NHL 2000
Page Last Updated: 2/14/17
Windows 7/8/10 Installation Guide
Table of Contents:
Notes About This Page
1. Copy Game Files from CD (64-bit Only)
3. Install the EA SPORTS Patch
Notes About This Page
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**For the sake of brevity, this guide assumes you have some intermediate-level knowledge of Windows, File Explorer, folder structure, and the registry. It will often tell you 'what' to do as opposed to 'how' to do it. If you need help with how to perform any of the actions described, please leave me a note on the message board and I will be happy to walk you through.
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**It should also be noted that these instructions are intended to be used with the English language version of NHL 2000. They *may* work for other regions, but this is not at all guaranteed. Come to think of it, the English version isn't guaranteed to work either. ;-)
1. Copy Game Files From CD (64-bit Only)
Like NHLs 98 and 99 before it, NHL 2000's setup program is incompatible with 64 bit Windows systems. Before we can hit the ice, we will need to copy the game's files off of the CD manually and install the proper registry keys.
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***This part is ONLY necessary for 64-bit Windows users! If you have a 32-bit Windows edition, you should be able to install the game as normal by running SETUP.exe, which can be found on your game CD in the SETUP\ENGLISH folder. Once you've installed the game, safely proceed to step 2. :)
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To get started, pop in your NHL 2000 CD and open it in File Explorer. Highlight the "NHL2K" folder and copy it.
Next, I strongly recommend you create a path on your hard drive called C:\Games\Sports. Paste the NHL2K folder inside the "Sports" subfolder, so that the game path ends up being C:\Games\Sports\NHL2K.
It's not a requirement that you follow my directory structure, but doing so will make future steps easier.
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After the file transfer is complete, your NHL2K directory should have the following 15 subfolders in it, along with 36 files in your main game directory -
2. Add the Registry Keys (32 and 64 bit)
Next, we need to install the registry keys for the game. 64-bit Windows users should download one of the keys listed here. Please download the version of the key which matches your CD-ROM drive letter, then double click on the file in Explorer to add it to your registry.
Download the NHL 2000 Reg Key (CD Drive Letter D)
Download the NHL 2000 Reg Key (CD Drive Letter E)
Download the NHL 2000 Reg Key (CD Drive Letter F)
Download the NHL 2000 Reg Key (CD Drive Letter G)
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**Note that if you copied the game to any directory other than C:\Games\Sports, you will have to open the registry file in notepad and change the following lines to reflect where you placed the game:
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"Install Dir"="C:\\Games\\Sports\\NHL2K"
"Game Directory"="C:\\Games\\Sports\\NHL2K\\"
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**You should also be sure to install the nGlide glide wrapper on your system beforehand, as the keys instruct the game to use Glide graphics.
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32-bit Windows users can simply download the key located at the nGlide compatibility page.
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3. Install the EA SPORTS Patch
This patch included major AI improvements, a new Hit Power setting, and several bugfixes.
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4. Replace nhl2k.exe (Windows 10 Only)
If you're using Windows 10, replace your existing nhl2k.exe with the one from this zip file. Otherwise, you'll either receive an error message, or the game simply won't respond when you launch it.
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5. Set Windows XP SP3 Mode
Open your NHL 2000 folder in File Explorer, right click your NHL2K.exe, hit "Properties", and then click the "compatiblity" tab at the following screen. You need to select "Windows XP (Service Pack 3)" compatibility mode, as well as the "Run as Administrator" option. Without these adjustments, you probably won't make it to the main menu. Depending on your system, the game will either complain that you need to insert the CD, or it'll freeze up at the copyright screen.
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6. Configure nGlide
Once you installed nGlide, it should have added an nGlide folder to your start menu. Inside that folder is the nGlide configurator, and it is important to spend a moment or two using it before you fire the game up, as this program is what will actually be controlling your graphics output, rather than the in-game settings.
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The most important setting here is the screen resolution. By default, this is set to "by app" which means NHL 2000 will control what you see - you will be limited to the 3 or 4 resolutions the game supported at release.
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By specifying a custom setting here, you can improve the game's visuals drastically -- just be sure to use modes your monitor supports. "By desktop" is typically a safe setting, as it will set the game to whatever resolution you use on your desktop.
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The other options can safely be left on default settings, but you may wish to turn off the 3Dfx logo splash screen which pops up every time you start the game. This logo is great for testing purposes, as when you see it, you know nGlide is working properly. After you've seen the screen for the 10th time, though...:)
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After applying your settings, cross your fingers and try to launch your NHL2K.exe. If the game works, yay you! If not, please leave me a note at the message board.
7. (Alternative) Play in Direct3D Mode
If the game does not run in Glide mode, or if you're not happy with the performance, you can try running the game in Direct3D mode.
Install this small registry key to instruct the game to run in D3D. Or, if you know your way around regedit, simply open the NHL 2000 folder and change the "Thrash Driver" setting to "dx6z".
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You will also need to unzip this replacement dx6z.dll to your NHL2K folder.
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For anyone out there using Windows 8, if you experience sluggish gameplay in Direct3D mode, unzip this ddraw.dll to your NHL2K folder to uncap your framerate.