What causes SXSTrace error "StartTrace failed ... Unknown Error"? [closed]

Question

I'm here because of a sibe-by-side configuration error. When I try to launch a game, it pops a side-by-side configuration error. I try lots of stuff that didn't work, but then, I found this site:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/cesardelatorre/archive/2011/03/27/the-application-has-failed-to-start-because-its-side-by-side-configuration-is-incorrect-error-related-to-mmc-exe-programs-and-weird-cause-amp-simple-solution.aspx.

Following they'r instructions, I tried the command( In command prompt! ): sxstrace.exe trace -logfile:C:\MySxSTrace.log at first it returned that it couldn't recognize this kind of command. So I did this:

Right click computer -> advanced -> environment variables -> system variables -> and i edited the path to add C:\Windows\System32\

OR

http://helpdeskgeek.com/how-to/fix-not-recognized-as-an-internal-or-external-command/

So it resolved the problem that it could not recognize it as an internal or ext command.

But then, i tried the command again: sxstrace.exe trace -logfile:C:\MySxSTrace.log and it returns THIS: StartTrace failed. Error message is: Unknown Error. I searched and I found someone who sayd that you cant put something on the root folder, complete nonsense. Because I haven't found anything, I ask in this site as I think programmers should understand that kind of stuff. Oh yeah and I heard that the side-by-side configuration error has something to do with c++.

So yeah:

1-The application has failed to start because its side-by-side configuration is incorrect. Please see the application event log for more detail.

2- StartTrace failed. Error message is: Unknown Error.

Yukoyukon

run it as administrator (or run the cmd prompt as admin) and it'll work. – Haulm

Answer 1

You can use dependency walker to open your exe and find the missing dependency and SxS versioning.

Xerxes

the game? or the sxstrace.exe? – Yukoyukon

I used the dependency walker on The game, and I was there were dlls missing, I downloaded them and puted them on C:\windwos\system32\, the game still doesnt launch. – Yukoyukon

And I saw* there were dlls missing – Yukoyukon

depends.exe has not been updated to work with probe paths used by sxs dlls, that's why its not longer included in VS (which is a retarded decision by MS, only surpassed by introducing stupid sxs dlls in the first place) – Haulm