Question
  My game fails to start and I meet or exceed the requirements.
 
  Answer
  If the game is failing to start once it is installed it may be due to an issue with your video card. Sim City 4 requires a 16 MB DirectX 7 or higher compliant video card before the game will run properly. Here is a list of supported video cards for the game;

- nVidia RIVA TNT, TNT2, TNT2 M64, & TNT2 Ultra

- nVidia GeForce SDR, GeForce DDR, GeForce Quadro,
GeForce2 GTS, GeForce2 MX, GeForce2 GTS, GeForce3,
GeForce4 MX, and GeForce4 Ti 4200/4400/4600

- ATI Radeon 7000, 7200, 7500, 8500, 9000, 9700

- Matrox G400, G450, G550, Parhelia

However if your card is not on this list, and does have at least 16MB of video memory, you can try running the game in software rendering mode to see if your game will launch. To do this:

Right-Click the shortcut on your desktop for Sim City 4.
Left-Click "properties".

In the target box you will see the command line: "C:\Program Files\Maxis\Sim City 4\Sim City4.exe"

Add a space, then type the following at the end of the line: -d:software

When you are done, the target line should look like this: "C:\Program Files\Maxis\Sim City 4\Sim City4.exe" -d:software

There must be a space between the end quote and the -d:software for this shortcut to work properly. Once you have added this switch, apply the change then attempt to run the game. If the game still will not run after making this change, sadly, there is nothing further we can do. We do not issue refunds directly, however we can exchange your game for a sealed copy that you can return to the store from which it was purchased. Send the entire game (CD ROM and packaging) along with a copy of the receipt (If you have the original box you will not need the receipt. If you do not have the box, you will need the receipt), a return address, daytime phone number, and a brief note explaining your situation to: