Game not launching on Windows 11

[parski]

The game will not launch on Windows 11. It briefly shows as Playing in Steam but nothing happens. Clean install, no mods. I set my refresh rate to 60 in the Windows settings before launching but it makes no difference. I tried launching the executable via a terminal but I get no additional output. I tried the 4GB patch thing but it didn't help. I tried installing the HD mod that came out recently but it still won't launch.

[parski]

Originally posted by Zonk:

Originally posted by parski:

What runtime things do I need to install? I'm used to Steam installing things like that for me.

https://steamdb.info/app/254700/depots/
https://steamdb.info/depot/228983/
https://steamdb.info/depot/228990/

located at ..\SteamApps\common\Steamworks Shared\_CommonRedist

Did you already used the Integrity Check Feature?
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/0C48-FCBD-DA71-93EB

if i read the log correctly, which may be horrible wrong, your game.exe is set to Win8 compatibillity mode - make sure this aint the case.

You could also give it a try to run the game from another location. Some Games are hating to be under C:\
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/4BD4-4528-6B2E-8327


Edit: Instead of Event Viewer - how about the "Reliability Monitor" something Interesting to share with us?

I checked all the redists and they are present. I didn't check the hashes but the file size checks out.

I tried uninstalling the game but noticed that it doesn't remove things I expect it to such as the Resident Evil 4 directory

./steamapps/common/Resident Evil 4

and the directories in there. I tried removing them manually, reinstalling the game and doing an integrity check right away. It does it's thing and doesn't report any problems.

If I try to launch the game now I get "Steam must be running to play this game". I've searched around and found that people solve it by running Steam as an administrator. I really don't want to do that but just in case I tried it and it still doesn't work. I get the same problem as before where it will just instantly crash.

I also noticed the Windows 8 compatibility mode indication in the Event Viewer log but it can't be right. No compatibility mode is engaged when I check the properties of bio4.exe.

Reliability monitor gives me this:

Source
Resident Evil 4 / Biohazard 4

Summary
Stopped working

Date
‎2022-‎02-‎08 11:25

Status
Not reported

Description
Faulting Application Path:	C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Resident Evil 4\Bin32\bio4.exe

Problem signature
Problem Event Name:	BEX
Application Name:	bio4.exe
Application Version:	1.0.0.0
Application Timestamp:	5a6192e5
Fault Module Name:	bio4.exe
Fault Module Version:	1.0.0.0
Fault Module Timestamp:	5a6192e5
Exception Offset:	0066c901
Exception Code:	c0000417
Exception Data:	00000000
OS Version:	10.0.22000.2.0.0.256.48
Locale ID:	1033
Additional Information 1:	589c
Additional Information 2:	589cfb215f9295148012d6825ac29506
Additional Information 3:	cbf1
Additional Information 4:	cbf122e35597412c5adece6e8d7e1bc0

Files that help describe the problem
WERInternalMetadata.xml

However, I can't find any file named WERInternalMetadata.xml.

I'll try installing a second hard drive and install the game at that location in case it's the drive letter.

[parski]

Originally posted by ThirteenAG:

Make sure your documents folder path contains only english characters. RE4 will not launch if that path has non-english letters.

This is interesting. My copy of Windows is a key purchased off of a key sales type website because I had lost my store bought copy when moving.

I thought I had disabled OneDrive completely but if I right click my Documents folder in the left pane of Explorer I get:

"C:\Users\parski\OneDrive\المستندات"

I think I've been sold an Arabic Windows license or something.

I have since found my retail copy of Windows 10 so I guess I'll reinstall Windows 10 with that license and then upgrade to Windows 11 again. ♥♥♥♥ I hate OneDrive. This could also explain the save problems I've had in Grand Theft Auto IV.

[Zonk]

Originally posted by parski:

However, I can't find any file named WERInternalMetadata.xml.

It should be located in "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp" while ProgramData may be a hidden folder.

in regards to onedrive -> https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/turn-off-disable-or-uninstall-onedrive-f32a17ce-3336-40fe-9c38-6efb09f944b0

Originally posted by parski:

running Steam as an administrator. I really don't want to do that

Why? Its kinda necessary nowadaysto run steam and the Game itself with Admin Privilegs.

Todays "Admin Privilegs" aren't the same as in Win95, 98 or NT. To get those equivalent rights you would have to dig deeper in the OS-Settings (mostly via shell/cmd).
However, the Games .exe need to run as Admin too to have writing rights under C:\

[parski]

Originally posted by Zonk:

in regards to onedrive -> https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/turn-off-disable-or-uninstall-onedrive-f32a17ce-3336-40fe-9c38-6efb09f944b0

You're not gonna believe this.

I had already unlinked OneDrive and nuked everything about it to hell. Or so I thought. There was the weird thing about how my This PC -> Documents link pointed to that arabic text directory.

Turns out there's a registry tree under:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

This is a collection of environment variables (I guess?) that resolves to certain directories, including what I would refer to as My Documents on older versions of Windows. Of course, Microsoft introduced the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ known as OneDrive some time ago and it becomes more and more integrated with Windows for each iteration.

In Windows 11 the environmental variables to resolve the user's Documents directory (what on a Unix system would be something akin of ~/documents) actually points to a local OneDrive directory, even if you unlink and uninstall it to oblivion. It still keeps a local OneDrive user documents directory on top of the one available under your user directory.

This is absolutely crazy to me, but replacing every occurrence of:

C:\Users\parski\OneDrive\المستندات

With:

C:\Users\parski\Documents

Actually solves the problem. Game launched on first try, no restart or administrator privileges required.

♥♥♥♥ this broken piece of ♥♥♥♥ operating system.

Thank you all for your help. This was driving me insane. Hopefully this solves my issues with Grand Theft Auto IV as well. I ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ bet it does.

[Zonk]

Nice - Have Fun and thanks for the Feedback!

[ThirteenAG]

Originally posted by parski:

This is absolutely crazy to me, but replacing every occurrence of:

C:\Users\parski\OneDrive\المستندات

With:

C:\Users\parski\Documents

Actually solves the problem. Game launched on first try, no restart or administrator privileges required.

♥♥♥♥ this broken piece of ♥♥♥♥ operating system.

Thank you all for your help. This was driving me insane. Hopefully this solves my issues with Grand Theft Auto IV as well. I ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ bet it does.

It has nothing to do with the operating system, it's the game's fault. They use WINAPI's that work only with english paths.

[parski]

Originally posted by ThirteenAG:

It has nothing to do with the operating system, it's the game's fault. They use WINAPI's that work only with english paths.

I was begrudging the fact that the operating system resolves the user document directory to a remnant of a disabled and uninstalled opt-out cloud integration.

[Bosz]

Originally posted by Error 52:

Try installing this https://nipkownix.github.io/re4_tweaks/

thank you so much... this fix work for me.

100% working

[MoemenSuper]

Did anyone find a solution?

[parski]

Originally posted by MoemenSuper:

Did anyone find a solution?

I did.

[Koiya]

I think I have the same issue just like you, Could you please reach out to me and help me ? I dont know how to proceed with mine..

[Zonk]

read the thread its written in here

[nao]

Originally posted by parski:

Originally posted by MoemenSuper:

Did anyone find a solution?

I did.

can you help me?

[parski]

Originally posted by nao:

Originally posted by parski:

I did.

can you help me?

Sorry, no. Just read what I wrote and edit your Windows registry.

[天音Alpha]

Are your User files in Onedrive folder?
If so, unbind those folders from Onedrive first since Onedrive protects those folders and files inside from reading or editing by other apps(My own situation, figured it out since Dying Light's Fatal Error dialog Windows briefly explained what happened)
(don't blame me if my grammar broken