Startup slow/hanging/freezing

[JK4t7]

Hello,

Tried almost everything suggested in the forums and I can't seem to find my way out of this application stall.

Firewall outbound/inbound rules, reinstall to C: drive after fresh cleanout of all folders including users/appdata/roaming & local/programs & local/Paradox, launch as admin, and launch from steam while steam has admin rights.

I was able to find some app hanging in the system logs, maybe that helps.

Game loads up, and keeps freezing almost every other frame, but doesn't crash to desktop.

error.log is empty so didn't upload. I have updated my motherboard bios, gfx drivers to both enterprise previously and now currently on most up to date non enterprise. Also windows update is current.

attached
apphang errors in system tools > event viewer
control folder access / aka ransomware
antivirus exclusions list
inbound/outbound firewall rules

any help appreciated thanks

Yes I had the game working 2 days ago just fine with multiple saves. I have since removed cloud saves and also deleted local saves. There are no saves on the computer anymore.

 

[JK4t7]

Update

I switched off firewall, ransomware, and virus protection which got the game to work normally via launch thru steam.

I don't feel good about having these settings all switched off, some guidance would be helpful Thank you.

 

[JK4t7]

Update

turned on the two switches for real time and cloud protection after loading the game which caused it to hang while I was about to start a new game.

 

[JK4t7]

At this point while having a campaign going

I turned all the switches back on from the pictures, except cloud-delivered protection.

control folder access / aka ransomware
Firewall
real-time protection

and its not hanging/freezing. how do I setup an exception for cloud-delivered protection?

this has not been tested as launching from the start, but rather mid campaign so far.

 

[JK4t7]

Update

I swap off real-time protection and cloud-delivered protection and it only freezes every 5-10min then resumes again.

That is as far as I have gotten today, and I am going to probably just wait for the patches before I start playing again. bummer.

 

[AndrewT]

FYI this will be nothing to do with the firewall.

In the Ransomware Controlled Folder Access, Apps Allowed Through list you should add:

ck3.exe
steam.exe
C:/users/<UserName>/AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2.2020.12/paradox launcher.exe

Good luck!

 

[JK4t7]

Thanks for the response,

Only one I was missing was Steam.exe, and I have added it.

Ran the program to start instead of resume from launcher. Sadly still same slow studdering/freezing issue unless I uncheck real-time protection, and cloud-delivered protection.

Any other ideas?

 

[satoru]

Do you have some other anti-virus product on yoru system? Feels like something else is causing your stuttering

 

[JK4t7]

Nope, sadly I only use windows stuff.

If I turn off real-time protection/cloud-delivered protection, and it works then its something related to that.

 

[satoru]

Have you tried running steam as an administrator? It kinda feels like the stuttering is due to some kind of disk IO contention?

 

[JK4t7]

Yep I always have steam running as admin, ive been in pcmr for over 25 years.

 

[satoru]

It’s odd as I’m running Windows defender so I don’t see why the scans would cause that level of performance degradation

 

[JK4t7]

Funny this is easy to mix up, but I think they are separate.

real-time protection/cloud-delivered protection is a segment of Windows Defender? but they aren't the same thing.

Those are the 2 I have to uncheck.

 

[satoru]

Funny this is easy to mix up, but I think they are separate.

real-time protection/cloud-delivered protection is a segment of Windows Defender? but they aren't the same thing.

Those are the 2 I have to uncheck.

I meant it more as a 'whole package' thing. Most people only know Windows Defender so I'm just using it as a short hadn for "all the wierd security stuff MS offers for free"

 

[JK4t7]

Was hoping a patch would be released by now to fix many of the bugs like this one.

Anything on the horizon?

 

[satoru]

Was hoping a patch would be released by now to fix many of the bugs like this one.

Anything on the horizon?

If disabling MS Defender fixes the problem, then tehre's not much of a 'fix' that's fundamentally possible as the game itself is functioning as intended.

 

[JK4t7]

your saying the fix is to disable security on my computer to run a video game.

lol, how do I get a refund

 

[satoru]

your saying the fix is to disable security on my computer to run a video game.

lol, how do I get a refund

Generally speaking it means that you haven't added the appropriate exclusions in for the anti-virus

 

[JK4t7]

Do my screen shots not show proof that the exclusions are there?