python24.dll missing.

[exojjl]

Tried to launch the game and received this message:
"Civilization4.exe - unable to locate component
This application has failed to start because python24.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix the problem."

I did try reinstalling the game a few times and this did not fix it. Is this file suppose to be in the main game folder next to the civ4.exe? If so, where can I find a download for this file?

This is on a laptop with Windows XP SP3
ATI Radeon xpress 200m
AMD Athlon 64 3400+ 2.2ghz
1470 ram (I believe i have setup 1 gig with 500mb Virtual memory)

I ran DXDIAG on display and audio. Everything fine.
Lastest graphic drivers installed.

Also forgot I don't currently have the expansion installed or Colonization. This is civilization III & IV complete edition. Version 1.7.4.0
I have run a search for this problem and it appears no one knows anything about this...?

 

[exojjl]

Figured it out.

For some reason when installing the game with the DVD complete edition, it would not install the DLL files in the main game folder. So I uninstalled. Then installed it with the older Gold Edition of the game...where it did install all the DLL's including Python24.dll...but the gold edition would actually try to load and after about 5 minutes, crash every time. Copied the DLL's to the hard drive. Uninstalled Gold Edition. Reinstalled the Complete Edition, copied the DLL's (including python25.dll) to the main game folder...and now the game works!
Is there some kind of copy protection that prevented the dvd from installing the DLL files? Strange.

 

[s.bernbaum]

Microsoft did disable the copy protection access program in a security update in the autumn of last year (2015). Perhaps this is what caused the problem. That applied to Windows 7 and subsequent OSes. I did not think that they were still sending out updates for XP but perhaps they did.