Windows 10: cannot start M2TW

[Kleitos_]

After finally accomplished a clean install of Windows10 Pro 64 bit - i installed M2TW Gold Edition on it and couldnt start it. (from DVD - not Steam, whatever that is)
right after trying to launch it, this Message pops up: (well it comes up in german, i can only try to translate it)

"medieval2.exe - Systemerror
Programm cannot be launched, because d3dx9_30.dll is missing on your computer. Install the programm again to solve this problem."

well first i tried this but it didn't help. In the first Install i did not check the DirectX option because on Windows10 the DirectX version is 11.1 - so the version on the M2TW DVD would only be an older one.
In the second try i checked this option but then after half way of the installation a message showed up like: ..could not launch directX.. and i thought, ok this might be because
there is already a newly version of it on the computer.
But again above message showed up after trying to start the game.

I installed it not in the programm files because i need M2TW for the EB2 Mod and so it should be installed outside of the programm files. (..in my case like D:\Games\Sega\M2TW)

Searched on the internet for hours in regard of the d3dx9_30.dll file or a possible downgrade of directX ...but also, i dont know what exactly the problem is.

So if anyone here might know about this problem and could shine some light upon it here - i would be very thankful.
The game should run on Windows 10 at least i still hope so.

thanks,
Kleitos

[Atahualpa]

Windows 10 sucks. I hope somebody can help you.

[Kleitos_]

yeah, thanks. ..already upgraded to Win 10 last year but switched back to 7 because a couple of programms didnt work. ...since this free upgrade is only valid until end of july i thought i give it another try - at least this time i was able to make a clean install.

[Frunk]

I disagree that Windows 10 sucks. I've been playing Medieval 2 on it (disc version) for almost a year and I'd say performance is better than it was on the same computer with Windows 7.

I'm unfamiliar with the Gold Edition. Are you able to run the Kingdoms campaigns or any mods, perchance?

There is an issue which cropped up last year when Windows disabled a security driver in all operating systems from W7 to W10. I've documented it here and listed several possible fixes:

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...otal-War-games

I have my doubts, since the symptoms you describe aren't the same. With the SafeDisc issue, you don't get any Direct X error message - you get no message whatsoever even after a successful install. Still, let's rule it out at least.

Why do you need to install outside your regular drive? Have you tried installing it in the default directory just to see if it works?

[Kleitos_]

@Frunk - thanks for the reply and link, and yes its not the SafeDisc issue. I had the SafeDisc issue last september when
with Windows7 after the KB3086255 update.
I could only resolve it with editing the registry - according to this:
http://community.simtropolis.com/for...from-starting/

..but i doubt it if this is possible with Windows10. anyway the error message after this KB3086255 update was:
"Access denied, please login with administrator privileges and try again." ..but didnt worked as admin either.

but my problem is this "...d3dx9_30.dll is missing on your computer...".

Well i thought the gold edition, which i have, is the only one in which Kingdoms is included.?
Or did you mean you had M2TW and Kingdoms as seperate games?

The mod wouldnt work if M2TW is installed in the programm files. ..like described here:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...2a-is-released!
..and after all, in Windows7 the Game worked also perfectly outside the programm files.
for me no need to try - because i need the game only for this mod.
..there are people playing this mod on Win10 - and of course i put this request in the specific forum as well.
but since the basic is the engine of M2TW i try to ask here also.
but until now no one seemed to experience the same problem.

[Gigantus]

Did you have a look through all of this stuff?

[Kleitos_]

thanks Gigantus - but this search result was the first i found too. ...but quite a lot of contradicting stuff. ..also not recommended to download just somewhere this specific file as a single file and put it ..well where exactly.
in one of these search results it was recommended to install an older version of DirectX. which sounded not so risky as the thing above - but then how the heck can i deinstall DirectX 11.2 from Windows 10 - it seems not possible. ..there is no deinstallation like with other programms. ..just some weird hints in changing in the registry. ...but unlike the SafeDisc issue i didnt found an instruction which files are to delete and to edit in the registry to deinstall directX.
and another site even claimed: there is no need to deinstall because a higher DirectX automatically adapt to games with lower requirements - sounds logic - but anyway obviously it does't work like that.
im starting to get pissed off with this Windows 10 - it forces to buy new stuff, new programms games whatever...

but i still wonder why some can play M2TW on Win10 and some not. ..maybe there are some editions of the game which work and others not,...dependend on when they were released maybe?.

i even contacted the sega support in germany - but they only say M2TW is not meant to be played on Win10 (not tested) and will probably not work on it.

[Kleitos_]

update - for anyone who stumbles about this d3dx9_30.dll issue here in:

i just asked the microsoft hotline - ..got the info to just install an older DirectX version
(no need to deinstall the newer one) so i did - made a newstart. in windows 10 there was this actualize and then newstart option..
after newstart i checked dxdiag: and still there was v.11.1 (i installed 9.29 before)!??
But, somehow anyway, who knows how all this stuff works, the missing file (or maybe files) seemed to be on the computer now.
i started M2TW and it really worked without any error message!

so time to download EB2.2.

...actually i expected the SafeDisc issue as a problem - like last year with Windows7 ...i am really positively surprised that i dont have to bother with that now on windows10.

[Frunk]

Awesome news! Glad to hear you got it sorted Kleitos, and thanks for sharing the information.

[Vandiemen70]

Ok, So my version of M2TW was running just fine as of 2 days ago. No Mods, nothing, just an install to an external drive. I restarted my computer this evening, steam updated (M2TW NOT activated on Steam, this is a retail, in the box version) Now I get a message telling me that the software is not compatible with the installed operating system and to please install Win98, 2000 or newer. This seems different than all the other issues I have read about.....

[Gigantus]

That's a first. If you have Steam why not convert your box version to it?

[Greutel]

Steam version of Rome has really bad performance, I don't know if it's the same with medieval 2.

[Gigantus]

Steam version of Rome has really bad performance, I don't know if it's the same with medieval 2.

Please define 'bad performance'. As M2TW only uses one processor it's a matter of individual processor speed, use this if you have graphic problems during sieges. Setting your graphics to 'shader2' may help as well.

[Greutel]

The steam Version of Rome actually runs slower than the disc version, at least on my computer. I don't know if this will be a problem with medieval 2 but for me that's a reason to be hesitant with steam and older TW games.
AFAIK there are no problems with the steam version of med2, though.

[♔atthias♔]

The steam Version of Rome actually runs slower than the disc version, at least on my computer. I don't know if this will be a problem with medieval 2 but for me that's a reason to be hesitant with steam and older TW games.
AFAIK there are no problems with the steam version of med2, though.

I can confirm the problem whit the rome steam version but MTW2 works perfect

[LordSpiderzZz]

Hey, I'm having a different problem. I'm on windows 10 and have successfully downloaded/installed Medieval 2. But when I try to launch, no error message comes up yet the application doesn't start! Nothing happens. Please can someone help??? Also, about your problem, have you tired searching your PC for the DirectX file and checking it's properties to make sure you have the 11.1 version and there hasn't been a malfunction in the download of Windows 10?

[LordSpiderzZz]

- Forget 2nd half of reply.

[Frunk]

Hey, I'm having a different problem. I'm on windows 10 and have successfully downloaded/installed Medieval 2. But when I try to launch, no error message comes up yet the application doesn't start! Nothing happens. Please can someone help???

Hi LordSpiderzZz, and welcome to TWC!

The problem you are experiencing is almost certainly the SafeDisc Issue, which I've personally researched over the last year and reported on in this thread:

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...er-work-at-all

You'll find a full explanation and various potential solutions in that thread. Let me know how you get on.