Can't launch game

[Thenadathor]

Platform: Steam

I installed AOE3 complete collection, here's the filepath : C:\Program Files (x86)\Age of Empires III - Complete Collection

I don't know why its not a subfolder on steam

When I launch it gives the blank error message with no text that you see here

I've already uninstalled and reinstalled AOE3 on steam

help!

[EAGLEMUT]

Hello, sounds like you have both a Steam version and CD version installed at the same time. C:\Program Files (x86)\Age of Empires III - Complete Collection would be the location of CD version.
Anyway, that's not what is actually causing the problem; for that you will need to install MSXML 4.0.

[Thenadathor]

Thanks, now its asking for my CD key, and it won't accept the one steam provides (they are identical and yes I have confirmed this multiple times). Please provide further help!

[EAGLEMUT]

For the first-time setup to finish successfully, I would recommend restarting Steam in administrator mode and launching AoE3 through the Steam interface (selecting "Complete Collection"). Just to double-check, the key you should be putting in can be found by right clicking the game in your Steam library -> manage -> CD keys.

[Thenadathor]

Thanks for your help; the saga continues.

So when I launched it from steam as you said it launched fine, I was able to play. Campaign was grayed out, is that how I know its on the ESOC patch?

Now, when I use the ESOC community launcher the error message is "for some unknown reason, we cannot start the game. You will have to open the game manually"