AndrewT

I don't know how this problem could occur as you describe in one Window user profile but not another, unless there are still some game, mod or launcher files left in your original Windows user profile folders.  

In your reinstalls, did you make 100% sure there are no files or folders left under either the GoG Stellaris or Documents GoG locations, before installing again?

If you run stellaris.exe from File Explorer does the same thing happen?


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 , exceptions.log  

Local saves are held in Documents/Paradox Interactive/CK3/save games/

Cloud saves are visible here

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I'm not across the known bugs in the console edition I'm afraid. Can you see this posted in Bug Reports here?  

Please try the following:

- assuming these are Steam mods, make a collection in the Steam workshop including them all
- unsubscribe from all mods in BOTH the Steam Workshop and the Paradox mod site mods.paradoxplaza.com
- delete the folder Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/mod/
- delete the file Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/mods_registry.json (if present)
- delete the file Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/launcher-v2.sqlite (if present)
- run the game up and check the launcher is okay with no mod or other errors
- subscribe to that collection
- run the game up and see if it is okay now

I hope that does it for you!  

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 th... Read more

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

- exit the Epic app entirely
- run EpicGamesLauncher.exe as the Windows Admin user
- run the game from the Epic client

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

Note that you can run eu4.exe directly from File Explorer, which bypasses the launcher.  

Then either there are still game, mod or launcher files left in your original Windows user profile folders, OR that profile is bugged or corrupted in some way.

I can't think of anything else that could cause this to you!  

allimagater said: I'm having the same issue but without the "moving to a new harddrive" problem.
My CK3 will not load. I have reinstalled and verified multiple times.
It gets to the first loading screen and crashes everytime.

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

I don't know then.

What if you make a new Windows user on this machine and log into it with that?  

Betnicjac said: I appear to be suffering the same problem even after following those steps but is there a way I can uninstall the Launcher and then reinstall it?

Those steps are up in post #6 above.  

Probably time to employ the thermo-nuclear option then, I'm sorry!

- 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 active and test
- now try the mods

Good luck!  

I don't know then. You should be on launcher 2023.1.1 now, is that right?

If so, Please try the following:

- unsubscribe from all mods in BOTH the Steam Workshop and the Paradox mod site mods.paradoxplaza.com
- delete the folder Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/mod/
- delete the file Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/mods_registry.json (if present)
- delete the file Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/launcher-v2.sqlite (if present)
- run the game up and check the launcher is okay with no mod or other errors
- 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!  

Betnicjac said: All good, I restarted my PC and it has downloaded but I am now having difficulties with the mods, even though they are downloaded they are taking a ridiculous amount of time to show up in the launcher and the launcher shows that is trying to "load" something in "All Installed Mods" section. (PC is newly built so it was a fresh installation.)

Please try the following:

- unsubscribe from all mods in BOTH the Steam Workshop and the Paradox mod site mods.paradoxplaza.com
- delete the folder Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/mod/
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A launcher update cannot affect the names or contents of saved game files. Indeed it's hard to see how you could get a Paradox launcher update while playing, as the launcher is unloaded when the game starts!

So far as I know, there is no visibility into the Epic cloud storage, but you could ask them about that.

In general uncorrupting any computer file is like unscrambling an egg (ie impossible), but I suppose it is possible those files only have a minor glitch that some judicious editing could conceivably fix. The good folks over in User Mods probably have the most experience in editing save game files.  

Does that Steam verify process find anything to fix?

If so, my guess is one or more of your mods is (incorrectly) putting or changing files in the game's folder, instead of the mod folder.  

besham said: Support directed me here for help from the developers.

Are you sure it was here? A game bug would normally be posted in the Bug Reports forum ... and yes, they'll need the affected save game file there.  

Betnicjac said: View attachment 936946 No anti-virus popups, attempted to verify files, I am now attempting to reinstall and see what happens but this is quite annoying. I have even attempted to manually install the launcher, nothing appears to be working.

Are you on Windows 11? if so, is it a clean installation of it, not an update from Win10? If so, that's starting to look... Read more

As you can see here, it's being worked on:

Paradox games not working on Steam Deck after Launcher Update

My Paradox Launcher (started from Steam) updated itself on my Steam Deck and now all Pa... Read more

If you can run ck3.exe but the launcher can't, 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.