application error (0xc000142)

[Bazerk83]

So I've completely neglected Fallout 3 for months now since it kept crashing at the same exact point during a mission but the other day I decided to get back into it.

 

Unfortunately, despite not having TOUCHED anything to do with Fallout 3 or its files, I can't load the game up at all.

 

Regardless of whether I use the FOMM.exe or the default Fallout 3.exe I get the same error. 'the application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000142) click ok to close the application'.

 

I tried sfc /scannow and rebooted. Didn't work. I tried a registry cleaner. Didn't work. Oddly, I'm having the same exact issue with Oblivion. Another game I've neglected for months. Doesn't matter if I use OBMM.exe or Oblivion.exe

 

BUT, I don't have this issue with any other game.

 

 

I REALLY don't want to reinstall everything all over again because it took me a good 2-3 days to get everything installed correctly and functioning properly, editing the ini, adding all the fixes etc. etc.

 

I'm really hoping someone can suggest a solution for this that doesn't involve ruining all my hard work installing this game to the almost perfect state I wanted it in.

 

Thanks guys.

[M48A5]

My suggestion is to copy the error code and paste it into your search engine of choice. I tried Google and it came back with 232,00 entries. It seems you will get a variety of answers.

[Bazerk83]

i did that and the solutions they suggested haven't helped so far.

[Bazerk83]

Having looked into event logs via event viewer, the error is coming from creative labs source. I have a Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro Series card. A while back I experienced some BSOD's and went through the process of upating my drivers. Turned out the bsod's were from my wireless adapter.

 

HOPEFULLY the solution now is returning to my original drivers supplied from the CD. However, I'm fully aware that Creative and their driver support (and their drivers themselves) are complete garbage. SO, I'm going to try the custom SB X-Fi series Support Pack I've discovered instead of creatives official (and terriblly out of date) drivers.

 

Wish me luck.

[Bazerk83]

Well that made absolutely no difference to the error at all. Opened event viewer again and got the same exact report.

 

'The description for Event ID 101 from source Creative Labs SC cannot be found. Either the component that raises this event is not installed on your local computer or the installation is corrupted. You can install or repair the component on the local computer.

If the event originated on another computer, the display information had to be saved with the event.

The following information was included with the event:

98-163'

[Bazerk83]

Well,

 

I've exausted every avenue I can think of...

 

I've uninstalled the creative drivers, ran driversweeper, ran a registry cleaner, rebooted and installed the creative support pack 2.5.

 

I checked to see onboard audio is disabled in BIOS, it is.

 

I've ran sfc /scannow

 

I've ran chkdsk

 

I've read through every link that's relevant on google that relates to my problem, most of which just lead to dead ends.

 

So I'm stumped, unless someone can think of something else to try.... I give up.

 

The only other thing that keeps popping up in my research on Google is issues with Steam or people uninstalling it.

 

However, Steam is not in my add.remove programs list. There is no actual Steam directory on my computer that I can find through a manual and auto search HOWEVER. There IS a steam folder inside my recently installed Black Mesa game. Could this really be affecting Fallout 3 and Obvlion?

 

I don't actually have the Steam program itself. I can't see how this would affect those two games.

 

At this point ANY uselful suggestions would be really appreciated. I'm almost at the point of tearing my hair out.

[Bazerk83]

Bizarre.

 

I removed all forms of creative yet again, reinstalled the creative support pack 2.5 and now Fallout 3 runs perfectly.

 

Though now, the creative control panel refuses to switch between entertainment mode and game mode after quitting Fallout 3.

Edited March 15, 2013 by Bazerk83

[prensa]

Bazerk83 - Hello!

"Though now, the creative control panel refuses to switch between entertainment mode and game mode after quitting Fallout 3."

It's a known issue that's been around for some time, I used to just leave my audio on Game mode because of it, since Fallout 3 won't work in anything but Game mode but other programs work okay in Game mode.

There's a tool in your Start menu - Creative folder - Sound Blaster X-Fi - Creative Automode switcher.

That can be told which programs to run in which mode, you drag the .exe into it & tell it which mode.

For instance you can drag the Fallout3.exe into it, don't forget to set FOSELoader.exe in there too if you use FOSE.

It's a great idea & It may work for you but chances are it won't.

Sadly it does not seem to work for me & many others, not sure if these issues are just Win7 64 bit troubles or affecting others. A Google search certainly brings up many with the same problem.

"As I say, it's irritating because rebooting after playing Fallout 3 is a bit bothersome."

What I do, just recently found this work around that's fairly painless, when the mode gets locked instead of rebooting just go to the Start menu search box & type in:

Device Manager

Or:

devmgmt.msc

Click on that & under sound, right click on Creative SB X-Fi & select Disable, wait for the manager to refresh then right click & Enable.

That returns you to being able to change modes.

Take care not to select Uninstall there by the way. :smile:

If the above mentioned Automode switcher did not work for you, there's a handy tool for changing modes in a much less round about way than calling up multiple Sound Blaster windows each time, I use this Gadget:

http://the-x-fi-gadget.yolasite.com/downloads.php

You can call that up off the Gadget menu (right click on the Desktop, near bottom of that pop up) & quickly change between Entertainment, Game & Audio Creation mode.

There's some discussion of these issues here:

http://connect.creativelabs.com/alchemy/Lists/ALchemy%20XFi/Flat.aspx?RootFolder=http%3a%2f%2fconnect.creativelabs.com%2falchemy%2fLists%2fALchemy%20XFi%2fF.E.A.R%20putting%20a%20lockhandle%20on%20the%20Audio%20Device%20%28Vista%20x64%20SP1%29&FolderCTID=0x012002002777EF627E9A314B8E181038B290215D

Hope this helps!

Prensa

 

 

 

EDIT: Just found a tool called X-Fi Mode Changer:

 

http://www.spectra9.com/xfmc/xfmc.html

 

This does what the Creative Automode Switcher is meant to do but unlike that program this seems to work with Win7 64 bit.

 

It can be set to auto detect Fallout 3 & change to Game mode & then swap back to your chosen default afterwards.

 

The UI is very good & simple to understand.

 

I've only just found it so I've not done a lot of testing with it yet but it looks like a promising solution to having to manually change modes if the Creative Automode Switcher does not work for you.

Edited March 17, 2013 by prensa

[isoldevoegele]

To all who experience the same Application Crash Error 0xc00000142 referring to any suspicious "Creative Labs SC" (have a look into Windows' event log!) that you're certain you haven't installed or at least completely uninstalled it - which is why it's missing in the first place :wink: - there's still something left to be deleted, and this is nothing less but also nothing more than the dsound.dll- file in Fallout's game directory!

 

All other stuff is just rubbish and won't work unless you accidentally got rid of the dsound.dll in FO3. When it's deleted the Creative Labs SC error comes immediately to an end. FO3 will now use (again!) the dsound.dll-file in windows' system32- folder instead.

 

Tips like uninstalling, reinstalling, chkdsk, sfc or even rebuilding Windows (the only advice people give you, when they know nothing at all themselves, because there's hardly ever any scenario not even thinkable that would need an entire system be rebuilt!) is complete nonsens either, as long you are going to reproduce the same dsound.dll in the FO3- folder again and again - happens e.g. when you install Creative drivers (some of the worst drivers the world has ever seen) especially this Alchemy crap.

 

Delete the dsound.dll from FO3 (or maybe also other games concerned like Oblivion) and hence force the games to use Windows' own system32 "dsound.dll" (which is why sfc is not helping at all either, since this file will be checked and for it's ok it doesn't help in any way - the culprit is the conflict causeing, superfluous dsound.dll in the game's folder, which will unfortunately not be checked by sfc, as it's not a system file at all. :wink:

 

I hope that will eventually help more people who are facing the same issues and errors related to a creative sound driver that doesn't even reside on their systems anymore (but still a linked .dll-file that's still pointing at the former Creative crap that doesn't any longer exist :wink: ) and end all this nonsens of reparing/ damaging methods that tons of people recommend other users to try, since they don't know real solutions either and provide only more and more guess work, that worsen everything in the outcome instead of providing a simple, clean solution.

Ok. Bear that in mind. Fine. You're welcome. Bye!

 

Note: I hoped it's unnecessary to mention, that you should only remove the dsound.dll from your game- folder (copy it to somewhere else, e.g. at best on your desktop) so do not simply delete it at random! Though it's pretty obvious that it is the perpetrator, it's a rule of thumb to never delete anything from your system as long you're not absolutely sure what you are doing. So, remove it from the games-folder and see if the games will start without causing this notorious app crash error again. If so, it's the cause and you can delete it permanently. If the game still doesn't start but also doesn't cause the app error, the dsound.dll was part of the cause though there's still something else wrong.

Edited March 15, 2015 by isoldevoegele