Crash on startup - access violation in mciqtz32.dll

[Shadrach]

Hi,
I just got this in the Steam sale, been thinking of trying it for a good while now.

On startup, after the launcher, the game gives the following error dialog:


After closing this, it the game appears to be working, but I have to manually go into File > Main Menu to do anything.

Running on Windows 10, x64.

[Shadrach]

No update on this? Should I just open a ticket to support?

[zakblood]

can you upload a report? as tbh should be able to fix it myself tbh

How to get a DirectX Diagnostic file:

1. click on "START"
2. click "run"
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

We prefer that DxDiag files be posted as message attachments rather than pasted into the body of the post.

once the report has been made, just attach it to your post with first adding the file to a zip, which is then permitted to attach to the forum

[zakblood]

windows 10 works fine with the game, your maybe just missing some files which come with windows 10, but not loaded by default as per post

tm.asp?m=4454024

a report will more than likely just confirm the missing files etc

[zakblood]

What is Mciqtz32.dll used for?

Mciqtz32.dll file, also known as DirectShow MCI Driver, is commonly associated with Microsoft® Windows® Operating System. It is an essential component, which ensures that Windows programs operate properly. Thus, if the mciqtz32.dll file is missing, it may negatively affect the work of the associated software.

so install the program as shown will fix the issue for you




but it won't hurt to do the others tbh, as then all older type games will be more windows 10 compatible as per link

tm.asp?m=4454024

[Shadrach]

Didn't work for me unfortunately - and I'm not sure how it would be related, as DirectPlay was for network play and connectivity I think?

DirectShow is for media playback, and I assume the error is related to the game trying to play back some introduction video. But there is no video in the game AFAIK.

I also tried to reinstall the VCredist files from the _CommonRedist directory, same error.

I've opened a ticket to support for this and included a DXdiag. Also including it here.

[zakblood]

ok good luck and hope they sort it for you soon

check your anti virus logs also just to make sure something has been stopped by that which would interfere with the running of of the game etc

[CapnDarwin]

Sorry, I missed this post earlier. I have not seen that particular error before. I will pass this along to our team and see if they know of a fix or cause. Sorry for the inconvenience. Hopefully we can find a solution.

[Shadrach]

OK so an update, I figured since the error is with DirectShow/Quartz, it had to be related to the playing of media during launch, most likely intros. So I searched the directories and found two wmv (ugh...) files in Libraries\Animations.
matrixintro.wmv
OTS Ani Logo.wmv

These files play just fine on my system, using WMP and VLC.

Hopefully the game would gracefully proceed even if these files were removed, so I moved them out. After this the game starts without any error message, and proceeds to the main menu.

Well, so far, problem seems "solved", or at least a workaround is found. However, this is Steam, and so any update or validation of game files will plop those video files right back.

Hopefully a solution can be found in the code to avoid this crash for the future and for other users. Or at least give the customer the common courtesy of being able to skip intro videos.

[zakblood]

so it was a codec issue then?

tm.asp?m=4454024

as my solution offered did say install media play classic post 5, without installed, windows 10 doesn't have the codec to show some older types of file formats and without it installed, some video refuse to run, i use 5kplayer myself with windows 10, but do have media player installed, just for backwards compatibility purposes


not information made up or gathered over the years either, it's just M/S best advice as always,

Code: Select all

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/games_windows_10/the-movies-lionhead-studios-not-running-in-windows/b168b62c-e9bf-49bc-bf96-2831fda047e9?page=2

not just one game either, there are many which either work but don't show video or refuse to work at all without media player installed, you don't even need to have it as your main default, but without, some older games won't work or will give errors etc and this is why i have offered and uploaded the advice to windows 10 users here onboard

[Shadrach]

Well, the jury's not in what's causing it (yet), need to get from the devs, this is a workaround, not a bug fix... Something with how the game uses the old (and deprecated) DirectDraw API I would guess?

I have all the required codecs on my system to play most if not all modern media formats. You always ask for DxDiag files, in this all capabilities for media playback should be listed if one knows where to look, specifically installed codecs under "DirectShow Filters"

And when you say "media player classic", you mean Windows Media Player (WMP) I assume? Because "Media Player Classic" is something completely different and not created by Microsoft.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Player_Classic

I already have WMP installed and can verify the intro files play fine with it.

And I'd seriously take anything posted on answers.microsoft.com with a large spoonful of salt. Rarely has that forum given me any solutions at all, it seems to be mostly random guesswork and unrelated faulty information, a complete waste of time if you ask me. They may be "offical" forums but the people there rarely are...

[zakblood]

yes sorry, i did mean Windows Media Player (WMP) which is for me now the classic version and yes i did know of another version made by someone else, so my error on that one and just a wrongly worded line.

and it's not just the codec which need loading, for some reasons codec alone don't and never have helped, as some games also look for Media player to also be installed, as i've said, not needed to be the default, just installed and then most work, how is anyone's guess but using either of the later versions of media type players which come with windows 10 doesn't.

all i know is the game works perfectly with my addon's installed on windows 10, so not a work around but official apps and programs used from the latest install of windows 10

Windows 10 Home Single Language 64-bit (10.0, Build 17134) (17134.rs4_release.180410-1804)

if my advice didn't work, then my pc wouldn't run it either, as i've tested so far 90% of all games for matrixgames, slitherine, and also Ageod and so far only have 2 that i can't get to work with windows 10 with my solutions.

tm.asp?m=3924215

also the link i provided was just one of many forums replies from all over the net for solutions for why a given game doesn't work with answers.microsoft.com just being the one i found first today while looking for something which said what i wanted, searching will supply many many others, i just happened to link the first one i found.

if you have more ideas and can offer other solutions to help, i'm all ear's, as only an idiot knows everything, and i learn new stuff each and every day, yes at my age as also forget most, but shaking the old brain every now and then makes some of it re appear [:D]

as per bug fix and not work around, i can't answer that part, as it's not part of my remit to comment on what developers should or can do, all i know is, compatibility for windows 10 is in the game, but some pre requisites are needed which aren't installed by default or patches, more than what is in the readme on site for the Product Requirements but same goes for more than 30 to 50% of all games, which were designed pre windows 10 release.

[Shadrach]

Well if the game has requirements, they should list these requirements shouldn't they? [8D]

I know -- it's not that easy, maybe 10 years or so ago, a developer could be sure for instance Internet Explorer and WMP was always installed on a users PC. Not so anymore, so it gets complicated for older games.

Yeah I've also tried to search for errors relating to the DLL and the message, but nothing I found seemed relevant. In fact if you google "access violation" and "mciqtz32.dll" this thread is the first to come up [:D]

But - if the game works on your machine, maybe an idea would be if you posted your DxDiag, as well as MSInfo output? I often find MSInfo easier to read as it details other parts of the system than just DirectX. I might be able to compare mine to yours to see what I might be missing.

[zakblood]

here you go

[zakblood]

To obtain the MSInfo file:
1. Press Windows Key + R.
2. Type MSInfo32 and press Enter.
3. In the MSInfo diagnostic window, click File, then Export.
4. When the Export As window appears, choose Desktop.
5. Name the file "MSInfo" and click Save.

for this imo to much system and private information is shared, which imo again i'd edit out like i do in my post above, so tend to not ask for it unless on a private one to one basis

[Shadrach]

OK, thanks for that - ya I know how to create MSInfo files, thanks very much

I had a look and compare of the DXDiag files, yours and mine. Of course, tons of differences, so have to use some knowledge of what might be important.

Off the bat I found this:
"DWM DPI Scaling: Enabled" - you have it disabled. Apparently this is related to hardware scaling or multiple monitors - you have only one monitor I guess?

Also of note and might be very relevant, is you have newer versions of the Microsoft codecs that would be related to WMV playback, for instance:
WMVideo Decoder DMO,0x00800001,1,1,wmvdecod.dll,10.00.17134.0001 <-- Me
WMVideo Decoder DMO,0x00800001,1,1,wmvdecod.dll,10.00.17134.0112 <-- You

But really not sure how to update these, or if it would even matter.

EDIT: So turns out I was missing a Windows Update, I did this and now I have the same version as you for the WMVideo Decoder.
Didn't make much difference for the game though, and it shouldn't really anyway for a game of this age...

[zakblood]

yes only one monitor, i also only posted the how to for others, who may not know how and why etc

i spend all my time on the forums, this and others making sure my hardware is as up to date as it can be, and have all the hardware driver locations saved so i can check up regularly, so unless a given item has caused me an issue, i tend to have the latest i can find or like to use, but one or more maybe next to last etc, as like i've said, so driver updates aren't always a step forward, with some causing other issues, so then tend to do a roll back onto the older version.

each new version of windows as well, i've done a clean install, not a upgrade to, one because it's a test pc, so gets a lot of add and removes with versions etc, alpha and beta's etc so have a image of each and slip stream my latest driver pack and programs into the build in the iso format and re image the driver almost every month, unless like now i'm a bit busy and so are behind on my re imaging.

regarding the Dll versions, then no it wouldn't i guess matter, as long as it's there and supports windows 10, it should in theory be fine.

maybe an issue with pro to home version of windows 10, as there not the same with more than a few addon things being different build and version numbers.

[CapnDarwin]

Shadrach, as a test, you can bypass the videos with two mouse clicks when the game first pops up the black screen and it should jump to the splash screen. You can go straight to the main menu on three spaced clicks. And yes we will need to update or remove the old movie files going forward and just go with static splash screens that can be clicked or space bar tapped past to the main menu.

[Shadrach]

I just tried to click, but it really loads so fast and gives the error instantly, so it's hard to bypass them, not even sure if possible once the error is thrown on playback start.

I'll just stick with deleting the files for now, at least the game fails elegantly if they are not there.

Unless you have some idea what could be done to play them... but you'd need to be able to reproduce on your side first I guess.