New Computer Reinstall

[gmaharriet]

I'm getting a new computer sometime this week. I'm currently running C3C patched to 1.22, but originally I started with vanilla, patched it to 1.29, then C3C and patched it to 1.22.

I'm sure the info is posted here somewhere, but I'm lazy, and just wanted to know if I should reinstall in the very same order. If not, then further instruction would be appreciated. I want to get back up and running soonest possible, and I'm computerly challenged. Thanks.

 

[Ginger_Ale]

I would do that, yeah. C3C is supposed to patch vanilla to 1.29f if it already hasn't done so, but I would manually patch it just in case.

 

[gmaharriet]

Yikes! Here it is Friday at last, just hooked up my brand new computer, put in my Civ III vanilla disk that I haven't touched since I upgraded to C3C last January, and I'm getting the error message:

CRC error: The file C:\Program Files\Infogrames Interactive\Civilization III\Art\City View\Buildings\WON-Gardens-P.pcx doesn't match the file in the setup's .cab file. The medium from which you are running the setup may be corrupted. Contact your software vendor.

I tried "retry"...didn't work. I tried "ignore" because I can do without a pic of the Hanging Gardens, but a couple minutes later I got a similar error with another file...and another...and another.

Does this mean I need to contact Atari and order a new disk? I have my original receipt, but I don't wanna wait for them to ship. Could it possibly be happening because I didn't uninstall it from my old computer? If so, I can hook it up and do that. Argh! I'm in major withdrawal already.

BTW, the disk has been protected in its jewel case since I removed it from my machine when I got C3C. It just can't be dusty or anything.

 

[Ginger_Ale]

You never can tell - just try cleaning the disk with a cloth. If that doesn't work, yeah, you might want to talk with Atari. It sounds like it is something with the CD causing the problem, not your computer.

 

[gmaharriet]

Thanks GA!!!

 

[Ginger_Ale]

Wow, did that really work? Nice! Have fun civving...

 

[gmaharriet]

Wow, did that really work?

Not exactly. It wouldn't do the full install, but it did install the minimum version, which I patched to 1.29f. I contacted Atari and hope they'll send a new disk.

THEN, I went to install C3C and it had a couple of corrupt files also (.flc I blieve), but I clicked ignore and the install completed and it's now patched to 1.22. I played about 25 turns of a new conquests game, and it appears to work, but still I'll never know when some little thing may go wrong.

It just seems odd that 2 disks, which have both been given careful, loving protection, would have any corrupted files. I'm wondering if there's either something wrong with my CD drive or it's just more sensitive in some way. I used to have an old music CD player that skipped and chattered on many CD's which played just find on a new CD player.

 

[gmaharriet]

There's definitely a problem with my installation. Although it seems to play ongoing games just fine, new games often crash to the desktop on either turn 1 or 2. Last night I tried testing by starting 30 random new games, and out of those, 4 crashed almost immediately and 26 played alright through the first ~25 turns (as far as I took them before starting another test).

Of course, it's hard to know if there's a problem that will consistently crash on turn #438 or whatever...pretty hard to run a test for something like that. I've ordered a brand new Civ 3 Complete, and I'll just have to live with what I have until then.

I'm not counting on Atari support to do anything...first question they asked when I tried to email them was whether it had been over 90 days since original purchase. Um...way longer than that.

 

[gmaharriet]

When my new copy of Civ Complete arrives and I want to install it, do I need to first uninstall Civ III and C3C? They're a bit buggy, but I can play them sorta, and I don't want to mess up the new installation.

 

[Ginger_Ale]

Yeah, you mineaswell. Since Complete will install to Atari's folder, I don't think it will be an issue, but no harm in doing so.

 

[Padma]

I agree with GA: uninstall Civ3 first. Just helps insure a clean install of Complete.

 

[gmaharriet]

Thank you, thank you!!!