[RESOLVED] Gameex Won't start up any longer. Error message occurs...

[Greego]

Every thing was going well. I performed that recent update yesterday, I believe but after that, every thing was fine. I even played some games through Gameex today without issue. But now it won't even start up.

 

Now it says: "Sorry. An error was encountered" and lists the following:

 

 

23:45:37.3  3/20/2017:  Initializing Component
23:45:37.4  3/20/2017:  MAME Path is: C:\Emulators\Mame32
23:45:37.4  3/20/2017:  Cannot Find MAME Path: MAME Disabled
23:45:37.4  3/20/2017:  Loading Controls.ini map file
23:45:37.4  3/20/2017:  Applying Language/Text
23:45:37.4  3/20/2017:  Text/Language: English
23:45:37.4  3/20/2017:  Loading Language/Text
23:45:37.4  3/20/2017:  Using Version 3 Themes Animations
23:45:37.4  3/20/2017:  Retrieving resolution setting
23:45:37.4  3/20/2017:  Using General Font: Trebuchet MS
23:45:37.4  3/20/2017:  Using Title Font: Trebuchet MS
23:45:37.4  3/20/2017:  GameEx will try to reduce CPU usage
23:45:37.5  3/20/2017:  Initialising Direct3D
23:45:37.6  3/20/2017:  Applying GameEx is Loading Image
23:45:37.6  3/20/2017:  Setting Resolution to 1920x1080 32 bit color
23:45:37.6  3/20/2017:  Creating Surfaces
23:45:37.7  3/20/2017:  Creating Primary Surface - Full Screen Mode
23:45:37.7  3/20/2017:  Creating Back Buffer
23:45:37.7  3/20/2017:  Loading graphic Surfaces
23:45:37.7  3/20/2017:  Display is running at: 1920x1080 32bit color, 60hz
23:45:37.7  3/20/2017:  Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti
23:45:37.7  3/20/2017:  Max texture size: 16384x16384
23:45:37.7  3/20/2017:  Available texture memory: -24MB
23:45:37.7  3/20/2017:  Initialising Bass Audio Library
23:45:37.7  3/20/2017:  Creating Surfaces Misc and Dialogs
23:45:37.8  3/20/2017:  Creating Surfaces Volume
23:45:37.8  3/20/2017:  Creating Surfaces Arrows
23:45:37.8  3/20/2017:  Creating Surfaces GameEXlogo Text
23:45:37.8  3/20/2017:  Creating Surfaces Toolbar
23:45:37.8  3/20/2017:  Creating Surfaces Toolbar Controls
23:45:37.8  3/20/2017:  Creating Surfaces Backgrounds
23:45:37.8  3/20/2017:  Creating Surfaces GameEx Logo
23:45:37.9  3/20/2017:  Creating Surface Unselected
23:45:37.9  3/20/2017:  Creating Surfaces Snaps
23:45:37.9  3/20/2017:  Creating Surfaces Menu and List Bars
23:45:38.0  3/20/2017:  Creating Fonts
23:45:38.0  3/20/2017:  Creating Game Font
23:45:38.0  3/20/2017:  Creating Game Font Faded
23:45:38.0  3/20/2017:  Creating Title Font
23:45:38.2  3/20/2017:  Creating Font Black
23:45:38.2  3/20/2017:  Creating Font Black Small
23:45:38.2  3/20/2017:  Fonts Created Succesfully
23:45:38.4  3/20/2017:  Initial Emulator Load
23:45:38.4  3/20/2017:  Loading Custom Emulators
23:45:38.4  3/20/2017:  --**--
23:45:38.4  3/20/2017:  Error: Illegal characters in path.
23:45:38.4  3/20/2017:     at System.IO.Path.CheckInvalidPathChars(String path)
23:45:38.4  3/20/2017:     at System.IO.Path.GetFileName(String path)
23:45:38.4  3/20/2017:     at System.IO.Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(String path)
23:45:38.4  3/20/2017:     at GameEx.GameEx.MainForm.d1()
23:45:38.4  3/20/2017:     at GameEx.GameEx.MainForm.a(Boolean A_0, String A_1, Boolean A_2)
23:45:38.4  3/20/2017:     at GameEx.GameEx.MainForm..ctor()
23:45:38.4  3/20/2017:  Closing database connection
23:45:38.4  3/20/2017:  Disposing Plugins
23:45:38.4  3/20/2017:  GameEx is exiting with errors
23:45:38.4  3/20/2017:  Deleting search cache
23:45:38.7  3/20/2017:  ERRORS DETECTED: EXITING
23:45:38.8  3/20/2017:  Bye

 

 

 

Can someone get me back up and running?

 

 

[RedDog]

Hey Greego,

The log says that there is an illegal character in one of the paths. Would you check all of your paths via the Setup Wizard in case some unexpected character got there?

If you cannot find anything, please post your GameEx.ini file as an attachment.

[Greego]

Hey RedDog,

 

I noticed that "illegal character" statement but when I went to check  my Setup Wizard for any funny characters, the strange thing about it was that all my emulators were wiped out. i had to go select and setup each off my emulators all over again. I am not sure what happened.I was opening up Gameex just fine and checking out some Visual Pinball Roms through Gameex and walked away a bit to do somethin else but when I returned to open up Gameex, I started getting the message and my emulators were no longer showing up in Gameex.

 

I never actually seen an ini file in my Gameex file. I have read about them a lot here on the site and have seen them requested a lot but I don't think I have actually seen one on my setup before. I am sure I will be informed now that there has to be an ini file somewhere but I just don't think I have come across. Where else should I look for it?

[RedDog]

The GameEx.ini file is in the GameEx\CONFIG folder. Depending on how your Windows is set up, you may only see the filename as GameEx...it will not be anywhere else.

Since your emulator config vanished for some unknown reason, look for a file in the CONFIG directory called GameEx.UpgradeBackup.ini (or GameEx.UpgradeBackup). It is a backup that is made during the upgrade process. If you have not gone back and reconfigured all your emulators, you could back up your current GameEx.ini (just to be safe), make a copy of the GameEx.UpgradeBackup.ini, and rename it GameEx.ini. This essentially reverts your config back to what it was when the upgrade happened. It also may fix your original issue.

[Greego]

5 hours ago, RedDog said:

The GameEx.ini file is in the GameEx\CONFIG folder. Depending on how your Windows is set up, you may only see the filename as GameEx...it will not be anywhere else.

Since your emulator config vanished for some unknown reason, look for a file in the CONFIG directory called GameEx.UpgradeBackup.ini (or GameEx.UpgradeBackup). It is a backup that is made during the upgrade process. If you have not gone back and reconfigured all your emulators, you could back up your current GameEx.ini (just to be safe), make a copy of the GameEx.UpgradeBackup.ini, and rename it GameEx.ini. This essentially reverts your config back to what it was when the upgrade happened. It also may fix your original issue.

 

 

I found the GameEx.UpgradeBackup  in the Config folder as you stated. I made a copy of it and renamed it GameEx.ini but I got the same error message. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling Gameex last night but that didn't help either. Any other ideas would be tremendously appreciated.

[Greego]

Sorry, I forgot to attach the ini file. I will also paste it...

 

 

[gameexonline]
streamquality=0
Privacy=0
EnableBackground=True
[general]
Xresolution=800
Yresolution=600
DisplayOnSecondary=False
MAMEPath=C:\Emulators\Mame32
MAMEEXE=Mame32.exe
ROMPath=C:\Emulators\Mame32\roms
StartWait=False
USeAdvanceMame=False
AdvanceMAMEEXE=advmame.exe
AdvanceMAMEPATH=C:\Emulators\AdvanceMAME
ADVANCEMAMEOptions=-device_video_output fullscreen -quiet -dir_rom "C:\Emulators\Mame32\roms"
UseZinc=False
ZincEXE=zinc.exe
ZincPATH=C:\Emulators\ZiNc
ZincOptions=--renderer=.\renderer.znc
Font=Trebuchet MS
TitleText=MAME Games
OnlyWorking=True
AllowImperfect=True
VerifyRoms=True
OnlyRoms=False
NoGameInfo=False
GameFilter=Japan;Korea;Asia;Hispanic;Bootleg;French;German;Hack;Prototype;Hardware;Spanish;(Easy;(harder
GameFilterOn=True
NoAdult=True
NoClones=False
MameOptions=-nowindow -joy -skip_gameinfo
ArcadeMode=False
UseLargeFonts=True
SnapPath=C:\Emulators\Mame32\snap
AVISnapPath=C:\Emulators\Mame32\avisnap
AVIFrameSkip=0
flyerpath=C:\Emulators\Mame32\flyers
cabinetpath=C:\Emulators\Mame32\cabinets
CatverLocation=\DATA\catver.ini
nplayerslocation=\DATA\nplayers.ini
HistoryLocation=\DATA\history.dat
InfoLocation=\DATA\mameinfo.dat
CommandLocation=\DATA\command.dat
ShowGameInfoPage=True
EnableStartPage=True

GameEx.ini

[Greego]

Can someone take a peek at my ini file and give me some suggestions? Thanks.

[RedDog]

I checked over your GameEx.ini in the Setup Wizard on my rig and could not find any path problems. I also ran it with GameEd and it loaded without an error.

I am running Windows 7. From this other thread, I am guessing that you are running Windows 10, correct? Regardless, I do not believe the GameEx.ini is any different for Windows 7 or Windows 10, so I do think it is less likely to be the config now. I cannot say if the Setup Wizard issue reported in that other thread has some relationship to your problem. My gut says it isn't, but you never know.

Since you reinstalled GameEx, that also rules a few things out. The only things left that I can think of are:

• The Cache Files: In the GameEx\DATA directory, there are files that GameEx generates for each of the emulators. I do not recall if the uninstall process removes these files. You might try another uninstall, but before you reinstall take a look at the GameEx folder to see what was left over. If the GameEx\DATA folder is still there, then I suggest changing the name of the GameEx directory so that when you reinstall, you know it is clean. After the install is done, run GameEx with the default settings and see if it opens cleanly. If it crashes with the same error, then you know it is a GameEx/Windows issue. If it works, you can copy over the GameEx.ini, CustomMenu.ini (if you use custom menus), and CustomInput.ini (if you use a file for Custom Controls in the Input section) from the renamed GameEx directory, run the Setup Wizard to check it over, and then run GameEx to see what happens.
• Some Issue Between Windows & GameEx: The only suggestion I can make is to fully update Windows and try again. Beyond that, you could wait to see what happens with the issue in this thread or wait for someone like Adultry or Tom may to lend some advice.

Of course, if you have any other observations or thoughts, please post them here in case it leads to some other ideas.

[Greego]

Hey RedDog,

 

I uninstalled and deleted everything in the Gameex 14.75 folder and reinstalled 14.70. Gameex now launches and I can initially launch a game but now I get plugins errors and Direct3D errors with failed to initialize my HAL device and I am instructed to make sure I have a properly configured 3D graphics card compatible with Direct3D 6.0.

 

Although I used to not receive these errors, at least I am in now. I am sure I can eventually fix the errors after some searching around. I updated my Windows 10. Didn't feel comfortable with it but I do know one thing, once I get this baby back up and running, Windows is going into airplane mode forever and nothing will be updated again.

 

Many thanks, bro. I greatly appreciate your time and effort into this. 

 

 

Addendum: I just ran my Gameex Arcade edition for my mame setup and it also had some video issues. The preview movies would not show and the colors and fonts on the main page was way off. I checked my plugin folders for both the Standard and Arcade version and they both are empty. What should be in those folders?

 

I believe this may be the key to the video issues but I am not sure how those folders both became empty. 

[Greego]

I found out what goes in those plugin folders. You can download them from the setup wizard. I tried a couple of them  and my cabinet started talking to me and taunting me. After I was told to "come and get some." I started imagining me taking nap in my mancave and waking up with my arcade cabinet standing over me with a butcher knife so I uninstalled the plugins. I guess watching Terminator Genysis yesterday may have had something to do with it...

[Draco1962]

You may want to download and install the KB4015438 Cumulative update for Windows 10 to see if it remedies the Setup Wizard issue as well as the startup issue for regular GameEx.

 

[Greego]

1 hour ago, Draco1962 said:

You may want to download and install the KB4015438 Cumulative update for Windows 10 to see if it remedies the Setup Wizard issue as well as the startup issue for regular GameEx.

 

 

Hi Draco,

 

You can mark this one as "resolved." I did a complete Windows 10 uninstall on machine today then re-installed it. When I re-installed it, I left Windows Update disabled completely. I don't want it to screw up anything in the future. Afterward, I re-installed Gameex Arcade Edition and then Gameex standard editions (14.71?) and 14.70 respectively. I avoided any updated software although Gameex tried to sneak in one  occasionally while I was setting stuff up (I may have hit a key or two by error).

 

I finally got everything running back beautifully with no error messages. So there was one final thing to do...disable the internet from my machine. I do not want my gaming rig speaking to the outside world ever again. It will be self-contained from here on out. I was really tempted to get a couple of visual pinball tables back running on it but it not worth the risk at this point. I am a bit disappointed because wanting a pinball machine in my  man-cave is what started all of this and now, after all of the energy I put into this setup, I don't even want to risk trying to put even one pinball table back on the rig,

 

BTW, I did the Cumalative Update prior to re-installing Windows and it did not fix my issue. My fingers were crossed because I didn't want to spend my day getting the rig back up and running but it is what it is at this point.

[RedDog]

Sorry you had to go to such lengths, but at least you got things to where you are happy. That is the #1 important thing.