Game doesnt launch anymore for some reason

Aeraaa · #1 November 21st, 2013, 01:09 PM

I've encountered a problem yesterday with WinSPWW2. All of a sudden it failed to launch, saying that the WINVFX.DLL file is missing from the PC and recommended reinstalling. I did so but the same problem exists. Any suggestions?

DRG · #2 November 21st, 2013, 01:27 PM

Let me guess............Vista or win 7 ??

what the game is looking for is WINVFX8.DLL. Is it in the main game folder ?

There is NOTHING the game would have done to remove that file so what did your computer do yesterday ?

Don

Aeraaa · #3 November 21st, 2013, 01:34 PM

Windows 7.

I cant recall installing or deleting anything that would have justified the lack of that DLL, that's the biggest problem. It was almost out of the blue.

Oh, I forgot. WinSPMBT runs just fine, that's the weirdest part!!!

DRG · #4 November 21st, 2013, 01:53 PM

Then I suggest you copy the WINVFX8.DLL from MBT into the main folder of WW2

Aeraaa · #5 November 21st, 2013, 02:03 PM

I cant find it, any ideas where is it?

DRG · #6 November 21st, 2013, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aeraaa

I cant find it, any ideas where is it?

Did you search your entire HD for that file ?? If you say MBT runs then it HAS TO BE in the main game folder just as I said in my previous post

Mobhack · #7 November 21st, 2013, 02:04 PM

Well, if it was working before and now it is not - then its the result of something you, or your computer did. Maybe you ran some sort of clean-up software, you renamed some folder, or your anti-virus loaded new definitions that have borked it, or whatever.

'Missing' to windows may also mean that the DLL file is corrupted - e.g. by disk errors. That will require that you run your normal Windows disk maintenance software, and if the files were corrupted - re installation after you have done that.

The WinVFX DLL is installed in the initial main game installation, and isn't changed by any subsequent patch install - so the default user error of installing a patch to the wrong path wont be the case here. Windows file management wont "lose" it for you. But you have had the game running and presumably properly installed and patched per the instructions in a file path outside the "managed" hierarchy, so that source of error should not apply anyway.

First quick fix - copy the winvfx DLL file found in the MBT folder, paste on top of the one in the WW2 folder and see if that works. If it does - you definitely had some file corruption in the WW2 folder area, so do the disk clean-up and reinstall WW2 (and any other programmes that may be going dodgy due to the disk errors).

Also - if you had disk errors, make a copy of any data files you consider important onto a separate back-up store (I use a cheap plug-in USB hard drive for that) - just in case its a warning of the imminent 'click of death' on your main hard drive.

Mobhack · #8 November 21st, 2013, 05:07 PM

If you have your computer set up as the default to "hide file extensions" - then set it to show all of them. (This is a very good idea for security anyway so you can see if an attachment is a disguised EXE file..)

If you have your computer set up to the default "hide system files" then its probably going to not show you any DLLS etc. So set it up to show all file types.

(I forget what Mickeysofts exact terminology for those boneheaded system defaults are, as I change them on the first installation of any new PC right away.)

Aeraaa · #9 November 21st, 2013, 06:24 PM

Dear God, After I finally found that goddamn file and copied it to WinSPWW2, now it says the w32sal.dll file is missing!

Thanks for the tips guys btw.

Aeraaa · #10 November 22nd, 2013, 09:10 AM

OK finally solved it the brutal way, deleted/unistalled everything and reinstalled from scratch. But boy, was it annoying!