Vortex was working great then updated to new version and now... trainwreck

[Hollowrogue13]

ok, so I have been running vortex almost since it launched. the last updated version of it is "version 1-0-14-1" and it has been working marvelously for me, then I download witcher 3 on steam and boot up vortex to see if it supports the mods for this game. I try to search for games on my hard drive and vortex crashes, with this lengthy error message that I did not think to screenshot at the time, I did quickly fill out the error report for nexus that popped up at that time, and otherwise, I didn't think much of it. I was about to go to bed so I figured I would deal with it later. Ok, so fast forward to my waking up and I decided, I would see if there was a new version... there is, 1-0-15-2, so I download it, and run it, thinking that it would check for the old version, remove it, and install the new version... not so much. It removes everything but the vortex.exe and pops up an error that I don't have permission to remove this file (and yes I am doing the install "run as administrator" so it should have the permissions). I attached a screenshot of this exact error . so anyways, I have a broken vortex.exe icon, that won't let me delete or uninstall it, and with it there, it will NOT allow me to install the new version... at this point, the only option I see is running the NMM because Vortex is shooting itself in the foot and not allowing me to install it.

[Tannin42]

Something similar has come up before for a few people and it is probably not (entirely) the fault of vortex. What appears to happen is that for some reason the vortex.exe file is still locked at the time the uninstaller tries to remove it, which then fails, which then causes the new install to fail.

There is little we can do about it right now apart from hoping that the installer software (which isn't our own obviously) fixes this in an update.

 

But: when this happened in the past users where able to just restart the installer and it would replace the existing version.

 

That doesn't work for you? Do you get an error message? What does it say?

[Hollowrogue13]

ok, so if I just try to run the 1-0-15-2 install, I get this exact same error message that I posted a screenshot of in the OP. After your response, I even tried shutting down my computer completely, leaving it off for a few minutes before rebooting. Then trying a fresh install. It goes completely through the install process and LOOKS like it is doing a successful installation but then it pops up that message and the Vortex.exe it actually places on the desktop is a broken link. Exactly like this

[Grestorn]

*deleted, never mind*

[Hollowrogue13]

I am a fan of Vortex so, sorry, not trying to bash it. This is, in fact the first problem I have ever had with it. As I stated in my initial post, It all started when I downloaded Witcher 3 on steam, but when I tried to tell Vortex to search for new installed games, to see if it actually supported it, which, if I understand correctly now.. it does not. Anyway, it crashed, I let it send in a crash report to you guys, even filled in the popup for that crash report... then after I slept and got back on, vortex wasn't wanting to work, so I decided to see if there was a new version, there was, (1-0-15-2) and now this. It sucks... because even if I accept, ok, no vortex for TW3, which is fine... Now I don't have Vortex for the games I play all the time and actually have mods on said games for... like my current playthru of Skyrim. Bah... too bad I can't load a previous save... before I messed with TW3 on my PC... =D

 

I actually have the utmost respect for the modders in this community, and have been an absolute fan for years, and I know you guys and gals do all you can to make sure things run as smoothly as possible. Just hoping to be able to figure out how to have vortex support again. I don't want to go back to NMM after running Vortex for months now..

[Tannin42]

The part I don't understand from your report: The screenshots you posted show that after the vortex install the exe isn't there and the link is invalid, but you didn't post any error message from the installer.

Does that mean that the installer did complete without error?

Did you check if maybe it's just the link that is broken? Is vortex installed under C:\Program Files\Black Tree Gaming Ltd\Vortex? Does it include a vortex.exe?

If not, have you checked if your AV has logged something about it considering vortex.exe a thread and deleting it/putting it into quarantine?

[Hollowrogue13]

that is the error that pops up at the end of the install. I didn't get a screenshot of the first error, that I got when Vortex initially crashed upon trying to search for new games after installing TW3 … was totally hoping Vortex supported it. I didn't realize how big an issue that crash might turn into... and I was ready to sleep and figured I would just handle it the next day, then we come to the current problem. I can go to add/remove programs on windows and forcibly remove vortex then try to install the newest version to replace it, then I get the error message I posted above at the very end of the install, it LOOKS like it is installing correctly right up til the end. It installs what seems to me must be all the right files, then that invalid icon is in the folder, in the start menu and on the desktop. I did do windows' add/remove programs prior to the last install and it removed vortex before trying to install 1-0-15-2 the last time and it sure looked like it did a full install, but then it popped up that error message at the end, this is a screen capture of the black tree gaming ltd /vortex folder, this is what it installed but you see that even in the folder, the EXE is invalid, and it's size is 64.4 MB

[Hollowrogue13]

If I try to click on any of the three links mentioned in that very last post, I get this message so, though they ARE the ones installed in the latest install, they are in fact invalid... and, yeah this IS my computer and I am the only one with access to it and my profile should have permissions to run anything... I would think. So, I am kinda at a loss

[Hollowrogue13]

In reading back through this thread I see what you are saying regarding the error message in the original message, and yes, I got the exact same error message when I tried running the Vortex uninstaller that I did when I tried to just install version 1-0-15-2 anyway

[Tannin42]

Well, the file size of that vortex.exe is ok but the lack of an icon would indicate it's been damaged or it is being locked by something, my bet would still be on virus or antivirus (An antivirus software might get the idea to completely f*** up the file permissions on a file that it considers dangerous to ensure it can't be run, instead of moving it to a quarantine area).

 

The error message from windows doesn't say the exe is invalid but that it can't access it which implies that something has a lock on the file or the permissions are so restrictive that your current account can't access it.

You could try right-clicking and checking the security screen.

 

All in all, this is pretty definitively a window problem, not a vortex problem.