Freeze & Crash on the Main Menu

[TomaSong]

Didn't play for a while, and found this problem occured EVERYTIME after 1.35 update.
Every time when I trying to enter the game via launcher, the loading process works really well, but game freeze at the main menu initially.
In the video I shared in this thread, I tried to force close the game in Windowed mode and then cancel the force close process, the game gonna be fixed and works well.
But if I choose the fullscreen or borderless mode, there's no way to fix and countinue.

I searched online and found some similar issues with solutions like "re-install the game", "delete the whole EU4 folder in Documents", or "delete the 'disabled_alert' in settings.txt", but none of them works.

Is there anyone can help me fix it?
Thank you very much.

 

[AndrewT]

Please do a full **clean** re-install:

- move any valued save games elsewhere
- "uninstall" in Steam-EU4
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/EU4 AND Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4 folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- add EU4.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.
- start the game with no mods active and test

In particular make sure there are no files or folders left under either the Steam EU4 or Documents EU4 locations, before installing again.


IF that doesn't help:
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.

Please attach here your Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , error.log .

 

[TomaSong]

Please do a full **clean** re-install:

- move any valued save games elsewhere
- "uninstall" in Steam-EU4
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/EU4 AND Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4 folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- add EU4.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.
- start the game with no mods active and test

In particular make sure there are no files or folders left under either the Steam EU4 or Documents EU4 locations, before installing again.


IF that doesn't help:
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.

Please attach here your Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , error.log .

I tried all the steps, sadly the problem still occured.
Here are the files you asked under attachment, kindly please check them, thx.

 

[AndrewT]

I think your Windows is out of date. Run the Updater app, does it find anything to do? If so apply that and reboot.

Then update that nVidia driver to May 2023 https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us

If those don't help, Right click on eu4.exe , properties, compatibility. Tick "disable fullScreen optimisations" untick every other box in that dialog, Apply and exit.

Edit that settings.txt as follows:

refreshRate=60
fullScreen=yes
borderless=no

vsync=no

Then in the launcher Game Settings menu, select fullScreen display mode.

Does that help?

 

[TomaSong]

Actually the game works fine in my office.
Except for the network difference, the only change in either hardware or software is I connect my laptop to a 1080p monitor instead of 4k monitor at home, which both of them are connect through a same USB type-c to HDMI cable.

Second try back to home:
Driver updated, eu4.exe set, settings.txt set, problem still occured.
In the first time launch after setting those steps, the attached failure notification pop-up, but not for the later launches.
And an interesting fact is, I tried to launch directly by eu4.exe without paradox launcher, it works but no paradox nor steam online service logged.
I tried to log in paradox account through the main menu, it's frozen.
Nevermind, this eu4.exe launch way not working now.

So, maybe the account service or the network issue is the problem?

 

[AndrewT]

maybe the account service or the network issue is the problem?

I take it you mean at your home end, as of course our end is the same from both your locations.
Hard to see how that could cause your various symptoms, but not impossible I suppose.

What if you make a new Windows user on the problem machine and log into it with that? Same problem?

 

[TomaSong]

I take it you mean at your home end, as of course our end is the same from both your locations.
Hard to see how that could cause your various symptoms, but not impossible I suppose.

What if you make a new Windows user on the problem machine and log into it with that? Same problem?

Thx for the advice, I did try with a newly generated account but problem still happens.
And I've tested with many different conditions for a while, it looks like the problem may due to the firewall rules of my router:

When I connected to the router's network whether by LAN or WLAN, account unable login, freeze on the main menu.
After I changed the router, works.
But this login failure issue only occured inside the game, the login process in paradox launcher doesn't have such problem, is there any difference?

So, is there any special network rules you can provide, that I can add to the firewall rule to make the paradox account logging bypass the firewall?
And I do have another question, I also have VIC3 on my laptop, VIC3 don't have any problem even under the condition EU4 unable to play

Hope you can answer my questions, thank you very much.

 

[AndrewT]

But this login failure issue only occured inside the game, the login process in paradox launcher doesn't have such problem, is there any difference?

One comes from Paradox Launcher.exe , the other eu4.exe . Both ought to be exempted in your firewalls.

Exactly how to do that, you'd need to check with your firewall vendor.

Good luck!