Help - Sigil won't launch in Windows 7 (64Bit)

[Davvy]

Hi everyone, my name is David, and I'm an avid ebook reader. I use Windows 7 for home and work, and read my ebooks on a Nook Tablet, which I have recently replaced with a Nexus 7. To manage my library, I've used Calibre for several years now. I've also played with Sigil a few times to create a couple of ebooks of my own, and also to modify a couple of the ones I've acquired.

Recently I updated to Sigil 0.8.1, and that's when things went south. All of sudden, I can no longer launch the Sigil program. I have searched for a solution to the problem, and tried some of the solutions I've found online, but so far have not been successful in restoring a working version of the program. I have uninstalled the latest version, cleaned out everything including the sigil.ini file on my PC, reinstalled that version. I have also tried to install older versions, but nothing seems to work now, and I just can't launch any of them any longer.

I really loved worked with Sigil, and hope I can be able to get going with it again soon.

Thanks everyone for reading, and for any assistance you may give me.

David

[Doitsu]

Sometimes problems with ini files from older versions can cause problems. Try the following:

1. Press Windows+R to display the Run dialog box.
2. Enter %LOCALAPPDATA% and press Enter.
3. Locate the sigil-ebook folder and create a backup copy.
4. Uninstall all Sigil versions.
5. Delete the sigil-ebook folder.
6. Reinstall Sigil.

If you still can't run Sigil, try installing DiapDealer's unofficial version.

[BetterRed]

What do you mean by 'can't launch' - if you launch via a desktop shortcut perhaps it's broken.

What happens when you double click "C:\Program Files (x86)\Sigil\Sigil.exe" ?

If that works then trash the desktop shortcut and make another one

BR

[theducks]

Can't Launch
and
Immediately closes
are 2 different things

Doitsu's cure usually fixes the second one
BR's test is the way to help isolate the first on

Being Precise when reporting allows us to quickly assist in arriving at a solution.

BTW I have no issues running Sigil on W7 HP or Pro

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by theducks

Can't Launch
and
Immediately closes
are 2 different things

Doitsu's cure usually fixes the second one
BR's test is the way to help isolate the first on

Being Precise when reporting allows us to quickly assist in arriving at a solution.

BTW I have no issues running Sigil on W7 HP or Pro

@theducks - there's also the 'issue' of 64bit v 32bit - I see that both are available at Github. I run 32bit, I have a memory of you running 64 bit, can one have both installed ?

What are the advantages of using 64bit Sigil ?

BR

[theducks]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

@theducks - there's also the 'issue' of 64bit v 32bit - I see that both are available at Github. I run 32bit, I have a memory of you running 64 bit, can one have both installed ?

What are the advantages of using 64bit Sigil ?

BR

I had to check , yes: 64bit 8.1

I would assume the standard 64bit, More usable RAM being primary.
All I know is Sigil 64 runs way faster than on my weezer P4 (32bit).

[Davvy]

OK, first to answer BetterRed: When I double-click on desktop shortcut, the progress circle appears for a second or two, then goes away, but the Sigil application never comes up - doesn't start. The same happens when I try double-clicking on the executable file itself, (C:\Program Files (x86)\Sigil\Sigil.exe).

Following Doitsu's instructions, I looked for a sigil-ebook folder but did not find one - originally when I first had the problem, I'd uninstalled Sigil 0,8,1, I'd found a sigil-ebook and deleted it, but ever since re-installing Sigil several times and not being able to start the program, I imagine a new folder did not get created again. Anyway I made sure I had all versions of Sigil uninstalled again, then downloaded DiapDealer's versions of the program - 0.8.0 and 0.8.1 both, from the link you gave. I installed 0.8.1 first. This time during the installation, a dialog box came up saying it was "repairing MS Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable ...." Once the installation was done, I tried launching Sigil from the desktop, again no success. Same problem with trying to launch from the executable itself. Rinse, repeat (uninstall, clean out everything that may be Sigil, reinstall, this time using 0.8.0). No "repair" notification this time, but I believe the redistributable got installed again. End result is the same, I still cannot launch the program.

Could it be that the MS Visual C++ is at fault? When I look in my Control Panel list of installed Programs window, I see several versions of this program, all the way from 2005 to the latest: Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable (x86) -- 12.0.21005 , which got installed with the very last installation of Sigil.

Since this problem occurred, I have also run complete scans of my system, with MS Security Essentials, MalwareBytes Anti-Malware, Eset Online Scan, and cleaned it out with CCleaner as well. Still no change to the fact that Sigil will not launch.

Anything else I can do to help identify the cause of the problem, please do advise.

Thanks everyone for your kind help!

[Davvy]

Woot! I got the problem fixed. This is how I did it:

1. I uninstalled all traces of my latest Sigil installation.
2. I went and downloaded both the x86 and the x64 versions of MS Visual C++ 2013 Redistributables (at http://www.microsoft.com/en-in/downl....aspx?id=40784).
3. I installed both versions of these libraries (one, the x86 version, told me that I could do a repair or an uninstall - I picked repair). The other was a straight install - I guess I didn't have the x64 version at all, and I'd learned after some Googling that for a 64Bit Win 7 system, I should install both sets of libraries.
4. I went to GitHub (https://github.com/user-none/Sigil/releases) and downloaded the 64Bit version of Sigil 0.8.1.
5. I did a new install of this program. There was no indication that any MS Visual C++ Redistributable needed to be installed again. *I did note that this time Sigil was installed into C:\Program Files\Sigil, not C:\Program Files (x86)\Sigil*.
6. I double-clicked the new desktop shortcut to Sigil - Tada! The program launched flawlessly, and I was able to open a test epub file without any further problem. :-)

Ah, the relief. So now I know what the problem was: the first Sigil 0.8.1 download I obtained (I don't remember where from) must have either been corrupted, or the wrong one for my system. Once installed, it probably also installed a corrupted MS VC Redistributable, and then from that point on, even when I tried to re-install several older Sigil versions, they'd all fail to launch.

Happy happy happy. Thanks again everyone for having helped troubleshooting this issue. Maybe the solution will be of use to someone else who might later run into the same problem.

Cheers and good computing to everyone. :-)

[BetterRed]

@Davvy - You don't mention running a system file check (sfc) scan, it would/should have detected a dodgy VS C++ library

See ==>> Use the System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted system files

for posting the solution

BR

[Davvy]

Thanks again, BetterRed, for suggesting the system file check. I'll do that next, just to be on the safe side.

David

[Davvy]

Scan done:

"Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations."

I'll do a few more malware scans, again to be absolutely sure my system is clean.

[BetterRed]

@Davvy - the SFC wouldn't have found anything relating to the C++ libraries now - 'cos you already fixed 'em

Add it in to your troubleshooting check list for next time

BR

[Macburp]

I am having exactly the same problem with Sigil as @Davvy. The only difference is that I use the 32bit version of Windows 7 with SP1.

Followed the procedure to the letter. The only thing I didn't do was install the 64bit version of the C++ library, as I have a 32bit system.

I noted that when installing Sigil the install still tried to install the C++ library, even though I have it. Then - Sigil would not load.

Help! Why is this so hard?

TIA

[KevinH]

Hi,
For most people its not hard. It simply just works. Have you run the SystemFileChecker linked here by BetterRed? If so what did it report? Are you actually running as Admin when you try to do the install? Perhaps you do not have sufficient permissions and the install is incomplete? Perhaps you have registry issues?

KevinH

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Macburp

I noted that when installing Sigil the install still tried to install the C++ library, even though I have it. Then - Sigil would not load.

@Macburp - Sigil 0.8.2 32bit working OK here.

Was the install of the C++ library successful ?

What version of the library shows in cp->programs and features - here's mine.



A few weeks ago I installed an SSD and completely rebuilt my system, I installed and I've since upgraded Sigil from here ==>> Release Sigil 0.8.2 Release

BR