Error message when you install Microsoft Games and mapping programs

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.

One of the following problems or a similar problem occurs when you install one of the programs that are listed in the "Applies to" section:

• The Setup program crashes (stops responding).
• You receive a Windows Installer error message that includes an error code, such as error 1305, 1603, 1335, or 1935.
• You receive an error message that resembles one of the following messages:
  Error message 1
  Game Name Setup encountered an error while reading the file
  Error message 2
  Setup was unable to find or could not read the language specific setup resource .dll.
  Error message 3
  Wrong volume is in the drive.
  Error message 4
  Setup.exe is not a valid win32 application.
  Error message 5
  Please insert the disc 2 in the drive.
  Note The "Please insert the disc 2 in the drive" error message may be caused by virtual hard disks.
  Error message 6
  Setup failed to extract files from drive :\ filename .CAB. This is most likely caused by low memory (low disk space for swapping file) or corrupted cabinet file. Please restart your machine and run setup again.

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 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.

Method 2: Run the Xcopy command

You can use the Xcopy utility 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 it.
2. Click Start, point to Run, and then type the appropriate command line for the version of Windows that you are using:
   • For Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and 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, which is 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 no error messages were generated by running the Xcopy command on the game disc, please telephone (800) 360-7561 to obtain a replacement disc.

If the problem continues to occur, go to the Method 3.

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 a second CD or DVD drive on the original computer. The Setup program should start.
2. Click Express Install.
3. 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 problem continues to occur, go to the Method 4.

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.

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
   Collapse this imageExpand this image

   
   , 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.

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 is the drive letter of the hard disk and game name is the name of the game that you are trying to install.
5. Click OK when you are finished.
6. Follow the directions that appear on the screen to install the game.

If the problem continues to occur, go to Method 7.

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

To install the latest Windows Installer, visit the following Microsoft Web site: If the problem continues to occur, go to Method 8.

Method 8: Use the Windows Installer CleanUp utility

Download and then install the Microsoft Windows CleanUp utility. To do this, visit the Microsoft Web site: Save the file to the desktop. When the download is complete, double-click the file, and then follow the directions. When installation is complete, click Start , point to All Programs, and then click Windows Installer CleanUp.

In the Installed Products list, remove any entries that are related to the product that you have trouble installing. If there are too many entries, click Select All, and then click Remove. When you have removed all the entries, click exit, and then start the installation of the product. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: If the problem continues to occur, go to the Method 9.

Method 9: Create a new user account in Windows

To create a new user account, use the appropriate process for your kind of Internet connectivity.

The computer is connected to the Internet

View the "Create a user account" topic on the following Windows Online Help and Support Web site:

The computer is not connected to the Internet

View the "Create a user account" topic in Windows Help and Support on the computer's hard disk by following these steps:

1. Click Start
   Collapse this imageExpand this image

   
   , and then click Help and Support.
2. In the Search Help box or in the Search online Help box, type Create a user account, and then click Search Help.
3. In the list of topics, click Create a user account.
4. Click the link that best describes the problem that you are experiencing.
5. Follow the suggestions to troubleshoot the problem that you are experiencing.

Note Some games require a user account that has Administrator level access to run.

More information

If creating a new user account fixes the problem, sign out of this new user account, and then sign in to your usual user account to see whether the problem reappears there. If there is still a problem in your usual user account, you may want to use the Fix It button in the following article to restore the default security settings in this account. Then check whether that fixes the problem. Otherwise you must move your data from the account that has the problem into the user account that you just created so that you can access it when you use the new user account. For more information about how to copy data to your new user profile when you use Windows Vista, click the following topic title to view the topic in Windows Help and How-to:If the problem continues to occur, go to the Method 10.

Method 10: Check the hard disk for errors

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

1. Click Start
   Collapse this imageExpand this image

   
   , 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 the Method 11.

Method 11: Similar problems and solutions

Obtain a replacement disc

To obtain a replacement disc from Microsoft, contact the Microsoft Order Desk at (800) 360-7561.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: