(RESOLVED) Windows 10 not loading beyond launcher

[DaWilko]

Hi guys, decided to pick up DW:U again and have run into an odd isse. It won't start. The launcher will load, but beyond there nothing. From memory a small square window of pre-loading would pop up but that dose not happen. What I have done:

re-installed all the elements from \Distant Worlds Universe\_CommonRedist
ran it in XP, Windows 7 & Windows 8 Compatabilty modes
ran above modes as admin
even changed the startup.ini to playmovie 0 even though it dose not get to the movie loading

Crew ideas?

[piccolo255]

Yeah, Win10 is an utter failure from so many angles. Days of choosing Windows because it's "good for games" are numbered :)

Did you try to run the exe directly, without going through the launcher?

Did you set the compatibility modes on the main exe or just on the launcher (maybe it doesn't transfer)?

Did you search the forum for "windows 10", maybe some of the previous fixes would work for you? From what I saw on the forum in the past, under Win10, the Windows Update sometimes removes core Windows components (e.g., Windows Media Player) that this game relies upon. Some older threads can help you if that is the issue.

You could also check out the official game forums over on Matrix Games.

[Kilerkg]

I had a similar issue on another computer, I had to install the directX package from the directory manually to fix it.

Distant Worlds Universe\_CommonRedist\DirectX\Jun2010\DXSETUP.exe, I don't know if you reinstalled that as part of the group

Also did you try to run both exe's as admin, the launcher should pass to the game but worth a shot.

[mr polomar]

I have the same / similar problem - and this is the only game out of all my steam library that won't run properly (or at all) for me on my Windows 10 station.

Went through all the threads in the forum here and elsewhere, tried the numerous suggested potential fixes, and finally gave up after wasting far too much time on it - so unfortunately I have no magic 'cure' to suggest. Had been very keen on playing DW - but, honestly, my solution has been to give up and just enjoy some other plenty great games.. and maybe think about DW again when the new game comes out.

Sorry, I know this is no help, just venting some frustration I guess.

A search in the forum will point you to lots of threads and lots of 'fixes' to try, including: launching the executable directly, running in compatibility mode, running as administrator, re/installing some or all of the redistributables (dotnet, xna, directx, etc), or editing the startup config file to disable the movie. Apparently issues along these lines have plagued DW for a long while, and prior to W10. Anyway - good luck, I hope you manage to get your game running.

[DaWilko]

ok, found the answer to this problem.

I installed a bare bones Windows 10.

Needed to go to control pannel and add in the Windows Features:
Internet Explorer 11
Wndows Media Player

Hope this helps.

This thread helps me:
http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4115108

[worfest]

I tried all the fixes but in the end what worked for me was the following.
Disableing the into movie.
Running the game directly from directory as admin.
Installing Direct X June 2010:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=8109

Greetings

[briang]

Originally posted by worfest:

Installing Direct X June 2010:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=8109

That worked for me. Thanks!

[Dabbie]

Originally posted by worfest:

I tried all the fixes but in the end what worked for me was the following.
Disableing the into movie.
Running the game directly from directory as admin.
Installing Direct X June 2010:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=8109

Greetings

Works! thanks so much.

first i got nothing, then i installed DX june 2010
click the dl link, extract it in c:/temp, then run the executable.

The distant worlds gave only a black ui, and it 'stopped responding'

Then i disapled the intro movie. Go to the distan worlds folder on disk, then find startup.ini en set movie from 1 to 0.
The run as admin from the folder and it works.

[DaWilko]

Great to see this thread keep on giving! Thanks for sharing the knowledge all.

[OskarTrek]

Same issue, but installing Microsoft XNA Framework Redistributable 4.0 worked for me! Thanks :)

[DedZedNub]

Just a comment on the last page of posts, since I'm currently researching whether or not to even try Distant Worlds Universe if it ever goes on major sale again.

All of the things mentioned on the last 10 posts are requirements of this game. I'm going to explain it a bit here, if you don't mind, so that others may understand.

By DEFAULT, Windows 10 does not include Direct X 9.0c. The problem is that ONLY DIRECTX 9.0C allows complete backward compatibility to every Direct X at 9.0 or earlier. So if a game was developed ONLY TO RUN on DIRECT X 9.0C, chances are extremely high that it will not run on DIRECT X 10 or LATER. Sure, it might. But often it won't. So, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND EVERY WINDOWS 10 USER ALWAYS INSTALL DIRECT X 9.0C, since it will co-exist with Windows 10's later Direct X installs. They will not overwrite each other, no worries, they will co-exist, and games will find the right one. If your Steam Install works, it will simply slap Direct X 9.0c into that game's directory if needed. That way, any .EXE file that runs in that directory, like the main file for Distant Worlds, will find it automatically.

Now, the same is true for Internet Explorer 11. Sure, you will use something else as your standard default browser, as you should. But some files in IE 11 were used in some games as requirements. I believe, for example, that either the multi-player or even the single-player versions of Dark Messiah require IE. So that's an example of this.

Likewise, some older games depended on using Windows Media Player. Think of it this way. The game Dev wants to play a movie from within his game, but he doesn't want to have to code a full movie viewer. So he allows his game to make a call to another piece of standard Windows software at the time to play the movie. So he makes a call to open a window of Windows Media Player to play his movie Cutscene. So you need WMP unless you hack that call, which most of us have no skill do actually do instead.

Same goes for Microsoft XNA Framework Redistributable. Steam actually will try to place this into your Distant Worlds folder for you. But sometimes the activation of this distributable placing it within your Distant Worlds folder, will not work. So, search the local folder for Distant World via the Steam Game Library's Entry, get Properties, find the distributable, get it to activate, and you are set to satisfy the requirement. Almost always newer Microsoft Frameworks will be backwards compatible, but exceptions are common enough that you get these requirements. Again, the dev is depending on something in the Operating System at the time of his development, which he can call thru XNA Framework, and not reinvent the wheel to use -- thus the dependency.

Likewise, disabling the intro movie bypasses the need to have the movie play, which means you bypass that requirement. However, you may run into the requirement issue again when another cutscene begins to play, sometimes. So be prepared either to turn off all movies within the game via any options for that if available in Distant Worlds, or install Windows Media Player. It is a game requirement (there may be other workarounds, as some movie players can mimic WMP, but if the dev uses a WMP only hack, nothing you can do about it).

Ok, here's the point. All these requirements were listed in the DEVS' PINNED POST AT THE TOP OF THESE FORUMS ENTITLED "DISTANT WORLDS TROUBLESHOOTING THREAD). EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE REQUIREMENTS IN THAT DEV PINNED POST. So I have provided some background to help you understand that those are serious requirements and why they are so. Don't say you weren't warned. So, GEEWHILLICKERS! ALWAYS READ ANY PINNED DEV POSTS AT THE TOP OF FORUMS, AS HABIT, or pay the consequences. Seriously.

Lastly, stuff like having to run a file as ADMINISTRATOR will tend to happen BECAUSE YOU HAVE YOUR STEAM FOLDER DIRECTLY IN A FOLDER THAT IS PROTECTED BY THE OPERATING SYSTEM. If you have your STEAM FOLDER on the C hard drive, and then in /GAMES folder, you will not have this issue almost universally. But if you install STEAM in Windows suggested install location, it will be protected by the operating system from any modification by software --- aka likely issues. In future, don't install your STEAM folder in a protected folder. Anything like C drive, /Windows/anything after that -- is the kiss of death or problems. Alright?! Alright!

I wish you all the best. I am not saying my explanations will make it all clear nor solve every Windows 10 problem. But, when you do all in the original post, and understand what I'm saying, you will understand how to make Windows 10 as much like a Windows 7 install with all the backwards compatibility it should have.

BONUS TIP FOR OTHER Pre-WINDOWS 10 GAMES:
(Complete aside, for some games, downloading an old PhysX Legacy Driver, which will co-exist with any newer PhysX driver, will solve issues with older PhysX requiring games -- because new PhysX drivers don't include complete backwards compatibility for older games -- SHOCKING! Distant Worlds does not need PhysX, but a free hint for those games which might. Otherwise, look for the option to shut off PhysX in those older games -- it will usually just throw some leaves around and slow down FPS).

Long post. Done as a favor. TLDR is not a favor to you. When you can't get help, you have to help yourself. If I explain what you need to know, or someone else does, remember that TLDR won't save you from complete annihilation. Only science will, explained as a common practical sensible man can understand and utilize. More power to you. Next time you feel the need for TLDR, shoot TLDR in the head so it never rises again as a desire in your mind. As TLDR will get you killed, sooner or later. Bet your life on it.