DU PC Gamers - Age of Empires 2 - HELP!! (expansion pack trouble)

[Heyo]

I know it's a long shot, but is there anyone out there who plays Age of Empires 2 with the expansion pack that can help me?

I have the game installed, but I cannot install the expansion pack, because an error message says I need to have Age of Empires 2 installed.. which I DO have it installed though.

The installation is located on my F: drive.. perhaps that is why it can't find it.

:shrug:

Any advice?

Heyo

[democracyindanger]

1. Try uninstall/reinstall nt

[Heyo]

3. Hmmmm...

... I just installed it... you think that would help? I am willing to give it a try.. (the game works fine)

Heyo

[democracyindanger]

5. I mean the whole game, not just the expansion nt

[NewHampshireDem]

2. Did you install the patch?

There is a AoE V2.0a ... try to install that first.

[Heyo]

6. strange....

friggen patch wouldn't recognize the game either

Maybe I should try moving the install to C.. but I am not sure if there is room

:shrug:

Heyo

[NewHampshireDem]

7. Those auto-installers can be a pain in the butt ...

if they don't allow you the option to designate your install path.

[Bread and Circus]

4. I used to play AOE 2 but I can't help you. It sounds like the expansion

looks for AOE2 on the "C" drive but you don't have it
installed there. I think there is a way to fix this but
you need someone with more computer knowlege than I.

OTOH If you have a C drive just install the AOE2 game there
and then add the expansion.

[RoyGBiv]

8. It's probably the drive ...

A lot of programs, especially those from Microsoft, have problems when you install to a drive other than C:. Even if they let you designate an install folder, they end up writing a registry key that tells the program to look for itself in C: by default.

[Heyo]

9. How do I get into my reg to take a look? eom

[RoyGBiv]

10. Registry ...

To be perfectly honest, if you don't already know, you don't want to mess around with it.

I know how to edit the registry, and I never touch it unless I have clear, simple instructions sitting in front of me telling me exactly what it is I need to be doing. I have messed with it a few times without a net, and I've totally screwed up my system once or twice. If you screw up the registry, it's usually re-format time.

That said, your system comes with a program called regedit. You won't find a shortcut for it. You have to click Start>Run> and type in "regedit" in the box. It'll bring up the program. You can browse it safely as long as you don't change anything and save it.

I looked, and there is a "path" key in the registry. However, I'm not sure if it is hardcoded as C: because I have the game installed on my C:\ drive. The particular key is :

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectPlay\Applications\Age of Empires II

You can open up regedit, then click on Edit>Find and type in Age of Empires. There are lots of entries, so just keep hitting F3 until you get to that key. There's a "path" key in there as well as a "current directory" key, which is how you'll know you've found it. You could at least look and see if this is the problem.

I say all this because I would feel really bad if I encouraged you to do something that fried your system. So please be careful.

[Heyo]

11. Yeah I did use regedit....

.... found the entries for AOE but no directory specs, so I didn't mess with it. I am equally timid about messing with my registry. I just dont do it unless I abolutely have to (which is almsot never)

I forgot abou tthe regedit command, that's how long it's been since Ive needed to poke around in there....

I have known people who are new to computer but think they want to try and know everything, go into the registry (oh man I am gonna tweak my machine and speed it up yadda yadda yadda..." and just start screwing with stuff, and yup... Windows re-install time.

Heyo

[RoyGBiv]

12. Glad your computer is still running.

:-)

The key with a path entry should be there. I think I went through about two dozen different keys before I found the right one. Again, though, I don't know what effect it might be having on your system since in mine I have the game installed on C:.

Anyway, good luck. Wish I could help more.

[Heyo]

13. Your install is on C.. it works..

Mine is not on C.. it doesn't work. That must be it. Or at least I can rule it out if I move it to C: (ur uninstall/reinstall on C)

The reason I haven't yet is I have to make some room on C when I get around to it.

Heyo

[democracyindanger]

14. I had mine installed on an F: partition

no problems with the expansion