Hmm, I came across this (if you read it carefully several times, even those far from understanding how a computer works should become clear). This may not be a solution to the specific problem discussed, but the information is worth attention
Clever Megamozg writes on the forum:
From a technical point of view, the mechanism works like this. The user is trying to somehow launch an executable file. But the system does not immediately give it control, but first tries to check its compatibility based on various criteria (such as name, checksum, etc.). If the system thinks that the file is on the list of incompatible or outdated ones, then it can either warn the user about that you need to use compatibility modes, or block this task altogether (the installer of an old version of Windows, for example).
In Vista/Seven, a list of legacy games has also been added to this list. Checking for them is carried out only by the name of the executable file. If the name of the game's executable file matches one of this list, then _BEFORE_ launching this executable file, the OS launches this same rundll32 so that it adds the game to the game explorer. Until it works, this executable file will not launch. The data to be added is taken from the GameUXLegacyGDFs.dll file.
Further, at some point the Game Explorer database becomes corrupted. It deteriorates spontaneously as a result of the work of Game Explorer itself (more precisely, the code that was added to it in the seven). Not for everyone and quite rarely. Of course, the user himself is to blame - he turned off the computer while GameExplorer was doing very important optimization in the background for the speed of its data, or closed the GayExplorer window early after launching the game, without meditating for the required 10 minutes. By DB I mean here the totality of information from GameUXLegacyGDFs.dll, the registry and the file structure (which is scattered across a bunch of folders). After this, the GameUx.dll code cannot correctly iterate through all the entries from GameUXLegacyGDFs.dll (and cannot detect metadata corruption) and as a result goes into a loop.
Once in a loop, it begins to eat up CPU resources. Because Fortunately, it is not multi-threaded, so it will not occupy the entire processor, but only one core. For single-core ones it can be 70 percent (the rest will be eaten up by other tasks), for dual-core ones - 50%, for my 3-core one - 33%, etc.
Diagnostics:
1. The game can start and work, but at the same time it slows down and does not produce the expected FPS. The most obvious manifestation is a twitching sound. Even if it seems to you that everything is fine, press three buttons and see if rundll32 is hanging in your processes. Owners of multi-core processors may not notice the problem at all, but such processors are now the majority.
2. The game starts on the second try. This, by the way, is also one of the solutions to the problem. Just run it again and forget about the background process.
3. A similar situation may not occur with all games, but only with those that the OS recognizes as games (the presence of data for Game Explorer) or the name of the executable file is in the list of Legacy games. Or even with one single game.
Solutions:
1. Method from support! In Game Explorer, disable the collection of information about the game. The method, naturally, does not work, but I mention it because everyone who encounters a problem will first be checked for viruses, then sent to the Microsoft knowledge base, where this recommendation is written.
2. Disable everything else in Game Explorer and clear the collected information. It doesn't help anyone either.
3. Rename the game executable file. Disadvantages: each game needs to be renamed separately, some online games download the executable file again or it is created during startup, etc.
4. Disable GameExplorer by deleting the gameux.dll files or entries in the registry branch HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameUX. This is also not always a solution, because... Many people find it convenient to use Game Explorer; after all, it wasn’t made in vain.
5. Delete the database of old games GameUXLegacyGDFs.dll. Unlike before, new game entries will still work. But the old ones will turn off.
6. Wait until one of the developers makes a diff on old versions of gameux.dll and removes the erroneous code. It will be difficult and very long, because... The support, which is supposed to carry out the interaction between the user and the developer, at Microsoft suffers from bullshit, tells that everything should be the way it is or comes up with its own ways to “solve” the problem.
Application and operating system compatibility issues:
How can an application developer do this in this situation, when it doesn’t even get to the point of executing his code? Does he need to write a driver that will bypass OS mechanisms and patch Microsoft errors? If this does not happen in certain games, it simply means that the executable file name has not yet been included in the Legacy list or the Game Explorer database on the machine is not yet corrupted.
Just the other day I received a message from an acquaintance who asked me to call as soon as I was free. I'm calling back. It turns out that he had a problem with the game Stalker: after installation, it began to show the xr_3da error, namely “The XR_3DA.exe program is not working.” Of course, I was asked to solve this problem. And this is what came out of it...
I had to explore the vast expanses of the RuNet for quite a long time, but in vain - it seems impossible to correct the error 100%. I found out that this error most often occurs when installing additional mods for the game Stalker.
- The main reason for the appearance, in my opinion, is the pirated version of the game, which is not compatible with additional mods. In other words, normal installation of the mod occurs only on a licensed game. This, by the way, is partly confirmed by reviews on the forums.
- Another option is to reinstall the game from scratch, but you can save your saves. When reinstalling, it is important to disable the antivirus, which may “eat” some of the files, without which startup is impossible, as a result of which the error occurs.
- Perhaps it has something to do with the fashion itself. Try installing another mod after reinstalling the game. If the game still starts, it is most likely due to incompatibility between the game and the mod.
- The following advice was found: the author recommends lowering the graphics power, for example, setting not the highest quality, but at least average or below average. You can even set the minimum settings to check whether Stalker starts. Even if you have a powerful gaming PC, this may help since the problem is related to game optimization.
- Alternatively, you can try downloading XR_3DA.exe from the Internet and replace it with the original file, which is located in the folder with the game itself. But there is a problem here - where can I download this very file, and even without viruses and Trojans inside? Even in those places that seemed to be trustworthy, it was written that installing a file to replace the original one does not guarantee the game will run. You can ask for the same file from one of the people who have already successfully launched the game with the mod. But, judging by the reviews, even in this case the game is unlikely to run on another computer.
- Several other possible, but dubious solutions were also found. Firstly, this is reinstalling Windows, which, however, even if it helps, is in exceptional cases. Secondly, deleting the game with a complete cleaning of the registry, which, again, does not always work, but it’s worth a try. To do this, use special removal programs such as Revo Uninstaller.
What helped in my case? Easy reinstallation of the Stalker game. By the way, it is licensed, and after reinstallation there are no problems with startup.
Problems with crashing from the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R began after the first day of release. Users have to deal with a large number of new errors. One of these problems is known to gamers "XR_3DA.exe has stopped working" or “The program “XR_3DA.exe” does not work.” Next we will give some tips that will clearly show what to do to fix this bug.
There can be many reasons for this failure. Sometimes players are suddenly denied access to the game for no reason. Others are faced with departures already in the process of surviving in a world contaminated by radiation. Although the most terrible thing is rightfully considered loss of saves when loading them the screen goes dark and appears error window XR_3DA.exe.
The paradoxical thing is that crashes from Stalker(Shadow of Chernobyl, Call of Pripyat, Clear Sky) are already considered the norm, the whole point lies in their quantity. The question is: how to reduce the number of crashes from the game? First, let's figure out why this happens. The game, as everyone knows, is very poorly optimized, even despite dozens of patches released. Problems arise at any opportunity: incorrect installation, poor quality assembly S.T.A.L.K.E.R software, spontaneously arising conflicts. We should better focus on how to eliminate them.
We fix the problem by reinstalling
During installation there is always a risk that something will go wrong. “Stalker” is no exception in this regard. Considering the bulk of players, they use different collections to initialize “Stalker” on their computer. Their quality is low. Not many people purchase a license. This is where various conflicts arise when patches are poorly configured.
- First, update your NVIDIA video card drivers through their official web resource. If you have a video card another manufacturer, then apply the driver update and additionally install the program physx.dll. Restart your PC.
- For notorious "pirates" it is recommended to try again reinstall the game. If possible, download it from another source. When downloading any software, read the user comments, this way you can avoid many problems in advance.
- The decision also becomes purchasing a license.
Check out our material on elimination in Stalker.
Open access to XR_3DA.exe
This method is very simple. It does not completely eliminate the problem of throwouts, but it reduces their number significantly. To do this, go to the game folder. Find the folder in it Bin. Stored here game shortcut xr_3da.exe. Right-click and try to log in from administrator name. This method helps many users.
Problem with antiviruses
Antiviruses always find reasons to designate any file as potential Trojan. S.T.A.L.K.E.R, due to its patches, which were not developed by the developers, is blacklisted by many antiviruses. Removing various types of elements renders the entire game unusable. There is no way to restore them.
- To solve the problem you can disable antivirus or make the game an exception.
- Be sure to reinstall the game again.
- As a last resort, try changing your antivirus to another one.
What to do if there is an error in XR_3DA.exe in a licensed game?
A licensed game, as a rule, always works quite well. However, there are cases where “xr_3da.exe application error” occurs.
- Remove the game from your computer. Try it update drivers on the operating system.
- Reinstall Stalker. Don't use any third party patches.
- Sometimes patches are very demanding on the system. Make sure the computer can handle them.
Here are some useful tips from Stalker fans.
Once again I would like to remind you - S.T.A.L.K.E.R is always prone to crashes from the game. This problem cannot be completely avoided, especially for pirated assemblies. I hope our tips will tell you what to do to fix the XR_3DA.exe error in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
In contact with
You know that when you start the game, the following picture appears on the screen for a few seconds:
In this article I will talk about how you can change it. Perhaps this will be useful to someone when creating global mods. To get started, download the program. It allows you to extract, replace and view resources contained in files such as EXE, DLL, OCX and others (which is what we need, because the picture we are going to replace is stored in the file XR_3DA.exe) So, the program is downloaded, installed and open. We have this window in front of us:
Choose File -> Open -> Your game folder\bin\XR_3DA.EXE We see this:
Expanding Bitmap -> 116 -> 1049 and we see our desired picture:
Now we choose Action -> Save... and save it under any name, for example logo.bmp. For now, you can minimize the program and temporarily forget about it. Open the saved drawing with any graphic editor and change it as you please (Attention! Save only in 24 bits, otherwise the game will display an incomprehensible error when starting). I got it like this:
We also save it under an arbitrary name, for example logo1.bmp (Resource Hacker only accepts BMP images, so always save them with this extension). Expand the program and select Action -> Replace picture. We see this window:
Select in this window Open a file with a picture and find your modified drawing. We select it and see that it appears in the lower left corner of the program window:
All we have to do is press the button Replace and observe the result:
There is no need to worry about the backup - the program will save the original file as XR_3DA_original.exe
In 2007, the cult game “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl” was released, remembered for its unique atmosphere, beautiful graphics, as well as numerous crashes due to the unstable operation of the X-RAY engine. Those who launched one of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R games had to see the error “XR_ 3DA.exe is not working” at least once in their lives. To fully understand the situation and further prevent it, you need to carefully understand the topic.
Initial Concepts
The reason for the failure can be many factors, because even when the game was announced in 2004, the developers stated that the game engine was very unstable and vulnerable to code errors, as well as foreign interference (mods, third-party patches, hacking). Many of the modmakers confirm this judgment, because every mod for "Stalker" or other interference in the internal environment of the game leads to the crash of the XR_ 3DA.exe program and subsequent problems with the game.
The picture shows how the game reacts to in-game errors and crashes as a result.
Most often, after a message appears that XR_ 3DA.exe does not work, a person begins to think that it is some kind of virus on the computer, and it needs to be rebooted. No, that's not true at all. Absolutely all games in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. line run on a game engine that is extremely demanding on the environment, namely the root folder. Any violation of its integrity in 95% of cases leads to a failure in Stalker XR_ 3DA.exe. Also, the cause of the failure may be low-quality anti-virus software installed on the computer.
Reinstallation as an option to fix the error
As a rule, most Stalker players use builds where the game is already patched to the latest version, and also does not require a boot disk for authorization or a special key confirming that the game was purchased and not hacked. Publishers of such assemblies, due to their inexperience, can do their work poorly, and sometimes this is done on purpose, therefore, if the pirated version does not work on your computer, then you need to do the following:
- Try reinstalling the drivers for your video card. Finding drivers is not difficult, because there are only 2 types of GPU suppliers: NVIDIA and RADEON. All you have to do is enter the name of your video card into a search engine, and the first link will immediately display the website of one of the manufacturers, where you can download the latest drivers along with DirectX.
- If it doesn’t matter to you which part or mod of Stalker you play, then you need to find another build of the game, but before that, be sure to uninstall the previous version of the game in order to prevent possible crashes in the future.
- If all options are not suitable, then purchasing a license can solve all problems. You can buy the game on the special Steam website, where you download the latest version of the game.
Impact of modifications on in-game process
In 90% of cases, XR_ 3DA.exe does not work for the reason that in the root folder of Stalker there are various modifications that are poorly written by programmers. They may simply conflict with each other. This is why the XR_ 3DA.exe error occurs. To get out of this situation, you need to go to the folder where Stalker is installed and delete the “gamedata” folder, and then start a new game. This method is very effective in case of errors with modifications, but at the same time the game becomes original and loses all the innovations of the modification. If you create mods yourself, then you should look at the files for compatibility or delete the files of the mod that was installed last.
Effect of antivirus on the game
The XR_ 3DA program may not work due to the fact that an antivirus is activated on your computer. This is explained by the fact that when hacked, the integrity of the license file is violated and all security certificates are reset, which is why the antivirus can recognize the game as malicious software. To prevent such incidents, the following actions must be taken:
- When installing, put the antivirus into sleep mode, in which it will not monitor the system for malicious files;
- use only the licensed version of the game, where there are practically no crashes;
- remove the antivirus that is installed on your computer if the methods above do not work.
Errors in the licensed version of the game
Also, the error “XR_ 3DA.exe does not work” can also occur in the licensed version of the game, due to the aforementioned engine, which can fail at any time. If you encounter problems with the licensed version of the game, you need to do the following:
- Update the game from the official source to the latest version.
- Go to the C:\Users\Public\Documents\STALKER-SHOC\logs directory and delete the files in the folder.
- If this does not help, then you need to start the game again if it crashes when loading a location.
- If all methods do not help, you must completely remove the game and install it again.
The game "S.T.A.L.K.E.R" has found its way into the hearts of many gamers throughout the CIS, as well as beyond, but in addition to them, unpredictable crashes awaiting inexperienced players are also remembered. If you follow all the rules stated above, you can play calmly and without fear, knowing that the “XR_ 3DA.exe is not working” error will not occur.