GTA Vice City Won't Run on PC

Just to clear it up, I have it legally.
Computer specs are fine and it was checked with DXDiag.

Before it was running fine on Computer1.
Then, it started to freeze up, specifically around Cherry Poppers, which I heard is normal?
Then the hard drive was pretty much reformatted...
Now it won't run. All I get is that annoying spinning CD icon.
Installed the game on Computer 2.
Spinning CD icon. CPU usage goes to 99% even after background operations are shut down, and blah blah blah.
Files are suspected to be missing.
After reinstall, it didn't make a user folder, but I'm not sure if its supposed to do that before or after it runs, which it won't.
It won't even install on Computer3.
CD is not scratched. I bought it at BestBuy. I love it. I really want to play.

I'll post the specs of the computer later if it will help anyone who wants to help me out, which I would greatly appreciate. Its driving everyone in my house nuts! Nothing will work. It'll probably end up being something simple too.

 

What version of DirectX do you have installed? The game itself says it needs Directx 8. But it needs the very,very last released version of directx 8 to work properly. Wich was hard to get back when it was released, although now you can just grab directx 9. So that could be your problem. If you have directx 8 installed it might not be current enough.

Other then that, you can try updating the video card drivers, but it sort of sounds like it could be the cd is damaged. Since it doesn't work on any of the three computers it's most likely directX isn't up to date enough, or the CD itself is broken.

 

I'm guessing it could be DirectX, since its most likely Computer1 had DirectX9.0b or even 9.0a before the hard drive was replaced. Right now all three puters have 9.0c.
I'll have to degrade DirectX and try it again.

It says though Vice City requires minimum DirectX 9.0.

 

You're fine with DirectX 9.0C for sure. It's not that.

I'm going to just have to fall back to saying there is an error with the CD. If you know someone else with the game try using theirs and giving it a go. Or just try and get the CD replaced. Just because no damage is visiable doesn't mean there isn't any damage.

 

I was thinking of trying someone elses, but it doesn't make sense that it will install on two of the computers, but not on the other. all three of them are pretty much the same. and why would cpu usage go to 99%? the driver doesn't even read the cd when I do try to run the game. Someone else has suggested a missing file, but I'm not sure. the user folder that is supposed to be there isn't, which might be because it doesn't create the folder until the game has run.
I really am stumped about this though and I really hope there isn't anything wrong with the cd but I'll try it and see.

 

The reason it would work on 2 out of 3 is because the 3rd cdrom drive could be more picky. Usually older drivers are picky. Or a cdrom drive tends to be more picky about CD's then a DVD drive. DVD drives seem to take slightly damaged CD's better.

As for the CPU usage going to 99%, it is quite common for that to occur when the computer is failing to read a CD.

The computer should be trying to read the CD when you attempt to run the game as well. So the fact that you arn't seeing lights coming on the drive isn't a good thing. It more then likely means windows is still having trouble trying to identify the disk.

The one wierd thing is that it installs at all. Which sort of implies it's not the cd, but it doesn't mean it's not for sure. It still seems like the most likely cause.

 

Try installing the firmware drivers of your cdrom and or let win search online for the drivers,try cleaning the lens yourself not with a cdrom cleaner,make sure the game is patched up to date,fiddle with the cdrom properties ie auto play,try using a different icon to launch the game some just dont work or instead of double clicking the icon right click open prog,try making up your own directory to install the game to rule out a bad sector on the harddrive.the anti copy on gtavc is very sound orientated so check your sound playback and audio settings"I made up that last bit,it wont matter about your audio config but adjust it anyways."

I had a problem with gta vice city it would only let me play for about an hour then the game would slow down and eventually freeze I never fixed it because I only ever played on it for about an hour and managed to complete the game an hour at a time.

It doesnt matter anyway all that happens at the end is...........

 

I had the exact same problem, and I just applied the 1.1 patch (which didn't mention anything about this problem, btw) and it fired right up.

The patch can be found here:

http://www.megagames.com/news/show.cgi?&idtype=patches&database=304&section=downloads&

hth,

tahuya_rat

 

Oh yea! Another thing I forgot to mention...
After it installed, it didn't create a desktop icon, even though it was asked to make one.
Perhaps another reason it could be the CD?

 

They convert these games to pc so fast thier fingers burn tryin to touch the cash,testing goes out the window everyone assumes it will be the same on pc they hope the conversion software will make a perfect copy,but it never does and us guys pick up the pieces.

 

So.. I tried the patch thing.
It did something more than just the spinning CD icon, it actually made the screen resolutions bigger to the one that Vice City uses.
It read the CD, so that is a good sign.
When I did control alt delete because it wasn't doing anything, CPU usage was 0% to 2% until I ended Vice City (not responding) then it went to 100%.
Its better than what it was doing before, but I am still completely lost. I'll try the patch on the first computer it was installed and actually ran on.
The thing about this computer is that there are no files that it made, so its like they weren't installed and the game won't run because they are missing, which doesn't explain why it won't run on the other computer where all the files were installed.
I really appreciate everyones help though! Its been a lot more than I could ever think of what the problems may be and how to solve them.