NFSU2

Install

Install NFSU2 on Windows 10/11

Start with your retail game and the official patch matching its edition. The widescreen fix is a community display and compatibility plugin, not a replacement for SafeDisc support. A protected executable that cannot start on modern Windows is a separate obstacle.

Before you run setup

  1. Confirm the executable name SPEED2.EXE so you are not patching Underground 1.
  2. Note your region and language, then choose the matching official patch from the index on the download page. The mirror is not an EA store or an endorsement of every file on that host.
  3. Read the original requirements on the requirements page if the PC is unusually old. A current desktop is far above a Pentium III.

Documented setup order and its limits

  1. Install from your own retail media, swapping discs if your edition requires it. Only grant installer privileges to software whose origin you trust.
  2. Apply the 1.2 patch for your region.
  3. Unpack the ThirteenAG widescreen fix into the game folder. Its Ultimate ASI Loader arrives as dinput8.dll.
  4. Read the release's NFSUnderground2.WidescreenFix.ini for display settings. NoOpticalDriveFix addresses missing optical-drive detection, not every disc prompt and not retail DRM. See the widescreen page.
  5. Start the game. If the screen stays black, use the crash page before you add mods.

Windows 11 specifically

Retail SafeDisc is not supported on Windows 10/11 as it was on the original target systems. NoOpticalDriveFix is not a SafeDisc removal feature; neither the official 1.2 patch nor the widescreen plugin guarantees that a protected retail executable will launch. This guide does not provide replacement executables. On 64-bit Windows the default registry settings are under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\EA Games\Need for Speed Underground 2\; a mod can redirect settings to a file.

Original illustration of a night garage with a spare wheel
Original illustration for this guide. Not an EA screenshot.
Original illustration of a wet night street under an overpass
Original illustration for this guide. Not an EA screenshot.

Questions people ask

Does EA support Windows 11?

No official Windows 10 or 11 support is listed. The game is a 32-bit Direct3D 9 executable from 2004.

Which patch should I apply?

Use the official patch matching your disc's region and language. The linked NFS-Planet patch index lists regional 1.2 updates; do not apply a different language's installer just because the version number matches.

Where is the save file?

On modern Windows it is %LOCALAPPDATA%\NFS Underground 2\. Details are on the save-location page.

Sources checked 2026-10-23

Checked on 2026-10-23. Prices, player counts, and store listings are snapshots from that date.