Battlefield 3 fixes guide (read carefully)

****update****

1st problem: Direct X error when tyring to launch the game.
Fix: Go into your games installation folder. For me it was "F:\Program Files (slave)\BF3\Battlefield 3\__Installer\directx\redist\DXSETUP.exe". Click on that, run as admin, install. Your error should vanish!

2nd problem: Game manager would hang indefinitely when trying to join games. *
Fix: Uninstall Origin, and Battlefield 3. Call EA, have them grant you a digital copy of BF3. Download and install this after a fresh reboot (this step is optional and is a variable in the process, weather or not it contributes to the solution is beyond me, but I did this in one patient step.) After battlefield 3 is installed it may prompt you to install origin, please do so. Before starting it up, go to your firewall, and allow the program in your firewall. Try to join a game using the battlelog whilst remaining in your fresh boot state. If it fails with an error that reads "Error launching game" please follow the steps for the 3rd problem.

Important note: For the above step, when you call EA, make sure you get that case number. The calls do drop, and often. Make sure at the beginning of the call you start off with "My game is BF3, i'm playing on the PC, My email address is..." Be assertive with your situation (not rude) and it will make things run a lot smoother. The support # for EA Is as follows: [Admin. Edit] Please contact support via this link: https://help.ea.com/en/contact-us/


3rd problem: "Error launching game."
Fix: Uninstall the web plugin for the battlelog and reboot. Go to the site, download and install the new plugin.
Control Panel>Uninstall a program> Battlelog web plugins> Uninstall.

After I did the above my game worked!!! Granted Mp is buggy and this game probably should have been held off from being released for a bit longer it's still BF3, It's still epic. The devs need your utmost patience and cooperation. Raging as I did in another thread does not help.

*To fresh reboot your pc do the following:
Start>search>"msconfig"
Tick the box that reads "selective startup" then the box that reads "Load startup items"
Click on the "services" tab. Tick the box that reads "Hide all Microsoft Services" Then click on the button that reads "Disable all" Click apply, and restart your machine.

*To undo the msconfig nonsense:
Start>search>"msconfig"
Tick the box that reads "normal startup"
Click on the "services" tab. Untick (if still ticked) the box that reads "Hide all Microsoft Services." Click on the button that reads "Enable all" Click apply, then restart your machine.

Miscellaneous:

1. Update your Video Drivers!
2. Update .net Framework
3. Update Direct X
4. DO NOT PORT FORWARD ANYTHING. It's a pointless, and silly step that should be disregarded anywhere you ask for help.
5. Use Google Chrome. (Obviously an updated verison)
6. To allow a program through your firewall: Start>Control Panel>System and Security>Under Win Firewall click on "Allow a program through Windows Firewall"
Click on the Change Settings button, scroll down and find the button that reads "Allow another program..." Click on that and browse through the list for origin.

As a final note i'd like to add that I do not guarantee that this will work for you and that all of the above was done on a Windows 7 64bit operating system. I am not responsible for any damage you cause to your machine while making changes. I'd also like to mention that getting angry with the EA support does not do any good and that it is not their fault your game isn't working. They are just doing their job and could genuinely care less about you, though there are some (Thank you) who seem like they DO actually care

I had the 15/20 minutes crash, seems to have solved now with that command.

***************update: PROBLEM>>>>>>>>random freeze and complete lockup (PC)*******************

have been playing for two weeks straight now without any lockups.

So what has fixed all of this?

- windows power management (disable pcie and cpu power savings - especially for Z77 boards, because they do power management on their own)

- repairing each and every c++ & .net runtime installed on the machine

- re-installing the game

- installing latest AMD 12.9 beta drivers

- manually updating nvidia physx

along with the stuff mentioned above, here's the additional thing that finally fixed it for me:

- uninstalling, completely removing, wiping everything that monitors voltages and settings like that from my pc.

(speaking of: ASUS AI SUITE, MSI AFTERBURNER, SAPPHIRE TRIXX and so on...)

In conlusion the black screen errors can be caused by almost everything that we fixed throughout this thread and it's finally gone.

I'd like to take a minute and thank you guys, I really apprechiate your help and I owe you one!

also

Backup the save data:

1. Click the Start button and select Documents
2. Right-click the Battlefield 3 folder and select Cut
3. Right-click on your desktop and select Paste
4. To restore your Battlefield 3 save games and settings, move this folder back into the Documents folder

 
Delete the game files (in the default location):

1. Click the Start button and select Computer
2. Select the C: drive folder
3. Select the Program Files folder
   Note: On 64bit systems, select the Program Files (x86) folder
4. Select the Origin Games folder
5. Right-click the Battlefield 3 folder and select Delete

 
(Warning: Changes to the registry can cause your computer to operate improperly, so please follow these instructions exactly as they are written.)
 
Backing up the registry:
Perform the steps listed below to back-up the registry so that should something go wrong, you can restore your system back to a working state:

1. Click the Start button (Windows button on Windows Vista) on the Windows Taskbar.
2. Click Run.
3. Type regedit into the available text field, and click OK.
4. Select File, then Export
5. Select All under Export Range.
6. Type backup into the File name field, and click Save.

 
Delete the registry keys:

1. Expand the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder
2. Expand the SOFTWARE folder
   Note: On 64bit systems, first expand the Wow6432Node folder, then continue
3. Expand the EA GAMES folder
4. Right-click the Battlefield 3 folder and select Delete
5. Collapse the EA GAMES folder
6. Expand the Electronic Arts folder
7. Right-click the Battlefield 3 folder and select Delete
8. Collapse the Electronic Arts folder
9. Right-click the ESN Launcher folder and select Delete
   Note: This folder may have a version number (such as 0.79.0) after the name or there may be multiple folders with the same name
10. Right-click the ESN Sonar folder and select Delete
    Note: This folder may have a version number (such as 0.79.0) after the name or there may be multiple folders with the same name
11. Expand the Microsoft folder
12. Expand the Windows folder
13. Expand the CurrentVersion folder
14. Expand the Uninstall folder
15. Right-click the {76285C16-411A-488A-BCE3-C83CB933D8CF} folder and select delete
16. Collapse the Microsoft folder

 
Delete the uninstall files:

1. Click the Start button and select Computer
2. Select the C: drive folder
3. Select the Program Files folder
4. Select Tools, then Folder Options, then View, then select "Show hidden files and folders"; you may need to press the Alt key to make the Tools option appear
5. Select the InstallShield Installation Information folder
6. Right-click the {76285C16-411A-488A-BCE3-C83CB933D8CF} folder and select delete

CLEAN BOOT

---

@eaagentx wrote:

Hey guys,

I actually ran into the same error last night. However, it had to do with some security settings I had on my PC. 

One thing you can attempt to prevent any background programs from interfering with your launch/connection is to clean boot the PC. 

You can find instructions on clean booting here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/331796

Step 1: Start the System Configuration Utility

Click Start

 , type msconfig in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.

   If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or provide confirmation.

  Step 2: Configure Selective Startup options

1. In the System Configuration Utility dialog box, click Selective Startup on the General tab.
2. Click to clear the Load Startup Items check box.
   Note The Use Original Boot.ini check box is unavailable.
3. Click the Services tab.
4. Click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box.
5. Click Disable All, and then click OK.
6. When you are prompted, click Restart.

Step 3: Determine whether the problem is resolved

• After the computer starts, try to start the affected game or program to determine whether the problem is resolved.
• If the problem does not occur after you restart, the interference is occurring because of a background program or service. In this case, see the "Determine what is causing the problem" section.
• If the problem returns after you perform a clean startup, the interference is not occurring because of a background program or service. In this case, this article cannot resolve your problem. See the "How to return Windows to Normal startup mode" section to return your computer to the original startup mode. Then, go to the "Next steps" section for other resources that may help you resolve this problem.

(From the Microsoft FAQ pages)

Once clean booted, if the issue is still present, it could be indicative of a larger error. If you are able to connect, that would indicate there is a program on your system preventing the connection.

---

*****UPDATE*****

if you are using 32 install 64 because 32 bits not good, before that you can try: source http://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf3/ru/forum/threadview/2832654489427021500/

NOT 100% GUARANTEED, BUT PRETTY GOOD NONETHELESS - MANY PEOPLE REPORTING SUCCESS. Around 90-95% success rate for those who gave it a go. It doesn't fix it completely - people were reporting crashes after 20-30mins - but it's a hell of a lot better than 2-3 minutes.

*******************32BIT ONLY - SORRY TO 64BIT USERS***********************

I've been having the crash problem - games in MP crashing in ~5mins, and SP crashing every so often. Found the solution from another game actually where I was having a similar problem - Empire: Total War.

BE AWARE, THIS IS ONLY A WORKAROUND - THE ISSUE STILL NEEDS TO BE FIXED. THIS IS A FIX FOR THOSE RUNNING 32BIT WINDOWS 7 AND WINDOWS VISTA WITH 4GB RAM OR MORE.

From here on, I'm copy-pasting the instructions. This works for both Vista and W7. Got me through 20mins of MP for the first time though - longest game I've had. Haven't tested for longer.


What does it do?
It has to do two things that both rely on each other to work. For 32 bit operating systems we have to tell the operating system it can use more than 2GB user address space, 2.5GB actually, while leaving 1.5Gb for the kernel. We also have to set the Empire.exe executable to be allowed to address beyond the 2GB ceiling. 64 bit OS users don't have to do anything.

What does it help with?
This is not the solution for all crashes. It deals primarily with the crash to desktop that is caused by lack of virtual address space.Due to the unique nature of how addresses are mapped differently on each machine this crash may happen at different places and times of the game, even loading a map, menu or waiting on an AI turn. If you try this fix, and you follow directions properly, and it doesn't help you then your crash is due to something else.

How do I do it?
Follow directions explicitly. I have seen people consistently skip steps or not read the directions properly so it doesn't work for them whne they don't do what it says. it's not as complicated as it sounds, I'm just being thorough.

APPLY THE WORKAROUND (juicy caramel center)

Requirements

Only real requirements is that you have atleast 2GB RAM. You don't need beyond that even though we are allowing addressing up to 2.5 GB. Also following instructions and being somewhat familiar with working with files in windows is required. Make sure you are using Vista SP1. If not then you need this hotfix that fixes a major blunder with Vista address space - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940105 [support.microsoft.com]
That's all, follow the 3 steps.

1) Prepare the operating system to be able to use beyond 2GB address space with a userva of 2.5GB (only 32 bit OS's need to do this): I am purposely using only 2500 for userva for specific reasons and any more will likely not be needed, as a result the kernel will have plenty of space to play in.

XP 32
* Find your Boot.ini located usually on the C:.
If you cannot see it, you probably have system files hidden, then follow these instructions at microsoft (also uncheck "hide protected operating system files")
* Right click on the boot.ini and choose properties. Uncheck "read only"
* Open the boot.ini by double clicking it.
* Under the section called find the line that says "multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition⚽\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional...". Yours may look a bit different. We are going to make a duplicate, so that if you make a mistake you will not harm yourself from booting into your computer. Drag you're mouse across the entire line, right click and choose copy. Then right below the line you just copied right click your mouse and choose paste. You should now have two lines one after another that are exact duplicates.
* Change the bottom line that you just copied with the following addition on the end. Add a space at the end of the line and then this without the quotes "/3GB /USERVA=2500"
* In that lower boot entry you just made, find the name of the operating system in quotes and change it to something like "Windows XP 3GB", so you can differentiate at boot up.
* Close and save the boot.ini.
* Right click on the boot.ini, hit properties, check read only.

Windows 7/Windows Vista
* In Windows 7/Vista go to Start menu. Go to Accessories. Locate the command prompt shortcut and hover mouse over it. Right Click on the shortcut then select Run as Administrator.
* In the command prompt type this exactly: bcdedit /set increaseuserva 2500. Then hit enter.
* Make sure you get a message back confirming the change was made. To verify the entry is there you can type just bcdedit, hit enter, and you should see the entry now listed.
* Then close the command prompt. You just told Vista to increase user virtual address (userva) space to 2500MB.
* Changes take effect on reboot but don't reboot yet.

SUMMARY
We extended the user virtual address space in XP, Vista and 7 to 2500MB, so now applications can utilize up to that much if they are set to be Large Address Aware. While some 32 bit games/applications are set, Empire is not.

2) Now reboot the PC because Windows needs to set the userva at 2500 which only happens after startup.

If you skip any step it will not work. When you have rebooted you should be good to go. Run the game as normal with the original game shortcut.

TO UNDO THE CHANGES
For the XP 32 bit just delete the line from your boot.ini.
For Vista/W7 32 Open command prompt as administrator and type: bcdedit /deletevalue increaseuserva. That deletes the entry.
Reboot and you are back to normal.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE IF THIS WORKS COME BACK AND BUMP TO HELP OTHERS

Just as a note: This extended play from 5mins to almost 2 hours for me.

I continue to have the same problem for days, even with all the (relevant, and some non-relevant) proposed fixes. My problem is that after loading Origin and the battlelog website (battlelog.battlefield.com/bf3/), when I search a server to join or attempt to join a single player game, I get this error from the Game Manager:

"Could not contact Battlelog, please try again"

over and over no, matter how much I adjust things. And I can log into the site, browse my profile, search servers, etc. so it seems I am connected to some form of battlelog.

The game worked just fine for the first week of owning it, then this started happening. It might have been after a game update, not sure. It did start working for one period of time, then back to the same error. I have no uPnP on my router, I have port forwarded everything, I have triple checked that all programs have admin rights, and all are allowed through my software firewall (I have even disabled it and my anti-virus), I have also upaded punk buster, updated to beta option on Origin, and nothing.

Again, the game worked just fine, then this started happening. For one period I was able to play, then it stopped. I have tried firefox, IE, and chrome, and cleared all internet files / log ins, and re-logged in. I think my next move is to uninstall the whole game and reinstall it, however it looks like the problem is occuring way before the game even tries to launch.

Thanks in advance for the help to be had.

EDIT / UPDATE: This might be helpful for anyone else experiencing this problem. It turned out it was the family internet filter not allowing a behind the scenes site through--doh!