Game Still Won't Open, all proposed solutions attempted

[StrongVincent]

Hi there,

 

I just picked up UGCW in the Steam Winter Sale, having previously enjoyed the Gettysburg game.  However, I am having real trouble with opening the game.  When I click to play the game, Steam tells me that the game is running, as does the Task Manager; the game icon appears in the task bar and the menu music plays, but the window will not open.

 

I have attempted the solutions on the 'Game Won't Open' thread, but they don't work.  Even the crash reporter doesn't open.  I notice that someone else has posted about what seems like the same problem on the UGCW Steam technical support forum, but no one has stepped forward with a solution.

 

I'm really keen to play the game - please help!

[sterner]

Did you try to repair 2010 vcredist for x86 and x64? Another possible issue is video drivers update.

[StrongVincent]

Thanks for the quick response.  Yeah, I did repair the vcredist for both x86 and x64, but the problem remains the same.  I'm not sure about video drivers (sorry - I'm not particularly computer literate).  My graphics card is the Nvidia GeForce GT755m, and I'm using the most up to date driver (version 388.71) which was released 2017.12.20.  I did follow the instructions for uninstalling this driver, restarting my PC, then downloading the driver again, but it still didn't work.  Would reverting to the previous driver work?  (not sure how I would do that, but could find out!)

[Nick Thomadis]

Did you follow exactly these instructions? Can you please confirm?

2. Install Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x64) or (x86)

You can find these files in our game folder, usually found in:
C:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Ultimate General Civil War\_CommonRedist\vcredist\2010

or download them from Microsoft: 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5555

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=14632

Launch BOTH FILES x64 and x86.
Sometimes Steam doesn't automatically install but these are required files to run our game.

[StrongVincent]

Hi Nick,

 

I can confirm that I launched both files.  When that didn't work I uninstalled both files, then downloaded them again from the links provided and installed them.  The problem still remains - the program is running according to Steam and the Task Manager and the task bar, the music is audible, but the game isn't actually open.

[A. P. Hill]

When Task Manager displays the game as running, click on the game and tell Task Master to "End Program".  

Also with the updates, depending on what they are, and I think the Visual C++ requires it, you need to "Restart" your computer immediately after to allow the programs to take effect. Personally, I do a cold boot.  Take your computer to a completely dark and cold state, (as in turn it completely off,) then re-start the computer after it has sat for a minute or so to allow all electronic retention to drain.

Also may be an idea that you go to steam, and uninstall the program, then go to your steamapps folder and find the UGCW folder in the common folder, and delete all the remaining stuff there.  Then go back to steam and reinstall.   After that, you can attempt a verification process from steam as well.

 

Good Luck.

[StrongVincent]

Found a fix thanks to DARTIS's comment on Steam.  I'll repost here for those interested:

 

Thank you DARTIS! That last suggestion fixed it (sorry - it all seems so simple now!).
For those interested, I did the following:
1. Switched by PC graphics display resolution down from the recommended 1920x1080 to 1680x1050.
2. Opened the game successfully through Steam.
3. Used the game's options menu to switch the resolution back up to 1920x1080.
4. Then switched by PC graphics display resolution back up to 1920x1080.

It works fine now. Thanks again!

[Nick Thomadis]

Very happy to know, I will add this solution to the list!

[ariete]

hi and excuse me

my home pc OS is win XP SP3 with netframework 4 and the visual c++ 2005, 2008, 2010 installed.

i tried all the notes suggested in this forum to make it work but game doesn't launch after installation, except this last about resolution. what i have to set? a screen resolution of 1680x1050 ?

because in the notebook i use for internet, with installed windows 7 , game works,  i checked time ago the differences beetween the 2 PCs (net framework 4.5 instead 4, but for XP is the last possible version, the visual c++  versions installed which i added in my home pc), so now i'm checking the screen resolution, as suggested here in the last post, and is in my notebook 1366 x 768 against the 1024 x 768 in my home pc.

sorry ignorance, do i have to install flash player on my home pc with windows XP ? if yes which version

• Download Flash Player for Internet Explorer - ActiveX
• Download Flash Player for Firefox and Netscape Plug-In compatible applications – NPAPI
• Download Flash Player for Opera and Chromium based applications – PPAPI

thank you

 

Edited February 7, 2018 by ariete

[A. P. Hill]

@ariete

XP is no longer supported O.S. by Microsoft.  I also suspect that the game does not support XP either based on your comments.

[Hjalfnar_Feuerwolf]

On Steam the game descriptions states the oldest supported OS ist Windows 7 32bit. So no WinXP support.

[ariete]

thank you gents!

[A. P. Hill]

Time to go buy a new computer with a new O.S.   I run Windows 10 Pro with absolutely no issues.  (in game or otherwise.)  

[Hjalfnar_Feuerwolf]

Well, I've upgraded my PC multiple times over the past years (though it is reaching its limit) and it started of with WinVista (pre-installed), was upgraded to Win7 and later upgraded to Win10. So, why would you keep using XP, as today a computer with an internet connection and Windows XP is nothing more than a giant "HI I WANT TO GET HACKED; SCAMMED AND ABUSED AS A BOT!" sign for any black hat out there.

[ariete]

i still play old games like sid meier's antietam, civil war geneals 2, even conquest of the new world with DOSbox .. in other terms, my favourite games are from 1996 to 2003 (blitzkrieg I) - 2005 (take command second manassas) .. i could open myself to the 2012 just for scourge of war gettysburg, at least ... anyway, ultimate general gettysburg is the exception ! but sure i don't go to change the best windows OS ever made to play just ultimate general civil war, rather i was thinking to buy an hub for this notebook to connect mouse and keyboard and so use my 22'' monitor. Because i'm a natural anacronistic, in love for the past, and this about everything in my life, music, movies, and, despite the great graphical level reached, also about pc games, i don't need to switch a new OS which could just cause issues when i would go to run the old games i play.

rather !! why i don't have an internet connection but i'm with an internet key with a limited bundle ? because i'm poor of mind .. surely not an example to follow

ciao guys and grazie ancora ..

Edited February 16, 2018 by ariete

[Hjalfnar_Feuerwolf]

Ah ok...well my alltime favourites are C&C1/2/Generals, Fallout 2 and the DoW series. By now I have become an expert in looking up fixes and workaround via Google to get them running on a new OS. Funny enough you usually find a way, and as WinXP is not really working with any of the games I play most of the time nowadays (CK2, EU4, UGCW, Panzer Corps, TW:Warhammer2,HoI3,WoWs,Stellaris) and it is just not save for someone using the internet to such an extend as I do...and old OS is not really an option.