Error message when you install a Microsoft game or mapping program

This article is intended for a beginning to intermediate computer user.

You may find it easier to follow the steps if you print this article first.

Method 1: Clean the disc

Clean the CD or DVD. To do this, use a disc-cleaning kit. Or, gently wipe the silver side of the disc by using a soft, lint-free cotton cloth. Do not use paper cloth that can scratch the plastic and can leave streaks. When you clean the disc, wipe from the center of the disc outward. Do not use a circular motion. If the problem continues to occur, clean the disc by using a damp cloth or a commercial CD or DVD cleaning solution. Dry the disc thoroughly before you insert the disc in the drive.

If the problem continues to occur, go to "Method 2: Run the Xcopy command."

Method 2: Run the Xcopy command

You can run the Xcopy command to determine whether the disc or the disc drive is bad. To run the Xcopy command, follow these steps:

1. Insert the game discs in the CD drive. If the game setup starts, exit the setup.
2. Click Start, point to Run, and then type the appropriate command for the version of Windows that you are using:
   • For Windows 7, for Windows Vista, for Windows XP, and for Windows 2000, type cmd.
   • For Windows 98, type Command.
   The Command Prompt window appears.
3. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press Enter to access the root of the hard disk (typically, drive C): 
   cd\
4. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press Enter:
   Xcopy CD drive letter:\*.* /s c:\text.txt
   You receive the following message:
   Does C:\text.txt specify a file name or directory name on the target? (F=file, D=Directory).
   Press F for file. Click A to select All. Depending on the speed of the computer’s CD or DVD drive, the steps to run the Xcopy command may take several minutes to finish. If there are any files that cannot be read from the CD, the CD may be dirty or damaged, or the game CD may be corrupted. If an error message was generated when you ran the Xcopy command on the game disc, and if cleaning the disk or trying a different drive (see Method 3 in this article) does not resolve the problem, go to Method 11: Obtain a replacement disc."

If the problem continues to occur, go to "Method 3: Install and then start the program by using a different CD or DVD drive." 

Method 3: Install and then start the program by using a different CD or DVD drive

The CD drive may be unable to read the product CD. Try to install the program by using a different CD or DVD drive on the same computer or on a different computer. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Insert the CD into the CD or DVD drive of another computer or into a second CD or DVD drive on the original computer. The Setup program should start.
2. Follow the instructions to install the program.

If the installation is successful, and if you can start the game in this test, the problem may be that the original CD drive or DVD drive cannot read the game CD. If the setup fails on another computer, the original CD or DVD may be damaged. In this case, you will have to obtain a replacement disc. Go to Method 11: Obtain a replacement disc."

If the problem continues to occur, go to "Method 4: Restart the computer by using a clean startup procedure."

Method 4: Restart the computer by using a clean startup procedure

When you start Microsoft Windows, other software may start automatically together with the operating system. These programs and services can include antivirus software and system utilities that may interfere with the game. When you perform a clean restart, you prevent these programs from starting automatically.

You must be logged on as an administrator or as a member of the Administrators group to complete this procedure. If the computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may also prevent you from completing this procedure. For more information about how to perform a clean startup procedure, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:  If the problem continues to occur, go to "Method 5: Delete the contents of the temporary folder in Windows."

Method 5: Delete the contents of the temporary folder in Windows

To delete the contents of the temporary folder in Windows, follow these steps:

1. Click Start
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   , type %temp% in the Start Search box, and then press Enter.
2. On the Organize menu, click Select All.
3. On the Organize menu, click Delete.
4. Click Yes.

If the issue continues to occur, go to "Method 6: Try to install the game in a different folder or on a different drive."

Method 6: Try to install the game in a different folder or on a different drive

If the game crashes, or if you receive an error message during setup, try to install the game in a different folder. If the computer has another hard disk, try to install the game on the other hard disk.

Note The following steps may be different for each product that is listed in the "Applies To" section.

1. Insert the game disc in the drive.
   
   Note Do not click Express Install during setup.
2. Follow the setup menus until you see the Change button.
3. Click Change.
4. In the Path box, delete the existing path, and then type the following text:
   drive:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\game name
   In this example, drive represents the drive letter of the hard disk and game name represents the name of the game that you are trying to install.
5. Click OK when you are finished with the setup.
6. Follow the directions that appear on the screen to install the game.

If the problem continues to occur, go to "Method 7: Download and install the latest version of Windows Installer."

Method 7: Download and install the latest version of Windows Installer

Note Follow these steps for Windows Vista and for Windows XP only.

If you are running Windows Vista or Windows XP, you can download the latest version of Windows Installer. Games for Windows, Streets and Trips, and MapPoint use the Windows Installer application to copy files to your computer. If your computer has an outdated version of Windows Installer, or the version that you have installed is not working, the installation will not work.

To install the latest version of Windows Installer, visit the following Microsoft website: If the problem continues to occur, go to "Method 8: Install Windows Updates."

Method 8: Install Windows Updates

To download and install the latest Windows Updates, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click All Programs, and then click Windows Update.
2. Click Check for updates.
3. After Windows Update has finished checking for updates, click View available updates, or click Important updates are available.
4. Click to select the check boxes for all updates, and then click Install. We recommend that you download and install all important updates to your computer. 
   
   If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, you should type the password or provide confirmation.
   
   Some games and applications require you to have a set of Windows core components installed such as the Microsoft .NET Framework, Microsoft Visual C++, DirectX, and so on. If these components are installed incorrectly, the setup will stop. Make sure that you download all important updates by using Windows Update.

Note Before you can install Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP20, you must first install Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1). if you have not installed Windows Vista SP1, Windows Update will not install Windows Vista SP2.

To download the latest Windows XP service pack, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:


If the problem continues to occur, go to "Method 9: Create a new user account in Windows."

Method 9: Create a new user account in Windows

For information about how to create a new user account, select the appropriate link:

For Windows 7: How to fix a corrupted user profile in Windows 7

For Windows Vista: How to fix a corrupted user profile in Windows Vista


If the problem continues to occur, go to "Method 10: Check the hard disk for errors."

Method 10: Check the hard disk for errors

To check the hard disk for errors, follow these steps:

1. Click Start
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   , and then click Computer.
2. Right-click the hard disk that you want to check, and then click Properties.
3. On the Tools tab, click Check Now under Error-checking.
4. Click to select the Automatically fix file system errors check box.
5. Click to select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box.
6. Click Start.

If the problem continues to occur, go to "Method 11: Obtain a replacement disc."

Method 11: Obtain a replacement disc

To obtain a replacement disc from Microsoft in the United States, contact the Microsoft Order Desk at (800) 360-7561. If you are outside the United States, visit the following website to learn how to obtain a replacement disc: For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: