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I let VLC upgrade from 2.06 (working fine) to 3.08 on a Win7-64 machine - and now when I try to start VLC all I get is a spinning blue busy disk for about 3 seconds, then nothing. Anti-Virus is OFF, I don't see any log files - and it won't start on CLI either.

Any advice??

EDIT: I've tried removing VLC, removing all folders / plugins from program files and appdata, tried installing 32 bit version (removed that) tried 64 bit version. No change. Whenever VLC tries to start it's just the busy spinner for a few secs, then nothing. I don't see any VLC-realted process left running in task manager - it's just like it tries to start then immediately exits. I can't get it to generate any diagnostic info from CLI either.

Reset the preferences and try again:
https://wiki.videolan.org/VSG:ResetPrefs

If it doesn't help, then tell us what is your hardware, all of your hardware.

Did all that. Hardware is AMD Ryzen 2700 on Asus Strix 470x ROG mobo (Newset BIOS July 2019, default speeds & clocks), 32 GB RAM, Radeon RX 580 (and newest drivers) Win7-64 with Aug 2019 update applied from M$.

What I'm looking for is any sort of way for VLC to leave a diagnostic log to tell me what's going on when it starts - but there ain't nothin' I can see.

Went back to 2.26 and that works, then removed it - reset all prefs etc....rebooted and re-install 3.08 and back to nothing.

Bump. Anyone? Is there any way to trace why VLC just exits at startup? Is it a CPU issue or ???

If this is a clue: On my win7-64 system, the last version of VLC that works (either 32 or 64 bit) is 2.2.8. Any version after that fails.

Also tried running on CLI:
vlc.exe -vv --logefile=c:\vlclog.txt

but no log file generated.

There is also never a VLC folder generated in %APPDATA% with 3.0.8...it never gets that far.

On 3.0.8 --> I DO notice that there IS an instance of VLC.exe left running on the system on every attempt to run it. I have to go to Task Manager and end the process manually.

Again - all I get when running 3.0.8 on the GUI is just the spinning blue busy disk for about 3 seconds. Running vlc.exe on the command line ---> it just pops back to the command prompt like nothing happened (BUT there IS an instance of VLC running in task manger ever time I try to start it). If you don't end the process in task manager, and try to start VLC three times - there will be 3 instances of vlc.exe running in task manager.

Any advice???

When I said all of your hardware, I did mean all of your hardware.
What are the graphics cards and their drivers version numbers ?
Any peripherals ? Do you have tablets, pads, external drives, etc ?

That's because there is NO extra hardware. As noted before it has latest drivers, graphics is Radeon 580x 8GB, driver 26.20.11015.5009 (5/22/2019). Doesn't matter what brand , tried AMD and Sappire, all with same result.

Plain Vanilla Logitech USB mouse and keyboard, but those are no issue on any other box with VLC.

It's literally just the mobo and graphics card at this point. Nothing else plugged in. AV is turned off. Fresh install of Win7-64 with all Aug 2019 updates from M$, and not a lot of other software installed. Firefox, Thunderbird and Libre Office (latest versions) is about it. IE / IIS is removed from Windows default install paks.

I just can't get VLC 3.0.8 to log anything at startup - but task manager shows an instance of it running. I even started VLC and let it run overnight - maybe it was just really slow to get going...Nope.

For the moment I went back to 2.2.8...that works fine. Whatever changed after 2.2.8 is really broken on this system. 3.0.8 works fine on other boxes on the premises.

Also tried running on CLI:
vlc.exe -vv --logefile=c:\vlclog.txt
but no log file generated.

Try this:
vlc --extraintf=logger --verbose=2 --logfile=C:\vlc.log --logmode=text --file-logging

Make sure you have full write access on C: , otherwise use another destination folder.

OK, tried that.

Good news and Bad news:

Good: Well that did create a "vlc.log" file on C:\. On the CLI the command just comes right back to the command prompt like nothing happened, but there is an instance running in task manager - as usual.

Bad: The log file is empty. Contains exactly zero bytes.

Have you found solution for this? I got same issue too. All VLC version 3.x doesn't work at all in windows 7, windows 10 is fine.

Please reset the preferences and try again:
https://wiki.videolan.org/VSG:ResetPrefs

^I have tried that, it doesn't work. Only VLC v2 works in windows 7.

Make a log file as I asked before:
https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.ph ... 62#p495162

Here is the log file.

The file can't be found. Looks like an access rights issue, check permissions.

I use the zip package from the https://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html, that plugins.dat file doesn't exist from the first place.

And I don't think that's the source of the problem. I copied the plugins.dat file from the VLC v2 folder into the VLC v3 plugins folder and it still didn't solve the issue. Also, the same zip package works in windows 10.

The file can not be created nor read because access to C:\progs\vlc-3.0.14\plugins is not granted.
This IS the source of the problem.

I have VLC 3 running on a Windows 7 machine and also running on several friends and relatives Windows 7 machines, so VLC runs on Windows 7 without any doubt.
Either give FULL read AND write access to your folder and subfolders or use the default path for installation.

I had tried with installer version, it didn't work too, and for the zip package version, I had tried running it with admin privilege too, same result.

I found out what caused the issue, looks like VLC v3 is using same library used by the Sonic Studio 3 software from Asus Rog Strix motherboard in my PC. The Sonic Studio 3 software (which is running in the background and is a part of the Asus Rog's sound driver) is locking the library so the VLC process will get hung trying to access the locked library when the VLC starts.

The Sonic Studio 3 software has SS3Svc32.exe SS3Svc64.exe process running in the background. So If I want to start VLC v3 32bit, I have to kill the SS3Svc32.exe process first, and likewise, I have to kill the SS3Svc64.exe process to start the VLC v3 64bit. I know about this details because I had the same problem with SteelSeries Engine 3 software installer v3.11.8+ which would freeze in the middle of installation process if Sonic Studio 3 process is running in the background. I reported the issue to the SteelSeries support and their explanation was like this:

"they're (the Sonic Studio software) using the exact same Nahimic APO library we are and having it running is locking some resource we need to be free"

I'm not sure if VLC v3 is also using Nahimic library, but I will try to report this issue to VLC developer.