but because the
caretaker may have to walk around many buildings or scenery, it may take a long time for the
caretaker to reach an exhibit, which causes the message to appear. To prevent this, assign
caretakers to specific exhibits to keep them from walking too far from exhibits, pick up and move
caretakers closer to exhibits yourself, or build exhibits so they are close to each other, thereby
minimizing the time it takes for caretakers to walk through the zoo.

Using CTRL+ALT+DELETE on Windows 98, and Me: On some computers using Windows 98
or Me, pressing CTRL+ALT+DELETE to bring up the Close Program dialog box may not work, or
the Close Program dialog box may appear in a window hidden by the game. If you are running
Zoo Tycoon on these operating systems, you should exit the game using the game main menu.
Loss of hotkeys after minimizing: If you minimize Zoo Tycoon by pressing ALT+TAB and then
mazimize it by double-clicking the Zoo.exe file, use of hotkeys will be lost.

Not all game content available after playing tutorials: If you complete the last tutorial and
choose to continue playing, you will not gain access to all of the available content. Close the
tutorial and open a freeform or scenario game to gain access to all content.

Not all items necessary for dinosaur and marine animal happiness visible using Dinosaur
Digs and Marine Mania content filters: The content filters at the top of the item purchasing
windows will allow you to see original Zoo Tycoon content, Dinosaur Digs content, Marine Mania
content, or all content. However, not all items needed for some animals’ happiness (such as
certain rocks) are visible with using the Dinosaur Digs and Marine Mania filters. Use the All filter
to view all available content.

Transferring scenario and unlocked items or unlockable items from a previous Zoo Tycoon
installation: To transfer your scenario progress to a new installation of Zoo Tycoon, follow these
steps:

1. Find the zoo.ini file which is located in your Zoo Tycoon root folder. The default
location is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Zoo Tycoon.

2. Find the zoo.ini file and open it using a text editor like Windows Notepad.

3. Open another, blank Windows Notepad text file.

4. Under the “[user]” section of the zoo.ini file, copy any entries which begin with
“unlockEntity” and “unlockCount.” Copy these lines into the blank text file, retaining the
same format as the original zoo.ini file.

5. Under the “[scenario]” section of the zoo.ini file, copy any “xx=1” entries (where
“xx” are two letters with no spaces) into the new file.

6. Save the new file as “ZooUnlock.txt” (or something similar) to an easily

accessible location outside of the Zoo Tycoon root folder. Close the original zoo.ini file.

7. Uninstall all previous versions of Zoo Tycoon and any expansion packs.

8. Install Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection.

9. After installation is complete, open the root Zoo Tycoon folder where the game
was installed on the hard drive. Again, the default location is C:\Program Files\Microsoft
Games\Zoo Tycoon.

10. Open the ZooUnlock.txt file you created and copy the “unlockEntity” and
“unlockCount” information under the “[user]” section of the newly installed Zoo Tycoon:
Complete Collection zoo.ini file.

11. Now copy over the scenario entries you saved under the “[scenario]” section of
the new zoo.ini file.

All of the previous scenarios and unlocked items will now be available to you when you launch
the game.
E. Configuration Issues
Known hardware and operating system configuration issues are listed in this section. For issues
with specific 3D cards, see section F, "3D Card Issues."

For assistance with top performance issues, visit http://support.microsoft.com/?pr=gmsperf.

Performance on Windows Me may be poor: When running Windows Me, loading times may be
slow or other performance problems may be evident. To resolve, try closing all other applications.

Performance may be poor after standby or suspend mode: If you manually or automatically
put your computer on standby or suspend mode while playing the game, performance may be
poor when you come out of standby or suspend mode and resume the game: music and sounds
may not be heard, transitions may be choppy, or the game may hang. To resolve, restart the
game.

F. 3D Card Issues
Zoo Tycoon only fully supports DirectX 8.0a-compliant video cards. It is good practice to always
install the latest certified drivers for all of your hardware.

For assistance with top video issues, visit http://support.microsoft.com/?pr=gmsvideo.

Maxi Gamer Cougar and Maxi Gamer Xentor 32: You may experience some erratic gameplay
with Zoo Tycoon when using these cards. If you do experience difficulty, please consult with the
card's manufacturer (http://www.guillemot.com) to obtain the latest drivers.

NVIDIA: Some versions of NVIDIA graphics cards may cause Zoo Tycoon to crash. To fix this,
make sure your graphics card is using driver 4.13.1.1241 or later. This driver can be found on
NVIDIA's website (http://www.nvidia.com/). If you cannot find the driver on that website, contact
your graphics card manufacturer.

G. 3D Card Drivers and Manufacturers

Make sure that you have the latest drivers from the manufacturer of your video card. Many video
issues will be resolved if you install your video card's latest drivers. Zoo Tycoon may not properly
detect some older video cards because their video drivers are not DirectX 8.0a-compliant.
Contact your video card manufacturer for updated drivers, or install the latest reference drivers for
your video board. Note that many reference drivers are not supported by the chipset
manufacturer. Listed below are some common video card manufacturers' Web sites.

NOTE: Use Windows Update (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/) to ensure that you are using
the latest drivers and have the latest updates to your operating system.

3dfx Interactive—http://www.3dfx.com/
3Dlabs—http://www.3dlabs.com/
AccelGraphics (see 3Dlabs)—http://www.3dlabs.com/
Asus—http://www.asus.com/
ATI—http://www.ati.com/support/
Aztech Labs—http://www.aztechlabs.com/
Canopus—http://www.canopus.com/
Creative Labs—http://www.creativelabs.com/
Gateway 2000—http://www.gw2k.com/
Guillemot—http://www.guillemot.com/
Hercules (see Guillemot)—http://www.guillemot.com/
I/O Magic—http://www.iomagic.com/
Intergraph (see 3Dlabs)—http://www.3dlabs.com/
Jaton—http://www.jaton.com/
Leadtek—http://www.leadtek.com/
Matrox—http://www.matrox.com/
NVIDIA—http://www.nvidia.com/
Orchid (see S3)— http://www.sonicblue.com/support/
S3 Incorporated— http://www.sonicblue.com/support/
Silicon Integrated Systems Corporation (SiS)—http://www.sis.com/
STB (see 3dfx Interactive)—http://www.3dfx.com/
VIA Technologies—http://www.viatech.com/
VideoLogic—http://www.videologic.com/