Problem with every Paradox game not launching

[Zile the King]

So I noticed the other day that I couldn't launch HoI4, it would get to the launcher and crash when I hit play. It did so with and without mods, DLC, and just vanilla. Straight crash, no error. I cleared the cashe with no difference. So I moved to Stellaris which loaded up fine. Except for the fact the game I had been working on for a bit hadn't saved my progress. I didn't think twice about it and played for a few hours. When I came back again later in the day is when it still hadn't saved. I know I had asked it to save and even if I didn't the autos would have picked it up. But the game hadn't progressed at all. So I cleared the cashe for Stellaris too. The last time it made it to the launcher, I happened to see another mod I wanted to try and subbed to it. The launcher crashed immediately after and now only returns an error when launching through Steam giving this image.

Now with CK2 for free, my friends and I pick up it up. While they blindly jump in on first launch, I spend the next 2 hours trying to get the launcher to come up at least. Uninstalling and reinstalling, clear the cashe folder, verifying, all with no affect.

Now I can't get EU4, HoI 3, Victoria 2, or CK2 to make it to the launcher, while HoI4 and Stellaris crash at the launcher. I just tried uninstalling all of the Microsoft Visual C++ and redownloading 05, 08, 13, and 2017 C++. I've tried installing Adobe reader with no change. I did see many people have problems with CK2 and Windows 10 a few years ago in posts, but everything I've tried from them hasn't worked.

I would appreciate anyone taking a look at this with me because I'm all out of ideas.

 

[AndrewT]

What antivirus app do you use? Add steam.exe and all these games' .exe to its Exceptions list.


If you delete the Documents/paradox/stellaris/ folder (except any valued save games of course) and run the game, does it recreate and populate that folder even if it still crashes?


DXDIAG is a program you run from a command prompt or the Windows start menu 'run' dialog box (or 'search programs' in Windows 7 or later). After running it will open a window and start collecting info with a progress bar in the lower-left corner. When it completes click the 'save all information' button and save it to a file then attach that file here.

Please attach your Documents/Paradox/Stellaris/settings.txt.
From your Documents/Paradox/Stellaris/logs/ folder, attach system.log .

I just tried uninstalling all of the Microsoft Visual C++ and redownloading 05, 08, 13, and 2017 C++.

You've missed the only one this game uses, 2010:
Please go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Stellaris\_CommonRedist\DirectX\Jun2010\ and run dxsetup.exe
Please go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Stellaris\_CommonRedist\vcredist\2010\ and run vcredist_x86.exe and vcredist_x64.exe

 

[Zile the King]

As of now I've only been using Malwarebytes, and I've set the whole steamapps/common folder as an exclusion.

I deleted everything in that folder and now Stellaris wont even make it to the launcher now.

Here is the DxDiag file, the settings file, and the system file.

I had a feeling there was a C++ I missed. I got them ran, installed, and after all this still no luck. It gives the same error as before. I do however have a system restore point several days before these problems began and have completely forgotten about it.

 

[gigau]

Did you try launching the game with zero mod active ? I see a few listed in your settings.txt file.

 

[Zile the King]

I haven't been able to make it to the launcher any more without getting that runtime error. I know however there is a way to turn off the mods before starting the game but don't remember how.

 

[AndrewT]

I rather doubt HOI4 mods are stopping all these games from running, or from making their Documents folders.


One more possibility that can cause the failure to create the Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/ folder, is if the Documents folder has previously been moved so the game can't find it. Is that possible?

Use Notepad to make a new text file called userdir.txt in the Steam Stellaris folder where stellaris.exe is. In that file place a single dot, save and exit. This tells the game to write the user files right there instead of under Documents. If that works and the game now runs, you can replace that dot with any file path you like.

 

[Zile the King]

While I haven't moved the documents folder or their pathways to those folders, that could explain why all refuse to start. And when I tried to clear the cashe for these games nothing reappeared in those folders.

Come to think of it, whenever I tried to clear the HoI4 cashe it gave me an error of not being able to get to the documents/paradox interactive/HoI4 folders. Holy shit, that has to be it. It's only been paradox games effected by this shit and all their documents are stored together. Will that work on all these games? I'll have to try it as soon as I get off work.

 

[Zile the King]

It actually worked! Thank god! I'm going to try this userdir.txt for the rest of my games. And you said that i can put the pathway back to documents in that userdir.txt file? I'm sure to have tried it by the time you see this. Thanks again so much, I never would have figured it out. Now I can actually join my friends in trying to learn CK2, while none of them have ever owned a paradox game before.

 

[AndrewT]

That will work for all these PDS games, yes. You can use any file path you please in there.

It does mean the Windows User Documents folder cannot be found by the games via normal Windows means. Either it's been manually moved, or sometimes I've seen Windows 10 just migrate it onto OneDrive.