When I connect my laptop to my hdtv with hdmi and use it as my main display, it doesn't play. I try to load up ss2 and i get a "system shock 2 has stopped working" message.

Even if I try to load the game before switching the main display, it doesn't work. It only comes up on my laptop then. Any ideas how to fix this?

make sure that the primary (laptop) is disabled (that only the hdtv is active). that should fix it. or dig through the documentation - I thing there was a variable that allowed the user to specify the display number on which is the game supposed to run.