AndrewT

While I'm not across console bugs very much, I think you'll find other reports of this here:

Stellaris: Console edition - Bug Reports

If you find a bug, report it! Please be as descriptive as possible and attach any pictures, error codes etc that can help... Read more

Ah, that is usually an antivirus app getting in the way. What antivirus app do you use? You need to make sure all these apps are in its exceptions lists:

ck3.exe (in the Steam CK3-binaries folder)
dowser.exe (in the Steam CK3-launcher folder)
C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2.2023.1.1/paradox launcher.exe
C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/bootstrapper-v2.exe

IF that doesn't help, also set each of those .exe files (EXCEPT ck3.exe !) to run as the Windows Admin user.

Then the game should run from Steam/our launcher, and enable all the DLCs.  

Not a game bug, so moved to tech support.  

Has this always happened on this machine since you've had this game? Or it was okay up to some point?

Any mods in use?

The similar game Crusader Kings 2 is free to play on Steam now - does it have a similar issue?  

Here is the clean reinstall process for this game:

- 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.

Good luck!  

This is still a current problem I'm afraid:

Mods enabled, yet not working after 1.6.0 update.

After I updated to the new 1.6.0 update, my mods stopped working for some reason. I tried disabling and re-enabling my mods, unsubb... Read more

We still see no graphics/display info in there! Something is seriously wrong in Windows here.

- uninstall your nVidia driver, and all other nVidia software
- reboot
- install the 2023 one https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us
- reboot again

I hope that does it!  

The launch option needs to be exactly like this
--pdxlDebug

with those leading dashes, thanks.  

Looks like you hit Save All Info too soon, as that dxdiag.txt is missing lots of information. Please wait for its progress bar to finish before doing that, thanks.

Also, Right click on stellaris.exe , properties, compatibility. Tick "disable fullScreen optimisations" untick every other box in that dialog, Apply and exit.
Then in the launcher Game Settings menu, select fullScreen display mode, Vsync off, refresh rate 60.

Any different?  

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

ASL Veteran said: The difference though is that this time the Dowser exe popped up and I clicked Yes

What question are you answering Yes to here? Is this from an AV app, or what exactly please?

I can't unzip those logs successfully.


Could you please do the following? It will generate a debug log that the launcher team can use to "deep dive" into what actually happens with the launcher.

Right click the game in question in Steam > Properties > Launch Options

• Paste in this: --pdxlDebug
• Run the game
...

Read more

I see. I still suggest that test with a VPN or mobile hotspot!  

Right click on stellaris.exe , properties, compatibility. Tick "disable fullScreen optimisations" untick every other box in that dialog, Apply and exit.
Then in the launcher Game Settings menu, select fullScreen display mode, 1920x1080, Vsync off, refresh rate 60.

Is that any better?  

As I said in your other thread, you need to check the Bug Reports forum for similar reports. We in tech support can do nothing about bugs, especially in the console edition.  

Does the game run from stellaris.exe okay?  

I don't know anything about diagnosing problems with particular Windows profiles I'm afraid.

My only further suggestion would be to do a Windows Reset, which is a lot to contemplate to get this game going properly, I know!  

Can you try disabling the Discord overlay, or even unloading that app altogether?

And unload this before starting the game
C:\Program Files\AMD\CNext\CNext\RadeonSoftware.exe

If that doesn't help, I have no idea why our older games have this issue on this hardware, but our newer ones don't. I guess there is some issues between it and the older Clausewitz versions perhaps? CK3, Vic3 and I:R all use similar and newer Clausewitz versions and the new Jomini framework. Which I am sure will not be back-ported to those older games!  

This looks different to the other cases we're looking into, despite similar symptoms:

2023-01-18T14:26:07.551Z (pid:70276) error [SteamService]: Failed to initialize Steam API: Error: Steam initialization failed. Steam is running,but steam_appid.txt is missing. Expected to find it in: ~\AppData\Local\Programs\Paradox Interactive\launcher-v2.2023.1.1\steam_appid.txt

That steam_appid.txt file does not exist on my system for this game either yet it works fine - I can only guess you have a bad installation somewhere along the line!

Let's try a clean reinstall of Steam, launcher and game:


- move any valued save games elsewhere
- "uninstall" in Steam-EU4
- exit the Steam app entirely
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/EU4 AND Documents/Paradox Int... Read more

Has this game ever worked on this machine? Or never yet?

What happens if you run stellaris.exe directly from File Explorer?

Do CK2, EU4 and HOI4 work or have this problem too?  

The vast majority of players of this game use the Steam edition. If all of them got this problem we'd know about it well before now!

There can also be firewalls in your internet router/modem, and your ISP. Can you connect this machine to the internet via a VPN, or failing that a mobile hotspot, and see if you still get this problem then?