# [SOLVED] Says game is installed but it isnt?



## Mr Jones (Feb 7, 2010)

Hey everyone that is reading this. I have a problem. I got the game "Age Of Empires 3". It isn't installed on my computer but when i put the cd in, the only buttons to click are play or uninstall.I tried both of them and neither of them work. When i press play it says "unable to find ...." and when i click uninstall nothing happens. If anybody can help.... just tell me!!! PLEASE!:sigh::sigh::sigh::upset::upset:


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## Floop (Jan 3, 2009)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*

*Hi and welcome to TSF* :wave:
Browse the CD by right clicking on it and selecting "Explore".
Right click on the setup.exe file and select properties.
On the compatability tab, select "Run in compatability mode for Windows XP SP3".
See if that helps.


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## Mr Jones (Feb 7, 2010)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*



floop12444 said:


> *Hi and welcome to TSF* :wave:
> Browse the CD by right clicking on it and selecting "Explore".
> Right click on the setup.exe file and select properties.
> On the compatability tab, select "Run in compatability mode for Windows XP SP3".
> See if that helps.


OK well i came on here to read that, and while i was reading it i was extracting the contents of each CD to the computer. When i tried to run it, i put the CD in and the INSTALL button came up!! so by copying the files of, it made it work? but thanks for your suggestion.


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## Mr Jones (Feb 7, 2010)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*

Sorry about the double post, but when i click the install button, like before the install wizard comes up and closes halfway through... :4-thatsba


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## Floop (Jan 3, 2009)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*

So you have the files of the CD copied on to your HDD?
Try running the setup.exe from the files copied on to your Hard drive instead of the disk.


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## Mr Jones (Feb 7, 2010)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*



floop12444 said:


> So you have the files of the CD copied on to your HDD?
> Try running the setup.exe from the files copied on to your Hard drive instead of the disk.


Tried that, and it says CD needs to be in. I put the CD in and doesn't work. I'm pretty sure its the CD that is scratched cause i tried to burn it and it said it cant cause its scratched so ye.


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## Mr Jones (Feb 7, 2010)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*

Oh and it isn't the CD i think now lol. Cause these 2 signs come up.
1= Protection Stub Has Stopped Working
2= Initialize Basic () Failed or - Game Initialize Basic () failed


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## Mr Jones (Feb 7, 2010)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*

OK I'm back to square one. Even bought a new CD to try it but the same thing. The CD goes in and the only 2 options are Uninstall and Play. So what I'm presuming is that there are some files from the time it was previously on the computer. So I'm going to try to find and remove them. Anny suggestions please


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*



floop12444 said:


> *Hi and welcome to TSF* :wave:
> Browse the CD by right clicking on it and selecting "Explore".
> Right click on the setup.exe file and select properties.
> On the compatability tab, select "Run in compatability mode for Windows XP SP3".
> See if that helps.


Did you try Compatibly mode?


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*



Mr Jones said:


> OK I'm back to square one. Even bought a new CD to try it but the same thing. The CD goes in and the only 2 options are Uninstall and Play. So what I'm presuming is that there are some files from the time it was previously on the computer. So I'm going to try to find and remove them. Anny suggestions please


Use Revo-uninstaller to remove the old one as it is more powerful then the windows one...

The link is in my sig...


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## Mr Jones (Feb 7, 2010)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*



wrench97 said:


> Did you try Compatibly mode?


Yes I Tried That and it doesn't work. Trying that uninstaller thingy now.
:4-dontkno

The Revo Un Installer


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## Mr Jones (Feb 7, 2010)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*

OK The Revo uninstaller is a fail. The Age Of Empires 3 game isn't listed. This is why I'm so confused. Any other ideas will help me before i format my hard drive.


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*

Did you download the free trail of the Pro one as I think it can find games which aren't listed. It will take a while though...


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## Mr Jones (Feb 7, 2010)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*



Redeye3323 said:


> Did you download the free trail of the Pro one as I think it can find games which aren't listed. It will take a while though...


Yupp Pro dusnt work either


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*



Mr Jones said:


> Yupp Pro dusnt work either


I guess you may have to reinstall the OS...

Make sure you backup your files though and I am sorry I couldn't help more :4-dontkno


EDIT #Actually, try going to Program Files (C and finding the AoE folder which was created and just deleat that...

I think it may be under 'Esemble Studios' or something like that...#


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## Floop (Jan 3, 2009)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*

#EDIT#
Ok download the Windows install cleanup utility from here and see if it lists Age Of Empires 3.
I know it's for Microsoft office etc, but see if it works.


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## rossva (Dec 24, 2009)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*

...how annoying, to have to reinstall your OS just because of one game... good old Microsoft!!!

It's just got to be down to some reg entries which haven't been removed. Afraid I don't have the game so can't give specifics, so it's gonna be best guess I'm afraid...

Check HKLM/Software/MicroSoft, is there anything here for 'AOE' or 'Age of Empires 3' or anything which looks like it will be related?

If not try searching for either 'AOE' or 'empires' from the root.

Post us back what you find.


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## Mr Jones (Feb 7, 2010)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*



rossva said:


> ...how annoying, to have to reinstall your OS just because of one game... good old Microsoft!!!
> 
> It's just got to be down to some reg entries which haven't been removed. Afraid I don't have the game so can't give specifics, so it's gonna be best guess I'm afraid...
> 
> ...


i remember looking through the files once and none of them said the word "age of empires" in it. it would be sumthin like background 101 or sumthin like that. i searched anyway and found nothing


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## Floop (Jan 3, 2009)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*

Did you try my method?


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## Mr Jones (Feb 7, 2010)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*



floop12444 said:


> Did you try my method?


dusnt work.


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*

Hey Mr.Jones.

I want you to first back up your registry (instructions below) and then I want you to follow the other set of instructions and then try the install again (on the new disk)



How to check the Registry
1. Press start (the windows logo in Vista) then click Run.
2. Type regedit in the box that was just opened.
3. Find "HKEY_CURRENT_USER" and expand it by clicking the cross beside it.
4. Find Software and expand it with the cross.
5. Find Microsoft under Software and expand it with the cross.
6. Find Microsoft Games under Microsoft.
7. Find Age of Empires 3, right click and delete.
8. Restart then try the installation again.

Backup the Registry
1. Follow steps one and two above.
2. Press file, then Export.
3. Under export range, press all.
4. Find a place to save the file.
5. Please wait while it is created, this may take several minutes.


To restore the backup if anything happens, please restart your computer in safe mode and double click the registry file that you saved.


Report back once you have done this...

Redeye3323


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*

I just had a look and it is also under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE in my reg (do the same thing for the one I have just listed and you should be sorted, hopefully)


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## Mr Jones (Feb 7, 2010)

*Re: Says game is installed but it isnt?*

Mh dw i fixed it.


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## Redeye3323 (Sep 20, 2009)

Hey Mr Jones.

Could you kindly tell us how you managed to fix it?

Cheers,
Redeye3323


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