Need help installing (Steam version)

[Vendayn]

Well, I've had to reinstall my Medieval 2 Total War+expansion seven times now. Each time takes about an hour to install through steam...so now, I'm posting here. I've since made a backup of the main Medieval 2 folder, that way I don't spend an hour installing it again. Takes up a lot of space, but ah well.

I've read many guides, and I haven't had any luck at all.

I turned off UAC
Turned off my virus protector
Installed 6.3 into the mod folder (with admin rights)
Renamed Kingdoms.exe to launcher.exe (made a backup of launcher.exe first), admin rights again
And put this under launch options: @mods\SS6.3\default.cfg

It starts to load up, turns into an hour glass...and then exits right after.

But I don't like this way anyway, as I heard doing it this way...means I lose features from this mod. Doesn't seem to work for me either. But if I lose features, that is just as bad. I've spent half the day trying to figure this annoying thing out...

I've read various threads and guides...but nothing seems to work for me. I'm not new to modding, I modded Steam Rome Total War, and various other games...but can't seem to get this one to work. And I bought the gold pack for Medieval 2 just because of this mod...should have gone retail to begin with, at least I wouldn't lose features and I would be playing already...

Also, I have Windows 7, and all my Steam games are installed in E drive

Any help? Thanks

[Navajo Joe]

Vendayn,

I attach a thread that you may find of use:

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=426648

[Vendayn]

I saw that thread already...I followed most of the steps (including restarting PC)...only thing I didn't do was try to bypass the launcher

And now I get

Medieval II suffered a fatal error and will now exit.

That is when I select Stainless Steel mod.

When I don't select SS mod, I get an unspecified error

If I bypass the launcher, then I miss important features (so I read), so I don't want to do that

(edit)

Guess I have no choice.

Well, got 6.3 to work, now hopefully to get 6.4 to work

[Vendayn]

Well, as I said...6.3 works.

But it all breaks as soon as I try to get 6.4 installed. First time, I put 6.4 and set the installation to the mod folder (to overwrite the files in 6.3)...second time, I used a different location, and copied the files over...

But then I get an error message, that is blank...it doesn't say what the error is or anything. It doesn't even try opening SS, but the vanilla medieval 2 game. But 6.3 didn't do this.

This is what I have in launch options: @mods\SS6.3\default.cfg

(edit)

Tried a second time...6.3 worked fine. Put in 6.4, and it doesn't even try starting SS...it just tries to load vanilla Med 2. Even though I have the code in the launch options to load default.cfg...

this is really strange

[Vendayn]

Well, no idea why 6.4 doesn't work at all...doesn't load up or anything. Even tried installing it elsewhere, and then copying the files over.

6.3 works just fine, I can load it up...but as soon as I put 6.4 in, steam tries to start the original version, and I get a blank error message.

Is this not the right launch code for 6.4: @mods\SS6.3\default.cfg?

I honestly don't know why its doing this. 6.3 was crazy easy to install...but 6.4 is just not working at all. Even after following advice from other threads.

(edit)

I tried changing the ss6.3 folder to americas...and it loaded up to the load screen, and I got the hourglass, but then it immediately exited out.

(edit)

Restarted PC...didn't do anything. Changing folder to americas sorta worked...but it auto exits out.

(edit)

So I again did a clean install, made sure I installed everything under admin mode (I did this before)...didn't do anything different...but this time, I had Steam turned off, the entire time. Started Steam, and

IT WORKS! Finally. After many hours of sitting in front of my PC (from 3 am to 6:23 PM), it finally works. No idea what it was, or if Steam being off had something to do with it...but now I can play!

Sorry for all these posts by the way...was getting quite frustrated. Guess that is what happens when you don't take a single break, when trying to figure out a problem get more frustrated as you keep trying to figure it out...a break would have been nice and helped ease the frustration, but ah well.

I'm glad I'm able to play now Again, sorry for all the posts.

[Navajo Joe]

Vendayn,

Glad that you got SS to work, providing advise with Steam is always difficult, as what works for one, does not for another. Generally is it the case of just fiddling around and perseverance. I would suggest however to defrag, clean up and registry clean, as you have installed/uninstalled on a number of occasions, just makes sure that any loose ends are tidied up