Verify your game cache. https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=2037-QEUH-3335

Disable or whitelist the game in your anti-virus software if you have any: http://wiki.gearcity.info/doku.php?id=troubleshooting:antivirus

If it crashes again after that, email me your log files immediately after the crash: http://wiki.gearcity.info/doku.php?id=troubleshooting:steam_logfile

All grills and jams are working fine for me. So I will either need the log file to see if your system has issues, or a more detailed step-by-step instruction on how to duplicate the issue.

Verified files but the game still CTD'd. It isn't restricted to that grill either, as it just happened when trying to place some headlights. Interestingly, the headlights were also texture-only with no 3D model, like the grill and gaps/jams. I don't know if that's relevant or if it's just pure chance.

Replication for me is easy enough. Go design a car, click the item to place (click to place mode), click somewhere on the car, instant CTD with no error messages.

I've just emailed you my most recent log file.

Did you verify game cache, as I suggested?

Also, are you using any mods, or did you modify any files?

The log file you just sent is crashing with:
"23:53:33: Mesh: Loading e80_Headlight1_dec.
23:53:33: Ogre::FileNotFoundException::FileNotFoundException: Cannot locate resource e80_Headlight1_dec in resource group OgreAutodetect. "

That file should be located in the Accessories.zip file located in media/Models/Accessories/ folder.

Assuming it is there, which is it is on default installs. Then you have one of two issues happening. Either:

1) You are not running the game with administrative privileges: http://wiki.gearcity.info/doku.php?id=troubleshooting:runasadmin

OR

2) Your antivirus software is blocking the proper execution of the game: http://wiki.gearcity.info/doku.php?id=troubleshooting:antivirus Did you white list these files as I suggested earlier?


Try them both, if it's still not working, let me know, and I'll have you try a couple more things.

I tried everything you listed above, and had success. :) Nothing helped except...

Originally posted by Eric.B:

2) Your antivirus software is blocking the proper execution of the game: http://wiki.gearcity.info/doku.php?id=troubleshooting:antivirus Did you white list these files as I suggested earlier?

I didn't at the time because the folder in which I install all my games is added as an exception in MSE. I thought that was enough, but apparently not. Today I tried adding all the individual files listed in the wiki (some of which don't exist, so I made a best guess what the current file should be), and... voila! No CTD when placing that troublesome grill, the headlights, or gaps and jams.

Typical that it's the last thing on your list of things to try. :p Thanks for the help!

I'm curious now though, why would only certain objects cause a problem with my antivirus software? I've built hundreds of cars in this game with no issues at all other than those specific objects.

Originally posted by Eric.B:

Did you verify game cache, as I suggested?

I did yes, mentioned it above. :) For some reason, every time I verify files after running the game, it says three files are missing. This is still the case even though I'm no longer getting CTDs.

An update, because the issue is apparently not solved after all. I was just trying to place a texture-only tail light, and the game CTD'd exactly as before. No error message.

So now I have tried everything suggested and the game still crashes. Also, to answer your earlier question, I am not using any mods and have not modified any game files whatsoever myself.

Check MSE again, also what other "security" software are you using?

Beyond that you can try the OpenGL renderer in the settings. Or switch to the 32-bit build. http://wiki.gearcity.info/doku.php?id=gamemanual:switching_steam_builds (be sure to use OpenGL with the 32-bit build.)

I should add, if switching to OpenGL/32-bit doesn't solve the issue, then try disabling all AV software you have before trying to run the game. Then see if it crashes. (I recommend not doing anything outside of the game while you're in this state.)

In fact, that's even Valve's recommendation when using Steam: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=4361-MVDP-3638 (Giant Importance box.)

Originally posted by Eric.B:

Check MSE again, also what other "security" software are you using?

Double checked MSE and the files are all still added as exceptions. MSE is all I have, no other security software installed.

The problem now is that the issue isn't as reproducible as it was. While the CTD occurred every time I tried to use the offending components before, now it doesn't. I've used them on a couple of other cars since posting and no crash. It's going to make testing fixes pretty hard.

OpenGL mode and the 32bit version make no difference. Game still CTDs regularly when placing 2D parts.

I imagine it's still mse causing it. But we'll see. If it happens again, shoot me the log file. Try disabling it completely, and see if that fixes it.

I'll reply to your question a while back as to why it happens when I get into the office this evening. Little too technical to type on my BlackBerry...

By the way, if you're on the 32-bit build, it uses different files which have to be white listed separately. In the anti virus link above, you'd need to white list the the executables under "32-bit".

Although right now I recommend just disabling the antivirus to see if that is the root cause.

Ok, back on 64bit, DX9, MSE disabled.

I just designed around 15 cars (major marque overhaul going into 1980), deliberately used troublesome components, and so far have not had another crash. Other than disabling MSE, the only other difference is that I made a point of saving my game after completing each design to make sure I didn't lose any progress.

So we'll see if that has solved the problem at last. Thanks for all of your help so far, much appreciated.

As I suspected. But good to hear you got it working. I am not sure if MSE has this functionality, but you should make a shortcut to toggle it on and off before playing the game.

And now I am in the office, so now it's time for me to put on my professor beard and answer the question you asked earlier. (I went to school for this stuff, but rarely get to use it. I'll try to be as layman as possible.)

I'm curious now though, why would only certain objects cause a problem with my antivirus software? I've built hundreds of cars in this game with no issues at all other than those specific objects.

For real time anti-virus scanning to work, it has to "hook" itself into many low level function of the operating system. It then interjects itself in between operations taking place and checks to see if anything looks similar to any bad code it has in it's database. Using a technique called "Heuristic scanning".

Before you whitelisted the game, the av software would scan every input/output operation the game made. Specially with files. For some reason, it believed my 2d decal loading functions were similar to an unknown virus, thus it blocked the resource loader from scanning the zips to find the decals. The game expected them to be there and they weren't. Thus leading to the crash.

After you white listed the game, assuming you white listed the correct files, it most likely started running heuristic issues related to driver or OS operations and the decals. These operations probably do not have my program listed as parent program, thus the white list did not extend to them. Also because it's more system programs, instead of of top level programs, MSE does not scan these operations as frequently, otherwise you would have bad performance. But that is only a guess. If you really want to dig further, MSE should produce a log file which I believe can be found in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Microsoft\Antimalware\Support
That would hopefully tell you what "threat" it stopped.

Anyhoo, you're more than welcome to send me the MSE log, but you would have to do the false positive report yourself if you don't send me the log file: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/filesubmission/

(And sorry if this post seems a little off, firealarm went off about 5 times... So I replaced a battery... but now have a headache. Talk about poorly timed false positives.)

I'm the curious type that loves to know how and why everything works, so thanks for the explanation of why this problem occurs. :)

In addition to the files already white-listed, I've added all of GCs processes as exceptions now so maybe that will help. If not then I'll just shut MSE down whenever I play. It's no big deal (as long as I remember!), and the five seconds it takes is more than worth it given the hours I've spent playing recently.

I'm happy to send you the log if it could potentially help in any way. I'll send it to your email now.

Thanks again for all your help.

Speaking of Microsoft Defender, I just got a message from someone, whom Microsoft told them to update definitions. Hopefully they fixed the issue:

We have removed the detection. Please follow the steps below to clear cached detection and obtain the latest malware definitions.

1. Open command prompt as administrator and change directory to c:\Program Files\Windows Defender
2. Run “MpCmdRun.exe -removedefinitions -dynamicsignatures”
3. Run "MpCmdRun.exe -SignatureUpdate"

Alternatively, the latest definition is available for download here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/definitions