This morning (Thursday, June 18, 2009) I purchased Call of Cthulhu and, after the download was complete, I could not get it to work. When I click on the desktop shortcut the configuration screen comes up but the game itself does not launch when I click on "Launch Game". The same thing happens when I click on the game in Steam.I have tried the following to get the game to work:1. Set the game up to run as administrator.2. Set the compatibility to Windows XP (Service Pack 2).3. Set the compatibility to Widows 2000.4. Shut down Steam and restart it (as another topic on this site suggested).None of the above attempts worked. I thought that it is the fact that I use Windows Vista that makes it act this way but I read from people on this site, and other sites, that it works for them. I have no idea what to do anymore. (I feel like I've done everything.) I just want to play what I've paid for!If any of you can tell me a way to make it work I would deeply appreciate it.Thank you.

Many people have experienced similar problems with the game. First of all, quite a lot of graphics-cards arent supported by the game - you should check if yours is among them. Secondly I would download the fan-made patch by the user svckled - you can find it here if you search for it. It has helped quite a few people in the past.

You're welcome!I dont know if this particular topic applies to you, but many people have complained about the cocmainwin32-problem in the past, so you can find several threads about the issue. The search function appears to be down, so you might have to do it manuallyAnyways, take a look at it: http://callofcthulhu.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3716

Try this, it should fix the game for any version of Windows...Here's what to do:FIRSTLY: Note that this is going to require you to change your system registry. This is not dangerous if you know what you are doing. It is, however, EXTREMELY dangerous if you do not know what you are doing. BE VERY CAREFUL.Make sure you are logged in as an administrator.If at any time UAC pops up, press ok.Open RegEdit (Start->Run then type regedit and hit ok)(or C:\Windows\regedit.exe).Navigate to:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Bethesda Softworks\Call Of Cthulhu DCoTE\SettingsIn here, you will see several keys. One of them might be:ExecutableIf you see it, it will probably not have a value. You might also not see it at all. THIS IS THE PROBLEM!IF YOU HAVE THE KEY, BUT NO VALUE, skip the key creation step below.IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE KEY AT ALL:Make sure you have the Settings folder selected in the left column, and go to Edit->New->String Value.Name it ExecutableNow, double-click on the key you just created, and a window should pop up to allow you to enter a value.Enter CoCMainWin32.exeClick ok.

Good news! It seems that Steam has finally fixed the problems themselves! I deleted the game and, after TheSpydyr's reply, I decided to download it again to see if his or her advice would work. But, after the download, not only does the game now actually have an icon (instead of a bland sheet of paper) it actually works too!Thank you everyone for your replies and good luck to you in your future endeavors!