Unable to Start Game

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Distant Worlds 1 Series >> Tech Support >> Unable to Start Game

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Unable to Start Game - 6/13/2015 1:16:20 PM

aniketos

Posts: 13
Joined: 6/12/2015
Status: offline

Hello,

I just purchased the game thanks to the sale, I have been eying this game for quite a few years but, due to school, I decided to wait until I finished. Now that I am finished, I purchased the game. However, after installing it, I ran into some problems with both the version I downloaded from Matrix and the one on Steam.

First, to the Matrix version. The installation was very smooth and I had no issues. However, when I went to start the game I did not even get to the menu screen, let alone even a loading screen. I attached a picture of the problem below. I did some searching here on the forums to see if anyone had anything similar and the closest I got was something about windows media player being 99% of the problems people face when trying to play the game. Well, I have WMP and use it all of the time so I suspect that that is not an issue. However, my computer is relatively old and I tried updating Internet Explorer to version 11 as noted in the FAQ in the stickied section of the Tech Support forum. My computer cannot even support 11, however I updated it to 9 anyways. So, I am stuck with that problem. OH! I almost forgot! I uninstalled the game and reinstalled it with a new file path but that did not work either. (It's my first time using this forum in years but I tried attaching a picture so I hope it works.)

Now onto Steam. I actually got a lot further with Steam much to my surprise! Got a menu screen detailing access to the manual, playing the game, modding, along with the links to this website and forum. However, once I started the game... I got the intro and then black screen with the music and I could mouse over something. The cursor when from that little arrow to the text indication, telling me there was something I could type in. But because all I received was a black screen, I could do nothing.

I had always assumed that I wouldn't have any issues running this game but... it seems that I was really, really wrong.

Attachment (1)

Post #: 1

RE: Unable to Start Game - 6/13/2015 3:07:04 PM

Bingeling

Posts: 5186
Joined: 8/12/2010
Status: offline

Try to run the redistributables that is supplied with the game.

They are inside the _CommonRedist inside the main game folder.

There could be a crash report in the following folder in your documents library:

...(Documents)\My Games\Distant Worlds Universe

The name should be rather obvious if there is one. If it exists, paste the contents into a post here.

This is the same stuff that was suggested in: http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3869951
It can be worth a look.

(in reply to aniketos)

Post #: 2

RE: Unable to Start Game - 6/13/2015 6:04:16 PM

aniketos

Posts: 13
Joined: 6/12/2015
Status: offline

Hey Bingeling,

So, I fiddled around with the Steam version and it works! Quite flawlessly it seems. I verified the game cache and next thing I know it's playing. (Set up a fully automated game to see if it would crash and nothing happened.) So good news there!!

Now as for the Matrix version. I am still having some difficulties. I reinstalled the game, ran the DXSETUP exe and it reported a problem and created two files, a DXError log and a DirectX log. I have tried attaching them here for all to see but no luck. Oh yeah! No crash reports were found other than the two I just mentioned. I checked earlier today for another game that I had trouble playing (thanks to the Steam sale) and I have DirectX 11 if you wish to know. The forum isn't allowing me to copy & paste the DXError log up stating that I cannot post phone numbers, emails, and links for 10 days or something.

(in reply to Bingeling)

Post #: 3

RE: Unable to Start Game - 7/4/2015 12:33:49 PM

aniketos

Posts: 13
Joined: 6/12/2015
Status: offline

So I'm going to try and copy & paste my problem again...:

Below is the DirectX Error Log
--------------------
[11/28/13 20:50:49] module: dxupdate(Mar 31 2006), file: dxupdate.cpp, line: 5640, function: DirectXUpdateInstallPlugIn

Failed API: SetupIterateCabinet()
Error: (32) - The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.

Unable to iterate through E:\directx9\Apr2005_d3dx9_25_x64.cab. The file may be damaged.

--------------------
[11/28/13 20:50:49] module: dsetup32(Mar 31 2006), file: dxupdate.cpp, line: 280, function: CSetup::InstallPlugIn

DirectXUpdateInstallPlugIn() failed.

--------------------
[11/28/13 20:50:49] module: dsetup32(Mar 31 2006), file: setup.cpp, line: 1701, function: CSetup::SetupForDirectX

InstallPlugIn() failed.

Sweet! It worked!! Anyway, the DirectX Log is very very long (clocking in at 138 pages) so I feel quite dubious about posting it up for all to see.

< Message edited by aniketos -- 7/4/2015 1:37:14 PM >

(in reply to aniketos)

Post #: 4