Had a slightly different situation here. Installed RoN and played it for a few months, then got the TaP expansion. Installed IT and it played PERFECTLY for about a month or so. Then, all of a sudden, it wouldn't load! Clicking on the desktop icon, trying to start it from the Start menu, and clicking on the ".exe" file in the install folder didn't work.
I tried the "fix" copying the patch files and running them from the command prompt, but even tho it SEEMED to work, the TaP still wouldn't run.
Now, the ORIGINAL RoN ran FINE all this time!!! And STILL does.
I tried re-installing the game, and even got a friend's copy and installed from HIS CD using my cd-key and HIS... But it STILL didn't work.
Finally, out of desperation, I dl'd the "suggested file from GCW and lo and behold, it WORKED!
Seems kinda strange that the ONLY way to get a game that was bought and paid for to run is to use a crack that could be used to pirate the game!!! If MS wants to have people avoid this sort of thing, then the LEAST they could do is to make sure that the copy protection that they use on their games does NOT interfere with the LEGITIMATE OWNERS of the game!!!
This whole CP thing is getting out of hand. Without meaning to start a war about this, IMHO MOST of this intricate CP ONLY affects the legitimate owners of games. The hackers and pirates out there are "smart" enough or determined enough to defeat ANY CP scheme that the compnaies can devise, while the more intricate CP schemes only serve to make things harder for the legitimate owners to enjoy their purchases, and will in all likelihood drive many to seek out avenues that they otherwise would NEVER have tried. And once it is seen how EASY this route is, many people will start to use it on a more regular basis.
So, if MS (and other companies) wants to keep the support of its customers, they should develope a CP scheme that will make it DIFFICULT or a NUISANCE for people to copy or pirate their games, while at the same time recognizing the fact that no matter WHAT they do there will be those who will circumvent their efforts. So, the CP schemes that are used should NOT be so involved that they interfere with the "normal" installation and playing of the game.
Accept that and work from there.
CP schemes like Blizzard's Battlenet seem to work pretty well. There are STILL those who have found ways around it, but at least the legit owners of their games aren't having the HUGE problems that OTHERS are.