Every time I go to play the game I get an error stating "main branch has encountered a problem and needs to close". I have uninstalled and reinstalled close to 10 times. I have done a clean boot and then reinstalled. Every type of emulation software I have has been uninstalled. But still get the same error. I do not know what else to try. Help?

Would you please post as much of that error message as you can?

The entire message states "Main Branch - Built 7/19/2005 at 1:46 PM has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience." and then there is a picture of the eoa icon to the right of the message. Is that what you are asking for?

Figured it out. I had uninstalled my virtual drive software (Daemon and Alcohol) but had not uninstalled the virtual drives. I had to go to the device manager and uninstall the drive. Myst now starts just fine.

quote:

Originally posted by mckraken90:
Figured it out. I had uninstalled my virtual drive software (Daemon and Alcohol) but had not uninstalled the virtual drives. I had to go to the device manager and uninstall the drive. Myst now starts just fine.

Why have i to uninstall any legally byed software if Securom copy protetion didnt like it???

Maybe because you want to play the game...?

Take a look at the stickied topic Myst V: Clean Boot Install/Re-install With Win XP.

quote:

Originally posted by mckraken90:
Figured it out. I had uninstalled my virtual drive software (Daemon and Alcohol) but had not uninstalled the virtual drives. I had to go to the device manager and uninstall the drive. Myst now starts just fine.

I had daemon tools installed, but uninstalled it. Couldn't find any virtual drives in device manager. So I've still got the problem. Anyone have any more ideas?

Do you have the same "Main Branch" error as mckraken? If not, what's the exact error message you're getting?

quote:

Originally posted by Heimdall G:
Do you have the same "Main Branch" error as mckraken? If not, what's the exact error message you're getting?

Yes, exactly the same. I've sent of the Microsoft dump to them - I'll see if that bears fruit.

quote:

Originally posted by mckraken90:
Every time I go to play the game I get an error stating "main branch has encountered a problem and needs to close". I have uninstalled and reinstalled close to 10 times. I have done a clean boot and then reinstalled. Every type of emulation software I have has been uninstalled. But still get the same error. I do not know what else to try. Help?

i'm getting the exact same error as you, i believe... can you try running the myst detection tool and posting the results if anything fails the tests? my graphics card is a ati 9700 AIW, and for some reason it's coming back as inadequate... i'm trying to find a common cause for this error, so hopefully there is one!

it seems the "Main Branch" error comes back any time a system doesn't meet the required specs-- either due to a virtual drive proggy or drivers, etc. in this case it's an erroneous check, so maybe this is one step closer to squashing this bug (the next step being a friggn' patch).

quote:

Originally posted by harbinger1080:

quote:

Originally posted by mckraken90:
Every time I go to play the game I get an error stating "main branch has encountered a problem and needs to close". I have uninstalled and reinstalled close to 10 times. I have done a clean boot and then reinstalled. Every type of emulation software I have has been uninstalled. But still get the same error. I do not know what else to try. Help?

i'm getting the exact same error as you, i believe... can you try running the myst detection tool and posting the results if anything fails the tests? my graphics card is a ati 9700 AIW, and for some reason it's coming back as inadequate... i'm trying to find a common cause for this error, so hopefully there is one!

it seems the "Main Branch" error comes back any time a system doesn't meet the required specs-- either due to a virtual drive proggy or drivers, etc. in this case it's an erroneous check, so maybe this is one step closer to squashing this bug (the next step being a friggn' patch).

Well, I can't seem to even run the detection tool. It comes back with MSVCP71.dll missing. I've had a look at the web, but no dice.

Try uninstalling and reinstalling from scratch.
Disable your anti-virus software and delete vpd.properties from c:\windows before you reinstall.

quote:

Originally posted by darrylhartwig:
Well, I can't seem to even run the detection tool. It comes back with MSVCP71.dll missing. I've had a look at the web, but no dice.

Well... er... I'll put another tick mark down under "errors found in detection tool." And I thought I had it bad...

I had a moment of fleeting hope last evening. I was having a completely unrelated problem my my Palm Tungsten T5 and had to reinstall the desktop software. After I uninstalled it, I gave Myst a try (as i've been doing randomly throughout the week, on the off chance that a miracle will happen), and I got as far as the spinning CD icon before it gave the main branch error. For approximately .75 seconds before the error came up, I was elated, then crushed. After I reinstalled the Palm software, no spinning CD. Uninstalled the software again, spinning CD. And so on, about 15 times. Curious thing is, I have it set so that no part of the Palm software runs in the background--I have to manually open it for it to be there.

I still can't believe I've gone an entire week, have yet to play the game, and was excited at an outdated animated icon of a spinning CD... I just want to know: is Myst V so friggin great that it has to have almost as much copy protection as content programmed in to it? This game absolutely would have been returned last week if the dang store would have let me-- there is NO piece of software worth this ****; but since it was a gift (and therefore not MY money potentially wasted) and it can't be returned, I feel obligated to have this thing running. Some day... /rant


edit:
Just checked tech support for a response... they're now advising me to do a clean install, as is listed on these forums. What are the odds that I'll eventually be escalated to somebody who is allowed to offer real advice, as opposed to reading scripts by NEXT weekend?

The best way to install EoA in this situation is from a clean boot. See Myst V: Clean Boot Install/Re-install With Win XP, one of the stickied topics at the top of this Forum.

A missing MSVCP71.dll is a sign of a bad installation, BTW.

harbinger1080, buried in someone's thread is a bit more info about the "Main Branch" error. It's not a software problem.

Theirs was because Myst V was rejecting their Radeon 9700 as being incompatible with the game. There's a log somewhere.

harbinger,

If you haven't already tried the following:
-- a. Uninstall your Palm desktop software, and reboot.
-- b. Install EoA from a clean boot. See Myst V: Clean Boot Install/Re-install With Win XP for the various options.
-- c. Reboot and log into Windows with full Administrator privileges.
-- d. Use Windows Task Manager to close all processes and applications running in the background, except for Explorer.exe, Ctfmon.exe, and whatever your hardware needs:
----- 1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del once and then click on Task Manager.
----- 2. Select the Applications tab.
----- 3. Click on the desired application to highlight it.
----- 4. Click on the End Task button at the bottom of the tab.
----- 5. Repeat this procedure until all unnecessary applications and processes are closed. If you aren't sure which background processes or applications can be closed using Task Manager, check out the AnswersThatWork Task List Programs index. The most common tasks are described, and which ones are essential and which can be safely closed are noted.

Note: DO NOT leave your Internet connection active after doing this, especially if you have only a software firewall. An active connection with no firewall is an open invitation to hackers, who are most assuredly not your friends!

-- e. Before doing anything else, start EoA.

quote:

Originally posted by Heimdall G:
The best way to install EoA in this situation is from a clean boot. See Myst V: Clean Boot Install/Re-install With Win XP, one of the stickied topics at the top of this Forum.

A missing MSVCP71.dll is a sign of a bad installation, BTW.

My mistake - I actually tried to run it via explorer from the Detection directory. Running it via the Start menu worked fine. All green ticks - so that's not the problem. I tried the clean install and defragging, etc. No go.

Next, I'm going to swap DVD's between the two machines I've got - the program works on the other machine. It's got a DVD reader, and a burner on my main machine (where it's not working).

I had the same 'main branch error' after installing Myst V on Windows XP. This is what I did to solve it:

- go to your Myst V program folder
- right-click on the 'eoa.exe' application and choose properties
- go to the tab 'compatibility'
- choose 'run this program in compatibility mode' for 'windows 2000'

Maybe it works for you too!

quote:

Originally posted by Mr Zebe D:
harbinger1080, buried in someone's thread is a bit more info about the "Main Branch" error. It's not a software problem.

Theirs was because Myst V was rejecting their Radeon 9700 as being incompatible with the game. There's a log somewhere.

i think that might have been me... people stopped responding to the other thread, so i moved over here oh, and as far as that being the ultimate reason i *still* can't run the game... tech support suggested (for the second time in one conversation) to reinstall my drivers and do a clean Myst install... each are things i've done almost daily at this point. i tried the compatibility idea, and was so very excited... but no, it did not work. later this week, when i have more time, i think i'm going to do something that i shouldn't ever have to for any piece of software-- do a system format, install myst (and see if it works) and install each and every update and program i'm running until Myst doesn't load anymore. i've already unloaded a lot of the "unnecessary" programs (which i should never have had to do...) with no luck. but, i'm hopeful... and desperate to play this game.

See also Myst V crashes and Myst V: Main Branch & Stack Violation Error Fixes With Win XP for more on the Main Branch error.