no-cd graphics problem

I have damaged CDs/DVDs of some of my favorite games (thanks to an irresponsible buddy). I have applied "no-cd" fixes to these games and i'm unable to see the 3d models. For example, KOTOR and KOTOR2 i get sound, i can see the subtitles, and can even see the minor ambient graphics such as sparks, bubble, etc. but the actual 3d characters and environments wont show up. I have the same problem with Homeworld 2. I can hear the sound, i can see the stars, the user interface, all the 2d stuff, but the actual ships just dont show up. I can roll my mouse over the ships and I get the little "menu" pop-ups, but the ships themselves dont exist. Running WinXP SP3, AMD Athlon 64, ATI Radeon X300 (yes its old). Any suggestions/ideas would be appreciated. In the meantime im gonna try some other games ( C&C Tiberium Wars, Red Alert 3, and Fable) to see if i have the same problem.

[DuffMan]

Possibly hardware issue.
Or does the game have full install or basic install option, you would have to have the full install (so all required files are installed to your PC).