Cannot Reinstall GameEx

[Jaeger]

I recently upgraded my gaming system from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 8.1 Pro. This was a total wipe-and-reinstall upgrade. Since then, when installing GameEx, I get the following:

ExtThemes.exe - Entry Point Not Found

The procedure entry point wcstok_s could not be located in the

dynamic link library C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ADVAPI32.dll.

I get the feeling I'm missing some C/C++ runtime files or something similar. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks.

Scott

[Adultery]

Do you have .net framework 2.0 installed?

[Draco1962]

If not, it is easy to install within 8.1 - Just go to Control Panel > Programs & Features. Once open, click on the "Turn Windows features on or off" link in the left side. Click on the option ".NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0)" and click OK. Once complete, a restart may need to take place, but that should fix the issue if it is a .NET caused error.

[Jaeger]

Yes, NET is installed. It's used by other applications on the machine and they're working.

[Draco1962]

Have you tried running SFC /scannow or scanfile commands from an elevated command prompt to see if any files were corrupted or required reregistering? Others of us are running on Windows 8.1 Pro without any problems. I just did a fresh reinstall of Win 8.1 the other day and downloaded and installed GameEx v 14 without incident.

You may also need to uninstall/reinstall your .NET if possible. Not much else I can suggest at this time to help you fix the errors you are encountering, but it appears to be an OS issue, not GameEx proper.

[Adultery]

Or a virus... But hopefully not.

[Shermo]

Hmm as it's a fresh install 1 would do 2 things

Start by opening up an Admin Command prompt.

- Right-click on start

- Choose Command prompt (admin)

- In the command prompt, type Sfc /scannow, and hit ENTER

or/and

run repair as it seems you have corrupt files. Did you use cd or usb? Usb Would be the way.

[Jaeger]

I've checked for a virus/malware. I've done the NET stuff. I did the sfc scan. The OS was loaded from a DVD. I'm a developer by trade and have been writing software since before there even was a Windows. I know my way around. Still, dumb thing doesn't want to work! Half tempted to just nuke it from orbit and reload 7. Only way to be sure.

[Draco1962]

Good luck! Let us know how it works out.

[Jaeger]

SOLVED! With the help of a buddy of mine (who is a code monkey for Microsoft), I found that the MSVC runtime is being packaged with the GameEx distribution. This is, apparently, a Bad Idea . Once I removed the msvc*.dll files from my GameEx folder so it would find the system ones instead, it ran fine. However, I can't fix the initial installer this way. Any chance of a re-build of the setup package without these files?

Thanks!

[Draco1962]

Glad you got it sorted. I am pretty sure that there is a sound reason for why it is included in the installation. Yours is the first that I have seen where it has been an issue. I am as well as many others are running just fine using Win 8.1 Pro x64 and no problems.

[Jaeger]

It would be much better to make the vcredist_*.exe package a dependency and have it run as a prerequisite to installation. That way, whatever OS/Service Pack specific voodoo MS decides to include will also be applied.

As it stands, I am unable to use my (twice) paid license because the installation fails with half a dozen instances of this error. I have no idea what is missing or not properly configured. I'm going to attempt to pull apart the installer or write a script to immediately delete those DLLs when they are unpacked. Even if I manage to get running again, what a hack. :-/

Also, I'd like to say that the response time for responding to pleas for help in this forum is amazing. Color me impressed!

My solution in the meantime was to create a batch file named FixInstaller.bat in the C:\GameEx folder.

@echo offc:md \GameExcd \GameEx:topdel /F /Q msvc*.dllgoto top

Starting that before the GameEx setup utility nukes the DLLs in question as soon as they hit the disk. This allows setup to complete properly. Once GameEx is installed, just kill the batch. Hacky, hacky, but also worky, worky!

[Adultery]

I'm sure these files are included to step around making end users install the C++ redist package, which is minimally required for some GameEx functions. But Tom will have to say for sure...

Although as Drac pointed out this is the first time since 2006 I've ever seen or heard of anyone having this issue. There shouldn't be any kind of conflict with any DLLs since the ones installed in the GameEx folder are specific to that install, unless of course you have something blocking the installer from doing anything like this (ie you installed it to My Programs or a Windows folder location or some similar path and are having permissions issues or whatnot).

[Jaeger]

Nope. I took the defaults. Seems the DLLs that are included just don't like whatever is different about my 8.1 install. Reverting to the system-wide runtime DLLs fixed everything.

I've been a GameEx user for a long time. This is the first issue I've ever had, so I understand where you're coming from saying it's never been a problem. Still, what are essentially system DLLs don't really belong in the app directory. If the official redistributable was installed as a prerequisite by the setup tool, it'd be a non-issue.

In any case, it's at least documented here in the forums now should someone else run into it.

[Draco1962]

If you wouldn't mind, please providie a copy of your gameex.ini and log.txt file so the author's can take a look at your install paths, etc. Thanks!

[Jaeger]

Sure thing. I've not configured anything yet so the ini is pretty generic. I also noticed I made a mistake at the start of this thread. My 8.1 is Enterprise, not Pro. (Just how many editions of this thing are there, anyway?! Starter, Home, Pro, Enterprise, Ultimate, N, non-N, what else? Sheesh!)

log.txt

GameEx.ini

[tthurman]

Everything but a "Free" edition

[CharlesLam]

nice fix dude. i am dragging my feet on the OS upgrade. but im sure i will have to from win7 to win10 or whatever. just not looking forward to it at all.

[Draco1962]

If you are running the Enterprise version, is it possible that a feature that is part of Enterprise and not Pro or below (consumer versions) is "turned on" that may be causing your very unique issue?