Failure to start - odd problem

I was very happy to find my M:TW and VI discs at the weekend and last night installed them on my new laptop.

They installed with no issues, I got the latest patches and installed them (said I didn't need the VI one).

Then I put the M:TW (disc 1) back in to start playing. The menu screen opens, I click "Play Medieval: Total War" but then I'm asked to "Insert Correct CD and click OK"

Well, I've got the right CD in, I've just used it to install the game! Anyway, check all the discs and get the same message for all of them an the VI disc.

Suggestions? The possibilities I have in my mind are:

Patch issue: the M:TW patch I down loaded (US & Euro) is causing a problem but I assumed "Euro" meant UK.

Laptop too new: it's only last years model and quite a hi-end unit. Never tried Medieval on it before.

Ideas? Happened to you before?

It's been a while since I've installed MTW, but this is what I remember:

You should install vanilla MTW, then VI, then the VI patch (Invasion201Patch.exe). Once this is done, to play any era in the game, you have to put the VI disk in. You don't need the vanilla disks anymore to play.

Hope this helps. If this is wrong, someone please correct me.

I'll try an un-install and fresh install as the only variable that I did away from what you've described is that I "may" have the wrong patch added. What I'll do is install with no patches, check if it runs and then start scratching my head again if that fails.

Thanks for the advice.

This will probably be editied too but do what I do and install a No-CD crack. I can scan and show everyone the three copies of MTW that I have but I LOATHE having to keep a cd in the cdrom for any reason - so therefore I eliminate the need for the cd.

Want one
http://m0003.gamecopyworld.com/games...otal_war.shtml

NOW POWERHAPPY MODERATOR. Please note that a no-cd crack is NEITHER illegal, immoral or AGAINST END USER AGREEMENTS. It DOES NOT PROMOTE PIRACY nor illicid behavior. THERE IS NO REASON TO EDIT OR ERASE THIS MESSAGE AT ALL.

Thanks for the idea. I already use Alcohol 120 on my machine for various applications, it reduces CD accessing time for one reason, but not currently for M:TW – I used to but I’m running out of HD space so something’s got to give – I’ll try it again using this application and I’m also going to try a friends copy of Medieval so see if my discs are damaged in some way.

Andi thought i was the only one with this problem!! Currently re-installing as we speak

Edit: Whoops, just looked at the file (still sitting on the desktop) and found i had somewhow downlaoded the MTW patch 1.1 instead of VI 2.01. Curious

As the game was already (i.e. still) installed on my desktop, I tried it and it didn’t work. Process of elimination indicates that my CD’s may have decayed as I haven’t updated the game on my desktop at all (no patches etc) and it was running fine last year with the same discs.

In the process of getting a friends copy of the game to check this. People forget that CD’s and even DVD’s have a “shelf-life”. Granted it may be 6-10 years but….mine haven’t exactly been looked after (after a long time “missing” they turned up, under my stereo unit, packed together in a single paper sleeve!).

This is probably down to the safedisk copy protection on the VI CDROM not being compatible with your CDROM drive, a good example of this ridiculous junk tech hitting the licenced user, as always and not the habitual pirate who is going to download a precracked warez version anyway. By far the best remedy for problem this is the VI 2.01 nocd crack.

Note: I am not promoting the use of the nocd crack, nor providing links, I am merely stating the true fact, that it is the best solution to this particular problem.