Radar Contact Startup Issue

[Ray Proudfoot 8,989]

I changed UAC to the highest setting and after approving RC4.exe to be launched it did. Maybe it has something to do with that setting when the program was installed. I've always had UAC switched off (lowest setting).

Did those of you having problems run the setup in admin mode?

[SkyyStorm 2]

I did run the setup as admin. But I have UAC on, I'll try and turn it off.

Also, I tried to update my Windows, but it only updated a few sub-version numbers, so guess I'm not in the newest rotation yet.

I'm going to try one more time, with all AV's, UAC, and most programs closed, from install to finish. If someone could assist me in perhaps sending me a screenshot of which files you have in the RC4x main folder, I'd appreciate it (to check if there's files maybe not being copied correctly). 

Thank you anyway.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,989]

@SkyyStorm,

Good luck! Here's my rcv4x folder's contents. You can ignore rcv4 as that only contains 3 internet shortcuts, 1 DAT file and 1 uninstall file.

[SkyyStorm 2]

@Ray Proudfoot Thank you kindly. I didn't get a chance yesterday, but tonight I will reinstall and hope for the best.

[SkyyStorm 2]

Welp, I'm out of ideas. I have not been able to successfully get RC to run. I'll try on another PC, but if it doesn't run on this one, there's not really a point. But I'll try it just to see if I can determine if Windows 10 is the issue.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,989]

@SkyyStorm, if you have another PC running Windows 7 you could buy WideFS and run RC4 on that.

I do and it’s preferable to running it on the FS PC as you can have separate volume, ShowText (free) will display the RC menu and that PC can also run a moving map such as Electronic Flight Bad or LittleNavmap.

It doesn’t need to be powerful. An i3 is more than enough.

[SkyyStorm 2]

So, for the sake of completing this thread, I installed Radar Control on my work computer, which is also running Windows 10, and it worked. This is infuriating. =(

I see that my work computer is on build 1803, so as unlikely as it seems to me, that is a difference that might be a cause. I'll wait and see if I get the new update of Windows, and if that'll fix the issue.

12 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

I do and it’s preferable to running it on the FS PC as you can have separate volume, ShowText (free) will display the RC menu and that PC can also run a moving map such as Electronic Flight Bad or LittleNavmap.

It doesn’t need to be powerful. An i3 is more than enough.

I'll consider this, but because I'm only starting up flight-simming again now, I still have many equipment pieces I want to buy, like a proper yoke, throttle control, pedals, etc. So at this point I can't afford to buy a separate pc for this, but I'll definitely keep it in mind.

Thanks for all the help. For now, I guess I'll stick with the default ATC on FSX until I can muster up the courage to try Vatsim or figure out how to get RC to work on my pc. 

[Ray Proudfoot 8,989]

@SkyyStorm, I feel your frustration. Totally illogical why it would run on one version of W10 and not another.

Keep us posted when you do eventually get it running.

[SkyyStorm 2]

Just a note for future people reading this thread, I updated my Windows to the same build that I have on my work computer for Windows 10, yet it still doesn't work on my home computer. Arghhhhhhhh

[SkyyStorm 2]

I'm pretty desperate to get this working. I tried debugging the exe to see if it gives me a clue to what I can try to fix it.

So, I ran the exe through Windbg, and picked up 2 errors (sadly, without source code it doesn't show much info, so I don't have the parameters, only the errors). 

I did catch these two:

LastErrorValue: (Win32) 0x7e (126) - The specified module could not be found.
LastStatusValue: (NTSTATUS) 0xc0000135 - The code execution cannot proceed because %hs was not found. Reinstalling the program may fix this problem.

(This bottom one is just before it closes)

LastErrorValue: (Win32) 0x2 (2) - The system cannot find the file specified.
LastStatusValue: (NTSTATUS) 0xc000000f - {File Not Found}  The file %hs does not exist.

There's some floating point error, and a missing argument error, but they don't really mean much without info.

 

So, considering everything I know now, my assumption is that there is some form of dll or library that I inexplicably do not have on my computer. So RC starts running, tries to open this resource, doesn't find it, and silently excepts/crashes. 

Does anyone know which frameworks or libraries are used by RC? I know its VB, and I did install the VB runtime, but that didn't solve my issue. Anything else I might need for it to run that someone might know of? 

[Ray Proudfoot 8,989]

@SkyyStorm, I don’t know anyone else who has had this problem. Yes, RC4 requires VB runtime files. Given it was last compiled around 2006 on Windows XP - maybe 7 if it was out then, it’s those files you need.

But why would it install and open to the main display on mine and not yours? There’s something fundamentally different between our versions of 7 causing it not to open.

Are you certain there is nothing in Event Viewer? Try opening Task Manager, processes and watch it carefully as you launch RC4. Does it appear briefly? If so then there must be either an error, warning or some type of notification there.

Try running System File Check from an elevated DOS window. That’s with admin privileges. SFC / scannow. Maybe you have a corrupted system file.

One other thing. Are you certain you have a clean system? Might there be a virus present? Have you run an anti-virus check and if so, which a/v are you using?

Edited March 15, 2019 by Ray Proudfoot
Additional info

[Ray Proudfoot 8,989]

double post

 

Edited March 15, 2019 by Ray Proudfoot

[SkyyStorm 2]

9 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

But why would it install and open to the main display on mine and not yours? There’s something fundamentally different between our versions of 7 causing it not to open.

The million dollar question. It even runs on my work computer, but there is clearly an environment-related issue on my computer, most likely missing files. 

 

9 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Are you certain there is nothing in Event Viewer? Try opening Task Manager, processes and watch it carefully as you launch RC4. Does it appear briefly? If so then there must be either an error, warning or some type of notification there.

100%. I checked every single log in the Eventviewer, nothing. I can see it appear in the Task manager for a second. Everything points to an exception, but the exception doesn't seem to log to windows, and I don't understand why either.

 

9 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Try running System File Check from an elevated DOS window. That’s with admin privileges. SFC / scannow. Maybe you have a corrupted system file.

There was a corrupt file, but it appeared to be unrelated, as a reboot after the fix did not allow me to run RC still.

9 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

One other thing. Are you certain you have a clean system? Might there be a virus present? Have you run an anti-virus check and if so, which a/v are you using?

Yeah, its clean. I am using Windows Defender. And also Malwarebytes, none of which picked up anything. 

[Ray Proudfoot 8,989]

There is an option in Windows to startup with minimal Microsoft files running. Have a look at msconfig. It’s not Safe Mode but another way of running with as few processes as possible.

[Ken Hall 2]

Purchased a new PC ~~~  installed P3D4.4 ~~~ added the rest of my 'stuff' and 'finally' my must have RC4.

Have spent the last three days trying to install RC4 which was fraught with issues all the way - installing from the free download files.......again and again and again......just would not start...😣

Issues now resolved by installing from my original disk ~~~ my conclusion would be that there is a fault/error in the download itself but without downloading again no way to check!

I have RC4 on my other/main P3D machine that was installed from my original (2007) disk in January 2018 and I only 'just' remembered that...😥

A note to 'staff'...the installed RC4 still required activation/registration so there is still a need for the 'encryption' file that comes as part of the download.

I have saved my encryption file to a 'safe place' and just dumped the main RC4 folder.

Perhaps the encryption file should be available separately (unless I missed that it is).

Now a happy bunny just waiting for take-off 🙂

Ken 😉