Blank Launcher

[Raist]

I disabled all firewalls, even the one on my router. No effect. Besides, a firewall wouldn't explain why it only recently changed.

Software firewalls are known to block executables when they detect they've changed (as in after an update). IP's can get erroneously blocked by managed lists for various other security devices/apps as well (not just firewalls, but AV, anti-malware, peer-blocking software, etc.). AV software has at times suddenly trapped execuables it used to allow after an update because of false-positive detections. So, it could have very well been suddenly blocked out of the blue by your security environment, depending on all elements in play. If you've disabled all such security, that narrows the field a good bit, but there are other things that could also be at fault.

Bad DNS cache entry (clear it), bad DNS for that matter since the app polls the FQDN and not a hardcoded IP address--hence the earlier recommendation to whitelist frontier.ffxiv.com in security software. Might be worth it to try pinging that name to see if it resolves properly. It should direct you to 124.150.157.190, and should respond to pings as well. If either fails, then you have something interfering at the network level that needs to be researched.

Otherwise, it could be something at the OS or browser level that has gotten out of whack. Things like flash and such may need to be updated or re-installed. .Net or ASP support may not be installed properly. Windows Update has periodically installed hotfixes for issues with browser features that have broken the launcher at one time or another--or provided a hotfix that resolved it. May want to check the optional section if you haven't yet--think there was one in there for Win8 specifically for Flash support, as well as some .Net stuff as well.

Oh, and make sure both .Net 3.5 and 4.x is installed as well (Programs and Features, Turn Windows Features on/off section). Things from 3.5 and back are getting deprecated in 4.x, so you could suddenly find yourself loosing some stability/functionality there. If they aren't both active, tick the boxes and get their updates to see if it resolves it.

[Viridiana]

If you've disabled all such security, that narrows the field a good bit

I did.

Bad DNS cache entry (clear it)

Did that first or second thing. >_>

It should direct you to 124.150.157.190

It does.

Things like flash and such may need to be updated or re-installed.

Flash and .Net are both up-to-date. I'll be installing the optional updates before I go to work to see if they have any effect.

Oh, and make sure both .Net 3.5 and 4.x is installed as well

3.5 was a shaded box instead of a check. Changed it to a check with no effect.

[Raist]

Are you able to see the EULA hosted on the frontier server from this link? And does it also show graphic elements as well (background pic, a "Next" button that changes it's shading slightly when you hover over it with a mouse?

If it doesn't load properly in your default browser, does it work with an alternative one?

Let's run another one as well. What do you see when you click this link? Something else I forgot to ask earlier... how is your Java running? Can test it at the Oracle site here.

Oh.. and you said you flushed your DNS cache. Was that just ipconfig /flushdns, or did you also reboot your network devices as well (both modem and router if they are not combined). And have you tried an alternate DNS server as well? May seem like overkill, but there could be more than just one FQDN used by the launcher, and if there is corruption there it could be throwing something out of whack.

[Viridiana]

If it doesn't load properly in your default browser, does it work with an alternative one?

Nothing on any browser.

Let's run another one as well. What do you see when you click this link?

Still nothing

Something else I forgot to ask earlier... how is your Java running? Can test it at the Oracle site here.

Doesn't seem to be working. Which is odd, because I could have sworn some of my other programs required it. Gonna install now and see how that goes.

Oh.. and you said you flushed your DNS cache.

Been periodically power cycling both router and modem (Internet connectivity issues in general seemed to start around the same time). Switched to OpenDNS, too, with no effect.

[Squa11_Leonhart]

remove any proxy information from the router and IE/Browser settings.

in an elevated command prompt try regsvr32.exe -u jscript.dll and then regsvr32.exe jscript.dll to repair the windows jscripting.

[Viridiana]

remove any proxy information from the router and IE/Browser settings.

in an elevated command prompt try regsvr32.exe -u jscript.dll and then regsvr32.exe jscript.dll to repair the windows jscripting.

Error 0x80004005. Which, if I'm not mistaken, is the same error code?

[Raist]

are you running an elevated CMD prompt? Think that is a generic access error.

In the search box, type the letters "cmd". It should pop up the command prompt executable that you can right-click and run as Admin.

Hope it's something so simple as something broke your scripting capabilities. Or something as simple as your protocol stack (can reset with the netsh command from elevated cmd also).

Have you scanned your system for malware yet? It could simply be a hi-jacker causing issues.

[Viridiana]

In the search box, type the letters "cmd". It should pop up the command prompt executable that you can right-click and run as Admin.

Only one account on this comp, and it's an admin.

Just in case, though, I did this and still got the error.

As far as malware, you'd have to explain how it simultaneously affected my laptop that sits on the other side of the room unused. >_>

Off topic: I like your charname. Read way too much Dragonlance as a kid.

[Squa11_Leonhart]

Something is very wrong, you should get a Regsvr32 succeeded prompt for both commands.

[Viridiana]

Something is very wrong, you should get a Regsvr32 succeeded prompt for both commands.

Okay, wound up looking up the issue on Microsoft help (actually found it quickly for once). After doing a cd to the right directory I got this to work, except that the problem still occurs.