(SOLVED!) After reinstall thru FT, game wont load. Please help!

[Rainne]

Hi guys!  You are all so very much more awesome than me, I just know one of you will have my solution...

Here's what happened.  I had to swap out my CD drive, and when I sent the drive back to HP (boohiss) I, being the moron that I am, left my Free Time disc in the drive.  I didn't have the cash to go and replace it that day, so I uninstalled FT, thinking I'd just go back and play BV until I could replace my FT.

Apparently that was a huge mistake, as seen by the Big Fiery Ball Visible From Space... BV wouldn't load.  It would get up to "faceting precious gems" on the loading screen and then just sit there grinning at me like an idiot until I ended the task via task manager.

As of this morning, I have uninstalled and reinstalled *the entire game* SIX TIMES and I cannot get it to work.  Once I almost had it - I was installing and doublechecking to make sure each EP worked, but it locked up when I got to Teen Style and wouldn't load.

If anyone has any idea what could be causing this and how to fix it, please let me know.  Also, if you need any further information to investigate, I'll try to get it for you.  I warn you I don't know much about computers so if it involves the registry or something, I have to have Instructions for Dummies.  But still, if you have any ideas, I'll try anything.

Thanks in advance.

[spaceface]

I am not sure if this will work, but it can't hurt. I suggest you try system restore (until before you uninstalled FT). Then get a no-CD crack for FT.

[Theo]

Some NoCD cracks only circumvent SecuROM protection. Those may still require the CD/DVD contents to be loaded into a virtual drive.

Try to find one that doesn't need the CD/DVD at all.

[jolrei]

I think the system restore idea has merit.  That would get you back to where your system was prior to your uninstall problems.

Then follow the steps for removing securom in the "How to remove securom" thread and get a no-cd crack from gamecopyworld.  This will allow you to run the game without loading your disk into the CD-ROM drive each time.

[Rainne]

Thank you all so much for your suggestions.  Before today I didn't even know Securom exsted... I still don't know what it is... but I shall endeavor to remove it posthaste.

Thanks again all!!!

[spaceface]

Good luck!

I preferred no-CD cracks before securom actually, it's quicker to load the game if the game disks stay in their boxes and there is no chance of them getting lost.

[Rainne]

I never even considered a no-CD crack before yesterday, which is ironic considering that if I'd had one, I never would have had this problem in the first place.  LOL!  I know enough about computers to run what I need to run and occasionally make some very basic system tweaks (and I once successfully ran 'Hello World') but outside of that, I'm reluctant to do some of the fancier stuff like cracks and things because I'm always afraid of screwing up my system.

That said,

I ran all the removal-of-SecuROM directions and installed the no-CD crack and IT WORKS!!!!  Thank you all so much for being so much more awesome than me.   

[jolrei]

...and there was much rejoicing.