Safe Mode Discontinuation Support - Windows

[Jimmy]

Hello!

 

If you are not yet aware, the Safe Mode client will soon be discontinued.

 

If you're having trouble running the new 32-bit or 64-bit clients on Windows, please post in this thread. If you need support on Mac OS X, please use this thread instead.

 

Old threads which have some workarounds:

• "Safe Mode" Client May Be Going Away Soon
• Safe Mode Client Discontinuation FAQ

[LightBearer]

My DualShock has not functionned properly on the 32b/64b builds since the patch dropped in August. Someone on the homecoming team notified me about a month ago of a patch that had been applied that was intended to fix dualshock functionality. It was not completely successful and I am experiencing “random intermittent input failure”. I can only play properly on safemode.

[ILIWAPCT]

1 hour ago, LightBearer said:

My DualShock has not functionned properly on the 32b/64b builds since the patch dropped in August. Someone on the homecoming team notified me about a month ago of a patch that had been applied that was intended to fix dualshock functionality. It was not completely successful and I am experiencing “random intermittent input failure”. I can only play properly on safemode.

That infamous August patch  also knocked out my Steam Controller. Fortunately, yesterday I got full functionality back.  

Edited January 7, 2020 by ILIWAPCT
repeat

[beerdetective]

I am trying to download the new patch but it keeps giving me an error.  Data error of some sort, will try again.

[beerdetective]

Well, here is the error. Download error: homecoming/texture_gui.pigg
Was unable to download fileDownload error: homecoming/texture_library.pigg
Was unable to download fileDownload error: homecoming/texture_world.pigg
Was unable to download fileDownload error: homecoming.exe
Was unable to download file

[Tock]

beerdetective, that's not Safe Mode.  There's a network issue preventing those files from being downloaded.  If you close and run Tequila again, it will try again on those 4-5 files and not the ones it already got.

 

Also: make sure your antivirus program has an exclusion for Tequila.exe so it doesn't block files from being patched.

[WanderingAries]

4 hours ago, Tahquitz said:

beerdetective, that's not Safe Mode.  There's a network issue preventing those files from being downloaded.  If you close and run Tequila again, it will try again on those 4-5 files and not the ones it already got.

 

Also: make sure your antivirus program has an exclusion for Tequila.exe so it doesn't block files from being patched.

^^^This^^^

 

Your problem is a known issue where the AV software is blocking the file transfer. To be safe, make sure the whole installation folder and the exe's are white listed in defender and your other AV(s) just in case. TBH, I didn't have to do much with Defender/Webroot, but did with Malwarebytes. Also, after a patch, if you get the game crashing after launch or black screen, then you should start in windowed mode and toggle to see if the AV is asking if the app is safe in the background.

[Hellwraith]

Repeated from other thread:

 

Also unable to play without downloading the safe mode manifest.  I have the most current drivers for the GTX-590, but the card is old so I have always gotten the driver warnings when starting CoX, but it's a watercooled card and I don't have the 1k to replace it, unfortunately.  My OS is Windows 10-64 bit HE.

 

Under both 64-bit and 32-bit modes, I can get through picking a server, but when it switches to the character selection screen, it's just a gray window, Windows reports CoH stopped responding, and I have to force it closed.

 

Launching the application under administrator nor under safe mode help seems to make any difference. I was able to load to Pineapple, so I'm wondering if it has anything to do with having multiple pages of characters?

[Troo]

and of course. New computer ordered a couple weeks back showed up today. I did a fresh Windows 10 install, removed remaining bloatware, updated drivers, updated graphics drives... and attempted to install the game.

 

following the instructions provided at: https://forums.homecomingservers.com/topic/9526-frequently-asked-questions/

 

Hey look safe mode... uh oh.

 

64-bit results in:

 

 

Safe Mode works great.

 

So like a brand new player I'll go hunt for the solution.

 

[Troo]

Will try to download and install the "x64" Visual C++ package from Microsoft as suggested a number of times in different threads.

WORKED. That appears to have address the two errors.

 

Now to get the controller to work again. Currently behaves as if not even recognized. Device Manager does recognize it and it works for calibration there.

 

Edited January 8, 2020 by Troo

[Alaskanrebel]

I'm having an issue with the 32bit recognizing my legacy joystick (Sidewinder Percision 2) and displays a generic input device in the options.  Safe mode works fine, just enable in the options, and and I can keybind without a problem. And yes, I know it's an old joystick, but I have a lack of mobility in my right arm that limits me from moving and the joystick works like a charm.

[boggo2300]

2 minutes ago, Alaskanrebel said:

I'm having an issue with the 32bit recognizing my legacy joystick (Sidewinder Percision 2) and displays a generic input device in the options.  Safe mode works fine, just enable in the options, and and I can keybind without a problem. And yes, I know it's an old joystick, but I have a lack of mobility in my right arm that limits me from moving and the joystick works like a charm.

gotta say I'm impressed you have a joystick of that age still working!

[Jimmy]

6 hours ago, Troo said:

64-bit results in:

 

The reason this only occurred on your new setup is that many Steam games (and other software) will automatically install this for you, so most people already have it installed.

[Alaskanrebel]

14 hours ago, boggo2300 said:

gotta say I'm impressed you have a joystick of that age still working!

You're telling me, I travelled the world with that sidewinder......Alaska,  the Rockies, Germany, Texas, Middle East and now the east coast.  Never had an issue with it.....until now.  But I'm sure the fine folks on Homecoming will help square me away.

Edited January 9, 2020 by Alaskanrebel
Grammar

[Troo]

yes they will.

it is likely not you nor the controller. I got an older controller working late last night and will post the solution when I get back that computer.

(it was just a setting in options that I had long forgotten setting or didn't have to before)

 

update:

typically all I had to do was Options > Keymapping > Keybind Profile > Joystick and then just set buttons. That always worked in the past.
this time, I had to also go Options > Controls > Game Controller and make sure it was toggled on USB joystick.
I don't remember having to do that before.

 

Edited January 9, 2020 by Troo
updated

[boggo2300]

11 minutes ago, Alaskanrebel said:

You're telling me, I travelled the world with that sidewinder......Alaska,  the Rockies, Germany, Texas, Middle East and now the east coast.  Never had an issue with it.....until now.  But I'm sure the fine folks on Homecoming will help square me away.

I believe there are some Direct X drivers from Microsoft that are helping folks with controller issues, check this thread I think for the links 

 

Edited January 9, 2020 by boggo2300
sigh, Direct X not Active X

[Alaskanrebel]

9 hours ago, Troo said:

typically all I had to do was Options > Keymapping > Keybind Profile > Joystick and then just set buttons. That always worked in the past.
this time, I had to also go Options > Controls > Game Controller and make sure it was toggled on USB joystick.
I don't remember having to do that before.

That is what I did, but when I toggle through the game controllers the only thing I can select is generic HID input or something like that.  At first I selected the generic, clicked apply, then went to the keybinding tab, selected joystick, then tried to bins the joystick's buttons and movements but nothing was being recognized. Tried the same thing in safe mode and it worked like a charms. Only difference was that in the options controller was toggled between enable or disable.

 

I will continue to work on it later today and will post if I get it working.

[Ulysses Dare]

Ever since the 64-bit overhaul, when I use the 32-bit client the game will inevitably crash to desktop after an hour to an hour-and-a-half of play. Sometimes the crash happens sooner, but usually I'm safe for at least an hour. With both Safe Mode and  the original client (which I gather are the same thing) I experience a crash or freeze maybe once a month—twice at the most.

 

There doesn't seem to be any obvious pattern to these crashes. It seems to happen during zoning fairly often but it also happens while I'm flying along over the city. And I can jump in a Hami or Mothership raid without issue if things wrap up in under an hour.

 

I'd also add that when the new 32-bit client was introduced it was much less stable: I'd crash after fifteen to thirty minutes. Over the course of the first month performance improved until it reached the current state but since then it seems to have stalled.

[shamise]

Unfortunately, the City of Heroes client encountered an unexpected error and must close.

The error occurred in ntdll.dll at relative address 0x32a13.

 

This is the error I get running windows 7, I am going to try updating windows 7 as much as I can this weekend, but I wanted to get this message out, 

This message happens with 32-bit.

 

[Number Six]

13 hours ago, shamise said:

Unfortunately, the City of Heroes client encountered an unexpected error and must close.

The error occurred in ntdll.dll at relative address 0x32a13.

 

This is the error I get running windows 7, I am going to try updating windows 7 as much as I can this weekend, but I wanted to get this message out, 

This message happens with 32-bit.

 

Can you try the beta client (https://forums.homecomingservers.com/topic/13159-how-to-access-the-beta-testing-server/) and submit a crash report when it pops up? That ntdll.dll reference doesn't provide any useful information, so we'll need a full stacktrace or even a dump if possible to see what the issue is.

[Alaskanrebel]

On 1/9/2020 at 5:47 AM, Alaskanrebel said:

That is what I did, but when I toggle through the game controllers the only thing I can select is generic HID input or something like that.  At first I selected the generic, clicked apply, then went to the keybinding tab, selected joystick, then tried to bins the joystick's buttons and movements but nothing was being recognized. Tried the same thing in safe mode and it worked like a charms. Only difference was that in the options controller was toggled between enable or disable.

 

I will continue to work on it later today and will post if I get it working.

So I reloaded the joystick drivers and 32bit is still not recognizing the controller in the options, the toggle displays generic HID controller (raw input) I also have another usb device, a small 15 button keyboard, attached and it works without any issue.......I will try a different (newish) joystick and see if it will be picked up.  Eventually I will load 64bit Win10, but I do not have the time right now.  No Direct X drivers worked either.  Never Give up, Never Surrender.

Edited January 10, 2020 by Alaskanrebel
corrected device with controller

[Number Six]

26 minutes ago, Alaskanrebel said:

So I reloaded the joystick drivers and 32bit is still not recognizing the controller in the options, the toggle displays generic HID controller (raw input) I also have another usb device, a small 15 button keyboard, attached and it works without any issue.......I will try a different (newish) joystick and see if it will be picked up.  Eventually I will load 64bit Win10, but I do not have the time right now.  No Direct X drivers worked either.  Never Give up, Never Surrender.

I'm working on a standalone diagnostic tool to help get the info we need from these oddball devices, so keep an eye on this thread for it.

 

At the end of the day, both the old client and the new one ultimately use the same method of getting joystick/gamepad input, but the old one had an extra middleware layer that Microsoft has since deprecated -- the newer one just gets the raw HID events directly.

 

In theory anything that works with the old client should work with the new one, but in practice there may be some not-quite-compliant hardware we need to do special workarounds for (that presumably DirectInput was doing before).

[Troo]

The 64-bit client has significant rubberbanding for my brand new computer with updates installed.

 

On a previous computer in October rubberbanding was an issue at one point and a reason for initially moving to safe mode. I did quite a bit of trouble shooting this side. It was indicated that it was a known issue and being addressed.

 

Feels like going in circles.

Edited January 11, 2020 by Troo

[death_jester]

Is there going to be a way to run this game with an older graphics card that uses DirectX. I find it ironic that a computer I bought almost 20 years ago had less issue than a computer I bout a few years ago. Running 32-bit, 64-bit, 32-bit Beta, and 64-bit Beta; yields one result. That says it is missing OpenGL. Before the August 2019 patch, I used a recommended Shim, to solve the issue. After the patch this did not seem to work, and support recommended then that I use safemode. Now it seems my newer computer with a older graphics card, the shim and safemode are going obsolete.

I was kind of hoping the one answer I would not be getting is; buy a new computer/graphics card. There is of course no longer any support for the graphic card I have. 

[termus]

I launch the game via Steam for controller support because I am disabled. The safe mode client is the only client that will completely launch and allow me to play. The 32bit and 64bit clients both crash on launch. I have made sure the game is updated, re-validated the content. I have verified I am using the correct launch parameters and I'm targeting the correct EXEs. I get the error below on the 64bit client. I have not reinstalled the clients yet. As they do work on their own.

 

I bypass the Tequila client so I can play over my Steam Link and not having to worry about the resolution freaking out every time Tequila is loaded.

Edited January 12, 2020 by Thomas