Game bought on Steam fails to start

[Andriych]

Hi,

Just bought the game on Steam and tried to start.
What i get after the autostart window is a quick blink of a command prompt and that's it.

Checked the application folder for any clues and found "Exception_trace" file.
Will try to upload it here

[Andriych]

OK, how do i upload the file here?
When i try to paste the contents I am getting some stupid error message that I cannot post phones and links for 7 days after my 10th post...
Seems like you guys got some weird text filter that's really making it worse for your customers

Please let me know how you want me to send you over the file. I will be demanding a full refund unless we can make it work in the next 2 days.

[Hubert Cater]

Hi Andriych,

Can you post the contents of the exception trace here instead of the file?

Hubert

[Andriych]

Hi Hubert,

I'd be glad to, but once I do that and hit OK i get forum error message with the following text:

You are not allowed to post links, emails or phone numbers for 7 days from the date of your tenth post.

go back? : : close window?

[Andriych]

Seems like your forum filter is considering some items in the exception file as links or phone numbers

[Andriych]

Ok, I was able to upload the file itself after zipping. Please see attached

[Hubert Cater]

Very odd as the game runs fine on our end and from quite a bit of testing. The only thing I can think of at the moment is that perhaps you need elevated permissions to get the Steam version running on your end.

Can you try right clicking on the Steam desktop shortcut for the game and selecting 'Run As Administrator' to see if this helps?

Hubert

[dox44]

did you verify files from right click on title within Steam>properties>local files?

if its good then restart steam cold...kill it in systray too...then start steam
and try game.

if it still doesn't run

uninstall from same tab (properties>local file) and reinstall

worked for me on a different game last week--might be worth a try.

[Andriych]

Hubert,

Tried this right after the clean reboot - no changes when running Steam as an admin whatsoever. I am playing other games through steam just fine.
In fact i do get a start window for the game "with advertisements for other games etc", it's the "Start" in there that doesn't run, just to clarify.
Any other ideas?

casebier,
Thanks for suggestions, i tried restarting Steam and reinstalling the game through steam and restarting my laptop as well.

Verify integrity shows all is good.

[Benedict151]

Sorry Andriych
We are a little stumped by this
Would you mind sharing your system specs with us?

I'd suggest contacting our Tech support team but with limited info I'm not sure they will be able to help

We'll keep thinking
Ben Wilkins

[Andriych]

Hi Ben,

Sure, attached is the Windows system info screen.
Let me know what else you might need.

[zakblood]

Could you please attach a DxDiag report file to your message / reply?

Please attach a DxDiag report fie.
How to get a DxDiag report file:

1. Click on "START" (on Windows 8/10 press “Windows key” and the “R” key at the same time)
2. Click "run" (skip this step on Windows 8/10)
3. Type in "dxdiag" and click "OK"
4. Check through the tabs and perform all tests
5. Click "Save all Information..." and save the text file to a location of your choice
6. Attach the file to your message
7, if your new and can't / don't have permission etc, then copy paste into a reply

add the exe of the game to your Anti Virus and firewall program, to make sure check the logs of these to see if it was one if any of them was to blame.

That usually means a 3rd party program, like an Internet security programs, is or could be interfering with the game or update installation.

run the game from a admin account and use full admin permissions.

please make sure all game pre requisite are installed with the game, even if you think or fully know there are already installed, it will only over write, and it may be that you have a older or newer version of these where as the game in question may need a certain version.

please make sure you are running the latest game version and have up to date drivers installed on your pc,

[Andriych]

DXDiag report attached.

Checked the anti-virus and no exceptions related to the game in the log there.

On Admin rights - i cannot run the game directly, only from Steam, I did try to start Steam first with Admin rights - that works. And same issue.

Steam shows game is up to date.

[Hubert Cater]

Hi Andriych,

Can you please try the following:

1) Launch your Steam client and then select the Steam 'Library'

2) You should now see the Strategic Command WWII: War in Europe game listed. 'Right click' on the listed game, and then select 'Properties'

3) Select the Local Files tab and then click on the 'Browse Local Files' option.

4) A file explorer window should appear and look for the game EXE called 'SC3-WWII War in Europe'

5) Right click on this file and select 'Properties'

6) Click on the Compatibility tab and then check on the option 'Run this program as an administrator' and then Apply followed by OK.

7) You can close the file explorer window and then go back to your Steam library and try launching the game again and hopefully this does the trick for you.

Hope this helps,
Hubert

[Andriych]

Hi Hubert,

Well, good news is that behavior is different once I try this
Bad news is that it's not any better )

Please see attached a screenshot of an error I get with this setting turned on.
Once i remove the checkbox - all is back to original state, no Steam error but game doesn't start with a command line window flashing promptly.

[Hubert Cater]

Hi Andriych,

Seems like we are very close and I wonder if you try verifying your installation or reinstalling through Steam while running Steam as an Administrator if this will do the trick?

I just suggest this as it looks like either the registry entries have not been fully setup or it is missing a file.

Here is a discussion on Steam that should give you a pretty good idea on how to do some of the above:

https://steamcommunity.com/app/218620/d ... 048849318/

Hubert

[Andriych]

Hi Hubert,

No success unfortunately.

Here's what I've done:

1) Launched Steam as Administrator
2) Got to Game properties and launched Validate function. Showed all is good.
3) Uninstalled the game
4) Installed it back in Steam in same session as an Admin

Getting same command prompt window flashing.
Attached is the fresh error trace file just in case it's helpful

[Hubert Cater]

Hi Andriych,

Were you able to also then try running the game (after all of the steps you performed above) as an Administrator with the step for that, that I provided above as well?

I'm just wondering if now running the game as an Administrator, after it has been fully re-installed as an Administrator will now do the trick.

Hubert

[Andriych]

Ok, i've enabled "Run as Administrator" in Compatibility tab for the game file.
After that ran Steam as an Admin and tried launching the game.
Nothing happens and same lines in exception trace file.

[Hubert Cater]

Do you remember what you did to get the game to run and not crash with the exception trace file, for example you had that 'Could not initialize STEAM manager or invalid serial key' error.

When you managed to get the game running up to that point, that particular error I'm hoping has now been resolved with the reinstallation of the game with Steam set to run as an Administrator.

What I'm hoping for is to get the game running again in the same way where you saw that error message but it will now ideally no longer trigger and you are then able to fully launch.