Cannot Install SimCity 4 on Windows Vista

[tmthymllgn 0]

Hi,

New here! Hopefully someone can help me. I'm ready to die!!

Windows Vista recognizes the SimCity 4 disk. Then asks me if it's OK to run. I click OK. Next it brings up the install page. I'm able to click and view the readme file. But when I click install nothing happens. CD spins for awhile then nothing!

Here are my specs:

XPS 410, Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E6320 (1.86GHz,1066FSB) with 4MB cache	$1358.00
1	311-5121	2GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz	$0.00
1	310-7963	Dell USB Keyboard	$0.00
1	320-5212	22 in (22 in viewable) E228WFPWide Aspect Digital Flat Panel	$0.00
1	320-4944	NVIDIA GeForce 7300 LE	$0.00
1	341-3190	320GB Serial ATA 2 Hard Drive (7200RPM)	$0.00
1	341-3865	No Floppy Drive Requested	$0.00
1	420-6541	Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, English	$0.00
1	420-6436	Vista, PC-Restore, Dim/Insp	$0.00
1	420-6481	Dell Support, Vista, Dim/Insp	$0.00
1	420-5769	Internet Search and Portal	$0.00
1	420-5924	Icon Consolidation Application	$0.00
1	463-2282	Dell Owners Manual installed on your system,click on icon after system set-up to access	$0.00
1	313-4911	Dell Resource DVD with Application Backup	$0.00
1	310-7966	Dell Optical USB Mouse	$0.00
1	313-4427	56K PCI Data Fax Modem	$0.00
1	412-0914	Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0	$0.00
1	313-4424	48X Combo and 16X DVD+/-RW	$0.00
1	420-6464	Roxio Creator Basic	$0.00
1	313-2758	Integrated Audio	$0.00
1	313-4038	Dell AS501PA Sound Bar with power adapter for all Enrty Flat Panel Displays	$0.00
1	420-6914	Network Associates McAfee 8.0 English, 15-Month Subscription	$0.00
1	461-3063	No ISP Requested	$0.00
1	412-1397	No Productivity Software requested	$0.00
1	464-5105	$50 Promo Dell Gift Card Card Card to arrive 6-8 weeks afterpurchase Redeem before 1 year expiration. dell.com/giftcard	$0.00
1	950-7447	4 Year Limited Warranty	$0.00
1	412-0359	Soft Contracts - Qualxserve	$0.00
1	902-2473	Warranty Support,3 Year Extended	$0.00
1	985-3669	Dell Hardware Warranty PlusOnsite Service, Extended Year	$0.00
1	950-5903	Type 15- Third Party At Home Service with Nights and Week ends, 24x7 Technical Support, 3 Year Extended	$0.00
1	985-3658	Dell Hardware Warranty PlusOnsite Service, Initial Year	$0.00
1	980-7940	Type 15- Third Party At Home Service with Nights and Week ends, 24x7 Technical Support, Initial Year	$0.00
1	960-8700	Warranty Support,Initial Year	$0.00
1	412-0358	Soft Contracts - Consumer Complete Care	$0.00
1	960-0027	CompleteCare Accidental DamageProtection, Dimension, 4 Year	$0.00
1	310-8626	You have chosen a Windows Vista Premium System	$0.00
1	466-5269	Thank you for choosing Dell!	$0.00
1	310-8165	IEEE 1394a Adapter	$30
1	464-9572	No Preinstalled Software

[wouanagaine 83]

Try to run the installer with Admin privilege

[tmthymllgn 0]

How do I get to Admin Privileges? When I started it up I made only one user account for myself. So aren't I the administrator?

edit- just checked. I am an admin user account. so what now?

edit- i got this error message: 

"Ereg registry key remover has stopped working" 

followed by 

"A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available."

[sims co. 0]

Go to My Computer and right-click on the disk-drive you have Simcity 4 in, click OPEN. Look for SETUP and right-click then select Properties. go to COMPATIBILITY on the tabs then you have a list of check boxes. select the check box for RUN THIS PROGRAM AS ADMINISTRATOR and also select the tick box for RUN THIS PROGRAM IN COMPATIBILITY MODE FOR: "Windows XP Service pack 2" click apply and then ok. Now it SHOULD run.

[tmthymllgn 0]

tried that. now it says " . . . not a valid win32 application"

edit- "run as administrator" is grayed out. i can't select it.

[sims co. 0]

I had this problem with mine. I don't knonw whether this will work but instead of selecting "Windows xp service pack 2" select "Windows 2000"

[tmthymllgn 0]

why is administrator greyed out? i even turned off the "user account control" (which is supposed to prompt you before making changes.)

[DougOZ 0]

in my computer i get VIsta, and i didnt get problem in the instalation, just putted the Cd in, and run the instalation...thats it...

[sims co. 0]

Have you ticked the administrator key?

[tmthymllgn 0]

click the setup icon on the cd. under properties i check compatibility as winxp, also tried as win2000. the box for run as administrator is greyed out. but i am an administrator anyway. but if i right click the icon there is a "run as administrator option" which is in the initial pop up box. i click that. its takes forever then tells me "error running application".

[tmthymllgn 0]

maybe i am clicking the wrong icon. the icon i am clicking simply says "set up" and has the EX symbol next to it. It's not in a folder. Although i looked in some of the folders and couldnt find any other setup icon. 

edit - maybe i am having trouble because i have windows vista 32-bit. what is the difference between 32 bit and 64 bit? does it have anything to do with gaming? i remember my old nintendo used to advertise it was 16 bit, so maybe the bit has something to do with it?

[Adnoxaei 0]

wow I had no problems...SC4 and Rushhour insalled perfectly for me...

there also might be a problem with your admin status. On my desktop, which runs on XP, I am the administrator, but I can not install some software from my account, I have to go to a different account...It is an odd Issue that I have never been able to solve, so try creating another account that can install stuff.

just a thought...

[tmthymllgn 0]

nope. i made a separate administrator account. doesn't work. although with this account i don't get the error messages. but nothing happens. i dont even get the install page!

*****??? I am so pissed off. I bought a new computer in part just so I could play this!!!!!!

[tmthymllgn 0]

just called dell. they weren't much help. they suggested uninstalling mcafee antivirus

[gwax23 0]

we seem to be having the same problem https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=22&threadid=89961&enterthread=y

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Try the install in safe mode.

Shut your machine down. 

On power up, hold the F8 key, then choose Safe Mode without Networking.

You should be able to sign on to the Administrator account,  It is always there.  If it asks for a password, try admin.

[herenthere 0]

Yea, according to http://www.thinktechno.com/2007/03/13/list-of-vista-compatible-games , SC4 will work best on Vista 64-bit OS. I only have 32-bit and the graphics keeps on going berserk every time I zoom in/out. The screen blacks out then the video card gives me some messed up graphics. Sucks!! Tried the Compatibility thing. Thinking about reverting back to XP.

[herenthere 0]

Okay, now everytime I load a city, it says that I am missing a Plugin Pack 1823239408 even though I copied all of my XP plugins into new Vista plugins... Weird...

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Did you get any plugins that may have been in Program Files\Maxis\simicty 4\plugins?

I had SC4 up on Vista Ultimate, no problems at all, but it was so sluggish, I reverted to XP with great difficulty.  You won't see me on Vista again unless I absolutely must go there.

[herenthere 0]

I have the solution!!!!! (Well only if you receive the following notification whenever you exit a successfully installed SimCity 4 on Vista (I have 32-bit).)

Intel Drivers something like this: "The driver igfx has stopped working and has recovered"

Go to: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/detail_desc.aspx?strstate=live&productid=39&dwnldid=12610&agr=n〈=eng&prdmap=39

If you're using Intel Graphics, make sure your chip is included in the list. Download and follow instructions in included README.

After I updated video driver, it worked perfectly! No more graphics glitches! NOTE: You have to go through each of your cities and use the Save feature in order to bring the city 'up-to-date' with the new updated driver (and you won't see the msg I saw "Plug-in pack missing"). Good luck!

Original source: a thread from a WoW forum describing similar problems.

[Somebody 12]

I tried to install sc4 on vista but it freezes at 29 percent..

[ja/att 61]

I didn't have any install problems but when the game is running the screen blinks to the desk top where I have a "windows explorer has stopped working" msg. (luckily it doesn't also shut down the game.) Other times I get a "Rundll32 has been stopped" msg. I am also using the SC4startup manager program to run the game. I am wondering if that is the program conflicting with vista? Any thoughts?

[loveangel 0]

first of all, this thread is like over a year old, and what you describe doesn't seem to be a problem with sc4, it's a vista or virus problem. Have you tried googling the error message you get? There are a lot of tech help forums with discussions on the same problem that you have, they will come up in google. It seems to be a common problem...but there are many possible solutions, good luck.

and just in case somebody else has the same issue as the OP, the answer to the op's problem is ctrl-alt-del, task manager, killing process "ereg.exe" and then running the sc4 installer again (nothing to do with admin mode). again, googling the error message (ereg has stopped working) gives more detailed instructions.

[candyman13 0]

I just installed sc4 deluxe yesterday with not one problem, game runs very nice.

I also have vista 64bit*

[johnnypd 0]

bump...

I have the same problem trying to install SC4 Deluxe in Windows Vista. i click to install, the computer loads for a second, the disc spins. then nothing.

I've tried running in compability mode - nothing. tried running it as administrator - nothing. tried the ereg thing - nothing. it just doesnt seem to work and any possible answers ive found on google have no effect.

anyone have a clue about how to install this on Vista?

[tungston 19]

There is no problem with Vista, and SC4, you don't need to run in compatability mode.  You may have a problem with the disc itself.  Try copying the disc files to the hard drive, and install from there.

Turn off any antivirus, and if that doesn't work, try installing the game in Windows Safe Mode.

[Darth Apple 54]

that will probably help when I get my new computer , hopefully this year.

EDIT: I have my new computer now anyway. Has no problem whatsoever.

Are you sure there is no problem working with vista , 64 , or 32 bit?

thanks.

[earwax_man 18]

I had the compatibility error, and i just ran setup.exe as administrator in XP SP2 and it worked fine

[tungston 19]

Originally posted by: blakesterville

that will probably help when I get my new computer , hopefully this year.

you sure there is no problem working with vista , 64 , or 32 bit?

thanks

quote>

There may be some things to do when installing on a 64 bit OS, I haven't installed it on a 64 bit system.  I know the game does work on Vista 64.

But you should have no issues installing on Vista 32.  The problem with Vista is the safe guards that come with it.  You must have administer rights.

[cars-a-driver 0]

i have vista 32-bit and everything is fine, even when i installed it was and was running 4 other programs and playing Sims 2. And i pour loads of plug-ins to my game and it still doesn't crash our have any bugs but maybe i don't have security, except Windows Defender,