EU4 Won't start beyond the launcher anymore

[The Underestimated]

Hi guys!

I've had a small pause from this game and now it doesn't work anymore.. It always worked perfectly. I can open the launcher but after i click starting the game it won't open a window. I can hear the music, but it just keeps showing my desktop, or whatever window was open.

I tried to validate the files, reinstall it multiple times. nothing really big changed since my last session. the only difference may be a new bigger screen, but that can't be the problem i think?

apparently I am the onlyone with this problem, I cant find any forum posts. So it looks like it aint a patch bug or anything.

Please help!

Rolf

[jamie]

try going to your task manager and ending the program and then try doing it again sometimes an error happens due to you changing the settings or maybe you should find the settings.txt and delete it and restart the game.

[lukas]

I'd try the following:

Delete your personal EU4 directory (see step 3a below).

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
1) delete the game's local content in Steam (i.e. deinstall the game)
2) exit Steam
3a) delete your personal EU4 directory -- its path depends on the OS:
(Note: You might want to make a backup of the local savegames 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) delete your EU4 Steam directory -- 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

If it still doesn't work after a clean reinstall and you use Windows...
— Evolve (a VPN program) and MSI Gaming App are known to cause problems. Deactive them when you want to play the game if the are installed on your computer.
— There might be something wrong with your C++ redistributables.
— There might be something wrong with your DirectX stuff.
But there are probably even more possibilites...

Regarding a possible problem with the C++ redistributables this might help:

Originally posted by Fedaykin:

Install Adobe Reader DC from the www.adobe.com

If it is already installed, Uninstall it, reboot. Reinstall, Reboot. Start Paradox game. This repairs some issues between C++ libraries and Windows. No idea why, but this works for myself and some others. My launcher for any Paradox game would not launch until I did this odd solution.

Please post back if this solution works for you.

Recently there have been problems with Nvidia drivers too.

edit: Regarding the Nvidia drivers...

Originally posted by Mr.MasonX:

Is not working - 375.95, btw paradox supp told me that they have more people with problems with running their games on this driver
375.63 is working

[The Underestimated]

Originally posted by jamie:

try going to your task manager and ending the program and then try doing it again sometimes an error happens due to you changing the settings or maybe you should find the settings.txt and delete it and restart the game.

I've been trying it like a 1000 times haha. but couldn't find the settings.txt file? anyhow i've been trying te second post.

Originally posted by lukas:

I'd try the following:

Delete your personal EU4 directory (see step 3a below).

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
1) delete the game's local content in Steam (i.e. deinstall the game)
2) exit Steam
3a) delete your personal EU4 directory -- its path depends on the OS:
(Note: You might want to make a backup of the local savegames 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) delete your EU4 Steam directory -- 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

If it still doesn't work after a clean reinstall and you use Windows...
— Evolve (a VPN program) and MSI Gaming App are known to cause problems. Deactive them when you want to play the game if the are installed on your computer.
— There might be something wrong with your C++ redistributables.
— There might be something wrong with your DirectX stuff.
But there are probably even more possibilites...

Regarding a possible problem with the C++ redistributables this might help:

Originally posted by Fedaykin:

Install Adobe Reader DC from the www.adobe.com

If it is already installed, Uninstall it, reboot. Reinstall, Reboot. Start Paradox game. This repairs some issues between C++ libraries and Windows. No idea why, but this works for myself and some others. My launcher for any Paradox game would not launch until I did this odd solution.

Please post back if this solution works for you.

Recently there have been problems with Nvidia drivers too.

edit: Regarding the Nvidia drivers...

Originally posted by Mr.MasonX:

Is not working - 375.95, btw paradox supp told me that they have more people with problems with running their games on this driver
375.63 is working

Thank you! I'm doing it right now! deleted al the files and reinstalling it (again) hopefully this works. haven't tried anything with the mods before, so that could be a thing. if it doesn't work my drivers are up next.

[lukas]

Originally posted by The Underestimated:

[...]but couldn't find the settings.txt file?[...]

It's in your personal EU4 directory. But since you deleted the whole directory you took care of possible problems with that file too. (It's recreated by the game the next time it starts successfully.) Admittedly it's a more brutal method, but it eleminates other possible issues (like mod related ones) too.

If a clean reinstall doesn't fix your issue there's probably something wrong with your C++ redistributables or/and your Nvidia drivers (in case you indeed use a Nvidia graphics card).

It might be something else though. However, my post should pretty much cover all the most common issues (at least on Windows computers).

If nothing works, just report back... maybe someone else has another suggestion. :)

[The Underestimated]

Originally posted by lukas:

Originally posted by The Underestimated:

[...]but couldn't find the settings.txt file?[...]

It's in your personal EU4 directory. But since you deleted the whole directory you took care of possible problems with that file too. (It's recreated by the game the next time it starts successfully.) Admittedly it's a more brutal method, but it eleminates other possible issues (like mod related ones) too.

If a clean reinstall doesn't fix your issue there's probably something wrong with your C++ redistributables or/and your Nvidia drivers (in case you indeed use a Nvidia graphics card).

It might be something else though. However, my post should pretty much cover all the most common issues (at least on Windows computers).

If nothing works, just report back... maybe someone else has another suggestion. :)

Thanks for the help! it works again :)

[lukas]

Great! Have fun with the game... :)

[Ninjababin09]

I had this issue, I tried everything. Eventually what worked was deleting the entire Europa Universalis IV folder from my documents folder. I didnt bother trying to migrate my saves or settings but im sure you can find a way to do that if its important to you. As soon as i deleted the folder and restarted the game, it launched no problem.

[Marquoz]

You answered 8 years after the question. Why necro something so old?

[Omegashfdaboys]

i wouldnt recommend playing this game anyways its pretty bad

[Marquoz]

And I say it's the best game ever released, in any genre.