Can't join servers

It can also correct some issues with random disconnects and drops without any error message. That doesnt mean that punkbuster is responsible for all the disconnects and drops, but it is one cause.

Punkbuster is the anti-cheat used by Battlefield since BF2. Thats what DICE has chosen to use. Punkbuster has had the exact same issues since day one with its update system. There is no better system out there and until there is, this is what we have to work with. DICE does not make Punkbuster nor can they make a patch for it. There is no point in crying about how bad it is. For those that want to fix your punkbuster issue, keep reading.

Punkbuster requires communication from your computer to the server and the server to other databases in the background. In order for this communication to work, two things have to happen:

1. Punkbuster must be in sync with your computer and the server. That means your client must be the same version or higher than the server and communicating with it as well.

2. The data from punkbuster has to make it out. That means Windows firewall, antivirus, your router firewall, other background programs, and even your internet connection can cause punkbuster to stop working and cause kicks.

This link is the player manual for Punkbuster. Ive read it hundreds of times and it tells you more than you ever wanted to know about it:

http://www.punkbuster.com/publications/generic-pl/index.htm [punkbuster.com]

Punkbuster performs scans on specific things on your PC. This includeds files as well as what is active in your computers memory. I'm telling you this because you could have a program running that Punkbuster might see as a violation of some kind, though it is not, and it will cause a kick. Types of programs that have done that in the past have been overlays, like Teamspeak overlay and Xfire, and more recently the video enhancers people have been using. That sucks, but that's how it is. You might have to turn it off.

I have wrote this post in sections. For those having constant issues and have tried a number if things, I recommend you go through this entire post step by step, regardless if you already did these steps or not. You may have done something wrong or left something out. Its easy to do that.

The sections are:
Windows Firewall
Anti-virus
Punkbuster Service
Updating Punkbuster
Re-Install Punkbuster


***Windows Firewall:
The best thing for testing purposes is to turn Windows Firewall off. Youre internet router is usually running a firewall of its own and its not necessary to have Windows Firewall on. Here is how you turn it off:

Click your START button
In the SEARCH PROGRAMS AND FILES field (the run box) type in SERVICES and hit ENTER.
In the SERVICES window, scroll down to WINDOWS FIREWALL and double click on it.
A new window comes up and for the START UP TYPE select DISABLED
Also click STOP to stop the service.

I have found that turning off the windows firewall with it still enabled can still affect programs. I guess thats good Microsoft programming at work, I dont know.

Now you may be thinking "But Crunch, Im scared that Im going to get hacked." Well, youre not, but if youre that scared what you have to do is make sure Battlefield 3 AND Punkbuster is allowed through Windows Firewall.

To do that:
Click your START button
Go to CONTROL PANEL
Click SYSTEMS AND SECURITY
Click ALLOW A PROGRAM THROUGH WINDOWS FIREWALL
Make sure the following programs are on the list:
Battlefield 3
PnkBstrA
PnkBstrB

If any of those three are not listed, you need to add them. Click ALLOW ANOTHER PROGRAM. Then click BROWSE to look for the programs. Add them then SELECT them from the list and say OK. You will then see them added to the firewall list.

These are the default paths of the above three programs:

Battlefield 3:
32bit: C:\Program Files\Origin Games\Battlefield 3\bf3.exe
64bit: C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Battlefield 3\bf3.exe

**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS ON A 64bit System. It may be different on 32bit. Do a search on your system for the ones in C:\Windows directory**

PnkBstrA:
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\PnkBstrA.exe

PnkBstrB:
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\PnkBstrB.exe

***Anti-Virus:
You want this off while playing. Antivirus causes lag anyway because of all the scanning it does. Because of all the different antivirus programs out there, you are going to have to Google on how to disable your AV while playing. Some AV also has a "gamer" mode. Its OK, but not great. You can try that, but for testing purposes, you want it off. You want to find out if the AV is what is causing your problem. AV is in memory with Punkbuster and the two tend to not get along.

***PunkBuster Service:
There is a service running on your machine to allow Punkbuster to run when you start a game. I have found that the service does not always start. You want to set Punkbuster service to start as part of your computer. To do this:

Click on your START button
Click your START button
In the SEARCH PROGRAMS AND FILES field (the run box) type in SERVICES and hit ENTER.
In the SERVICES window, scroll down to PnkBstrA and double click on it.
A new window comes up and for the START UP TYPE select AUTOMATIC
Also click START to start the service.
Do the same steps for PnkBstrB

You may not have PnkBstrB in your services. That is OK. If you do, do those steps. If you do not, dont worry about it at this time.

***Updating Punkbuster:
There are 3 methods punkbuster updates. The primary method that is suppose to work is automatic updating from servers you connect to. You dont have to do anything to do this, it will do it automatically.

The second method is by using PBSETUP.EXE. It is a program you download from punkbuster and you can add your game and run it. It will then scan your computer for games you have chosen then update them by downloading the updates from the punkbuster website. You can download PBSETUP from this link:
http://www.punkbuster.com/index.php?page=dl-bf3.php [punkbuster.com]

Once you download it and extract it on your desktop you follow these steps:
RIGHT click on PBSETUP and select RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR
Agree to the license
Select OK for the first time run
Click ADD A GAME
Select Battlefield 3 AND THEN verify that the path is correct. (Sometimes it is wrong.)
Click ADD GAME
Click on the game you added and click CHECK FOR UPDATES
Click OK when popup of "FINISH WITH UPDATES" comes up.
You should now have an up to date game.

The final method is to truly manually update punkbuster with its files yourself. PBSETUP is suppose to do this part for you, but sometimes does not. I dont know why not, but it sometimes doesnt. Before you can do this part, you have to know that the entire punkbuster program is in a folder called PB. If you delete this folder, you removed punkbuster from the game. This is the default path for Punkbuster for Battlefield 3:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Battlefield 3\pb

in the PB folder is another folder called HTM. You will put all your files in those two folders. To get the newest files to update punkbuster, you go to this link again:

http://www.punkbuster.com/index.php?page=dl-bf3.php [punkbuster.com]

On this webpage is a link that says FOR PLAYERS. You right click on that file and save it in the PB folder. It will overwrite the old one.

Further down there are two more files that go in the PB\HTM folder. They are wc002279.htm and wa001386.htm. You right click on those and save them to that folder, overwriting any older ones.

Thats it. Those are the only three files you need to update punkbuster.

These are the only three methods to update punkbuster. 

***Re-Install Punkbuster
The next step is to re-install punkbuster. There is already a great post on how to re-install and so I am just going to put the link here:

http://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf3/forum/threadview/2832654489419777330/ [battlelog.battlefield.com]

There is already an installer on your system located here:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Battlefield 3\__Installer\punkbuster\redist

The file is named pbsvcs.exe and you want to RIGHT click on that and RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR.

You then want to follow the steps Ive mentioned above to make sure its allowed out and that it is up to date.

That program also has a test button to test the services. You should get all green OKs if there is no problem wit punkbustuer. That doesnt mean there is no problem with antivirus or firewalls, just punkbuster. That test also does not mean punkbuster is up to date and that is causing your issues.

Thats it. Just about everything you can do to get Punkbuster working again. I know its a lot and I wish we didnt have to do this, but while were wishing we might as well wish for world peace and an end to hunger. This may not solve every problem you have, but at least you now know that punkbuster itself is no longer the issue to be looking into.

Dont forget that other programs can affect punkbuster so just because youve done all this and you keep getting punkbuster kicks, all that means is you havent found the program or connection issue causing it.

Good luck