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IDProjectCategoryView StatusLast Update
0003601Dwarf FortressTechnical -- Generalpublic2012-02-16 14:23
ReporterManaUser Assigned Touser6 
PrioritynormalSeveritycrashReproducibilityalways
Status resolvedResolutionwon't fix 
PlatformPCOSWindows XPOS VersionSP1
Product Version0.31.17 
Summary0003601: 0.31.17 breaks compatibility with Windows XP SP1
DescriptionWhen I try to start the game, I get this message:

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Dwarf Fortress.exe - Entry Point Not Found
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The procedure entry point DecodePointer could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll.
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OK
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I guess this means my creaky old OS isn't supported anymore, is that right?
Additional InformationApplies to both Legacy and SDL versions.
TagsNo tags attached.

Relationships

related to 0005193 resolveduser6 "Dwarf Fortress.exe is not a valid Win32 application." 

Activities

user6

2010-11-15 14:02

  ~0013892

I guess this means my creaky old OS isn't supported anymore, is that right?

XP is definitely supported. Have you tried upgrading to SP3 or at least SP2?

Quietust

2010-11-15 17:11

reporter   ~0013904

Were you able to run version 0.31.13 on XP SP1?

ManaUser

2010-11-19 15:01

reporter   ~0014028

Footkerchief, No. (I would have a long time ago if it were that simple.) I'm assuming that's the problem though.

Quietust, no, .12 is apparently the last version that works on my computer.

Quietust

2010-11-19 15:05

reporter   ~0014029

If 0.31.12 is the last version used on your system, then this is due to Toady switching to Visual C++ 2010. You'll have to upgrade to XP SP2 or later (and you really should do so).

ManaUser

2010-12-01 16:46

reporter   ~0014353

No, I shouldn't. It's pretty sad that Microsoft has run out of actual improvements to make and stoops to deliberately breaking things to badger people into "upgrading".

twilighdusk

2010-12-01 17:06

reporter   ~0014354

Last edited: 2010-12-01 19:07

Don't the service packs fix security loopholes though? The kinds of things hackers exploit to get control of your computer? That's not an improvement?

And it's not so much breaking things so much as feeling it's not worth the effort to make sure something's backwards compatible past a certain extent. After all, it's a very small portion of the userbase that's still using XP SP1, and keeping that small portion happy is not with the extra time and money involved in programing something to make sure it's compatible that far back.

In addition, it's not Microsoft calling the shots on this. It's the choice of the person/company programming a given application how far back to make it compatible. Microsoft doesn't go around breaking knees and forcing programmers to make things incompatible with older systems, the older systems are genuinely different enough that it's not worth the effort to make sure a program is compatible with them.

Logical2u

2010-12-01 21:49

manager   ~0014359

This is just a comment, but I don't really want to see a discussion here of all places regarding Microsoft. Would you both (twilighdusk, manauser) consider taking this discussion somewhere else? Thanks.

ManaUser, Quietust has provided a possible explanation for your concerns. Have you had any luck in updating Visual C++ (or generally your C++ libraries) and seeing if that resolves your problem?

Quietust

2010-12-02 06:25

reporter   ~0014361

Updating C++ libraries on the client system won't do anything at all, since the "problem" is entirely within the executable itself as produced on Toady's system.

Nivm

2010-12-07 17:45

reporter   ~0014445

The 0.31.12 version also works on Win 2000, which is kinda nice when I don't have access to anything newer. Since no one contradicted Quietust, I assume there's no way for me to get this old system to recognize DF 0.31.18 as a "valid application"?

user6

2012-02-16 14:19

  ~0019846

Yeah, you'll have to upgrade.

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
2010-11-13 21:58 ManaUser New Issue
2010-11-15 14:02 user6 Note Added: 0013892
2010-11-15 16:58 user6 Summary Game won't start. ("DecodePointer" error.) => 0.31.17 breaks compatibility with Windows XP SP1
2010-11-15 17:11 Quietust Note Added: 0013904
2010-11-19 15:01 ManaUser Note Added: 0014028
2010-11-19 15:05 Quietust Note Added: 0014029
2010-12-01 16:46 ManaUser Note Added: 0014353
2010-12-01 17:06 twilighdusk Note Added: 0014354
2010-12-01 19:03 twilighdusk Note Edited: 0014354
2010-12-01 19:06 twilighdusk Note Edited: 0014354
2010-12-01 19:07 twilighdusk Note Edited: 0014354
2010-12-01 21:49 Logical2u Note Added: 0014359
2010-12-02 06:25 Quietust Note Added: 0014361
2010-12-02 08:01 user6 Tag Attached: Intentional/Expected?
2010-12-07 17:45 Nivm Note Added: 0014445
2012-02-16 14:19 user6 Note Added: 0019846
2012-02-16 14:19 user6 Status new => resolved
2012-02-16 14:19 user6 Resolution open => won't fix
2012-02-16 14:19 user6 Assigned To => user6
2012-02-16 14:20 user6 Relationship added related to 0005193
2012-02-16 14:23 user6 Tag Detached: Intentional/Expected?