[2021] Launching the game failed

The three files you mention above, plus steam.exe and ck3.exe , really should cover it.  

In the game launcher please set Display mode to Borderless.

IF that doesn't help, Install ALL these Microsoft modules:

Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86) from Official Microsoft Download Center

www.microsoft.com

Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 SP1 Redistributable Package (x64) from Official Microsoft Download Center

www.microsoft.com

Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable Update 3 RC from Official Microsoft Download Center

www.microsoft.com

Download DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) from Official Microsoft Download Center

www.microsoft.com (run dxsetup.exe after extracting from this download)

Add stellaris.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.

Also if you have FRAPS or the MSI Gaming App or Rivatuner installed, disable it as it clashes with this game.

If that doesn't help:
DXDIAG is a program you run from a command prompt or the Windows start menu 'run' dialog box (or 'search programs' in Windows 7 or later). After running it will open a window and start collecting info with a progress bar in the lower-left corner. When it completes click the 'save all information' button and save it to a file then attach that file here.

Please attach your Documents/Paradox/Stellaris/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox/Stellaris/logs/ folder, attach system.log , error.log .  

In the game launcher please set Display mode to Borderless.

THEN go here:

The latest supported Visual C++ downloads

This article lists the download links for the latest versions of Visual C++. support.microsoft.com And run the x86 and x64 installers there.

IF that doesn't help, Has the game ever run successfully on this computer? Or never?

IF IT USED TO RUN:
Please do a full **clean** re-install:

- move any valued save games elsewhere, and user_empire_designs.txt from /Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/ if you have made any custom empires or races.
- "uninstall" in Steam-Stellaris
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/Stellaris AND Documents/Paradox/Stellaris folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- add stellaris.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.
- start the game with no mods active and test

In particular you need to make sure there are no files or folders left under either the Steam Stellaris or Documents Stellaris locations, before installing again.


IF NEVER:
Install ALL these Microsoft modules:

Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86) from Official Microsoft Download Center

www.microsoft.com

Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 SP1 Redistributable Package (x64) from Official Microsoft Download Center

www.microsoft.com

Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable Update 3 RC from Official Microsoft Download Center

www.microsoft.com

Download DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) from Official Microsoft Download Center

www.microsoft.com (run dxsetup.exe after extracting from this download)


Add stellaris.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.

Also if you have FRAPS or the MSI Gaming App or Rivatuner installed, disable it as it clashes with this game.

If that doesn't help:
DXDIAG is a program you run from the Windows search box on the task bar. After running it will open a window and start collecting info with a progress bar in the lower-left corner. When it completes click the 'save all information' button and save it to a file then attach that file here.

Please attach your Documents/Paradox/Stellaris/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox/Stellaris/logs/ folder, attach system.log , error.log .  

In the game launcher please set Display mode to Borderless.

THEN go here:

Latest supported Visual C++ Redistributable downloads

This article lists the download links for the latest versions of Visual C++ Redistributable packages. support.microsoft.com And run the x86 and x64 installers there.

IF that doesn't help, Has the game ever run OK on this computer? Or never?

IF NEVER:
Install ALL these Microsoft modules:

Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86) from Official Microsoft Download Center

www.microsoft.com

Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 SP1 Redistributable Package (x64) from Official Microsoft Download Center

www.microsoft.com

Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable Update 3 RC from Official Microsoft Download Center

www.microsoft.com

Download DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) from Official Microsoft Download Center

www.microsoft.com (run dxsetup.exe after extracting from this download)

Add EU4.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.

Also if you have installed RivaTuner, RadeonPro, or a gaming VPN app called Evolve, or the MSI Gaming App, or Duet, disable it as it clashes with this game.


IF IT USED TO WORK:
Please do a full **clean** re-install:

- move any valued save games elsewhere
- "uninstall" in Steam-EU4
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/EU4 AND Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4 folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- add EU4.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.
- start the game with no mods active and test

In particular make sure there are no files or folders left under either the Steam EU4 or Documents EU4 locations, before installing again.

Also if you have installed RivaTuner, RadeonPro, or a gaming VPN app called Evolve, or the MSI Gaming App, or Duet, disable it as it clashes with this game.



IF NEITHER OF THOSE HELP:
Please attach your Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4/logs/ folder, attach system.log , error.log .  

If the game runs from eu4.exe then we are back to a launcher problem, although why you can run eu4.exe but it cannot I'm not sure.

What antivirus app do you use? You need to make sure all these apps are in its exceptions lists:

EU4.exe and dowser.exe (in the Steam Eu4 folder)
C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2.2021.3.1/paradox launcher.exe
C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/bootstrapper-v2.exe

If that doesn't help, you could try setting them all to run as the Windows Admin user too.  

In the game launcher please set Display mode to windowed. THEn go here:

The latest supported Visual C++ downloads

This article lists the download links for the latest versions of Visual C++. support.microsoft.com And run the x86 and x64 installers there

IF that doesn't help, Please do a full **clean** re-install:

- move any valued save games elsewhere
- "uninstall" in Steam-CK3
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/CK3 AND Documents/Paradox Interactive/CK3 folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- add CK3.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.
- start the game with no mods active and test

In particular make sure there are no files or folders left under either the Steam CK3 or Documents CK3 locations, before installing again.


If those don't help:
DXDIAG is a program you run from the Windows search box on the task bar. After running it will open a window and start collecting info with a progress bar in the lower-left corner. When it completes click the 'save all information' button and save it to a file then attach that file here.

Please attach here your Documents/Paradox Interactive/CK3/pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/CK3/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , error.log  

That Windows error means the folder you are deleting is not empty. If you can't delete the files in a folder something is very wrong here!

One possible workaround to that is renaming the parent folder instead.

What antivirus app do you use? Maybe it is getting in the way here.  

Has the game ever run successfully on this computer? Or never?

Please go here:

Latest supported Visual C++ Redistributable downloads

This article lists the download links for the latest versions of Visual C++ Redistributable packages. support.microsoft.com And run the x86 and x64 installers there.


Also if you have FRAPS or the MSI Gaming App or Rivatuner installed, disable it as it clashes with this game.

If that doesn't help:
DXDIAG is a program you run from the Windows search box on the task bar. After running it will open a window and start collecting info with a progress bar in the lower-left corner. When it completes click the 'save all information' button and save it to a file then attach that file here.

Please attach here your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/settings.txt
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , error.log .  

The game is crashing with a Windows error c06d007e, which is not a common one and I don't have a known answer for it I'm afraid.

May as well update that nVidia driver to August 2021:
Download Drivers | NVIDIA Then reboot, and run this Windows repair tool:

Use the System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted system files

Describes how to use the System File Checker tool to troubleshoot missing or corrupted system files in Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7 or Windows Vista. support.microsoft.com
Does that make any difference?  

In the game launcher please set Display mode to Borderless. THEN go here:

Latest supported Visual C++ Redistributable downloads

This article lists the download links for the latest versions of Visual C++ Redistributable packages. support.microsoft.com And run the x86 and x64 installers there.

IF that doesn't help, Please do a full **clean** re-install:

- move any valued save games elsewhere
- "uninstall" in Steam-EU4
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/EU4 AND Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4 folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- add EU4.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.
- start the game with no mods active and test

In particular make sure there are no files or folders left under either the Steam EU4 or Documents EU4 locations, before installing again.

Also if you have installed RivaTuner, RadeonPro, or a gaming VPN app called Evolve, or the MSI Gaming App, or Duet, disable it as it clashes with this game.


IF that doesn't help:
DXDIAG is a program you run from the Windows search box on the task bar. After running it will open a window and start collecting info with a progress bar in the lower-left corner. When it completes click the 'save all information' button and save it to a file then attach that file here.

Please attach here your Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , error.log .  

If you exit Steam and run eu4.exe by itself, do you see a Windows error when it fails then?

And you may as well update that AMD video driver to 2021:
http://support.amd.com/en-us/download  

So you have no problem now, is that right?  

What antivirus app do you use? You need to make sure all these apps are in its exceptions lists:



eu4.exe and dowser.exe (in the Steam EU4 folder)

C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2.2021.9/paradox launcher.exe

C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/bootstrapper-v2.exe



IF that does not help, also set all those .exe files (EXCEPT eu4.exe!) to run as the Windows Admin user.  

Sorry, I have no more idea on this problem now than I did back in August! I don't think I've had any other reports of that exact error since then.


Exit the Windows app and run stellaris .exe directly from File Explorer. I assume that also fails, any Windows error show? If that does fail then the problem cannot be anything to do with the launcher, as that is not involved.

Can I get new copies of all those files I asked for in post #2 please.

And please run the free utility Speccy. Send its output to a text file and attach that here too, thanks.  

Omni783 said: I am having a nearly similar issue. In my case I had played the game before. Then the next day it refused to launch. I got the game through Steam. I uninstalled it, then installed it through the launcher. I was told by a friend that this might fix it. It did not. I am going to try a earlier version of the game and see if that does the trick.

If it does not help please make your own new thread, with full problem history and system details. Thanks.  

That is usually an antivirus app getting in the way , or a file permissions issue. What antivirus app do you use? You need to make sure all these apps are in its exceptions lists:

eu4.exe and dowser.exe (in the Steam EU4 folder)
C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2.2021.9/paradox launcher.exe
C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/bootstrapper-v2.exe

IF that does not help, also set all those .exe files (EXCEPT eu4.exe!) to run as the Windows Admin user.  

Axmann!! said: I don't have a antivirus app

In that case Windows defender is active. Please add those items I listed to its Ransomware-Apps Allowed Through list.


IF that doesn't help, in this folder are some .log files:
C:/users//AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
Please attach them here.  

I see some permissions errors in there. Please try this:

- uninstall Paradox Launcher v2 from the Windows "Apps and features" utility, if still present.

Delete the following folders if still present:

- C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/
- C:/users//AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/
- C:/users//AppData/Roaming/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
To see the AppData folder you'll need to enable View Hidden Items in File Explorer.

- exit the Steam app entirely
- run steam.exe as the Windows Admin user
- run the game from the PLAY button in Steam

IF that doesn't help, in this folder are some .log files:
C:/users//AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
Please attach them here.  

The same "bootstrapper requires elevation" message as in your post #3 above, are you saying? Because the matching message in the log files is gone now, as it should be.  

Let's try forcing an update of the launcher.

Download the installer package: https://forumcontent.paradoxplaza.com/emailsignatures/2021.8-win-prod.zip

Unpack the file you just downloaded and place the three files in the Steam folder for the game you're having issues with. If asked if you want to replace already existing files click "yes" - that's a sign you are in the right place!

Then please repeat the launcher reinstall procedure from before.

Good luck with that!  

What antivirus app do you use? You need to make sure all these apps are in its exceptions lists:

EU4.exe and dowser.exe (in the Steam Eu4 folder)
C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2.2021.9/paradox launcher.exe
C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/bootstrapper-v2.exe

If that doesn't help, you could try setting them all (EXCEPT eu4.exe !) to run as the Windows Admin user too.  

Can I get the new launcher logs please.  

BloxWare said: I need help it doesn't worked. I allowed it through fire wall and I even did a whole clean restart. It still doesn't work I am panicking pls help.

We don't even know you have the same problem as the others in this thread. That's why it is usually best to make your own new thread with full problem history and system details.

What are your exact symptoms please?  

avciaytac said: Same here. Game is not working. I did everything you wrote. I am using win 10 btw.

Please start your own new thread, with full problem history and system details, thanks.  

In the game launcher please set Display mode to Borderless. THEN go here:

Latest supported Visual C++ Redistributable downloads

This article lists the download links for the latest versions of Visual C++ Redistributable packages. support.microsoft.com And run the x86 and x64 installers there.

IF that doesn't help, Has the game ever run OK on this computer? Or never?

IF NEVER:
Install ALL these Microsoft modules:

Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Service Pack 1 Redistributable Package MFC Security Update from Official Microsoft Download Center

www.microsoft.com

Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable Update 3 RC from Official Microsoft Download Center

www.microsoft.com

Download DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) from Official Microsoft Download Center

www.microsoft.com (run dxsetup.exe after extracting this download to its own folder anywhere on your computer)

Add EU4.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.

Also if you have installed RivaTuner, RadeonPro, or a gaming VPN app called Evolve, or the MSI Gaming App, or Duet, disable it as it clashes with this game.


IF IT USED TO WORK:
Please do a full **clean** re-install:

- move any valued save games elsewhere
- "uninstall" in Steam-EU4
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/EU4 AND Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4 folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- add EU4.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.
- start the game with no mods active and test

In particular make sure there are no files or folders left under either the Steam EU4 or Documents EU4 locations, before installing again.

Also if you have installed RivaTuner, RadeonPro, or a gaming VPN app called Evolve, or the MSI Gaming App, or Duet, disable it as it clashes with this game.

IF that doesn't help:
DXDIAG is a program you run from the Windows search box on the task bar. After running it will open a window and start collecting info with a progress bar in the lower-left corner. When it completes click the 'save all information' button and save it to a file then attach that file here.

Please attach here your Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/EU4/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , error.log , exceptions.log  

Nyearsbronze said: I downloaded all of them, but I still cannot play the game.

Just downloading them does nothing, you need to actually run what you downloaded so the modules get installed. Did you do that?


Plus you are getting lots of crashes in nVidia software there, so do a clean reinstall:

- uninstall the nVidia driver and all other nVidia software
- reboot
- install the latest by fresh download https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us
- reboot again


If that doesn't help, attach here new copies of those files. Then run eu4.exe directly from File Explorer, what happens?  

You are now getting crashes in a different nVidia module. Did you uninstall ALL nVidia software and reboot, before installing the driver again?

Also we see Windows update errors in there. Run the Update utility, apply everything it finds to fix, and eboot again.

Good luck!