Jacke

After I wrote the OP, I then remembered the crash directory from your technical deep dive. I've emailed the 3 users reporting this issue asking them to do a clean test and look for the crash directory and reply with its contents. I'll add you into the email. I can provide both 32-bit and 64-bit crashhandler.exe from my HC Launcher install to the 3 users. How could they shim that into an install? Hmmm. Would this work? Run a test up until the EULA window comes up. Copy in both crashhandler.exe to bin/win32 and bin/win64. Click "Accept" and then wait a short time. Is it alright if I rename crashhandler.exe to: bin/win32/crashhandler32.exe bin/win64/crashhandler64.exe so they're easy to tell apart?

Thanks, @blueEmpathy, for your log file. Your log is similar to @CaptainLupis and @Voltor. And after working with all of you and pondering some more, I am now sure what I thought was the problem, security software blocking access to manifest.cohhc.gg, is wrong. Reading the log files, each failed installer run downloads several times, including from manifest.cohhc.gg, successfully. In all failed runs, launcher.exe after presenting the EULA and you clicking "Accept", the next 3 downloads appear to start. Then launcher.exe fails silently, as logging stops. I've created a bug report here hoping this helps.

EDIT: Root cause of this issue appears to have been fixed. Partial installs not finished due to crashing during the install should be deleted. Please try again after downloading hcinstall.exe again (version should be '1.0.3236.32' or later). @Number Six, @GM Tahquitz, I'm hoping you or someone else can help here. @CaptainLupis, @blueEmpathy, and @Voltor have all reported their attempts at installing the HC Launcher getting to the EULA, them clicking "Accept", then nothing happening. They have all provided launcher.log files, which I included along with the launcher.log of me having a successful install for comparison. 20201107a.CaptainLupis.launcher.log 20201107a.blueEmpathy.launcher.log 20201107a.Voltor.launcher.log 20201107a.success.Jacke.launcher.log Looking at the log files, all failed runs of the installer are similar. They downloaded several files successfully from manifest.cohhc.gg and later cdn.homecomingservers.com. The installations get to the EULA acceptance and download the EULA successfully. Then present the EULA to the user, which each user clicks "Accept" as it is logged. Then the next 3 downloads from manifest.cohhc.gg appear to start but never complete, and the logging ends, apparently at the same progress point. @CaptainLupis's launcher.log is easiest to understand because it is only one installer run, like my log. @blueEmpathy and @Voltor are trickier because they both contain several installer runs one after another, separated by about a minute, in the same log file. But all the runs fail in the same way that @CaptainLupis's did. So I believe their cases are connected. I think the root cause can't be a general blocking of Internet connection by either software on the users' computers or between their computers and the Homecoming domains because on all failed runs, several files are successfully downloaded before the silent failure, which hits at the same progress point. All users have also searched for such obstructions and tested with security software disabled, with the install tests still failing in the same way. I suspect it is something peculiar about what is going on in the launcher when those 3 downloads are starting that may be the root cause. However, I can't determine why the installs should fail then, especially fail silently. I hope this helps track down a frustrating issue with the HC Launcher.

Thanks for being thorough, @CaptainLupis. Best of luck on the firewall as it is the most likely suspect. I'll PM you some advice and try to find time to help you further. I do think the security software is the most likely suspect, @Voltor. How to proceed really depends on the details of AVG and Malwarebytes. They are complex and it depends on how old they are, what version and products you have. You can very carefully try disabling any resident protections temporarily and see if another run of hcinstall.exe does any better. You can PM me with the details and I'll try to find the time to help you further.

Those changes weren't addressing the root cause, that software on your computer is blocking hcinstall.exe and launcher.exe from accessing those Internet addresses. Your security software may track the browser loads and open up access to the Internet addresses. Please try it one more time. It may fail, but it may succeed. @Voltor, thanks for trying one more time. @CaptainLupis, @Voltor, your computers can access the Internet addresses, but hcinstall.exe and launcher.exe are being blocked. There will be a way to remove those blocks, but it will be particular to whatever software is blocking. You need to determine which security software on your computer is active.

That's what my browser said too. To get that error, the browser used the link, got a connection, downloaded the page, found the security certificate it can't handle, then gave up. If HC Launcher can do that, it'll be able to proceed. Try running hcinstall.exe again.

@Voltor, @CaptainLupis, an external firewall could be letting through the ICMP pings but silently blocking the HTTP connections the launcher is trying, but that's a very unlikely configuration. It's more likely security software or a software firewall on your computers are putting the installer and the launcher in a state where it is silently blocking HTTP (AKA web) connections to manifest.cohhc.gg. But it lets through connections to cdn.homecomingservers.com. Likely because has whitelisted HTTP to *.homecomingservers.com due to your browser using it. (Else none of your reading and posting here would work.) Absolutely last thing to try. In your browser, try loading these 3 links, paying very close attention to what happens. http://manifest.cohhc.gg/profile/live.json http://manifest.cohhc.gg/profile/pre.json http://manifest.cohhc.gg/profile/beta.json In my browser, it downloads them (they're special text), identifies them as .json files, then complains about them because the browser can't handle the security certificate at the start (which HC Launcher requires). You're looking to see what complains about them, what is blocking them, and how to whitelist the whole website so the HC Launcher can access it. If those pages load as they did for me with no other software speaking up--or you found what software levers to push to open things up--try running hcinstall.exe again and see if things get farther. If that doesn't work, then you need to engage someone you know locally who can help you with this issue which is squirrelled away on your computers. As it is very unlikely I can help you find the problem.

I've seen strange issues fixed by rebooting and updating, even recently. May help. Try the ping test I posted above and see what you get. Then perhaps move to a PM.

@CaptainLupis, perhaps we should move this to a PM. The launcher tries to get files from manifest.cohhc.gg but doesn't get any reply. Can you ping the Internet address? Like this. ping manifest.cohhc.gg Pinging manifest.cohhc.gg [167.114.191.20] with 32 bytes of data: Reply from 167.114.191.20: bytes=32 time=71ms TTL=54 Reply from 167.114.191.20: bytes=32 time=70ms TTL=54 Reply from 167.114.191.20: bytes=32 time=70ms TTL=54 Reply from 167.114.191.20: bytes=32 time=70ms TTL=54 Ping statistics for 167.114.191.20: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss), Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds: Minimum = 70ms, Maximum = 71ms, Average = 70ms

@blueEmpathy, can you reply with the log file launcher.log? <City file root>\logs\launcher\launcher.log Like the others, I think the problem is something, security software or firewall, is blocking Internet address manifest.cohhc.gg. I'd need the log file to be sure.

@GruntledDave, as I mentioned before, that security alert is almost certainly a false alert, which do happen. You might be able to fix things by either telling the security software about the false alert or telling it to whitelist the Internet address manifest.cohhc.gg.

Thanks! I think the crash log from Windows XP means it can't run the installer, hcinstall.exe. Reading your launcher.log from Windows 7, the installer grabs its initial files from http://cdn.homecomingservers.com/.... It eventually switches to the launcher.exe. Which fails to get more files from http://manifest.cohhc.gg/.... Several times. It doesn't even get a reply to the Internet connection requests. My test install running about the same time got those files (as you can see in my launcher.log), so the server is up and delivering out files when requested. @Voltor and @CaptainLupis, in both your cases, something is blocking access to the Internet address manifest.cohhc.gg , either security software or a firewall. You'll have to find it and change its configuration to be able to install the HC Launcher.

It's important that when you post a log file or a crash report, you include the file, not quote all or part of it. It gets hard to figure things out when there's only part of the information. I've attached the launcher.log file from another test install (completed okay) of the HC Launcher on my computer as an example. launcher.log When you're replying, look down and you'll see a bar at the bottom of the reply box that say's "Drag files here to attach..." On your computer, drag the log file or crash report to the bar so it's uploaded to the Homecoming forums. Once it's uploaded, click the "+" at the right end of the bar to insert the file into the body of your reply. To be sure, I'd need to see all of the log file, but comparing it to mine, the installer is handing off to the launcher, but the launcher can't contact the Homecoming servers to get files for the next steps. Something is blocking access to those Internet addresses, likely your security software or a firewall, either software or hardware. I need the whole crash file. I also need the log file if you can find it. If the installer gets to the "Accept" screen, it should have written a log file somewhere. Try searching for "launcher.log" if you can't find it here. <City file root>\CityHC\logs\launcher\launcher.log

Here's three things to check. <City file root> is where you told the installer to put the HC Launcher. 1. Log file here in case the HC Launcher is dying in the background before it opens its window. If you find the log file, post it here. <City file root>\logs\launcher\launcher.log 2. Run the hcinstall.exe again but say "No" to copying files from Tequila. Then it's only the installer and HC Launcher involved. 3. After #2, look for the log file in #1 again, wherever you told the installer in #2 to put the new files. 4. What security software do you have? There's a chance that despite whitelisting the programs, your security software is silently blocking the vital step of hcinstall.exe starting up launcher.exe. You should have better results with Windows 7 than with Windows XP. And it is highly unlikely that the presence of Tequila is the root cause of this issue.

No, you shouldn't have to remove Tequila. The HC Launcher install is completely independent of Tequila, which is why it goes in a new empty location on you computer. If the installer detects a Tequila install by looking in the Registry, it will ask if it can copy files from there, stock ones it checks and your own configuration, just to speed things up and give you the same City customization as before. If this is the same issue you mentioned before, that after clicking "Accept" the install doesn't proceed, then it's likely something to do with the switchover from the installer program to it starting the actual HC Launcher to continue downloading its City install. Can you whitelist the launcher programs in your security software? Take a look at the post I wrote just before yours, 2 back from here. If that doesn't work, try launching the HC Launcher directly yourself. You should have a desktop link to it. If that doesn't work, then it's one of these: <City file root>\bin\win32\launcher.exe <City file root>\bin\win64\launcher.exe where <City file root> is where you told the installer to put the HC Launcher install. If you have a 64-bit Windows, try the win64 program. If you have a 32-bit Windows, or the 64-bit launcher.exe doesn't work, try the win32 program.

See the technical deep dive under Security Features: The launcher cryptographically checks what it downloads from Homecoming to ensure they're legit from Homecoming. That's likely your security software giving a false alert. I had to whitelist the launcher programs or their folder with my security software Comodo to prevent issues. Either: <City file root>\bin\win32\launcher.exe <City file root>\bin\win64\launcher.exe Or what I settled on, the whole bin folder to cover the .dll files as well. <City file root>\bin\*

The HC Launcher installer puts the files where you tell it. At first it offers "C:\Games\Homecoming", "C:\Games\HC" if the first isn't empty: But you can browse or write in any folder that is current empty or needs to be created: And all the files go there. I call it the City file root. The whole folder is self-contained and for the HC Launcher can be moved while no programs from it are running. The HC Launcher is started by running one of its executables, 32-bit and 64-bit, located here: <City file root>\bin\win32\launcher.exe <City file root>\bin\win64\launcher.exe As @Ukase said, the first page of the HC Launcher Settings popup shows the current <City file root> as well: And following the wiki page, or better the HC wiki page: https://hcwiki.cityofheroes.dev/wiki/Popmenu_(Slash_Command) popmenu files are located: <City file root>\data\texts\<LANGUAGE>\Menus\ for English: <City file root>\data\texts\English\Menus\ And all *.mnu files in that folder are read when the HC Launcher starts a City client program under any Game Profile, Homecoming live, Prerelease pre, or Beta beta. As far as I know, there's no way to reload the popmenu files without stopping and restarting the City client program. After reading in the files, the names of the *.mnu files do not matter. All of these: /popmenu Target /macro TAR popmenu Target /bind T "popmenu Target" All look for this that was loaded from any *.mnu file when the City client program was started. Where "..." has to be correct Popmenu syntax. Menu Target { ... }

I think after clicking 'Accept' is where the installer switches to the Launcher to finish downloading files. The launcher programs are here. <City file root>\bin\win32\launcher.exe <City file root>\bin\win64\launcher.exe City file root is where you tell the installer to put the new files used by the HC Launcher. As well, in my experience, you need to security whitelist not just the installer but the launcher.exe as well, easiest being to whitelist the whole bin folder if you can. <wherever you've got it>\hcinstall.exe <City file root>\bin\*

Glad I could help. From what I've read and my own testing, once you have a Game Profile installed, its whole item is a button, not just the right-pointing arrowhead and the "Ready" widget. Click on it to hilight it with a brown background, then click on it one more time to launch its City client program. You may want to post in either the Suggestions post that the size of the widgets for download (the down arrow) and the submenu (the 3 dots to get at Verify/Settings/Uninstall) should be larger.

Do you mean access the Beta Shards from the HC Launcher? Already built in. After the Launcher is installed, it looks like this. The Homecoming Game Profile is always installed (and is in progress here). To install the Prerelease and Beta Profiles, click on their down arrows. Then it'll look like it does in the original post and you'll be able to log in on the Beta servers. If you want to transfer characters there, there's information in the Beta section of the forums.

EDIT: As of today, 2020 Nov 09 Monday, hcinstall.exe has been updated and this has changed. Now the only files not copied are *.storyarc.backup, which appear to be no longer created when using the HC Launcher. I've updated this post below to reflect this. Hi @Number Six, @GM Tahquitz. Thanks for all your work and assistance with the new Launcher. I'm finding it an improvement over the previous launchers. I have questions about the HC Launcher installer copying local architect files from a Tequila install. I'm writing a guide for my gaming guild and I want to be thorough. Is my list below of local architect files complete? Are all the needed files transferred? Do the files work correctly and completely on the HC Launcher install? I did some testing. As I haven't done any of my own architect work and local backup, I had to do some research to determine what the local architect files are, primarily in the Wiki here: https://hcwiki.cityofheroes.dev/wiki/Mission_Architect_Files as well as in @WanderingAries's topic here. https://forums.homecomingservers.com/topic/23315-filesystem-migration-where-does-this-file-go-now/ In an old install, excluding the .costume files (which I know already transfer correctly), I believe these are all the source local Architect files. <old City file root>\Custom_Critter\*.critter <old City file root>\CustomVillainGroup\*.cvg <old City file root>\Missions\*.storyarc <old City file root>\Missions\*.storyarc.backup <old City file root>\PlayerCreatedSouvenirClues.txt Running the HC Launcher installer, these are the files that were transferred and to where. <new City file root>\architect\critters\*.critter <new City file root>\architect\villaingroups\*.cvg <new City file root>\architect\missions\*.storyarc <new City file root>\architect\PlayerCreatedSouvenirClues.txt The *.storyarc.backup files weren't copied. They appear to not be created now when using the HC Launcher. As I mentioned, I've not done my own architect work, so I'm not sure of the answers to my questions above. I'd appreciate you looking at this. Thanks!

Is there any intention to add support for Paragon Chat and Icon as 2 more Game Profiles, as with Tequila ? If not, that's my suggestion, primarily to take over all the functions of Tequila.

Was that Dark Astoria--now remodelled to be red-toned and without fog as an Incarnate Zone--or was that Echo: Dark Astoria ? The Echo should always have the fog.

Full Auto. I'd forgotten that power. Even though my main is an Assault Rifle-Devices Blaster. Because for a blaster T9, it's shite, despite being one of the original crashless nukes. Narrow cone means you have to be almost at full range to effectively cover targets. Rooted for 4 seconds also means you don't want to be any where near the enemy. I've had in on Live. And decided to skip it. To me, AR's nuke is Ignite, especially when you immobilize a big beastie. Love Ignite so much I'm heartbroken what was done to it for Sentinel AR. Sure, the Full Auto is better. But no Ignite...meh.

In the board game Imperium Romanum II there was a section about settling players' disputes over the rules. One option: that the players arm themselves and settle the dispute like noble Romans.