I begin the install process and get all the way through disc 1
part way through disc 2 though it hangs up on a file called data/movies/big_movie_with_alpha.vp6
at about 33/34% ...
I've done what it says in the book about turning off all of my background programs and I even shut my online connection once but I just can't get past this hang up.... is it a problem with the disc or is something else possibly wrong ...

(hate birthdays btw ... I'm sure thats the whole problem in the first place is that its something I got for myself with birthday money )

Try restarting your pc.

Try another disc which you know that works in the drive first, preferrably a legal version.

Then try to re-install, if it keeps on hanging there it points to a bad disk or drive.

Try instally it on another pc and see if it works.

Well I did just install something else Id bought after that wasnt working ...I guess I'll give it another shot ...and they'd better be legal versions I just shelled out 100 bucks for them last night ..but thanks

Try cleaning the disc first. Sometimes a fingerprint, smudge, dirt speck or similar thing can interfere with the reading of files on a disc.

nope ..brand new ...spotless ...took it back and got a different one and it did the same thing ...even tried to manually install it and install it in safe mode ...guess I'm just not ment to play it ...shame though it looks kinda spiffy and now I've got a wicked LotR jones ... ah well .. got a ps2 online instead when i took it back again ... maybe that'll work out better

thanks for the help though

I have had the same Problem, I went to the EA Website and it just told me to do the same thing that you did, and it's still not working, I tried to just keep doing "retry" and I got it to 40 %, but that took about 30 minutes to do, I dont know why it's doing that, but I would like some help in fixing it. Does anybody know how?