Cannot Start or Load any RTW Campaign, AT ALL

[Jon1776]

Alright, here's a problem that I've been faced with for the past week or so:a

Every time I go to start (or load) a campaign in RTW, it crashes to desktop. I have no idea why, and I know that it isn't a fluke, unless my install discs are corrupted now. Here's how: I've uninstalled, reinstalled, and patched multiple times over the past week, and each time, it happens. The only time it doesn't do this, is when I run the game immediately after patching it to 1.5, but on the next play, even five minutes later, it crashes again.

Here's the full Windows error report:

Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: RomeTW.exe
Application Version: 1.0.0.0
Application Timestamp: 438afb5a
Fault Module Name: RomeTW.exe
Fault Module Version: 1.0.0.0
Fault Module Timestamp: 438afb5a
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 00ab1869
OS Version: 6.0.6001.2.1.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 9fca
Additional Information 2: 0c7a94d70badbd89705dcf5c3bec35ae
Additional Information 3: 55a5
Additional Information 4: d8fe09cdf78f15fae6adfd400dd970d7

If anyone can help me with this, I will be forever grateful. RTW is one of my favorite Total War games, and it really depresses me that I cannot play it.

[irishron]

Have you ever been able to play on this computer?

[Jon1776]

Have you ever been able to play on this computer?

Yes, I have. This is the only computer that I've had it on for about 5 years.

[irishron]

What version of Wndows?

[Jon1776]

What version of Wndows?

Windows Vista (2008), but, like I said, I've been playing this game on this laptop for years. It's only now, recently, happened.

[irishron]

It could be the laptop is wearing out. Nothing new.

Out of curiosity, when was the last time you cleaned out the case? Especially the vents, fans, heatsink(s)?

[Jon1776]

Just last week (the day before I started having the troubles...) I try keeping my computer in good condition. o~o

By any chance, this idea popped into my head a few minutes ago:
A long time ago, I used the Rome Total Realism mod, and after I uninstalled it, did a system wipe of Rome Total War. Could, if by any chance, left over folders (despite being in an entirely separate program file) be the problem? Because that is the only thing I can think of anymore, really.