application error when closing game

[valo666]

I've noticed that sometimes when I quit playing and get back to the desktop, sometimes I get an application error. I have no idea what is causing it or why it happens, so If someone could help me figure out what it means or what's causing it I would really appreciate it. I have the retail version of the game that has been patched to 1.0.7 and I have no mods. I run Windows XP Media Center Edition Service Pack 3. If needed I'll post my dxdiag info in another post.

 

Here is the error I'm getting:

[mkey82]

Try reinstalling the VC++ libraries which are found on the game disk in the redistributables folder.

[valo666]

Okay I tried it and it didn't help. I also tried using the DXSETUP that is on the first disc, and even though it did add some new files it also didn't help. However, I am starting to notice that the error happens every time I open the GFWL menu any time while playing. I tried playing the game several times to experiment, half the time using the GFWL menu and half without. It brought up the error message after closing the game every time I used the GFWL menu. So it almost has to be something with GFWL that's causing the error message.

 

I tried to launch the GFWL software that's not in the game, and it updated it automatically to Games for Windows Marketplace. It added several things to my Task Manager that seem to be required now for GTA to run. I don't seem to get the error message now, but I'm not sure I want all this crap running while playing a game like GTA 4 that already uses up so much of my system.

[mkey82]

If you don't run MP, uninstall all of that GFWL sh*t and use xliveless.

[valo666]

Okay I have GFWL removed. I'm not sure if it's completely removed but I did uninstall everything I saw for it in the Add or Remove Programs menu, though that doesn't mean all the files were actually removed. I downloaded xliveless and I believe I did everything right. Everything works fine except some of the settings for the controller options won't save. I tried to delete the ControlMap.dat file and the SETTINGS.CFG file and let the game create new ones, but it still won't save some of my controller settings. Any idea what's causing this?

 

Also, is there a way to skip the Social Club window and jump right into the game? I know that Social Club was removed when I installed the 1.0.7 patch, but I still get a window for it when I launch the game. So if there's a way to just jump right into the game it would be nice.

 

Here is a pic of the Social Club window I'm talking about:

 

One final question. I frequently use the program CCleaner to keep my system cleaned, and I noticed doing the registry cleaner that a registry entry keeps popping up after running GTA 4. The entry is HKLM\Software\Jacal and it's listed as an obsolete software key. If I delete it, it will just come back after I play GTA 4. Other than xliveless I don't have any other mods, so I have no idea what this is. Any ideas?

[valo666]

After messing around a bit, I managed to get rid of the Social Club window. I saw in the xliveless topic something about the Social Club being in the Paul.dll file, so I moved it from the GTA 4 folder and there's no more Social Club window. I'm not sure if that's the right way to do it, but for now I have the game starting up the way I wanted. When I run the launchgtaiv.exe, the game starts right up.

 

I also seemed to have removed that registry entry that kept popping up. A few days ago I was having a SecuROM issue with a different game, so I ran the SecuROM Diagnostic Tool and used it's update function to update the SecuROM of as many of my games as I could. One of the games I updated was GTA 4, so I restored it to it's original version removing the SecuROM update. I think that may have been causing the registry entry, or maybe it was the Paul.dll file I removed, or maybe it was a little of both I don't know. Either way that registry entry no longer appears when running CCleaner.

 

However, I still can't seem to get my options to save for my controller settings. I tried clearing all the files found at C:\Documents and Settings\User\Local Settings\Application Data\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\Settings, plus the ControlMap.dat file. None of it helped. I had no problems saving the settings before, but now for some reason some controller settings just won't save. What really makes it weird is that some of the settings will save while some won't. The only controller settings that will save are Sniper Aim, Enable DirectInput, and the Configuration setting, the rest won't save. All of the other game options save with no problems. I just don't get it, could I have done something wrong with xliveless that's causing this?

[mkey82]

After messing around a bit, I managed to get rid of the Social Club window. I saw in the xliveless topic something about the Social Club being in the Paul.dll file, so I moved it from the GTA 4 folder and there's no more Social Club window. I'm not sure if that's the right way to do it, but for now I have the game starting up the way I wanted. When I run the launchgtaiv.exe, the game starts right up.

Nice find, didn't know that's possible. That registry entry was probably tied with it, but one random key is not something worth worrying about.

 

If you installed the latest xliveless, then you have done everything right in that regard. Which gamepad do you use? Which settings exactly are not getting saved?

 

 

[valo666]

I use a Saitek Cyborg Rumble Pad. I have to use the program x360ce in order to even get it working right. Without x360ce the controller only works with the Enable DirectInput option turned on, and even then my analog triggers don't work as analog and the vibration doesn't work. Using x360ce the Enable DirectInput option has some weird problems too. Using x360ce with Enable DirectInput off, I have vibration working but my triggers don't work as analog. Using x360ce with Enable DirectInput on, I have fully analog triggers but no vibration. I don't care much for the vibration, I'd gladly do without it to have analog triggers for driving around. Also my triggers are on a single axis so I had to find a version of x360ce meant for single axis triggers, otherwise I can't push in both triggers at the same time or they cancel each other out and I can't find any other way to fix this. This controller kinda sucks to get setup for some games, but right now I really don't want to spend money on another controller so I'll just deal with it.

 

As for the options that won't save the vibration option is one of them, but since it won't work for me while I use analog triggers I don't care much about this option. The option to invert the R stick is another one, but it's an option I never use so it's not important. Aim sensitivity also won't save, but I like the default setting anyway so it also isn't a big deal. The last one that won't save is auto aiming, and unlike the others that won't save I like having this one turned on. It's not that big of a deal having to turn on the one setting every time I play, but it would be easier if I didn't have to.

 

XLiveLess does seem to be causing the problem with my settings not saving. I tried removing the dll for it and reinstalling GFWL, and my options were fine again. Then I removed GFWL again and went back to XLiveLess, and the problem started again. Could there be a GFWL file left on my computer after uninstalling it that's causing a conflict with XLiveLess? Also, my version of XLiveLess is 0.999b7 so it seems to be the most recent version I could find. I've also tried removing the x360ce files to see if that was causing the problem, but that didn't seem to have any effect.

[mkey82]

A lot of people use xliveless and none of them (afaik) have had this problem, so I'm ready to rule out xliveless as the culprit.

 

Other then that, I have no more ideas on this matter.

[valo666]

Well then why is it that if I remove XLiveLess and go back to using GFWL that I have no problems getting these controller settings to save? I've tried just about everything I can think of to fix this, and the only thing that works is to get rid of the xlive.dll that is used by XLiveLess.

[mkey82]

Because like I said no one else has reported this so most probably this is some random bug.

 

If GFWL isn't throwing you errors anymore, us that. If you're still getting errors, then you'll have to choose between that and this other issue.

[valo666]

I might try going back to GFWL and see how things go. The only problem with that is I'd prefer an older version of it since that newest version seems to have too much junk running in the background. Last time I tried it there were several new processes it added to my Task Manager, and the last thing I need is extra crap running while GTA 4 is running. I think one of the things was Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant, and I think that alone added 2 processes to the Task Manager. Maybe I can just remove that and just use GFWL. I'll experiment with a few things and see what works best. If things go bad with GFWL, then I'll be more than happy to stick with XLiveLess and deal with the controller settings not saving.

[mkey82]

If you use an old version, it will demand to be updated.

[valo666]

Yeah I ended up sticking with XLiveLess. Not only did GFWL keep wanting me to update but also my save file wouldn't load anymore with GFWL, and I'm almost at 50% completion so I really don't wanna start over. Also if I used the newer version of GFWL I had to use that sign-in assistant, which just uses up more memory and cpu that GTA could be using. I tried to disable and uninstall the sign-in assistant, but then GTA would crash before even starting up. I still can't get my controller settings to save using XLiveLess, but hey that's a LOT better than dealing with the crap from GFWL.