# C&C:Generals installation problem



## FridgeMunky2 (Apr 20, 2005)

Ok guys here's the problem: I bought C&C:Generals about a year or 2 ago from target or something, and installed it on my computer. I also got Zero Hour, the expansion, and put that on my computer, and both worked great (best game ever lol). BUT! after wiping my computer due to virus multiple times, installing again and again after every wipe, it now decides that generals doesnt want to get installed. Basically what happens is: Install process is working good..... until it starts installing audioenglish.big, the 2nd biggest file on the disk. It takes literally 10 minutes to install 1% of it, while it installed the biggest file in about 30 seconds. Also, I can tell that it is not reading from my disk drive that is working very well with all of my other disks, and i can tell that its not working right because of the sound it is making -- it sounds as if it starts to read the cd, but then just stops reading it. I also have reason to believe that the audioenglish.big file is corrupt.... maybe.... so can anyone help me here? plz? i desperately desire to play this game. Oh and if possible, try not to tell me to go back to target and get another one since i lost my receipt lol  Also, my comp's stuff -- 128 mb graphics crad (definately working) 2 ghz, 512 mb ram, 32x CD drive (same one used to originally install with) windows *98* (must get XP lol).
EA Customer Support didn't help, they basically told me to get a new disk...
I also tried manually transferring the files from both disks (yes there are 2 installation disk, one is used only to istall). That didn't work. At all. So Plz help me!

THX! --FridgeMunky2

BTW sorry for the huge-a$$ msg lol


----------



## Sarkast (Sep 12, 2004)

Well if your drive makes a noise like its spinning up, slowing down, spinning up.. etc ... again and again than that could mean there is something on the CD that makes it impossible for the drive to read a certain part (probably where that file is located). Have you checked the CD for fingerprints, dirt, dust or scratches ? Sounds exactly like thats the problem.


----------



## FridgeMunky2 (Apr 20, 2005)

yeah it sounds like that.... lemme go check that now....doo dee doo......
ANALYSIS: 1 very small fingerprint, 3 VERY VERY small surface sctratches on back of CD which don't look like they're deep at all (hence the word surface). 
thx for trying tho ^_^


----------



## Sarkast (Sep 12, 2004)

Have you tried the CD in a diffrent drive ? CD drives age and it might have a problem with this particular CD - for whatever reason. That way you'll be able to make sure its either a problem with your drive or the CD.


----------



## FridgeMunky2 (Apr 20, 2005)

*Omg Omg*

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG! i wiped off the fingerprint and tried installing it and it didnt work then i iwiped it again it worked! lololol! OMG IM SO HAPPY! MY LIFE HAS MEANING NOW!! THANK YOU GOD! :1angel: 
and sarkast lol


----------



## Sarkast (Sep 12, 2004)

Amazing what a little greasy fingerprint can do :wink: 
Have fun.....


----------



## FridgeMunky2 (Apr 20, 2005)

*erm.....*

ya about that..... its says to make sure i have directx 8.1 or higher *cough*9.0c*cough* and to make sure my gfx card meets requirements, which it also duz, and i THINK it has the most updated driver, so i cant c why its not working :dead:


----------



## Sarkast (Sep 12, 2004)

So you basically got it to install but cant play it ?


----------



## FridgeMunky2 (Apr 20, 2005)

**

yeah basically..... i found a more updated driver, but when i installed it my comp got ufxxored and crashed 3 times in a row :sad: so i used goback (the way to fix all of lifes problems lol) so now im back to the way it was, and im gonna try that again.... but better....


----------



## Sarkast (Sep 12, 2004)

When updating the drivers for your graphics card its usually best to start in safe mode - deinstall them and then install the latest ones available. Installing one set of drivers over the other usually creates problems....


----------



## FridgeMunky2 (Apr 20, 2005)

*Oh My God*

y must my computer hate me!!!! i updated my driver to the second most updated one (since the most updated was for XP only, which i found out the hard way -- after my computer crashed lol) but anyhoo, now that i have the 2nd most updated, i go into the game, but instead of giving me an error right after the title screen, it just closes out! how rude! any idea there smart guy? lol. 

EDIT: so i thought: hmm... nortan AV maybe? so i tried closing it, same thing :4-dontkno motrucka!


----------



## Sarkast (Sep 12, 2004)

Did you have the AV software disabled when you installed the drivers ? Sometimes they interfere with the installation.


----------



## FridgeMunky2 (Apr 20, 2005)

*0_0*

i hate u. actually..... i think i did..... because i like always kill off my AV software cuz it makes my comp so slow.... plus if i do get a virus i can always use the not-so-magical goback lol :heartlove


----------



## Sarkast (Sep 12, 2004)

Did you try running the Direct X tests to make sure they all come out ok ?

Do you get any error messages when the game exits ?


----------



## FridgeMunky2 (Apr 20, 2005)

*hmmmmm*

*** is a directx test lol... but i know i have the right version cuz it says 8.1 or higher and i thought i had 9.0c but apparently i have 9.0b....

before i got an error msg saying to make sure my stuff meets the requirements, but now it just exits without a message. HOW RUDE! :sayno:

EDIT: I also asked EA games for tech support if we can't figure how to fix this, so ill c what they say if u cant help -- they should respond in about a day


----------



## Sarkast (Sep 12, 2004)

Ok now its been a while since i used Win98 but i think its the same as XP.

Go to START, RUN, type in: dxdiag
Go to the display tab, under Direct X features are 2 tests:
Test DirectDraw, TestDirect3D

See if they all run correctly.


----------



## FridgeMunky2 (Apr 20, 2005)

*wow*

that was...... INTERESTING.
*flashback* woooooooo! again! again!

lol.... needless to say, all tests (including sound and music tests) were successful.

KEEP TRYING! MY COMPUTER WILL ALWAYS BEAT YOU! IT DOES NOT COOPERATE! :laugh:

EDIT: Felt bad after misuse of the term "bust a move". Therefore i removed it from the post lol.


----------



## Sarkast (Sep 12, 2004)

So i have to assume Direct X is fully functional.

If there are any patches for the game try downloading and installing them.

I came across a similar problem with a game once. Turned out to be the installation got corrupted for some odd reason. Installing it a second time solved the problem.
Other than trying those 2 things i dont have anymore ideas at this point of time - maybe EA can give you another useful clue.
Of course there are other more game oriented techs on here - they will hopefully post their suggestions later.


----------



## FridgeMunky2 (Apr 20, 2005)

*ok then*

bye for now i guess..... im off to get the patch -- ill add to this post if it works. If it doesn't and EA doesnt help.... then im fuxxored lol :wink:


----------



## FridgeMunky2 (Apr 20, 2005)

*Omg R U U Serious*

wow things just got worse.... i go to patch it and it says that an old file that needs to be changed is missing, so i uninstall it successfully, but i go to reinstall it and now im right back where i started -- can't even get a clean install... MY COMPUTER IS EVIIIIIIIL!


----------



## Sarkast (Sep 12, 2004)

Which makes me believe i was right with what i said - the installation was probably corrupted and thats why it didnt work. There must be something wrong with the CD or your drive cant read it.
Did EA offer to replace the CD for free ?


----------



## Wurn (Apr 21, 2005)

FridgeMunky2 said:


> y must my computer hate me!!!! i updated my driver to the second most updated one (since the most updated was for XP only, which i found out the hard way -- after my computer crashed lol) but anyhoo, now that i have the 2nd most updated, i go into the game, but instead of giving me an error right after the title screen, it just closes out! how rude! any idea there smart guy? lol.
> 
> EDIT: so i thought: hmm... nortan AV maybe? so i tried closing it, same thing :4-dontkno motrucka!
> 
> wow things just got worse.... i go to patch it and it says that an old file that needs to be changed is missing, so i uninstall it successfully, but i go to reinstall it and now im right back where i started -- can't even get a clean install... MY COMPUTER IS EVIIIIIIIL!


....


It seems like you have done EVERYTHING but trying a new cd rom drive. I know for a fact that CD-Roms 32x and older will sometimes not read newer or copied cd-r's. So get a newer cd rom like 50x up and try installing the game again.

It should work. Probably the reason it did not want to play the game cause it was trying to access teh cd in the drive and the particular file to execute the next command was not accesible.

Give it a try!


----------



## FridgeMunky2 (Apr 20, 2005)

*hmmmmmm*

well my current cd drive is the same one i used to originally install my game with, waaaaay back when it actually worked, so the only explanation including the cd drive would be that its getting old, but i successfully installed it yesterday, so I doubt that its the cd drive...... i dont think ea will replace it free because:

"all pc cd replacements: $13.00"


----------



## Cyanide666 (Apr 14, 2008)

I have had the same issue and I have tried it on 4 different drives in 3 different machines and I get the same error each time. When I installed it the first time it went flawlessly. That was the one and only time. I have had all the same problems and it is really annoying. The cd is in mint condition no scratches or finger prints or anything like that. My machine is wwaaayyyy more than able to run the game it just wont install anymore. :upset::upset::upset::upset:


----------

