ARMA II won't install on Asus G73jh

[tangoniner 10]

Hello everyone,

first post.

I just got back from Best Buy and bought the Arma II combined operations set. I wanted a good video game to install on my brand new Asus G73jh gaming laptop.

Problem is, when I put either of the disks in the drive, it pulls up the install window and then my computer immediately and completely freezes. mouse doesn't work, none of the buttons work, and it requires a hard restart.

I've tried both disks(arrowhead and the original) and the result is the same. I've installed other new games and haven't had any problems. I'm not sure what is going on or how to proceed with a problem like this.

Does anyone have any idea about how I can get this to install? I paid $50 for this game, I'd like to get it to work.

thanks

[tangoniner 10]

hate to bump my own thread, but i'm desperate.

[Flubadoo 10]

Is your DVD/CD slot messed up? ArmA 2 installed on my friend's G73 perfectly. You should also check you disk, to make sure that the disk isn't all scratchy.

[Placebo 29]

Does the DVD drive support Dual Layer DVDs? The official Asus site is a bit vague in naming the DVD drive ""DVD Super Multi Blu-Ray DVD Combo"

[T.S.C.Plage 0]

A German site states that you can also get a DVD writer instead of the "Combo". Is this maybe the problem here and the writer is unable to handle the discs?

[tangoniner 10]

Is your DVD/CD slot messed up? ArmA 2 installed on my friend's G73 perfectly. You should also check you disk, to make sure that the disk isn't all scratchy.

The computer is brand new. I took it out of the box 2 days ago. I've installed several other new games without any issues.

The disks are brand new also. Just took them straight out of the plastic box and into the disk drive.

---------- Post added at 09:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:19 AM ----------

A German site states that you can also get a DVD writer instead of the "Combo". Is this maybe the problem here and the writer is unable to handle the discs?

i'm not really sure what your saying.

I did install several other games that put a lot of info on a single disc. X-plane 9, which I installed , is over 80gb of data spread over 6 discs.

I also installed Crysis and Mass effect 2 without any issues. I'm not sure if those are "dual layer" discs or not. but they worked fine.

[mosh 0]

Can you put the disc in and open it from 'My Computer'? Can you even see the contents of the disc at all? I'm not 100% sure you have a dual layer disc drive either.

First thing I do with a new game... I copy the contents to a new folder on a backup drive. I use the files I copied for future installs (way faster than reading disc).

[tangoniner 10]

Can you put the disc in and open it from 'My Computer'? Can you even see the contents of the disc at all? I'm not 100% sure you have a dual layer disc drive either.

First thing I do with a new game... I copy the contents to a new folder on a backup drive. I use the files I copied for future installs (way faster than reading disc).

Yes, after doing a hard restart, I left the disc in there and then opened it from "my computer" and clicked "autorun". It did the same thing. brings up the install window and locks up.

I also tried skipping the autorun folder and just installing the game from it's "setup" folder. It worked for a little bit, and I got to actually type in the activation code, but then it locks up shortly after that and I have to do a hard restart again.

[mosh 0]

Since you can view the contents of the DVD, copy all the contents of it into a 'New Folder' on your desktop and try to run 'setup.exe' from there. Take the disc out once the files are transferred (although you may need it for verification once installed).

[Placebo 29]

I'd definitely try to find out if there's a firmware upgrade for the DVD drive.

[tangoniner 10]

Since you can view the contents of the DVD, copy all the contents of it into a 'New Folder' on your desktop and try to run 'setup.exe' from there. Take the disc out once the files are transferred (although you may need it for verification once installed).

Well, I was able to copy the entire contents of the installation disc to a folder on my desktop. I then removed the disc from the disc drive to totally take this of the problem.

I tried to run "setup.exe" and again, it did ok for a little bit. I put the activation code in and then a few seconds later, everything froze, requiring a hard reboot.

I then tried again, clicking the "autorun" program file and it did ok for a few seconds, and then everything froze again requiring a hard reboot.

What now?

I think we can safely say that the disc drive has absolutely nothing to do with this problem.

[Placebo 29]

So it freezes before it actually manages to install anything to your HDD?

[tangoniner 10]

So it freezes before it actually manages to install anything to your HDD?

Yes, sort of.

It does not freeze on the same file each time. When I clicked on the various install folders once I had it on my HDD, it was just kind of random. Sometimes in 2 seconds, sometimes 5 seconds???

I did however get a couple of files to install, before it froze, which I later uninstalled.

I'm really frustrated about this. Since best buy has an "exchange only" policy on video games, i'll probably just return it, get a new one in the plastic and dump it on ebay. This game is a POS. I can't believe it's so highly regarded.

[T.S.C.Plage 0]

Thousands of people have installed this game without any problems but in your case it has to be the developer that's responsible. Did you ever came up with the idea that something is wrong with your system?

[tangoniner 10]

Did you ever came up with the idea that something is wrong with your system?

Sure, i've thought of that. But the computer is brand new and works great other than installing this game.

I have successfully installed Crysis, Mass Effect 2, X plane 9, Farcry, NeverWinter Nights 2 and Myst Uru.

[maddogx 13]

This game is a POS. I can't believe it's so highly regarded.

Amazing that were able to draw that conclusion without even playing it. :rolleyes:

Thousands of people have installed this game without any problems but in your case it has to be the developer that's responsible. Did you ever came up with the idea that something is wrong with your system?

^^ This. The problem is obviously with your laptop, otherwise nobody would be able to install it. Now you really just need to find out what it going wrong.

Since the installer causes problems no matter whether it is run from your hard drive or from the game disc, we can obviously rule out drive firmware problems. That means you're left with the more uncomfortable stuff.

The installer executable isn't exactly hardware hungry, and you say you have already installed (and, I presume, played) a number of other games on that machine, so I'm going to rule out processor, RAM and overheating problems for now.

One possibility that springs to mind for me is a hard drive problem, something I experienced with a laptop a few years ago. There was a specific sector of the hard drive that caused the system to freeze up when I it tried to write something there. It worked fine otherwise.

One thing you could try is copying and pasting some data on that hard drive (the same place where you are trying to install the game) and seeing what happens. If the system locks up again, it will probably be something like that. In that case you should get the HDD replaced.

Otherwise I'm not sure what the problem could be.

[Placebo 29]

If it's not the DVD firmware (which it seems likely if it all copied to the HDD ok) then chances are it's SATA drivers, or even outdated BIOS, it's a PC, there's always a million and one things it could be. The fact that x,y,z installs ok is irrelevant, it's a PC.....

[tangoniner 10]

PROBLEM SOLVED!!

I'm posting this in case some other person find themselves in a similar predicament.

Well, I was googling like crazy all sorts of differents phrases , mostly just trying to find something that made sense.

Anyway, I came across another forum where a person was having problems with Arma 2 locking up during gameplay, and he ultimately found out that there was a software conflict between Audigy drivers and the Arma 2 software. He deleted the Audigy files and it worked for him.

I tried the same thing. I deleted the Audigy drivers from my computer and mine installed perfectly, from the disc.

At first I thought, well, now i'm not going to have any sound, but that was not the case. The sound worked perfectly , just like before. I'm not sure what purpose those Audigy files served, but after I deleted them. Everything installed and worked fine.

So the moral of the story is this. Audigy and Arma do not mix.

[T.S.C.Plage 0]

The moral of the story is don't blame others if you haven't ruled out that the problem maybe is on your side.

Welcome to the club!

[tangoniner 10]

The moral of the story is don't blame others if you haven't ruled out that the problem maybe is on your side.

Welcome to the club!

Did I blame you or anyone else ?? ARe you that big of a dumbass?

I said the software was to blame and I still maintain that.

If other games from other manufacturers can install and work fine with Audigy software, then the fact that Arma 2 doesnt is a problem on THEIR side.

AS for the "club". thanks for nothing.

[EDcase 87]

Wow, you've got a bad attitude. Hope we don't see you around anymore....

Edited July 21, 2010 by EDcase

[Placebo 29]

Glad it's resolved.