batman [HELP] Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY - "Failed to initialize NVIDIA PhysX" error on Windows 7/AMD - Exhausted all common fixes

[unfiltered_.kmaditz 0]

Hey everyone,

I'm tearing my hair out trying to get Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition (v1.1) to launch on my Windows 7 PC with an AMD graphics card. Every time I try to start the game (whether through the launcher or directly), I get the error:

"Failed to initialize NVIDIA PhysX. Please install the latest NVIDIA PhysX system software."

I know this is a common issue, especially on non-NVIDIA systems, but I've tried seemingly everything suggested online, and the error persists. I'm hoping someone here might have a niche or advanced fix I haven't come across.

Here's a comprehensive list of what I've done so far:

My System:

• OS: Windows 7

• GPU: AMD (not NVIDIA)

• Game Version: Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY v1.1

• Antivirus: Quick Heal (primary) + Windows Defender

Troubleshooting Steps Taken (in roughly chronological order):

1. Resolved steam_api.dll issue:

   • Initially had a steam_api.dll is missing error.

   • Found and restored steam_api.dll from Quick Heal's quarantine.

   • Crucially, added the entire game folder (C:\Users\New Era Engg Works\Desktop\bruh\betmen\Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY) to the exclusion/whitelist of both Quick Heal and Windows Defender to prevent re-quarantining.

   • Reapplied game crack (if applicable).

2. PhysX Driver Installation Attempts:

   • Checked the game's common redist folder for a bundled PhysX installer, but found none.

   • Uninstalled any existing NVIDIA PhysX System Software.

   • Installed NVIDIA PhysX System Software Legacy Driver (version 9.13.0604) from NVIDIA's website.

   • Uninstalled 9.13.0604, then installed NVIDIA PhysX System Software Legacy Driver (version 9.12.1031) from NVIDIA's website.

   • (Each PhysX installation attempt involved a clean uninstall and a PC restart).

3. Installed All Other Game Redistributables:

   • Located and ran all installers from the game's common redist folder:

     • dxwebsetup.exe (DirectX Web Installer)

     • oalinst.exe (OpenAL installer)

     • vcredist_x86.exe (Visual C++ Redistributable)

     • vcredist_x64.exe (Visual C++ Redistributable)

     • vcredist_2015-2019_x86.exe (Visual C++ Redistributable)

     • vcredist_2015-2019_x64.exe (Visual C++ Redistributable)

     • xnafx40_redist.msi (XNA Framework Redistributable 4.0)

     • dotNetFx40_Full_setup.exe (.NET Framework 4.0 - noted that .NET 8.0.1 isn't supported on Win7, so sticking to 4.0).

   • Restarted PC after running all these.

4. Edited Game Configuration File (BmEngine.ini):

   • Navigated to C:\Users\<Your_Username>\Documents\Square Enix\Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY\BmGame\Config\

   • Opened BmEngine.ini with Notepad.

   • Changed PhysXLevel=0 (or 1) to PhysXLevel=2.

   • Saved the file and set BmEngine.ini to Read-Only.

5. Tried "Batman Arkham Asylum - Advanced Launcher by neatodev":

   • Downloaded the launcher and extracted its contents into the game's Binaries folder.

   • Launched the game using this new BmLauncher.exe (running as administrator).

6. Launch Method:

   • In all attempts, I've tried launching the game directly from C:\Users\New Era Engg Works\Desktop\bruh\betmen\Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY\Binaries\Win32\BatmanAA.exe (or ShippingPC-BmGame.exe), running it as administrator.

Current Status: Despite all these efforts, the exact same "Failed to initialize NVIDIA PhysX. Please install the latest NVIDIA PhysX system software" error pops up immediately upon launching ShippingPC-BmGame.exe. I can get to the game launcher (BmLauncher.exe) and tweak settings, but the game itself won't start.

Has anyone encountered this specific persistence of the PhysX error, especially on a Windows 7 / AMD setup, and found a truly obscure or advanced workaround? Any help would be immensely appreciated, as I'm out of ideas!

[SargeCassidy 2]

1. Both the Legacy PhysX and the newest one are meant to be installed simultaneously.
2. Sounds like you have a pirated copy, which we cannot help with.