[Crash] Failure to launch with zero issues in install

[IttyBittyGamerGoblin]

Optimum version

0.3.13

Vintage Story version

1.22.7 (Stable)

Platform

Windows (64-bit Windows 10.0.26200.0, 63063 MB RAM)

What was happening

First launch after installing, following the install instructions. The client crashed immediately with a critical error before any mods loaded.

Reproduction steps

Not detailed beyond a normal launch after following the install instructions.

Crash report or stack trace

8/21/2026 11:24:33 PM: Critical error occurred
Loaded Mods:
System.BadImageFormatException: An attempt was made to load a program with an incorrect format. (0x8007000B)
   at Cairo.NativeMethods.cairo_version_string()
   at Cairo.NativeMethods.cairo_version_string()
   at Cairo.CairoAPI.get_VersionString() in C:\Users\office-desktop2\Documents\game\Cairo\wrapper\Cairo.cs:line 58
   at Vintagestory.Client.NoObf.ClientPlatformWindows.LogFrameworkVersions() in C:\Users\office-desktop2\Documents\game\VintagestoryLib\Client\ClientPlatform\GameWindow.cs:line 162
   at Vintagestory.Client.NoObf.ClientPlatformWindows.LogAndTestHardwareInfosStage2() in C:\Users\office-desktop2\Documents\game\VintagestoryLib\Client\ClientPlatform\GameWindow.cs:line 174
   at Vintagestory.Client.ClientProgram.Start(ClientProgramArgs args, String[] rawArgs)
   at Vintagestory.Client.ClientProgram.<>c__DisplayClass10_0.<.ctor>b__1() in C:\Users\office-desktop2\Documents\game\VintagestoryLib\Client\ClientProgram.cs:line 131
   at Vintagestory.ClientNative.CrashReporter.Start(ThreadStart start) in C:\Users\office-desktop2\Documents\game\VintagestoryLib\Client\ClientPlatform\ClientNative\CrashReporter.cs:line 95

Optimum launcher log

Not provided.

Vintage Story client log

Not provided beyond the crash report above.

Shader compatibility report

Not applicable; the crash happens during startup hardware/framework logging, before rendering or shader initialization.

Mods loaded

None (Loaded Mods: is empty in the report).

Checks

• I confirmed this does not happen on a stock vanilla Vintage Story client. Not stated.
• I am running the latest Optimum release. (v0.3.13, current at the time of this report.)

[Zaldaryon]

Could not reproduce this on a real Windows 11 machine (10.0.26200, Intel i5-9400F) with a clean install from the current dev build (v0.3.13, Vintage Story 1.22.7), installed through the real install-windows.ps1 installer against a genuine Vintage Story client. The client log shows Cairo Graphics Version: 1.17.3, meaning Cairo.NativeMethods.cairo_version_string(), the exact call in this crash's stack trace, ran without throwing. The client went on to run a full session: joined the official multiplayer server and loaded a singleplayer save, with zero errors.

Checked the shipped binaries for an architecture mismatch, since BadImageFormatException on a native P/Invoke call is almost always that: Lib/libcairo-2.dll is genuine x86-64 (PE32+), matching Optimum.exe (x86-64). Lib/cairo-sharp.dll is a normal AnyCPU managed assembly; its PE header reporting i386 is expected for that and not a mismatch. The prebuilt package ships the correct native library for the process that loads it.

The original stack trace has C:\Users\office-desktop2\Documents\game\Cairo\wrapper\Cairo.cs, a source path, not the prebuilt installer's layout. That suggests this report came from a from-source build in a custom directory rather than the packaged installer this issue is filed against, which points toward an environment-specific cause: a conflicting 32-bit cairo/libcairo DLL earlier in that machine's library search path, or a mismatched local build, rather than a defect in the shipped package.

Closing as not reproducible against the current release with the evidence available. Reopen with the reporter's Optimum version, whether they used the prebuilt installer or a from-source build, and (if from source) their build environment, if this comes up again.