Kursk 1943 failed installation and virus

[rbbane]

I have just bought TOW2 Africa 1943 and TOW2 Kursk 1943 today from PC World, Meadowhall Retail Park, Sheffield. Both copies were brand new and unopened.

I installed Africa 1943 successfully, after entering the "key number". It then ran with no problem. (I was ready with the 1.30 patch but found that the game was already at version 1.30 without patching).

I then tried to install Kursk 1943. During the installation my anti virus program, AVG, reported that there were two threats contained in the installation files.
I had to ignor two files during the installation to get it to install at all. Then, after rebooting, I found that the game would not load or run at all.
I tried uninstalling and installing again, but with the same results.
The Kursk installation did not ask for the Key number, which is on the manual.
I found that the game was to version 1.20. So I patched it to version 1.24 and then 1.31. Still the game would not run, saying each time "The application failed to initialize properly (0x0000005)" .

I then used my anti virus program, AVG to scan the Kursk 1943 installation disk. It found that there was a "Threat" in two files actually on the disk.

1. (Bin)\Builder.exe
and
2. (MissionEditor\Bin)\SimpleEditor.exe

The "threats", according to AVG, were - Win32/Heur on both files.

I am an experienced computer user and gamer and well used to installing all types of software, including very many games, and have a powerful PC which installs and runs many modern and not so modern games with out trouble.
When I buy a game I first of all expect it to install without trouble. But I also do not expect the game disk to be infected with some form of virus.

I should therefore be very interested to hear if anyone has a possible explanation for the problems, and any suggested remedy.

I have read other posts and realise that this game has eventually installed through Steam. Mine is obviously a "non Steam" version.
Could it be anything to do with not being able to access the Battlefront web site now?
Thanks in advance for any help.

[Sneaksie]

It's likely a false positive, but let's check it. What is pictured on the box? Can you upload a shot of it here perhaps? There are several versions of the game being sold by different publishers. You can check the suspicious files using www.virustotal.com or similar service if you want to be sure, some AV software may falsely report a copy protection scheme as a possible virus.
Where did you download patches, through the game autoupdater or our site or any other? Error reported by Kursk could be caused by a wrong patch (that was intended for a different version).

[rbbane]

Can't remember, to be honest, which site I downloaded the patches from. I had looked at several.
I was careful to choose the English patches, rather than the Russian ones, of which there was several.
(I hadn't used the Auto Updater as this option would not work, either from the installed folder, or directly from the disc).

But after installing from the disc, and having the issues about having to "ignor" a couple of files before it would install, the game would not load or play before I installed the patches.

My AV was highlighting two files in the Bin\MissionEditor\Bin folder. I would have thought it unlikely that that was where the copy protection was situated. But I can only guess at that.

I've attached a picture of the game box.

Thanks for your interest so far.

[rbbane]

Have just tried using virustotal.com, as you suggested, to check the two files in question.
But it would not upload them to test. Sorry.

[Sneaksie]

AFAIK Excalibur's version was released not so long ago and should be up-to-date (version 1.3.x), so there are no patches for it. Where did you see it's version number (1.2.0) if you couldn't run it?

I would suggest uninstalling the game, deleting any leftover files manually and reinstalling it with AV software temporarily disabled so it won't interfere with installation process (if you're cautious, just don't run these two files, they are editors and not needed to run the game). Then try to run it without installing any patches. If it gives an error, post here contents of log.lst file from the game folder.

[rbbane]

Done as you suggested Sneaksie.

Uninstalled game and removed any remaining game files. Checked registry. All relevant entries gone. Disabled AV. Re-installed game. This time installed without interruption, until right at the end that is, when it said "Options - failed to initialize properly (0x0000005)" or something like that.

Then game would not start, with the message as before - "The application failed to initialize properly (0x0000005)".

Got the "1.20" version figure from the registry, when I looked before to see if there was anything amiss.

But this time looked at the Readme, which I didn't do before. The Readme says Version 1.31.
(On the Africa 1943 game the Registry value is the same as the Readme, at 1.30 for both).
Changed the Registry value on Kursk to match the Readme, at 1.31. But made no difference. Game still wouldn't initialise.

So until I/we can figure out what to do, I'll just play Africa 1943. Africa plays perfectly so far.
Thanks again for your suggestions, Sneaksie.

[rbbane]

I think it's interesting to note that when I bought these two games together there was a marked difference in the price.
Africa 1943 was £24.99, but Kursk 1943 was only £4.97.

Now, if these two games were originally released not too far apart, why the big difference in price?
Maybe PC World, (where I bought the games from), had already had some/many copies of Kursk returned as not working, and they have significantly reduced the price in an effort to "get rid" of the rest of the Kursk stock?

Maybe I am entirely wrong, but the pricing looks very odd to me.

I am now going to PC World to exchange my copy of Kursk for one of their other remaining copies of Kursk.
However I am not confident that they will play either, as I remember noticing, when I bought these games last week, that the other copies of Kursk, on the shelf, looked as if they had been re-packaged in cling film. I made a point of getting the only copy of Kursk that looked as if was in it's original cellophane wrapping.
We shall see.

But the basic question remains, if Africa 1943 will play perfectly, why won't Kursk 1943 even install properly, or play at all.

[rbbane]

Un-installed the full game completely again. Not able to get it loading at all.

But I've downloaded and installed the Kursk Demo. This installed with no problem and plays perfectly.

So whatever is preventing the full game from not loading and playing is something that is only contained on the full game disk, and not in the demo.

Having not heard any courses of action that will get the full game working I shall take the game back to PC World for a refund. Would much rather have had the game working though.

I should add here, that along with TOW2 Africa1943, and the Kursk Demo, my PC is able to play all other games. I've been playing Napoleon - Total War now for almost a year, without problems.

Thanks for you help Sneaksie.

[Sneaksie]

We did not receive any complaints concerning this version of Kursk before nor we have it at hand to check it. Anyway we'll try to determine what is wrong and will make a patch for it, but it will take some time, obviously.

[rbbane]

Sorry, I forgot to give my system specs.

XP SP3
Intel quad core Q9650 3.0 Ghz.
Asustec P5N32-E-SLI
4 Gb (3Gb used) Crucial PC2 6400
NVidea GeForce 9800GT 1000Gb (driver 258.96)
Creative Audigy 4 (Latest drivers)