Game will not run 2.00 or 2.02 in Windows 7 Home Premium

[z1812]

Hi All,

I am trying to reinstall JTCS on a new hard drive.

I am running Win 7 Home Premium 64 bit service Pack 1.

When I install the base game setup release I can access any of the 3 games through the splash screen.

However when I install 2.00 or 2.02 I cannot access any of the 3 games from the splash screen.

I have uninstalled the game and reinstalled it a few times but it will not work with 2.00 or 2.02.

Needless to say it is driving me mad. Any help is much appreciated.

Regards,

John

[Warhorse]

Question, this new hard drive, is it a external, hooked into a new machine? I too, just got a new windows machine, and had a devil of a time to get it to work, I had an external that already had the games on it, all work except 2.00/2.02. I had to install on the new C: drive, there was a side-side error, is that what you see as well?

In the end, I had to go into registry editor, and manually set the C++ redistributeable to the number matching what Berto used to create the newer exe's. Keep in touch, please supply as much information as you can give me, we WILL get it to run for you, but it might take some playing around.

[berto]

Yes, you need to be more specific. How exactly does the game "not work"? What happens? What error messages?

Like Warhorse said, my guess is that you have the "side by side" error, discussed in the Tech Support FAQ here ("The program has failed to launch" or "The application has failed to start" -- Why?)

Also here and several other threads in the Support forum.

[z1812]

Hi Warhorse, Hi Berto,

Thank you for your responses.

It is very odd, however as there are no error messages whatsoever. The games will just not launch after installing 2.00 or 2.02.

However they will launch with the setup release.

After posting last night I uninstalled the game and used Regedit to delete matrix and JTCS entries. I reinstalled and the setup release worked normally but 2.00 and 2.02 would not work. Again no error messages. I did get the radio sound when I clicked on a game name but it will not launch.

All the best,

John

[z1812]

Hi Warhorse,

The hard drive is a new internal hard drive. I have done a lot of software and game installation and all else works well.

There is something I forgot to mention. I had a PBEM game on the go and after I initially installed and updated to 2.00, I dropped my opponents last PBEM moves into the game file. There were 3 files, old, oldest and the actual game file.

The game would not let me load the old PBEM'S. At that point I started to uninstall and reinstall and experiencing the problems I am now describing.
But as I say no error messages.

Warhorse, how would I use your "side by side error" approach to see if it works.

Regards,

John

[z1812]

Hi All,

I am trying a new install.

1. Uninstalled previous game.

2. Deleted old folder with maps etc.

3. Running setup release.

4. Setup Release installs and opens normally on any of the 3 games included.

5. Updating to 2.02 with automatic update over the setup release.

6. As usual it has installed and I can see the splash screen. When I click on the game name, Rising Sun for instance, I hear the radio sound, but it does not open the game. There is no error message.

7. I can open all the other locations offered on the splash screen except the games.

8. I restarted my computer but it makes no difference. I will await your advice before uninstalling/reinstalling again.

Regards,

John

[berto]

In the Tech Support FAQ linked to earlier, there is this:

Game (or Editor) Crashes

"My game has crashed. What Should I do?"

...

Immediately after the crash:

[*]Did the game (or editor) simply exit, or did you see a white (or blue) screen saying explicitly that the game (or editor) has crashed (and possibly suggesting that you contact Microsoft etc.)? Please answer this question in your report to us.

[*]Did the game (or editor) display a pop-up message on crash? If possible, save and post at the forum a (cropped) screenshot of the pop-up, else record the message text and post it at the forum in your crash report.

[*]Check your engine.log. Do the last entries at the end of the file tell you anything? (If it's the game launcher that's crashed, or any of the editors, check frontend.log, edit.log, edmap.log, or edorg.log.)

[*]Please post here, in a single ZIP file, your

• error.log
• engine.log & frontend.log (or edit.log, edmap.log, or edorg.log instead of engine.log, if it's any of the editors that crashed)
• save files (all three, including OLDER & OLDEST) from your game (or campaign)
• any other data files related to your current game (or campaign) (look in Windows Explorer, sorting by date)

NOTE: The Forum will not let you post .zip files! So after you created the .zip file, rename the extension as .txt before you post. We will know what to do with it. (On our end, after we download it, rename the file extension back to .zip before unzipping.)[/b]

We will then diagnose your crash with the evidence you provided.

Follow the highlighted instructions as your next step.

The three files -- error.log, frontend.log & engine.log -- are key to debugging this.

Going back to the beginning...

When you write "I am trying to reinstall JTCS on a new hard drive"

[*]Had your system been hosed, is this after a Windows reinstall?
[*]Do you still have a working copy of JTCS on your old hard drive? That's still functioning? [edit: I think you had answered this.]
[*]If you have/had an older, pre-existing install of JTCS, did you follow the recommended procedures for uninstalling it first, before "reinstall[ing] JTCS on a new hard drive"? [edit: I think you had answered this.]

There are other things we can try, but before we do, let's take it a step, or several steps, at a time. Do the above, and let's see what develops.

[z1812]

Hi Berto,

Thanks for your reply. I do not have any error messages at all and the game does not crash. The game will just not launch from the splash screen.

I will be happy to do the things you ask but I have no idea where to find these items for the game.

1. error log
2. engine log
2. front end log

I had a working copy on my old hard drive which failed. This is a new hard drive with a fresh install of windows. It is from a recovery disc that I made upon buying the computer. So it is the same system as I had installed JTCS on last time.

All the best,

John

[Warhorse]

Hi John, I assume you did install the 2008 c++ Redistributeable? Make sure it is for your version 32 or 64 bit. Also, did you try to double click the actual exe's in the game folders, ie Westfront.exe, etc? I never use that splash screen to start the game, rather either shortcuts to the exe's, or actually clicking on the afore-mentioned exe files themselves!

EDIT: Also, what is the path to your installation? For instance, installing into a default location on C: drive, like Program files, might cause a problem. Rather, like mine-C:\Games\Matrix Games\John Tillers Campaign Series, is better, less management by Windows.

EDIT2:-Interestingly enough, at wits end when I was going through this, having changed the c++ redist numbers to highest value and back numerous times to no avail, dewcided to install ZoneAlarm again. This program also updates C++, and after I installed that, just for kicks, don't know why, I tried to start the game again, and it worked!!! My point being, yes it did work on your other hard drive, but sometimes different results can happen due to other software, or, lack of some other software that had something to do with it working before, know what I mean?!

[berto]

ORIGINAL: z1812

Thanks for your reply. I do not have any error messages at all and the game does not crash. The game will just not launch from the splash screen.

I will be happy to do the things you ask but I have no idea where to find these items for the game.

1. error log
2. engine log
2. front end log

I had a working copy on my old hard drive which failed. This is a new hard drive with a fresh install of windows. It is from a recovery disc that I made upon buying the computer. So it is the same system as I had installed JTCS on last time.

The log files would be in the top-level folder, along with the rest of the game files.

This has all the signs of the "side by side" problem. Yes, be sure to install the 2008 MS C++ Redistributable (see the link in the FAQ) as Mike suggests.

[z1812]

Hi Warhorse, Hi Berto,

I have installed the 2008 c++ re-distributable and it does not make any difference.The problem is exactly the same.

Berto, can you be more specific as to where the log files are. I do not see any. Can you tell me what they are called? I searched to see where they may be but I could not find instructions on where they exactly reside. Perhaps a screen shot?

What should I do if it is the side by side problem?

Thank you both for your interest and help,

John

[berto]

If none of the EXEs launch, there will be no log files. (But just to be sure: Open Windows Explorer on the game directories, i.e., East Front, West Front, Rising Sun -- whichever game you attempted to launch. Sort files by name, or by type, or by modified time. It shouldn't be too hard to determine whether any of error.log, frontend.log, or engine.log were created.)

Mike (aka Warhorse) went through this "side by side" error debug with a new system just a few weeks ago. He is by now rather expert about this.

The ball is in your court, Mike. (Note: He is already providing added advice in his post above.)

[Warhorse]

ORIGINAL: z1812

Hi Warhorse, Hi Berto,

I have installed the 2008 c++ re-distributable and it does not make any difference.The problem is exactly the same.

Berto, can you be more specific as to where the log files are. I do not see any. Can you tell me what they are called? I searched to see where they may be but I could not find instructions on where they exactly reside. Perhaps a screen shot?

What should I do if it is the side by side problem?

Thank you both for your interest and help,

John

Hi John, just to satisfy my curiosity, you have in fact tried to physically start the game, each in turn by going into Windows Explorer, and dbl-clicking the main executeables?

[z1812]

Hi Warhorse,

My normal install is to a partition where I keep all my games. Mind you I have tried to install to c and to c programs x86 without any luck.

I have not tried to start JTCS from each individual game folder but I will try that tomorrow.

Thanks again to you and Berto.

Regards,

John

[z1812]

Hi Warhorse, Hi Berto,

Warhorse, I tried running the game from the individual game exe. files, as you suggested, and I received an error message stating that there is a " side by side configuration error ". This is the first time I have been happy to see an error message because, at least now, I know definitely what the problem is.

I googled how to fix a side by side configuration error and found this page that explained how to fix it.

http://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-01046/

The steps for anyone else would be.

1. Try to start the game from an individual exe icon in any one of the individual game folders.

2. If you receive the side by side error message visit this page. http://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-01046/

3. Follow the instructions to the letter and the problem will be solved.

Thank you Berto and Warhorse for your attention to this problem. Hopefully what I found will help others who may experience this situation.

All the best,

John

P.S. Berto here is a link you might enjoy to the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra from Toronto. There is an enjoyable video towards the bottom of the page. http://www.tafelmusik.org/media-room/ga ... o-overview

[berto]

ORIGINAL: z1812

Hi Warhorse, Hi Berto,

Warhorse, I tried running the game from the individual game exe. files, as you suggested, and I received an error message stating that there is a " side by side configuration error ". This is the first time I have been happy to see an error message because, at least now, I know definitely what the problem is.

I googled how to fix a side by side configuration error and found this page that explained how to fix it.

http://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-01046/

The steps for anyone else would be.

1. Try to start the game from an individual exe icon in any one of the individual game folders.

2. If you receive the side by side error message visit this page. http://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-01046/

3. Follow the instructions to the letter and the problem will be solved.

Thank you Berto and Warhorse for your attention to this problem. Hopefully what I found will help others who may experience this situation.

P.S. Berto here is a link you might enjoy to the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra from Toronto. There is an enjoyable video towards the bottom of the page. http://www.tafelmusik.org/media-room/ga ... o-overview

A very fine lutenist. And a first-class Baroque orchestra that we here in Chicago have much admiration for. Splendid!

[Warhorse]

Excellent John, I figured you had the side to side, but that message only comes up when you try to run from exe's, vice splash screen, that was why I was so adamant about my questioning!! What you did would have been my advise, pretty much what I ended up doing as well!! Game on!![:D]

[z1812]

Thanks to you both once more for your help!!

All the Best,

John

[Warhorse]

Any time, John, just glad you are up and running!!