If the file is actually corrupt on your CDROM, then you will need to exchange the disks with your retailer, or use your legal Title 17 backups (if you made them), or use the desktop install directory from an earlier install (if you did a desktop install), or borrow the defective disk's counterpart from a friend.
You probably have not tried a desktop install. That can solve some of these sorts of file reading problems due to the way redundant data is stored on CD. No files themselves are copy protected; Activision itself explains that (See Desktop Install in Index).
Are you looking at a factory pressed CD? Look at the bottom, and see if it is smooth silverish... like audio CDs. If the bottom is blue, green, or some other color, then it is a CDR or CDRW, and possibley CD/DVD drive firmware needs an update.
While you are looking, hold it at an angle to background light, and see if any smudges, scratches, etc. exist, especially near the center of the disk. Are there any scratches on the TOP (label) side? The TOP side is more sensitive to scratches than the bottom! That's because the actual data is in a layer just under the label side of a CD/DVD.
SCRATCHED/SMUDGED/DIRTY CD
You can try:
- Clean bottom of CD with plain water
- Use radial cleaning strokes, not circular. That's because of how error-correcting data is stored on CD.
- Do not use cleaning fluid.
- Now hold it again at an angle to background light, and see if any smudges, scratches, etc. exist, especially near the center of the disk.
- Attempt to copy the files again (desktop install).
- Can you read the CD in other drives?
- If the disk is bad, then you can exchange it at the retailer for free.
The official Activision answer is:
Quoted from Error 1335 cabinet file:
Question
I receive an error during installation: Error 1335.
Answer
- All background applications must be shutdown prior to running the game.
- Delete all files in the Windows/Temp directory.
- Do a complete ScanDisk.
- Do a complete Defrag.
- Make sure you have 32 bit drivers for your CD-ROM drive.
- Set the CD-ROM cache size to zero.
- Change the DMA setting on the CD-ROM drive.
- Make sure the drive letters for the CD-ROM is set correctly.
- Make sure that the location for CD music to play is set correctly.
- Make sure your system can successfully play Audio CD's.
- Turn off Auto Insert Notification.
From personal knowledge and experience, most of these are (to put it charitably) not too helpful; the first two answers, and the ones about sound are the "most" useful. But they are the "official" answers.
USEFUL LINKS:
Technical Index, including how to improve RTW gameplay & system optimization, etc.
Patching to 1.5, with links.
DOWNLOAD Patch 1.3, 1.5, 1.6
README for Patch 1.5/1.6
export_descr_buildings.txt - (Epona/Roman fix: only for Patch 1.5 & 1.6!) this file must be placed in the RTW Data directory (e.g., c:\Program Files\Rome - Total War\data).
Here is Patch 1.2
Manually uninstall RTW
Desktop Install RTW 1.0
Install multiple versions of RTW in one drive.[This message has been edited by Wartrain (edited 01-04-2006 @ 09:03 PM).]