Game animations run too fast in Links 2001, in Crimson Skies, and in Zoo Tycoon (305581)

SYMPTOMS

When you play Microsoft Links 2001, the running speed of the golfer animations may be far too fast. Other game elements, such as the swing gauge, sounds, and so on, run at normal speed and otherwise behave normally.

When you play Microsoft Crimson Skies, the fighters appear to surge forward, pause, and then surge forward again. Videos may run at a faster-than-normal rate or appear choppy.

When you play Microsoft Zoo Tycoon 1.0, the game may stop responding.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if your computer has been running continuously for approximately 24 days or more. When the games mentioned above are started, the game's internal timing is based on how long Microsoft Windows has been running (uptime). A system that has been running without a restart for a long period of time can experience this behavior in which animations run too fast.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, download and install the Links 2001 1.21 update. To obtain this update, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads

Note To download the Links 2001 update, type Links 2001 in the Keywords (optional) box under Search for a Download, and then click Go.

To work around this issue:

Run your computer for two hours or more, after a cold startup and before you start the game, the computer's system clock will automatically countdown to zero uptime (0:00). The game will then behave normally.

MORE INFORMATION

In rare cases, some computer systems report that they have been running continuously for 24 or more days, even if they have just been restarted. In these rare instances, Links 2001 is not able to display animations properly under any circumstances.

Some newer Dell computer systems, manufactured after approximately May of 2001, do not report the system uptime properly, even after a complete shutdown and restart. If you suspect that your system is incorrectly reporting uptime, there are several freeware and shareware utilities that allow you to verify this behavior.

For additional information about uptime-reporting tools, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

232243 Uptime.exe tool allows you to estimate server availability with Windows NT 4.0 SP4 or higher

The third-party products discussed in this article are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability. The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.