SoA - Error extracting support files (solution)

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I just had a six hour uninstall cluster**** issue with BG2 and I finally found a fix. Just thought I'd post this here so google can pick it up if anyone else runs into something similar, I never found the solution to my problem from google.

Anyway, I was unable to properly uninstall/reinstall the game because I got this error message when trying to uninstall SoA.

This was caused by my bad habit of running CCleaner every time I install or uninstall a game, in the case of unpatched BG2, it removes the registry entry for BG2.

Anyway, I won't bother you with what happened in the next 5.5 hours or so, I'll just move on to the solution.

When you install BG2, it's absolutely crucial you use BGII - SoA (default) name for your BG2 folder on your hard drive. All my problems boiled down to this tiny little detail. Indeed, even if I manually remade the registry entry for BG2 after it was deleted by CCleaner (can also happen via anti-virus programs), I was unable to uninstall the game because I changed the "BGII - SoA" into "BG2" during the install process every time I installed the game (I think I did a total of 5-6 SoA/ToB reinstalls/manual uninstalls while tracking this problem down).

So if you're having problems uninstalling/installing BG2 because you had a faulty install/some kind of leftovers on your system, here's what you need to do.

1.) Follow these steps to the letter, you don't need to remove anything else from your registry besides the mentioned stuff. Also remember to manually delete your BG2 folder on your hard drive/start menu after you've done that stuff.

2.) Restart your computer (important)! Go to your start menu and type %temp% in search programs and files (windows 7), then press enter. Delete everything in this folder. If you tried to uninstall SoA/ToB and failed to do so without restarting, you won't be able to delete the InstallShield temp files in %temp% unless you restart your computer. Those leftover files in %temp% will generate another InstallShield error when trying to install SoA/ToB.

3.) Reinstall SoA/ToB - USE DEFAULT "BGII - SoA" AS YOUR GAME FOLDER NAME!

4.) Uninstall SoA/ToB, just to make sure you've now successfully deleted everything on your computer via a default uninstall like it's supposed to.

5.) Reinstall SoA/ToB if you want to, just remember to keep the default BG2 folder name.

Hope this helps some poor googler in the future.

 

Hey, get into the Diablo 2 forum where you belong.

 

Uninstalling and re-installing BG2 can be quite a pain if something went wrong, so the Cow King's post might be very helpfull to people and doesn't deserve this kind of reply.

Cow King, thanks for sharing this with us, I'll bookmark it for future reference.

 

I don't, but I've never played all the way through Diablo II, either. But I, uh, still knew it was a joke.

 

Allright. No, I also didn't get that far into Diablo II. It annoyed me I constantly had to start over from the latest waypoint when reloading. There was some kind of demon I just couldn't slay and when I wanted to try again, I had to do the whole level again just to get there, because you started back in town after a reload and could teleport to a waypoint and walk from there.

 

It seems I posted prematurely.

I can get SoA to install/uninstall just fine with my directions, but if I install ToB, the problem for SoA resurfaces..

I just decided to reinstall windows and that's what I'll be doing tonight. I did get SoA/ToB installed in working order, but I just can't stand the fact there is something "wrong" in my registry/computer.

 

This has allready been attended before, here's another go (the best probably): SHS

 

Seriously, wtf? I'm going mad with this.

I did a complete windows 7 reinstall, I disabled UAC, I didn't even install the game in c, I disabled compability assistant... problem remains.

Every time I install ToB, SoA will refuse to uninstall itself correctly after I uninstall ToB.

And when I install ToB (on a fresh w7), the black isle folder in my start->all programs tree is somehow wrong.

IIRC ToB should replace the SoA folder, but mine looks like this.

Black Isle
- Baldur's Gate 1
- BGII - SoA
- BGII - Throne of Baal



Could this be somehow related to windows update? The only thing I can think of, is that before my reinstall SoA/ToB installed/uninstalled etc.. flawlessly. Then I ran windows update to install latest updates, then afterwards I got this problem.

Now logic dictates that a on a fresh windows install, this problem couldn't possibly persist, unless whatever corrupted BG2 install/uninstall procedure in my old windows install, is also present in this (and I did install important and recommended windows updates before installing BG2).

I think I'm gonna uninstall SoA manually (again), and reinstall both in safe mode to see if that helps.

 

Where did you get your disks? Were they a set or bought separately?

 

SoA is the 4 cd version bought from store when bg2 was released, my manual is like ripped to shreds and it looks like a thousand year old bible with golden aging pages.

I had an original store bought ToB, but the disk cracked ages ago. I had a deus ex cd once explode inside my cd drive, it wasn't pretty (had to pick cd pieces from inside my computer), so I don't dare use the original ToB cd. I'm now using .iso I downloaded from torrentbay.

NOTE: I had absolutely no problems with soa/tob using the .iso (playing or installing/uninstalling) on my previous windows setup before all these troubles started.

Timeline (like 1 month)

BG2 runs/installs/uninstalls flawlessly
I uninstall BG2
Windows Update (I think)
I install BG2
I use CCleaner and accidentally delete BG2's install path
Lots of tweaking to get it working
Complete format/windows reinstall
Windows Update + basic programs
Problem remains

Also this simply cannot be a hardware problem like a case of bad ram or something, because otherwise I would have major problems in almost every other program, this is strictly restricted to BG2. Even BG1 works like a champ (5 cd store bought original version, totsc = downloaded .iso).

 

Part of me is wondering if it's a case of different regions between the SoA and ToB editions you're using. If it's a problem with the registry picking them up properly then it may be plausible. TotSC if you've got the wrong region it won't run properly, whilst ToB doesn't necessarily give any forewarning, especially if it's one you've downloaded.

Could you replace the disk?

 

I just downloaded both BG2 and ToB from the same torrent, I'll try it.

Although I can't see how it's possible since BG2 used to work perfectly fine with these exact same disks/tob image.

---------- Added 0 hours, 40 minutes and 32 seconds later... ----------

Holy nyerk! It worked

I can only imagine that either my legit SoA cd's have some kind of corruption, or the ToB imagine I downloaded got somehow corrupted.

 

The lesson is that backups are good. Copy protected CDs/DVDs are bad.
Always make a backup, even if you have to resort to pirate sites to find cracked copies. It could save your game.

I've hated copy protection that prevents me from making backup copies of my game disks for 25 years. Ever since I lost Sargon III on the Apple II due to my inability to copy it. Copy II+ failed me.