Problems Prepar3D will Not Launch, New Install, No Add On's

[Poppet 703]

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[Poppet 703]

Problems launching Prepar3D, New Install, Or Reinstall, No 3rd party Add On's

If you have Successfully Installed Prepar3D but now Prepar3D will Not launch please go through these steps one by one to help resolve this 

Click here for the Prepar3D system requirements   Note: A Graphics Card with with Full DirectX 11 Support is required 

Windows N Version requires the Media feature pack to run Prepar3D,  Download and Install the Media Feature Pack  

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INDEX

I) Steps to check and confirm

II) Error messages when launching Prepar3D

 

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I)  Steps to check and confirm

Please go through these steps one by one to help resolve your situation

Launch Prepar3D and test after you each step

 

A) Windows Update

Fully update your system. This should include running the Windows Update and updating any drivers to the newest version.

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B) Windows Admin 

Are you logged onto your windows user account as administrator ?  If not log in now as administrator Or Create an administrator user account and then log in

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C) Graphics card 

Confirm your dedicated graphics card is set to properly execute Prepar3D.  Some PC's and Laptops have dual cards, an on-board Integrated card and a dedicated high performance GTX \ AMD card.  

NVIDIA graphics cards:  Open the NVIDIA Control Panel, select Manage 3D settings, and set the Preferred graphics processor to High-performance NVIDIA processor. You can also set Prepar3D.exe’s preferred graphics processor directly under the Program Settings tab under Manage 3D settings.

AMD graphics card:  Open the AMD Control Panel go to the Switchable Graphics tab,  browse and locate the Prepar3D.exe and set it for High Performance and click Apply.  Then to  Graphics > PowerPlay - Set Plugged In and Battery to Maximum Performance and Click Apply.  

Restart your computer when you have applied the changes.  

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D) Antivirus Software

Disable any Antivirus Software you may have, Then launch Prepar3D and test,  If successful Insure you add the complete core Prepar3D folder to the Exclusions Zone. This will stop any of the Prepar3D files been detected as False Positives. 

Also Disable the UAC User Account Control  

Windows Defender:  If you are using Windows Defender Turn Off   "Real Time Protection"  and  "Controlled folder access"  and then launch Prepar3D and test,  If successful make sure you add the complete core Prepar3D folder to the Exclusions Zone of Windows Defender Like This

You can also add an Exclusion for  "Controlled folder access"  OR just turn this Option Off 

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E) Administrator

Launch Prepar3D as administrator 

Navigate to your Prepar3D core folder right click on the Prepar3D.exe and run as  administrator

If successful you can then set up Prepar3D to run as administrator Like This 

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F) Delete Generated files

Remove the Prepar3D generated folders that is generated during the program execution 

These folders and files will generate again when Prepar3D is launched next

Prepar3D v4:  

Navigate to your core Prepar3D v4 folder,  Scroll down a bit, Double left Click on the file Delete Generated files,  A small black window will appear and then disappear again,  this is normal.

Next:  Navigate to this location below and manually delete the 2 blue folders  

Documents ► Prepar3D v4 files \ Prepar3D v4 Add-ons

Then launch Prepar3D and test 

Prepar3D v3  

Copy the Tex below one by one and Paste them into your windows search bar and click on the result

Delete all the files and folders in these locations,  They will generate again when Prepar3D is launched next 

%PROGRAMDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3
%APPDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3

Next:  Navigate to this location below and manually delete the 2 blue folders  

Documents ► Prepar3D v3 files \ Prepar3D v3 Add-ons

When you have completed this launch Prepar3D and test

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G) USB Devices

Remove all USB Devices Including extra Monitors and sounds cards (Except keyboard and mouse)  Plug just 1 Monitor back directly into your dedicated GPU and then launch Prepar3D and test.  Its possible a recent windows updated or Incompatible driver is causing this Issue 

If this step is successful plug each USB device back in one by one and test as you go along

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H) Microsoft Visuals

Prepar3D v4: Download and Install Microsoft Visuals 2015 (x64) and (x86)   

 Insure you first disable your Antivirus Software, Your Firewall and UAC (User Account Control)

1)  Download Microsoft Visuals 2015 (x64) and (x86) at the link below 

2)  Run both Installers as Administrator and restart your computer 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=52685

Note: If you already have Visuals 2015 run a Repair in the Control panel,  Right click, click Change and click Repair

Prepar3D v3: Download and Install Microsoft Visuals 2013 (x64) and (x86)

Run both Installers as Administrator and restart your computer

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ie/download/details.aspx?id=40784

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I) Microsoft .NET Framework

Windows 10:  Run the Microsoft .NET Framework Repair Tool Click Here and go through the prompted steps 

Windows 7 & 8:  Insure you have at least  Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.2 Installed,  Run the Installer as administrator and Restart your computer when completed 

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J) Run a Repair on Prepar3D 

Run a Repair on your Prepar3D Install

Navigate to the windows  Control Panel right click Prepar3D Academic \ Professional and click Change and click Repair

Then Restart your computer

Note: Insure you first disable your Antivirus Software, Your Firewall and the UAC  (User Account Control)

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K) Graphics driver

Reinstall or Update your graphics driver.  

Insure you Tick the Box for  "Perform a clean Installation"   when you are prompted the option during the driver Install process 

Also you can use a driver cleaning utility like Driver Display Uninstaller to remove your old driver and then proceed to Install the driver again

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L) Windows User Account 

To eliminate a corrupt windows user Account........

Temporarily Create another Windows User Account with Admin privileges,  Sign into this new account and then launch Prepar3D and test

Note:  Don't use Special Characters in your Windows User name

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M) DirectX End-User Runtimes 

Download and Install DirectX End-User Runtimes

Before you begin......

Create and Name a new folder anywhere on your PC,  For example I created a new folder in my Documents calling it DirectX  

Point the Installer to this folder and extract the files here 

1) Download DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010)

2) Navigate to your downloads and right click on directx_Jun2010_redist.exe  and run as administrator

3)  Click Yes to the terms and conditions 

4)  Click Browse and navigate to your new folder,  Click ok.  The Installer will extract the files here 

5)  Open your new folder,  Scroll down and right click on DXSETUP.EXE and run as administrator

After the Install process has completed Restart your computer

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N) Microsoft Core XML (MSXML) 6.0

Download and Install the prerequisite msxmI6_x86 + x 64msi 

More then likely you already have this prerequisite on your computer  

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O) Uninstall \ Reinstall Prepar3D

Uninstall Prepar3D and then Reinstall again

Uninstall Prepar3D:  Please see This Link for a guide with Images to Uninstall Prepar3D 

Reinstall Prepar3D:  Please see This Link for a guide to Reinstall Prepar3D. 

Then launch Prepar3D and test

Note:  If you are having problems Installing Prepar3D,  Click Here for Troubleshooting steps to take 

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P) System File Checker

Run the The System File Checker, Its a utility in Windows that allows users to scan for corruptions in Windows system files and restore corrupted files

For a guide to use this tool Click Here

 

 

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II) Error messages when launching Prepar3D

Please Note: These steps are tailored best for a New Install or new reinstall.  Using the Delete generated files command will Disable any 3rd party software you may have Installed and reset Prepar3D back to a default state again. 

Here are just some of the messages and error messages you might encounter whilst troubleshooting launching Prepar3D after a New Install or Reinstall

INDEX

1)  Error: No Remaining Activation's 

2)  This Device (Intel(R)HD Graphics) does not appear to support DirectX 11

3)  DXGI ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG \  Display driver has stopped responding and has recovered 

4)  Prepar3d V4 Content and Or scenery not installed,  Application will now close

5)  Prepar3D cannot run without a Valid Scenery.cfg file 

6) Could not find scenery Area [xxx] local scenery director \ Remote directory Invalid 

7)  api.dll is missing from your computer 

😎  Prepar3D requires at least one each of the following to run: an airport

9)  MFReadWrite.dll \ MFPlat.dll was not found

10)  MSVCP140.dllVC \ Runtime140.dll \ concrt140.dll is missing or contains an error

11)   MSVCP120.dll \ Runtime120.dll is missing or contains an error

12)  D3Dcompiler_43.dll \ D3DX9_43.DLL not found 

13) Living World Settings In LWcfg.xml are Invalid 

14) Could not find Scenery Area001's local scenery directory

15) No Shader HLSL director found

16) Vehicle Initialization has failed for: F-22 Raptor

17)  nvspcap64.dll is not a valid \ Not starting \ Not found 

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1)  Error: No Remaining Activation's

For future purposes,  before making any major changes to your computer (hardware swaps, operating system changes, etc.,) please Uninstall\Deactivate Prepar3D to release the Prepar3D license 

If you need an additional activation, Please e-mail licensing@prepar3d.com with a very brief explanation of the reason you need your license reactivated, along with your license ID and invoice number, and we will be happy to get you squared away in under two business days

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2) This Device (Intel(R)HD Graphics) does not appear to support DirectX 11

Please go through these steps one by one to help resolve this

I) Confirm your dedicated graphics card is set to properly execute Prepar3D, Please see step (C) in the Topic above.

II) Disable any Integrated graphics card you may have In windows Device Manager or in the system BIOS

III) Update or reinstall your graphics driver,   follow step (K) for additional Information 

IV) Download and Install DirectX End-User Runtimes,  follow step (M) for Instructions

When you have completed your changes use the Delete Generated files command from step (F) and restart your computer

Then launch Prepar3D and test 

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3) DXGI ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG \  Display driver has stopped responding and has recovered

Update or Reinstall your graphics driver, Use a driver cleaning utility like DDU,  follow step (K) for additional Information

When you have completed your changes use the Delete Generated files command from step (F) and restart your computer

Then launch Prepar3D and test 

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4)  Prepar3d V4 Content and Or scenery not installed,  Application will now close

You will see this message if you are Installing the component Installers individually,  Client, Content and Scenery

You must Install all 3 components.  Navigate to your Prepar3D downloads folder.......

Right click on Install_Content.msi and click Install 

Right click on Install_Scenery.msi and click Install

Then launch Prepar3D and test.

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5)  Prepar3D cannot run without a Valid Scenery.cfg file

I) Insure you are logged into your windows user account as administrator Or Create an administrator user account and then log in

II) Set up Prepar3D to run as administrator Like This

III) Temporarily Disable all Antivirus Software and Windows Defender,  Please see step (D) in the Topic above 

IV) Run the Delete Generated files command from step (F)

Then launch Prepar3D and test.

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6) Could not find scenery Area [xxx] local scenery director \ Remote directory Invalid 

This message is most likely from the left over's of a previous Prepar3D Install 

Run the Delete Generated files command from step (F)

Then launch Prepar3D and test.

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7) api.dll is missing from your computer

You will most likely see this message if the Prepar3D desktop Icon,  The Prepar3D.exe or any of the Core Client file's have become corrupt, missing or have been quarantined by your Antivirus Software.

Please complete these 3 steps 

I) Temporarily Disable all Antivirus Software and Windows Defender,  Please see step (C) and follow the Instructions

II) Run a Repair on the Prepar3D Client,  Navigate to the windows Control Panel,  Right click on Prepar3D Client and click Repair

III) Then navigate to your Prepar3D core folder right click on the Prepar3D.exe and run as  administrator

Note: Insure you then add the core Prepar3D folder to the Exclusions Zone of your Antivirus Software 

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😎  Prepar3D requires at least one each of the following to run: an airport

This message is due to a corrupt scenery.cfg file,  Most likely the left over's from a previous Prepar3D Install.

Run the Delete Generated files command from step (F)

Then launch Prepar3D and test

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9)  MFReadWrite.dll \ MFPlat.dll was not found

You will see this message on a Windows N Version Operating system that requires the Media Feature Pack to run Prepar3D

Download and Install the Media Feature Pack at the link below

Then launch Prepar3D and test

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/mediafeaturepack

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10)  MSVCP140.dllVC \ Runtime140.dll \ concrt140.dll is missing or contains an error

You will most likely see this message if Microsoft Visuals 2015 has become corrupt or is missing from your system 

I) Uninstall all versions of Microsoft visuals 2015 in the Control Panel "Programs and Features"

II) Download and Install Microsoft Visuals 2015 (x64) and (x86) 

Follow step (H) for additional Information 

Then launch Prepar3D and test

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11)   MSVCP120.dll \ Runtime120.dll is missing or contains an error

You will most likely see this message if Microsoft Visuals 2013 has become corrupt or is missing from your system 

I) Uninstall all versions of Microsoft visuals 2013 in the Control Panel "Programs and Features"

II) Download and Install Microsoft Visuals 2013 (x64) and (x86) 

Follow step (H) for additional Information 

Then launch Prepar3D and test

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12)  D3Dcompiler_43.dll \ D3DX9_43.DLL not found  

These file's are contained in DirectX 11 which is a requirement to run Prepar3D 

Download and Install DirectX End-User Runtimes 

Follow step (M) for additional Instructions

Then launch Prepar3D and test

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13) Living World Settings In LWcfg.xml are Invalid

This message is telling you that either the Propdefs folder is missing, corrupt or the LWcfg.xml file is corrupt

Please complete these 2 steps 

I) Run a  Repair on the Prepar3D Client, Navigate to the windows Control Panel, Right click on Prepar3D Client and click Repair

II) Run the Delete Generated files command from step (F)

Then launch Prepar3D and test

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14) Could not find Scenery Area001's local scenery directory

Most likely your default scenery files are either missing due to a bad Install or have become corrupt due to Add On's 

I) Run a Repair on the Prepar3D Scenery, Navigate to the windows Control Panel, Right click Install_Scenery.msi and click Repair 

II) Run the Delete Generated files command from step (F)

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15) No Shader HLSL director found

Try these steps one by one.....

I) Run a Repair on Prepar3D

Navigate to the windows  Control Panel right click Prepar3D Academic \ Professional and click Change and click Repair

Note: Insure you first disable your Antivirus Software, Your Firewall and the UAC  (User Account Control)

II) Run the Delete Generated files command from step (F)

III) If you are still having Issues Uninstall and Reinstall Prepar3D again,  Please follow step (O) for additional Instructions 

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16) Vehicle Initialization has failed for: F-22 Raptor

Please complete these 2 steps

I) Run the Delete Generated files command from step (F)

II) If you are still seeing this message  Repair the Content component, Navigate to the windows Control Panel,  Right click on Prepar3D Content and click Repair

Then launch Prepar3D and test

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17)  nvspcap64.dll is not a valid \ Not starting \ Not found

Related to Nvidia's GeForce experience,  Try these 2 steps

First, Uninstall and then Reinstall Nvidia's GeForce experience

If you are still having Issues Uninstall and Reinstall your Graphics driver,  Please see step (K) for Instructions

[Poppet 703]

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