Problem with RTW (split from someone else's thread)

[Divinehammer]

I am having a similar issue , I was playing SPQR 8 since it came out then a few nights I go I played late came in again and I get the same error as stated above.
I have reinstalled and the error happens on Vanilla first version and on 1.3 and 1.5 also with SPQR 8 installed. I allowed the game to install the recommended Directx as well. I have also tried installing the realtek drivers but that didnt help.
i am using xp3
What are the commands to disable the videos at first start I want to try that. Sometimes i can hear the disc spin up but then i get the error. Very annoying to get this error now.
When I install it does not allow me to activate my copy of Rome with the key I suppose the lic server is down but that is to be expected.

-- double posts merged (Brusilov) - please use the EDIT button and don't post in someone else's thread with an unrelated problem

So just I went out and got a No-CD exe for 1.5 and it worked. So what the heck is going on there????

[Brusilov]

As you have admitted to using a crack - closed.