BC Installation issue

[BleHz0r]

Greetings..

ill start by apologizing for whatever aggravation this thread so obviously exhumes and by saying that i've already spent a good 4-5 hours on google and pretty much anywhere else trying to get this problem fixed and found no success. hence the aggravation.. that also includes this forums search function.
considering the covid situation, i've been relegated to work from home, or be on call, as it were, so i've found time to revisit this old gem that we all love so much.

... needless to say i haven't managed to get past the install process.
the problem is quite common and im only asking if there's been a workaround found in the last 2 years since, apparently, this problem was last discussed on the internets.
basically, i cant start the setup no matter what i do. compatibility options for both setup and isdel exes dont work, waiting for 4 hours for it to start doesn't work, copying files from the ISO i made from my original retail copy of the game to the pc doesn't work.... before you go postal; this ISO was made because optical drives were going out of style and as a personal backup in case something like THIS ever happens. irony tho, fml
there's also no way to get another (legit) iso/copy of the game anymore, and i dont have 4 instalations from my older pc backed up because im an idiot.

i know about this games inherent instability, especially on newer hardware, and this pc isnt even a year old, but i got it working easily on my last pc with win10.. and 2 laptops and another pc.....
so i just dfk what im missing tbh.

is there anyway to speed up the launch of the 32bit setup?
some config or ini file i gotta edit?
anything???
been playing this for almost 20 years and now im out of ideas. its infuriating and sad and i hate it. halp pls! 

its also way past 5am here rn and im barely alive, so i apologize for the tl;dr and the grammar and the frustration
much appreciation for any help!

[KrrKs]

Practically the whole game is contained in the setup folder (together with a few unnucessary things).
(That is, if the iso image I have here is the correct one. I had download either STBC or STA1 from a dubious site once, after my old optical drive way-back decided to wreck CDs at random....)

You could try and copy the game from there to a location of your liking, though that obviously won't create the registry entries and (IIRC) BC then has troubles identifying the drive where it expects the disc to be.

I hope that helps.

[BleHz0r]

yeah i know.. i wanted to install it so i could patch it.
and i didnt have a reference of the unneccesary things so i didnt wanna just copy it all over

i havent been able to get it to install still, but i found the game files on an old external hd... apparently i made a backup of the base game with 1.1 patch, along with all of the hardpoints and mission scripts i've been working on. wasnt expecting to find it.. i was sure it was on my old pc hdd that went to hell lol

anyway, i got the game working and its all okay. well, ish. i have a 2080ti with a 4k monitor i cant utilize.... but ill figure it out. maybe at least get widescreen in sp somehow lol

ty for the reply tho, im glad this forum isnt completely dead