Ok guys the protection software is provided by Macrovision and the game was tested by the developer and Empire without any issues regarding protection. The protection is there to stop people copying the software which is big business these days in both the game and movie industry so the companys who release these products have a right to protect their interests and go to companys like Macrovision for guidance on how to prevent this. I did notice that the support staff at Empire have included in their automated email replies information regarding this sort of issue to try and help customers who have these problems. Maybe its all to easy to shoot the publisher / developer forgeting the company that provides the industry standard protection software for them to use. An interesting point here is that I have looked through the forums and seen that it is mainly people who reside in Germany that have this issue and not the UK.
I have included the section that is in the automated reply for others to see.
Q.
I receive the following messages. Please insert the correct CD-ROM, select OK and restart application or CD not found
When I try to start the program I experience one of the following symptoms or messages while the game is loading,
a. The please wait while the program name CD is verified message is displayed,
b. The program may stop responding (hang) or seem to hang,
c. Please insert the correct CD-ROM, select OK and restart application message is displayed,
d. CD not found message is displayed,
A.
Option 1:
Ensure that you have the most up to date drivers and firmware for your CDrom / DVD or CDRW drive.
Microsoft use default drivers within their Windows operating system so it would be advisable to check and update with the latest drivers from the manufacturers website. Certain CD drive manufacturers will have Win Xp certified drivers and
Firmware.
Safedisc Copy protection includes information that knows about BAD software, Debuggers etc, so its worth noting that you may need to uninstall, or make sure that these are not loaded. Examples of these are CloneCD, Daemon tools, Alcohol 120% plus any compilers (if applicable).
Another thing to consider is a lot of updates that you may download can also contribute to the please insert CD message, some 3rd party drivers or system drivers may have the Debug options still enabled.
We have found in the past that any of the following can cause this type of issue to occur, Enhanced mouse drivers, enhanced Graphics tools, Beta versions of Sound card drivers... usually disabling these or rolling back to earlier versions
have solved the problem.
Option 2 If you are using Windows XP
If you are using Windows XP, and you have fast user switching turned on, you may require a patch file. To obtain the patch, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?releaseid=35831NOTE: To install this patch, you must log on to Windows using an account with administration rights. This file is not required for Windows 2000.
Option 3: Obtain the Macrovision Update
This update is designed for Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. You may have to log on as an administrator to install it.
If you continue to experience problems verifying the CD, a compatibility enhancement patch is available. To download it, visit the following Macrovision Web site:
www.macrovision.com/solutions/software/fix.php3