Runtime Error / No My Documents Folder

[zengonzo]

So for a few weeks now I've been getting the runtime error when trying to run the application.

I've attempted to reinstall and delete all files a couple of times, but haven't had the patience to sit down and address the issue fully until now. I'm fairly frustrated as it is.

One unusual thing that I've noticed is that it doesn't seem to be creating a folder under My Documents anymore .. I have the My Documents folder in a non-default location, is the only issue I can think of, but I don't know how to look at settings or review an error log without that directory being created.

My system is fully capable of playing the game, as it has done so without issue in the past, but I'm at a loss on how to even address the issue.

 

[AndrewT]

Just to be clear: you have successfully played CK2 on this same machine before? What changed in the meantime?

I have the My Documents folder in a non-default location

Do you mean the whole MyDocuments folder, or just the CK2 part of it (via the userdir.txt file feature)? If you mean the whole folder, how did you achieve that? What if you re-create the default one?

 

[zengonzo]

I have played CK2 on this machine previously, yes.

I'm not sure what changed - I hadn't played it in a few months. Might've just been a patch.

My whole MyDocuments folder is on my D-drive, not my main C-drive. I don't know if that affects anything, but I've had it that way for quite some time.

I can certainly recreate the folder, but I don't recall what the full path might be since I've deleted it .. Is there any reason it would not be creating the folder? How do you get errors logs in the absence of such?

 

[zengonzo]

I've just tried recreating the folder structure based on how it appears on my laptop. I tried running both with the files found in my laptop's CK2 folder, and with an empty folder.

I've run the CK2 application as an administrator, and in any case it does not create any new files in the My Documents folder - neither the one I've created on my C-drive, nor the one on my D-drive.

When I run the CK2 application directly, rather than through the launcher, it does not seem to throw the Runtime Error prompt - it simply resizes my desktop briefly, before dropping back to normal.

 

[AndrewT]

My whole MyDocuments folder is on my D-drive, not my main C-drive.

But how did you do that, just move it or is that a configuration change you made in Windows somewhere?

FWIW my path (on XP) is C:\Documents and Settings\<name>\My Documents\Paradox Interactive\Crusader Kings II\

Is there any reason it would not be creating the folder? How do you get errors logs in the absence of such?

I have no idea, yours is the first case like this I've ever come across. It may be the game simply assumes MyDocuments will be where it is by default and can't cope with it being elsewhere.

While we're at it please post a dxdiag.txt (you can delete everything after the "Sound devices" section for brevity).

 

[Kallocain]

You can change where ck2 looks for your documents folder either with a parameter or by adding a file too.
1. Create a shortcut to ck2.exe and add the parameter -userdir="D:\path" where path is where you have it of course.
2.Create a file with the path, name the file userdir.txt and put it in the game directory.

 

[zengonzo]

Looks like that might have resolved it, Kallocain, thank you.

It has created all of the files in that new location.

 

[unmerged(523105)]

I have a similar issue (Win 7, Steam).

I moved the My Documents folder to my server (so it gets backed up) when I installed Win7 which works and has worked since WinXP. Recently I've turned off my server as im in the process of building a new one. Since then I get the same problem with starting the game. It seems to assume the existence of a My Documents folder but if it doesn't find one or can't open it it and crashes without asking for a location.

In my case however, both the shortcut parameter and the userdir.txt file in the games directory do not work.

Any help?