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Installation Problems - 5/27/2014 6:59:49 PM   
Tom_Holsinger

 

Posts: 233
Joined: 10/23/2003
Status: offline 		I have repeated complete failures to launch DWU (9 tries on Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 computers) after what seem be successful installations. Anti-virus software is off. Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player are on both systems. I install the game, I press the play game button and nothing happens. The other main menu buttons work. I've tried this with and without turning my Norton 360 spyware protection back on.

And this is after I had to spend hours cleaning the Troj malware off my Windows 8.1 system after following MG's advice to use its recommended freeware download manager when buying the game.

At this point I wish had never heard of Different Worlds.

My hard copy of the game is en route, unless something has happened to it too.

At this point I am about to give up and wait for a month for MG to release an update which maybe will work.

-----

Freeware isn't free. Sometimes it is malware. Download freeware recommended by Matrix Games and find out what it really costs. Back up your system first.
Post #: 1
RE: Installation Problems - 5/27/2014 7:14:47 PM   
Raap

 

Posts: 404
Joined: 1/12/2011
Status: offline 		And you have .Net framework 3.5.1 active, .Net 4.0 and 4.5 installed, XNA framework 4.0 installed, visual c++ runtime 2008 installed?

.Net 3.5.1 should show up in Windows Features(same as IExplorer and Media Player), while the rest should be visible in that installed programs list.

(in reply to Tom_Holsinger)
Post #: 2
RE: Installation Problems - 5/27/2014 9:54:42 PM   
Tom_Holsinger

 

Posts: 233
Joined: 10/23/2003
Status: offline 		Thanks, Rap. Every DWU installation attempt, even on my wife’s Windows 7 desktop, seemed to go normally, and this includes the Net frame and XNA installations. The former were already on both computers, and re-installs said the same for XNA. I even tried uninstalling the XNA with DWU’s own installer process, and then reinstalling it with another stab at DWU. The DWU installs ran the same with our Norton AV running or disabled.

Every button but one on the DWU master menu works, but the one which doesn’t work is “Play the bloody game”. This is enormously frustrating. It also makes me suspect there is some deeply hidden problem which will take MG weeks to figure out.

If anyone has ideas that will at least let me run the in-game tutorials, I’d love to hear them. Even video capture walk-throughs of the tutorials would be wonderful.

(in reply to Raap)
Post #: 3
RE: Installation Problems - 5/27/2014 10:01:50 PM   
Tom_Holsinger

 

Posts: 233
Joined: 10/23/2003
Status: offline 		Hmmm, the way I've always tried to launch DWU is from the taskbar icon the game installer created. That pops up the main menu where every button but Play Game works. Clicking on main menu buttons puts me into the manual, goes to this forum and checks for updates just fine. But Play Game produces nada.

(in reply to Tom_Holsinger)
Post #: 4
RE: Installation Problems - 5/27/2014 10:05:01 PM   
VPaulus

 

Posts: 3630
Joined: 6/23/2011
From: Portugal
Status: offline 		Please try this:

Open the folder where the game is installed and open the folder "_CommonRedist\DirectX\Jun2010" (For Steam version) or "redist" (for Matrix version)
Locate a fiule named "DXSETUP.exe". Run this. This will reinstall DirectX.
In spite DxDiag reporting that everything is OK, that doesn't necessarily mean that you might not have issues with your DirectX installation.

(in reply to Tom_Holsinger)
Post #: 5
RE: Installation Problems - 5/28/2014 12:06:49 AM   
dazoline II


Posts: 400
Joined: 11/5/2007
Status: offline 		Tovarist Paulus, You are released from the gulag! That worked.

Thanks.

_____________________________

Moscow by winter? Only if you send Fast Heinz to Kiev.

(in reply to VPaulus)
Post #: 6
RE: Installation Problems - 5/28/2014 12:11:00 AM   
Vyshka


Posts: 275
Joined: 4/13/2002
From: Chandler, AZ
Status: offline 		Great to see you back here Tom. Have you tried running the executable itself? I'm guessing from the description that you are dealing with that initial game menu all matrix games has. Curious what happens if you go into the directory where it is installed and trying clicking the executable for distant worlds. There also should be a quickstart icon in the start menu folder for distant worlds that you might try.

I will be interested to hear your opinions of the game once it is running.

_____________________________

"When they get in trouble they send for the sonsabitches" - Adm. King

(in reply to dazoline II)
Post #: 7
RE: Installation Problems - 5/28/2014 1:36:05 AM   
Tom_Holsinger

 

Posts: 233
Joined: 10/23/2003
Status: offline 		No joy for me. The thing still won't launch.

Vyshka, I just tried the executable and the quickstart, as you suggested, but the great big NOTHING still results.

(in reply to Vyshka)
Post #: 8
RE: Installation Problems - 5/28/2014 2:19:51 AM   
Erik Rutins

 

Posts: 37503
Joined: 3/28/2000
From: Vermont, USA
Status: offline 		Hi Tom,

Sorry to hear you are still having trouble. Very odd that it affects both of your systems. Is the game generating a crash log for you when it tries to launch? Could you post a DxDiag?

Any third party video / audio / security software in common between the two systems?

Regards,

- Erik


_____________________________

Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC



For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/

Freedom is not Free.

(in reply to Tom_Holsinger)
Post #: 9
RE: Installation Problems - 5/28/2014 2:28:14 AM   
Tom_Holsinger

 

Posts: 233
Joined: 10/23/2003
Status: offline 		Problem Summary:

DWU does not launch from the executable or by any other means. It seems to install without problems, and all buttons on the main menu are functional except “Play Distant Worlds”. This is true for my Windows 8.1 desktop and my wife’s Windows 7 desktop.

DXsetup has been run. Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player are both functional. Windows User Account has been disabled. The Norton antivirus software was disabled during game installation.

Please suggest other ideas to get DWU running.

(in reply to Tom_Holsinger)
Post #: 10
RE: Installation Problems - 5/28/2014 5:05:19 AM   
zakblood


Posts: 22687
Joined: 10/4/2012
Status: offline 		post the log file, so they can look and see it, so to check it, it will contain more info etc

(in reply to Tom_Holsinger)
Post #: 11
RE: Installation Problems - 5/28/2014 5:06:10 PM   
Tom_Holsinger

 

Posts: 233
Joined: 10/23/2003
Status: offline 		Zak, what is a log file and where on my drive C can I find it?

Given that nothing whatever seems to happen when I try to launch DWU, from the executable, or from the MG standard menu, or from the Quick Launch button, I suspect there won't be a log file. Installation seems fine, and every button on the MG main menu works except "Play DW".

I am considering trying to run DWU in Windows 7 emulation mode, but fear that, once I try that, Windows 8.1 will always run DWU in Windows 7 emulation mode even after MG releases a patch. Sure emulation mode can nominally be turned off, but Windows is a Microsoft product.

I'm giving up trying to make DWU work on my Windows 8.1 desktop, which I bought specfically to play DWU. At this point I will only try to make it work on my wife's Windows 7 desktop. She can use my desktop for a while.

(in reply to zakblood)
Post #: 12
RE: Installation Problems - 5/28/2014 5:12:03 PM   
zakblood


Posts: 22687
Joined: 10/4/2012
Status: offline 		you can change the mode at any time, try win 7 sp1 then try xp sp3 mode and post results, one will work, good luck, finger crossed

compatibility mode

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-8/older-programs-compatible-version-windows

logfile,

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2413997

you're not using the N version of windows are you? just standard windows 8.1 same as me?, well i 'm using pro and 64bit etc but basically the same.

N version of windows 8.1

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-8/n-editions

N version of windows 7 sp1

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows7/products/what-is-windows-7-n-edition

< Message edited by zakblood -- 5/28/2014 6:20:05 PM >

(in reply to Tom_Holsinger)
Post #: 13
RE: Installation Problems - 5/28/2014 5:17:06 PM   
Tom_Holsinger

 

Posts: 233
Joined: 10/23/2003
Status: offline 		Erik,

My wife's Windows 7 desktop and my Windows 8.1 desktop both use Norton 360 as the AV, but I've tried disabling it on both PC's and then installing DWU. Nada. The one thing I haven't tried yet on my wife's PC is the DXSETUP recommended by VPaulus, and that I'll do tonight. The install seems to go fine with and without Norton 360 running - all ten tries at installation have purportedly succeeded with the main menu buttons being functional, except for play game.

Please tell me how to find a crash log if one is generated.

Should I trying getting DWU to run on our laptops, or even my old Windows XP systems? I have recently retired XP desktop and laptop systems. I was using those until I heard of DWU, and bought a new 8.1 desktop and a laptop specifically to play DWU. That $2500 expense going for nothing so far has a lot to do with my grouchiness.

(in reply to Tom_Holsinger)
Post #: 14
RE: Installation Problems - 5/28/2014 5:19:27 PM   
Tom_Holsinger

 

Posts: 233
Joined: 10/23/2003
Status: offline 		We both also have Office 2010 and Real Player on our systems. Sound and video cards are quite different.

(in reply to Tom_Holsinger)
Post #: 15
RE: Installation Problems - 5/28/2014 5:54:41 PM   
Erik Rutins

 

Posts: 37503
Joined: 3/28/2000
From: Vermont, USA
Status: offline 		Thanks Tom, we will keep on this until we get it working for you. Any chance of getting a DxDiag for each of those two systems?

Norton has been the cause of a lot of grief for us in the past. One test that may be worth a try is unplugging one system from the internet, uninstalling Norton entirely, uninstalling and reinstalling the game to see if it works. If it does not, reinstall Norton and re-connect to the internet.

DW should work on all of those Windows systems, so if you'd like to try it on your old XP system that should work fine. If it also doesn't work there, then it may help us narrow down what software is in common between the three systems that could be interfering.

Distant Worlds does work on 8.1 so no emulation should be required. We have a 8.1 test system here that runs it without any issues.

For the log file, please look here:

There should be a DW_CrashDump.txt file at the following location: C:\Users\[YOURUSERNAME]\AppData\Roaming\Code Force Limited\Distant Worlds\1.9.5.0\

(You'll need to replace [YOURUSERNAME] in the path above with your windows account name, and this is assuming you installed to your C drive)

If nothing there, you could check your Windows event log for any messages relating to Distant Worlds: Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Event Viewer > Windows Logs > Application





_____________________________

Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC



For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/

Freedom is not Free.

(in reply to Tom_Holsinger)
Post #: 16
RE: Installation Problems - 5/28/2014 9:24:27 PM   
Tom_Holsinger

 

Posts: 233
Joined: 10/23/2003
Status: offline 		Erik,

I have no subfolder labelled Code Force Limited after the Roaming entry here: C:\Users\[YOURUSERNAME]\AppData\Roaming\Code Force Limited\Distant Worlds\1.9.5.0\

I can't find a Windows event log.

There, however, LOTS of error messages in my Distant Worlds Universe Setup Log. How can I attach that to a new post in this thread?


(in reply to Erik Rutins)
Post #: 17
RE: Installation Problems - 5/28/2014 11:51:32 PM   
Erik Rutins

 

Posts: 37503
Joined: 3/28/2000
From: Vermont, USA
Status: offline 		Hi Tom,

Can you e-mail me that setup log to erikr@matrixgames.com please?

Regards,

- Erik


_____________________________

Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC



For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/

Freedom is not Free.

(in reply to Tom_Holsinger)
Post #: 18
RE: Installation Problems - 5/29/2014 1:28:49 AM   
Tom_Holsinger

 

Posts: 233
Joined: 10/23/2003
Status: offline 		Erik, that 44-meg file has been emailed to you.

(in reply to Erik Rutins)
Post #: 19
RE: Installation Problems - 5/29/2014 2:42:11 AM   
Tom_Holsinger

 

Posts: 233
Joined: 10/23/2003
Status: offline 		Mistress, I report SUCCESS!

It was Norton, in the study, with the shotgun.

Erik came through.

quote:

Norton has been the cause of a lot of grief for us in the past. One test that may be worth a try is unplugging one system from the internet, uninstalling Norton entirely, uninstalling and reinstalling the game to see if it works. If it does not, reinstall Norton and re-connect to the internet.

(in reply to Tom_Holsinger)
Post #: 20
RE: Installation Problems - 5/29/2014 2:48:11 AM   
Tom_Holsinger

 

Posts: 233
Joined: 10/23/2003
Status: offline 		I have screen resolution problems in that my monitor is set for 1920 x 1080 resolution, while DWU seems to prefer a 4x3 screen, but I'll deal with that over the weekend.

MG should have some game mechanism to automatically change resolution for specific games. Even my 2003 release of MOO3 automatically changes resolution for the game, and restores it upon exit or ALT-tabbing out. That might be inherent in Windows 8.1 emulating XP for MOO3 but still ...

(in reply to Tom_Holsinger)
Post #: 21
RE: Installation Problems - 5/29/2014 4:51:23 AM   
zakblood


Posts: 22687
Joined: 10/4/2012
Status: offline 		glad you got a solution Tom, and didn't need a fix, now enjoy it and play it to death like the rest of us :)

try the latest beta patch and see if it makes it any better also http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3620645

(in reply to Tom_Holsinger)
Post #: 22
RE: Installation Problems - 5/29/2014 7:03:29 AM   
Vyshka


Posts: 275
Joined: 4/13/2002
From: Chandler, AZ
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Tom_Holsinger

I have screen resolution problems in that my monitor is set for 1920 x 1080 resolution, while DWU seems to prefer a 4x3 screen, but I'll deal with that over the weekend.

MG should have some game mechanism to automatically change resolution for specific games. Even my 2003 release of MOO3 automatically changes resolution for the game, and restores it upon exit or ALT-tabbing out. That might be inherent in Windows 8.1 emulating XP for MOO3 but still ...


Not sure why it is seeming to have an issue with 1920x1080. My monitor that it runs on is that same resolution. Glad to see that you got past the initial issue though.

_____________________________

"When they get in trouble they send for the sonsabitches" - Adm. King

(in reply to Tom_Holsinger)
Post #: 23
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