Multiple installs

[Martok]

Stupid question time: How do I do a second install while keeping my existing one? (I want to have one with the XL mod, and another with the HTW mod.)

[ichi]

Assuming that the first install is in a folder in C;Program Files/Medieval, or something like that, when you install the second time the install program will ask you which folder you want to place it in - just tell it to create a folder called MTWVIXL or something like that and viola! you'll have two versions.

ichi :bow:

[bretwalda]

Stupid question time: How do I do a second install while keeping my existing one? (I want to have one with the XL mod, and another with the HTW mod.)

You can also just copy the whole directory somewhere else and start the .exe from that directory. You can save some space if you don't copy (or later erase) the savegames and TGAs form the new directory as you dont need them.

[Ludens]

Stupid question time: How do I do a second install while keeping my existing one? (I want to have one with the XL mod, and another with the HTW mod.)
You can start the setup.exe directly from the CD. IIRC this will start the installation proces again and allow you to make a second install. Do remember to change the installation folder and take care when it asks you to place shortcuts in the start-menu and on the desktop.

[Geezer57]

Similar to Bretwalda's method, I just create custom subfolders (named for specific mods) under my Total War folder, copy the files and subfolders from my original Medieval folder (deleting the files inside SaveGames & TGAs), then apply the mods. Then highlight the Medieval_TW.EXE file in each mod folder, create and rename a shortcut for each one, and paste to the desktop.

You can see a picture here to use as an example:
https://img86.imageshack.us/my.php?image=medievalfolders2tq.jpg

Good Luck!

[EatYerGreens]

I already had MTW converted up to VI by the time I decided a second install of MTW 1.1 would be handy for multiplayer possibilities.

Readme.htm, in the VI CD, has full instructions for multiple install.
Step one is to autorun the MTW CD and select the second button from the top, which is re-install MTW. The opportunity to set an alternative directory path, as described above, arises as part of this process.

You can copy directories as bretwalda suggested and there's no real disadvantage to this. However, there will be no references to it in Windows registry, so uninstall can't be done automatically any more and the uninstallation technique will just be the reverse - simple deletion of files.

It may be okay to do that for this game but beware of making a habit out of it. Some games like to use the Documents & Settings\<username> path for storing items pertinent to the game which are unique to each person who uses the computer and the copied-directory-structure rendition of a game may end up overwriting data generated by your properly installed copy.