Crashing on start? Read this! UPDATED October 18, 2016

TL;DR version: 90% of the issues we see relating to startup crashes can be resolved by taking one of the following two approaches:

  1. If you are running Lavasoft Ad-Aware, try disabling it and see if Stonehearth launches properly.

  2. Update your graphics card drivers from the vendor website:
    For AMD: http://support.amd.com/en-us/download32
    For NVIDIA: Download Drivers | NVIDIA
    For Intel: Intel® Support


UPDATE: Updated to include possible Windows Firewall issues. If you encounter crashes at startup, please post your .log file to a new topic in The Crash Report Category. The team will evaluate and respond.

(18 October 2016) We’ve seen a number of recent startup crashed that seem to be caused by issues with the Windows networking configuration. Please try running the following commands in an Administrator Command Prompt (hit enter after each line):

netsh advfirewall reset

netsh int ip reset c:\resetlog.txt

netsh winsock reset

(7 October 2015) We are starting to get reports of people having trouble with Windows 10 updates causing the game to stop working. Here is how to run the game in “Compatibility mode”

  1. Go to your Steam Stonehearth Folder (default is: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Stonehearth)
  2. Right click on Stonehearth and select “Properties” from the drop-down menu.
  3. Click on the “Compatibility” tab
  4. Click the box for "Run this game in compatibility mode for:
  5. Choose “Windows 8” from the drop down.
    If the game does not work in Windows 8 mode, repeat steps 1 - 3 and select “Windows 7” from the drop down.

[Original post]

Hey everyone, we’re really concerned about these crash-to-desktop bugs.

If you are experiencing crashes when starting Stonehearth, this may be due to privacy software or anti-malware programs.

Stonehearth runs a version of the Chrome browser to render the user interface. Some anti-malware or privacy programs inject code into Stonehearth and Chrome in an attempt to provide their services; sadly, many of these injection techniques cause crashes on startup. We are working to circumvent these injection techniques, but providing a stable and efficient solution may take some time.

Some programs that we have found that cause Stonehearth to crash:
Lavasoft Ad-Aware
Norton 360
Hide My IP
(see following post for a more complete list)

If you can’t even start Stonehearth, and you are running one of the programs above (or something like it), try disabling it to see if it will help.

If this doesn’t solve the issue for you, here are some other things that have worked for folks around the forums:

  1. Update your graphics card drivers from the vendor website:
    For AMD: Download Drivers
    For NVIDIA: Download Drivers | NVIDIA
    For Intel: Intel® Driver and Support Assistant

  2. If you’re running Windows 7, make sure you have at least SP1. (For Windows Vista, at least SP2. For Windows 8, you need to update to 8.1)

  3. If you have an AMD CPU, some people have reported success by updating the chipset drivers as well.

  4. Try turning off fullscreen mode. You can do this from the settings screen. If you can’t even get to the settings screen, find your user_settings.json file in the Steam Stonehearth folder, and add the following:

"renderer" : {
    "enable_fullscreen" : false
}
  1. Some people are also reporting success when launching stonehearth as an administrator. To try this, right click on stonehearth.exe and select “Run as administrator”. (Do this on the stonehearth.exe in the main folder. It will automatically launch the 64-bit version if needed.)

  2. Check if your graphics card meets the minimum spec for Stonehearth. You can see how your graphics card stacks up on the chart below. If you are below the line with “Intel HD Graphics 3000”, you may not be able to run Stonehearth:
    GPU Hierarchy - Comparison of Graphics Cards for Gaming

If all else fails, you can post your ‘stonehearth.log’ and crash.dmp files on the forum and we can figure out why your game is crashing. To find these files:
– Right click Stonehearth in your Steam library
– Select ‘Properties’
– Select the ‘Local Files’ tab
– Select ‘Browse Local Files’

You’ll find stonehearth.log and crash.dmp nestled among your local files. Once found, make a new topic in Crash Reports so we can look into it.

Thanks in advance for your help with this tricky issue.

10 Likes

We’re investigating a workaround for the anti-malware / privacy software issue. Until then, here’s a list of troublesome programs. If you are on this list, try disabling the program to see if that helps:

Lavasoft Ad-Aware
Norton 360
Webroot
Hide My IP
ASproxy
Windows 8 Firewall Control
RivaTuner Statistics Server

The following programs may also be problematic:

"acpiz.dll"                          // Unknown. 
"adialhk.dll"                        // Kaspersky Internet Security. 
"airfoilinject3.dll"                 // Airfoil. 
"akinsofthook32.dll"                 // Akinsoft Software Engineering. 
"assistant_x64.dll"                  // Unknown. 
"avcuf64.dll"                        // Bit Defender Internet Security x64. 
"avgrsstx.dll"                       // AVG 8. 
"babylonchromepi.dll"                // Babylon translator. 
"btkeyind.dll"                       // Widcomm Bluetooth. 
"cmcsyshk.dll"                       // CMC Internet Security. 
"cmsetac.dll"                        // Unknown (suspected malware). 
"cooliris.dll"                       // CoolIris. 
"cplushook.dll"                      // Unknown (suspected malware). 
"dockshellhook.dll"                  // Stardock Objectdock. 
"easyhook32.dll"                     // GDIPP and others. 
"esspd.dll"                          // Samsung Smart Security ESCORT. 
"fwhook.dll"                         // PC Tools Firewall Plus. 
"googledesktopnetwork3.dll"          // Google Desktop Search v5. 
"hookprintapis.dll"                  // Cyberprinter. 
"hookprocesscreation.dll"            // Blumentals Program protector. 
"hookterminateapis.dll"              // Blumentals and Cyberprinter. 
"icatcdll.dll"                       // Samsung Smart Security ESCORT. 
"icdcnl.dll"                         // Samsung Smart Security ESCORT. 
"imon.dll"                           // NOD32 Antivirus. 
"ioloHL.dll"                         // Iolo (System Mechanic). 
"kloehk.dll"                         // Kaspersky Internet Security. 
"lawenforcer.dll"                    // Spyware-Browser AntiSpyware (Spybro). 
"libdivx.dll"                        // DivX. 
"lvprcinj01.dll"                     // Logitech QuickCam. 
"madchook.dll"                       // Madshi (generic hooking library). 
"mdnsnsp.dll"                        // Bonjour. 
"moonsysh.dll"                       // Moon Secure Antivirus. 
"mpk.dll"                            // KGB Spy. 
"npdivx32.dll"                       // DivX. 
"npggNT.des"                         // GameGuard 2008. 
"npggNT.dll"                         // GameGuard (older). 
"oawatch.dll"                        // Online Armor. 
"pastali32.dll"                      // PastaLeads. 
"pavhook.dll"                        // Panda Internet Security. 
"pavlsphook.dll"                     // Panda Antivirus. 
"pavshook.dll"                       // Panda Antivirus. 
"pavshookwow.dll"                    // Panda Antivirus. 
"pctavhook.dll"                      // PC Tools Antivirus. 
"pctgmhk.dll"                        // PC Tools Spyware Doctor. 
"picrmi32.dll"                       // PicRec. 
"picrmi64.dll"                       // PicRec. 
"prntrack.dll"                       // Pharos Systems. 
"protector.dll"                      // Unknown (suspected malware). 
"r3hook.dll"                         // Kaspersky Internet Security. 
"radhslib.dll"                       // Radiant Naomi Internet Filter. 
"radprlib.dll"                       // Radiant Naomi Internet Filter. 
"rapportnikko.dll"                   // Trustware Rapport. 
"rlhook.dll"                         // Trustware Bufferzone. 
"rndlpepperbrowserrecordhelper.dll"  // RealPlayer. 
"rooksdol.dll"                       // Trustware Rapport. 
"rpchromebrowserrecordhelper.dll"    // RealPlayer. 
"sahook.dll"                         // McAfee Site Advisor. 
"sbrige.dll"                         // Unknown. 
"sc2hook.dll"                        // Supercopier 2. 
"sdhook32.dll"                       // Spybot - Search & Destroy Live Protection. 
"sguard.dll"                         // Iolo (System Guard). 
"smum32.dll"                         // Spyware Doctor version 6. 
"smumhook.dll"                       // Spyware Doctor version 5. 
"ssldivx.dll"                        // DivX. 
"syncor11.dll"                       // SynthCore Midi interface. 
"systools.dll"                       // Panda Antivirus. 
"tfwah.dll                           // Threatfire (PC tools). 
"wbhelp.dll"                         // Stardock Object desktop. 
"wblind.dll"                         // Stardock Object desktop. 
"winstylerthemehelper.dll"           // Tuneup utilities 2006.
6 Likes

For game crash issues, please create a new post in the Crash Report Category.