Regarding Tech issues and common fixes

[Laladen]

3/21/2022 I have begun work on a new draft for this thread with updates and additions for the current problems. To submit workarounds, fixes and troubleshooting or even entire sections if you are so inclined, please feel free to send them to: [e-mail], and I will review the data and add it in if it is useful.

I have been reading a lot of the issues and it seems the procedure listed below for a “Clean Install” will help with several of the Windows issues. Please try this procedure.

I’ll be able to dedicate more time to collecting fixes for the new issues tonight.

Tonypa offered this fix for Windows 10 launcher issues:

I managed to fix the problem with 1.29 update under Win 10 by going into folder
Steam\SteamApps\common\Europa Universalis IV

and right clicking dowser.exe there >> compatibility >> run this program for compatibility mode for Windows 8 >> Disable fullscreen optimizations >> Run this program as an administrator >> Apply

Linux Users - LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libc.so.6 %command%

Will get your New Launcher working...


This thread is meant to address issues that cause the game to not operate. Launch issues or crash to desktop issues.

There are a lot of things here, please try them all! This guide is aimed at issues that are causing your game to not function at all or are causing your game to crash. Not gameplay issues such as Aggressive Expansion not functioning correctly.

Also if something works for you, please reply back to this thread stating what worked.

Many of the links in this troubleshooting guide will link directly to the Paradox EU4 forums or Paradox tech support forums. To access that forum you need a Paradoxplaza account[accounts.paradoxplaza.com] that's linked[forum.paradoxplaza.com] with your Steam account.

File locations for various OS’s

Many of these locations will be referenced throughout this guide. I will link to a rather excellent guide on the PDX forums rather than make this guide any longer. File Locations[forum.paradoxplaza.com]

Before we start with OS specific instructions, please remove all mods and attempt to restart the game. If you wish you can turn off the mods for this step. Make sure to turn off ALL mods however. Do not assume that because a mod is updated for a particular patch that it is working correctly. This removes one of the most common issues immediately and can shorten the troubleshooting time immensely!
Mods are found in these locations:

Windows- C:\Users\USER\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Europa Universalis IV\mod
MacOS - /Users/USER/Documents/Paradox Interactive/Europa Universalis IV/mod
Linux- (You must show hidden files to see the .local folder) /home/USER/.local/share/Paradox\ Interactive/Europa\ Universalis\ IV/

If the game still does not work after deleting mods or you are not using mods.

Please try a clean install using the directions below.

Manually delete the personal EU4 directory (see step 3a below) and afterwards verify the game in Steam.

If that doesn't fix the problem try a clean reinstall, i.e. all of the following and in that order:
0) unsubscribe from all mods (Favorite them first so they are easy to find and re-subscribe afterwards)
1) delete the game's local content in Steam (i.e. uninstall the game)
2) exit Steam
3a) manually delete your personal EU4 directory---its path depends on the OS:
(Note: You might want to make a backup of the local save games in there before doing that!)
- [Windows] \Users\<username>\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Europa Universalis IV\
- [macOS] /Users/<username>/Documents/Paradox Interactive/Europa Universalis IV/
- [GNU/Linux] /home/<username>/.local/share/Paradox\ Interactive/Europa\ Universalis\ IV/
3b) manually delete your EU4 Steam directory (if it still exists...)---its path depends on the OS:
- [Windows 64bit] C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steamapps\Common\Europa Universalis IV\
- [Windows 32bit] C:\Program Files\Steam\Steamapps\Common\Europa Universalis IV\
- [macOS] /Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/Europa Universalis IV/ (hidden on macOS 10.7+; this[www.macworld.com] might be helpful)
- [GNU/Linux] /home/<username>/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Europa\ Universalis\ IV/
4) restart Steam
5) reinstall the game
6) verify the game


**File Locations on Mac OS X**
The executable and DLC folder are in Users/USER/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/Europa Universalis IV/
On OS X 10.8.x and later, Apple have hidden the /Users/USER/Library/ folder. To see it go to the Finder, hit command-shift-G (ie Go To) and type in ~/Library/. The user files (settings.txt, error logs, saved games, gfx, mods) are in /Users/USER/Documents/Paradox Interactive/Europa Universalis IV/ ."


Windows OS

The latest Windows 10 update (Version 1803) is apparently causing the game to not be able to run in Fullscreen in some instances--the temporary fix is to click on the gear on the launcher and change the Fullscreen option to Windowed or Windowed(fullscreen). This is a temporary fix only (hopefully).

Tonypa has made me aware of an additional, perhaps more permanent fix for the fullscreen problem:

Originally posted by tonypa:

It is the problem with Win10 new extremely buggy feature called "Fullscreen optimization". You can try to disable it (right click the game exe >> compatibility >> disable fullscreen optimizations) or wait Microsoft to fix it or wait for game developers update their games. Or play in Windowed mode.

If your DLC are not showing up, restart your PC. Not just Steam. Source[forum.paradoxplaza.com]
If this does not work, please try to delete the dlc_signature file in Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4.

Windows Creators Edition is causing a stuttering issue in multiple Paradox games. Roll back Windows update (KB4015217) to fix this issue until Windows can patch their OS. Lots of good info about this here[forum.paradoxplaza.com] This bug is not with Paradox, but Microsoft.

As of Mandate of Heaven / 1.20, Windows Vista as an operating system on Paradox games will no longer work. Even if the game worked previously, it will not work now. Source[forum.paradoxplaza.com] System Requirements[www.paradoxplaza.com]

Some have reported that Nvidia drivers from November & December (2016) are causing some issues. Roll your drivers back a few versions to October drivers or (preferably) update them to drivers from 2017 and try that. Source[forum.paradoxplaza.com] Update 5-20-2018: Older Nvidia drivers are still causing some issues, please keep your drivers updated at http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us

Sometimes disabling Nvidia 3D Vision can help the launcher / pressing play issues. Source[forum.paradoxplaza.com]

The program that installs with Razor Mouse drivers can block EU4 from launching properly. Open your task manager in Windows and check your running processes. Your looking for "rzstatsmanager". If you have this, goto Add/Remove programs and remove this Razor program. Make sure to not remove the driver. Source[forum.paradoxplaza.com]

Evolve, MSI Gaming App, and RadeonPro are known to cause problems. Deactivate them when you want to play the game if the are installed on your computer. Some have reported that Evolve can work with EU4 by turning off Evolve’s overlay. If this does not work for you try turning off Evolve completely.

Please check your Anti-Virus program to make sure your chosen AV program is not blocking EU4.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus specifically gets a false positive on the EU4.exe. If your game suddenly closes without any warning and won't launch, you need to add an exception in the AV exception list for the EU4 folder and then verify the game cache for steam to re-download the exe file.
Issues have also been found concerning AVAST Antivirus. Source


Do you have any other Paradox games? Try and start one of those. If you experience the same issue, it's likely your C++ libraries. For these you can try reinstalling the libraries:

Uninstalling Visual C++ is done just like any other program on your system. The different versions and components will be listed in Programs and Features (or Add or Remove Programs for Windows XP). To uninstall Microsoft Visual C++:

Open Programs and Features from the Windows Control Panel (or Add or Remove Programs for Windows XP). An easy way to bring this up on non-Windows XP systems is to type "programs and features" in the search field at the bottom of the Start menu.

Uninstall everything that starts with "Microsoft Visual C++."

Download and install all of the following (Download one at a time):

Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 SP1 Redistributable (x86)[www.microsoft.com]
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 SP1 Redistributable (x64)[www.microsoft.com]
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable (x86)[www.microsoft.com]
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable (x64)[www.microsoft.com]
Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 SP1 Redistributable (x86)[www.microsoft.com]
Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 SP1 Redistributable (x64)[www.microsoft.com]
Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Update 4 Redistributable (x86 and x64)[www.microsoft.com]
Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable (x86 and x64)[www.microsoft.com]
Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable (x86 and x64)[www.microsoft.com]

Please note that only the x86 versions will work on 32-bit systems and you should install both the x86 and x64 versions on 64-bit systems. The file names for each download are the same, so be sure to not overwrite a prior one before installing it. Download one, install it, then download the next, install it, etc.

Get rid of the 'installscript.vdf' file in your 'Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\Europa Universalis IV' folder.

Then goto the following locations on your PC and re-install these:

Please go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Europa Universalis IV\_CommonRedist\DirectX\Jun2010\ and run dxsetup.exe

Please go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Europa Universalis IV\_CommonRedistvcredist\2010\ and run vcredist.exe and vcredist_x64.exe

Please go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Europa Universalis IV\DotNet\4.0 Client Profile\ and run dotNetFx40_Client_x86_x64.exe

Mac OS

New 1.21 Mac CTD Bug:
Playing as a country with Tributaries. Anytime you are playing with Tributaries and are crashing on a certain date, change the tribute type to Ducats and the game will progress. Source[forum.paradoxplaza.com]

New 1.21 CTD Bug:
into localisation/mandate_of_heaven_l_english.yml and had a look at all the text for shinto incidents.

If you look for YWokou there's a special character on either side, §
Remove this character from everything you want to not crash. Source+More info[forum.paradoxplaza.com]

On Mac's there is a nasty bug with Screen Resolution. Try deleting or renaming settings.txt. It's possible that your Mac's desktop resolution is not one of the supported ones for this game.
Look into documents/paradox/eu4/logs/system.log . At the end of that file is a list of supported resolutions, they should all work OK in full screen. Source[forum.paradoxplaza.com]

If a Tributary is set to pay monarch point as tribute and loses enough provinces to make them go below the monarch point threshold, the game crashes when they try to pay. This is causing a crash to desktop. To proceed past this, set your Tributaries to send you money rather than Monarch points. Paradox is aware of this bug. Source[forum.paradoxplaza.com]


CTD Issues---Possible fix

"The crash is in the graphics area, and may be related to the Intel video system you have, which is unsupported for this game.

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/EU4 folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- 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.


**File Locations on Mac OS X**
The executable and DLC folder are in Users/USER/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/Europa Universalis IV/
On OS X 10.8.x and later, Apple have hidden the /Users/USER/Library/ folder. To see it go to the Finder, hit command-shift-G (ie Go To) and type in ~/Library/. The user files (settings.txt, error logs, saved games, gfx, mods) are in /Users/USER/Documents/Paradox Interactive/Europa Universalis IV/ ."


Linux OS

On Linux there is currently a bug that is resetting your screen resolution. See this thread for the fix until PDX patches it. Source[forum.paradoxplaza.com]


IF NONE OF THESE FIXES WORK:


Please create a thread on the Paradox EU4 technical support forums: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?forums/euiv-technical-support.812/

Please do the following first however:

Before doing anything else check out this thread[forum.paradoxplaza.com] and the Known Issues and Solutions thread[forum.paradoxplaza.com] for common problems.

Then search their forum to see if anyone already reported the issue (and maybe got a solution as well). Do this by clicking "Search Forum" in the top right of your screen and search for your error message or description of the problem (see point 2).
But do not hijack someone else's thread unless you are 100% sure your problem is identical to theirs! If in doubt always start you own fresh thread with full problem and system details.

Use proper naming of your thread! A thread name should provide a brief description of the issue. If you can fit your platform and/or an error message in there it's even better.

• Example of bad thread name: "HELP PLEASE!"
  
• Example of a good thread name: "[Windows 7] Freeze on initializing map logic"​

Provide proper information on what you were doing when the problem occurred. Quote any error messages you receive, attach crash logs and provide a screenshot if possible. Anything you can to explain what exactly is the problem.

Provide a specification of your system. See the bottom of this post[forum.paradoxplaza.com] how to obtain a dxdiag log (assuming your on Windows)

Provide the logs associated with the particular issue you are having found in "...\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Europa Universalis IV\logs\"

EDIT: Updated some verbiage.
Vista was never officially supported, although it did work until 1.20. Now guide states that Vista just does not work instead of implying that it was at one point supported.
Also added verbiage concerning Anti-virus programs in general.
Added instructions prompting the user that they may have to create a Paradox forum account and link it to their Steam account to be able to access some of the links in this guide and to create a support ticket.
Completely reorganized and rewrote a few sections.
Thank you to Lukas for these updates. (FYI Lukas wrote at least half of this over the last year. This is just a gathering of posts we have made for troubleshooting various issues put into one file) Lukas is the straw that stirs the drink!

[Laladen]

Also if anyone has anything I can add to this or change let me know. I am focusing on bugs & issues that keep a person from playing. Not game play bugs. (I may make a separate post for those)

<Reserved for future expansion!>

[mischa.zehnbauer]

:yes: it would be good if a mod turns that into a sticky thread.

[mischa.zehnbauer]

I guess the problem is that mods aren't going to turn it into a sticky thread without someone from paradox tech support checking the content. Has anyone contacts to the official forum?

[Laladen]

Sticky!!!

[mischa.zehnbauer]

Cool :)

Let's hope people are actually reading it instead of simply rephrasing the same old problems over and over again ^^

[(Sheep)TacoTuesday]

hey um i have a question u see do you have a video guide or something because im not that great with computers im sorry for bugging you also i feel like i was not specific enough as well you see whenever i try to start up the game it randomly stops and says im missing C:program files (x86)Steam/steamapps/downloading/236850/eu4.exe and that its a disk write error im not sure if this guide covers it and if it did im sorry for wasting your time but i honestly m terrible with computers and i need a little bit more help again im very sorry for bugging you again i feel like a bother to you

[Kerwyn Caine]

i have found a bug... a year ago... that was the reason because i stopped playing this game, because it destroyed my savegame... hoped you fixed that, but you didnt.... i admit i am a bit fed off now ^^
Here is it:
First to say, i am using the patchversion 1.5.1 and after you changed the gamefiles it doesnt work anymore correctly/changed the gameplay (like it always did).
But at the moment i can't convert provinces correctly and this took me some very important ressources.
The accumulated boni for converting are not correct. F.e. i should have a bonus of +9.1 but get only 7.6... this takes me about 13+ ingameyears to convert this country, though it would take only about max 1 or 2 with the correct bonus...

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197968140939/screenshot/159157772987544004

my problem is, that i payed for stability when i chose at an special event the modifier "engstirngikeit angestiegen" instead of the other option to gain the convert bonusses, but this decision costed me many points to rebalance my country-stability... and so i was really mad about this last year, because you keep patching this game and even with not activating the new patches it changes the gameplay...
i mean this game was working years ago and i use my savegames over years, but you keep putting new buyable stuff into it but SEEM to ignore that people still want to use their old versions... sometimes its entertainig to see changed ingamemechanics and sometimes and it was even nice... but this bug has not been cut out for 1.5 years now and i really would like to play the game again, that i bought years ago, and also my savegame, into which i invested about 1000+ hours of my personal time...

So it would be great if you guys could fix this, thx for your time ;-)

Edit: well, sry i just realise, that i can't find my notes about the bonuses i sticked together 1.5 years ago. Maybe i am completely wrong, but i see that you can't understand what i meant by just watching the screenshot above...
Would be really nice if you check this above... i ll go looking for my old screenshots, that show the real value of 9.1, that this savegame had with the old enginefiles...

Edit Nr.2: sry... i can't find my old screenshots. i have even no idea, why i had a value of +9.1 about 1.5 years in my mind and raging about this gamemechanicschange... but i am 100000% sure, that i had not about 13 ingameyears of converting time with the "engstirnigkeit angestiegen"-modifier. it was about 2 ingameyears and i am still fed off, that this does not work, because it was a gamechange that came with a patch you did there years ago and i really thought it would be fixed soon xD..... So it would be great if you could help me out or tell me at least, where i am wrong, because this rage made me 1.5 years ago stopping to play the game immediately and not touching it for this whole period of time.... (though i tried it again last year ^^)
would be really thankful if you guys could respond, thx ;-)

[lukas]

Originally posted by Kerwyn Caine:

i have found a bug... a year ago... that was the reason because i stopped playing this game, because it destroyed my savegame... hoped you fixed that, but you didnt.... i admit i am a bit fed off now ^^

Did you report that bug on Paradoxplaza? If so please post the link to that thread, if not (and assuming it's still a problem in version 1.20) please report it on Paradoxplaza (Paradox' official forum).

[RasconzatheDoog]

I'm trying to update it to the current version (I was playing on an older version for mods) and it says that the files are locked and so I can't use the game at all, how do I fix this?

[Laladen]

Might be a dumb question on my part, but did you opt out of Beta programs in the properties for EU4?

[Seba bez Chleba]

I try this solution but it's don't help me. My game just don't CREATE a folder in documents after reinstall! If i create only folder by my own the game starts but witohout any DLC. Can somone help me?

[DarkChorus]

Video resolution of 1366 x 768 does not seem sufficient. Europa Universalis III complains about improper resolution and Europa Universalis IV simply crashes.

[gekkenhuisje]

I know you were trying to help with my current problem, and I've decided to move it here: Legacy Hardware Detected. I don't get it. Not working, and this guide doesn't deal with this problem either.

[Laladen]

Originally posted by Rex de Pontum:

I know you were trying to help with my current problem, and I've decided to move it here: Legacy Hardware Detected. I don't get it. Not working, and this guide doesn't deal with this problem either.

Yes it does. The bottom of the guide is a very specific walk-through on how to request assistance from Paradox Technical Support on their website.

[DarkChorus]

Reminder: To use the links posted by the original poster, you will need an account on their website.

Otherwise you get the dreaded "Paradox Interactive Forums - Error - You must be logged in to do that" webpage.