If I understand well, it is more a compatibility with graphic card driver problem than a problem with C2 itself, I know that is problematic, but this reminds me something, not sure everyone encounter this kind of problem before:
When you buy a PC game at a store, on the box, there are a configuration list, to know if you can/can't play the game at all, or how well it will play.
Maybe, it is possible to make a program/Page that check if the game is compatible, and if not, how to make it better (@Ashley like the scirra mark, but for PC, could this be possible?), also, if you want to check if an executable will eventually work on a PC (and mobile phone maybe?), why not also make a Demo of the game
EDIT: also, a compatibility mode, if it is not to hard to implement, can be good as well (les/no particles, less effects, etc...)