[Windows 8] "could not locate valid installation of the Paradox Launcher"

[Captain Hotdogs]

Hi, recently my computer had a pretty random crash which resulted in me having to reinstall a bunch of games, one of them was Eu4. I did a clean uninstall and reinstalled Eu4 only to be greated with this error. I attached the logs and a screenshot of the error message.
I noticed in the control panel that i have two instances of the paradox launcher v2, but i can't uninstall either of these for some reason, i tried using the the launcher installer located within the EU4 folder to try and uninstall it but that too also fails.

 

[MrIsowin]

Hi!

My friend had this same problem. We fixed it together.

You need to create a file named "launcherpath" in "C:\Users\{YOUR USERNAME}\AppData\Local\Paradox Interactive"
You can create this file with notepad and then remove the .txt extension.
Inside the launcherpath file paste the following line:

C:\Users\{YOUR USERNAME}\AppData\Local\Programs\Paradox Interactive\
​

Next up go to that folder, "C:\Users\{YOUR USERNAME}\AppData\Local\Programs\Paradox Interactive\"
There should be a valid install of the launcher there hopefully (folder along the lines of "\launcher-v2.2019.10.3.1\" which should be around 167MB).

If you dont have a valid install you will get an error message saying it cant launch the launcher.
In that case you need to get yourself a valid installation, I zipped mine and send it to my friend.
Since I'm a new poster I can't do that here so you'll have to find someone, or the internet, for this.

Hope this helps.

Edit: Of course substitute {YOUR USERNAME} for your own username if that wasn't clear.

 

[Captain Hotdogs]

Thanks for the reply,
It seems im missing the valid install of the launcher as the file is practically empty except for the launcher dowser error text file.
ill try an accquire a replacement file, but any help here would be much appreciated

 

[Captain Hotdogs]

Ive tried the instruction above and got a friend's file but apparently im missing a "bootstrapper-v2.exe" file, getting this message now. i'll post the error and the dowser log again.

 

[MrIsowin]

Get your friend to give you his "bootstrapper-v2.exe" and place it within "C:\Users\{YOUR USERNAME}\AppData\Local\Programs\Paradox Interactive\"

 

[Captain Hotdogs]

may i ask where said file is? i tried asking my friend for the file but he said he couldn't find it

 

[MrIsowin]

may i ask where said file is? i tried asking my friend for the file but he said he couldn't find it

"C:\Users\{YOUR USERNAME}\AppData\Local\Programs\Paradox Interactive\"

 

[Captain Hotdogs]

Thank you! i got a replacement and now everything is working perfectly. I really appreciate the help

 

[Raos232]

Guys, please. Can you drop ALL files from the path folder [C: \ Users \ {YOUR USER NAME} \ AppData \ Local \ Programs \ Paradox Interactive \]?
I do not have absolutely ALL files from the folder and the above error pops up. Thanks in advance !
P.S. This is my first time on this site and I don’t know if it is possible to drop files. If you can’t, can you create a Google Disk for me to download?

 

[AndrewT]

Guys, please. Can you drop ALL files from the path folder [C: \ Users \ {YOUR USER NAME} \ AppData \ Local \ Programs \ Paradox Interactive \]?
I do not have absolutely ALL files from the folder and the above error pops up. Thanks in advance !
P.S. This is my first time on this site and I don’t know if it is possible to drop files. If you can’t, can you create a Google Disk for me to download?

If your launcher does not make them, getting them from elsewhere will not fix the problem.

Please try this:

- exit the Steam app completely
- 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/

- run steam.exe as the Windows Admin user
- run EU4 from the Steam PLAY button

 

[Raos232]

OH
MY
GOD
It worked! And on HoI IV, not EU IV! Thank you very match !

 

[Regr]

If your launcher does not make them, getting them from elsewhere will not fix the problem.

Please try this:

- exit the Steam app completely
- 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/

- run steam.exe as the Windows Admin user
- run EU4 from the Steam PLAY button

Can you give full path to the "Apps and features"?

 

[AndrewT]

Can you give full path to the "Apps and features"?

In the Windows search box type in Uninstall. You'll see "Add or remove programs" appear, go into that. Type Launcher in there, any entries you now see for "Paradox launcher v2" should be removed.

 

[Iceman2807]

Next up go to that folder, "C:\Users\{YOUR USERNAME}\AppData\Local\Programs\Paradox Interactive\"
There should be a valid install of the launcher there hopefully (folder along the lines of "\launcher-v2.2019.10.3.1\" which should be around 167MB).

If you dont have a valid install you will get an error message saying it cant launch the launcher.
In that case you need to get yourself a valid installation, I zipped mine and send it to my friend.
Since I'm a new poster I can't do that here so you'll have to find someone, or the internet, for this.

Could anyone zip and send me the valid installation so i can try this as well. Thank you

 

[AndrewT]

Could anyone zip and send me the valid installation so i can try this as well. Thank you

That advice and launcher version is very old now. One of the perils of reopening an old thread!

Can you describe your problem please?

 

[PooYa Amini]

Could anyone zip and send me the valid installation so i can try this as well. Thank you

Hi , did you find it?

 

[AndrewT]

Please don't re-open old threads, I'm locking this one now.

Make a new thread and describe your problem in detail please!