Hello there.
I'm having similar sounding issues getting my original 1.0 CD copy of Rome to work.
I upgraded to Windows 10 a few months back, and then decided to re-install my Rome. Once installed, I had very similar issues to those on this page (game not loading at all, requesting I run as admin etc).
I performed a factory restore and went back to windows 8, and it worked! I was overjoyed. HOWEVER, following a large number of Windows updates, the game no longer works. I am still using Windows 8, but am getting exactly the same problem as I was getting with 10. I have tried compatibility settings, re-installing and others, but am having no luck.
Can anyone suggest anything to get it working again?
Thanks