"already running" error

[jel]

Wow. This is a mess. OK.
I had this sort of thing going on when I tried to play C3:
Some "already running" error from Steam.
C3 not really starting till the second attempt at running it.
A (no, honestly) bit of a screaming noise from my computer when C3 was running (and afterwards too).

If *IF* you're on *Windows7 ONLY* (from what I've heard), then I've found a fix...

First, stop the screaming noise, if it's still going on...
Taskman - Processes : Rundll32
Kill it.
Oooo, quiet :o) That's the sound of your computer no longer being eaten from the inside.

And now you need to stuff around with your registry. Yay. That's always fun and exciting.
If you don't know how to do this THEN YOU (probably) SHOULDN'T.
Here we go...

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\GameUX\ServiceLocation
change the Games value to localhost

And C3 (and a lot of other old games you might try playing) will start up fine.
(See how it had the words Microsoft, Windows, and Service all on the same line there - yeah, there's a clue as to what the problem was. "Windows10 - because it doesn't count as rape if you pay for it")

[Telariust]

My respect.
Man, realize, you are the ONLY one who, out of tens of thousands of lemings in Caesar3 + Pharaoh + Zeus + Emperor on Steam + GOG in 10 years, has found a way to solve this problem.
You are my hero, "Lighthouse of Wisdom in the Ocean of Ignorance"

How I solved this problem
- The Game freezes up to a minute on startup?
- The Game will not open at all from the 1st time?
- Steam thinks the Game is already running?

So, at the first start, rundll32.exe is launched in the background.
And while rundll32.exe is running, the Game re-opens without problems.
If you exit Steam and start Steam again, Steam will suddenly claim that the Game is running.
(this is because of rundll32.exe, we kill it in the Task Manager so that Steam releases)

Where does rundll32.exe come from?
Uh.. it's trying to connect to the servers..
(over the network? in Game in which there is no multiplayer? how is it in general?)
" .. rundll32.exe C:\Windows\system32\gameux.dll,GameUXShim .. "
As it turned out, this is the functionality of "Windows Game Explorer".
It looks like Microsoft collects statistics.
My Steam version of the Game is trying to connect to 40.113.76.66:443
No one answers him there and he hangs endlessly in eternal expectation.
The problem is solved by everyone in their own way.
Someone radically removes gameux.dll from the system.
But there is a more civilized way through the creation and launch (from the Admin)
GameUX_OFF.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\GameUX\ServiceLocation]
"Games"=""

It's funny that the "Compatibility Win95/98" mode completely removes the problem.
(apparently network support for old Windows is not implemented)

More
https://steamcommunity.com/app/517790/discussions/0/3185737486658301180/#c3185737486658310383