First time playing, game won't work

**Underdark_Jester** · May 22, 2009, 03:59 PM

I usually don't have these problems, but I just built a new computer, and decided to give the total war series a try. However, I've reinstalled Medieval 2: Total war a few times now, and I've searched the internet, and I still can't find a solution to my problem. When I go to play it, nothign happens for a few seconds, then the screen turns black, followed by "Medieval 2: total war encountered an unspecified error and will now exit." I go to the system.log.txt file, and this is what it tells me.

15:46:33.703 [system.rpt] [always] CPU: SSE2
15:46:33.718 [system.rpt] [always] ==== system log start, build date: Apr 23 2007 version bld-medieval2-update2-84 (37970) ===
15:46:33.718 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_0.pack
15:46:33.718 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_1.pack
15:46:33.718 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_2.pack
15:46:33.718 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_3.pack
15:46:33.734 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/data_4.pack
15:46:33.734 [system.io] [always] mounted pack packs/localized.pack
15:46:33.734 [system.io] [warning] open: preferences/player.txt is missing
15:46:33.734 [system.io] [warning] open: preferences/keys.dat is missing
15:46:33.734 [system.io] [warning] open: preferences/keys.dat is missing
15:46:35.562 [system.rpt] [error] Medieval 2: Total War encountered an unspecified error and will now exit.

I've tried creating the preferences/player.txt and preferences/keys.dat files myself, but then it just skips those lines and goes from the pack/localized line to the error line.

I've unpacked all teh .pack files as well, and I've searched the folder and I can't seem to locate a preferences folder either. Any ideas on how to fix this? And yes, I did actually buy the game, so it is complete.

**irishron** · May 23, 2009, 03:45 AM

Did you buy Medieval2 or Medieval2 Gold? Where did you get your copy of version 1.2 and is it the same language as the original game?
What are your computer specs?
What other programs do you have on your computer?
The error log is the usual garbage. The localized pack is the game's way of which language, version, and other assorted details that just get read by the .exe. Unless you're going to do modding no reason to unpack it. I have yet to find a players.txt so it's not needed to run the game. The only preferences.txt I know of is medieval2.preferences.txt.

**Underdark_Jester** · May 24, 2009, 02:29 AM

Gold eddition,
2.8 AMD phantom II
4 gb ram
windows xp sp2
Saphire Radeon 4870 ati

And I actualy wasted the time downloading patch 1.2 and then realized that it came with 1.3
And really the only other programs I have on my computer are total war games, Empire and Rome installed smoothly.

**irishron** · May 24, 2009, 03:00 AM

Does this mean you're ready to run or have other issues with the install?

**Underdark_Jester** · May 24, 2009, 02:16 PM

Thats whats getting me, I've reintalled a few times and I'm just put back to square one. I'm so confused I've tryed just about all I can think of. Any other ideas???