AndrewT

Not a problem, no need to apologise! You weren't to know.

All the best!  

That error usually means a bad or missing Microsoft module, commonly Visual C++.

Please Install ALL these Microsoft modules:

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

... Read more

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 M... Read more

Was there no cpatch.log in that folder?

Try uninstalling the existing installation of Paradox Launcher v2 with the free utilities Ccleaner and Revo Uninstaller. Then also use MS's own tool for that job:

Fix problems that block programs from being installed or removed

The Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter helps you automatically repair issues when you're blocked from installing or removing programs. ... Read more

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

What antivirus app do you use? 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

If you exit the Steam app and run stellaris.exe directly from File Explorer, do you get a Windows error when it fails then? Or what happens?  

In this folder are some .log files:
C:/users//AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
Please attach them here.  

For the GPU temps, try reducing the frame rate cap from 144 to say 72 or even 60 - that should be fine for a non-action game like this.


If the problem is mainly the CPU , then it's a clear cooling system issue IMO, as there's nothing we can tweak in the game to reduce the CPU usage.

Clean out all air vents it has (compressed air cans are good for this). Make sure airflow to them is not blocked by anything like walls, books or whatever.
If that doesn't drop the temps enough, you probably have a faulty fan or a heatsink/thermal paste problem. You may need professional help at that point.  

Is that the CPU or GPU temp, or both?

What temps do you see before starting the game, and in the main game menu?

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  

Please try the following:

- unsubscribe from all mods
- delete the folder Documents/Paradox Interactive/ck3/mod/
- delete the file Documents/Paradox Interactive/ck3/mods_registry.json (if present)
- delete the file Documents/Paradox Interactive/ck3/launcher-v2.sqlite

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. You should add steam.exe and C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2.2021.6/paradox launcher.exe to that list.

- subscribe to a few mods
- run the game up and see if those mods are now available to you.

I hope that does it for you!  

I have no explanation for that affecting two people in the same family, but so far as I know no one else in the world! But it has nothing to do with DLCs.

Are you 100% sure they are not choosing 3.0.2 in the Steam betas tab? They have opted out of ALL betas in that screen?


If so 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 Interactive/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 particu... Read more

Ah, the infamous Open NUL issue!

If you are okay with using the registry editor.

Run regedit.exe and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/ControlSet001/Services/Null . Check the Start key there. If that has a value of anything but 2 (usually 4), please change it to 2. Exit regedit and reboot, then Please try this:

- exit the Steam app entirely
- 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.

- 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 .lo... Read more

This affects CK3 and HOI4 also, see here:

CK3 and Stellaris offline for long on GeForce Now + related pre-order DLC problem

Dear all, I would like to point o... Read more

Yahyud said: it says that CK3 created 82 threads for a 16 thread system. If that's not normal behaviour, maybe that's part of the problem?

I have no idea in all honesty, not something I've looked into ever. But surely then that would affect my machine - indeed everyone's - as well as yours?

...

Read more

No, but there is a backup save in Documents/Paradox Interactive/CK3/ folder called last_save.ck3 - BUT only if you have not tried starting any new campaign since the problem happened.

Good luck!  

I think the white dots affect everyone, me included. Not sure why the devs have not fix it yet! Maybe it's harder than it looks.  

The GPU is involved in opening menus of course ... but if you don't think it's the GPU, what else could it be? You are sure there is no other component brought over from the old machine that also had this?  

My guess is there's a Steam problem causing this for you, as we haven't had other reports like this in the 2 years since this thread.


Please do a full **clean** re-install of Steam and game:

- 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
- exit the Steam app entirely
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/Stellaris AND Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris folders

- delete everything in the Steam folder EXCEPT steam.exe and the SteamApps folder
- run steam.exe to rebuild all that

- 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 ... Read more

Using a different client does not affect the game's MP functions at all. What it does do is make a second installation of the game, so if the problem is a corrupted installation under Steam that could conceivably help.  

I just tried your save file here on two machines. On my iMac a month flew by in about 2 seconds, on my modest PC about 4 seconds.

The save file loaded in maybe 10 seconds on both.

So I conclude there's something wrong in your game installation, your Windows or hardware! Yet as you had it on a previous machine, that only leaves the GPU ....


Do you have access to any other machine to try this on? Or another GPU you can swap in?  

Aside from high fps rates what kind of things are you looking to improve or increase? Do you actively want a frame rate over 60, or 120?



That aside, from that error log you may have a corrupted installation. 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 Interactive/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 ... Read more