AOE3 Forums

-Edit- This is just Age of Empires 3 not any of the expansions.

Ok so I managed to install the game but when installing the game all the words appeared with things like IDS_ infront of them so i knew something was wrong.  The desktop item didnt work that it created and it directed me to browse for the file so i found age.exe and ran it and i can play single player fine.

I had the game on my old computer and I have an ES online account that I would like to use.  When I click ES online the game says "There is a problem with your game installation. You may have to reinstall the game to fix it." I have tried to patch it automatically and manually (ie. download it from here) but whenever i try to run the patch or auto update it, it also comes up with "There is a problem with your game installation. You may have to reinstall the game to fix it."

 So I have done what it says many times, reinstalling it and each and everytime the desktop icon never works and all the buttons in the install thing say for example IDS_GAMECANCEL instead of the cancel button and up the top of the window it says GAME_NAME and not like Age of empires 3. 

I know my disc is not faulty because I have previously installed it on another computer and everything has worked fine.

I researched this problem on the internet and found a number of uses posting the same problem on different forums but there have been no replies.  All however include they have windows vista.

Thanks for reading this and thanks for your help.

I can play single player fine btw and beat expert computer in an 8 player ffa :D

that's why(one of the reasons) i haven't upgraded downgraded to Vista

try uninstalling everything:

-uninstall the game

-delete the aoe3 folder on C://program files/microsoft games/  and on my docs/my games/

-run a disk cleaner (personally i use CCleaner, but i think Vista already comes with one)

-install the game

thanks for the quick reply.  I have done all the above except when I uninstalled it i checked the C://program files/microsoft games/ to delete everythign but i never checked my docs/my games/ so ill try that.

 just to let you all know as im uninstalling it right not again the unstall window says IDS_UNINSTALLINGSTATUS

-Edit-  I would just like to point out this is unlikely to fix it because when I am re-installing it now it still comes up with that IDS_ crap.

While it might not help your specific problem, whenever there is an uninstall/install issue I like to suggest the following.

• First, uninstall all versions of the game that you have installed (if any) including trial versions...
• Then, download and then run the Microsoft Windows Installer application installation and configuration service updater…
• Note: The file you will download there is named: WindowsInstaller-KB893803-v2-x86.exe
• Then, after that installation concludes, download and then run the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility
• Note: The file you will download there is named: msicuu2.exe
• After installing, first click the "Windows Install Clean Up" shortcut, then select the game you are having trouble installing/uninstalling/reinstalling (either "Age of Empires III" or "Age of Empires III - The War Chiefs"), then click "Remove"...
• After you complete the above, temporarily disable any/all anti-virus/firewall/anti-spyware software running on your system, then try to reinstall...

thank you alot ill try that now

 -Edit- um i downloaded the files but when you run the second one age of empires isnt on the list of things i can remove... would that be because in the first step you told me to uninstal it already? If so should i install it then remove it with the program?
 

If my steps above did not help, then I am out of ideas, and suggest you contact MS support.

And yes, if you properly uninstalled the application then it will not show up on the list when you run the clean up utility.