Arc not loading

Sisyrbe - Archosaur

I have tried to open up my Arc and it has not been opening. A pop=up appears with this message: "The procedure entry point InterlockedCompareExchange64 could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll."

I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling the Arc, plus restarting my computer. Nothing seems to work. This problem appeared out of nowhere, as Arc has been working fine for quite some time. I'll keep checking. Any suggestions?

NRGLG - Heavens Tear

NRGLG - Heavens Tear wrote: »

The function "InterlockedCompareExchange64" is only in the Vista and above DLL Kernal32. That's why the function can't find the entry point on your systems, because it's not there. To put in simple terms, yes, Arc is not compatible with XP it seems. https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms683562(v=vs.85).aspx

Note: If I'm being honest, I don't know why they stopped making XP compatible. It's not like Arc uses some blazing new-age technology that needs these newer functions.

Nothing you can do except install a Windows OS version Vista or higher.

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UPDATE
What I said above is true. Arc will not run without a newer OS right now. You can call what I said ridiculous or whatever else you want, but it is blatant truth. This does not mean you cannot run PWI though. Here are the instructions...

Program Way:

"Arc XP for PWI because PWE Derpped" Download: http://www.nrgs.org/dev/arcxp/ArcXP.zip


Manual Way:

To bypass Arc, you need to make some batch files (.bat) that contain the code below. Then you have to either put the full file path into the batch file location for the .exe or run it straight from the PWI folders.

Patcher: Name this file "patcher.bat". Paste this code in. Put this file into the PWI_en\patcher\ folder. Now when you want to patch it, just double-click "patcher.bat".

start patcher.exe arc:1
exit

PWI: Name this file "game.bat". Paste this code in. Put this file into the PWI_en\element\ folder. Now when you want to play the game, just double-click "game.bat".

start elementclient.exe startbypatcher arc:1
exit

Sisyrbe - Archosaur

Ok, how do I go about that? I'll experiment a bit.

NRGLG - Heavens Tear

I don't quite think you understand. You have to replace your operating system (OS) with a newer version. You are likely using Windows XP (possibly Windows 2000). You have to replace that with a newer one like Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10. That is not something you just up-and-do with no forethought and sometimes it may not even be possible.

These conditions would need to be met before diving in...
1) A copy of Windows version Vista, 7, 8, or 10
2) All drivers for the hardware made for newer Windows versions
3) 50GB non-volatile storage space minimum
4) Whatever specs the OS says it needs minimum
5) Know how to install an OS

Basically, don't do it if you don't understand what I wrote. I'm just going to take a guess and say that Arc was compiled with the wrong header by mistake. That means that they may update it to work for Windows XP again in the future.

bloodedone87

NRGLG - Heavens Tear wrote: »

I don't quite think you understand. You have to replace your operating system (OS) with a newer version. You are likely using Windows XP (possibly Windows 2000). You have to replace that with a newer one like Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10. That is not something you just up-and-do with no forethought and sometimes it may not even be possible.

These conditions would need to be met before diving in...
1) A copy of Windows version Vista, 7, 8, or 10
2) All drivers for the hardware made for newer Windows versions
3) 50GB non-volatile storage space minimum
4) Whatever specs the OS says it needs minimum
5) Know how to install an OS

Basically, don't do it if you don't understand what I wrote. I'm just going to take a guess and say that Arc was compiled with the wrong header by mistake. That means that they may update it to work for Windows XP again in the future.

When I read on forums that people are having this problem I tried open Arc and they got and update today. I dont know( far from being an expert in computers) but maybe its something in this patch notes of the new update that makes arc not compatible with XP anymore. Probably they will change it back with the new update on ARC if it was non intented to make it non compatible with XP.

kateshii

I too got this error verbatim after updating Arc today. Definitely something to do with todays update. I am running Win XP. Yes it is out of service but Im sure Im not the only one. Lets not exclude all XP users shall we? Arc ran fine on XP prior to todays patch.

I was able to work around the problem by bypassing Arc.

For me the game path is:
C:\Program Files\Perfect World Entertainment\Neverwinter_en

Ran Neverwinter.exe. Game launcher started no problems, patched and am now at char selection screen.

Please reverse whatever it is you updated on Arc today else exclude XP users. In the meantime bypass arc should get you running fine. If PWE does not want us bypassing Arc then they should resolve this issue immediately.

EDIT: It is worth noting that I did attempt to repair ARC by running ArcRepair.exe located here "C:\Program Files\Perfect World Entertainment\Arc" to no avail. The ArcRepair.exe binaries ran fine but once it ended its iterations the original error resurfaced ("The procedure entry point InterlockedCompareExchange64 could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll.")

NRGLG - Heavens Tear

ArcRepair not doing anything is to be expected. This error has everything to do with how Arc was compiled. You cannot do anything except upgrade your OS or run it on a newer system that is running a version of Windows that is Vista or higher.

kateshii

And again I say there is something you can do and that something is to bypass Arc entirely.

I and many others out there will not upgrade our OS just because a game was compiled with no backwards compatibility. Evidently Arc was working just fine before today's patch so whatever "feature" was added or whatever method that was used to compile today's patch differently can be reversed or corrected on the application level.

Should we be running a newer OS, yes of course. Should PWE exclude users of an older operating system when no new fundamental changes were made? No. Either way there is a way around the issue, thus eliminating the "upgrade your OS" response as it is not the only way to make your game work.

NRGLG - Heavens Tear

kateshii wrote: »

And again I say there is something you can do and that something is to bypass Arc entirely.

You can bypass Arc for now until the next update. Then you're going to find it quite difficult because you won't be able to update.

kateshii wrote: »

Should we be running a newer OS, yes of course. Should PWE exclude users of an older operating system when no new fundamental changes were made? No. Either way there is a way around the issue, thus eliminating the "upgrade your OS" response as it is not the only way to make your game work.

Once again, until the next patch. Also, as for your statements about excluding older OSes. I actually do think that they should. I stopped supporting XP when it was 10-years old. Now it's 13-years old. Officially Microsoft doesn't even support it anymore. It's thanks to people still running these old OSes that developers, like myself, are forced to have to hold back from better and newer features sometimes.

SylenThunder - Twilight Temple

NRGLG - Heavens Tear wrote: »

You can bypass Arc for now until the next update. Then you're going to find it quite difficult because you won't be able to update.



Once again, until the next patch. Also, as for your statements about excluding older OSes. I actually do think that they should. I stopped supporting XP when it was 10-years old. Now it's 13-years old. Officially Microsoft doesn't even support it anymore. It's thanks to people still running these old OSes that developers, like myself, are forced to have to hold back from better and newer features sometimes.

Sure you'll be able to update.

You just need to make another shortcut for Patcher.exe that has the arc:1 argument. I should update my sticky accordingly.

For those of you still running XP, sorry, but it was time to upgrade several years ago. Not even Microsoft supports it now.

boustanforum

Hello Fellow Gamers.

When I tried to open ARC tonight to get my daily fix of Neverwinter I was horrified
To notice that when I tried to launch ARC I got greeted by the dreadful:

"The procedure entry point InterlockedCompareExchange64 could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll"

Being a professional software engineer I Immediately recognized that this call is not supported by windows XP's version of KERNEL32.DLL, (InterlockedCompareExchange64 is a function used to synchronize access to a 64 bit variable of the LONG LONG type shared by multiple threads, and was first implemented in Windows Vista)... Basically this means that ARC, by purpose or by mistake, has been made incompatible with windows versions below Vista (Videogames are huge projects, and the data manager in charge of daily compilations usually writes a few batch files to compile the project for different platforms and with various parameters, and can easily have selected the wrong one. A million little mistakes could explain this, or mabe they decided to discontinue support for XP, but I don't think that would be a logical choice so I believe they'll fix this issue very soon, as it is very simple to fix...

HOWEVER!

Don't forget that ARC is simply a launcher. Your game is installed on your PC like any other program. On mine it's under : \Neverwinter_en However I did specify a custom installation path. Just do a search for "Neverwinter" on the drive where you installed it (The _en specifies that it is the english version, if you installed Neverwinter in another language the folder name will probably reflect that language), probably C:\ And inside that folder you should find Neverwinter.exe . Double click it and Tadaaaaa! The game launches
Of course if you play some other ARC game it will be in a different folder and the executable name will be different. However if you can find the .exe on your hard disk you'll be able to play your Game

If you have questions you can send me mail @Boustanforum in Neverwinter.

I Hope this was helpful to you guys, have a nice evening of gaming!

NRGLG - Heavens Tear

SylenThunder - Sanctuary wrote: »

Sure you'll be able to update.

You just need to make another shortcut for Patcher.exe that has the arc:1 argument. I should update my sticky accordingly.

Damn it Sylen. You weren't supposed to tell them.

@boustanforum I'm a software engineer as well. May I ask why you choose to run on outdated software and (I assume) hardware? I abandoned Windows XP while 7 was in beta.

mikaelas86

from this day I was unable to log on game pw. My operating system is Windows XP, please see contemplate this systemb:cry

boustanforum

SylenThunder - Sanctuary wrote: »

Sure you'll be able to update.

You just need to make another shortcut for Patcher.exe that has the arc:1 argument. I should update my sticky accordingly.

For those of you still running XP, sorry, but it was time to upgrade several years ago. Not even Microsoft supports it now.

First, yes you'll be able to update ARC, Through Patcher.exe.

However, If all ARC games follow Neverwinter's model, you can skip ARC altogether and launch your game directly with it's executable. That executable (With the game's name: "Neverwinter.exe" in my case) is actually the executable of another launcher: your game's launcher and it will first take care of automatically updating your game before launching it if required. ARC is not required at all. you don't need to update it or execute it at all... Your game's executable is what you need to find. Make a search for your game's name and you'll find it quickly on your hard disk.

NRGLG - Heavens Tear

Regardless of all these hoops to get around Arc. All of this ignores cases where people are trying to install the game for the first time. My thoughts: You should all really do yourself a favor and upgrade when possible. The future is not going to wait for you. Best you start heading there.

@boustanforum All games do not follow Neverwinter's model. PW was compiled with actual arguments for stopping/starting Arc. By default, when running elementclient.exe (PW's client) without any arguments, it will start Arc up instead.

casseurdenoobs

was about to paypal, but since the arc **** cant be fixed, im going to spend my money on something less raging, so bye bye if the problem isnt fixed. No regret, but cant stand to be put aside coz i run XP

NRGLG - Heavens Tear

If you have money to shove at the game there is no excuse for you to continue to use Windows XP. This is not me defending PWE, Arc, or anything else. Windows XP is both old and no longer supported by Microsoft. Now, with that in mind, why should any other company continue to support XP when the original makers of it don't even support it? There is no good answer other than people fighting to move forward. Do yourself and favor and stop fighting the future, it's a losing battle.

casseurdenoobs

yeah right, always supporting the "economy" it's been more than one year since windows stop supporting xp but now after so much time, arc and fw was running perfectly. If they want to put aside xp users, that's such a good idea of course. The game isnt dead enough already, the only few ppl who will still play will quit beeing alone in a Forgotten World. You are right, time to move on, but not for a new OS or a new computer, but to another game

NRGLG - Heavens Tear

I don't know what you were rambling about at the top. But economically speaking, Windows XP users are a minority. Supporting Windows Vista and above users has a far greater market economic share. http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=10&qpcustomd=0

As for not supporting XP, I don't see why they should continue. They probably will recompile it to work for XP, because I assume it was a mistake. Personally though, I don't think they should. People like you are holding us back. So I support change to stop people holding back progress. Whine and complain all you want, but sooner than later you'll find that more-and-more things won't work for XP.

casseurdenoobs

well if the xp problem is a minority, i dunno why we can read so much about the problem. If the problem isnt fix, they will lose users for the game but it's ok, time changes I guess, and really a new game will definitivelly fix the problem, but who cares anyway, they made their money already after all those years...they wont care you think?

opkossy

A new game will fix the problem of you insisting on outdated software?

Quick question for you, how many new games currently work on and support win2k? How about ME? 98? 95? Oh right... none of them do because they all moved forward and as new OS became developed, support for old ones dropped off.

I'm sure they'll eventually fix this (maybe). However, acting like other companies need to support something that's been abandoned by the company that created it when said item is in a vast minority is a bit silly and makes no sense. You're doing the equivalent of throwing a tantrum because the garage down the road doesn't have parts to work on your Model T even though Ford abandoned that ages ago. In a few years (at most), Windows XP will have the same amount of support that earlier versions of windows currently have: None. You're eventually going to have to move forward eventually because technology isn't going to sit back and wait for you.

casseurdenoobs

yep I will go in foetal position crying, meanwhile Forgotten World will lose more and more players everyday, and soon you too will quit beeing all alone stucked with 2 pages in auction house. I will cry indeed, but of laughing.

NRGLG - Heavens Tear

@casseurdenoobs Why do you keep writing sentences in reversed structure? Are you not a native English speaker? It's hard to read. I find I have a hard time communicating properly with non-native English speakers.

casseurdenoobs wrote: »

well if the xp problem is a minority, i dunno why we can read so much about the problem.

Because you're the only people having problems. The other people are using Windows Vista or above, so of course they aren't complaining. If this thread had like 100+ people complaining, then there would be a real problem. However, I've only seen like 5, maybe 6, people that are complaining. That is definitely a minority.

casseurdenoobs wrote: »

If the problem isnt fix, they will lose users for the game

Oh no, 5 or 6 people. What a loss. *obvious sarcasm*

casseurdenoobs wrote: »

but it's ok, time changes I guess, and really a new game will definitivelly fix the problem, but who cares anyway, they made their money already after all those years...they wont care you think?

What, are you trying to be philosophical? PWE is a business. You seem like you didn't quite understand that.

Update:

casseurdenoobs wrote: »

yep I will go in foetal position crying, meanwhile Forgotten World will lose more and more players everyday, and soon you too will quit beeing all alone stucked with 2 pages in auction house. I will cry indeed, but of laughing.

Uh, what? Okay, I really don't think English is your native language. You seem to be attempting to be sarcastic, except that it doesn't really work in your situation. Best to quit writing now since your English is subpar, making it difficult for us to understand you.

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I saw some posts disappear. To respond to bloodedone87, I am one of those free players. I was specifically responding to their threat/ultimatum comment about them not spending money on the game because of this.

casseurdenoobs

Progress is so good indeed. Time to "evoluate" elsewhereb:bye

bloodedone87

NRGLG - Heavens Tear wrote: »

I don't know what you were rambling about at the top. But economically speaking, Windows XP users are a minority. Supporting Windows Vista and above users has a far greater market economic share. http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=10&qpcustomd=0

As for not supporting XP, I don't see why they should continue. They probably will recompile it to work for XP, because I assume it was a mistake. Personally though, I don't think they should. People like you are holding us back. So I support change to stop people holding back progress. Whine and complain all you want, but sooner than later you'll find that more-and-more things won't work for XP.

You are right people should let Windows XP in the past and move to a new one.
But not all of them are not moving because they like to hold you back and they got nothing better to do.
Believe it or not there are poor people in this world that cannot afford to get a newer version. And probably the computers they running XP on are 10-15 years computers buyed second hand.

Personally I had a laptop with Windows 7 then somehow( dont ask me how) i break it.
I wanted to get it fixed but a friend of mine got a laptop for sell and a buyed from him.
Turn out it had windows xp and I didnt batter to change it cause for what I am using the laptop( watching movies, videos on youtube , playing PW and reading articles on internet) didnt need too . If one day I will need to do that I will but for now nah.

NRGLG - Heavens Tear

casseurdenoobs wrote: »

Progress is so good indeed. Time to "evoluate" elsewhereb:bye

WTF does that even mean? Damn your lack of English. Anyways, I'm going to assume it means, bye. If so, bye.

bloodedone87 wrote: »

Believe it or not there are poor people in this world that cannot afford to get a newer version. And probably the computers they running XP on are 10-15 years computers buyed second hand.

Don't be sarcastic with me. I was poor for a very long time. I don't want to hear your poor people speech, because I was actually there. I was specifically talking about people like them with money who have no excuse for not upgrading. I am not badgering the poor. There is a way to get around that, as given by SylenThunder. I just hate when I see a complaint on the basis of not spending money because they won't support outdated OSes. That is ridiculous.

Edit: If I wasn't clear. The reason why I said these kinds of people hold us back is because they actually do have money to spend. Due to this, it causes software engineers, like myself , to have to write code specifically pandered to them (although not anymore) because they use an outdated OS. People who are not spending money on software are not a concern nor factor in my statement.

DEMHEALSMAN - Dreamweaver

NRGLG - Heavens Tear wrote: »

Edit: If I wasn't clear. The reason why I said these kinds of people hold us back is because they actually do have money to spend. Due to this, it causes software engineers, like myself (although not anymore), to have to write code specifically pandered to them because they use an outdated OS. People who are not spending money on software are not a concern nor factor in my statement.

You would love the dutch goverment then b:laugh

Hisiala - Morai

@ NRGLG - Heavens Tear

Ok, I can understand the need to upgrade your operating system, but are you going to pay for my new computer then? Seriously, you should show a bit more understanding towards those who have xp because, JUST MAYBE they got no money to get new stuff. Which, btw, I'm one of them! So yeah, I'm sorry I'm poor.

That said, PWI should HAVE at least warned a few days ago about this change (at least if it was voluntary, knowing PWI, this might be one of those times when they just screwed up....)

BTW, why the heck exclude xp from arc if pwi STILL support xp? Makes no sense...

NRGLG - Heavens Tear

DEMHEALSMAN - Dreamweaver wrote: »

You would love the dutch goverment then b:laugh

Or the American IRS. They are using technology from the 60s and 70s. This is no joke.

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@Hisiala Go read my post before this one. I attempted to clarify my statements.

DEMHEALSMAN - Dreamweaver

NRGLG - Heavens Tear wrote: »

Or the American IRS. They are using technology from the 60s and 70s. This is no joke.

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@Hisiala Go read my post before this one. I attempted to clarify my statements.

They keep spending millions here to keep support for windows xp, because for some reason they can't afford to / don't have the knowledge on how to upgrade.
b:laugh

Anyway enough derailing before a big bad mod comes in with a whip

NRGLG - Heavens Tear

DEMHEALSMAN - Dreamweaver wrote: »

They keep spending millions here to keep support for windows xp, because for some reason they can't afford to / don't have the knowledge on how to upgrade.
b:laugh

Those are the kinds of things I don't understand. Does the country not have any competent IT people? Then again...a number of government workplaces in America still use XP as well. Although, I did hear from a sibling with a government job that they upgraded to Windows 7 last year, where they work. They got some sort of discount for it.

DEMHEALSMAN - Dreamweaver wrote: »

Anyway enough derailing before a big bad mod comes in with a whip

But, but, I like to be wh--