GameEx has stopped working

[Lawrence]

I decided recently to redo my GameEx setup from scratch on my HTPC. Spent pretty much the entirety of my Christmas Holidays working on that and getting it pretty sweet.

Suddenly today though, GameEx has stopped running at all. Immediately upon running the standard windows error screen pops up saying "GameEx has stopped working".

I made zero changes to GameEx between the time it was working and when it stopped.

No point in posting my log -- the latest entry is from this morning when it was still working -- ie, it's not even getting far enough to write to the log.

I have uninstalled GameEx and reinstalled it -- same.

Reinstalled .net -- same.

Even tried a system restore.

I'm out of ideas.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Draco1962]

Please provide us with a copy of your GameEx.ini file. Since you have no log file to provide, you will need to fill us in on some details regarding your system (i.e., you OS, RAM, etc). Also, you may want to try running GameEx and note the date/time you get the error, then check under the Event Viewer to see if any details are provided regarding any failures with Gameex.exe.

While you may not have made changes to GameEx, something has changed in your PC setup (drivers, Windows update, etc.) and you will need to dig deep on your end to try to determine what in order for us to attempt to help you get to the root of your problem.

[Lawrence]

Thanks for your reply Draco1962 (love your Icons btw -- they're the ones I use)

Please find attached my GameEx.ini. I don't think there's a problem in there, as GameEx won't load even after blasting away its directory and reinstalling.

From working fine to kaplooey, I played with some Taito Type X games (outside of GameEx). They weren't exitting well so I tried uninstalling all my StarDock programs and turned off Aero. (Was about time for those to go anyways).

Here's what Event Viewer says when GameEx.exe is launched:

0 CLR20r3 Not available 0 gameex.exe 1.0.0.0 50dcec8e GameEx 1.0.0.0 50dcec8e de 719 System.TypeInitialization C:\Users\cyberdemon\AppData\Local\Temp\WER4D84.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml C:\Users\cyberdemon\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportArchive\AppCrash_gameex.exe_ce8a6b9139ea5232abf5319f6bfdd9237ca9c_09665428 0 f05f95f5-538a-11e2-bc07-647002114f42 1

[Draco1962]

Thanks for the compliment! Where is the gameex.ini?

[Lawrence]

Silly me. Helps to actually click the attach this file button. It's attached now.

I'd happily pay you for your time to do a remote assistance session. I'm rather heartbroken about it all going belly up today.

I just completely uninstalled .Net and GameEx, cleaned the registry of any residue from either, reinstalled .net then GameEx, and tried running GameEx completely unconfigured, and same thing. The "GameEx has stopped working" message is instanteous - the very second I double click the icon.

GameEx.zip

[Lawrence]

Some minor progress. I went into the new GameEx folder, and there was a log in there.... Now what is interesting is that it is an exact duplicate of the previous log with the old events -- nothing from since it stopped working. What is interesting about this is that it has resurfaced. The GameEx.ini is the default in the new install. If the log restored itself, it stands to reason that it is possible something else could be lingering from the old install.

[Draco1962]

Can you provide that log, please?

[Lawrence]

Please find attached the requested log.

Thanks for your help. It is appreciated.

log.zip

[Tom Speirs]

Thats my log. Default included with the install. Based on what you have said your only option may be to reinstall windows. It sounds like either .net or directx is screwed up. Do the setup wizard and other gameex apps work?

[Draco1962]

From what he has said looks like GameEx won't load. Would be good to see if Setup Wizard will load I guess. I have a feeling that something is askew eslewhere in his Windows setup. Pouring through the event viewer logs might give some clues but kinda hard to guide through searching them.

[Lawrence]

Setup wizard and the other exes in the GameEx directory work fine.

I'll happily pay for a remote assistance session Draco so you can look through the event log.

[Draco1962]

No need for pay if I can do so.. the hardest thing right now is the time.

[Tom Speirs]

I think in the end yourll need a reinstall.

[Lawrence]

Woo hooooo! I got it working!!!!!!!!!!!!

The problem was DirectX 9.0c apparrently.

Earlier today I did try reinstalling DirectX 9 -- and as it tends to do -- it politely told me that DirectX 9 is already installed and closed itself.

By accident, I was able to reinstall it just now. I tried downloading the Windows SDK to get access to Fuslogvw.exe which can be used to find dependencies. I was going to try to use that to find something that was perhaps missing that GameEx was looking for. In an act of sheer stubbornness I tried reinstalling DirectX 9 again -- knowing it wouldn't work. The installer asked if I wanted to install the Direct9 SDK component I said yes, tried GameEx, and BINGO!

So, I now have a working but naked and empty GameEX. What's the best procedure to get my old stuff back? Uninstall GameEx, move the backup back to C:\GameEX (where it previously lived) and reinstall GameEx over that?

[Lawrence]

And thanks so much for all the help. I really appreciate it.

[Draco1962]

And thanks so much for all the help. I really appreciate it.

Not sure if that was an afterthought to your last post or what?

I would think that so long as you are going back to the same location with the old you could simply copy the folders back (you will probably be prompted about copying to replace and/or merge folders - say yes and check boxes as applies to all items in the process). No need to uninstall it.

[Lawrence]

Not an afterthought... Didn't mean to come across that way. Was just excited and typed quickly and was going post a thanks at the end after getting everything finally working as it was yesterday. My apologies if I came across rude, or you took offense.

Phew! Glad that's overwith. The bizarre thing is that while GameEx was broken, GameBase was still working. Now that GameEx is working, GameBase is giving the same error. They all work within GameEx though, so not in a huge hurry to fix that. Will probably just try reinstalling GameBase.

Your suggestion above worked. Thanks.

Back to putting every system known to man into GameEx.

[Draco1962]

No offense taken. I try to ask if I am not certain before popping off! Glad you are getting it sorted.

[Lawrence]

The GameBase one was much easier to fix -- and entirely my fault. Grasping at straws I turned on DEP while trying to fix GameEx. Completely illogical, I realize, but at that point I was trying anything.

On a completely unrelated note. Could I trouble you for a few extra icons for your beautiful set? I'm a big fan of the Japanese NEC PC-98 and Sharp 68000 machines. There's a small handful of others. I can supply source images. I'd be delighted to donate for it.

[Draco1962]

Which icon set? I have pretty much retired my last official ones, but will be releasing something new in the near future. Feel free to PM me with any source images and I will see if I can include them in my next release.

[Tempest]

Good to see you around the forums again Lawrence.

[Lawrence]

Thanks Tempest! I didn't forget you. My health took a bit of a turn for the worse and I shut myself off from a lot of communication for a while.

3400 posts!? You've been busy here.

[Tempest]

I hope that you have a handle on your health, and that 2013 treats you well.