Forum Discussion

Anonymous

13 years ago

[READ FIRST] Common Issues and Solutions

[Copied from the official C&C forums] Last updated 07/05 '13 Most of this is meant for the First Decade and original versions but a lot of this should apply to The Ultimate Collection too. TO KEEP...

Anonymous

13 years ago

Tiberian Sun (TS)
To fix the problem when TS crashes when a disruptor fires, download Hyper's patch here:
http://www.ppmsite.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=31604

Incorrect Version Error - This occurs when trying to play TS:FS online after TFD patch 1.03 (Revision 4) has been installed.
It is caused by the Firestorm Videos Addon, which is seen as a mod. Delete the expand02.mix in the TS folder to fix this problem
(or move the file somewhere else, if you still want to be able to put it back for single play).

"One or more dll files are missing" error on Vista/7: To fix this error, make sure the game is running as Administrator:
Browse to the game folder, right click on "Game.exe" -> Properties -> Compatibility > Tick "Run This Program as an Administrator".
Do that for all .exe (applications) in the Sun folder.
Note: This error can also occur if you do not install as Admin (See top of guide!)

Online play:
CnCNet is now also available for Tiberian Sun, for more information & download instructions visit:
http://cncnet.org/

LAN play has been made possible on Vista/7 with this fix made by Scorpio9a:
http://nyerguds.arsaneus-design.com/...patch_1_00.zip
It will cause trouble connecting to online play (wsock32.dll error) so use this launcher program to play online games:
http://frankaz.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/...e_launcher.rar
Extract the files to your TS folder and then click on TS_Online.exe to launch the game.
Note: TFD 1.03 Revision 4 installs this file by default, if you do not require it then delete wsock32.dll from your TS folder.

Red Alert 2 (RA2)

Black Screen, or sound with no picture.

Watch and follow this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tMxSELxEH8

Slow FPS on RA2? download this DLL file from PPM and place it in your RA2 folder:
http://www.ppmsite.com/forum/viewtop...t=20673#261085
You can also try disabling the video back buffer option, add the following to your ra2.ini file in the [Video] section:

VideoBackBuffer=no

You can also try the unofficial RA2 1.007 patch and tick the box saying "Disable Hardware Acceleration" and see if that helps.
You can get the patch here:
http://blackassassins.org/pisc/readme.htm

"***FATAL*** String Manager Failed to Initialize Properly" error on Vista/7: To fix this error, make sure the game is running as Administrator:
Browse to the game folder, right click on "Game.exe" -> Properties -> Compatibility -> Tick "Run This Program as an Administrator".
Do that for all .exe (application) files in the RA2 folder.
Note: This error can also occur if you do not install as Admin (See top of guide!)

LAN play has been made possible on Vista/7 with this fix made by Scorpio9a:
http://nyerguds.arsaneus-design.com/...patch_1_00.zip
It will cause trouble connecting to online play (wsock32.dll error) so use this launcher program to play online games:
http://frankaz.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/...e_launcher.rar
Extract the files to your RA2 folder and then click on RA2_Online.exe to launch the game.
Note: TFD 1.03 Revision 4 installs this file by default, if you do not require it then delete wsock32.dll from your RA2 folder.

Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge (YR)

Slow FPS on YR? download this DLL file from PPM and place it in your RA2 folder:
http://www.ppmsite.com/forum/viewtop...t=20673#261085
You can also try disabling the video back buffer option, add the following to your ra2md.ini file in the [Video] section:

VideoBackBuffer=no

Lockup/Long Loading time on YR:
Try running the game in compatibility mode (right-click the game's exe file, click on properties, compatibility) for Windows 98/ME.

"***FATAL*** String Manager Failed to Initialize Properly" error on Vista/7: To fix this error, make sure the game is running as Administrator:
Browse to the game folder, right click on "Gamemd.exe" -> Properties -> Compatibility > Tick "Run This Program as an Administrator".
Do that for all .exe (application) files in the RA2 folder.
Note: This error can also occur if you do not install as Admin (See top of guide!)

LAN play has been made possible on Vista/7 with this fix made by Scorpio9a:
http://nyerguds.arsaneus-design.com/...patch_1_00.zip
It will cause trouble connecting to online play (wsock32.dll error) so use this launcher program to play online games:
http://frankaz.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/...e_launcher.rar
Extract the files to your RA2 folder and then click on YR_Online.exe to launch the game.
Note: TFD 1.03 Revision 4 installs this file by default, if you do not require it then delete wsock32.dll from your RA2 folder.

Renegade (Ren)

"***FATAL*** String Manager Failed to Initialize Properly" error on Vista/7: To fix this error, make sure the game is running as Administrator:
Browse to the game folder, right click on "Game.exe" -> Properties -> Compatibility > Tick "Run This Program as an Administrator".
Do that for all .exe (application) files in the Renegade folder.
Note: This error can also occur if you do not install as Admin (See top of guide!)
If Vista/7 tells you Renegade has stopped functioning correctly when starting, run it in compatibility-mode for Windows-XP.

Generals (Gen)

Gentool: for Widescreen support & anti cheat for online games, more info here:
http://www.gentool.net/!

DirectX errors: check that you are running the game in a screen resolution that your graphics card supports, if it is not change
the settings in options.ini (Generals Data folder in My Documents) to a screen resolution that your card supports.

Shell Maps:
If you are on Windows Vista/7 and the shell maps (moving backgrounds) are not working then try putting generals.exe into Windows XP SP2 compatibility mode.

Generals load crashes
Look in the "My Documents" folder, you should see a folder called "Command and Conquer Generals Data", inside of that should be a file called "options.ini"
Open it and replace the contents with this then save it:

AntiAliasing = 2
DrawScrollAnchor =
GameSpyIPAddress = 0.0.0.0
Gamma = 50
IPAddress = 0.0.0.0
IdealStaticGameLOD = High
LanguageFilter = false
MoveScrollAnchor =
MusicVolume = 0
Resolution = 1280 1024
Retaliation = yes
SFX3DVolume = 100
SFXVolume = 90
ScrollFactor = 50
SendDelay = no
StaticGameLOD = High
UseAlternateMouse = no
VoiceVolume = 100

Generals: Zero Hour (ZH)

Gentool: for Widescreen support & anti cheat for online games, more info here:
http://www.gentool.net/!

DirectX errors: check that you are running the game in a screen resolution that your graphics card supports, if it is not change
the settings in options.ini (Zero Hour Data folder in My Documents) to a screen resolution that your card supports.

Shell Maps:
If you are on Windows Vista/7 and the shell maps (moving backgrounds) are not working then try putting generals.exe into Windows XP SP2 compatibility mode.

can't join online games in Zero Hour: Some people using Zero Hour can't join online games, they are grey in the lobby - the solution for this is to run the game as admin.

Zero Hour does not connect online: go to Programs and Features, select TFD and click Change. Untick Zero Hour, let the setup program remove it and then follow the same steps
again except this time tick the box. Zero Hour should now work online.

Zero Hour load crashes:
Look in the "My Documents" folder, you should see a folder called "Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour Data", inside of that should be a file called "options.ini"
Open it and replace the contents with this then save it:

Zero Hour Game Hosting Problems:
If you have trouble hosting open these ports in your router:
TCP: 6667, 28910, 29900, 29920
UDP: 4321, 27900

In game - go to the options page and enter 4321 in the "Force Port" section. Seems the game needs a UDP port here. All TCP ports gave errors if tried. If you have a Netgear router check the box for "Send Delay".
If you don't have a Netgear router, try it off first then on if you still can't host. Click "Refresh NAT" a couple times. It will look as if nothing happened. Don't worry. Go to multiplayer and create a game.
It should load up ok when all players ready.
NOTE: Each time before you create a multiplayer game, go into the main options screen and click "Refresh NAT" a couple of times, THEN go into multiplayer and create a game.

Online Problems:

"Could Not Connect" errors:
Open the following Ports on your firewall:
TCP Ports: 7000, 7001, 7002, 3840, 4005, 4808, 4810, 4995, 6667, 28910, 29900, 29920
UDP Ports: 1234, 1235, 1236, 1237, 4000*, 4321, 5400*, 5009**, 27900 (* = TS, ** = TD & RA1)

"Westwood Shared Internet components not installed" error: download the following file:
http://nyerguds.arsaneus-design.com/...olregister.zip
put it in the INTERNET folder of your TFD installation and run it there. If all goes well, you will
get two Windows message boxes telling you that "DLLRegistryServer succeeded" for a DLL file.
If you get one or more boxes informing you of a failure, you need to run as administrator.

Additional Stuff:

More addons, fixes and extras for your games can be found on Nyerguds' TFD Fixes Page:
http://nyerguds.arsaneus-design.com/...f/0_files.html

Lost your manual/cd case?
This utility will find your registry keys if you already have the games installed:
http://xwis.net/downloads/XWISC.exe

TFD fast launcher: No more waiting for logos to disappear on startup!
http://nyerguds.arsaneus-design.com/...eelauncher.zip

Many thanks for these solutions go to: aaaaaaaaarrrgghh, Antares376, Apoc, Beowulf, CeloUK63, Cheesew1z, Chickendippers, Steve Childs, CommanderJustice, Cncforensven, Cypher, Dragonsbrethren, Elearen, Frankaz, Gamecraziness, greydark, hifi, Hipsu , Hottentottene, Hyper, JTBomb, killboy06, Kirouk, Koen, Komfr, Madrox8, Mattf121, Matze, Mensmans, Moonypond, nathancnc, Noodlesocks, Npsmith, Nucleus1639, Nyerguds, Ryanz0r, Scorpio9a, Silverblade, Olaf van der Spek, THeBaka, TRIGRHAPPY, Ttyler, VK, Wardeathfun, XEZON, Zimbio81.

Anonymous

13 years ago

Tiberium Wars

NOTE THAT MOST OF THE LINKS HERE ARE BROKEN

Getting Online - Working Links Here

Your account on this forum does not work on TW and KW as these games are older and the logging details used are part of an older forum we had. Therefore you should do this:

Go to http://profile.ea.com.
Log in with your origin account.
Under Select a Default Persona, look for a "EA Classic Screen Name" (this was used on the old forum).
if you find one there, use it as your EA Account Name to log in.
If you don't see one, go to http://pogo.com and register an account as it is the only one that still uses the old accounts.
Under the EA profile page, click "add persona".
Add the persona you just created and then use it to log in.

You also have to use the ereg.exe in your games folder to register the serial on your account (you might also be able to create an account there instead of pogo if it's not broken).
To play online you have to have a working serial registered with your account.

[All credit to Lauren over at the official C&C forums]

[Most of the links don't work, ignore them]

Below is a list of common issues and links to the EA Support Site answers for them. The troubleshooting here will resolve the vast majority of game issues.

Following these steps also helps everyone in the Tech help process out. It eliminates common issues. Also if you note your posts that you have tried these steps it prevents everyone suggesting the same thing again. It also means that if you do reach the point where you need to contact our Support Team you can tell them some of the steps you have taken which helps them trouble shoot your issue.

This thread will also be updated with new trouble shooting steps as they become available.

First, make sure that your system meets the minimum requirements for the game. If you system does not meet the minimum requirements that game is not supported. Please also be aware that if your system only just meets the minimum requirements you may not be able to use some of the advanced game settings:

Note- You need to have Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars installed to install and play Kane’s Wrath.

The following FAQs may help you if you are having difficulty installing, starting the game, online connectivity issues or the game is crashing/freezing:

Custom maps problems

Refer to this post here on CnCLabs. This link actually works.

Please insert the correct CD' Error - SecuROM Conflicts

EA_2POC wrote:
If you are having issues with a ‘Please insert the correct CD’ error message, are seeing messages regarding emulation software, or are getting four digit error codes, you may either need to remove any emulation software and virtual drives, or update the SecuROM file for the game:

Please note that the update for the 'Original Disk' error applies only to Tiberium Wars and not to Kane's Wrath at this time.

Out of Memory’ and other Direct3D/D3D Errors

EA_2POC wrote:
If you are seeing an Error message: Direct3D error 0x0x88760827 (E_OUTOFMEMORY), or other D3D error (for example (D3ERR_DRIVERINTERNALERROR), please try the following:

1) Make sure you meet the minimum requirements for the game. Please note that Vista 64 is not supported:

2) Make sure you have the latest version of Direct X

3) End your background tasks before playing the game:

Error 1335/Cab file errors on installation

EA_2POC wrote:
If you are having difficulty installing the Kane's Wrath and are seeing a 'Error 1335' message or other messages that reference a 'xxx.cab' file please check the FAQs below relevant to if you have the DVD or EA Download Manager version:

DVD Version:
http://support.ea.com/cgi-bin/ea.cfg...?p_faqid=19480

EA Download Manager Version:
http://support.ea.com/cgi-bin/ea.cfg...?p_faqid=19481

You should also check the 'Securom' sticky thread if these FAQs do not resolve your issue:
http://forums.ea.com/mboards/thread....51485&tstart=0

Other Installation Issues

Elearen wrote:
Transfer error during installation
http://support.ea.com/cgi-bin/ea.cfg...p?p_faqid=8710

CRC Errors
These are a hardware problem and are usually bypassed by running windows in safe mode and installing from there.

Game has "Play" instead of "Install" in the EA Download Manager
This is cause by the game failing to uninstall, leaving traces on your system. You will need to do a manual uninstall:
http://help.commandandconquer.com/cg...?p_faqid=22722

CnC3Game.dat and CnC3ep1.dat Errors

EA_2POC wrote:
Unfortunately, these .dat errors are a rather generic error for the engine so they can be difficult to troubleshoot and resolve. They are typically related to a conflict with hardware or in the game files themselves. I am hoping that the errors you are seeing can be correlated with a specific cause and resolved since they are so prevalent.
----------------

Game Requirements
First, verify that your computer meets or exceeds all requirements for the game. Be especially mindful of the supported video chipsets; make sure that your video card is in the supported list! Remember that "new" and "high-end" do not always end up being supported when the game is tested to determine requirements; so don't take it for granted that you can run the game.

Tiberium Wars Requirements: http://support.ea.com/cgi-bin/ea.cfg...?p_faqid=14563

Kane's Wrath Requirements: http://support.ea.com/cgi-bin/ea.cfg...?p_faqid=19435
----------------

Ports and Connection
Some users seem to get this error if the game cannot properly connect online. This is usually not the case when the error occurs in campaign mode, but may help those seeing game.dat during multiplayer or those using EA Link.

Command & Conquer 3 Ports: http://support.ea.com/cgi-bin/ea.cfg...?p_faqid=14576

EA Link Ports:
http://support.ea.com/cgi-bin/ea.cfg...?p_faqid=11084
----------------

Drivers and Firmware
To resolve driver and hardware conflicts, make sure that your video card, sound card, motherboard, disk drive, and DirectX are all running the latest supported drivers and firmware.

Updating Drivers: http://support.ea.com/cgi-bin/ea.cfg...ted=1124387555

If you have an on-board sound card as well as a full sound card (the same goes with video chipsets) you may want to make sure the on-board (unused) chipset is disabled.
----------------

In-Game Video and Sound Settings
This issue may also be helped by changing the in-game video settings. Try adjusting settings such as Shader Detail turning it down or up (some have had better luck turning up the settings!). Adjust the other video and sound settings to see if this affects the issue. Thank you to WildInvincible for suggesting this and to Issvar for the correction.
----------------

Game File Corruption and Conflicts
Sometimes the error is actually related to game data. You can try moving or renaming the profile/save folder in My Documents called Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars. Restart the game and play through to the point where the error normally occurs; this will force the game to recreate the custom data. Unfortunately this will mean you lose access to your saved games when the folder is recreated; if this solution works, you can try moving your save data back into the working folder from the old folder and testing it again to make sure they can be moved safely. As long as you do not delete the previous folder, your data will be backed up.

If moving the save folder does not help, you should try a complete uninstall of the game. Once the game is uninstalled, try doing a search for "Tiberium Wars" and/or "Command and Conquer 3" on your computer so that you can locate and delete remnant game files.

Reinstall the game and then re-patch prior to playing.
----------------

Emulation Software Conflicts
There is a newer version of copy protection on the disk. Be sure to disable or remove all emulation software and virtual drives to prevent conflicts.

Disabling Common Emulation Software: http://support.ea.com/cgi-bin/ea.cfg...p?p_faqid=7854

Please note that some users have found that "EZ-Play" must be disabled in the Device Manager in order to properly run the game (for those who have it).

Cannot Connect to EA Online

Elearen wrote:
Please first remember to ensure your firewall is adequately configured or disabled and that your antivirus program is not blocking the connection. For simple step-by-step instructions doing this please refer to http://www.portforward.com

Reset the Gamespy routing info for the game.

* Hold the windows key on your keyboard and press the r button.
* In the run dialog box, type %APPDATA% and press enter.
* This works for both – XP and Vista.

Go into the game folder.
When in that folder you'll see the Options.ini file, it may be in another subfolder, open it.
Search for:

GameSpyIPAddress = xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (naturally there are other numbers)

To reset the routing for the game simply remove the whole line.
Save and exit the file and online should work.

Other Miscellaneous Issues

Elearen wrote:
GRAPHICS DRIVERS

http://www.filehippo.com/software/drivers/

Serial Code Issues

Locating your serial number EA Support link

Forgotten or lost serial code.
If you have registered your game with EA previously, then EA provides an online copy. Login to Account information.

If you didn't register your game and you have lost your code, you can order a new serial direct from EA, details here, but at this point in time it would be cheaper to just buy another copy of the game.

Serial key already in use when going online.
You need to use the original EA account details you used when you registered the game. If you no longer know the specifics you will need to go to support.ea.com and contact CS.
If you are trying to play a network game and get this message, please note that all players need their own copy of the game.

Game or entire computer crashes

Updating your .NET frameworks. Microsoft Link
This can fix some errors that may occur.

Access violation error.
This can be caused by a certain temporary file being marked as read only. Hold the windows key on your keyboard and press the r button. In the Run dialog that appears type %TEMP% and press enter. Right click and select properties for any .tmp files that are there. If any are read only, deselect that option.

Online Issues

Logging In.
Once you register your serial key then that key is tied to your account, to play online you will need to use your original account details.

Forgotten account details.
If you still have access to the email address that was registered with EA, then these links will help.
http://customersupport.ea.com/logina...tScreenName.do
http://customersupport.ea.com/logina...gotPassword.do

If you no longer have access to the original email address registered with EA, you will need to go to #support.ea.com and get in touch with a customer support rep.

Local Network Issues

One player is hidden from another and can't join games.

This usually happens when networking and one or more computers are running Windows Vista.
To fix this, on the Vista machine(s), go into the control panel via the start menu and select the Network and Sharing Centre. Scroll down, and under your Local Area Connection enable the following:
File sharing.
Network search and discovery.
After that, scroll up and ensure that the connection is "Private" rather than "Public". To change this, select customize.

Other Miscellaneous Problems

Graphical artefacts / strange flickering.
This is caused by not having sufficiently new graphics drivers.
EA Support Link

Runtime errors:

apt.pupil wrote:
x86 version(32 bit)
x64(64 bit)

Reinstall the installation InstallShield software.

1. Hold the windows key on your keyboard and press the r button.
2. The Run dialogue should appear.
3. Type C:\Program Files\Common Files into the text box and click OK.
4. Right-click the InstallShield folder, and select Rename.
5. Change the name to InstallShieldOld.
6. Start the game installation again to reinstall the InstallShield components with the newest version.

Video FMV's way out of sync or stuttering etc

Simply go to:

C:\DocumentsandSettings\(username)\AppData\Roaming \Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars\Profiles\(username)\Options.ini

Once there open the file and locate the line that says:

IdealStaticGameLOD = HIGH

Simply put HIGH, MEDUIM or LOW there something different than what is already there it should fix the videos completely.

Game Crash When Closing in with Infantry or When Trying to Start a Game

Guys this is a specific issue with some of the shaders involved with low detail settings and intel graphics.
I don't know which specific units / buildings trigger the crash but there is a workaround.

Go into your GRAPHICS detail settings.
They should all be on LOW.

Change the SHADER setting to MEDIUM.

That should fix your problem

Anonymous
13 years ago
Red Alert 3

[Copied frome here - all credit to apt.pupil]
Ok. i am building this thread here as a point of reference to anyone who has an issue that has been dealt with by the volunteers who dedicate time in this board to help others out. If you have anything to add, just ask me, and i will add it. I will also add new solutions on here more regularly

Also note that in some tech support answers, there are solutions for 64 bit Operating Systems. This is no indicator that EA supports 64 bit Operating Systems in their game, it just means someone else has encountered this problem in the past and has found a solution on their own
Custom Maps problems.
Refer to this post here on CnCLabs.

1.12 keyboard bug
Originally Posted by apt.pupil
Problem: Keyboard shortcuts become totally unresponsive

Solution: i Alt+Tab out of the game, then back in.

i know it is 5 seconds of the game you are not being fully attentive, but it sure is better than not playing using hotkeys
splash screen loading issues
Originally Posted by apt.pupil
Problem: There is issues with the game freezing/crashing on the splash screen. Common error with steam games

Solution:
for 32 bit OS:
open up this sequence of folders: C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\Red alert 3\Data\Movies
Then delete or rename this file: RA3_EA_logo.vp6
for 64 bit OS:
open up this sequence of folders: C:\Program Files(x86)\Electronic Arts\Red alert 3\Data\Movies
Then delete or rename this file: RA3_EA_logo.vp6

splash screen issue fixed
here is a video tutorial on removing the splash screen

I have installed Red Alert 3, but i can not locate my registry key
Originally Posted by apt.pupil
This is mainly for the people who have issues with their serial key. not so common issue, but here is a solution anyway:

the key for the game is in regedit

to open this, press both the windows key and the r button, and type in "regedit", then press enter.

then you need to open up HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software

for a 64 bit OS, you then need to open up Wow6432Node/
then(for both 64 and 32 bit) open up Electronic Arts\ Electronic Arts\Red Alert 3\Ergc

the key will look like this:

Name: (Default)
Type: REG_SZ
Data: (this is your serial key)
UPDATE: i have now done a youtube video:

Connectivity and internet issues
Originally Posted by apt.pupil
XP USERS

click on start menu

open the run command

in the run window, type " cmd "

in the command prompt window(it has a black backround with plain white text) type " ipconfig/all "

it will come with a bunch of results- what you want to see is your IP address.

type the IP address as you see it on the window- into your internet browser. do not worry about the http://www. part- since this will make your browser think you are looking for this on the internet.

the page that open up is your modem/ router configuration page. From here details will always differ for different modems/routers- but i will do my best to tell you where to look.

we are trying to go into UPnP(User Plug n Play), firewall, or port settings. this will generally be displayed somewhere in the main menu.

in there click on "create a new application" sometimes you may need to set the modem/router to allow for these, otherwise it will be set by default.

name the new application Red Alert 3 and below you will find port configurations. i will now describe to you what you need to enter.

port type: UDP
port range(the port number to and from fields will need to be filled with this): 8088 to 28088
click add(not save)
port type: TCP
port range: 28910 to 28910
click add
port type: TCP
port range: 29900 to 29901
click add and then click the save button.

you have now created permissions for the game to use the required ports for online gameplay. next step is to add this game to the excepted applications list. and to do this- you will need to highlight the application you made and set it to the list of allowed applications.

congratulations XP users- you now have configured your modem/ router to allow you to play Red Alert 3.

VISTA USERS

Vista users can do something similar, however there is a different path.

for the sake of getting this done quickly- you need to press the windows key(the one on your keyboard that has a representative image of windows) and the " r " key at the same time.

this opens the run dialogue. simply follow the rest of the XP instructions and you are set to go.

NB: some modems/routers allow for what is called a DMZ(De Militarized Zone) what this does is set your modem to allow all applications to access all modem/ router ports.
For the sake of security- i DO NOT recommend this, since it means backdoor trojans and other nasties will have an all- access pass to do all sorts of evil things to your computer. If you have DMZ activated- turn this off. There are also reports of not being able to connect to online games still after setting your modem as a DMZ.

NB: Vista users may find that the UAC(User Account Control) will also block the games access to online play. It may also stop the game from running, requiring you to start the game up again. To remedy this- you either need to be an administrator or have access to one. open the run command, and enter " msconfig " and before you press enter- make sure the text below the line you are typing into says "run as administrator". press enter. in this- you will find a program you should get to know and love- since this controls most of the basic windows admin controls- including which programs start up on computer boot. you need to go into the tools tab and scroll down to Disable UAC. highlight and click the launch button( a shame it is not a big red button tbh). reboot your pc and then open the windows security settings and select the "do not notify me of security problems" to get rid of vistas incessant nagging. To enable UAC and protect your computer from hidden intrustions again- go through the same process, but launch the enable UAC command

if you have any further questions, please post them here

for the people who want to know what the ports they are opening are responsible for, then read below:

TCP 3783 (Voice Chat Port)
TCP 4321 (Mangler Servers)
TCP 28900 (Master Server List Request)
TCP 29900 (GP Connection Manager)
TCP 29901 (GP Search Manager)
UDP 6500 (Query Port)
UDP 6515 (Dplay UDP)
UDP 13139 (Custom UDP Pings)
UDP 27900 (Master Server UDP Heartbeat)
how to reset the network IP address shown in the game’s network settings
Hold the windows key on your keyboard and press the r button.
In the run dialog box, type %APPDATA% and press enter.
This works for both – XP and Vista.
Go into the Red Alert 3 folder.

When in that folder you'll see the Options.ini file, open it.

Search for:

GameSpyIPAddress = xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (naturally there are other numbers)

To reset the routing for RA3 change these numbers to

0.0.0.0

Or simply remove the whole line.

Save and exit the file and online should work.

Mouse unresponsive or disappears during gameplay
solution: This appears to be related to your version of the .net framework being out of date. This is not an essential update, so it is not the first thing people think of to update, if at all.

how to check your version of .net framework:
Press Windows Key + R
Type
Code:
regedit
and press enter
Open the following folders in the windows Registry Editor
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
SOFTWARE
Microsoft
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And tell me the bottom .NET version number. I will place an image of what it should look like:

Currently the latest version of the microsoft .net framework is 4.0. It is a free download, and you can grab it here.
If that fails, a second solution is to go into your mouse options in the game and disable the mouse trails. Your mouse may disappear if you enable mouse trails, because windows will try and put trails on the in- game cursor when that isnt possible.

Video Issues
Originally Posted by stanash
I was having issues with the blank screen right after the splash screen, and could not, for the life of me, figure it out. Called EA Tech support, and they couldn't either. On a whim, I removed the movies from the data/movie directory, and the game worked great. Not seeing this as a good solution, I decided to replace my sound card (it's good, but lack of drivers that truly support Vista was a hindrance, and left me suspicious of the stability of the hardware.

I got the SoundBlaster X-Fi Titanium, and went through the process of installing, updating, etc. I replaced the movies back in the proper directory, and everything works great now.

I suggest that people look at your sound card. If it's on board, or old, or a no-name brand, you might look for drivers, or a new card.

This was a thread related to my problem...
http://forums.commandandconquer.com/.../list/195.page
Game performance slow/crashing
Originally Posted by apt.pupil
This can be indicative of not enough available RAM on your computer, or heavy use of page files. Recommended solution is to reduce the number of backround tasks, consulting this thread will give you advice on how to shut down backround tasks.

For more tips on how to make the most of your available RAM, consult this thread i made a while ago and archived on this website

Account Issues?
Originally Posted by apt.pupil
I am sorry, there is nothing we can do to help you here. any issues related to your account are best dealt with by logging into http://support.ea.com/ and posting a request ticket there. They make a concerted effort to reply within 24 hours, and in my experiences, they respond within a few hours
Originally Posted by apt.pupil
got a new one for here. though it is more for people who are wanting to find out latency.

i only just discovered these just recently, so while i am running some tests myself.

IP addresses Red Alert 3 connects to
Originally Posted by apt.pupil
The purpose of this bubble is for the people who are experiencing latency issues- basically to find out if you are lagging:
these are the following IP addresses EA uses for the Gamespy Server- which you are connecting to:

203.166.93.50
211.233.72.38
159.153.224.10
211.72.252.17

To find out if you are lagging online, you simply need to ping these IP addresses. Doing this is very simple and can be done on any OS without extra software, but following my usual traditions, i will only give windows instructions:

-Press windows Key + R
-Type "cmd" and press enter
-you will then see an ugly black box with white text and a blinking white line. this is the guts of windows- underneath the flashy mouse interface, known as the command prompt window. Type in ping *

In English, a ping is a command to your computer to send a packet of data to another computer connected to the internet, and then to get it back again. The time is measured in milliseconds- or thousandths of a second. the lower the ping score, the better.

a packet of data sent by the windows command prompt is 32 bytes of data. it sends 4 packets, and the time taken for each four packets is then calculated. results should look somewhat like this:
(image is being created. posting this midway to prevent data loss)

then simply check the total ping times for each of the listed IP addresses.
a ping time of less than 30ms to each server is ideal.
how to deauthorise a game installation:
Originally Posted by apt.pupil
-First of all, make sure you have patch 1.05 or higher installed(if you don't have it installed, download and install the latest patch from this link)
-open up the Red Alert 3 Control Center(if you don't know where that is- then press windows key + R and type the following in the inverted brackets:<RA3.exe -ui>
-click the Deauthorize button.
- Anonymous
  13 years ago
  Awesome compilation, awesome thread.
  
  Here's to everyone finding help in your messages sending some love your way. 🙂
- Partache
  12 years ago
  Account Issues?
  Originally Posted by apt.pupil
  I am sorry, there is nothing we can do to help you here. any issues related to your account are best dealt with by logging into http://support.ea.com/ and posting a request ticket there. They make a concerted effort to reply within 24 hours, and in my experiences, they respond within a few hours.
  
  Why the hell post the support link.
  It does not work, you cannot contact help via that link as there is no common sense to the menu you follow. For example, I have an original copy of C&C Red Alert 3, EA is now claiming FALSLY that I have reached a licence limit. I have no route for resolving this via the EA support link.
  This product is not listed, and the sub menu's have not been developed by anyone who should be working on such, they are appaling! Ergo I am getting no help to resolve an issue for a product I bought full retail upon release, and have only ever used here at home on my PC's.
  - Anonymous
    12 years ago
    The best method to reach our game advisors.
    
    You can contact EA Help via the EA Help website. Detailed instructions on how to use the EA Help service can be found here.
    
    Hope this helps! 🙂
- Anonymous
  10 years ago
  Screw you EA. Never buying another game tainted by your stupid ripoff logo.
  - Nyerguds
    Hero+
    10 years ago
    @ypsirhc: if you got actual specific issues, I'll be glad to see if I can help you, but remarks like that are kind of useless, since no one here except the top moderators have any real relation to EA. This forum is more of a players-helping-players kinda thing.