DCS - Won't Start - Immediately Closes

[LJFHutch]

Well I've been having this problem for a while now, the only way to solve it is to deactivate and reactivate, which of course is not an option.

 

Any ideas? MP starts fine but when I start SP ("DCS.exe") it starts for a few seconds and then closes back down again, tried compatability, admin etc, nothing works but deactivation/reactivation. I've already wasted 2 activations messing around with this and I'm starting to get irritated by it to be honest.

 

For some background, it used to work, only recently it's started doing this (I reinstalled windows).

 

* * * * *

 

I know this isn't the most detailed description ever, but what are some common problems associated with the above? Anyone had this and fixed it? What did you do?

 

Edit: When I launch "launcher.exe" I get this error:

 

"cannot open .\BlackShark\BlackShark.lua : no such file or directory"

 

Edit2: Trust me to find the answer right after creating the thread :\

Edited July 29, 2010 by LJFHutch

[slug88]

You should share the solution in case anyone else experiences this problem.

[LJFHutch]

You need to run the game via a shortcut, found the answer by searching for the error (don't know why I didn't think of that before).

 

http://en.wiki.eagle.ru/wiki/Troubleshooting:ka50:general

 

My shortcut is: ""F:\GAMES\DCS Black Shark\bin\stable\Launcher.exe" --console"

 

Fixed it perfectly, playing right now.

[dsobbe]

You need to run the game via a shortcut, found the answer by searching for the error (don't know why I didn't think of that before).

 

http://en.wiki.eagle.ru/wiki/Troubleshooting:ka50:general

 

My shortcut is: ""F:\GAMES\DCS Black Shark\bin\stable\Launcher.exe" --console"

 

Fixed it perfectly, playing right now.

 

Yes. The shortcut works great. But, it doesn't work in a batch file. I get the same error message. I'm trying to write a batch file that will start Black Shark and Voice Activated Commands, together. VAC works. Any ideas about getting Black Shark to load from a batch file?

[topdog]

It should work just the same, but we'd need to see your batch file and any error message or a description of what happens, to be able to see if there are any syntax or quoting issues.

[Scabbers]

Yes. The shortcut works great. But, it doesn't work in a batch file. I get the same error message. I'm trying to write a batch file that will start Black Shark and Voice Activated Commands, together. VAC works. Any ideas about getting Black Shark to load from a batch file?

 

 

Try writining an executable file instead of a batch. and do program calls. should work

[dsobbe]

It should work just the same, but we'd need to see your batch file and any error message or a description of what happens, to be able to see if there are any syntax or quoting issues.

 

Here's the batch file line I used. Currently, it's the only line in the file:

 

"C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\Ka-50\bin\stable\Launcher.exe" --console

 

I got this error window:

 

cannot open.\BlackShark\BlackShark.lua : No such file or directory

 

I also tried it with the Start command and got the same results. Also tried running it in a command window. Same result. The above batch file line is the path listed in the programs single player desktop shortcut. I cannot find a "BlackShark.lua" stated in the error message.

[topdog]

cd /d "C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\Ka-50"
bin\stable\Launcher.exe --console

 

Have to put the program's "current directory" to the expected place before starting the .exe.

[topdog]

Alternatively you might want to try using this in the batch file instead:

start "DCS:BS with VAC" /d "C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\Ka-50" bin\stable\launcher.exe --console

 

In both my cases though, I actually have to use bin\x86\stable\launcher.exe for it to work but otherwise it's just fine.

Edited September 17, 2010 by topdog

[dsobbe]

Topdog,

 

Both of the suggestions in your messages #8 and #9 work equally well, as written. I haven't written any batch files since my DOS 6.1 and 4DOS5 days and have to admit that these commands and switches are new to me. I guess I better hit the books again.

Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.

[dsobbe]

Topdog,

One more thing, if I may. I wrote the following Vista batch file using your information:

 

start "DCS:BS with VAC" /d "C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\Ka-50" bin\stable\launcher.exe --console

"C:\Program Files\VAC System\VACSystem.exe" MyShark.xml,True

taskkill /im VACSystem.exe

exit

 

BS and VAC load and run normally. When I close BS the desktop comes up with a command window showing the batch file stopped after loading VAC. BS is closed and VAC is still running. The taskkill command never runs. I think it's something obvious, but I just don't see it. Any ideas? :cry:

Thanks

[topdog]

If launcher.exe didn't keep closing and relaunching every mission, it would have been easy :) We could have just started vacsystem (letting the batch file continue) and then started blackshark with /wait so that when it closed, it then could execute the cleanup commands.

 

Whilst it's not perfect, if you really want the batch file to handle both the startup and the cleanup, it's probably best to do something like this:

 

start "DCS:BS with VAC" /d "C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\Ka-50" bin\stable\launcher.exe --console
[b]start [/b]"C:\Program Files\VAC System\VACSystem.exe" MyShark.xml,True
[b]pause[/b]
taskkill /im VACSystem.exe
exit

 

That should (hopefully) get vacsystem running and then wait at the pause line until you 'press any key to continue'. Since blackshark will be dominating the screen and input, until you close blackshark (or alt-tab to the command prompt) the screen should remain open. Once it is closed, you would just need to press some key to get it to finish cleaning up.

 

I think anything else would require a small app to monitor the state of blackshark because the reloading and switching between launcher.exe / simulator.exe processes means they don't persist reliably enough and will keep being assigned new process IDs. A batch file could be forced into looping around detecting this, but it wouldn't be CPU friendly.

[dsobbe]

topdog,

 

Your post #12 batch file almost worked. It wouldn't start VAC. After I added Start to the beginning of that line it started, but couldn't find the profile, MyShark. I then added "" after the Start command and everything now works as you described.

 

start "DCS:BS with VAC" /d "C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\Ka-50" bin\stable\launcher.exe --console

start "" "C:\Program Files\VAC System\VACSystem.exe" MyShark.xml,True

pause

taskkill /im VACSystem.exe

 

Black Shark and VAC are now seamless. You have saved me from overcomplicating a simple task. I hope I can return the favor sometime.

Thanks again for all your help.

Edited September 18, 2010 by dsobbe
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