Successful install, but when I launch it immediately asks me to put the disk in my "F" drive (which is DVD and I have the CD version).  If I put the CD in my DVD drive it errors out saying the disk is the wrong format.  Does the same thing trying to do the "analyze" function.  Game was installed on my "D" drive.  I've updated to 1.02 immediately and din't try it after the initial install.

Okay the problem lies in your Registry. This is a file that helps out many programs in your computer and I recommend that you dont change anything else and be careful when editing it. It is super important!

 

Follow these steps:

 

1. Go to start -> run

2. Type in "regedit" without quotes. Push OK.

3. When "Registry Editor" comes up go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER (located on the left)

4. Push the + sign to expand the folder.

5. Inside the expanded folders, expand the folder named "Software"

6. Locate "LucasArts" in this expanded folder and expand it.

7. Now expand "Star Wars Empire at War"

8. Click "1.0"

9. Now in the main window there should be a two icons, double click on the one titled "CDPath"

10. In the Value Data spot, put the letter of your drive followed by :\ for example "E:\" (without quotes)

11. Push OK

12. Now go to file -> exit

 

Okay now try it. And be careful not to change anything else. Does that help?

Nope, didn't work because it was already set to "D" which is the correct dive.  Keeps asking for "F".

I ran into this nutty problem as well. The only way that I was able to fix it was to swap out the drive that it was asking for with another drive. After the new hardware install, I reinstalled the game and everything works fine now.