Mmm, don't know what that could be!
Do you mean new PCs or other household PCs?
Are the PCs you're testing it on relatively new?
I know it was playing up on my PC!
One time I started playing and when I built a City with my first Settler, it just closed back to the desktop screen.
So I re-installed Windows XP and it worked like a charm!
Hope you get going on it as it's an awesome game! Doesn't beat the legendary Civ II but it's still awesome!!!