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Old 10-07-2007, 03:48 PM   #3
ericbsmith
 
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Binghamton, NY, USA. Near the river Styx in the 5th Circle.
Default Re: GCA4 FAQ - GURPS Character Assistant 4 Frequently Asked Questions

Q: GCA is crashing or appears to be not responding - how can I fix the program?

Note: A common cause of GCA seemingly "hanging" is a window opening off-screen. GCA isn't hanging, the window is simply waiting for a response. A resolution to this proble is answered in FAQ Entry #39.

A: Make sure you've installed both the latest Program Patch and Data Updates (as previously noted). If you've already done so, please try re-applying the updates again. If you're running Windows XP/Vista/7, please make sure to log in with an Administrator Account before trying to install any software (if you don't know what an Administrator Account is, or whether or not your account is one, chances are you're already logged in as an Administrator).

Also, before reinstalling (or running GCA if you're still having problems after a reinstall) please make sure to reboot your computer and then shut down any background applications that may be running - particularly any Anti-Malware programs (e.g. Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware programs). You'd be surprised how many program errors go away if you simply reboot the computer, and Anti-Malware programs can often times interfere with the installation of software.

If that does not work for you, there is a file in the GCA install folder called gca.ini which saves all the Program Options you've set for GCA. If this file becomes corrupted, either as a result of running the Program Patch or due to random operating system errors, it can cause program crashes or lockups. Deleting this file will reset GCA to the default Options, but will often times solve seemingly random program problems. This file is *NOT* deleted when you uninstall GCA - you have to delete the file to actually remove it.
To automatically delete the file (along with sheetoptions.ini, which saves your Character Sheet preferences) you can run the GCAClearAppData.exe which is normally located in your GCA install folder:
C:\program files\GURPS Character Assistant 4\GCAClearAppData.exe
In 64-bit Windows (7 or Vista) it should be located here:
C:\program files (x86)\GURPS Character Assistant 4\GCAClearAppData.exe

Be aware that this will permanently remove the application data; you will lose all of your personal settings and have to reset them manually.

Alternatively you can manually delete gca.ini. The default folder where gca.ini is located used to be C:\Program Files\GURPS Character Assistant 4\

However, with the latest patches it has been moved:
In Windows XP the file gca.ini should be located in the location:
C:\Documents and Settings\[..USER..]\Application Data\Steve Jackson Games\GURPS Character Assistant 4\

In Windows Vista or Windows 7 the file gca.ini may be located in the location:
C:\Users\[..USER..]\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\GURPS Character Assistant 4\
C:\Users\[..USER..]\AppData\Roaming\Steve Jackson Games\GURPS Character Assistant 4\

Note: In either XP or Vista you'll need to replace [..USER..] with the user name you've logged into Windows with.

Clearing the Windows Virtual Store files for GCA may also fix some issues with GCA. A application to removes GCA's Virtual Store Files, GCAClearVirtualStore.exe, is also included in the GCA install folder:

C:\program files\GURPS Character Assistant 4\GCAClearVirtualStore.exe
In 64-bit Windows (7 or Vista) it should be located here:
C:\program files (x86)\GURPS Character Assistant 4\GCAClearVirtualStore.exe



If reinstalling hasn't worked, please follow the procedures for Rebooting, Logging to an Administrator Account, and shutting down background programs. Then uninstall GCA completely and delete the GCA.ini file as instructed above. Then try installing GCA from scratch, followed by applying the latest Data Updates and Program Patches.

GCA appears to be incompatible with DEP (Data Execution Prevention), which is normally only Enabled for Essential Windows Programs but can be enabled for all programs in Windows XP, Vista, or 7. If you have DEP enabled for all programs you must make an exception for GCA. You can alter the DEP settings by going to:
In Win XP
Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System -> Advanced Tab -> Performance/Settings Button -> DEP tab
In Win 7 (and I believe Vista)
Start -> Control Panel -> System -> Advanced system settings -> Advanced Tab -> Performance/Settings Button -> DEP tab

There's a much more through discussion of DEP and solving DEP issues in this thread.




Every time I start GCA an installer for another application starts running. Or Windows attempts to find the installer for another program but can't find it. What is going on here?
There have been reports of this happening with a few different programs and GCA, and many reports of this happening between other pairs of programs (such as Windows Messenger installer starting when Adobe Acrobat is started). This actually appears to be a case of Windows itself going slightly mad, and isn't really a problem with GCA per se. The registry entry for the other program's installer has somehow been corrupted and cross referenced with the GCA executable file, so when GCA runs Windows is calling up the other program's installer as well.

The cure for this so far has been to uninstall the other program and reinstall it, or if you already removed the other program you may need to reinstall it then properly uninstall it again (it may not have been properly uninstalled the previous time).

Last edited by ericbsmith; 09-10-2020 at 05:37 PM.
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