To install the full retail version of AOE3 on a win2k system as people in here have said, you must use the command prompt:
1. Start > Run...
2. Type in cmd and press OK
3. When the Dos window appears type in D: or which ever letter your cd/dvd rom drive is; then press Enter.
4. Type in setup /a and press Enter.
5. Wait for the installation wizard to appear, and press Next.
6. Then type in the destination as to where you want it to be installed. I recommend using the default path, which is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Age Of Empires 3
7. Press Install.
Note: Once you have the game installed and try to run it, you may get an error about a d3dx9_25.dll if this is the case, then you can either download the D3DX April Update from
http://www.toymaker.info/Games/html/d3dx_dlls.html or reinstall DirectX9 completely.
Note: Once you have that done, you may also get another error about MSXML 4; if this is the case then you should install msxml.msi from
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...144b72b-b4f2-46da-b4b6-c5d7485f2b42&DisplayLa ng=en#filelist
After that you can run the game from the Game icon (not the autorun feature by inserting CD1) If you do not have the Game icon on your desktop then create it. To do so locate your Game directory, then find age3.exe and Right click on it, then click Send to > Desktop.
To Install The Age of Empires 3 1.01 Update: You must do the following:
1. Start > Run...
2. Type in Regedit and press OK
3. Goto HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Microsoft Games/ Age of Empires 3/1.0
4. If you do not see a folder called Microsoft/ or Microsoft Games/ then you must create each folder leading up to 1.0.
5. To create a folder in the registry Right Click in the folder area and mouse-over New, then click Key and rename the folder appropriately.
6. Once you arive at the folder named 1.0 then you must Right Click in the right-hand side of the window; and mouse-over New, then click String Value
7. Name the new string value SetupPath, then Right Click on it; and click Modify
8. Under Value Data: you must type the Exact Location of the age3.exe If you used the recommended directory I gave above durring the installation, then you must put this: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Age Of Empires 3\Age Of Empires III (Note: This is where most people go wrong, so be sure you have the Exact Directory Location of your age3.exe)
9. Run the Age of Empires 3 1.01 update.
- that was not MS intentions.
