I don't even know what hardware acceleration or where to find it (PC Game n00b that I am).
Everybody started off not knowing very much about computers. (
actually, it's getting so that we sometimes have to become as savvy as flippin' 'System Administrators' just to sort out those blasted/wonderful contraptions!)
Anyway, turning off hardware acceleration is *much* simpler than messing with your graphics card setting. All you have to do is:
1. Start the game.
2. Right click anywhere on the screen.
3. Choose settings.
4. Click on the icon in bottom left corner.
5. Make sure the hardware acceleration box is unchecked.
P.S. These steps are mentioned in the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) at
Machinarium.com. A good rule of thumb is to always
look for the FAQ when you're having troubles.