Europa Universalis 4 not working Windows 10

The game will not lunch under Steam. But is able to run eu4.exe with "disable fullscreen optimizations"

In the game launcher please set Display mode to Borderless.

IF that doesn't help, Has the game ever run OK on this computer? Or never?

IF NEVER:
Install ALL these Microsoft modules:

(run dxsetup.exe after extracting from this download)

Add EU4.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.

Also if you have installed RivaTuner, RadeonPro, or a gaming VPN app called Evolve, or the MSI Gaming App, or Duet, disable it as it clashes with this game.


IF IT USED TO WORK:
Please do a full **clean** re-install:

- move any valued save games elsewhere
- "uninstall" in Steam-EU4
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/EU4 AND Documents/Paradox/EU4 folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- add EU4.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.
- start the game with no mods active and test

In particular make sure there are no files or folders left under either the Steam EU4 or Documents EU4 locations, before installing again.

Also if you have installed RivaTuner, RadeonPro, or a gaming VPN app called Evolve, or the MSI Gaming App, or Duet, disable it as it clashes with this game.


IF NEITHER OF THOSE HELP:
DXDIAG is a program you run from a command prompt or the Windows start menu 'run' dialog box (or 'search programs' in Windows 7 or later). After running it will open a window and start collecting info with a progress bar in the lower-left corner. When it completes click the 'save all information' button and save it to a file then attach that file here.

Please attach your Documents/Paradox/EU4/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox/EU4/logs/ folder, attach system.log , error.log .

In the game launcher please set Display mode to Borderless.

IF that doesn't help, Has the game ever run OK on this computer? Or never?

IF NEVER:
Install ALL these Microsoft modules:

(run dxsetup.exe after extracting from this download)

Add EU4.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.

Also if you have installed RivaTuner, RadeonPro, or a gaming VPN app called Evolve, or the MSI Gaming App, or Duet, disable it as it clashes with this game.


IF IT USED TO WORK:
Please do a full **clean** re-install:

- move any valued save games elsewhere
- "uninstall" in Steam-EU4
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/EU4 AND Documents/Paradox/EU4 folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- add EU4.exe to the exceptions list of your antivirus app; ESPECIALLY if you have Windows Defender, add it to the Ransomware "Apps Allowed Through" list.
- start the game with no mods active and test

In particular make sure there are no files or folders left under either the Steam EU4 or Documents EU4 locations, before installing again.

Also if you have installed RivaTuner, RadeonPro, or a gaming VPN app called Evolve, or the MSI Gaming App, or Duet, disable it as it clashes with this game.


IF NEITHER OF THOSE HELP:
DXDIAG is a program you run from a command prompt or the Windows start menu 'run' dialog box (or 'search programs' in Windows 7 or later). After running it will open a window and start collecting info with a progress bar in the lower-left corner. When it completes click the 'save all information' button and save it to a file then attach that file here.

Please attach your Documents/Paradox/EU4/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox/EU4/logs/ folder, attach system.log , error.log .

Setting borderless did not help, I take it? Because if "disable fullscreen optimizations" helps, that should too.

Has the game ever run OK on this computer? Or never?

Setting borderless did not help, I take it? Because if "disable fullscreen optimizations" helps, that should too.

Has the game ever run OK on this computer? Or never?

setting borderless did not help. This is a new PC so the game never run ok on this computer.

Thank you

I really don't know how that is possible, to be honest - disabling fullScreen optimizations and going to borderless are basically equivalent.

What happens when you run eu4.exe without disabling fullScreen optimizations - what do you see on the screen?

I really don't know how that is possible, to be honest - disabling fullScreen optimizations and going to borderless are basically equivalent.

What happens when you run eu4.exe without disabling fullScreen optimizations - what do you see on the screen?

I apologize. eu4.exe is still functional even without disabling fullscreen optimizations

Ah, in that case there is very likely a launcher problem. Does it show 2020.16 or something older?


Please try this:

- exit the Steam app entirely
- uninstall Paradox Launcher v2 from the Windows "Apps and features" utility, if still present.

Delete the following folders if still present:

- C:/users/<UserName>/AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/
- C:/users/<UserName>/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/
- C:/users/<UserName>/AppData/Roaming/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
To see the AppData folder you'll need to enable View Hidden Items in File Explorer.

- run steam.exe as the Windows Admin user

- run the game from the PLAY button in Steam

IF that doesn't help, in this folder are some .log files:
C:/users/<UserName>/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
Please attach them here.

Note that you can run ck3.exe directly from Windows Explorer, which bypasses the launcher.

Ah, in that case there is very likely a launcher problem. Does it show 2020.16 or something older?


Please try this:

- exit the Steam app entirely
- uninstall Paradox Launcher v2 from the Windows "Apps and features" utility, if still present.

Delete the following folders if still present:

- C:/users/<UserName>/AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/
- C:/users/<UserName>/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/
- C:/users/<UserName>/AppData/Roaming/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
To see the AppData folder you'll need to enable View Hidden Items in File Explorer.

- run steam.exe as the Windows Admin user

- run the game from the PLAY button in Steam

IF that doesn't help, in this folder are some .log files:
C:/users/<UserName>/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
Please attach them here.

Note that you can run ck3.exe directly from Windows Explorer, which bypasses the launcher.

Yes, the launcher is 2020.16. I did what you said and updated the launcher to start, and it just crashed. Everything froze up and I have to restart the computer by ctrl+alt+del.

The launcher did that? I don't think I've ever seen that happen before. I fear there may be some underlying problem in Windows here. In this folder are some .log files:
C:/users/<UserName>/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
Please attach them here.

eu4.exe still works okay?

The launcher did that? I don't think I've ever seen that happen before. I fear there may be some underlying problem in Windows here. In this folder are some .log files:
C:/users/<UserName>/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
Please attach them here.

eu4.exe still works okay?

Somehow the launcher went back to 2020.16 itself. it's no longer crushing and eu4.exe is working now (but not the stream). Prior to this change, eu4.exe will crush as well.

There are a lot of folders in C:/users/<UserName>/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/

Somehow the launcher went back to 2020.16 itself. it's no longer crushing and eu4.exe is working now (but not the stream). Prior to this change, eu4.exe will crush as well.

So what is happening now exactly? I'm having trouble following the changing symptoms that you report each time!

eu4.exe will run the game okay?

If you start the game from the PLAY button in Steam, do you see the launcher? Or not? If you see it, can you start the game from it, or not?

So what is happening now exactly? I'm having trouble following the changing symptoms that you report each time!

eu4.exe will run the game okay?

If you start the game from the PLAY button in Steam, do you see the launcher? Or not? If you see it, can you start the game from it, or not?

My original launcher was version 2020.16 and is running eu4.exe ok but game failed through Steam. I followed your instruction to uninstall launcher V2 and delete all those folders, restart steam as administrator. Launcher got reinstalled as version 2020.11, the game start crushing (froze up.... both steam and eu4.exe) After I tried several times (restart the computer by CTRL+ALT+DEL) somehow the launcher version changed back to 2020.16 again.

so right now eu4.exe run the game okay. I do see the launcher, but the game will not start from the launcher.

So what is happening now exactly? I'm having trouble following the changing symptoms that you report each time!

eu4.exe will run the game okay?

If you start the game from the PLAY button in Steam, do you see the launcher? Or not? If you see it, can you start the game from it, or not?

2020.17 came out last night, which is why you see that orange dot. Exit the launcher and run the game again, you should then be on that new version.

2020.17 came out last night, which is why you see that orange dot. Exit the launcher and run the game again, you should then be on that new version.

Got 2020.17 launcher, but game still fail to start

Alright, and can you start the game from eu4.exe now/still?

Alright, and can you start the game from eu4.exe now/still?

eu4.exe will freeze up the computer now........ omg this is frustrating.

Does it still have fullScreen optimisation disabled? It might need to be.

Does it still have fullScreen optimisation disabled? It might need to be.

Yes, you are correct. "fullscreen optimisation disabled" will make eu4.exe run. But the boarderless fullscreen setting in launcher doesn't work.