Has anyone fixed their install/locate cd-rom errors..

[Manimal]

by exchangeng the game for a replacement. I have tried so many things but taking it back for another one. Was just wondering if anyone has tried this and what your results were. Guess its back to AoE3 till I figure this out, darn.

 

[argle]

I've been working on this problem for several hours. For me, it's manifested as Windows' freezing up when I try to access the Install CD's contents from Windows Explorer. I'm told it's some problem with the anti-piracy scheme used on the CD; of course, had I actually pirated the game, there would have been no problem. Excellent work screwing over your customers, publisher.

System:
Windows XP x64 Professional
Athlon 64 3200+
LITE-ON LTR-52327S CD-R/RW
ATI Radeon 9600

I've tried:

• Changing the pin settings and firmware on my CD-ROM drive.
• Updating the drivers for my sound card and video card.
• Changing the DMA settings on the CD-ROM drive.
• Checking the CD on a friend's computer.
• Uninstalling Nero and using Safedisc circumvention programs.
• Downgrading to Windows XP Professional (32-bit).

Nothing has worked.

My current plan is to wait for some kind of crack/fix for this, fix it, and then never buy games in the future. This is absurd; I'm down $50 with no game, while those who pirated it are down $0 with a working game. I'm convinced that anti-piracy departments at publishing companies are staffed by impossible incompetents, and I'm gone as a customer until they're all sacked.

 

[puffyelms]

having same problem here.
it's definitely the copy protection. my 2nd disk reads fine if i put it in first, otherwise every cd after the 1st looks like the 1st. it never updates until i reboot.

these copy protections squemes have been causing problems to legit customers for months/years, but companies still feel they are better screwing some legit customers to stop a few pirates. (only the noob ones, anyone who cares to do 10mins searching the web could figure out how to break it.)

sad, last Firaxis Game i'm sure i'll buy.

PS i didn't get a 3rd disk (manual disk?) that i saw mentioned on forums, but that's another issue.

 

[Ragnoff]

puffyelma, 3rd disk is a music cd that came as part of the pre-order edition

 

[Aereus]

This has been a recurring problem for EVERY DVD game release that I'm aware of. I purchased Brothers in Arms back in March, and I literally had to use the No-DVD crack in order to play the game -- I spent around 4 hours trying to play the game "legitimately" and gave up on it. I had half a mind to demand my money back from the publisher.

Same issues I've heard happening with F.E.A.R. as well ...

In the ultimate irony, they are only going to drive more customers to piracy in being frustrated at not being able to play the game legitimately. And in the end the protections are useless anyways, because the game copy sites have easy work-arounds that let them play burned copies anyways...