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Guerilla surgeon

7/10/2008 5:58 PM

Settler

Last Seen:
7/16/2008 3:54 PM

Posts: 3
Visits: 7

Some time ago Civilization 4 refused to play on my machine (after a month of happily working) telling me that "the handle is invalid". I never found a solution for this problem, particularly as it would not let me uninstall, and continued to play Civ. 3. However I have just had a clean reinstall of Windows XP professional. (Unfortunately because of a problem with Zone Alarm.) While reinstalling Civ. 3, upon insertion of disk 2 the computer locked up and I had to do a forced reboot. Now I have the contents of disk 1 on the computer and cannot uninstall them. The computer tells me it has uninstalled them but the files are still there. I would really appreciate it if anyone had an answer to this problem. However I do have Civilization 4 which I now dare not install for fear of another 'invalid handle' whatever that is. Is there anything I should download, or do before I try to install this program? Please keep it simple, I am old, I have a cold, I have just had to reinstall all my cherished programmes, and I am not up to complex at the moment, if ever.
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cleopatra143

7/10/2008 6:25 PM

Queen

Last Seen:
Yesterday @ 1:43 PM

Posts: 6,857
Visits: 11,130

Welcome to 1bc! I am sorry that you are having this issue. It sounds like a bad case of the devils work tbh with you. I wish I had a solution but it sounds like you've done everything I would have suggested. Please let us know if you ever find the solution.
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Scipio Africanus

7/10/2008 8:00 PM

Game slut

Last Seen:
Yesterday @ 5:30 PM

Posts: 9,124
Visits: 11,084

Welcome to 1BC. I'm surprised at Civ3 not fully installing; never had that happen. But Civ4 acting like malware does not surprise me one bit. You won't get much help from Patchaxis or 2K Games unfortunately on getting their apps off your machine. The last time this happened to me, I got into chat with a Microsoft Techie. She had me try out a trial version of Your Uninstaller. The trial version worked great for me; got totally rid of Civ4 and allowed me to reinstall Civ4 and get it to work right. I subsequently paid for the non-pro version; don't seem to work so well. Still intend to gripe at them about the incomplete uninstalls I'm geting from their intermediate cost version.
-- tones (9/1/2009) I was minded to compare this site to a sort-of-private Facebook, but, on reflection, that's not right . . . Nope. Here is a forum to exchange views and discuss topics and maybe have some literary fun; post some interesting pics (not Megabits of family krap); flag up some internet sites of Interest; pass on the occasional joke. To me, (struggling for analogy here) it's bit more like a quiet and cosy pub with locals you know and the occasional visitor from "outside"; thick stone walls and a cellar full of well-kept ale. Facebook, on the other hand, is some awful massive city-centre club that serves Fosters lager. And, you know what? I am not unhappy with that analogy. I prefer the pub.

Aintmyprob

7/11/2008 8:10 AM

huff huff

Last Seen:
2 days ago @ 9:26 AM

Posts: 1,811
Visits: 4,868

I think you should be able to delete the folder with the bad Civ3 install and try again, but... if you have that fail to work looking for the registry entries that it leaves could take quite a write-up, I'm willing if need be, but try the delete the folder option first... Scipio's uninstaller trial might be easier if your not much of a computer "expert" though. As for CivIV, and bad handles, dunno... install and patch is my only advice... there have been several patches recently, some just because of the copy-protection, and the various expansions I'm sure, but some functionality was added.
-- Anyone seen my sock? Nothing like letting Diety smack you around to teach you some humility...

Nuclearcow

7/11/2008 8:15 AM

EVERYBODY PANIC!!!

Last Seen:
Yesterday @ 10:34 PM

Posts: 5,624
Visits: 6,996

I think I would definitely turn off Zone alarm, plus any other related programs, spyware sweepers, etc that are active. Then, load up Civ IV and Beyond the Sword and jump on in!
-- "I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." -- Bill Cosby Mood today: Missile cat!

Aintmyprob

7/11/2008 9:50 AM

huff huff

Last Seen:
2 days ago @ 9:26 AM

Posts: 1,811
Visits: 4,868

Ah yes... read right over the Zone Alarm part. In order to install games I usually disable all protection, and unhook my internet until it's installed. Many think Zone Alarm not really that great of a solution, some go as far as calling it spyware/malware. Perhaps you should look into Comodo's Free Firewall... http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/index-hireit.html Not sure what everyone is using currently, but this was getting high praise six months ago around the net... never had major problems with it, (using it more to know what programs want internet access when they shouldn't,) but I am behind a cheap basic hardware firewall on my router too...
-- Anyone seen my sock? Nothing like letting Diety smack you around to teach you some humility...

Guerilla surgeon

7/11/2008 4:39 PM

Settler

Last Seen:
7/16/2008 3:54 PM

Posts: 3
Visits: 7

Ah, but I heard rumours about incompatabilities. Are there 'patches' is that what theyr'e called, I should get to prevent these??
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Guerilla surgeon

7/16/2008 4:03 PM

Settler

Last Seen:
7/16/2008 3:54 PM

Posts: 3
Visits: 7

Aha, for anyone else with uninstall probs. Found something called Revo uninstaller. Free. Gets rid of stuff normal uninstallers don't. Now back ino games with new installs.
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