0.4.00 psclient.exe on XP does nothing

[Nezic]

I just downloaded and installed PlaneShift for the first time (0.4.00), but the setup and client exe files didn't do anything when I ran them after updating.

I tried running them through Dependency Walker (www.dependencywalker.com), which indicates that they can't find 'msjava.dll' (this file doesn't exist on my computer).

Any ideas about where I'm going wrong?

I'm running:
Windows XP
Java 6 runtime
2GB system memory
8800GTS video card w/ 320MB memory

[Tuxide]

Windows XP isn't supposed to come with msjava.dll due to the Microsoft/Sun lawsuit.  I believe there are some things in the Windoze registry that is supposed to pass calls to the Sun JVM only if a file called msjava.dll already exists.  I am curious to know:  Try creating a blank txt file in your windows\system32 directory and rename it to msjava.dll and see if it'll run.  If such a file exists, then the calls should not fail and control should be passed to the Sun JVM.  I could be wrong though.

[Nezic]

After making an empty msjava.dll in \windows\system32, still nothing happens when I run psclient.exe.  In dependency walker it does show the file as there but invalid.

I imagine that a missing msjava.dll could be completely unrelated to whatever the real problem is.  The check for its existance would probably be enough for it to show up as a warning in dependency walker, but not really cause any harm.

So if msjava isn't the culprit, is there anything I can do to get more info?  (like a switch for debug output or something)

[Tuxide]

Sorry I misread, I thought you were trying to install it.

Run psclient from a command line and post the output it produces.  There is also a -verbose option but I don't think you will need to use it.

[Nezic]

When I run from a console, both psclient.exe and pssetup.exe give no output before going right back to dos prompt (even using -verbose gives no ouput).  Isn't that wonderful?...

[Tuxide]

I've only ever gotten this when I have a conflicting version of Crystal Space on my machine (one I compiled myself).  Do you have the CRYSTAL, CEL, or CSCONFPATH environment variables set to anything by any chance?  Does psclient -help return anything?

Also I should say that msjava.dll doesn't show up when I run Dependency Walker on my precompiled PlaneShift, but mshtml.dll does (as a delay-load dependency module...maybe it's because I'm missing some crap?).  Same with the psclient I built using MinGW.

[Durwyn]

Nezic, do you want the msjava.dll file? On this computer, i have it (windows Millenium/2000)

though as its not XP i cant tell you if it will have any effect..
http://dudu.110mb.com/msjava.dll

also, are you the administrator of your computer?
both files (client and setup) need to be launched within administrator rights because they write information under your "c:/..../username/planeshift" folder, and not inside the planeshift's folder, anymore.

updater writes inside, so you have the rights write/read in the planeshift's folder.

dont know if you thought already about this. 

[Izzabella]

This sounds kinda strange to me, I am NO computer wiz, however I use windows XP (be nice people ;P) and I can run PS just fine... perhaps you got a bad down load and should re do it and re install? I dunno...

[Nezic]

I just double-checked my environment variables, and I don't have any set that are related to Cyrstal Space.

I also tried copying the msjava.dll into the PlaneShift directory (thanks Durwyn), but still nothing happens when I run psclient or pssetup.

I'm the only user and Admin of this computer and the account I'm using has full administrator privileges, so I don't think permissions would be the problem.

When I run pssetup or psclient with -help in a command terminal, another terminal very quickly appears and disappears.  After a lot of repeating and staring at the screen, I made out the text to say:

For pssetup.exe -help:
"Your configuration files are in... C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\PlaneShift"

For psclient.exe -help:
"Your configuration files are in... C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\PlaneShift
DEBUG: Sound System Software Renderer Initializing..."

I checked the c:\...\username\planeshift location (which exists), but nothing's in it.


I'll try uninstalling, redownloading, and installing again tonight.. hopefully I really did just get a bad download or something.

[Elvicat]

id take a look at the drivers... maybe they have gone currupt or someting

[Nezic]

I reinstalled twice, once to C:\Program Files\ and once to E:\ but I have the same issue.  I don't think my video driver is bad because I can play Bioshock with no problems.  Are there debug versions built of the exe's that might shed light on this?

[Eila]

I reinstalled twice, once to C:\Program Files\ and once to E:\ but I have the same issue.  I don't think my video driver is bad because I can play Bioshock with no problems.  Are there debug versions built of the exe's that might shed light on this?

For the problem related to msjava.dll installation, consult:
http://www.java.com/en/download/help/error_1722.xml
and make sure you uninstall all traces of the previous JRE as suggested

the c:\...\username\planeshift location appears empty but its not, thats a hidden folder, so show hidden objects.

Eila

[Elvicat]

I reinstalled twice, once to C:\Program Files\ and once to E:\ but I have the same issue.  I don't think my video driver is bad because I can play Bioshock with no problems.  Are there debug versions built of the exe's that might shed light on this?

ehm bioshock might use the other parts of the drivers, there's 2 3d types, direct3d and opengl, ps uses opengl so that part could be corrupt and if i'm not totaly wrong i think bioshock uses direct3d so i'd still get the newest drivers, uninstall the old and then put in the new

[Nezic]

I completely removed my Java installation and reinstalled Java 6 after rebooting, but it didn't help.  I also reinstalled my video drivers (good point about opengl vs. directx).  I was already using the newest driver release, and installing again didn't fix the problem either.

I already have hidden and system files set to display, and the PlaneShift folder under Application Data really is empty.

Does pssetup.exe (rather than psclient) use java or opengl?

[neko kyouran]

Does pssetup.exe (rather than psclient) use java or opengl?

PS runs on the 3d engine CrystalSpace, which uses OpenGL.  So, the game, and the updater, use OpenGL.

At least, that's how I've always thought it worked.