Ok, I could not let it be and made a new installation of windows 7 ultimate x64 on my laptop where the game did not run.
And the first program that I installed was this game and it does run.

So I guess that Microsoft had something in its updates or security updates that prevents this game from starting...
If you have installed it, it won t run.
If you did not, it does run...

They did something similar with the copy protection of CD drive secure and made a KDxxxxxxx that disabled the check and prevented those game cds from running.

So a clean installation should help. There is a youtube vids how to install windows 7 now and get the updates.

And the game runs without any directX redistributable...
So that is not important.