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[Dan Dixon]

If you're having problems starting Universe Sandbox...

1 (Steam only)
Try restarting Steam.

2 (Steam only)
Make sure Steam is up to date.
In Steam from the Main Menu, select Steam > Check for Steam Client Updates...

3 (Steam only)
Verify the installation (or re-download it).
In Steam, right click on Universe Sandbox in your Library > Select Properties > Click the "Local Files" tab > Click "Verify Integrity of Game Cache..."

3.1
Restart your computer.

3.25
Download and install (or repair) these redistributables:
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=5582

Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 SP1 Redistributable
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=8328

4
Make sure that your copy of Windows is up to date:
http://update.microsoft.com/
Go into optional updates and make sure .NET is installed (select all of them to be safe).

5
Try creating a new Windows user.
In Windows, click Start > Control Panel > User Accounts... and create a new user.
Then log out and log in into the new user account. Try running Universe Sandbox from there.
(this will help determine if it's a user setting problem)

6 (Steam)
Make sure your video drivers are up to date:
In Steam from the Main Menu, select Steam > Check for Video Driver Updates...

6 (Non-Steam)
Make sure your video drivers are up to date:
http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx
http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/

7
Something else to try, although a little more involved. Download the 'netfx_setupverifier_new.zip' file that appears right before the Comments section. Extract and run the 'netfx_setupverifier.exe' that is inside. Validate against '.NET Framework 4 Client':
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/astebner/archive/2008/10/13/8999004.aspx

8
If you're having problems with .NET, try removing it using this tool, scroll down a bit for the zip file:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/astebner/archive/2008/08/28/8904493.aspx

Run the tool and select ".NET Framework 4" from the "Product to cleanup:" list.

After .NET 4 is cleaned up, try reinstalling it according to step 9.

9
Reinstall .NET 4 Full setup with dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe

Download the file here:
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=17718

Or find this same file in the Universe Sandbox folder in Steam. Which is probably here:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\universe sandbox\Prerequisites\dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe

12
Double check that DirectX is installed correctly. Download and install this:
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=35


More obscure things to try:

3.5
Delete (or rename) the two settings files that are found here:
C:\Users\-your user name-\AppData\Local\Universe Sandbox
(the cause of this crash was fixed in 2.1.3, but it's still worth deleting these files as a last resort)

10
The iZ3D stereoscopic 3D driver may be incompatible with Universe Sandbox, if you use this, add Universe Sandbox to the exceptions list in its control panel.

11
Disable any video software like D3Doverrider software that forces triple buffering. This has been reported to cause crashes.

[Teh_Saccade]

May also help (as I had this problem) to set both Steam and the game's .exe set to launch as Administrator with full access, if it's not already.

Kept coughing a few errors 'til I did this on first run.

[Dan Dixon]

May also help (as I had this problem) to set both Steam and the game's .exe set to launch as Administrator with full access, if it's not already.

This shouldn't be necessary as Steam will ask for Administrative access if it needs it (and the Universe Sandbox.exe makes no changes that requires Admin access), but it certainly wouldn't hurt to do this.

[Dan Dixon]

Two posts here were split into their own threads:
http://universesandbox.com/forum/index.php/topic,4159.0.html
http://universesandbox.com/forum/index.php/topic,4161.0.html

[miamian]

why do i have to be an IT  person to launch a game? could you credit me and send me a key for your game via your web site? help ive tried everything this is SSSSSSSSSSSSooo annoying im trying to use this in class.     im having the non stop loading of framework.net  part  1 of 4

[mudkipz]

i'll assume you've tried this...

8
If you're having problems with .NET, try removing it using this tool, scroll down a bit for the zip file:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/astebner/archive/2008/08/28/8904493.aspx

Run the tool and select ".NET Framework 4" from the "Product to cleanup:" list.

After .NET 4 is cleaned up, try reinstalling it according to step 9.

9
Reinstall .NET 4 Full setup with dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe

Download the file here:
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=17718

Or find this same file in the Universe Sandbox folder in Steam. Which is probably here:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\universe sandbox\Prerequisites\dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe

and if it still doesn't work, try it on another computer? that could help figure out the issue.
i don't understand  "could you credit me and send me a key for your game via your web site"
the key was sent when you bought the program.

also start a new thread if problems persist.

[Dan Dixon]

why do i have to be an IT  person to launch a game?

I'm sorry you're having trouble. I also wish there weren't as many start-up issues. It seems that many of them are related to .NET 4 not installing correctly due to messed up Windows installations (which is totally out of my hands).

I'm looking to drop the .NET 4 requirement in 2012 when I release the next major update.

[seten]

I tried your solution but still couldn't get it to work. However, I did note that when running Universe Sandbox for the first time (through Steam) a VC++ Redistributable Package was installed. As happens all the time on my system (Windows 7 64-bit) this created a bunch of temporary files on the D-drive, which is supposedly harmless, and which I deleted. However, this did prompt me to investigate, and as it turned out I was missing at least a proper install of the 2005 (x64) redistributables. This was noted by the absence of the file C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VC\msdia80.dll, which should've been there (the package was installed).

No matter what I tried I could not get this fixed, but I might have messed it up more than it already was by playing around. In the end, I uninstalled all VC++ Redistributable Packages and re-installed them again, manually moving and registering the msdia80.dll file (which on my system was installed to D: instead of the proper location).

My suggestion to other people experiencing these problems would be to check out if all their 64-bit Redistributable packages are installed properly, by checking if the abovementioned file as well as the msdia90.dll (2008) and msdia100.dll (2010) are present. If not, get the packages from the Microsoft Download Center and install them. If the msdiaXXX.dll is not installed to the proper location, manually move it there and run the command

regsvr32 "c:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VC\msdia80.dll"

from an elevated command prompt (Start, type in 'cmd', right-click and select 'Run as administrator'). Note that you may have to change the name of the dll to msdia90.dll, depending on your situation.

Just in case this isn't enough or doesn't help, my final solution was this:
- Uninstall ALL Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Packages through Control Panel -> Programs and Features
- Download the belowmentioned packages from Microsoft Download Center. Be sure to get SP1 versions.
- Install 2005 x86 sp1
- Install 2005 x64 sp1
- Move msdia80.dll from D: to the proper location, and register it (note: the drive letter might be different on your system, but it's often the root of a drive, and you might have to create the abovementioned folder)
- Install 2008 x86 sp1
- Install 2008 x64 sp1
- This put lots of temp files in D:, which can safely be deleted
- Install 2010 x86 sp1
- Install 2010 x64 sp1
- Run Windows Update to get security patches for all of the above.

I hope this helps someone!

[Estrichleger]

Well I have this game for more than one year now and it never ever worked since then. Bought it via Steam.

I recently reinstalled my whole Win7 64bit and guess what. Even with a FRSH system with the latest graphics driver for my 6850 there comes this error up

Code:

Problemsignatur:
  Problemereignisname: APPCRASH
  Anwendungsname: Universe Sandbox.exe
  Anwendungsversion: 2.1.5.900
  Anwendungszeitstempel: 4ef29d7c
  Fehlermodulname: Awesomium.dll
  Fehlermodulversion: 0.0.0.0
  Fehlermodulzeitstempel: 4a108307
  Ausnahmecode: c0000005
  Ausnahmeoffset: 002382a9
  Betriebsystemversion: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.4
  Gebietsschema-ID: 1031
  Zusatzinformation 1: 0a9e
  Zusatzinformation 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
  Zusatzinformation 3: 0a9e
  Zusatzinformation 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789

The logs can be found as attachment here.

Maybe you guys can now handle theses error. I mean why is this problem so persistent? Just because the Simulator is older that cannot mean you stop the support at all?

[Dan Dixon]

Well that's really odd, Estrichleger.

I've tested the Steam installation on a fresh copy of Windows 7 and haven't ever seen this problem. Unless you installed something else that's conflicting or the prerequisites didn't install correctly I'm not sure why this would happen (and the logs files provide no clues).  That said, this is a dll missing issue, but I'm not sure which dll.

Either way... we're working on Universe Sandbox 3 which will not require any of the current prerequisites (and ideally will haven none). This is a complete rewrite and will be a free update for everyone that's ever purchased (even v1).

If I could duplicate this error on my machine I could solve it, but I've never seen this in person (which is why it's hard for me to solve it).

[Dan Dixon]

Try downloading this file:
http://universesandbox.com/forum/index.php/topic,5423.msg51840.html#msg51840

And if you would, please post again, either way, to let us know if that fixed it.