"Zoo 2 Not Installed" errors

[BF_SteveW]

In researching this problem, it was discovered that the installer was returning an incorrect error message. There is another possible error message that relates to the player not having the game installed on the current Windows user profile. We believe this may have been what caused several people to get the "not installed" error when attempting to install AA or Patch 2.

When installing an expansion or patch, please be sure to install to the same Windows profile to which you installed Zoo 2. If you originally installed for a single user, you will not be able to use the "Install for all users" option for expansions until the original game has been installed to all users.

If anyone is still experiencing this issue, please post any feedback here.

Thank you.

[Peacenote]

Hmm.  OK I think I understand what you are saying.  However, I only have one user profile on my computer - myself.  So unless I boot into Safe Mode and log on as administrator, it would be impossible for me to install the patch as any other user except myself.  By the same token it would have been impossible for me to install ZT2, ES, or AA as any other use except myself.

Whenever I install any program, as a rule I always pick the "all users" option.  However when I uninstalled and reinstalled ZT2 and ES to be able to install AA, I think I may have picked the express option and I don't recall if it gave me a choice about single user or all users.  If I had a choice, I know I picked all users.

When I run the patch, it doesn't ask me about all users or single user (I just checked), it justs starts installing and then gives me that error message.  Since I don't have any other profiles, is there anything else I can try?

Or are you saying that to install the patch I am going to HAVE to reinstall everything as only single user so the patch will recognize the game properly?

Is there any way I could artificially create what it's looking for by copying those files to the directory it's checking?  Is there possibly a log that the setup file creates that would tell me what file or directory it is not finding?

Thank you SO much for looking into this, though!

[Taun]

I had this problem even thou i installed for all users.  I believe my problem was that i installed it in a folder a created for my games so they were easily accessible and so AA wasnt able to find ZT2

[Peacenote]

Hmmm.  I used the default location, so that wasn't the problem here.

Also as a follow-up, I did try to trick the installer by copying everything in my all users folder related to ZT2 to my own profile, and it still did not install.  Whatever it was looking for still wasn't there.  Other than that I haven't had time to figure out the problem, but I thought it was worth a shot.  

[Taun]

Best option is to unistall and install again.  This game has really annoyed me recently!

[sloomski]

i also appreciate you trying to help. but i dont think its fair that i have to UNINSTALL the game everytime there is a new download or expansion. i had to uninstall for AA. and i lost all my scenerio games plus the lockable items. there has to be an easier way. i also am the only user on my pc. so i cant think of any problems on my end.

[mikaboshi]

You can save all of your saved games, etc whenever you have to reinstall (I myself have not had to ever reinstall, except for when I changed my graphics card). You just have to copy and paste your Zoo Tycoon 2 Profiles folder somewhere else while you are uninstalling/reinstalling, or uncheck the "delete all downloads/saved games" box when it asks. If you want all of your unlocked stuff, we have hacks here at ZA that can get you those all back in a matter of minutes

[Peacenote]

It is kind of a long story how I discovered this, but I'm fairly certain I have figured out what is actually happening when people get this error.

The installer is checking the START menu to see if Zoo Tycoon is installed.  The reason an reinstall solves the problem is because it re-makes the shortcuts for the game, and you're unlikely to move your shortcuts before you've finished installing everything.

If you're like me, and can't stand a messy start menu, you probably moved the default shortcuts into a different folder.  If you're having this problem, I'd suggest moving "Microsoft Games" back into the main start menu and see if it thinks ZT2 is installed now.  It worked for me!  

EDIT:  This solution should also work if you're getting the message for the Addax, Dino Danger, or MM2.  As each Windows User has a different Start Menu ZT2 is assuming that if the shortcuts aren't in the right place that means the game wasn't installed for that user.