GDFInstall.exe crashes at launch (dual boot XP/Win 7)

[TX-EcoDragon]

I'm trying a fresh install of Windows 7 to see if that is the reason for my launcher issues in XP, but now there's a different issue! I'm unable to launch the sim as I see a GDFInstall.exe crash right after clicking "Play" 100% of the time.

I removed Steam and reinstalled it along with CLOD, no change, here's the event log

Log Name: Application
Source: Application Error
Date: 10/15/2012 6:03:53 PM
Event ID: 1000
Task Category: (100)
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: ************
Description:
Faulting application name: GDFInstall.exe, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x4d6760de
Faulting module name: unknown, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x00000000
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x006c6630
Faulting process id: 0xa20
Faulting application start time: 0x01cdab3a1c48856e
Faulting application path: h:\program files\steam\steamapps\common\il-2 sturmovik cliffs of dover\redist\GDF\GDFInstall.exe
Faulting module path: unknown
Report Id: 5a400535-172d-11e2-87f2-00508d9a736c
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Application Error" />
<EventID Qualifiers="0">1000</EventID>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>100</Task>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2012-10-16T01:03:53.000000000Z" />
<EventRecordID>5548</EventRecordID>
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>***************</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data>GDFInstall.exe</Data>
<Data>0.0.0.0</Data>
<Data>4d6760de</Data>
<Data>unknown</Data>
<Data>0.0.0.0</Data>
<Data>00000000</Data>
<Data>c0000005</Data>
<Data>006c6630</Data>
<Data>a20</Data>
<Data>01cdab3a1c48856e</Data>
<Data>h:\program files\steam\steamapps\common\il-2 sturmovik cliffs of dover\redist\GDF\GDFInstall.exe</Data>
<Data>unknown</Data>
<Data>5a400535-172d-11e2-87f2-00508d9a736c</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

[MadBlaster]

maybe registry error.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VjBhxBw7bo

[Reggie Mental]

TX, did you ever sort this out? I too cannot start the game and despite having it on my PC for 6 months, I have not played one minute of COD.

[TX-EcoDragon]

No, no solutions yet.

I was experiencing a launcher.exe crash when running any of the beta patches in my Windows XP installation, and I really wanted to test the SU-26 so after "trying everything" I have been trying to setup a Windows 7 steam+CloD installation, but when I attempt to launch the sim now, I see the GDFInstall crash right away and the sim fails to launch at all.

[mazex]

Originally Posted by TX-EcoDragon

I'm trying a fresh install of Windows 7 to see if that is the reason for my launcher issues in XP, but now there's a different issue! I'm unable to launch the sim as I see a GDFInstall.exe crash right after clicking "Play" 100% of the time.

I removed Steam and reinstalled it along with CLOD, no change, here's the event log

Log Name: Application
Source: Application Error
Date: 10/15/2012 6:03:53 PM
Event ID: 1000
Task Category: (100)
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: ************
Description:
Faulting application name: GDFInstall.exe, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x4d6760de
Faulting module name: unknown, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x00000000
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x006c6630
Faulting process id: 0xa20
Faulting application start time: 0x01cdab3a1c48856e
Faulting application path: h:\program files\steam\steamapps\common\il-2 sturmovik cliffs of dover\redist\GDF\GDFInstall.exe
Faulting module path: unknown
Report Id: 5a400535-172d-11e2-87f2-00508d9a736c
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Application Error" />
<EventID Qualifiers="0">1000</EventID>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>100</Task>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2012-10-16T01:03:53.000000000Z" />
<EventRecordID>5548</EventRecordID>
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>***************</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data>GDFInstall.exe</Data>
<Data>0.0.0.0</Data>
<Data>4d6760de</Data>
<Data>unknown</Data>
<Data>0.0.0.0</Data>
<Data>00000000</Data>
<Data>c0000005</Data>
<Data>006c6630</Data>
<Data>a20</Data>
<Data>01cdab3a1c48856e</Data>
<Data>h:\program files\steam\steamapps\common\il-2 sturmovik cliffs of dover\redist\GDF\GDFInstall.exe</Data>
<Data>unknown</Data>
<Data>5a400535-172d-11e2-87f2-00508d9a736c</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

Well - as the purpose of GDFInstall is to get an icon in the Windows 7 "Games folder" it feels completely useless... If I where you I would try the trick I recommended in the Windows 8 thread here in this sub forum. Download the silly fake "vcredist_x86.exe" file I wrote (it's a 6kb c++ program that does nothing and returns OK). So - download the rar file, unpack it with 7-zip or your decompression app of choice. Rename "vcredist_x86.exe" to "GDFInstall.exe" and copy it to your directory called "h:\program files\steam\steamapps\common\il-2 sturmovik cliffs of dover\redist\GDF\GDFInstall.exe". Do a copy of the original GDFInstall.exe before replacing it. You may also have to right click on the downloaded file and select "Unblock" in the dialog...

Worth a try... Download here (and no it does not contain a virus ).

https://sites.google.com/site/mazexx...edirects=0&d=1

Good luck /mazex

EDIT: You could also try starting Steam as an adminstrator (right click the Steam icon and select "Run as Administrator"). That MAY do the trick...

[TX-EcoDragon]

Great info!

Thanks for the suggestions, I saw that post of yours over there and did some tinkering based on that very idea....I'll give this a shot!

Pretty absurd if all this does is help populate the game folder with icons...I never, ever (well, not since minesweeper on Windows 3.11) use that folder.

[mazex]

Originally Posted by TX-EcoDragon

Thanks for the suggestions, I saw that post of yours over there and did some tinkering based on that very idea....I'll give this a shot!

Pretty absurd if all this does is help populate the game folder with icons...I never, ever (well, not since minesweeper on Windows 3.11) use that folder.

Well, few games do that - but if you for some weird reason want the "Games for Windows" logo I think you have to do it. I have too many games on my computer and only 10 of them or so add icons there... Among them Cliffs of Dover.

Well - I will add that i THINK that's the only use for it after some quick research on the web. And as CloD is there in the folder it seems plausible

EDIT: And regarding Minesweeper they have that as #3 or so in the "Hot apps" list when you look in the "Games" category in Windows 8... They actually think we like it?

[TX-EcoDragon]

Thanks for the idea, I appreciate it!

Sadly it didn't work. There's no GDFInstall.exe crash anymore....but the sim still doesn't load. The IL-2 CLiffs of Dover text in the Steam Library momentarily flashes "Synching" and then Steam just sits there idle.


I had read earlier in my search for a solution that it relates to game path....I guess I could try to re-install on an entirely different drive...


and some more googling returns:


"Before you can integrate a game into Games Explorer, you must create a game definition file (GDF). A GDF is an XML file that contains metadata that describes the game. In the March 2009 release of the DirectX SDK, a section for game provider, RSS feed, and game task has been added to the GDF schema. To use the instructions in this article, you must use this new GDF format to create your GDF file.
Microsoft provides a tool for authoring GDFs in the DirectX SDK, Game Definition File Editor, to make this creation process easier. This tool also helps you create localized versions of a GDF.
Once a GDF has been authored and localized, it must be encapsulated within a resource section of a binary file (either an executable or DLL), along with the game's thumbnail and icon. The GDF contains all of the metadata associated with the game, including the game's rating........

The functions exported by this DLL are the following:

GameExplorerInstallW
Registers a game with Games Explorer, given a path to the GDF binary, a full path to the folder where the game is installed, and the installation scope.

GameExplorerInstallA
Registers a game with Games Explorer; ANSI version of GameExplorerInstallW.

GameExplorerUninstallW
Removes a game from registration with Games Explorer, given a path to the GDF binary.

GameExplorerUninstallA
Removes a game from registration with Games Explorer; ANSI version of GameExplorerUninstallW.

GameExplorerSetMSIProperties
Configures the CustomActionData properties for the actions of an MSI deferred custom installation. Usage of this function is described in detail later in this topic.

GameExplorerInstallUsingMSI
Adds a game to Games Explorer; for use during an MSI custom action installation.

GameExplorerUninstallUsingMSI
Remove a game from Games Explorer; for use during an MSI custom action installation.

These functions are further explained in the GameUXInstallHelper.h header."

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...(v=vs.85).aspx

[TX-EcoDragon]

Apparently this happened to Fallout 3, and BF3 users as well:


http://social.technet.microsoft.com/...b-30dcc846df54

http://forums.electronicarts.co.uk/b...blem-help.html


"Da1eHamann:
I had the same issue. I found instructions on this link (http://discuss.extremetech.com/forum...howThread.aspx) to add the game to the Games Explorer.

Here is the post, in case that link goes bad in the future.
In regards to Fallout 3 not installing in the Games Explorer, you where on the right track trying to use GDFInstall.exe located in the Fallout 3 install directory, but you needed to pass a few parameters to GDFInstall.exe for it to work properly.
First you need to find the Fallout 3 install directory, the folder containing the files Fallout3.exe and GDFInstall.exe, select the entire path and copy it. (usually %programfiles%\Bethesda Softworks\Fallout 3\ on x86 Windows, or %programfiles(x86)%\Bethesda Softworks\Fallout 3\ on x64 Windows)
Now open a CMD window and navigate to the path you copied in step 1 ( cd %programfiles%\Bethesda Softworks\Fallout 3\ )
Enter GDFInstall /richext .fos /exe "<Path\To\>Fallout3.exe" GDFFallout3.dll (replacing <Path\To\> with the path you used in step 1.)
That should add the game to your Games Explorer window. If you mess up and the icon in the Games Explorer window doesn't launch the game, before you can try again you have to enter GDFInstall /u GDFFallout3.dll to remove the icon first. You can also see a list of other parameters you can pass to GDFInstall.exe by entering "GDFInstall /?"
Hope this helps someone.
-BoxyBrwn"


and:


"orb1t4l

Re: cannot install game
edited 2011-11-01 00:52 by orb1t4l_MoVeS


just checked with a friends his is the same....its the gdf file that isnt installing on mine but his installed fine,
ok here is the fix!!! and please trust this!! its very important to get it correct
open regedit from start/search bar
Under the key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow 6432Node\EA Games\Battlefield 3

I had already GDFBinary with the value being: C:\Program Files\Origin Games\Battlefield 3\GDFBinary_en_US.dll


Now I did add another value called:

Install Dir

And in this one I entered the following text: C:\Program Files\Origin Games\Battlefield 3
Again this is my install path, yours might be different.

so in there i have
ab (Default) REG_SZ (value not set)
ab GDFBinary REG_SZ C:\Program Files\Origin Games\Battlefield 3\GDFBinary_en_US.dll

ab Install Dir REG_SZ C:\Program Files\Origin Games\Battlefield 3

After restarting origin, suddenly origin saw the game as being installed already and I could patch it and go to the

browser selection.

last problem was easy to solve: start up mozilla firefox instead of internet explorer 9, and use firefox to login on the

battlefield page, then it worked and I was able to join servers.

please forward this to as many people as possible with the stuck in install loop and the fail to install gdf files please
enjoy and see you on the battlefield..... orb1t4l"

[mazex]

Mmm, a quick "silly" question that I ask in all kindness as a double check

"H:" sounds like one of the default drive letters that are used by network admins for the users home directories for users on a file server. I suppose that H: a physical drive in your case so you're not trying it at work for some reason and its a network drive? Windows 7 does not like to run executables from network drives that could give weird problems like this (and awful performance of course ).

Another thing that I would recommend is to not install any games (or Steam) into the "program files" folder as the UAC in Windows 7 is a bit picky with that folder if the games are trying to change the contents in that directory and not by having volatile data in the %appdata folder that is recommended...

So - if "H:\Program Files" is your %ProgramFiles% directory I recommend installing Steam to another folder. But I guess you only call it that yourself to spread large installations to another disk to not clutter the "real" C: folder? Any way - I like to not use Windows "reserved" folder names myself as that in some rare cases can make weird stuff happen...

/mazex