Solution for "Preparing to launch" issue

[JacobS]

If you are encountering any issues where the game simply fails to launch (the Preparing to launch Sid Meier's Pirates! dialog disappears and nothing happens), please try doing the following:

Copy MSVCP71.dll and MSVCR71.dll to the \Steam\steamapps\common\sid meier's pirates!\ folder; there are a number of games that use these, but if you are having trouble finding a copy, a reliable source should be Audiosurf or the Audiosurf Demo (the folder for this game is also found in the \steamapps\common\ folder). We have tested using these and there appear to be no problems.

We are aware of the problem and are working to correct it, but this should work for now.

Thanks for posting a solution, but unfortunately the game still doesn't work for me.

I have the DLL files in \Steam\steamapps\common\sid meier's pirates!\, and I've also checked that they're in the Windows\System32 folder.

Is there anything else I can try? (I'm using Windows Vista, by the way.)

[Boris_t_cat]

Check your versions

msvcr71 should be 7.10.3052.4

msvcp71 should be 7.10.3077.0

Currently I have both of the above in my windows/system32 folder

but in the steam/.... /pirates folder

I have
msvcr71.dll available but msvcp71.dll has been renamed for some reason(i've no idea why I did it, but pirates works....) to msvcp71.dllx

Well at least this issue is finally getting some attention from the gods at valve

Captain Boris "The cockroach" cat

Oops forgot I'm running on WinXP

Steam: you know these files are missing, and where to get them at, so id really like to know why they aren't just included in the download? I mean, its just annoying pain in the ♥♥♥ things like this that drive people to play console versions of games. Over a year for a simple fix to a known bug is ludicrous. :

Originally Posted by Ignitionfactor

Steam: you know these files are missing, and where to get them at, so id really like to know why they aren't just included in the download? I mean, its just annoying pain in the ♥♥♥ things like this that drive people to play console versions of games. Over a year for a simple fix to a known bug is ludicrous. :

I wanted to get this game but heard people are having issues with it.
Can someone please tell me if this game works now?

[Kiytan]

Thanks, This fix worked. But the fact it's still not fixed is pretty bad (especially considering its just been in the 2k games megasale, where i got it from)

EDIT: forgot to mention, I'm running Vista x64. a.k.a the most troublesome OS :P

I installed Windows 7 and went to install Pirates and now it doesnt work. I had no problems previously in Windows 7. Where can I find the .dll's if they are not on my computer anywhere?

[st3vie]

first post was in March this year and it's not fixed yet? I just had this problem in Windows7. I grabbed the files from Audiosurf, but still... this should have been fixed already!

[Landorin]

Originally Posted by JacobS

Copy MSVCP71.dll and MSVCR71.dll to the \Steam\steamapps\common\sid meier's pirates!\ folder; [...] if you are having trouble finding a copy, a reliable source should be Audiosurf or the Audiosurf Demo (the folder for this game is also found in the \steamapps\common\ folder). We have tested using these and there appear to be no problems.

It's fantastic you guys still support such an old title!

My Sid Meier's Pirates always worked fine with XP but with Windows 7 (32 bit) it never launched, then came by google across this thread.

Thanks a lot for this workaround, JacobS, this fixed it for me.

Well I have followed the suggested solutions to the numbers..
But it doesn't work. All I get is the game is about to start and then a shipswheel is turning, and nothing more.. only thing I can do is hit Ctrl Alt Del and shut the game down in Task manager because the game has stoped responding.

So what exactly are valve doing to solve these issues JacobS?
I want my money back!

[munkeezulu]

Originally Posted by Golai

Well I have followed the suggested solutions to the numbers..
But it doesn't work. All I get is the game is about to start and then a shipswheel is turning, and nothing more.. only thing I can do is hit Ctrl Alt Del and shut the game down in Task manager because the game has stoped responding.

So what exactly are valve doing to solve these issues JacobS?
I want my money back!

Same problem, ships wheel turns and turns. Bought the steam version as my commercial version wouldn't work, figured the good folks at Steam wouldn't sell a game that didn't run, seams I figured wrong.

[Discman]

Originally Posted by JacobS

We are aware of the problem and are working to correct it, but this should work for now.

Thanks for taking your time. Now I had to download Audiosurf again before I could play Pirates. Unnecessary hassle.

EDIT Workaround didn't work for me.

EDIT 2 Nevermind, it did. Copied the wrong files at first.

[SmilinGoat]

ok, i dont patch games myself, how do i do this? this is bull♥♥♥♥ 6 our of the 7 games ive bought on steam did not work as soon as i purchased them. bull♥♥♥♥.

[kyiori]

Windows 7 x64 Ultimate, just downloaded and ran the game. Didn't run into the issue noted in the OP. It took a while at first, but it launched after about a minute. No copying files from Audiosurf.

How do i copy MSVCP71.dll and MSVCR71.dll to the \Steam\steamapps\common\sid meier's pirates!\ folder?