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Need for Speed: Most Wanted

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Need for Speed: Most Wanted cover
Developers
EA Black Box
Publishers
Electronic Arts
Engines
EAGL 3
Release dates
Windows November 15, 2005
Need for Speed: Most Wanted guide on StrategyWiki
Need for Speed: Most Wanted on Wikipedia
Icon overlay.png
Icon overlay.png

Warnings

SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see Availability for affected versions).
⤏ Go to series page
The Need for Speed 1994
Need for Speed II 1997
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (series)
Need for Speed: High Stakes 1999
Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed 2000
Need for Speed: Underground (series)
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (series)
Need for Speed: Carbon 2006
Need for Speed: ProStreet 2007
Need for Speed: Undercover 2008
Need for Speed: Shift (series)
Need for Speed: World 2010
Need for Speed: The Run 2011
Need for Speed Rivals 2013
Need for Speed (2016) 2016
Need for Speed Payback 2017
Need for Speed: Edge 2017
Need for Speed Heat 2019
Need for Speed Unbound 2022

For the 2012 game, see Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012).

General information

Need for Speed Wiki

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Disc check (requires the CD/DVD in the drive to play)
CD key
 SafeDisc v4 DRM[Note 1].
Windows
SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see above for affected versions).
This game is not available digitally.

Version differences

An alternative version of the game labelled Black Edition is also available which adds a number of exclusive bonuses.[3] European users can use a patch to unlock those features.

Essential improvements

Skip intro videos

Instructions[citation needed]
  1. Go to <path-to-game>\MOVIES\
  2. Delete or rename attract_movie_english_ntsc.vp6, ealogo_english_ntsc.vp6, and psa_english_ntsc.vp6.

Notes

If you have another language then the delete the file with your language instead, and if you have the PAL version the files will have PAL instead of NTSC at the end.

Patches

Patch 1.3 is the last patch for the game. Resolves a number of issues and is strongly recommended.[4]

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

Template:Game data/row
System Location

Save game data location

Template:Game data/row
System Location
Need for Speed: Underground 2 savegame grants you extra in-game cash[5]

Video settings

General video settings
General video settings
Advanced video settings
Advanced video settings
Advanced video settings
Advanced video settings
ThirteenAG's fix requires the latest patch. See Patches.

Template:Video settings

Field of view (FOV)

Set custom FOV with NFS-VltEd[6]
  1. Download NFS-VltEd.
  2. Extract the contents and open the application.
  3. Click on File → Open and select the installation folder.
  4. On the left side, expand camerainfo and default.
  5. Select the camera you want to modify (bumper, close, etc.)
  6. On the right side, expand FOV and change the value beside [0] to the FOV you want.
    • For the hood camera, you may have to change the value for each car individually.
  7. Click on File → Save to apply the changes.
Set custom FOV with RockportEd[6]
  1. Download Ultimate ASI Loader and extract it to the installation folder.
  2. Download RockportEd and extract it to scripts\ in the installation folder (create if it doesn't exist).
  3. Start the game and press Insert to show/hide RockportEd.
  4. Select the Camera Editor and adjust the FOV slider.
  5. Click on Save Preset to apply the changes.

Notes

Other options such as camera height and vertical angle can also be adjusted.

Windowed

Set windowed mode[6]
  1. Download NFSMW Extra Options.
  2. Extract scripts\ and dinput8.dll to the installation folder.
  3. Download RockportEd and extract it to scripts\ in the installation folder.
  4. Open NFSMWExtraOptionsSettings.ini.
  5. Change WindowedMode = 0 to WindowedMode = 1.

Borderless fullscreen windowed

Set borderless fullscreen[6][7][8]
  1. If NFSMW Extra Options is installed, make sure WindowedMode = 0 is used in the configuration file.
  2. Install ThirteenAG's fix.
  3. Go to the installation folder.
  4. Create wndmode.ini and start the game.

Input settings

Input settings
Input settings

Template:Input settings

Audio settings

Audio settings
Audio settings

Template:Audio settings

By default, game plays sound in 22kHz. To change into high quality 44kHz, set level of details to max (sometimes to level 3), and restart the game.

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
German
Italian
Polish
Russian

Network

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
Local play
LAN play
4
Online play
4 Online play was retired on August 2011

Issues fixed

TweakGuides has created a comprehensive guide for fixing issues in this game.

Can't install both NFS Underground and NFS Most Wanted (2005) on the same PC

This problem occurs because both games use the same name for their main executables (speed.exe). After installing one game and attempting to install the other, its autorun program assumes it's already been installed.
Workaround[citation needed]
  1. Install the first game. It doesn't matter whether it's Underground or Most Wanted.
  2. Go to the installation folder.
  3. Change the name of speed.exe to anything else.
  4. Install the other game.
  5. Restore the original name of the first game's speed.exe.

Controller deadzone issues

Fix left stick deadzone[9]
  1. Install ThirteenAG's fix.
  2. Deadzone can be adjusted in NFSMostWanted.WidescreenFix.ini.

Can't set shadows on Intel GPU

On a PC with Intel GPU (or with Nvidia Optimus technology), the Shadow detail option is inactive.
Install ThirteenAG's fix[citation needed]

Menu lag on multicore systems

Change CPU Affinity[citation needed]
  1. Open Windows Task Manager.
  2. Look for nfs.exe process.
  3. Right-click it, then click Set Affinity.
  4. Leave a checkbox on 1 with the other unchecked.
  5. Click OK.

Game settings keeps resetting

Run the game in compatibility mode[citation needed]
  • Set options: "Disable display scaling on high DPI settings" and "Run program as an administrator".

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 9
Shader Model support 2.0 [10]
Executable 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows

Mods

Disable AI catch-up (rubber band effect)

Hex edit gameplay files[11]
  1. Go to <path-to-game>\GLOBAL\
  2. Back up gameplay.bin and gameplay.lzc.
  3. Edit gameplay.bin with a hex editor such as HxD.
  4. Go to offset 0x16ED99, change the value 01 to 00 (Disable catch up for the majority of races)
  5. Go to offset 0x18CA50, change the value 01 to 00 (Disables catch up for sprint race #1.2.3)
  6. Go to offset 0x1A5FA0, change the value 01 to 00 (Disables catch up for circuit race #4.1.1)
  7. Go to offset 0x1E5FE8, change the value 01 to 00 (Disables catch up for circuit race #15.1.1 reversed)
  8. Save gameplay.bin.
  9. Delete gameplay.lzc.
  10. Make a copy of gameplay.bin and rename to gameplay.lzc.
  11. Edit gameplay.lzc with a hex editor
  12. Insert the following bytes at the start of the file (If it's overwriting and not inserting, try pressing Insert)
    52 41 57 57 01 10 00 00 80 1F 20 00 90 1F 20 00
  13. Save and make sure gameplay.lzc is 2,105,232 bytes (if its 2,105,216 bytes, you overwrote and did not insert the bytes).

High resolution textures

Install Modern Rockport v. II or 1.0
  • Comparisons between various texture mods can be found here

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 2000 XP
Processor (CPU) Intel Pentium 4 1.4 GHz Intel Pentium 4 3 GHz
System memory (RAM) 256 MB 1 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 3 GB
Video card (GPU) ATI Radeon 7500
Nvidia GeForce 2000 MX or GTS Series
Intel 950/i915g
S3 GammaChrome S18 Pro
DirectX 9.0 compatible 		ATI Radeon 9800 series
Nvidia GeForce FX 5900
DirectX 9.0c compatible
Sound (audio device) DirectX 9.0c compatible
Controller Keyboard and Mouse USB-based DirectInput compatible Gamepad or Racing Wheel

Notes

  1. ↑ SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows 10[1] or Windows 11 and is disabled by default on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 when the KB3086255 update is installed.[2]

References