EB installation validation

[bovi]

Prompted by the many seemingly corrupt installs, I've created a program to check whether your RTW/EB is like my own, which works on my computer. It's automatically installed along with EB, and you'll find it in your RTW directory. Run the validateInstall batch file. You'll need java runtime installed though.

Let me know here if when you find a problem with this program. DO NOT post the results of your scan here, do that in your own help thread.

There are a number of different things people have done to make their troublesome installations work. I suggest that if your installation does not work, that you try all of these. Please copy this checklist into your help thread when you create it, marking the ones you've tried so far.
_ Using a nocd crack? Your game won't work, use the original executable instead. There is no point in trying the rest of the list until you install a fresh, clean 1.5 RTW.
_ The validation turns up with a blank Notepad document on Vista? Try to get this altered validation which stores the results directly on the C: disk, where it should be allowed by Vista. You need to unpack it in the RTW folder where you installed EB.
_ Running Windows 7? Take a look at a good thread with problems and solutions found by those who went before you.
_ Missing a file called MSS32.DLL, or the game complains about 3D audio or the sound database? Get this file and put it in your RTW folder.
_ Install RTW and EB once again, from scratch
_ Install using 7-zip rather than installer
_ Download a map.rwm file and place it in eb/data/world/maps/base (requires both the disaster and Oppida permanent fixes)
_ Add -nm to the shortcut. This disables movies. Using an NVidia 8xxx graphics card? No movies for you, you will probably HAVE to add this switch. If you have installed the Trivial Script, you will not have to change the shortcut, but rather just tick the box that disables movies.
_ Add -ne to the shortcut (and in combination with -nm too). This makes the game windowed. No idea why this would work, but in one case it did.
_ Delete some interfering files that Vista hides in its bowels. These are reported to be in C:\Users\<your username>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\Activision\Rome - Totalwar, at least in one instance where it helped.
_ For Vista users, install RTW and EB in a folder outside of "program files". This means changing the default location! You can also try to simply move the RTW installation, but you may be missing some files, so installation is the safest bet.
_ Run the validation tool to diagnose the problem
_ Install the fixes linked in my sig.
_ Extract this archive into your <RTW>/EB/Data folder. It will disable the Greek voicemod, but has proven to make the mod work for at least one user (a very patient one at that).
_ Add more swap space in Windows, and other technical measures you can take
_ Using RTW Gold, or an installation otherwise including Barbarian Invasion or Alexander? Try to uninstall everything and install RTW without BI and Alex (remember to patch it to 1.5 if installing from the non-gold RTW disc set).
_ Got an ATI Radeon X700 graphics card? Apparently some setting called "Support DXT textures format" is creating problems. Try to change this setting for the driver called "Support DXT textures format". Try it if you've got any ATI card, really.
_ Try to upgrade your graphics drivers. If it still doesn't work, try to downgrade them.
_ For ATI graphics cards: I'm currently using 6-10_xp-2k_dd_36790.exe as my driver, and have no problems. Downgrading to this has helped at least one other person to get EB to work. Another reports that ATI Catalyst 9.3 fixes his issues.
_ Using Nero Burning ROM? This interferes with RTW. You need to either uninstall (which is easiest) or find and rename Nero's NeVideo.ax and NeAudio.ax files.
_ Check that vanilla RTW works (before or after installing EB). If it doesn't, your problem is not with EB.
_ Validation tool says that you are missing patch_1.pak (or something similar)? Get this file and extract it in <RTW>/data/packs.
_ Try to copy the settings found here into both <RTW>/EB/preferences/player.txt and <RTW>/EB/preferences/preferences.txt.

[bovi]

Updated. Those of you whose installation crashes before starting a campaign, please have a go at it.

[FalkyMrsWilliams]

How works this tool? I've extracted the zip into the Rome-Total War directory, I've run the ValidateInstall program and then tells me that there isn't any file called ebValidationResults, and then asks me if I wish to create one. This tool must work as this?

[bovi]

It is supposed to compare your files to those of my installation, and write the things that are different to that file, then open that file with Notepad. Do you see any such file after you've run it?

Perhaps it is not allowed to write into that folder?

Edit: OR, more likely, you haven't got Java installed. Please download that from java.sun.com.

[FalkyMrsWilliams]

I've installed Java, I've copied all the archives that were in the zip to the Rome - Total War folder (now with BI, Alexander, and EB 1.0.), and then I've tried to execute "eb.jar", but an error window apears with the title "Java Virtual Machine Launcher" saying "Failed to load Main-Class manifest attribute from D:\Archivos de programa\Rome - Total War\eb.jar".
If I execute "validateInstall.bat" a window with title "D:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe" and saying "D:\Archivos de programa\Rome - Total War>java -cp eb.jar europabarbarorum/ValidateInstall".
If this tool runs I will be able to play EB 1.0. without any trouble?
What must I do for this tool runs in my pc?

[bovi]

Yes, it's the bat file you must run. It will run for a couple of minutes and open the Notepad to display the results.

[l_commando]

I installed patch v1.5 for RTW then I installed EB but when I clicked on EB's desktop icon vanilla RTW turned on >:(

[bovi]

Updated, new solutions.

[Starance Quintus]

now this doesn't seem to look good, does it?

I installed Rome Total War from the cd, then patch 1.3 then patch 1.5. Installed Alexander and then EB 1.0 and applied known 1.0 fixes.

http://www.getdowngaming.com/ebValidationResults.txt

[Tellos Athenaios]

now this doesn't seem to look good, does it?

I installed Rome Total War from the cd, then patch 1.3 then patch 1.5. Installed Alexander and then EB 1.0 and applied known 1.0 fixes.

http://www.getdowngaming.com/ebValidationResults.txt

So you are basically saying I can't run EB on the ALX.exe? Well, in that case you should have a peek at the unofficial mods section where among other things an entire thread dedicated to the combination of ALX.exe & EB resides...

Note though that running EB on anything else than standard, clean RTW 1.5 is not supported.

[Flip_Side]

Hey, i just got EB, and i try to start the campaign, and it CTDs, so i went and got all the permanent fixes, and it still CTDs, so i ran this and it says

Missing file: .\data\packs\patch_1.pak

followed by lots of changed and added files
i did have a clean rtw install 1.5 (i have rtw gold, and i checked in options and it says 1.5 on vanilla)
and i use to have RTR but i moved it out of the folder, so idk if it left something in the data files, or what, can anyone help?

[Tellos Athenaios]

It's quite possible that RTR Gold or whatever other mod you had before that one is the 'culprit'. If that's the case, a simple re-install of your RTW 1.5 + EB would do 'the trick'.

[Flip_Side]

Ok, I'll try and let you know,
this will be the 3rd time reinstalling it all
do i need to remove ALL the folders with anything to do with the other mod, or rtw?

[We shall fwee...Wodewick]

now this doesn't seem to look good, does it?

I installed Rome Total War from the cd, then patch 1.3 then patch 1.5. Installed Alexander and then EB 1.0 and applied known 1.0 fixes.

http://www.getdowngaming.com/ebValidationResults.txt

I thought you had to install 1.2 before 1.3?

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

I thought you had to install 1.2 before 1.3?

Nope, you can go straight to 1.3, but not straight to 1.5.

[V.T. Marvin]

I have tried to download your installation validation program, but my Firefox keeps on telling me that there is an error while loading the page. Is it just me or the program is no longer there? Thank you!

[bovi]

It works for me. Perhaps you've upgraded your Firefox into something that doesn't work? Does it work if you paste the link into Internet Exploder? How about SmartFTP?

[bovi]

Updated, items that are no longer relevant for 1.1 are striked.

[Augustus Ceasar]

I mean can I put EB 1.1 on my EB 1.0? because I can't play an other party; to long, I will be 80 years old when I will finish this game...

[bovi]

Oh, no. You need to install 1.1 in a clean 1.5 RTW. And your savegames are not compatible.

[Augustus Ceasar]

So I have to do a other campaign???!!
For a few spanish!!!!!
no wayyyy

[bovi]

Dude, noone is forcing you to upgrade. Also, enjoyment is not compulsory.

Additionally, you can have both installed at the same time. Just copy the whole RTW folder somewhere, copy and update the shortcut. Voila: a duplicate 1.0 installation.

[bovi]

Updated, new solution.