Experimental Builds no longer launching in Windows 7

Game Talk The Garage
1

I know at one point I was able to launch the Experimental builds, but since at least 0.C-4223 up to current 0.C-4360 it is no longer launching. Double-click EXE, wheel spins, nothing happens.

I do not use the graphical experimental, but the console version instead. I have not modified any of the configuration files before trying to launch. And based on an earlier thread regarding someone else unable to launch it from two years ago - yes, I am extracting the .zip file to a new directory and retaining subdirectories.

Task manger shows not one, but three copies of the cataclysm exe running, each with 116k of working memory. I am not running the graphical version, but have downloaded that to try it. Catalcysm-tiles.exe shows similar, but not exactly identical behavior - rather than three copies, I only have one copy running, still at 116k of working memory.

Digging through my event logs shows nothing of note. Oddly, I am not able to kill the process either. Taskmanager and pskill both claim to have stopped the process, but nothing happens. As far as I am aware, my copy of windows is running up to date patches.

The stable version works fine. That said, having seen the experimental features, I’d rather be playing that.

Any ideas where I can start digging to figure out the cause of the problem? If it crashed or gave me something to work with in a log file I’d at least have an idea as to where to start, but right now - no clue.

2

Not all windows 7 systems are having this problem, I can load the game without issue. There has to be something else at work.

3

You using virus protection?

I think it was macafee that doesnt like cdda. iirc you had to add it as an exception

4

I’ve heard reports of avast screwing up when doing its quarantine as well. If you’re running antivirus and suddenly have launch problems, check that.

5

In some windows 7 systems a school, I have to run the game in 256 colors to get it to work. On my laptop, it works fine. Both are windows 7 3-bit systems. I guess it depends on the graphics card if 256 colors fixes it?

6

If you have any problems related to display like this, try toggling the software rendering option.

7

That may be it. Disabled Avast, working fine.

Thanks.

8

I know AV software can be a pain in the ass, but consider this. When you turn off the AV you are using just to play a game, you are still vulnerable to anything if you are online. So unplug or disconnect your machine before you do this. Still a bad idea though, as you wouldn’t know if anything else is going on in your machine when the game is going.

It isn’t paranoia either. The nasty part of a virus is that most of them don’t WANT to be found, duh!

9

There’s no need to completely turn off AV software in any case. Any good AV software includes the ability to add exceptions for a particular executable.