Can't start Sim, DCS Faulting application error in event viewer

[JasonJ]

[RESOLVED: Thanks Worrazen]

 

Hi all

 

I am trying to open DCS stable version and getting a Faulting application error in event viewer.

 

Here is the story (Whole day spent so far)

 

Some details:

• I am running Stable version of DCS, so not open-beta related.
  
• DCS version 2.5.5.41371
  
• Standalone version, not steam install.
  
• I do not run any mods.
  
• My sim PC is dedicated for sims only, no antivirus is installed.
  
• Eagle Dynamics folder has permissions set for full access control for all users of this computer.
  
• WINDOWS 10 1903 -OS build 18362.592
  

 

 

I was reading this forum thread about improving frame rates and disabling full-screen optimizations in registry. I tried it out and didn't get any improvement. Presumably because I was *already using disable full-screen optimization via Compatibility Tab for the sim exe files.

I reverted the (backed-up) registry changes. Everything was fine and game opened okay.

Found out I can gain 2.5fps if I used Alt+Enter and use full screen (VR, normally is narrow window on the desktop)

 

 

I decided to test if disable Windows Full-Screen optimizations for "dcs.exe", "dcs_updater.exe", "run.exe" was really doing anything at all. Wanted to see if it really was improving fps or not.

*I've had this disabled for sometime now, sim has been working okay.

 

Sim has been working fine for a few months now with Switched on (Disabled Full-Screen optimizations)

Today I switched off (default) (Disabled Full-Screen optimizations) - game played fine - ran some Frame Rate tests.

Switched back on (Disabled Full-Screen optimizations) - game would not start

Switched off (default) (Disabled Full-Screen optimizations) - game would not start

 

I could see DCS_updater.exe appear in the task manager list, then dcs.exe appeared, but then after about 2 seconds it disappears again. The game doesn't kick off and start up the loading screen.

 

This lead me to check event viewer and I saw this application error:

 

 

Faulting application name: DCS.exe, version: 2.5.5.41371, time stamp: 0x5dfbf2a5

Faulting module name: DCS.exe, version: 2.5.5.41371, time stamp: 0x5dfbf2a5

Exception code: 0xc0000409

Fault offset: 0x000000000073b4f8

Faulting process ID: 0x2548

Faulting application start time: 0x01d5e49537b64125

Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\bin\DCS.exe

Faulting module path: C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\bin\DCS.exe

Report ID: 8f1c289e-d3b1-47ef-90be-44b56cb60bd1

Faulting package full name:

Faulting package-relative application ID:

 

-----

details:

 

- System

- Provider

[ Name] Application Error

- EventID 1000

[ Qualifiers] 0

Level 2

Task 100

Keywords 0x80000000000000

- TimeCreated

[ SystemTime] 2020-02-16T06:49:23.163543600Z

EventRecordID 25782

Channel Application

Computer SLATE

Security

- EventData

DCS.exe

2.5.5.41371

5dfbf2a5

DCS.exe

2.5.5.41371

5dfbf2a5

c0000409

000000000073b4f8

2548

01d5e49537b64125

C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\bin\DCS.exe

C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\bin\DCS.exe

8f1c289e-d3b1-47ef-90be-44b56cb60bd1

 

- EventData

DCS.exe

2.5.5.41371

5dfbf2a5

DCS.exe

2.5.5.41371

5dfbf2a5

c0000409

000000000073b4f8

2548

01d5e49537b64125

C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\bin\DCS.exe

C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\bin\DCS.exe

8f1c289e-d3b1-47ef-90be-44b56cb60bd1

 

 

 

At this point I was astounded that a simple change could stop the game loading, changing full screen optimization back to default (unchecked) didn't get it going again either. I've changed this setting a few times in the past while running frame rate testing with no ill effects.

 

Tried reboot of PC. No Fix.

 

I tried clean & repair of DCS - no luck with the problem, same error.

The repair & clean runs through and does all the checks. No files are deemed required nor downloaded.

 

I tried resetting all my NVidia control panel settings in-case of some conflict - no change, same error.

 

Getting desperate thinking must be a corrupt game file, so I deleted all the files in dcs world\bin (except for dcs_updater.exe)

Tried repair again and it re-downloads all the deleted files fine. Game still won't load though.

 

I tried deleting all the main files in dcs_world root except for

-DCS_updater repair.bat

-autoupdate.dat

-autoupdate.cfg

-And deleted the dcs world\bin folder flies again (except for dcs_updater.exe)

The aim of this was to delete all core game files and leave all the huge textures and models and let the repair rebuild the core game files. Essentially a crude delete/repair of DCS.

 

Tried repair again and it re-downloads all the deleted files fine. Game still won't load though. Same error in event viewer.

 

I backed up my saved data config files (thinking one of my user config files might be a problem), then deleted the saved games user config files. Tried starting DCS - Still won't load.

 

Then I pulled the trigger, complete uninstall of DCS including all user config files to try start from scratch. I use VR, so thought maybe something conflicting there and a fresh install will not utilize VR so hopefully can get DCS running without VR and build on that.

 

 

Takes 7 hours to install stock DCS on my connection, so when it finished, I was sure it would be okay.

 

The install went through without any problems, ending with "Installing Runtime files"

 

DCS.exe still dies in the task manager list... same error. :cry:

 

 

I tried install DirectX redist again (from DCS World folder), just in case of a problem there - no fix.

 

Tried uninstalling nvidia drivers and ran ccleaner. Reboot, re-installed nvidia drivers. Still nothing from DCS.

 

I noticed Blindman in this forum suggested to removed windows update kb453269. This update installed 3 days ago so I don't think it has affected my game, I've been playing fine the last 3 days & my PC is rebooted everyday so any updates have not affected me, but I uninstalled it anyway - this didn't fix the problem.

 

Tried Windows restore point; last one was 4 days ago when there was some minor Windows updates.

Windows says unable to restore to that point, love windows xx

 

I tried instead running DCS.exe (not DCS_updater.exe) and same problem.

 

I checked the autoupdate_log.txt and all it shows is the repairer ran successfully.

 

I checked dcs.log in user saved games\DCS\logs and it only shows logs for when the sim last opened successfully.

When DCS.exe starts up, it immediately quits, so no logs are generated in SavedGames\DCS\logs.

 

Thought my PC graphics was corrupt so I tried DirtRally. Worked fine. :noexpression:

 

 

Long post I know, but I want to give you all the facts so you don't have to speculate too much.

 

I have spent all day on this and hitting a wall now and appreciate any suggestions.

 

Anyone have any ideas please ? and thank you

Edited February 16, 2020 by JasonJ

[Worrazen]

Windows updates are brutal, that's why I'm still at 1607 and never updated since :smartass:

I saw it coming long long long go what a mess this will be with the trendy "windows as a service" type of nonsense, and there it was, all data deleted from My Documents and similar once in an update, big lawsuits ensued.

 

I hope DCS keeps 1607 support for quite some time, I mean I'll upgrade a few versions up, but I have to figure out all kinds of tweaks I need to do to apply to tone down the bloat that comes with them, and that's a tiring job I keep delaying and delaying, eventually.

 

For example I didn't even knew about GameDVR even existed and a few other things, never had to deal with it, because 1607 doesn't have GameDVR :lol:

 

Your suppose to block updates, updates get recalled, superseeded or are just buggy when first published, and if you must then upgrade when major versions come, it probably includes all the little updates from before, windows updating is notoriously unreliable and buggy and I can't believe the whole world puts up with it, it's ridicolous, you always will get far better results reinstalling windows with a higher versions, rather than applying updates or even upgrading an already installed/live windows. That's what I kept doing, every 2-3 years I would grab the updated ISO from microsoft for Win7, I had like 3-4 test installs of Win10 before I settled on this one.

 

 

 

https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/oo_shutup10.html

 

 

That said, it may not be updates, it could be the Program Compatability Assistant, if that is still the name on Win10 .... you should check out the compatability stuff as it could be corrupted and clean it up.

 

You could have compatability settings that are applied for DCS.exe that are persistent for the OS, whenever it sees DCS.exe in that location it's going to apply those compatability settings.

 

https://support.winzip.com/hc/en-us/articles/115011612207-Remove-Compatibility-Mode-settings-from-the-registry

 

Use the above guide to get inside the AppCompatFlags key (folder) and find anything with DCS.exe or Run.exe or whatever you did with the "Disable Full Screen", and delete it, make sure you don't delete whole keys(folders) but values individually on the right side, but not just the Layers key, also look in the Persisted and Store keys under Compatability Assistant.

 

Disclaimer: Use registry at your own risk!

Edited February 16, 2020 by Worrazen

[JasonJ]

Dear god, you were spot on!

 

Somehow compatibility mode was set to Windows8 and I didn't notice it. Wasn't looking for it so I overlooked it here.

Not sure if I accidentally ticked that on. I'm usually pretty careful with making changes, I take screenshots etc before I apply changes. It is possible my mouse floated there and I clicked there totally by mistake without realizing it.

When I uninstalled DCS it must have been retained in registry.

 

 

Going to check the registry settings based on that winzip example. Might be hidden back there.

[edit] I just checked and the registry setting is removed since I now changed it in DCS.EXE Properties (Compatibilty settings)

 

Spent hours trying to fix this. Lost a whole day.

Can't thank you enough Worrazen :clap_2:

 

 

 

I turn off win updates and even delay them, every few weeks I shut down and it installs a few updates... infuriating. Even Oculus forces updates and you can't turn them off.

Edited February 16, 2020 by JasonJ

[Worrazen]

You can kinda still do it half, security updates are probably fine, it's because they keep reinstalling old bloat and keep changing settings as well as just making Win10 looks less and less like Win7 by removing old workaround that made this possible, that's my main beef with it, if it wasn't so annyoing I wouldn't be so critical.

 

What do I mean by half, well, you use the tools to block Windows Updates, and you also disable the Windows Update service, and the BITS service (Background Intelligent Transfer Service, it's a kind of a little internet download service that is designed to be innocent sounding as most are, but works like a backdoor for microsoft to your computer to force updates)

 

Windows 10 is also a lot more sensetive when it comes to disabling/changing services and doesn't allow to turn off or disable many of them, some admin rights workarounds may be needed, or a temporary login into the hidden Administrator account (which you need to follow a guide to enable first because it's there but just disabled by default)

 

So what you do is, you block updates for like 3-4 months, or so, and then when you want to update, you first use Clonezilla to create a disk image of your current OS disk, and it's good to only have OS and critical data on it, without DCS, as the recommended optimizaiton is to have DCS installed on it's own SSD almost exclusively (unless you have a giant 1TB one then ofcourse DCS won't fill it up) but meaning that when DCS is running nothing else should be using the SSD at that time. Games and disk images don't go well together, it's going to complicate things because compressing could take hours and hours, and the longer it runs the more risk it is you might have a power outage or someone trips something, and game files such as textures are not well compressible, you would have a huge image to deal with.

 

Clonezilla is a guided GUI to create and restore disk images, and comes as a bootable live USB that uses linux kernel under the hood to power it, so it's standalone, if you're serious about it could give you more tips, but this tool has a good stable community so it shouldn't be hard to find tutorials, however as always with such thing, even with so much on the web, getting started can be hard, there's many details many tutorials or people don't mention as they take it for granted, I had huge huge trouble learning Git because I had zero linux terminology experience before, it took me like 3-4 months of agony and a year before I could use it fluently.

 

Now you have a disk image that you can save to an archival HDD, which in Clonezilla would do it automatically if you setup the output save location properly right there. And a HDD preferrably that separate from DCS SSD and the OS SSD, you don't want to use precious SSD space for a file just sitting there, because the image will be probably around 50-100GBs if you do it right with a balanced main boot drive, but that's still big to waste SSD cells on so a HDD is the optimal solution. Moreover, development programs are good to install on the OS boot drive because they integrate to the OS more deeper and for many years they didn't like to be outside program files, there's also access/permission stuff that could pop up, and because they are resource hogs that take time to start up so I wouldn't put Adobe or Visual Studio on a HDD but rather the OS SSD. The size of the disk image would usually be lower because usually it's all compresed and it can lower it by 30-40%, sometimes even more, depending on compression level you choose.

 

You have that good working state of your OS saved, then you enable updates and update. Using a disk image for backup is much better method than the built-in backups and restores, those can be buggy, they could do things you don't want, they may not even fix the problem correctly, and may have other side effect, I once used it and all folders got duplicated and it was a mess, I had double program files, double My Documents, who the hell is going to sort all that and figure out, even if you have all the dates and labels, but that was Windows XP, perhaps it improved in Win7 and Win10, but I never used it ever again, I always disable Windows Backup, and delete restore points, as well as disable the Volume Shadow Copy service from using disk to create copies of files, while it may be useful in a case, it's taking CPU in the background, and there's some things that can break shadow copies like defrag, now defrag isn't suppose to be used on a SSD, but they're not reliable, as you move in huge files or manage your disk those shadow copies get destroyed or rendered useless. If you don't know what a shadow copy is, it's the "Restore Previous Version" tab when you open properites if any file, it's using free space on the disk to store the previous versions, but that space is still considered free so it can be overwritten at any time.

 

This ofcourse applies to anyone dealing with everything around OS and DCS around here. However it not that easy as this summary seems, you would do all this HDD, SSD, program reinstall, DCS reinstall, disk image, clonezilla maintenance once you find like 2 weeks of time or something, and have all the necessary hardware freshly shipped at hand, because it takes effort, and dealing with disk images it's possible to mess things up, if you select something wrong you might delete or corrupt your OS drive, that shouldn't be a problem if you have time and go slow and make sure every step is the correct one, I would assume most mess up stories are from those who rush; but the longterm reward is worth it.

 

 

-----

EDIT: About the Oculus forcing updates, that may be indeed that they go into services and change enable the service and do things, stuff like this is intrusive it's like your neighbour poking in your closet and should have a prompt to ask the user for permission and a warning that the update is required, but it can also be that they ship the actuall full installer for the update right there, so it does an offline update, that still should come with a prompt, but it's a much better method that changing settings by force.

Edited February 16, 2020 by Worrazen

[JasonJ]

Thank you for your insights Worrazan

 

Interesting you mentioned having DCS on a separate drive to the OS.

 

RE: Oculus updates.

Oculus isn't hijacking and forcing Windows updates. I meant Oculus's OWN software updates are forced on the user. So you get everything going good and then an Oculus update comes and within hours it's installed and you pray it doesn't break everything. And Oculus updates are gonna at some stage be dependent on having those Windows updates, so it's a loosing battle.

100 years in the future we will be all trapped in VR and unable to get out.