[FIXED] [Bug Report] launcher.exe silently failing during the 3 downloads immediately after the EULA

[Jacke]

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.

 

Edited November 9, 2020 by Jacke

[Number Six]

Do you have a crash directory? The "launcher starts to install but just disappears" issue I've seen so far involves a crash when the main UI starts. It's in the middle of the image resampling code*, which is a little baffling, but all I have to go on right now are some stack traces pulled from manually posted reports so it's difficult to pin down why. Haven't gotten a memory dump since it happens before the crash handler is downloaded and installed.

 

It might be possible to get a dump by manually copying crashhandler.exe to the bin/win64 (or bin/win32) directories from an existing game install.

[Jacke]

13 minutes ago, Number Six said:

Do you have a crash directory? The "launcher starts to install but just disappears" issue I've seen so far involves a crash when the main UI starts. It's in the middle of the image resampling code*, which is a little baffling, but all I have to go on right now are some stack traces pulled from manually posted reports so it's difficult to pin down why. Haven't gotten a memory dump since it happens before the crash handler is downloaded and installed.

 

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.

 

Quote

It might be possible to get a dump by manually copying crashhandler.exe to the bin/win64 (or bin/win32) directories from an existing game install.

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?

Edited November 8, 2020 by Jacke

[Number Six]

The first procedure would probably work. Or they could copy it in after it crashes, then try to run the launcher again by running bin/win64/launcher.exe.

 

You can't rename the exe though. If it's not named "crashhandler.exe", it won't be invoked in order to submit a report / memory dump.

[Number Six]

If somebody does get that working, please go ahead and send a fulldump (under the 'more' or 'advanced' section). The launcher is small enough that a fulldump won't be that big and would be helpful in figuring out what the trigger is.

[Number Six]

This should be fixed, though you will need to delete the partial install and redownload the installer.

[Ramp72]

Thanks!  It is now working for me.