Game Does NOT even start

[elliotg]

You should use the installer at this link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-nz/download/details.aspx?id=8109

If you're having trouble installing DirectX ("already installed") you could try the suggestion in the last reply on this page: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2756506/directx-games-work-windows.html

[oxygen1234]

That is one of the installers that I used. I also tried the installer on that page you listed (DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer), and I do have the "already installed" thing happening. I am not able to do his solution of uninstalling the update, because that update (KBthree_zero_eight_one_four_two_four) doesn't show up in the list of windows updates to uninstall because this is a new computer and there isn't any updates older than 2017.

[VPaulus]

Please also check the following:
Control Panel>Programs and Features>Turn Windows features on or off
Under "Legacy Components" ensure that "Direct Play" is turned on.

[oxygen1234]

I have turned Direct Play on and it didn't change anything.

However, I have good news, I managed to get the game to work!

I changed the line in the Startup.ini from

Code: Select all

playmovie 1
 
 to
 
 playmovie 0

And the game started up.

Note, that I previously tried changing it from:

Code: Select all

playmovie 1

to

Code: Select all

'playmovie 1

as suggested above, and although it might sound crazy, it didn't work. I verified this multiple times:
This does NOT work:

Code: Select all

'playmovie 1

This does:

Code: Select all

playmovie 0 

Thanks for your help.

[Varacka]

I also have the same exact issue. I am running the GOG version however. The game will not start when I press play on the launcher. I have tried everything suggest to get it running.


I am running Win 10 x64. I have direct play on. Play movie 0 does not work. I have all the direct x's. I have all the dot nets. I have all the latest drivers. The list goes on and on. I have tried it all.

[VPaulus]

Check the path "C:\Users\[USERNAME]\Documents\My Games\Distant Worlds Universe\" for a file named DW_CrashDump.txt. If present, post the contents here.

[Varacka]

As requested

Code: Select all

Distant Worlds - Crash Dump - 1.9.5.12
 
 2:39:51 PM Saturday, December 9, 2017
 
 
 System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x80040154): Class not registered (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80040154 (REGDB_E_CLASSNOTREG))
    at System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.CoCreateInstance(Guid& clsid, Object punkOuter, Int32 context, Guid& iid)
    at System.Windows.Forms.AxHost.CreateWithLicense(String license, Guid clsid)
    at System.Windows.Forms.AxHost.CreateInstanceCore(Guid clsid)
    at System.Windows.Forms.AxHost.CreateInstance()
    at System.Windows.Forms.AxHost.GetOcxCreate()
    at System.Windows.Forms.AxHost.TransitionUpTo(Int32 state)
    at System.Windows.Forms.AxHost.CreateHandle()
    at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl(Boolean fIgnoreVisible)
    at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl(Boolean fIgnoreVisible)
    at System.Windows.Forms.AxHost.EndInit()
    at DistantWorlds.Start.RTr0poSpb0WlLppjVcp(Object )
    at DistantWorlds.Start.VihKadpvFU()
    at DistantWorlds.Start..ctor()
    at mmP6HR3GskDjJd0R5l.dDCIkVtUG4JNU0e9Xx.xPmHyXsrjyA()
 
 
 --- COMPLETE ---
 

[VPaulus]

Ensure that you have Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer both installed and enabled. You can check these at:

Control Panel > Programs and Features > Windows Features > Media Features > Windows Media Player
Control Panel > Programs and Features > Windows Features > Internet Explorer 11

[Varacka]

Unfortunately I have been unable to locate or install wmp. I have been trying for 2 days now. I am probably going to have to just get a refund and at some point reinstall windows.

[Tullius80]

I have the same problem Varacka. I love Distant Worlds and played it a lot a couple of months ago. I was using Windows 8 back then. Some time ago I updated it to Windows 10 x64 and I dont have the Windows Media Player installed either (it got removed during the Fall Creator Update Oct 2017) and due to some wierd bug or whatever reason there is basically no way to get it for me, which is unfortunate, because I think that this is the reason that DWU doesnt start at all. I actually contacted Windows Support and they even remote controlled my PC to see where the problem with the WMP is but they only came to the conclusion that I need to reinstall Windows. I'm not quite convinced to do that tbh, since I had major problems with the reinstallation of Windows 8 a couple of months ago which almost ripped my PC and took me days to fix. Damn shame.
I guess there is no way to somehow change the dependency on WMP and play DWU through another media player? VLC maybe?


!EDIT: If anyone with the same problem stumbles upon this thread, namely, that your game doesnt start at all and you do not have Windows Media Player installed and you cant seem to be able to install it, switch to your administrator profile and perform following actions: Go to Settings - Apps - Optional Features - Add Feature - Install Windows Media Player! You have to be on the administrator profile, otherwise it will only say: No Features available. This is not stated anywhere on the internet and also the Windows Support obviously did not know that.
I have installed WMP and the game works now!

[rjord2021]

ORIGINAL: Varacka

Unfortunately I have been unable to locate or install wmp. I have been trying for 2 days now. I am probably going to have to just get a refund and at some point reinstall windows.

Try this

How to install Windows Media Player
Open Settings.
Click on Apps.
Click on Apps & features.
Click the manage optional features link. Apps & features settings.
Click the Add a feature button. Manage optional features settings.
Select Windows Media Player.
Click the Install button. Install Windows Media Player on Windows 10.

Same screen make sure Internet Explorer is installed

[Galahad78]

And, if it is already installed and I have been playing Distant Worlds for years without any hitch? Now suddenly it does not start [&:]

[Bingeling]

Something changed at least. Have you played it since last windows update? Any other signs of worms eating away your disk space? Hardly a trend, but any chance of malware or security software messing with the install?

If it is not a windows update explanation, I would reinstall and check that my backup of internal files have happened.

[Galahad78]

ORIGINAL: oxygen1234

I have turned Direct Play on and it didn't change anything.

However, I have good news, I managed to get the game to work!

I changed the line in the Startup.ini from

Code: Select all

playmovie 1
 
 to
 
 playmovie 0

And the game started up.

Note, that I previously tried changing it from:

Code: Select all

playmovie 1

to

Code: Select all

'playmovie 1

as suggested above, and although it might sound crazy, it didn't work. I verified this multiple times:
This does NOT work:

Code: Select all

'playmovie 1

This does:

Code: Select all

playmovie 0 

Thanks for your help.

This did the trick for me! Thanks a lot for sharing, I was starting to get desperate [&o] [&o]

[MarGon]

I have Directx 12 checked. I have tried everything. Thanks for your help.

I´m having problems trying to paste the crush dump. Something about posting a link, phone number or email. I´m trying different ways till de page accept the post.

System . IO . FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft .DirectX .DirectSound, Version= one . cero . 2902 . cero, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.
File name: 'Microsoft .DirectX .DirectSound, Version= one . cero . 2902 . cero, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'

at DistantWorlds . Main . qmbyEdRQMR(Int32 , Int32 , Boolean )
at DistantWorlds . Main . . ctor(Int32 width, Int32 height, Boolean windowedMode, Splash splashForm)
at DistantWorlds . Start . svgKzBihdw(Object , EventArgs )
at System.Windows . Forms . Form.OnLoad(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows . Forms . Form.SetVisibleCore(Boolean value)
at System.Windows . Forms . Control.set_Visible(Boolean value)
at System.Windows . Forms . Application . ThreadContext . RunMessageLoopInner(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
at System.Windows .Forms . Application.ThreadContext . RunMessageLoop(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
at System.Windows .Forms . Application.Run(Form mainForm)
at mmP6HR3GskDjJd0R5l . dDCIkVtUG4JNU0e9Xx . TTMacjII1EX7pTuhitJG(Object )
at mmP6HR3GskDjJd0R5l . dDCIkVtUG4JNU0e9Xx . xPmHyXsrjyA()

[rjord2021]

ORIGINAL: MarGon

I have Directx 12 checked. I have tried everything. Thanks for your help.

I´m having problems trying to paste the crush dump. Something about posting a link, phone number or email. I´m trying different ways till de page accept the post.

System . IO . FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft .DirectX .DirectSound, Version= one . cero . 2902 . cero, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.
File name: 'Microsoft .DirectX .DirectSound, Version= one . cero . 2902 . cero, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'

at DistantWorlds . Main . qmbyEdRQMR(Int32 , Int32 , Boolean )
at DistantWorlds . Main . . ctor(Int32 width, Int32 height, Boolean windowedMode, Splash splashForm)
at DistantWorlds . Start . svgKzBihdw(Object , EventArgs )
at System.Windows . Forms . Form.OnLoad(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows . Forms . Form.SetVisibleCore(Boolean value)
at System.Windows . Forms . Control.set_Visible(Boolean value)
at System.Windows . Forms . Application . ThreadContext . RunMessageLoopInner(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
at System.Windows .Forms . Application.ThreadContext . RunMessageLoop(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
at System.Windows .Forms . Application.Run(Form mainForm)
at mmP6HR3GskDjJd0R5l . dDCIkVtUG4JNU0e9Xx . TTMacjII1EX7pTuhitJG(Object )
at mmP6HR3GskDjJd0R5l . dDCIkVtUG4JNU0e9Xx . xPmHyXsrjyA()

Not sure if you got this fixed but you need to reinstall DirectX as files are missing.

[balysears1]

I also have this problem. Have modified the startup file to "playmovie 0". Windows Media Player is installed. Not sure if I have properly installed DirectX 9 but I have been running DirectX 11. Any other advice, anyone? Thanks.

[USSAmerica]

I recently installed again on a new computer and had to manually install DirectX 9 again to get the game to run. I think when the game installer tries to do it it is not always effective.

[balysears1]

Thanks for the suggestion. I downloaded DirectX 9 but was unsuccessful in installing it. I looked for solutions at Microsoft and followed the procedure to enable Direct Play in Windows 10 to no avail. Tried to post the links but keep getting You are not allowed to post links, emails or phone numbers for 7 days from the date of your tenth post. It seems that it takes longer now for the startup screen to disappear, that's all. I contacted Tech Support and sent the requested DXdiag report, heard nothing back. Followed up the next day and have still heard nothing. No Tech Support on the weekend? Preparing to request refund but would much rather have the game based on what I have seen and heard about it.

I'll keep trying. Welcome any other suggestions.

P.S. Tech doesn't like me. Trying to create a post lost it and had to log in again and recreate the post three times.
What's up with You are not allowed to post links, emails or phone numbers for 7 days from the date of your tenth post.?
The one above was my first post and it was yesterday. The game AND the forum are buggy? I'm getting paranoid here.

[zakblood]

tech support works weekends, but works on a see and reply basis, unless posted to staff support, who reply on a given time and depending on what they have on etc, how many and in a first come so on a busy time, it may not get done on the same day, but most of the time it will.

the post restrictions are site protection to stop spammers, spamming the board with junk, sorry about that, no real way around it, as after a given time scale and post count, that is removed[:(]