Stuck on "Searching for game readers"

[Galloant]

After having a hard drive failure and restoring the drive partially from a backup, SimHub gets stuck on loading pop-up at "searching for game readers.
I am running the latest release.

After deleting the *:\Program Files (x86)\SimHub Folder and reinstalling SH it starts, but it would mean I'd loose all plug-ins.

Is there any way I can get it too run without deleting everything?

[2023-10-28 15:50:02,505] INFO - Administrator privileges : False 
[2023-10-28 15:50:02,505] INFO - OS version : Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.22621.0, Windows 10.0.22621
[2023-10-28 15:50:02,505] INFO - License status : Free
[2023-10-28 15:50:02,505] INFO - Process priority : Normal
[2023-10-28 15:50:06,272] FATAL - System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'SimHub.Plugins.PluginFinder' threw an exception. ---> Newtonsoft.Json.JsonReaderException: Unexpected character encountered while parsing value: A. Path '', line 0, position 0.
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonTextReader.ParseValue()
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonTextReader.Read()
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonReader.ReadForType(JsonContract contract, Boolean hasConverter)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.Deserialize(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, Boolean checkAdditionalContent)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer.DeserializeInternal(JsonReader reader, Type objectType)
   at WoteverCommon.JsonExtensions.FromJsonFile[T](String path)
   at SimHub.Plugins.PluginFinder..cctor()
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at SimHub.Plugins.PluginFinder.GetReaders()
   at ?.?.LoadReaders()
   at ?.?.<>c.<App_Startup>b__13_3()
   at System.Threading.Tasks.Task.InnerInvoke()
   at System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Execute()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ThrowForNonSuccess(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ValidateEnd(Task task)
   at ?.?.<App_Startup>d__13.MoveNext()
[2023-10-28 15:50:06,272] ERROR - Unhandled dispatcher errorSystem.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'SimHub.Plugins.PluginFinder' threw an exception. ---> Newtonsoft.Json.JsonReaderException: Unexpected character encountered while parsing value: A. Path '', line 0, position 0.
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonTextReader.ParseValue()
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonTextReader.Read()
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonReader.ReadForType(JsonContract contract, Boolean hasConverter)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.Deserialize(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, Boolean checkAdditionalContent)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer.DeserializeInternal(JsonReader reader, Type objectType)
   at WoteverCommon.JsonExtensions.FromJsonFile[T](String path)
   at SimHub.Plugins.PluginFinder..cctor()
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at SimHub.Plugins.PluginFinder.GetReaders()
   at ?.?.LoadReaders()
   at ?.?.<>c.<App_Startup>b__13_3()
   at System.Threading.Tasks.Task.InnerInvoke()
   at System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Execute()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ThrowForNonSuccess(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ValidateEnd(Task task)
   at ?.?.<App_Startup>d__13.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.AsyncMethodBuilderCore.<>c.<ThrowAsync>b__6_0(Object state)
   at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(Delegate callback, Object args, Int32 numArgs)
   at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.TryCatchWhen(Object source, Delegate callback, Object args, Int32 numArgs, Delegate catchHandler)

[SHWotever]

Hi ! Seeing where it get stuck, the following file got corrupted :
C:\Program Files (x86)\SimHub\PluginsData\Common\ResolveCache.json
Hopefully it's just a cache file and it can be deleted.
That said this specific file is rarely written, if it got corrupted it's likely some other settings files are too.
It's worth a try, but I doubt you won't hit another wall after it.

[Galloant]

Damn, I didn't expect a reply this fast. Appreciate it a lot!

It worked, but now I'm stuck in the first startup menu and can't select anything.

[2023-10-28 16:29:19,821] INFO - Administrator privileges : False 
[2023-10-28 16:29:19,821] INFO - OS version : Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.22621.0, Windows 10.0.22621
[2023-10-28 16:29:19,821] INFO - License status : Free
[2023-10-28 16:29:19,821] INFO - Process priority : Normal
[2023-10-28 16:29:23,678] INFO - 86 game readers loaded
[2023-10-28 16:29:23,882] ERROR - Error while loading file PluginsData\PluginsActivation.json, version 0, attempting previous version.
[2023-10-28 16:29:23,882] ERROR - Error while loading file PluginsData\PluginsActivation.json, version 1, attempting previous version.
[2023-10-28 16:29:23,882] ERROR - Error while loading file PluginsData\PluginsActivation.json, version 2, attempting previous version.
[2023-10-28 16:29:23,882] ERROR - Error while loading file PluginsData\PluginsActivation.json, version 3, attempting previous version.
[2023-10-28 16:29:23,882] ERROR - Error while loading file PluginsData\PluginsActivation.json, version 4, attempting previous version.
[2023-10-28 16:29:23,882] ERROR - Error while loading file PluginsData\PluginsActivation.json, version 5, attempting previous version.
[2023-10-28 16:29:23,898] INFO - (Re)Starting IRacing Game Manager and plugin manager
[2023-10-28 16:29:23,898] INFO - Creating IRacing game manager (IRacingReader.IRacingManager)
[2023-10-28 16:29:23,898] ERROR - Error while loading game manager
System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> Newtonsoft.Json.JsonReaderException: Unexpected character encountered while parsing value: A. Path '', line 0, position 0.
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonTextReader.ParseValue()
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonTextReader.Read()
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonReader.ReadForType(JsonContract contract, Boolean hasConverter)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.Deserialize(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, Boolean checkAdditionalContent)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer.DeserializeInternal(JsonReader reader, Type objectType)
   at WoteverCommon.JsonExtensions.FromJsonFile[T](String path)
   at IRacingReader.IRacingManager..ctor()
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.RuntimeTypeHandle.CreateInstance(RuntimeType type, Boolean publicOnly, Boolean noCheck, Boolean& canBeCached, RuntimeMethodHandleInternal& ctor, Boolean& bNeedSecurityCheck)
   at System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceSlow(Boolean publicOnly, Boolean skipCheckThis, Boolean fillCache, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
   at System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceDefaultCtor(Boolean publicOnly, Boolean skipCheckThis, Boolean fillCache, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
   at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, Boolean nonPublic)
   at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type)
   at SimHubWPF.MainWindow.CreateGameManager(SupportedGameManager game, Action`1 status)
   at SimHubWPF.MainWindow.<ChangeGame>d__42.MoveNext()
[2023-10-28 16:29:23,898] ERROR - Error while loading game manager
System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> Newtonsoft.Json.JsonReaderException: Unexpected character encountered while parsing value: A. Path '', line 0, position 0.
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonTextReader.ParseValue()
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonTextReader.Read()
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonReader.ReadForType(JsonContract contract, Boolean hasConverter)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.Deserialize(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, Boolean checkAdditionalContent)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer.DeserializeInternal(JsonReader reader, Type objectType)
   at WoteverCommon.JsonExtensions.FromJsonFile[T](String path)
   at IRacingReader.IRacingManager..ctor()
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.RuntimeTypeHandle.CreateInstance(RuntimeType type, Boolean publicOnly, Boolean noCheck, Boolean& canBeCached, RuntimeMethodHandleInternal& ctor, Boolean& bNeedSecurityCheck)
   at System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceSlow(Boolean publicOnly, Boolean skipCheckThis, Boolean fillCache, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
   at System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceDefaultCtor(Boolean publicOnly, Boolean skipCheckThis, Boolean fillCache, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
   at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, Boolean nonPublic)
   at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type)
   at SimHubWPF.MainWindow.CreateGameManager(SupportedGameManager game, Action`1 status)
   at SimHubWPF.MainWindow.<ChangeGame>d__42.MoveNext()
[2023-10-28 16:29:23,898] WARN - Monitor Device Driver is null

[SHWotever]

I fear most of your settings files looks corrupted. As I was fearing it has been hitting the next 2 loaded settings files.

At this point I fear your hard drive crash wasted most if not all settings files. Some settings files have "anti corruption" measures , and I can see in the log that on one of the next settings files loaded is using it, but all the 5 previous versions were also corrupted.

The only solution at this point it to start back from a clean install i'm sorry. If most settings files are corrupted I see no good solutions to recover the few which might still be viable. Simhub uses many of them (as an anti-corruption measure too quite ironically), it would take days to sort them one by one :(

[Galloant]

Thanks @SHWotever for the reply. I feared that would be the case.
It's slightly annoying, but nothing we can do about. Thanks for the very kind and quick help though. I really appreciate it! :)

Thanks also to @luahan77m for offering help. However, I consider this issue to be closed at this point.