Solutions for Crashes.

[peterthierolf]

List of problems this post is about :

1. Crash at game start
2. Crash in videos with MSI Nahimic

Solutions

1. Crash at game start
Some users have the game crashing when they press any button on the title screen (press start).

This can be caused by a Steam interface failing - you can check the Darksiders Warmastered Edition.log for a line 'SteamRemoteStorage() return nullptr!' in which case you suffer from that problem.

This seems to be caused by an outdated steam client. Please try to update your steam client to fix the problem.

We have a proper fix with a message box for the next patch. (It will not crash and will tell you to update, but you can't save or load without resolving the steam client problem).


2. Crash in videos with MSI Nahimic
We have seen several crash dumps where the game crashed in NahimicMSIOSD.dll, a component of MSIs Audio Enhancement tool.

It is confirmed that the crashes are resolved by switching off Nahimic (disabling does not help).

I have contacted MSIs Nahimic group and they told me they will 'fix' it, whatever that means.
I will update you once I have further information from MSI.

[Tonrac]

Maybe you must pinned a thread wherre you exposed all the solution/work around that you found and that are not caused by the game ....

[Doctor Hades]

I don't understand the outdated Steam client crash at all. The developer has told me this is the reason for my crash at the Start Game screen but this is the ONLY game that has this issue and I have hundreds of other games on Steam, all of which work fine, including (ironically) the original Darksiders. So why is it that only this game has an issue and that the only way for the developer to fix the crash is to code the game so it cannot load or save (rendering it pointless playing it).

I have updated to the beta build of Steam and reverted back to the stable version but the game continues to crash. No other game has this issue and I currently have over 800 installed across Steam, Uplay, GOG and Origin. Of those I've played recently, which is around 50-60, only Darksiders Warmastered Edition crashes and I'm playing Watch_Dogs 2, Steep, Dead Rising 4, Battlefield 1, Titanfall 2, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Dishonored 2 and so on. Doesn't make any sense to me that only one game would crash due to an "outdated" Steam client...

[peterthierolf]

Originally posted by Doctor Hades:

I don't understand the outdated Steam client crash at all. The developer has told me this is the reason for my crash at the Start Game screen but this is the ONLY game that has this issue and I have hundreds of other games on Steam, all of which work fine, including (ironically) the original Darksiders. So why is it that only this game has an issue and that the only way for the developer to fix the crash is to code the game so it cannot load or save (rendering it pointless playing it).

I have updated to the beta build of Steam and reverted back to the stable version but the game continues to crash. No other game has this issue and I currently have over 800 installed across Steam, Uplay, GOG and Origin. Of those I've played recently, which is around 50-60, only Darksiders Warmastered Edition crashes and I'm playing Watch_Dogs 2, Steep, Dead Rising 4, Battlefield 1, Titanfall 2, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Dishonored 2 and so on. Doesn't make any sense to me that only one game would crash due to an "outdated" Steam client...

Can you confirm, that you have the 'SteamRemoteStorage() return nullptr!' line in the logfile and also that your steam client is not up-to-date ?

If that is the case we can't really do anything because this is Steam failing on us. The original Darksiders game did not use that Api and also failed to provide working steam cloud saves at all because of misconfiguration.

I have asked why this function fails in the steam developer forum - no answer.

I have absolutely no idea and must also admit that I don't care why other games work. I could go into details at length why using this api is correct and better than doing else but I don't think that helps at all.

If your steam client is up-to-date and you don't see the given line in your log there is a different problem going on. Else -> update.

One important thing to note, though :

If the game is older than your steam client -> no problem.
If the game uses an older Steam Api version than your steam client -> no problem.
If the game doesn't use SteamRemoteStorage api to correctly work with cloud saves -> no problem.
If the game doesn't support cloud saves at all -> no problem.

[Doctor Hades]

Originally posted by peterthierolf:

Originally posted by Doctor Hades:

I don't understand the outdated Steam client crash at all. The developer has told me this is the reason for my crash at the Start Game screen but this is the ONLY game that has this issue and I have hundreds of other games on Steam, all of which work fine, including (ironically) the original Darksiders. So why is it that only this game has an issue and that the only way for the developer to fix the crash is to code the game so it cannot load or save (rendering it pointless playing it).

I have updated to the beta build of Steam and reverted back to the stable version but the game continues to crash. No other game has this issue and I currently have over 800 installed across Steam, Uplay, GOG and Origin. Of those I've played recently, which is around 50-60, only Darksiders Warmastered Edition crashes and I'm playing Watch_Dogs 2, Steep, Dead Rising 4, Battlefield 1, Titanfall 2, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Dishonored 2 and so on. Doesn't make any sense to me that only one game would crash due to an "outdated" Steam client...

Can you confirm, that you have the 'SteamRemoteStorage() return nullptr!' line in the logfile and also that your steam client is not up-to-date ?

If that is the case we can't really do anything because this is Steam failing on us. The original Darksiders game did not use that Api and also failed to provide working steam cloud saves at all because of misconfiguration.

I have asked why this function fails in the steam developer forum - no answer.

I have absolutely no idea and must also admit that I don't care why other games work. I could go into details at length why using this api is correct and better than doing else but I don't think that helps at all.

If your steam client is up-to-date and you don't see the given line in your log there is a different problem going on. Else -> update.

One important thing to note, though :

If the game is older than your steam client -> no problem.
If the game uses an older Steam Api version than your steam client -> no problem.
If the game doesn't use SteamRemoteStorage api to correctly work with cloud saves -> no problem.
If the game doesn't support cloud saves at all -> no problem.

Yes, it does as this is the logfile from the last crash which was shortly after the game downloaded the latest beta update:

logfile created.
SteamRemoteStorage() return nullptr! <=== This is the "outdated" Steam client crash
setWindowMode - 1280 720
switchToFullScreenMode : 1280x720 @ 60.00 Hz, 1
reading package /gamebuild/media/base.oppc
NOTE: Video::initialize() commented out...
reading package /gamebuild/media/ui_logos.oppc
reading package /gamebuild/media/ui_core.oppc
reading package /gamebuild/media/ui_icons_small.oppc
[videoplayer] create Videoplayer result : 840f308
[videoplayer] setVideoFile Audio Guid found
[videoplayer] setVideoFile get Num Channels
[videoplayer] setVideoFile setNumChannels(2)
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetStreamSelection(0)
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetCurrentMediaType
reading package /gamebuild/media/ui_buttons_pc.oppc
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Media Types
[videoplayer] setVideoFile VideoGuid found 0
[videoplayer] setVideoFile get Frame Size
[videoplayer] setVideoFile size : 1920 x 1080
[videoplayer] setVideoFile get Frame rate
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetStreamSelection(1), timestep = 0.016667
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetCurrentMediaType()
reading package /gamebuild/media/ui_buttons_ps4.oppc
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Media Types
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Media Types
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Streams
[videoplayer] setVideoFile creating videoFrameBuffers
[videoplayer] setVideoFile creating audioFrameBuffers
[videoplayer] playVideo (0, 0)
[videoplayer::mfWinVideoDecoderThread] started
reading package /gamebuild/media/ui_buttons_xbox.oppc
reading package /gamebuild/media/ui_en.oppc
reading package /gamebuild/media/ui_shell.oppc
reading package /gamebuild/media/Havoc.oppc
reading package /gamebuild/media/scythe.oppc
reading package /gamebuild/media/Harvester.oppc
reading package /gamebuild/media/gauntlets.oppc
reading package /gamebuild/media/item_frenzy.oppc
reading package /gamebuild/media/VFX_shared.oppc
reading package /gamebuild/media/Impact_FX.oppc
reading package /gamebuild/media/sword.oppc
reading package /gamebuild/media/war.oppc
reading package /gamebuild/media/consumables.oppc
reading package /gamebuild/media/gear_tempestcloak.oppc
reading package /gamebuild/media/HellClimb.oppc
reading package /gamebuild/media/lurcher.oppc
reading package /gamebuild/media/Watcher.oppc
[videoplayer] stopVideo
[videoplayer] destroy Videoplayer...
[videoplayer] closing video File
[videoplayer] stopVideo
[videoplayer::mfWinVideoDecoderThread] ended
[videoplayer] done
[videoplayer] unregisterSoundDeviceChangedCallback
[videoplayer] destroyVideoPlayer done
[videoplayer] create Videoplayer result : 840f308
[videoplayer] setVideoFile Audio Guid found
[videoplayer] setVideoFile get Num Channels
[videoplayer] setVideoFile setNumChannels(2)
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetStreamSelection(0)
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetCurrentMediaType
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Media Types
[videoplayer] setVideoFile VideoGuid found 0
[videoplayer] setVideoFile get Frame Size
[videoplayer] setVideoFile size : 1920 x 1080
[videoplayer] setVideoFile get Frame rate
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetStreamSelection(1), timestep = 0.016667
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetCurrentMediaType()
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Media Types
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Media Types
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Streams
[videoplayer] setVideoFile creating videoFrameBuffers
[videoplayer] setVideoFile creating audioFrameBuffers
[videoplayer] playVideo (0, 0)
[videoplayer::mfWinVideoDecoderThread] started
[videoplayer] stopVideo
[videoplayer] destroy Videoplayer...
[videoplayer] closing video File
[videoplayer] stopVideo
[videoplayer::mfWinVideoDecoderThread] ended
[videoplayer] done
[videoplayer] unregisterSoundDeviceChangedCallback
[videoplayer] destroyVideoPlayer done
[videoplayer] create Videoplayer result : 840f308
[videoplayer] setVideoFile Audio Guid found
[videoplayer] setVideoFile get Num Channels
[videoplayer] setVideoFile setNumChannels(6)
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetStreamSelection(0)
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetCurrentMediaType
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Media Types
[videoplayer] setVideoFile VideoGuid found 0
[videoplayer] setVideoFile get Frame Size
[videoplayer] setVideoFile size : 1280 x 720
[videoplayer] setVideoFile get Frame rate
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetStreamSelection(1), timestep = 0.033333
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetCurrentMediaType()
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Media Types
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Media Types
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Streams
[videoplayer] setVideoFile creating videoFrameBuffers
[videoplayer] setVideoFile creating audioFrameBuffers
[videoplayer] playVideo (0, 0)
[videoplayer::mfWinVideoDecoderThread] started
[videoplayer] stopVideo
[videoplayer] destroy Videoplayer...
[videoplayer] closing video File
[videoplayer] stopVideo
[videoplayer::mfWinVideoDecoderThread] ended
[videoplayer] done
[videoplayer] unregisterSoundDeviceChangedCallback
[videoplayer] destroyVideoPlayer done
[videoplayer] create Videoplayer result : 840f308
[videoplayer] setVideoFile Audio Guid found
[videoplayer] setVideoFile get Num Channels
[videoplayer] setVideoFile setNumChannels(2)
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetStreamSelection(0)
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetCurrentMediaType
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Media Types
[videoplayer] setVideoFile VideoGuid found 0
[videoplayer] setVideoFile get Frame Size
[videoplayer] setVideoFile size : 1920 x 1080
[videoplayer] setVideoFile get Frame rate
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetStreamSelection(1), timestep = 0.033367
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetCurrentMediaType()
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Media Types
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Media Types
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Streams
[videoplayer] setVideoFile creating videoFrameBuffers
[videoplayer] setVideoFile creating audioFrameBuffers
[videoplayer] playVideo (0, 0)
[videoplayer::mfWinVideoDecoderThread] started
[videoplayer] stopVideo
[videoplayer] destroy Videoplayer...
[videoplayer] closing video File
[videoplayer] stopVideo
[videoplayer::mfWinVideoDecoderThread] ended
[videoplayer] done
[videoplayer] unregisterSoundDeviceChangedCallback
[videoplayer] destroyVideoPlayer done
[systemservices] Could not set presence, because the presence string index 2 is out of bounds
[videoplayer] create Videoplayer result : 840f308
[videoplayer] setVideoFile Audio Guid found
[videoplayer] setVideoFile get Num Channels
[videoplayer] setVideoFile setNumChannels(2)
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetStreamSelection(0)
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetCurrentMediaType
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Media Types
[videoplayer] setVideoFile VideoGuid found 0
[videoplayer] setVideoFile get Frame Size
[videoplayer] setVideoFile size : 1920 x 1080
[videoplayer] setVideoFile get Frame rate
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetStreamSelection(1), timestep = 0.033367
[videoplayer] setVideoFile SetCurrentMediaType()
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Media Types
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Media Types
[videoplayer] setVideoFile scanned Streams
[videoplayer] setVideoFile creating videoFrameBuffers
[videoplayer] setVideoFile creating audioFrameBuffers
[videoplayer] playVideo (0, 0)
[videoplayer::mfWinVideoDecoderThread] started

Yet despite updating to the latest beta of Steam, which presumably isn't "outdated", the game continues to crash.

[RPG Hacker]

Can you go to "Help > Steam Information" (or something like that) and give us all the version number it's listing in there?

[Nicholas Steel]

For reference, this version of the game works fine with this version of Steam (Gets to the gameplay after hitting New Game) :

http://imgur.com/5tla06l http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=818197441

[Bustiloko]

Gracias! Thanks x1000 Im a MSI user :S

[peterthierolf]

I have just now tested the game with the steam client beta - it works with no problems - at least on my machine.
I *have* confirmed that the gome does not work with an old steam client on a friends machine, client was like a year old.

[Nicholas Steel]

Originally posted by peterthierolf:

I have just now tested the game with the steam client beta - it works with no problems - at least on my machine.
I *have* confirmed that the gome does not work with an old steam client on a friends machine, client was like a year old.

I'm not even sure how you could get a old Steam Client to load a Steam game without it presumably doing a periodic online check, which would require you to leave Offline Mode and update the client...

[peterthierolf]

Originally posted by Nicholas Steel:

I'm not even sure how you could get a old Steam Client to load a Steam game without it presumably doing a periodic online check, which would require you to leave Offline Mode and update the client...

I have seen this on a friends PC. Steam client automatic update was off, it wasn't updated since end of 2015. With our internal fix, the game starts up, doesn't crash and brings up a requester.

I think you might also get Achievements and the like, as other steam api calls work, but the remote storage doesn't. It crashed because steam did not document the function could fail so we used the result without checking.

[Doctor Hades]

OK, so it turned out that my Steam has not updated since early September even though switching to the beta seemed to go through the normal update process without reporting any errors. In order to try and fix the issue I deleted all the files except for the Steam.exe, UserData and SteamApps folders but on running Steam.exe it reported an error loading SteamUI.dll.

After much messing around, including downloading the Steam Setup file and installing Steam to an entirely different folder on my C drive it finally installed and I've been able to move all the folders from the old install (UserData and SteamApps) to this new location.

The good news is that not only is Steam back up and running but Darksiders Warmastered Edition no longer crashes and I have finally been able to access the main menu and change the options. I have another issue though in that the saves are not showing despite answering Yes to the question about importing my old saves from the original games.

Seems that my Steam install was corrupted after all although I'm astounded that I had no issues with any other games except this one. In a way I am grateful that this issue came up for this game otherwise I may never known about it and I may have experienced worse issues in the future (especially as Steam itself has not been updating).

Thank you for your patience and time, peterthieroff, and all best for the festive season.

[peterthierolf]

@Doctor Hades
We used a more recent steam api than probably other devs because we still want to include full Steam Controller support which we just can't do with an older api version. I am astonished that this problem has not come up in other games. Also, devs have not yet answered to my questions about this in the steam dev forums.

[Doctor Hades]

P.S. The imported saves from the original game were showing when I loaded the game a second time and I able to resume my old game exactly where I left off. Now the only problem is remembering the controls as it has been a few years since I played the game extensively. Looking forward to checking out the remaster... I may even start a new game to relearn the controls and game mechanics.

[GodJaques]

I know the solution for all issues: do not play Darksiders Warmastered Edition and play the original without problem.

[SeTuR]

Originally posted by GodJaques:

I know the solution for all issues: do not play Darksiders Warmastered Edition and play the original without problem.

Seems like the only solution now...
I mean my game crashes after 5-10 minutes playing, the task manager doesnt show any memory leak, and the game itself doesnt pop-up any mesages... such a shame..