JTCS won't launch anymore - what is going on?

[Crossroads]

I posted the following to Matrix tech support forum;

I've had my W7 64bit rig for quite a while, with no issues apart the need to set the Desktop Composition off. I've played JTCS for years with it. I think I bought it like 2010 or something like that. Maybe even a year earlier.

Now, all of a sudden, I can't launch the exes anymore.

If I launch them by clicking the East Front / West Frong / Rising Sun exe, the result is the same: a black screen with nothing happening.

If I launch them by clicking the EF WF RS exe, it opens the game in a standard mode for playing a new scenario, which is no good if I want to play a PBEM or say a Hot Seat scenario.

If I launch the JTCS main menu, it shows the window with 'hot spots' for selecting East Front, West Front, Rising Sun, etc, it shows the Matrix logo screen when I click one but won't advance any further, resulting in the same black screen.

I had some bad sectors on my HDD where I had it installed previously, but now I have a fresh HDD with a fresh new install (no mods or anything in place, just the vanilla JTCS as it comes out of the box).

Any idea what's going on? Anyone else having this issue?

I was sure it was the old HDD as it was like a third time it was reporting bad sectors, and that is a sure sign it is about to blow off. But no, I have a fresh disk with a fresh install and it still won't launch.

All I can think of is a Windows update that screwed things up but then I would likely not have been the only one.

I have Windows Updates enabled so they update automatically. I have MS Security Essentials for virus security and keep that one up to date as well.

[Jim von Krieg]

I posted the following to Matrix tech support forum;

I've had my W7 64bit rig for quite a while, with no issues apart the need to set the Desktop Composition off. I've played JTCS for years with it. I think I bought it like 2010 or something like that. Maybe even a year earlier.

Now, all of a sudden, I can't launch the exes anymore.

If I launch them by clicking the East Front / West Frong / Rising Sun exe, the result is the same: a black screen with nothing happening.

If I launch them by clicking the EF WF RS exe, it opens the game in a standard mode for playing a new scenario, which is no good if I want to play a PBEM or say a Hot Seat scenario.

If I launch the JTCS main menu, it shows the window with 'hot spots' for selecting East Front, West Front, Rising Sun, etc, it shows the Matrix logo screen when I click one but won't advance any further, resulting in the same black screen.

I had some bad sectors on my HDD where I had it installed previously, but now I have a fresh HDD with a fresh new install (no mods or anything in place, just the vanilla JTCS as it comes out of the box).

Any idea what's going on? Anyone else having this issue?

I was sure it was the old HDD as it was like a third time it was reporting bad sectors, and that is a sure sign it is about to blow off. But no, I have a fresh disk with a fresh install and it still won't launch.

All I can think of is a Windows update that screwed things up but then I would likely not have been the only one.

I have Windows Updates enabled so they update automatically. I have MS Security Essentials for virus security and keep that one up to date as well.

Did you install the patch? To run in Win7, you need the patch installed to the latest version IIRC. Also, you might want to clean up your registry (requires some type of fix-it software). If the registry is corrupted, you will get all kinds of issues.

[Scud]

Can you launch ANY exe's or is it just happening to JTCS? Did you replace the harddrive or someone else? If you did it, go back in and check all the connections. Make sure the video card and RAM chips weren't loosened. Has your computer been bombing? Blue screens? Have you tried starting your computer and opening the game in safe mode?

Hardware could cause this, software, viruses/malware. Really hard to diagnose. If you want to go with Jim's suggestion, you could try ccleaner (http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner). It's pretty good, but I'd be surprised if it helps. Worth a shot though. The free version will try to get you to install a toolbar, so just say no to that. After that, run the defaults and make sure you make a restore point, just in case.

I'm leaning toward a problem with your operating system caused either by a corruption or a virus/malware. It sounds like the way it's handling associations is messed up, but I'm just guessing. Again, just the game or other exe's? If just the game, then it's probably not that.

Lastly, if this is just happening with the game, try uninstalling it. Look for any remnants that might have been left behind after the uninstall and delete them. Then run ccleaner removing temp files and cleaning the registry. Run the registry cleaner several times. Reboot and reinstall the game.

Good luck. Let us know how you make out.

Dave

[Herr Straße Laufer]

Dave, your link does not work.
I clicked it (twice) and got the same message.



HSL

[Ashcloud]

This should work:
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download

[Crossroads]

Did you install the patch? To run in Win7, you need the patch installed to the latest version IIRC. Also, you might want to clean up your registry (requires some type of fix-it software). If the registry is corrupted, you will get all kinds of issues.

Yes, I have the game patched up to its latest level (1.04).

Can you launch ANY exe's or is it just happening to JTCS? Did you replace the harddrive or someone else? If you did it, go back in and check all the connections. Make sure the video card and RAM chips weren't loosened. Has your computer been bombing? Blue screens? Have you tried starting your computer and opening the game in safe mode?

I have had no blue screens. Everything else works.

I can launch any and all hexes apart the East Front / West Front / Rising Sun exes. It did not matter whether I tried to launch them from the Main menu, or by double clicking at the individual exes. I even ran them as a Sys Admin to no avail. Black screen.

Hardware could cause this, software, viruses/malware. Really hard to diagnose. If you want to go with Jim's suggestion, you could try ccleaner (http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner). It's pretty good, but I'd be surprised if it helps. Worth a shot though. The free version will try to get you to install a toolbar, so just say no to that. After that, run the defaults and make sure you make a restore point, just in case.

I am actually doing that as I type...

I'm leaning toward a problem with your operating system caused either by a corruption or a virus/malware. It sounds like the way it's handling associations is messed up, but I'm just guessing. Again, just the game or other exe's? If just the game, then it's probably not that.

Yep. Just the game, or parts of the game, as EF.exe and WF.exe launch, for an example. As do the editors...

Worse, there is a randomness to it. With the old disk, the game launched again at one point. Then it stopped again.

With the new disk, it would not launch yesterday. I tried several reboots, it did not help.

Works right now as I tried again.

Lastly, if this is just happening with the game, try uninstalling it. Look for any remnants that might have been left behind after the uninstall and delete them. Then run ccleaner removing temp files and cleaning the registry. Run the registry cleaner several times. Reboot and reinstall the game.

Good luck. Let us know how you make out.

That's what I did. I uninstalled JTCS. I took the old secondary HDD out put the new one in. The secondary drives were D: drives, I have the OS in the C:

I am running the CCclean now. Hopefully I can get to the bottom of this...

[berto]

If I launch them by clicking the East Front / West Frong / Rising Sun exe, the result is the same: a black screen with nothing happening.

...

All I can think of is a Windows update that screwed things up but then I would likely not have been the only one.

No, you are not the only one. In the past, I have had Windows Update upgrade my video drivers, and seen breakage like what you report. Bad idea. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Just recently, in order to fix a build problem with the new CS Modern Wars, I installed a Microsoft DirectX SDK (software developer's kit) that maliciously broke my working DirectX setup, and like you got a blank screen when attempting to run the game or anything else. Thank God for Windows Restore!

You do have the Windows Restore option, right?

I have Windows Updates enabled so they update automatically. I have MS Security Essentials for virus security and keep that one up to date as well.

Again, bad idea. Do all the security updates, but be very careful and selective about everything else, especially with driver updates like for your video card.

I have my Windows Update set to Notify only, and perhaps also to automatically Download. But doing the actual Install? No, I always set that to the off position. I decide when and what Windows Update does to my systems, not Microsoft.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Compass Rose]

Battle Kat

Do you happen to be using Avast!?

[Crossroads]

Nope. I use MS Security Essentials.

[Crossroads]

OK... Gentlemen, the CCleaner found like a ton of issues with my registry. No wonder, as the rig has been in use for some four or five years now.

Some very suspicious issues with the Microsoft NET framework. Some JTCS registry entries were there too, pointing to the old install.

What is the astonishing thing here, is that the JTCS that today decided to boot up again, continues to do so after the CCleaner fixes... Wheew!

Keeping my fingers crossed, inhaling only, but playing JTCS again!

Thanks guys!