Looking for Windows tech expert help on why a PC game won't launch

[Maviarab]

Ok, will preface this with:

Win 10 64, NVidia GPU, all my actual PC games (so not Ren'py VN's and such) are installed to C:\Games\ (in case this matters).

I'll also preface this by saying this is concenring KotoR 1 and Kotor 2 (and yes, I know about all the supposed fixes and ini changes blah blah..this isn't the issue) using manual GOG download/install.
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So, both Kotor 1 & 2 will only open using the desktop shortcuts (or by using the 'launch game' button right after installation).

Right click open/double clicking the exe...games won't launch.
Pin exe to start...games won't launch.
Using start menu entries....games won't launch.
Move the shortcut and try that...games won't launch. (this would actually be an acceptable fix for me)
Pin the shortcut....game won't launch.
In fact...pretty much anything else other than using the desktop shortcut....you guessed it...the games won't launch. Don't even create a momentary entry in processes. Nothing.

Now, I like to think I'm pretty tech/windows savvy but can anyone possibly explain what the deal is here/why this is happening? The shortcuts both point to the exe in the game folders that won't launch, permissions are the same, nothing seems unusual or out of the ordinary...at all, so what is so special about either a) the shortcut or b) the desktop particularly?

Again, yes I've read all the threads on reddit and everywhere else regarding the issues these two games have with launch issues/immediate crashes etc. The gameds will launch and play fine...just through the shortcut. I really wanted to use the GOG version (I dislike Steam in general though the Steam version suffers all the same issues as the GOG version), my next PC build won't have a disc drive and it just saves having to mess about with update patches and no-cd cracks for the physical copies (which work perfectly fine).

Any help would be great...even if it's just an understanding of the why.

 

[Winterfire]

Sounds like your shortcuts have special arguments ("path"--args), could that be the case? Otherwise, when weird stuff happens, it's often related to special characters in the directory path, C:/Games is a good start, but how's the game folder called? I seem to recall bioware liked to put "tm" in their game folder, that symbol will break most stuff.
Finally, another thing you could try is temporarily disable your antivirus.

 

[Maviarab]

Sounds like your shortcuts have special arguments ("path"--args), could that be the case? Otherwise, when weird stuff happens, it's often related to special characters in the directory path, C:/Games is a good start, but how's the game folder called? I seem to recall bioware liked to put "tm" in their game folder, that symbol will break most stuff.
Finally, another thing you could try is temporarily disable your antivirus.

Thanks for reply:

No special paths ("C:\Games\Star Wars - KotOR\swkotor.exe")..nothing weird or unusual. Same with Start In: path.
No weirdness from install folder either.
No running AV (I'm very, very selective about where I go/what I DL/do on the net etc).....in my experience AV's cause more issues than than they generally fix (and in some cases are more malware themselves than they claim to remove). Defender and something like ASC/or Equiv once a week is more than enough for the majority of people. So, before you ask, no, no virus present either that might be interfering with it heh.

This is also GOG install...rather than disc/direct from BW (which actually works perfectly fine as it happens)...but even if installing to C was an issue...or some weird character in the file path...surely then the shortcut wouldn't work either or am I misundersting how that would work?

 

[Penumbral Evanescence]

so what is so special about either a) the shortcut or b) the desktop particularly?

Just a thought, have you tried right-clicking the shortcut and selecting troubleshoot compatibility?

Try recommended settings to see if that launches the game up.

Second option: Are you running a multi-monitor setup? Did you install the GOG version of KOTOR 1/2 from your main monitor? If so, don't move the shortcut around after the fresh install. Just run the .exe from the main monitor where you had originally installed Kotor 1 and 2 to see if that helps or not.

 

[Maviarab]

Just a thought, have you tried right-clicking the shortcut and selecting troubleshoot compatibility?

Hey Pen..you may have misunderstood...only the desktop shortcut works. From the shortcut, no compat settings are selected at all. So the shortcut works fine without having to run as admin, use any compat settings for earlier Windows versions etc (all usual issues with these games which don't help on the main exe btw).

Second option: Are you running a multi-monitor setup? Did you install the GOG version of KOTOR 1/2 from your main monitor?

Yes I am....yes I did.

Ok, not something I'd thought about, interestingly, moving the shortcut to my second monitor, doesn't launch the game. Dragging back to main monitor, works fine again. Displays are extended if that makes any difference but I keep my taskbar on monitor 1 (as set up in windows, so the left side monitor) and shortcuts are on the right hand side monitor (monitor 2 in Windows - neither are 'set' as the main display in Windows, I just call the right hand side one which is larger my main moniter).

And yes, I appreciate I could just accept it as it is, it works from the shortcuts, but I despise shortcuts and have not had a desktop shortcut (on either monitor) for over 10 years...at this point I'm more interested/curious in the why/what is happening as it's baffling and makes no sense (to me).. I've already bought the disc versions of the game again yesterday (I know they work perfectly and stupidly sold them some years ago), just extra hassle using them long term (creating ISO images/installing update patches/no-cd crack for them etc etc as next PC build will not be having a disc drive).

EDIT:

Thank you Penumbral Evanescence . seems you are on the right track, not something I'd even considered. Switching off the left side monitor (No.1 in Windows display props) forcing everything back to my main display (No.2 in display props) double clicking the swtor.exe.....launches the game....hallelujah. Also (if it helps), dragging the folder from monitor 1 to monitor 2....and opening the exe....also launches/starts the game.

Now, as said before, I keep taskbar on left monitor (1), have folders open on that monitor, use that monitor for browsers etc etc. Main monitor (2) is only used for games/films etc etc....they all open automatically on that monitor (as do most apps and installers by default). So, in your more expert opinion than mine...what's actually the issue/going on here? (I'm actually quite happy right now, as can just drag the C:\Games folder to main monitor and open game and everything tickety-boo...can still use other monitor for browsers and/or whatever).

But why is this happening? What does dragging the folder from one display to the other....eehh...why is that making a difference?

 

[Penumbral Evanescence]

But why is this happening? What does dragging the folder from one display to the other....eehh...why is that making a difference?

Glad to hear that your issue has been resolved

To the exact reason why: It's pretty simple actually.

It should come as to no surprise for you and many others, that older legacy apps and games from the early-mid 2000s are not really configured to read from and/or handle multiple-screen displays.

That is why you need to keep the file path location of the game all centralized on one repository, rather than move around the shortcut .exe that often. I.e., if the GOG installer was on the main monitor and the shortcut/window of the directory with the exe was opened in the second monitor instead of the main one, the game would crash and/or not even start up.

Reason for the non-startup: It's essentially trying to run on the main monitor with the settings from monitor 2. So there is a mismatch in-game settings and resolution which is what is causing the problem of the shortcut not running as it should. I.e., when it was trying to detect your monitor, there may have been issues with how the refresh rate was configured on one monitor vs the other. and hence the shortcut was not able to execute properly and the display was never able to showcase the game on either of your monitors.

So, basically just keep the C:\Games folder from your GOG KOTOR 1/ KOTOR 2 to your main monitor and run from there from here on out. If there are any issues just lmk and I can see what I can do to troubleshoot from there, within reason of course, given that is has been a bit since my last Windows troubleshooting escapades

 

[Maviarab]

Well...not exactly 'resolved' in the truest sense but getting there....

It should come as to no surprise for you and many others, that older legacy apps and games from the early-mid 2000s are not really configured to read from and/or handle multiple-screen displays.

Yet it ONLY happens with the KotoR games...games from mid 90's don't have this issue...it's just these two. I'ma put it down to windows being windows and weird code specifically from Bioware with KotoR (given Obsidian pretty much use the ame code for the second game).

That is why you need to keep the file path location of the game all centralized on one repository, rather than move around the shortcut .exe that often. I.e., if the GOG installer was on the main monitor and the shortcut/window of the directory with the exe was opened in the second monitor instead of the main one, the game would crash and/or not even start up.

Reason for the non-startup: It's essentially trying to run on the main monitor with the settings from monitor 2. So there is a mismatch in-game settings and resolution which is what is causing the problem of the shortcut not running as it should. I.e., when it was trying to detect your monitor, there may have been issues with how the refresh rate was configured on one monitor vs the other. and hence the shortcut was not able to execute properly and the display was never able to showcase the game on either of your monitors.

I'm actually curious now what would/will happen if I reinstall it...but when the installer window pops up (it will pop up on monitor 2)....if I move the installer window to monitor 1, then click install...what exactly would happen hehehe.....would the game open from the folder (on monitor 1) but open like everything else on monitor 2? Will it launch the game on monitor 1?

I'm gonna try it...for reasons...just to see hahaha.

 

[Penumbral Evanescence]

reinstall it...but when the installer window pops up (it will pop up on monitor 2)....if I move the installed window to monitor 1, then click install...what exactly would happen hehehe

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, I guess (and this is just me speculating/thinking out loud here) that it would unpack the game files on the monitor where the installer window initially popped up on. So in this case, monitor 2. I think simply moving the installer window won't make much of a difference if the initial installer source files are all on Monitor 2's desktop view.

windows being windows and weird code specifically from Bioware with KotoR (given Obsidian pretty much use the ame code for the second game).

Yeah, that is understandable. Many games have weird code embedded in them and are a pain to get set up in a Windows OS environment. Some publishers like Bioware probably didn't configure/test the system files and didn't envision how the game would be optimized/futureproofed for more recent OS/Graphics Cards/Rigs, etc. So yeah, Windows 10 running older games can have the tendency for some nonsensical happenstances to occur from time to time.

 

[Goeffel]

this was interesting. never heard about such problem before.

am just posting because this:

just extra hassle using them long term (creating ISO images/installing update patches/no-cd crack for them etc etc as next PC build will not be having a disc drive

no need for no-CD cracks, just run a virtual CD drive to load your image(s) into.
I mostly ever used imDisk since I did not like forgot-what with daemon tools.

 

[Maviarab]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, I guess (and this is just me speculating/thinking out loud here) that it would unpack the game files on the monitor where the installer window initially popped up on. So in this case, monitor 2. I think simply moving the installer window won't make much of a difference if the initial installer source files are all on Monitor 2's desktop view.

Well, you'll be heartily pleased to know...doing that made absolutely no difference

no need for no-CD cracks, just run a virtual CD drive to load your image(s) into.
I mostly ever used imDisk since I did not like forgot-what with daemon tools.

Far as I recall, this won't work on KotoR's particularly weird version of SecuROM and will always require either the disc or a no-cd. Virtual Drive does not (or certainly didn't in the past) work for these 2 titles. I know the 'collection' release (which had both games together) was fully patched...but not sure if that particular version still retained the DRM of the earlier disc versions. That aside, finding a copy of that outside the US is like searching for rocking horse shit heh. Again, I was just trying to save a little hassle (done anything but hahah) and the GoG version is just simpler. I have a workaround...not perfect...but it is what it is...I'm still obsessed though with what exactly is happening with this game...it's just annoying me know, even if never have a full fix...I'd still like to know the what/why.

It is weird....KotoR 1 and 2 have always been fussy and weird games to play, even when they were new. Newer PC's, 64bit architecture has just made them even more of a nightmare to get working properly....even on the GoG/Steam releases...they are still a huge pita. However, my issue...never experienced it before over hundreds of games, either physical or digital, newer or even older games..I'm actually not surprised this is an issue with this particular title lol.

I may actually reinstall the disc versions and see if the problem persists, it never used to using those so maybe a recent(ish) Windows update over the last few years has caused some more odd/annoying issues *shrugs*.

 

[Penumbral Evanescence]

doing that made absolutely no difference

 

[Maviarab]

Hehehehehe xD

Seriously though dude, I appreciate your time and help on this. We may not truly know exactly what is going on but least we kinda figured out where the problem actually is/was and can side-step it. Thanks

 

[Penumbral Evanescence]

Hehehehehe xD

Seriously though dude, I appreciate your time and help on this. We may not truly know exactly what is going on but least we kinda figured out where the problem actually is/was and can side-step it. Thanks

You're very welcome. Happy to be of service in any way that I possibly can!

 

[anne O'nymous]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, I guess (and this is just me speculating/thinking out loud here) that it would unpack the game files on the monitor where the installer window initially popped up on. So in this case, monitor 2. I think simply moving the installer window won't make much of a difference if the initial installer source files are all on Monitor 2's desktop view.

It will make no difference because strictly speaking "installing on monitor X" mean nothing. You install on the hard drive, and Windows don't care about the monitor at that time. But what Windows care is on what monitor is the mouse cursor when you launch the software; at least unless the said software save its position at close, in which case it will open at that position and on the same monitor.

So, strictly speaking, it doesn't matter what monitor was used to install the game, as long as he use the right one to launch it.