Major Problem with M2TW

**AJStoner** · January 19, 2011, 04:18 AM

During modding my installation went bad. I reinstalled entire game and when I get to end of 1.2 update it says files have been changed (at voice dt 3 I think) and aborts.

I have now reinstalled my entire opperating system and still, the same result. 2 questions:

1) WTF!?!

2) Does anyone have any ideas what I can do as I'm lost. I don't even understand HOW this can happen, let along what to do...

PS I tried to reapply, as instructed by installer, and It just says you can't patch 1.0 to 1.3.

**AJStoner** · January 19, 2011, 04:32 AM

I have, that's the thing... There must be hidden items (beside the virtual store and startup folders, I know about those) that survive not only the uninstall but even the reinstall of the opperating system--I didn't think that was possibile.

If it means anything, it won't let me delete the "window.old" folder, saying there are items with names too long for the recyciling bin, even though the folder shows as empty and having no size...

**Rougeman** · January 19, 2011, 04:38 AM

Are you using a disk? maybe when you uninstalled it the files were uninstalled to your disk, though i dont see how that can happen

**AJStoner** · January 19, 2011, 10:57 AM

Installing from the disks... Makes no sense to me. Have reinstalled 5 times now and reinstalled windows 2 times. No dice. It's starting to look like I'm not going to be able to play this game any more which sucks.

**Ishan** · January 19, 2011, 11:12 AM

To Technical Help
So you are getting the problem during installation from disks or after it when patching it? & is the patch on a disk also?

**irishron** · January 19, 2011, 11:56 AM

Which discs? Original? Gold Edition? Kingdoms?

Which version of Windows?

**[Tar]Naru33** · January 19, 2011, 12:48 PM

Is it possible to permantly change one of the files, making it where it won't read an important file? I once changed a file from the game "Lord of The Rings: Battle for Middle-earth 2" to a different program (I think it was notepad). It caused the game not to run at all. Even reinstalling it didn't work as the important file I mentioned stayed as the incorrect program.

The only way I got it to work again, was by restoring my computer to a date before I changed that file. Maybe that is what happened to you?

I had a hard time explaining that, so if you can't understand what I said, ask and I will explain the steps I done.

Also I noticed when I change certain read files, it is possible to change others accidentally with it. I changed a replay file from the game I said above and ALL of the other ones changed as well (I was experimenting). Too lazy to use restore, I just deleted all of the replays as they were useless anyways.

I am not sure, but that could be a reason for you; though reinstalling the Operating system would make you think it will negate your changes completely.

**irishron** · January 19, 2011, 01:55 PM

What file is it you changed?

**[Tar]Naru33** · January 19, 2011, 05:14 PM

it was a game.dat file (not sure if that is in MTW2), but it also changed some other files to the same program, causing it to not run. I don't have to worry about that though, a simple system restore changed it back. I also don't play the game no more because they shut down online capabilities in the beginning of this month.

The file was definately important, when I put the cd in to reinstall it, all the files were installed and the computer read the same ones I changed accidentally in Notepad program.... I was going to freak out, but then remembered about restore points ^_^

**irishron** · January 19, 2011, 05:19 PM

System Restore is the way to go, then.

**AJStoner** · January 20, 2011, 01:44 PM

Origional game and kingdoms disks. I am lost here... Sorry for late responses--no internet at my house so I can only check in when in town.

I WAS using system 7 but am back to Vista now--Long story...

I was screwing around with Stainless Steel. I rolled Venice & Genoa into a single faction, Italy--worked fine. I then tried to use the old Venice slot to put Wales in. I altered all the obvious files and was going through the debugging phase, making new changes (mainly in the character trait files) as the crashes happened. It seemed like I was done when I started getting "Unspecified errors."

"Oh well," I thought, and put all my origional files back in but it didn't help. Did a serch for "Wales" in the files (in case I left an altered one in there) but all was well. So, I reinstall SS. Doesn't work.

I then try to reinstall the game but my computer doesn't see Medeival at all now. Doesn't show up on any lists, several uninstall programs can't find it, built-in installer ignores me...

At this point I need to manually toss all the files in the trash. I reinstall but kingdoms disks say the stuff is already on the drive. I play around with various disk cleaners and get it to install the patches but then the weird failure right at the very end of 1.2 patch....

**irishron** · January 20, 2011, 01:56 PM

When you reinstalled Vista, did you also do this? http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=397636

**PoleCat** · January 20, 2011, 11:59 PM

Just a quick question - when you reinstalled the OS did you format the hard drive between installs? Did you perform a clean sweep of the OS or did you use emergency disks to reinstall the OS?

Lastly, have you considered a manual uninstall of M2 as described here - http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/topic/24456

Good luck!

**AJStoner** · January 21, 2011, 02:08 PM

Victory! Sorta...

Well, I did it ugly but I have it working. I sat there lookiing at my computer and found myself asking: "What would Alexander The Great do?" So, I head out to the shed to get an axe... Then it occures to me to reinstall it in a new location and see if that works. It has. This means the corrupt files are still on there someplace but they don't seem to be getting in the way now. Oddly, in my searches, I found a BUNCH of things that transfered directly over without approval. FRAPS, Python, and several other things just moved their folders into the new system after OS reinstall. Strange since they don't work and require reinstallation anyway, but--hey....

Thatks to everybody for weighing in on this. I was ready to do something unspeakable to my machine in frustration.