[Kiloku]

I just installed the latest Windows 10 update, and ever since I did, I can't use wxLauncher to open FS2. I did work around the issue by making a shortcut with the Command Line parameters, but it'd be much better if I could use the launcher.

This is the error I get the moment I click "Play":


"Acesso negado" translates to "Access denied". Since it's in Portuguese, I'm assuming this is a message from Windows itself.

I tried running the Launcher in both Admin and normal modes

OS details:
Windows 10 Home SL; x64
Updated November 15

[jr2]

Please try this:

• Step 1. Run the fs2.reg file from the steam version. If you do not have it, copy the following text into notepad and save it as fs2.reg, then doubleclick on it.
  

Code: [Select]

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Volition]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Volition\FreeSpace2]
"EregCount"=dword:00000003
"Videocard"=hex(2):44,00,69,00,72,00,65,00,63,00,74,00,20,00,33,00,44,00,20,00,\
  2d,00,20,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,6d,00,61,00,72,00,79,00,20,00,44,00,69,00,73,\
  00,70,00,6c,00,61,00,79,00,20,00,44,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,72,00,20,00,\
  28,00,33,00,32,00,20,00,62,00,69,00,74,00,29,00,20,00,28,00,31,00,30,00,32,\
  00,34,00,78,00,37,00,36,00,38,00,29,00,00,00
"CmdLineOptions"=hex(2):00,00
"Interlaced Movies"=dword:00000000
"Movie Fast Clear"=dword:00000000
"D3DFast"=dword:00000000
"D3DTextureOrigin"=dword:00000001
"ForceWFOG"=dword:00000000
"Detect Glide"=dword:00000000
"Detect D3D"=dword:00000001
"DisableZbias"=dword:00000000
"Soundcard"=hex(2):44,00,69,00,72,00,65,00,63,00,74,00,53,00,6f,00,75,00,6e,00,\
  64,00,00,00
"LauncherSoundEnabled"=dword:00000001
"EnableJoystickFF"=dword:00000000
"EnableHitEffect"=dword:00000001
"ComputerSpeed"=dword:00000002
"NetworkConnection"=hex(2):4c,00,41,00,4e,00,00,00
"ConnectionSpeed"=hex(2):46,00,61,00,73,00,74,00,00,00
"SkipVerify"=dword:00000000
"PXOBanners"=dword:00000001
"ForcePort"=dword:00000000
"Language"=hex(2):45,00,6e,00,67,00,6c,00,69,00,73,00,68,00,00,00
"StraightToSetup"=dword:00000000
"Gamma"="1.80"
"LastPlayer"=""

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Volition\FreeSpace2\Version]
"Major"=dword:00000001
"Minor"=dword:00000014
"Build"=dword:00000000


[/li]

[li]Step 2. Open regedit (Windows-R, enter "regedit", press return)
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\VirtualStore\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\
You should have a key named "Volition" there.[/li]


• Step 3. Right-click on it, and select "Permissions".
  When I did this, the "Group or user names" field was blank. If it is, click "Add".
  In the dialogue that now pops up, Enter "ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES" into the "Enter the object names" field.
  Click OK. The dialogue should now be populated.
• Step 4. Go to the FreeSpace2 subkey under the Volition entry. Check permissions as above, and if necessary, fix as above.

[Kiloku]

This worked! Thanks

[The E]

I really have to figure out the root cause of this.

[Kiloku]

If it makes any sense, the same Windows update caused my antivirus to stop working (BitDefender Pro 2016), as well as CPU-Z of all programs. I was forced to fully uninstall and then reinstall BitDefender. A "soft" reinstall just running the installer didn't help.

I assume this is probably not very helpful, but that's what I got

[AdmiralRalwood]

Only thing that I can think of is that you're using Windows 10 Home; I never encountered this problem, but I'm using Windows 10 Pro.

[jr2]

^-  Same here.

[Fury]

You have to note that the "update" in question is not so much of an update, but a new Windows 10 build. This upgrade process essentially replaces your current OS with a new one. The upgrade makes a backup of the old OS to Windows.old which can safely be removed using Disk Cleanup, do not delete the directory by hand.

While this process intends to be as painless as possible by keeping user profiles as they were and ensuring all necessary registry entries and other files that were installed under system root are copied over to the new one, it is not perfect. The upgrade process analyzes what might be unsafe, incompatible or orphaned crud and won't copy those, effectively uninstalling them. How it determines these is most likely only known to MS, since I couldn't find any details on it.

This is the reason why for example, aforementioned BitDefender was uninstalled. Perhaps the upgrade process thought it was outdated and potentially incompatible with the new version of the OS. Please make sure your BitDefender is the latest version, otherwise you might encounter issues. This obviously goes for any AV software out there. Personally I just use Windows Defender, it is all I need and best of all, it stays out of my way. I also had CPU-Z installed when I upgraded to the new Win10 build, it was uninstalled as well.

Potentially incompatible software aside, it is more interesting to note that registry entries that are orphaned also get removed. As for why only some of you had this problem, it is most likely because of a method used to install FS2. You may have installed FS2 from a retail installer, GOG installer, Steam or just plain copied files over and then imported registry entries. Out of those, I would venture to guess that copying files over and then importing the registry entries may result in the upgrade process thinking those registry entries are orphaned.

One other interesting thing to note is that this is not limited to registry entries and files, but services too. I had built my own application and manually installed it as a Windows service. It had been running nicely up until I upgraded to the new build. Once I did that, the service had mysteriously vanished.

This problem with orphaned stuff is not going to affect a whole lot of people all things considered, but it is something that is good to remember going forward.

[Mongoose]

That sounds like some wonderful MS nonsense at work.  "Oh hey, here's this thing, and we're not sure what it does, so let's just chuck it!  Never mind if it's something the user themselves created and is actively using!"

[AdmiralRalwood]

Potentially incompatible software aside, it is more interesting to note that registry entries that are orphaned also get removed. As for why only some of you had this problem, it is most likely because of a method used to install FS2. You may have installed FS2 from a retail installer, GOG installer, Steam or just plain copied files over and then imported registry entries. Out of those, I would venture to guess that copying files over and then importing the registry entries may result in the upgrade process thinking those registry entries are orphaned.

I didn't reinstall FS2; I used my old installation folder and let the launcher recreate the registry entries.

Maybe that's the reason the registry key didn't get protected for me; because it wasn't created by, say, the GOG installer as part of an installation process.

[jr2]

You should be able to get around that by setting the owner / permissions to match what they are when installed by an installer.  (Probably owner System, I'm just guessing?)

[AdmiralRalwood]

You should be able to get around that by setting the owner / permissions to match what they are when installed by an installer.  (Probably owner System, I'm just guessing?)

...You want me to get around not having ownership/permission problems?

[jr2]

  I'm saying to avoid Windows removing the entries, set the ownership of the registry keys as if they were created by the installer, thus, Windows would possibly recognize it as something to keep.

[AdmiralRalwood]

  I'm saying to avoid Windows removing the entries, set the ownership of the registry keys as if they were created by the installer, thus, Windows would possibly recognize it as something to keep.

You really seem to be confused about what I said. I did not create the registry keys through an installer, and did not have any problems with Windows screwing with my registry entries. I posited that making the registry keys as though the were created by the installer might be the problem; you have now twice posited that it be the solution the problem (that I am not having) instead.

[jr2]

Oh I see.


I was basically referring to people who did have the problem, and that if you can make the entry look like it was created by (TrustedInstaller?), then Windows will probably leave it alone.


You are saying you manually created the keys yourself, and didn't assign the TrustedInstaller / System as the owner, and Windows left it alone / it worked after a W10 build upgrade?

[AdmiralRalwood]

You are saying you manually created the keys yourself, and didn't assign the TrustedInstaller / System as the owner, and Windows left it alone / it worked after a W10 build upgrade?

The launcher created them, but basically yes (the owner is set to my user instead).