Problem with GTA 3 PC game

I recently picked up Grand Theft Auto III for the PC. I got it about a week ago and installed it on my hard drive. The game played fine after I installed the latest drivers for my video card. But unfortunately that hard drive died, so I recently purchased a new hard drive (WD 80gb 8mb cache HD). I've got that hard drive running on my computer now and today I tried to install GTA 3 onto this new hard drive. It installs fine but when you load up the game everything that's letters or menus is just thick blocks instead of letter, words, etc. I thought this was a video card problem so I reinstalled all the newest driver's but then I tried it again and I'm still having the same problem (thick blocks in place of letters/menus). Is this a game software problem? Or a video card problem? It worked fine a week ago but now it's all blocky. I've tried reinstalling GTA 3 and seeing if that would work and unfortunately it didn't. Can somebody please help me? What can I do to fix this problem?

Thanks

This is straight from the GTA3 readme file, located in the ReadMe folder where you installed GTA3.

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TROUBLESHOOTING
_________________

Windows XP + nVIDIA based cards (possibly other brands):
We have found a possible problem with Windows XP that manifests itself
as graphical problems both in the game menu and also during game play.
We have traced this problem to be a Windows XP problem.
Technically this problem is solved by the use of a newer version of
d3d8.dll than is shipped on CD with Windows XP. (The version on the
Windows XP CD that has problems is 5.1.26000.0 – versions tested
without error include 5.1.2600.15 and 5.1.2600.29)
Currently the only way we know to update this dll file is to install
the Windows XP Patch: “The Computer Cannot Enter Standby or Hibernate
If a Direct3D-Based Screen Saver Is Running (Q306676)” downloadable
from the following Web Site:
http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...1_x86_ENU.exe.
This update may in the future be available as part of an official
Windows XP Service Pack, a Windows XP Compatibility Update, or possibly
a DirectX 8.1 update.

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That should help you :p

I clicked on your link and it said "Error Page" and could not be displayed.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Jome20
I clicked on your link and it said "Error Page" and could not be displayed.

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use the Qxxx number and search in microsoft's support center

Quote:

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Originally posted by Jome20
I clicked on your link and it said "Error Page" and could not be displayed.

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Oops, sorry :o! Here is the real link that works:

Click Here

Just wanted to say "Thanks" to QuiKsiLveR. The linked worked, and the game is great (now that I can actually read and play it).