Well, this installation problem is just brilliant...

[Hickeroar]

OK, so I'm in the middle of installing and it just "finishes" out of the blue. No message or anything, just a box that says it's finished installing and I can click finish. This sounds odd to me because the progress bar was only half done.

I look in the start menu. No shortcuts at all.

I look on the C drive and in program files. No files ANYWHERE for the game. I do a full HDD search for "Unreal." The only thing that shows up is a folder in my documents for Unreal Tournament 3. No other files anywhere on my HDD.

I then attempt to install again. Bringing up the original autorun menu gives me "Launch UT3" which does nothing at all. I click it and nothing happens. Uninstall UT3 gives me an error. Won't uninstall.

I go to the CD directory and double click SetupUT3.exe. It acts like it's installing but brings me to a prompt that asks me if I'm sure I want to uninstall this program and all of its features. Regardless of whether I click no or yes it gives me an error about this only being possible on products that are already installed.

So, i can't uninstall, I can't reinstall, there are NO game files at all, I've tried deleting the UT3 folder in my documents, makes no difference, what in the HECK is going on here?

How can I force a full reinstall? This is utterly ridiculous.

[Hickeroar]

LOL n/m. I did a registry search for Unreal Tournament 3 and deleted all the keys in there I could find. Also found reference in the registry to an application data folder for UT3 under my user folder in my documents so I deleted the files under that.

No idea what initially caused this problem, but at least I know how to fix it if it happens again.

[KriLL3.8™]

Do you have free space on C:\ ?

[Reise]

This reminds me of something that used to happen to Call of Duty on my PC. I would go to install it clean but somehow the PC thought there was still files already on my HD. Check your Add/Remove programs to see if UT3 is in there, and remove it if possible. Then try to install again.

[Hickeroar]

Do you have free space on C:\ ?

about 50GB.

[Black Poison]

Try sending you PC back in time with system restore and try installing the game again.

[Hickeroar]

This reminds me of something that used to happen to Call of Duty on my PC. I would go to install it clean but somehow the PC thought there was still files already on my HD. Check your Add/Remove programs to see if UT3 is in there, and remove it if possible. Then try to install again.

Ya, it wasn't in there at all

Really strange problem, but if you scroll up you can see the solution I found in my 2nd post.

[msny]

LOL n/m. I did a registry search for Unreal Tournament 3 and deleted all the keys in there I could find. Also found reference in the registry to an application data folder for UT3 under my user folder in my documents so I deleted the files under that.

No idea what initially caused this problem, but at least I know how to fix it if it happens again.

Maybe a conflict with the demo install also?

dunno

[IronHawk]

I had the same thing happen with the demo. Install and then use the .exe from the root directory to run the game. The installer never put the icon on the desktop but the installation itself was fine.

[goldsoundz]

Glad to see someone else was encountering the same error I was, and I tried what you recommended, Hickeroar, but there's one key I can't delete. It says I need to make sure I have the rights to delete this specific registry key. I'm on Vista.

Did you have a similar problem?

[goldsoundz]

I changed my administrator rights in regedit to gain access to delete the registry keys. I've deleted all the keys I can find and I still can't uninstall/install the game. The only difference between now and yesterday is that UT3 is no longer listed in my installed programs list.

I'd really love to play this game, but I'm all out of ideas. I really don't want to reformat my PC just to play this game.

[Gibson5469]

how do you find all the keys associated with UT3?

[shinjion07]

For anyone still having this problem, simply perform a System Restore to a date prior to installing UT3 and try again. That can easily be done by going to Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore.

[goldsoundz]

For anyone still having this problem, simply perform a System Restore to a date prior to installing UT3 and try again. That can easily be done by going to Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore.

Jesus, I can't believe that never crossed my mind. It's installing without a hitch now.

I love you, man.

[Gibson5469]

tried that too. damn. no UT3 for me.

[yabbering yeti]

the best way ive discovered to remove a game when this problem occurs (and its happened a lot to me) is to head on to the game disk and find a file thats normally called setup.ini or something similar. its always there though, in the root directory of the disk. The setup needs this code in an easily readable format so its there, just keep lookin'.

In this short file there is a product code, normally a bunch of letters and numbers seperated by dashes. The registry entries associated with the game instalation contain this code, so its as easy as copying the code from the .ini and searching it for it in your registry. I assumie the uninstall uses this code to reference the entries its meant to remove during uninstalation.

Searching the games name doesnt always find all the bits and pieces you may need.

And yeah, you wont loose stuff as you will with a system restore.

[B1tchkilla]

Updating your windows installer might help for some problems as well.

[Stain1ess]

I had this problem too, so I'm gonna do a system restore.

[SYSTEM-OVERLOAD]

So, I'm having the same basic problem but I cannot find a solution. I get error 1628 everytime I try to uninstall. The launch button doesnt do anything, and the install button is greyed out. This sucks big time. I've had the game for 5 days now and havent been able to play it at all. Any ideas as to how to fix this?

[cazub]

Yup, Setup.ini on the cd contains the product code, copy it and then run "regedit" , go to Edit->Find , and paste the product code in. My problem was a skrewed up Uninstall Sheild entry in the registry. I deleted it and now i can at least attempt another failed install.

the best way ive discovered to remove a game when this problem occurs (and its happened a lot to me) is to head on to the game disk and find a file thats normally called setup.ini or something similar. its always there though, in the root directory of the disk. The setup needs this code in an easily readable format so its there, just keep lookin'.

In this short file there is a product code, normally a bunch of letters and numbers seperated by dashes. The registry entries associated with the game instalation contain this code, so its as easy as copying the code from the .ini and searching it for it in your registry. I assumie the uninstall uses this code to reference the entries its meant to remove during uninstalation.

Searching the games name doesnt always find all the bits and pieces you may need.

And yeah, you wont loose stuff as you will with a system restore.

[Ultron]

Here are some random ideas:

WinRAR might be coopting the install. Perhaps uninstalling that temporarily.

InstallShield might have another version on the PC somewhere, and that version is possibly older, and is somehow interfering with the install.

The DVD itself is hard to read for the drive you are using, through the install process. Perhaps trying to copy the contents of the DVD to your hard drive and then installing from there might help.

I know, random. But I had to suggest something.