View Full Version : Can't Uninstall even from control panel


momar
Jan 14, 2008, 05:27 PM
Hi all,
I hope this post is in the right forum.

My system specs are here http://www.geocities.com/the_general.rm/DxDiag.txt

I have searched for my problem on these forums, but unfortunately I haven't found any solution, aside from "use control panel to uninstal, followed by the following steps" etc which is the precise problem I am having - I can't uninstal from control panel (normally I can uninstal any other software from control panel).

References to "original" CD means the first version of Civ4. I purchase all my games and software legally from very well known retail stores.

I am running windows xp pro latest update.

I had civ 4, played it all the time and then purchased the BTS expansion pack.

I installed the expansion pack a few days ago but didn't feel like playing until today (therefore I didnt even load it). When I tried to load it today, it asked for the original civ 4 cd to be in the drive, not the BTS CD. When I put in the original Civ 4 CD I received this message while in the first little load screen "ERROR - failed to load python module cveventinterface".
I did a search on the forums and on google and couldn't find a way to fix this error, so i decided to install the latest patch from this site.

When I opened the patch file, I received this error:

"The setup has detected that no version of Sid Meier's Civilization 4 - Beyond the Sword is installed.

This update requires that a previous version of the application be installed."

Not being a programmer and being very confused, I decided to just uninstall everything and start from scratch. But there are no uninstall icons, so I went to "Add/Remove Programs" in the control panel. It only showed the original Civ 4, not the BTS. So I clicked the "remove" button on the original version. A screen then popped up stating that it was UPDATING from version 1.0 to 1.7 or something like that and that it required CD1 of the original Civ4 (not BTS).

So I existed the screen, more confused than before. I put in the "original civ 4" CD and tried again to uninstall by clicking the remove button in "Add/Remove Programs" in the control panel. Then an error within the installshield came up with a lot of jargon, but the jist of it seemed to be that another installation was currently taking place and I had to end that installation first. Since no such thing was happening that I was aware of or that I intended, I restarted the computer from the start menu.

I then, again, went to "Add/Remove Programs" in the control panel and clicked the "remove" button. The installshield screen came up in the normal way stating cid 4 is preparing the installshield wizard etc. Then progress bar loaded to 100%. Then a new window popped up with an error:

"String IDS_ADMIN_REQUIRED was not found in a string table"

(note - I am using an account with full admin status, and the same account that I installed the civ games from (I only have this account and the original "Administrator" account that all windows XPs come with - i assume)

When I pressed OK for this error, the following Yes/No dialogue came up
Dialogue title: "OBLIVION - Installshield Wizard"
Message: "Do you want to completely remove the selected application and all of its features?"

I didn't even realise that the title was for the oblivion game which I also have. I mean, with today's software standards, who expects to click on a program that then does something like this??

So I clicked "yes" and then received a string of error messages:
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_OPT1 was not found in string table
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_OPT2 was not found in string table
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_OPT3 was not found in stringtable
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_OPT4 was not found in string table
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_OPT5 was not found in string table
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_OPT6 was not found in string table
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_OPT7 was not found in string table
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_TITLE was not found in string table
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_MSG was not found in string table

Then the following window came up
http://www.geocities.com/the_general.rm/civ41.JPG

I clicked "next" and received the following error:
http://www.geocities.com/the_general.rm/civ42.JPG

Followed by these:
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_STATUS1 was not found in string table
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_STATUS2 was not found in string table
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_STATUS3 was not found in string table
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_STATUS4 was not found in string table
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_STATUS5 was not found in string table
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_STATUS6 was not found in string table
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_STATUS7 was not found in string table
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_STATUS8 was not found in string table
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_STATUS9 was not found in string table
String IDS_UNINSTALL_CUSTOM_STATUS10 was not found in string table
They looked like this:
http://www.geocities.com/the_general.rm/civ43.JPG

Then I received this screen:
http://www.geocities.com/the_general.rm/civ44.JPG

Note that the installshield is titled oblivion. I have 2 CD roms in my computer and one had the oblivion CD in it while the other had the Civ 4 CD.

It seems to my non-programming minded brain that civ 4 didn't try to check what was actually on the CD rom, it just activated it. So I replaced the oblivion CD with the Civ 4 (original) CD. The same errors, as above, came up.

I really hope it didn't corrupt my oblivion installation. I have put many hours into my oblivion games and spent a lot of time installing a number of mods and now I am scared to load the games and play them because they might become corrupted.

I am lost as to what to do and baffled considering what I expect from Firaxis and any other decent software I purchase.

I would really appreciate some help and hopefully a resolution to this issue.

Thank you

GVBN
Jan 15, 2008, 03:17 AM
Follow these steps to remove Civ4 http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=6311579&postcount=783

momar
Jan 15, 2008, 01:08 PM
Thank you very very much GVBN!!! =D

I didn't expect that it would have to come down to a completely manual removal. I think it is a disgrace on Firaxis part that they don't have such a simple utility included that does the work for you. What happens if you are too scared to use regedit, or don't know about these forums. You become stuck with a game that doesn't work and can't be removed and seemingly, as my story shows, affects other games.