If you still see this, try the "FOOBAR" trick: create a blank file named FOOBAR (no file extension) in the game directory.
If "speed2exe" is indeed a converter or compiler, it likely takes source code or project files and compiles them into a standalone executable file that can be run directly on a Windows system (assuming .exe is the target format).
It updates the game to version 1.2, which was the final official patch released for NFSU2. Cracked by Hoodlum: