Civ 6 unable to launch, clean Windows 10 install

[Lanthrudar]

Built a new i7 PC over the holidays and installed all games, apps, etc. Have not had time to play Civ 6 until the recent DLC release. Was very surprised and disappointed when the game failed to launch at all when I recently tried to play. Launcher pops up, button clicked to launch, the entire screen goes black for about 3 seconds, then a white box appears and says there was an error and do I want to submit to Firaxis.

Have submitted a 2K support ticket 5 DAYS ago, zero response or even acknowledgment of my request.

Things I have tried to do to fix:
1. install the DX and vdx items again as a reported fix when the game initially released. Steam keeps these now in a central folder but still did not work after an install.
2. Completely remove all traces of video driver (NVidia) and clean install without GeForce Experience, still no luck.
3. Completely removed and reinstalled Civ6 and all files from steam, AND verified each install each time. I keep getting "3 files are corrupt" but it never fixes them when I request it to. From many reports here and other places, people play the game fine without these so not sure. **I do not have any mods installed at this time, that was the first thing I did to try to get the game to launch.**

So.. Not sure what the problem is. All other games and apps run fine with the new PC. I am using the exact same video card (1080) that was in my old Windows 7 rig, so doubt it is a hardware issue or the card doesn't support the game.

The last lines from startup log is:

[2019-03-09 19:55:32] CommandLine = D:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization VI\LaunchPad\LaunchPad.exe
[2019-03-09 19:55:32] Running SetupDatabase() ...
[2019-03-09 19:55:33] Running SetupLocalization() ...
[2019-03-09 19:55:34] Running SetupOwnership() ...
[2019-03-09 19:55:34] Running GameCore::InitializeApplicationSupport() ...
[2019-03-09 19:55:34] Civ6App::InitialInit end.
[2019-03-09 19:55:34] Civ6App::GUIInit start.
[2019-03-09 19:55:34] Running SetupGraphics() ...

[Lanthrudar]

Update: Have tried to run the game in compatibility mode for Windows 7 and 8 also. No luck. Attaching pastebin for DXDiag output and all log files from the most recent attempts to run the app.

https://pastebin.com/m4nTcMEQ

[donald23]

This is truly odd...

What happens when you run Steam as admin and then launch the game?

And can you try without any Razer hardware attached to the computer?

[Lanthrudar]

Steam as Admin, same error. The razer mouse is my only one and I have used it with Civ 6 on my old system also. I realize it was a different OS, Windows 7 vs Windows 10, but I don't have any other mouse currently to try.

[[BLA]Unmortal]

ive been thinking of this soluction with a new harddrive and OS windows 10 to make it run.

but so far i can read its a maybe to try out as last resort for me.

subscribing out of curiousness

(running windows 8.1 pro currently)

so far i get a game running but its unstable and crashy trying some tricks i know and dowing a recommended list of fixes twomorrow night...

but its truely odd that if you have (litteraly) a blank canvas of a OS that it stil doesnt run properly.

p.s i head some talk about NVIDIA GEFORCE EXPERIENCE causing some problems to i stil need to check this myself because i use it to update my gpu drivers but im very unsure if thats the issue.

hope you find a fix with the windows 10 problems you have.
maybe get CIV6 files from a third party source someone with a working civ6 on windows 10 and replace files it sometimes a fix.

i had serten games fixed magicaly by transfering files or copy pasting them over.

so far im stil fairly unknown about windows 10 but this idea did sprung up today in my head it sad to read it aint working a susposed to...

Did you try this list yet? (im thinking about it / for some odd reason i need scroll up the page when loading link)

https://steamcommunity.com/app/289070/discussions/0/340412122410009190/?ctp=9#c1841314700709041615

Goodnight hope theres a fix for youre issue and maybe it will make me get a new harddrive to get windows 10 if thats gone be my last try out. hehe

[DefNotDaLockwood]

Subscribed. Having same issue. Every time I validate the game files Steam says that 3 files are missing and it downloads them. But the patch never takes hold? Trying the game on DirectX11 instead of 12 to see if that helps. Will update.

[DefNotDaLockwood]

Changing to DirectX 11 did not help. The 3 files that refuse to be reacquired are roughly 1.6KB not sure what sorcery is preventing the game from launching...

[DefNotDaLockwood]

FOUND FIX

This is going to sound bizarre, especially with a fresh install but it worked for me.

Right-click on the game and select "Properties"
Select the "Local Files" tab
Click "Uninstall Game"
After this is complete, click "Browse Local Files"
Manually delete any remaining files
Reinstall Game

Let me know if this fixes it for you.

[Lanthrudar]

Hi John, did that 3 times, still no luck. No idea what is causing this but after playing civ since the early 90's (original game box and all) this will likely be my last version to ever purchase, mainly because of the extremely poor tech support and customer service from 2K and the dev's. *sighs* I'm glad I was able to play at least 400 hours on my old system and laptop, but it's frustrating beyond words that a newer more powerful system doesn't work and apparently 2K doesn't think my support request even worth acknowledging. :/

[Critical Baggins]

Same problem here.
I started playing and after a crash my saved game was deleted. It wasn't a big deal since i was messing around so i started another one. It was small map and the settings were already lowered from before. Game run well untill we reached info era and at 100 turns left playing the game crashed with a bsod. At restarting the game crashed when loading the save and then it wouldn’t start saying that the japanese audio file was unavailable. Tried verifying files but it kept downloading and never installing (several 107.8mb) . I deleted the download cache and the same happened. Tried uninstalling and reinstalling and didnt work. Unistalled again and found that files were still there, so manually delete them, restarted downloading cache and tried reinstalling it from scratch. Still nothing works. It would be great if some dev gave any feedback since tech support doesnt seem to answer people.

[[BLA]Unmortal]

Originally posted by Critical Baggins:

Same problem here.
I started playing and after a crash my saved game was deleted. It wasn't a big deal since i was messing around so i started another one. It was small map and the settings were already lowered from before. Game run well untill we reached info era and at 100 turns left playing the game crashed with a bsod. At restarting the game crashed when loading the save and then it wouldn’t start saying that the japanese audio file was unavailable. Tried verifying files but it kept downloading and never installing (several 107.8mb) . I deleted the download cache and the same happened. Tried uninstalling and reinstalling and didnt work. Unistalled again and found that files were still there, so manually delete them, restarted downloading cache and tried reinstalling it from scratch. Still nothing works. It would be great if some dev gave any feedback since tech support doesnt seem to answer people.

I think tech support is getting bombarded with fix requests.
i personaly went playing civ 5 to wait this out maybe a patch will come soon. atleast i hope for some people game aint broke but theres a majority of problems to fix the issues.

i personaly find it a sad thing that a game thats getting such a major expansion dlc stil has problems. im happy i didnt get that expansion to apart from gold pack... atherwise i would be more crunchy

[Dray Prescot]

It sometimes (often) takes me several tries to Launch Civ 6. When the a try fails, i.e. Civ 6 shows as "running" but nothing happens, then I do a Ctrl-Alt-Delete to get the Windows Task Manager and look at all the programs loaded in memory on the computer, you should find either Launcher or Sid's Civ 6 as "Suspended" (on my computer usually with about 180 MB loaded), left click on the suspended program and then use option/command in the lower corner to "End Task".

After this I will be back on the normal Steam Library Menu and Civ 6 will NO longer show as "running". I can now try the Civ 6 Play button (i.e. the Launcher) again, if it fails again, repeat the above procedure. It sometimes takes me several tries doing this, but eventually I will get to the "Loading, Please Wait" screen and from there I will be able to play Civ 6 normally.

Somehow Windows (including Windows Defender Firewall and Anti Virus) (I think) and the Civ 6 Launcher do not cooperate. What is strange is that it will usually work after several tries (which I do not understand why). I have tried resetting Defender Firewall and Anti Virus Settings, running as Administrator (either Steam or Launcher or both), etc. and the problem will "sometimes" go away for up to a couple of days, but the Loading the Launcher problem always comes back. Verifying Local Files via Steam (I have done this many times) seems to make no difference in this behavior.

[Lanthrudar]

To keep this thread on track I DO NOT have Windows Defender running. I use an actual real, third party AV that (supposedly at least) turns off Windows Defender. I also do not have GeForce Experience turned on or even installed, nor do I have OneDrive, all of which are the 'easy; fix for this.

At this point I have ZERO confidence in 2K support even knowing how to fix why the game won't run for me, since from what I have seen they simply copy/pasta generic "verify steam files, uninstall, install, blah blah" instructions to anyone who reports a problem. It's sad but the reality of modern gaming; if they can get 95% of the people who bought the game running the other 5% is not important.

[tempest.of.emptiness]

Originally posted by Lanthrudar:

I use an actual real, third party AV that (supposedly at least) turns off Windows Defender.

Have you tried disabling your AV software, or adding Civilization VI to its whitelist? Sometimes AV software does not get along with game, including this one.

[Lanthrudar]

I figured this out myself. Disabling the OSD from Rivatuner finally has the game to launch. No idea why the game stops simply because of that, but it does. Civ6 is the ONLY game that's ever exhibited this behavior, for a mainstream 3rd party app none the less. *shrug*