FPSCreator.exe refuses to start after nearly 1 year of troubleshooting

[GoogleCodeExporter]

What steps will reproduce the problem?
1. Uninstall/Re-install. 
2. Double Click FPSCreator.exe.
3. Modify the installation, such as remove the additional model packs or edit 
the additional model packs.

What is the expected output? What do you see instead?
Runtime error 7003.

i have been receiving errors since (Summer of 2010) i had a different computer 
with XP 64 bit and a different mainboard. Now on this new machine and a 
different OS (Win 7 64 bit), the problems continue.

What version of the product are you using? On what operating system?

FPSC9 v1.18
Windows 7 64 bit
Quadro FX 3700
16 GB RAM
2x16 AMD Magny-Cours

Please provide any additional information below.

This is on going problem since Summer of 2010. i have been hoping that as this 
issue has been so long going that perhaps your company would actually "spring" 
for FPSC10 to correct the problem. i have been advised to post here by the main 
tech support staff from the main website.

-=-=-=-=-=

The first of the last three trouble shooting sequence:

After the initial re-install the following errors occurs after double clicking 
(starting) the FPSCreator.exe (during the "checking files for you" phase):

"Runtime Error 7003 - Mesh does not exist at line 48594. LOAD MESH 
'editors\gfx\7.x',200"

"The application has encountered a problem and needs to close. The software has 
encountered an error and has been forced to close. Your level could be too 
large, or you're building too many levels. If this problem persists, back-up 
your work and re-install the software."

---------------

Then the software crashes.

The reply:
    Hi Noh,

The following is a reply to your enquiry:

> YAHSHUA YHWH GOD BLESS you,
>
> So far, i have rebooted several times since that intial re-install and the
> exact same error continues.
>
> Dih

It is possible the file has not copied correctly.

I'm afraid I recommend another reinstall. This time please turn any spyware or 
anti-virus software off for the duration of the uninstall and reinstall 
process. 3rd party software may be interfering with the installation process. 
If there's any programs you can prevent from loading at this point I strongly 
recommend you do.

Placing windows into selective start up and eliminating any unneeded programs 
could solve your issues.

1.Open System Configuration by clicking the Start button, clicking Control 
Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, clicking Administrative Tools, and then 
double-clicking System Configuration.? If you are prompted for an administrator 
password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

2.Click the General tab, click Selective startup, and then clear the Load 
system services and the Load startup items check boxes.

3.Select the Load system services check box, click OK, and then click Restart. 
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The second of 3 trouble shooting sequences:

YAHSHUA YHWH GOD BLESS you,

Runtime Error 1512 - Display is not supported by available hardware at line 0.

This error right after installing but before the .dso files could be 
reset/deleted (not that there are any since this is a fresh installation and 
the former files were deleted manually).

The same error as before ("level too large or too many") is repeated when 
running the FPSCreator.exe in Safe mode after the installation.

then the persistent:

"The application has encountered a problem and needs to close. The software hs 
encountered an error and has been forced to close. Your level could be too 
large, or you're building too many levels. If this problem persists, back-up 
your work and re-install the software."

Of course, this is the re-installation using safe mode (so there are barely any 
processes running in the background) and since this is the first time starting 
the application with default media/models and everything, there is no level to 
be "too large" or "too many".

i rebooted out of safe mode to see if regular operating mode would solve the 
problem. Instead i get the earlier error: "Runtime Error 7003 - Mesh does not 
exist at line 48594. LOAD MESH 'editors\gfx\7.x',200"

and

"The application has encountered a problem and needs to close. The software has 
encountered an error and has been forced to close. Your level could be too 
large, or you're building too many levels. If this problem persists, back-up 
your work and re-install the software."

before the entire FPSCreator.exe crashes.

So now that i have re-installed with only the OS running in the background 
(safe mode boot to re-install and test) and am still getting the same error, 
What next?

Is there really no possibility of your company upgrading the software to FPSC10 
to see if that resolves this issue considering that i have had problems running 
your software for nearly 1 year?

Is there really no solution to using FPSC9 on Windows 7 64bit after repeated 
un-install/re-installs?

Dih

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The 3rd of 3 trouble shooting sequences:

YAHSHUA YHWH GOD BLESS you,

Running through the procedure, i unchecked "load system services" and "load 
startup items", set the check back on "load system services" for selective 
startup in "System Configuration". 

i then made sure that no spyware or anti-virus was running (only the sound and 
the system mouse controller).

i ran the installation using the admin privelege mode. i still get the error 
(immediately after re-installing):

"Runtime Error 7003 - Mesh does not exist at line 48594. LOAD MESH 
'editors\gfx\7.x',200"

and

"The application has encountered a problem and needs to close. The software has 
encountered an error and has been forced to close. Your level could be too 
large, or you're building too many levels. If this problem persists, back-up 
your work and re-install the software."

i rebooted with only "load system services" enabled and ran FSCreator.exe and 
again the same exact error message as above in this post. At least we know that 
there is no point in going into safe mode to install.

i then un-installed FPSC, reset my "system configuration", rebooted, sent this 
message.

Now what?

Dih

The Reply:

Hi Noh,

The following is a reply to your enquiry:

> YAHSHUA YHWH GOD BLESS you,
>
> Running through the procedure, i unchecked "load system services" and "load
> startup items", set the check back on "load system services" for selective
> startup in "System Configuration".
>
> i then made sure that no spyware or anti-virus was running (only the sound
> and the system mouse controller).
>
> i ran the installation using the admin privelege mode. i still get the
> error (immediately after re-installing):
>
> "Runtime Error 7003 - Mesh does not exist at line 48594. LOAD MESH
> 'editorsgfx7.x',200"
>
> and
>
> "The application has encountered a problem and needs to close. The software
> has encountered an error and has been forced to close. Your level could be
> too large, or you're building too many levels. If this problem persists,
> back-up your work and re-install the software."
>
> i rebooted with only "load system services" enabled and ran FSCreator.exe
> and again the same exact error message as above in this post. At least we
> know that there is no point in going into safe mode to install.
>
> i then un-installed FPSC, reset my "system configuration", rebooted, sent
> this message.
>
> Now what?
>
> Dih

Please can you report this issue in our bug base here: 
http://code.google.com/p/fpscreatorengine/issues/list.

Once our developers can take a closer look we can hopefully have a solution for 
this unusual problem you have encountered. 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

For the most part, i have not really ever had FPSC9 in decent working 
condition. i thought v 1.18 might be the "fix" but as it turned out, v 1.18 
just eventually crashed after the first time i ran the program and these are 
the resulting errors which tech support has not been able to fix. 

So far, a nearly a year of not being able to use a paid product.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

i could not attach the first actual error files that started this latest round 
of trouble shooting (without a solution).

Dih

Original issue reported on code.google.com by nohbah...@yahoo.com on 15 Mar 2011 at 1:56

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Thanks for your report (and persistence). Sounds like something odd is 
happening, so we'll start at the beginning and work our way through. Step one 
is to back-up anything you might have created, and then do two things. 
Uninstall FPSC and any model packs you might have installed, and second, find 
the folder C:\Program Files\The Game Creators and manually delete all folders 
that might be called 'FPS Creator' or variations of that name. Once this is 
done, install the box product you received from us a year ago (only), do not 
install model packs or updates at this stage, just install and run. When it 
fails on your system, take a screen shot and post it here and we'll go from 
there. Also, you mentioned you tried on another system. Can you tell me the 
specification of that one too, as your current one looks pretty huge.

Original comment by LeeBamberTGC@gmail.com on 17 Mar 2011 at 1:24

• Changed state: Started

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Without further information I cannot proceed with this report..

Original comment by LeeBamberTGC@gmail.com on 13 Apr 2011 at 2:28

[GoogleCodeExporter]

YAHSHUA YHWH GOD BLESS you, i am not sure what other information you need. i 
thought i replied via email but i am reposting that email here:

--------------------------------

YAHSHUA YHWH GOD BLESS you Lee Bamber,

First, i did remove all the directories related to FPS Creator manually. i also 
used the FAQ to go through the Registry and remove the uninstall references to 
FPSC9. 

i also disabled antivirus for the installation process; i read that FPSC9 has 
problems with Avast anti-virus which is the program i have/run for a few years.

The first thing on installing from the version 1 base CD is that the setup 
installer detects that there is a FPSC 9 installation and offers to repair the 
installation.

As it turns out, i cannot install from the CD. The Setup only lets me choose 
modify, repair or remove. There are obviously some sort of reference to FPSC 9 
in the Registry or some place for the original set up to detect the manually 
deleted installation (including the FAQ Registry entries; i searched for 
keyword “fps” from that point).

i ran the remove but that crashes (which is something i reported early in this 
last round of trouble shooting i think). 

i then went to modify to see if the main application would install but that did 
not install but also did not crash. 

i then ran repair and that installed the files to the FPS Creator directory 
(inside the "The Game Creators" directory in x86 programs).

i then set the compatibility properties to "run admin mode", "disable visual 
themes, desktop compositions, scaling of high DPI settings".

i ran the FPSCreator.exe and the application opens without crashing. Of course, 
when i first installed and started this round of trouble shooting, FPSC9 
started but then crashed on the second run likely after rebooting. After the 
initial crash, the tech suggested using version 1.18 (but this is still version 
1, i have not updated).

i put down 8 prefab labs, surrounded the labs with ground segments, put 8 aiko 
ai bots, 2 weapons and ample ammo for a test of a level. The level works like 
it should or at least it seems to, so i play the test level from within the 
level maker/test. 

The anti-virus timer runs out after 10 minutes (i set it to 10 minutes) which 
is somewhere between my playing the test level and building the game.exe but i 
did not notice when. 

i played the game.exe which is the same level i tested and that turns out badly 
with most of the level "invisible". i took a screen shot (see attached).

i rebuilt the level making sure that anti-virus was off for another 10 minutes. 
i got the same result of an "invisible" level which is part of the same problem 
that prompted this round of troubleshooting and the version 1.18 update (though 
i did edit one of the files to “flip” a texture which worked for 1 run 
before crashing the program but that was version 1.18).

All right, so far, the program is starting (which is different).

i also decided to retest with antivirus on and did a second similar level (5 
prefab labs, 5 aikos, 1 weapon and plenty of ammo), i changed some settings 
from the first build exe and this time the level was not invisible.

Of course, i have also yet to reboot and this program has been known to go awry 
after a bit......

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The last computer specifications were
Mainboard - A8N-SLI, A8N-SLIDeluxe, A8N-SLI32Deluxe (basically various A8N-SLI 
types that could run the same AMD duo core processor), 4 GB RAM, same Quadro Fx 
3700 card, XP Pro 64 bit OS.

------------------------

Dih

Hopefully that helps.

Original comment by nohbah...@yahoo.com on 13 Apr 2011 at 5:49

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Sounds like you cannot complete a fresh install due to the InstallShield bug. 
Try installing the free version of FPSC from our site, run that and load 
simple.fpm and then send me a screenshot of what you see when you click TEST 
GAME. For starters, I just want to see it running normally with a fresh install 
of the files on your system.

Original comment by LeeBamberTGC@gmail.com on 20 Apr 2011 at 10:25