Application Failed to Initialize?

[HratLi]

Anyone else seeing this? I havn't been able to log on since the patch. I thought that it was just the patch day jitters, but it seems people are already playing... A quick scan of forum posts didn't seem to show others having it so I thought I'd check before opening a ticket.

Full scan didn't do it, I just keep getting :
"The Application Failed to Initialize properly" :(

-HratLi

[Meloric]

I got the same error on another computer that is running Win98SE when I tried using the new patcher. I noticed it said something about IE not doing something correctly but IE is set up exactly the same on both my machines. I was finally able to patch the computer that was getting the error by notusing the new patcher. I didn't have the problem on my main computer even when using the new patcher.

[HratLi]

Thanks! I'll try going back to the old patcher then as a work around. Crazy. I had been using the new patcher periodically without a problem. Well, whatever gets me into the game :)

-HratLi

[Deth]

Not sure if you have tried this or if it would even help but hey it's worth a shot. As it seems the old version of the new patcher dose not want to be replaced. Doing this manual removes it so the new one can be installed.

Hi guys. I'm sorry that some of you are having troubles with the new patcher. We'vestated repeatedlythat we are (slowly) moving towards having the new patcher be the exclusive way of patching (either through stand alone launcher or website). Here are some tips relating to the problems you guys are having.

Make sure you have the latest version of the patching software. A lot of these problems occure because the person tries to bypass the normal patching process, and so they don't have the latest versions of the files, or they have some misc. difficulties with the website. Finally, antivirus software (like nortons, McCaffrie, etc), and internet security software (like Nortons, Windows XP Firewall, etc). can block the latest version of the patcher files from downloading to your computer.

Here are some steps to make sure you have the latest version of the patcher.

1) Delete the files AEPatcher.dll and silentpatcher.exe from your horizons root directory, and your horizons root\Launcher folders. Delete your version_info folder, as well.

2)Open up yourinternet explorer and click on tools -> Internet options. Click on the Settingsbutton, then click on theView Objects button. You should see a control called Launcher Control. right click on that that select Remove.Keep clicking okor closing windows until you are back to Internet Explorer, and then close all web browser windows.

3) Log onto the website and select a character. You should see a little box stating please wait while the activeX control is being installed. You'll probably then get a popup box from IE, or a small bar appear at the top of your browser window asking if you want to install the ActiveX control. Choose Yes, OK, or follow whatever directions it gives to install the ActiveX control on your computer (varies depending on version of Windows and IE you are running).

4) Log into the game. It should update your patching software automatically.

5) Depending on the other software on your system, you may need to add one or more of the following files to an "accepted programs" list so your software does not block it's attempts to patch using the internet: AEPatcher.dll, Launcher.ocx, silentpatcher.exe This applies to users who are running Internet security programs, including firewalls, that would block those programs from contacting the internet.


If you still have issues with the new patcher / old patcher after doing those steps, or if you need help or have questions about those steps, feel free to contact our customer service department and they can help more.

As a side note, if it is scanning through all your files, it is doing a full scan. It's just that the scan speed is significantly faster using the new patcher, as opposed to the old patcher. That is one reasonwhy we want to push it out as being the main patcher everyone uses.

Doing a full scan each time though is not expected behavior of the patcher, and so if you are encountering this issue, then please report it to customer service so we can get the issue resolved, if the above steps don't resolve the issue. The patcher is set up (both old and new) that if you don't finish a scan though, it will keep doing a full scan until it finishes a full scan, so if you click full scan, and then it starts scanning, and you close it real fast, and uncheck full scan, it will keep doing a full scan if you keep stopping it before it finishes it's full scan (like you keep stopping it and starting it).

[HratLi]

Thanks for the suggestions folks. I'm still 'broken', old patcher, or new patcher. It full scans and then gives me the error. I opened up a ticket but apparently in my distress I had a major breakdown in language skills which lead to my ticket being closed as a 'Known problem'. :p

I reopened another ticket.

Save me some candy!

-HratLi

[rooth]

I'm still having this problem as well. I followed the steps quoted above, but I don't get the "ActiveX" business. I'm running XP with latest patches. I still get the "Application failed to initialize properly" error.

I hope I can fix this before the new patcher becomes the only patcher! [:|]

[HratLi]

Rooth!

I found the problem. I went through a LOT this weekend trying to isolate it. The LAST few things I did was uninstall McAfee and Tiny Firewall. Disabling them did NOT work. I suspect there is some monitoring 'hook' that was preventing the activeX launcher from working right.

Tiny Firewall is supposed to be a firewall, but it has a TON of built in's and a kitchen sink. Same with McAfee though more understandable since it IS a virus scanner. I am thinking that one or both may have been stopping the ActiveX...

If that doesn't do it for you, I also disabled all IE extensions, tried all the standard troubleshooting, though logically it had nothing to do with things like the world cache (I never loaded INTO the game), player prefs etc...

Tried uninstalling and reinstalling, and that says to me it is either IE or the ActiveX. I went on from there... as to things that affect one or both.

Mods, feel free to move this to Bugs and hopefully it will be helpful for anyone else searching for this error.

Time to make up for some trick or treating if I don't get any 'visitors' tonight hehe...
-HratLi

[rooth]

Rooth!

HratLi!

I found the problem. ..(stuff about McAffee, Tiny Firewall)..

I have no software-based firewall on my Windows box. All my internet protection is through a P200 running FreeBSD. ;) Don't laugh, it does a great job! :D

If that doesn't do it for you, I also disabled all IE extensions, tried all the standard troubleshooting, though logically it had nothing to do with things like the world cache (I never loaded INTO the game), player prefs etc...

I'll have to give that a try. I haven't messed with IE settings too much, on account of the other cookbook solutions out there for this problem which only require flushing the object cache.

Tried uninstalling and reinstalling, and that says to me it is either IE or the ActiveX. I went on from there... as to things that affect one or both.

Uninstalling & reinstalling .. Windows, or Horizons?

Rooth continues on his quest for patchabilification.

[HratLi]

I'd NEVER laugh at a *nix firewall. I was using a pentium 133 for the LONGEST time. You can't beat that sort of efficiency. [H]

The problem was not firewall software as such, but rather even other things like antivirus software that might prevent an activeX component from launching. Just so happened that my firewall software actually had software monitoring built in. Why it suddenly decided to start preventing HZ from working after the last patch is beyond me.

I uninstalled and reinstalled HZ, saving my screenshots and prefs directories of course. Though that didn't do it for me.

The patching happened fine, it's just POST patching when it was trying to trigger the activeX launcher that it broke.

-HratLi

[Fridlekh]

My first guess at why the new patcher fails to initialize is that you do not have the .NET framework installed, or possibly that you have the 2.0 isntalled. (I know that caspol.bat used to explicitly look for 1.0 and 1.0 directories)

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/r...DisplayLang=enshould get you close to a download page...

it's like the old VBRUN dlls, only 100x more bloated, yay!