Unable to run FFXI

I recently updated to Windows 8.1 primarily due to the fact that most who while being previously unable to run Windower suddenly gained the ability to run it fully. Windower used to crash upon attempting to load FFXI (able to log in and everything). This time, upon selecting "play" the screen loads and disappears like usual but a dialog box comes up and gives me some grief about "DirectPlay" which I tell it to install. Upon attempting to it tells me it cannot as something already has that name. Attempting to search for it yields nothing...at all. Anywhere on my computer. Trying to play again from the screen it throws me at without closing out of POL causes a window to come up and tell me to install DirectX 8.1, returning me to the POL screen. The issue is I'm told I already have 11 loaded and it seems I can't install/reinstall without going through the Windows Update app directly. Any assistance for this issue would be greatly appreciated.

DirectPlay is no longer an issue. Just have to enable "Legacy Features" via Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features > Turn Windows Components on/off.

Now "Play" manages to send me into FFXI...or so I'd expect. It just stops responding. Crash dump below:

https://drive.google...iew?usp=sharing

I suppose this is just a random crash people can't seem to determine the cause to like the others. Would be nice if we found some lead as to the reason. No chance it's related to A/V firewall or anything? Will have to try disabling my firewall.

I'd like to report I'm having the same issue too.  Windower worked back in February on my system and now it doesn't.  It too crashes when clicking Play in POL and the FFXI window is brought up.  I've tried reinstalling Windower and using the dev version, but neither helped.  I just reinstalled FFXI overnight and that didn't work either.  FFXI works without Windower.  I have the dump files if anyone is trying to work on this.

Edit: I'm also on Windows 8.1 x64.  I also tried disabling AV, running both Windower and POL in compatibility mode (win7) and running as admin.  I also tried uninstalling KB3069392 from July's patch cycle in the off chance that Windower broke along with WebEx.  I'm also on an NVIDIA GTX970 running 353.30, but I doubt that is relevant.  Unfortunately, none of those attempts worked.