Command & Conquer, The first decade problems

Overheal wrote: »

EA: I bought Command and Conquer, the First Decade, for $50. And they didnt even bother to patch any of the games in it. Trying to install Generals for some reason is a constant pain in the ass. Tiberian Sun refuses to run. When you open a support ticket with EA (all 7 times) They respond with a 2-page list of instructions which, in a sentence, is "Uninstall the game; Reinstall the game, Thank you for choosing EA."

In fact, here's the full thing:

                                            
 Customer     09/02/2007 02:26 PM
I cant connect to Generals Online.

It says i need to download a file (65540_65536_english.rtp)
when it begins download the file and the progress bar shows up it stops and says unable to load file.

Ive downloaded and installed the ZH 1.04 English patch and followed the manual-install instructions but under the game options it still displays the version as 1.00

I'm running under Windows Vista Home Premium with XP SP2 compatability and administration running on all generals executables and general patches.

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Response (EA Tech Jonas M.)     09/03/2007 01:51 AM
Hello,

Thank you for contacting Electronic Arts. I’m sorry for the difficulty that you are having with Command and Conquer Generals: Zero Hour.

An improper installation or corruption of the game data can not only prevent the game from loading, but can cause the game to crash at seemingly random but very specific points in the game. When such an occurrence happens, it’s best to manually remove all of the components to make sure that next installation does not run into the same issues. To do a manual uninstall for Command and Conquer Generals and expansion, follow these steps (instructions referencing an expansion you do not own should be ignored):

Delete the game folders.

1. Click on the Start button.
2. Click on the Run button.
3. Type C:\Program Files\EA GAMES into the text field, and press OK.
* Note : If you changed the install path for the game during the initial installation, you will need to type that into the text field in lieu of the previous path.
4. Right-click on the following folders, and choose Delete to remove them:
* Command & Conquer Generals
* Command & Conquer Generals Zero Hour
5. When prompted if you are sure, select Yes.
6. Once deleted, click on the Start button.
7. Click on All Programs.
8. Click on the EA Games folder.
9. Right-click on the following folders, and choose Delete to remove them:
* Command & Conquer Generals
* Command & ConquerTM Generals Zero Hour
10. When prompted if you are sure, select Yes.

Delete the game registry keys.(Warning: Changes to the registry can cause your computer to operate improperly, so please follow these instructions exactly as they are written.)

Follow these steps to back-up the registry so that should something go wrong, you can restore your system back to a working state:

1. Click on the Start button.
2. Click on Run.
3. Type regedit into the available text field, and press OK.

+ If you are using Windows 2000/XP, click on File on the tool bar, and select Export.
+ If you are using Windows 95/98/ME, click on Registry on the tool bar, and select Export Registry File…

1. Check All under Export Range.
2. Type registry_archive into the File name field, and click Save.
3. Close the Registry Editor by clicking on the X in the top right corner of the window.

Follow these steps to remove the game registry keys from your system. (instructions referencing an expansion you do not own should be ignored):

1. Click on the Start button.
2. Click on Run.
3. Type regedit into the available text field, and press OK.
4. Double-click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
5. Double-click on SOFTWARE.
6. Double-click on EA GAMES.
7. Right-click on the following folders and select Delete to remove them:

+ Command and Conquer Generals
+ Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour

1. When prompted if you are sure, select Yes.
2. Click on the minus sign next to EA Games.
3. Double-click on Microsoft.
4. Double-click on Windows.
5. Double-click on CurrentVersion.
6. Double-click on Uninstall.
7. Right-click on the following folders and select Delete to remove them:

+ {06F80017-8F98-4C94-B868-52358569FC32 } – Generals
+ {F3E9C243-122E-4D6B-ACC1-E1FEC02F6CA1 } – Zero Hour

1. When prompted if you are sure, select Yes.
2. Close the Registry Editor by clicking on the X in the top right corner of the window.

Follow these steps to restore your registry, should you notice any issues after removing the previous keys.

1. Click on the Start button.
2. Click on Run.
3. Type regedit into the available text field, and press OK.

+ If you are using Windows 2000/XP do the following:
# Click on File on the tool bar, and select Import.
# Select the file registry_archive.reg and click Open.
+ If you are using Windows 95/98/ME do the following:
# Click on Registry on the tool bar, and select Import Registry File…
# Select the file registry_archive.reg and click Open.

Your registry is now successfully restored; close the Registry Editor by clicking on the X in the top right corner of the window.

Delete the uninstall files.

1. Click on the Start button.
2. Click on Run.
3. Type C:\Program Files\InstallShield Installation Information into the text field and press OK.
* Note : If Windows cannot find this location, try copying and pasting the bolded path into the text field.
4. Right-click on the following folders and select Delete to remove them:
* {06F80017-8F98-4C94-B868-52358569FC32 } – Generals
* {F3E9C243-122E-4D6B-ACC1-E1FEC02F6CA1 } – Zero Hour
5. When prompted if you are sure, select Yes.
6. The game should now be completely removed from your system; close the folder by clicking the X in the top right corner of the window.

Should you require further assistance about this or any Electronic Arts games in the future please visit our website and review our extensive Self Help knowledgebase (http://support.ea.com)

Jonas M.
EA Technical Support

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Customer     09/03/2007 09:32 PM
following these instructions had left behind a ghost clone of the two progrmas, generals and zero hour, in the programs and features settings in vista (aka. add/remove programs in XP)

when I re-installed before discovering this I tried to launch zero hour to find 1) that vista had remembered my compatability settings for the generals and zero hour executables and 2) I had a new critical error which stopped the game from launching at all. the explaination given in this new crash is that it may be a virus, a hardware incompatability or hardware overheat - I have ruled all three of these circumstances out (having run a Norton scan, having already run generals on the Previous Install offline, and running the computer with additional cooling tray and temerature readouts of 45^C.

So I then patched manually again to 1.04 and now I could not launch for a New Third reason: "Please insert First Game Disc" - after inserting all 4 generals CDs (Gen1 Gen2 ZH1 ZH2) it recognised none of them.

So I have tried a conventional uninstall of both sets of installations. I will update this again if the third install finally works but please assume it hasnt as of yet. Im attatching the copy of my registry that was created as part of the your first Detailed Suggestion. Thank you for your continued time.

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Customer     09/03/2007 09:37 PM
PS. i'd like to ask: what exactly is the file 65540_65536_english.rtp ?

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Customer     09/03/2007 10:26 PM
Results of Third Installation:

Generals version 1.0:
-Launch: Success
-Online Connection: *Allowed by Firewall* Error. you must update to play online. *click OK* downloading 65540_65536_english.rtp ... ERROR: No Such File

Generals version 1.08 (manually patched):
-Launch: Success
-Online Connection: *Allowed by Firewall* Error. you must update to play online. *click OK* downloading 65540_65536_english.rtp ... ERROR: No Such File

Zero Hour Version 1.00:
-Launch: Success
-Online Connection: *Allowed by Firewall* Error. you must update to play online. *click OK* downloading 65540_65536_english.rtp ... ERROR: No Such File

Zero hour version 1.08 (manually patched):
-Launch: Success
-Online Connection: *Allowed by Firewall* Error. you must update to play online. *click OK* downloading 65540_65536_english.rtp ... ERROR: No Such File




Generals is still displaying as Version 1.00 (not version 1.04).
******I Need to know what 65540_65536_english.rtp is and where and how to get it.********


My Computer Specifications:

HP Pavillion dv6500t Special edition
Windows Vista Home Premium
Intel Centrino Duo. 2.0ghz, 4MB L2 cache
2GB RAM
128MB Nvidia Geforce 8400M GS with 768 additional shared memory
Wireless internet enabled. speed 300kbps.

Symantec Norton Internet security Enabled. Game programs set to allow.

The game physically runs flawlessly as ive ever seen it when playing offline. My online complaint in that regard is the game wont support widescreen resolution (1280x800). The problem I keep getting into is connecting to Generals Online and I dont have that rtp file!

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Customer     09/04/2007 08:11 PM
If I may offer a possible solution, some players on some online forums have reported an identical error, and that buying a new copy of generals solved the issue. I can only assume maybe a batch of copies of the game were made with flawed/corrupt installation files?

Is it possible (while providing my CD Keys) to receive a clean image of the game discs? I know Generals: The First Decade is already supplied free to Fileplanet subscribers (though I am not one) so it shouldnt seem like a big complication to do (to me, anyway).


Either way, Im still having issues and would appreciate any support to get me playing online.

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Discussion Thread
 Response (EA Tech Marc C.)     09/05/2007 02:10 AM
Hello,

Thank you for contacting Electronic Arts. I’m sorry for the difficulty that you are having with the game Command and Conquer.

An improper installation or corruption of the game data can not only prevent the game from loading, but can cause the game to crash at seemingly random but very specific points in the game. When such an occurrence happens, it’s best to manually remove all of the components to make sure that next installation does not run into the same issues. To manually uninstall this game you will need to edit your system registry in a two part process. This will remove all traces of the game from your system. Remember that editing your computers registry incorrectly can severely damage your operating system. We recommend having a computer professional perform these steps. If you are confident, however, that you can edit your registry successfully, then please follow the instructions below carefully.

To remove all of the game folders:
Open My Computer.
Open your harddrive (by default this is C:).
Open the Program Files folder.
Open the EA Games folder.
Right-click on Command & Conquer The First Decade folder, and choose Delete.
A Confirm Folder Delete window will appear, choose Yes.
When the folder is finished deleting, close the window.
Right-click on your Recycle Bin and choose Empty Recycle Bin.
Next delete the installshield folder. To do this:
Open My Computer.
Open your harddrive (by default this is C:).
Open the Program Files folder.
Open the InstallShield Installation Information folder.
Next locate the folder labeled {66D6F3BD-CA23-41A4-9FA3-96B26B32528C}.
Right-click on this folder and choose Delete.
When prompted if you are sure, select Yes.
Once deleted, close the active window.
Now you can remove the registry keys for the game.
Click on Start and then click on Run...
In the text line type 'regedit' without quotes, then click OK.
click on File and then Export...
Choose a location and name for the file (this will be your backup registry file).
Click Save.
The next steps will all be performed in the left pane of the Registry Editor window.
Click on the + next to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Click on the + next to SOFTWARE
Click on the + next to Electronic Arts
Right-click on the Command & Conquer The First Decade folder and choose Delete.
A Confirm Key Delete window will appear, choose Yes.
Click on the + next to EA GAMES
Right-click on the Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour folder and choose Delete.
A Confirm Key Delete window will appear, choose Yes.
Right-click on the Command and Conquer The First Decade folder and choose Delete.
A Confirm Key Delete window will appear, choose Yes.
Right-click on the Generals folder and choose Delete.
A Confirm Key Delete window will appear, choose Yes.
Right-click on the Westwood folder and choose Delete.
A Confirm Key Delete window will appear, choose Yes.
Click on the + next to Microsoft.
Click on the + next to Windows.
Click on the + next to Current Version.
Click on the + next to Uninstall.
Right-click on the Key named {66D6F3BD-CA23-41A4-9FA3-96B26B32528C} and choose Delete.
A Confirm Key Delete window will appear, choose Yes.
Command & Conquer The First Decade has now been completely removed from your system. You may now choose to reinstall the game.

We would also like to suggest to install the patch for the game which is available at this link and please install both patches for the game. http://www.ea.com/official/cc/firstdecade/us/news.jsp?src=Patch102

Should you require further assistance about this or any Electronic Arts games in the future please visit our website and review our extensive Self Help knowledgebase (http://support.ea.com)

Marc C.
EA Tech Support

At that point I started to regard the First Decade as an expensive Coaster.