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CK2 launcher crashes on launch

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Narwhal262

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Jan 30, 2018
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  • Crusader Kings II
The game has started to crash on launch. It was working fine a few days ago, but it has started to crash as soon sa the lancher is loaded. I have tried reinstalling VC from the Crusader Kngs/Redist/ folder and the microsoft website, with no results. I have also tried reinstalling the game via steam with the same result. Direct X has also been updated to the latest version.

Clearing the Documents/Paradox Interactive Folder does not help either. Any solutions?
 

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  • DxDiag.txt
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What antivirus do you use? Add ck2game.exe to its exceptions list/whitelist.

One more possibility that can cause the failure to create the Documents/Paradox Interactive/CK2/ folder, is if the Documents folder has previously been moved so the game can't find it. Is that possible?

Use Notepad to make a new text file called userdir.txt in the Steam CK2 folder where ck2game.exe is. In that file place a single dot, save and exit. This tells the game to write the user files right there instead of under Documents. If that works and the game now runs, you can replace that dot with any file path you like.
 
AndrewT said:
What antivirus do you use? Add ck2game.exe to its exceptions list/whitelist.

One more possibility that can cause the failure to create the Documents/Paradox Interactive/CK2/ folder, is if the Documents folder has previously been moved so the game can't find it. Is that possible?

Use Notepad to make a new text file called userdir.txt in the Steam CK2 folder where ck2game.exe is. In that file place a single dot, save and exit. This tells the game to write the user files right there instead of under Documents. If that works and the game now runs, you can replace that dot with any file path you like.
Click to expand...
I currently have Avast installed. I have added the entire steam directory to its exceptions list.
The documents directory has never been moved. I don't think the game is unable to find the documents folder since it creates the folders when I launch it. I have also tried creating the userdir.txt in the game directory. The launcher still doesn't start
 
Avast is one of the AV apps that is known to cause problems with this game. Please specifically add ck2game.exe to its exceptions list.
 
I've uninstalled avast and it made no difference.

However, I was able to launch the game in compatibility mode with Windows XP SP3. The game crashed when attempting to create a new game with a ruler, but after restarting and choosing one of the preset rulers, I was able to play the game.

Reinstalling Avast did not cause any issues.

I've attached the newly created system.log and settings.txt in case it helps
 

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  • system.log
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  • settings.txt
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I have the same problem. Things I tried:

- DirectX is updated (CommonRedist & web directx checker)
- vcredist 64 +86 installed
- clean new install
- updated nvidia settings
- my antivir is windowsdefender, deactivated but no difference
- compatibility modes (neither fullscreen, run admin, nor windowsXP SP3 or any other).
- changing resolution to 640x480 prompts a black screen with 640x480 resolution and immediate exit again
- The settings folder is created successfully (but also using userdir.txt did not work).
All my log-files are empty.

I do not have a setting.txt
 
Last edited:
I also have the same problem, thought it was the fact I am missing a few files, and that the game can't access some files according to my error.log.
 

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  • error.log
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Please look in Documents/paradox/ck2/gfx/flags/ folder. There should be two .txt files and 3 or more .tga files there.

If there are no .tga files there, that is the problem. An antivirus app is getting in the way of the game creating those files. Avast and AVG are the most common but there can be others.

Either you need to unload that AV app then run the game so it can make those files, or we have to make them separately. Sometimes users have installed the game on some other computer, let it make those files, and copy them across.
 
The folder is indeed empty. I copied all files from a working linux-version (same computer) to this folder. This did not change anything.

Not that the log-files were emptied by starting the windows version. As stated before I only have windows defender and even deactivating this, did not chnage anything.
 
One more possibility that can cause the failure to create the Documents/Paradox Interactive/CK2/ folder, is if the Documents folder has previously been moved so the game can't find it. Is that possible?

Use Notepad to make a new text file called userdir.txt in the Steam CK2 folder where ck2game.exe is. In that file place a single dot, save and exit. This tells the game to write the user files right there instead of under Documents. If that works and the game now runs, you can replace that dot with any file path you like.
 
Hi! Thanks for your help.

As I wrote in an earlier post, I tried this and it did not work. I also tried copying the files into a userdir created folder which also did not work.


Compilations of things that did not work:
- DirectX is updated (CommonRedist & web directx checker)
- vcredist 64 +86 installed
- clean new install
- updated nvidia driver
- my antivir is windowsdefender, deactivated but no difference
- compatibility modes (neither fullscreen, run admin, nor windowsXP SP3 or any other).
- changing resolution to 640x480 prompts a black screen with 640x480 resolution and immediate exit again
- The Docuemnts log folder is the only one created with empty logs
- using userdir.txt does not change the result

Same laptop under linux the game runs smoothly. But I want it under windows :)
 
if you delete the Documents/paradox/ck2/ folders does the game recreate them? If so are there .tga files in the /gfx/flags/ folder under there?
 
Exit Steam entirely and run ck2game.exe by itself. It will still fail but do you see any error or message when it does?

DXDIAG is a program you run from a command prompt or the Windows start menu 'run' dialog box (or 'search programs' in Windows 7 or later). 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.

Please attach your Documents/Paradox/CK2/settings.txt.
From your Documents/Paradox/CK2/logs/ folder, attach system.log .
 
AndrewT said:
Exit Steam entirely and run ck2game.exe by itself. It will still fail but do you see any error or message when it does?
Click to expand...
This does not change anything, no error message

AndrewT said:
DXDIAG is a program you run from a command prompt or the Windows start menu 'run' dialog box (or 'search programs' in Windows 7 or later). 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.

Please attach your Documents/Paradox/CK2/settings.txt.
From your Documents/Paradox/CK2/logs/ folder, attach system.log .
Click to expand...

There is no settings.txt and all logfiles from the logs folder are empty. Dxdiag log I attached. Thanks a lot!
 

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  • DxDiag.txt
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Nothing of concern in that dxdiag, except you've had at least one bluescreen. Are you still getting those?
ronzabor said:
There is no settings.txt and all logfiles from the logs folder are empty.
Click to expand...
Which again leads us back to antivirus or the Windows User document folder.

I take it from your icons here you do not have EU4, HOI4 or Stellaris? Or even any older PDS game? It would be useful to know if any of them worked or not, if so.
 
Bluescreens are due to windows-sleep issues. could not get it fixed (it crashes sometimes when trying to go to sleep).

I do not have any anti virus except windows defender. Not that the first stat after a clean installation not only the log folder is generated but also the gfx folder, the gfx folder includes a test.dds file. After removing the folder, this gfx-subfolder is not generated anymore.

I do not have any other game. What I tried is to install the demo of CK2 (because I read this somewhere) which gave the same result. Is there some demo I could try?
 
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