Problems installing - when there were none before!

[Strategist01]

Ok, so I use my mom's work machine for SC4, as it can do it better with the 1/2 gig of plugins that I have.

Then, one of the bosses said that ALL non-work stuff (word documents, music, programs, etc) MUST go off the drives. The IT guy stuffed around with the comp, and messed around in the registry - I think - and didn't use the uninstaller programs which were created to prvent these kinds of errors. The kind of errors: SC4 not being able to install.

It is basically like a fresh start, so there is no SC4 plugins, maps, etc. (I did manage to get my sc4 plugins onto a flash, so my cities are saved) on the HDD. Autorun has been disabled, as that was one of Microsft's XP updates that turned of all autoruns. So I try to install from running the autorun, which starts up. I get the screen where it asks if I can install, read the readme or exit. I click install - I get a starnge noise, like it was suddenly just stopping (from the CD drive) and then it tells me that the installer is not a valid Win32 app. The message on a dialog box with the title "Exec And Wait": "Error executing 'D:\Support\SimCity 4 Deluxe_Code.exe' %1 is not a valid Win32 application."

Specs:
OS - XP pro (sp2, AFAIK) 32bit, x86 sytem.
Ram - 1gb
CPU - Intel Centrino Duo
Graphics - Embedded graphics card from intel, 256Mbs.

I think it has something to do with the registry, but I just don't want to go in there unless I know exactly what I'm doing.

Please can you help me with this?

[Andreas]

If your mom's boss said that their employees are not allowed to use the machines for non-work stuff anymore, I can only advise you not to install SC4 on that machine. I'm not sure what the IT guys did, but it appears that they configured the PC in a way that it won't run any installers anymore as a precaution measure.

[Strategist01]

Well, the thing is, they gave the computer to us to use (i.e, it's ours) and they will even help us buy a new one...so it's not like we're being restricted here! I am on admin account, if that helps.

I am also attaching a copy of my system info that I gathered from the system info program. I exported it as a text file, but just zipped it because of forum limitations... Maybe somebody can find something in there???

[Jonathan]

Are you sure they actually gave it to you? My Dad gets a laptop with his job, but it remains the property of the school he works at. Also at my work experience the employees there had to sign a document stating they were responsible for their laptop but it still was owned by the company. So it's a pretty standard thing that work computers are not the property of the user. Infact if the user lets someone else use their work computer then it can get them "told off", I forgot to delete a file I made on my dads work laptop and when he needed the IT technician to help in at school, the technician wasn't happy.

If it's a work computer you should not be messing around with any of the inner working of the computer (ie the registry) as it is most likely in your mom's contract (or document she signed when she got the laptop) against this. Also depending on details of the document it may include not allowing other people to use it and installing other software on it.

But it sounds more like it's a problem with either the physical disc or disc drive. Or the files on the disc are corrupt. If I were you I would try installing on another computer and see if that works. And like Andreas would strongly recommend not installing anything on your mom's computer.

Jonathan

[Strategist01]

Well, they did give permission to basically do anything my mom likes - I do have SC4 installed on another computer but it is sooooooo sloooowwww....So I can't play there . But I am not goign to do any major cahnges, as my mom still neeeds to work from this computer, and has certain programs that like "freak" when you do a change...so I'll just wait until I get that new computer. Four months and counting...

[Jonathan]

I didn't mean install it on another computer to play, but to see whether it is the disc or laptopthat is the problem.

You have just said that your mom's boss told them to remove all non-work stuff.

[Strategist01]

Well, I'll try it with some other CDs...I don't think that the drive is faulty, I think it's somehting in the registry that they messed up.

[Jonathan]

But trying with other CDs will not show if the SC4 CD is faulty.

Just try putting the SC4 disc in your other computer, then click the install button on the autorun, f it comes up with the same message it is something to do with the SC4 Disc, if it doesn't then there's something wrong with your mom's computer, and you can just click cancel and not actually instal it on your other computer.

[Strategist01]

Well, I tested it, and the disc is fine. There are no installer limitations - I installed two other bought games on it, and they work. I think the problem lies in the fact that they didn't use the uninstaller program, which left some data in the registry. The data must be causing conflicts.