Can't launch game

[Chehov]

Hello. From May 2013 I have problem. EU4 and Stellaris can't be launched by Launcher. Just crushed after pressing Play in Launcher. I completely reinstalled games (many times, many versions), installed latest versions of Framework and C++. Closed antivirus. Nothing helped me. What is the solution? Thank you.
Logs are attached.

 

[AndrewT]

As the launcher runs okay this is not likely to be a launcher problem, so I'm afraid those logs will not help us. What i do see there is you are apparently opted into the launcher beta programme; if so please opt out of that while we work on this problem.

What happens if you run eu4.exe and stellaris.exe directly from File Explorer? THat bypasses Steam and our launcher.

 

[Chehov]

As the launcher runs okay this is not likely to be a launcher problem, so I'm afraid those logs will not help us. What i do see there is you are apparently opted into the launcher beta programme; if so please opt out of that while we work on this problem.

What happens if you run eu4.exe and stellaris.exe directly from File Explorer? THat bypasses Steam and our launcher.

Thank you for your answer.
Yes, I have switched off beta.
If I run file from File Explorer, reaction is same. Very quick game screen for one second and crush without any messages.
Experimented all possible files Compatability options, but nothing.

 

[AndrewT]

DXDIAG is a program you run from the Windows search box on the task bar. 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. IF it fails to attach here, rename it to dxdiag.log first.

Please attach here your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Europa Universalis IV/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Europa Universalis IV/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , error.log , exceptions.log

 

[Chehov]

Please find logs attached.
PS: exceptions.log doesnt exist in this folder.

 

[AndrewT]

[virtualfilesystem_physfs.cpp:1252]: Could not open file: pops_filestorage.index, error: permission denied

Something is getting in the way of the games accessing the Documents folder, most likely your antivirus app.

What antivirus app do you use? You need to make sure all these apps are in its exceptions lists:

eu4.exe and dowser.exe (in the Steam EU4 folder)
stellaris.exe and dowser.exe (in the Steam Stellaris folder)
C:/users/{username}/AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2.2024.9/paradox launcher.exe
C:/users/{username}/AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/bootstrapper-v2.exe

IF that doesn't help, Right click on Documents in the left column of File Explorer, just under This PC there. Go to properties, location. What does it say in there?

 

[Chehov]

Something is getting in the way of the games accessing the Documents folder, most likely your antivirus app.

What antivirus app do you use? You need to make sure all these apps are in its exceptions lists:

eu4.exe and dowser.exe (in the Steam EU4 folder)
stellaris.exe and dowser.exe (in the Steam Stellaris folder)
C:/users/{username}/AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2.2024.9/paradox launcher.exe
C:/users/{username}/AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/bootstrapper-v2.exe

IF that doesn't help, Right click on Documents in the left column of File Explorer, just under This PC there. Go to properties, location. What does it say in there?

I don't have special antivirus. Standart Windows Security only.
I have added files to Exception in Windows Security. Switched off live virus scan.
This not helped me.
Documents/Properties/Location is: C:\Users\aleks\Documents
BTW my Documents folder weight is very high - 20 Gb. Because of many additional files for Football Manger game.
May such big folder weight influence to my issue?

 

[AndrewT]

Having a lot of files will not prevent the game from being able to read one file. That can only ne an antivirus app OR a Windows file system problem.

Check whether C:\Users\aleks\Documents is flagged Read Only, or hidden.

And can we get a screenshot of the Ransomware-Apps Allowed Through list in Windows Defender please.

 

[Chehov]

Having a lot of files will not prevent the game from being able to read one file. That can only ne an antivirus app OR a Windows file system problem.

Check whether C:\Users\aleks\Documents is flagged Read Only, or hidden.

And can we get a screenshot of the Ransomware-Apps Allowed Through list in Windows Defender please.

Yes, there Read Only was flagged. I removed this flad and eu.exe successfully started. This issue is solved.
But appeared new problem. Launcher crush, when I press Play.
As I understand without Launcher I can't use Stean Cloud saved games.
Hope for your help.

Launcher error logs attached.

 

[AndrewT]

I see the launcher has not had a clean reinstall for over a year, and you've in an obsolete beta version anyway.


Please try this:

- uninstall Paradox Launcher v2 from the Windows "Apps and features" utility, if still present.

Delete the following folders if still present:

- C:/users/{userName}/AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/
- C:/users/{userName}/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/
- C:/users/{userName}/AppData/Roaming/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
To see the AppData folder you'll need to enable View Hidden Items in File Explorer.

- exit the Steam app entirely
- run steam.exe as the Windows Admin user
- run the game from the PLAY button in Steam
OR
- exit the Epic app entirely
- run EpicGamesLauncher.exe as the Windows Admin user
- run the game from the Epic client

IF that doesn't help, in this folder are some .log files:
C:/users/{userName}/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
Please attach them here.
To see the AppData folder you'll need to enable View Hidden Items in File Explorer.

 

[Chehov]

I see the launcher has not had a clean reinstall for over a year, and you've in an obsolete beta version anyway.


Please try this:

- uninstall Paradox Launcher v2 from the Windows "Apps and features" utility, if still present.

Delete the following folders if still present:

- C:/users/{userName}/AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/
- C:/users/{userName}/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/
- C:/users/{userName}/AppData/Roaming/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
To see the AppData folder you'll need to enable View Hidden Items in File Explorer.

- exit the Steam app entirely
- run steam.exe as the Windows Admin user
- run the game from the PLAY button in Steam
OR
- exit the Epic app entirely
- run EpicGamesLauncher.exe as the Windows Admin user
- run the game from the Epic client

IF that doesn't help, in this folder are some .log files:
C:/users/{userName}/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
Please attach them here.
To see the AppData folder you'll need to enable View Hidden Items in File Explorer.

I have successfully followed your solution path.
But unfortunately, this not helped me.
Logs are attached.

 

[AndrewT]

The launcher version in those logs is 2024.8 yet it should have updated to 2024.9 by now - what version are you actually seeing there?

That aside we see no particular problems in those files.

And can we get a screenshot of the Ransomware-Apps Allowed Through list in Windows Defender please.

 

[Chehov]

My Launcher version is 2024.9 (please see screenshot attached)
My Ransomware protection is switched off. (please see screenshot attached)

 

[AndrewT]

You said before the launcher crashed when you hit Play in it, but that screenshot does not show that - instead the game does not run and you get that Exit Code null error.Do you know what change made that difference?

In Ransomware enable controlled folder access, then add all the .exe files from post #6 above into its Apps Allowed Through list . That should get past that Permission Denied error we saw before.

If not though check whether any of the Documents, Documents/Paradox Interactive/ or Documents/Paradox Interactive/Europa Universalis IV folders have been flagged read Only - I've seen a couple of cases of this recently, no idea why!

 

[Chehov]

You said before the launcher crashed when you hit Play in it, but that screenshot does not show that - instead the game does not run and you get that Exit Code null error.Do you know what change made that difference?

This message appears when I press Play button in Launcher.Mentioned all exe files in Ransomware exceptions.
Removed Read Only flags from folders.
Nothing helped.

 

[AndrewT]

So they were Read Only, is that right? If so that was definitely the, or at least a, problem.

Is there still an issue, are you still getting that Permission Denied error in error.log?

 

[Chehov]

Please see Properties on screen shot attached. This Read Only status is always. I can't unflag it.
EU is successfully running via eu.exe
Not working to start EU from Launcher.

 

[AndrewT]

Can you rename that folder to anything else? If so, the game can then make a new one with normal access.

 

[Chehov]

Can you rename that folder to anything else? If so, the game can then make a new one with normal access.

Yes. I renamed this forder. And than back.
Also I completely reinstalled the game.
Nothing helped.

 

[AndrewT]

Does that folder still have a Read Only flag?

Try making a new Windows user on this machine and log into it with that - do you get the same problem?