Installing M2TW Kingdoms Gold upon a new Win7 Professional machine...

**Tokus*Maximus** · June 11, 2011, 06:25 AM

I've moved up to a new Win7 machine and experiencing installation of M2TW Kingdoms gold.

Following advice from the gang of DLV (my home mod) I installed M2TW outside the program / program x86 folders. I also turn off the UAC setting and authorised the new folder too.

I loaded in the first disc and M2TW was installed. It plays too! However, the install didn't further request the second disc with which to install the Kingdoms campaigns - dunno if these are needed. It also refused the 1.5 patch saying that Gold was already up to this. Okay I believe it.

Treat me as stupid. Spent all morning looking at various tech' forums. My head feels like mince. Anyone know why it does not want the second kingdoms gold disc for the campaigns or why DLV 6.2 appears to install but not put an icon up.

This is SO different from safe and trusty XP! Where are the definitive guides to installing upon the current PC type; ie a Win7 machine?

Please adivse.

-- Tokus*Maximus

**Tokus*Maximus** · June 11, 2011, 06:42 AM

Seeing that M2TW Gold is the standard game disc now and Win7 the standard PC, I'd have thought there'd be a clear concise no fuss install guide somewhere on the net.

Please advise!

-- Tokus

**irishron** · June 11, 2011, 07:25 AM

No such guide exists. It did not rear its ugly head until Blu-Ray dvd-roms, Vista security carried over to 7, and Sega releasing Gold Edition with an installer written for RTW. We're learning, too.

Gold Edition, inside each folder on the disc run the setup.exe in each starting with Update2.

**Tokus*Maximus** · June 11, 2011, 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by irishron

No such guide exists. It did not rear its ugly head until Blu-Ray dvd-roms, Vista security carried over to 7, and Sega releasing Gold Edition with an installer written for RTW. We're learning, too.

Gold Edition, inside each folder on the disc run the setup.exe in each starting with Update2.

Thank you Irishron,

Will run the setup.exe inside each folder starting with update2... There is hope for my weekend of M2TW joy!

- Tokus*Maximus

**irishron** · June 11, 2011, 07:51 AM

Good luck.

**Tokus*Maximus** · June 11, 2011, 08:13 AM

Ah, after disc one fully installed I then loaded in disc 2 of the Kingdoms gold set. However, when I went into the disc's folder structure and selected the setup application as administrator, it (for a micro second) flashed a picturesque M2TW installing screen before cutting to a window which exclaimed it has detected a 1.03.000 version and this seup (from disc 2, update2) installs an earlier version (1.02.001).

Do the contents of both disc really need installed? I don't play any of the vanilla kingdoms games - just straight mods like DLV or TATW.

Should I simply stick with the first disc's install and then apply the TW_GOLD_Kingdoms_Patch_UK - giving me a working Kingdoms M2TW patched 1.5 platform on which to struggle on with installing the mods?

I'm really quite disgusted that Sega/CA can't think clearly when they continue to sell this title on the shelves today - but give no clear loading instruction for the current standard PC (ie a Win7 one).

**Tokus*Maximus** · June 11, 2011, 08:21 AM

Ah, I've now proceeded to install the 1.5 patch UK M2TW gold but it says it is already at the 1.05.000 level there.

So, installing the base Deus lo Vult mod by selecting the install application as adminstrator.

Win7 and Sega - taking the joy out of playing mods since 2011!

**Tokus*Maximus** · June 11, 2011, 08:42 AM

Well, I give up.

Done everything suggested. Installed as administrator, switched of UAC beforehand, put it all in a neat folder in my C drive outside of the program or program x86 folders. Base M2TW runs okay - fine. However, installing mods seems to go okay but there's no launch application I can find in the mod (Deus lo Vult in this case) folder structure to run it. Then when I try to install the mod patch (DLV 6.2) it unpacks and that's it - doesn't attempt to install itself. I have done this on XP so many itmes without a crash, hitch or fault but this Win7 defeats me.

**irishron** · June 11, 2011, 09:02 AM

The learning curve has got to you. Time to take a deep breath, and let it go slowly.

How many Medieval2 icons do you have on your desktop? I have five, vanilla and one for each Kingdoms campaign. Then the ones for the mods. I don't use the launcher.
I also did http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=397636 before installing anything on Win 7.

**Tokus*Maximus** · June 11, 2011, 09:22 AM

Hail Irishron!

I think I endorsed Harry's citizenship long ago, so that makes us relations in kind. Thank you for that link of SigniferOne's about how to remove problems with the Vista/Windows 7 UAC and VirtualStore. I'll try understanding my way through it once my brain has recovered. My heid feels like mince!

When I attempt to install M2TW Kingdoms from disc into a fresh folder it goes through the install process but doesn't request the second disc. Hence I only get one base M2TW icon (the bare helmet one). That does work and the game plays... however... no mods install properly.

As you advise, I'm taking a deep breath and a break from all of this - it is making me feel very frustrated with the immense cost I just forked out on a new machine. I'll be able to use it for photoshop and my main day job colouring comics for DC - but as for my favourite RTW and M2TW modding hobby - I really can't see how I can get them to function. Guess I'll just get Shogun 2 and try to forget about my previous RTW/M2TW mod love affairs, sob. :o(

Aw the best,

-- Tokus

**Tokus*Maximus** · June 11, 2011, 09:37 AM

I've tried installing fresh again - this time letting the game install into the x86 designation as it wants to as if I'm just a shopper who's bought this 2 disc M2TW Kingdoms gold game. Even then, it doesn't prompt me to put in the second disc so none of the other game types get installed or go up on the desktop - yet when I use my XP PC it does. Win7 is just not playing as far as these older game go - CA and Sega couldn't care less - they're too busy selling their latest games while these older ones are still be made and distributed in stores and on Steam - yet no one in these companies has thought about recasting the new editon launchers to cope with Vista or Win7.

The mind boggles - mine certainly does atfer two days or intense frustration.

**PoleCat** · June 11, 2011, 10:26 AM

Sorry if this comes out as to wordy but please have a go at it anyway.

Well the Gold installer was just a cobbled together installer made on the fly as far as I could ever tell. What I find strange is that it doesn't ask for the second disc. This makes me wonder what setup.exe you're using to first install the game.

The Gold edition comes with a total of seven (If I remember) installers - first off the main Gold Installer which is just a batch installer made to call all of the other installers and run them in sequence. That one should be the installer you'll see if you Autorun the disc.

Now there are two other main installers - the original M2 installer located on Disc One and the Kingdoms batch installer located on Disc Two (which in turn calls the four Kingdoms campaign installers in sequence).

If you're not receiving a request to insert Disc Two then I'm wondering if you have Explored the first disc and manually run the first setup program you see there. If I remember that is the base M2 installer and won't call the Kingdoms installer as it was written before Kingdoms existed.

Now since you've tried installing multiple times it maight be a good idea to completely remove any old installs, clean up the Registry with something like Eusing, delete the VStore (I think you've already tried but try again) and then confirm that the Reg is clean by checking out this manual uninstall checklist to make sure the offending keys are gone - http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/topic/24456.

Once you can verify you have a clean slate then try to install in order again. Disable the UAC for good measure beforehand. Skip the first installer and go directly to the M2 installer on Disc one and make sure you get a clean M2 1.0 install first. Then hit the Kindgoms installer on disc 2 and run, rinse repeat. I've had luck installing the game in C:\Program Files with no difficulty on Vista but the theory should hold for Win7. Good luck.

And my apologizes if you're already tried this - It has worked flawlessly for me before.

**Tokus*Maximus** · June 11, 2011, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by PoleCat

Sorry if this comes out as to wordy but please have a go at it anyway.

Well the Gold installer was just a cobbled together installer made on the fly as far as I could ever tell. What I find strange is that it doesn't ask for the second disc. This makes me wonder what setup.exe you're using to first install the game.

The Gold edition comes with a total of seven (If I remember) installers - first off the main Gold Installer which is just a batch installer made to call all of the other installers and run them in sequence. That one should be the installer you'll see if you Autorun the disc.

Now there are two other main installers - the original M2 installer located on Disc One and the Kingdoms batch installer located on Disc Two (which in turn calls the four Kingdoms campaign installers in sequence).

If you're not receiving a request to insert Disc Two then I'm wondering if you have Explored the first disc and manually run the first setup program you see there. If I remember that is the base M2 installer and won't call the Kingdoms installer as it was written before Kingdoms existed.

Now since you've tried installing multiple times it maight be a good idea to completely remove any old installs, clean up the Registry with something like Eusing, delete the VStore (I think you've already tried but try again) and then confirm that the Reg is clean by checking out this manual uninstall checklist to make sure the offending keys are gone - http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/topic/24456.

Once you can verify you have a clean slate then try to install in order again. Disable the UAC for good measure beforehand. Skip the first installer and go directly to the M2 installer on Disc one and make sure you get a clean M2 1.0 install first. Then hit the Kindgoms installer on disc 2 and run, rinse repeat. I've had luck installing the game in C:\Program Files with no difficulty on Vista but the theory should hold for Win7. Good luck.

And my apologizes if you're already tried this - It has worked flawlessly for me before.

Thank you for your time and clear pointers Polecat. I'm going to enjoy some late lunch and then clean up the reg', turn off the pesky UAC and begin again with your good pointers.

Thank you Sir!

**irishron** · June 11, 2011, 10:56 AM

Good luck with it.

**Tokus*Maximus** · June 12, 2011, 06:25 AM

Dear Irishron and Polecat,

After a correspondence with Taiji yesterday we've decided that we'll stop trying to install M2TW Knigdoms from the boxed discs and instead goning to download both M2TW and Kingdoms from Steam this week. Perhaps that'll get around this mysterious second M2TW Kingdoms disc not getting prompted for installation.

Hopefully, this week, I'll be back in the M2TW modding saddle, so to speak.

Thank you for all your pointers and support.

-- Tokus*Maximus

**PoleCat** · June 12, 2011, 08:14 AM

Originally Posted by Tokus*Maximus

Dear Irishron and Polecat,

After a correspondence with Taiji yesterday we've decided that we'll stop trying to install M2TW Knigdoms from the boxed discs and instead goning to download both M2TW and Kingdoms from Steam this week. Perhaps that'll get around this mysterious second M2TW Kingdoms disc not getting prompted for installation.

Hopefully, this week, I'll be back in the M2TW modding saddle, so to speak.

Thank you for all your pointers and support.

-- Tokus*Maximus

I'll admit I'm not a modder but I've heard nothing but problems related to adding mods when using the Steam download. Something about having to tweak the the file structure under Steam to get mods to work at all. irishron would have much more to say on that I'm sure.

Have you tried manually running the Kingdoms installer off of the second disc? I'll have to locate the discs to find the right path but it seems to me that would solve your problems.

Ultimately it's up to you. Good luck!