Tropico 4 won't start. (0xc000007b)

[a**k]

Hello!

To keep it as short as possible: Tropico 4 won't start. Symptoms:
- If I try opening it in Steam, the "Preparing to launch" window shows up, then closes - and nothing happens.
- If I try starting tropico4.exe directly, this is what happens:

--
Tropico4.exe - Anwendungsfehler

Die Anwendung konnte nicht gestartet werden (0xc000007b). Klicken Sie auf "OK", um die Anwendung zu schließen.
--
[roughly translates to: "The application could not be started. Click OK to close."]

Well then, here's what I already tried:
> Clean installation of Tropico 4.
> Every (!) driver is up to date.
> Installed DirectX and .NET manually (from game dir and from web).
> Running the game with administrator rights and/or in compatibility mode.
> Running the game with the "/safe" parameter.
> Disabling the Steam overlay.
> Tried various screen resolutions.
> Disabling the 2nd screen.
> Disabling anti virus and/or firewall.
> Modified my etc/hosts to include 'launcher01.kalypsomedia.com'
> Verifying game cache, twice.
> Rebooting, twice.

As they were not to be found any logs of Tropico 4 and as I think that I tried every possible fix for the game, to be honest, I'm out of ideas. I'm running Windows 7 64bit on an Intel Core i7 (960 @ 3.2 Ghz), Kingston 8 GB DDR3, AMD Radeon HD 6900 (4 GB DDR5).

So, any help will gladly be appreciated. Thanks.

[wowegoo]

Visual C++ (all)

[a**k]

Err, nope. These are the installed versions of Microsofrt Visual C++:
2005 (x86, x64), 2008 (x86, x64), 2010 (x86, x64), 2012 (x86, x64) and finally 2013 (x86 and x64). Or did I miss anything?

[wowegoo]

Yes, say this at post. :)

[a**k]

Nope, still nothing. Tried verifying oll of them, additionally installing a complete package - http://www.ghacks.net/2012/08/24/install-microsoft-visual-c-runtimes-in-one-go/ - but Tropico 4 still won't even show its loader. I also installed the .NET frameworks 1.1 and 3.5 up to 4.5, still not working. So, what exactly am I missing?

[wowegoo]

hehee, i only would like to say "you forget to say you have Visual C++ instaled and updated in the top description of your problem". If the game no start with all specs you exlain, i don't know. I supose, you search for the 0xc000007b error. Any of the solutions help you? Please forgive my english.

[wowegoo]

Clean the registry and system with any soft? CCleaner its ok but if you can use some other more complete is better. I supose you do but don't say nothing about that.

[a**k]

I've tried that, too. Registry is clean and working. 0xc000007b seems to be a generic windows error that can occur with all kinds of software. Nothing that could help me run Tropico. So, anything else?

[wowegoo]

Ok. Yes, is a generic error with many soft. At this point i don't know. Waiting for other people that can help.

[[_-= Zer0 =-_]]

If you have technical problems with Tropico please write an e-mail to the Kalypso Media Support " [e-mail] ".

Please include a description of your problem, a DxDiag.txt. and a link to this thread within the mail.


To create the DxDiag.txt, please do the following:

Click "Start" button and choose "Run". Or alternatively, press (Windows-Button)+R.
Then type "dxdiag" (without quotation marks) and click Ok.
You will find all relevant information in the following window.
Click the "Save all Information" button, located at the bottom of the program window.
Save the file as "dxdiag.txt".
Attach the file "dxdiag.txt" with your E-mail reply.

Thank you very much for your assistance.

[a**k]

Thanks a lot, I'll do so.

[DingDong Fireballs]

im having the same problem, have you resolved yours?

[a**k]

Unfortunately not, but I'm still in contact with the Kalypso support team. So far they suggested reinstalling DirectX from the game directory and trying the '.NET repair utility', http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30135 - none of which solved the issue. Let's hope that they can find a solution to the problem.

[a**k]

Finally! Here's - among other things - the solution that fixed the problem for me. But first, let's see what didn't help.

> 'cmd' > 'sfc /scannow' couldn't find anything.
> Windows repair installation by booting from the DVD didn't find anything either.
> Deinstalling various Windows Updates wouldn't help either.
> 'Dependency Walker''s results were inconclusive.

So, here's the solution, but let me explain. While playing with 'Dependency Walker' I found that *all* Software, running or not, had at least some minor issues, like this:

--
Started "TROPICO4.EXE" (process 0x1BB0) at address 0x0000000000400000. Cannot hook module.
Loaded "NTDLL.DLL" at address 0x0000000077B00000. Cannot hook module.
Loaded "NTDLL32.DLL" at address 0x0000000077CE0000. Cannot hook module.
Loaded "WOW64.DLL" at address 0x0000000075680000. Cannot hook module.
Loaded "WOW64WIN.DLL" at address 0x0000000075620000. Cannot hook module.
Loaded "WOW64CPU.DLL" at address 0x0000000075610000. Cannot hook module.
Entrypoint reached. All implicit modules have been loaded.
Loaded "WOW64_IMAGE_SECTION" at address 0x00000000779E0000. Cannot hook module.
Unloaded "WOW64_IMAGE_SECTION" at address 0x00000000779E0000.
Loaded "WOW64_IMAGE_SECTION" at address 0x0000000076F50000. Cannot hook module.
Unloaded "WOW64_IMAGE_SECTION" at address 0x0000000076F50000.
Loaded "NOT_AN_IMAGE" at address 0x00000000779E0000. Cannot hook module.
Unloaded "NOT_AN_IMAGE" at address 0x00000000779E0000.
Loaded "NOT_AN_IMAGE" at address 0x00000000778E0000. Cannot hook module.
Unloaded "NOT_AN_IMAGE" at address 0x00000000778E0000.
Error reading KERNEL32.DLL's export table. Function call tracking may not work properly.
Loaded "KERNEL32.DLL" at address 0x0000000076F50000. Cannot hook module.
Loaded "KERNELBASE.DLL" at address 0x0000000076D90000. Cannot hook module.
Exited "TROPICO4.EXE" (process 0x1BB0) with code -2147483645 (0x80000003).
--

What's important is this: This is fine. The error was caused by a faulty DirectX file inside Windows\SysWOW64. Despite re-installing DirectX a few times, the setup would not (as I noticed) change any files inside that directory. Additionally there is no possibility in Windows 7 to 'repair' an installation of DirectX. The only thing one can do is install it again and again, maybe from different sources.

So I got brave - and deleted every d3d9_xx.dll and d3d10_xx.dll as well as xinput1_x.dll and the d3dcompiler_42.dll inside the Windows\SysWOW64 directory, for they were outdated either way and I got nothing to lose. Without rebooting (!) I then ran the well-known dxwebsetup.exe. The setup then proceeded to install DirectX as if it has never been installed before - et voilà! Tropico now runs like a charm again.

What's weird is that other games which also need DirectX did not complain about anything. But... Oh, well. It works. Phew. And I really do hope that some of my 'proposed solutions' will help other people fix the 0xc000007b error. May this be the 'wisdom of the ancients'. (see http://xkcd.com/979/)

[spark]

I cant run the game too.the "Preparing to launch" window shows up, then closes - and nothing happens. The same problem happened.What can I do to run the game @_@

[a**k]

I wrote my solution just one post above yours. ;)