PB probs on new computer

[[JiF]Pvt. Harrick]

As I've stated b4, i got a new PC, and I cant get on the JiF server because i dont meet all PB requirements. I've already used every PB update I can find. Any ideas on this? Unfortunatly I'm stuck playing on my old, slower PC.

[[JiF]ALargeWoodenBadger]

Do you have a firewall blocking PnkBstrA or PnkBstrB?

[[JiF]Pvt. Harrick]

not sure. i'll have to check. that just might be it!

[Shalghar]

Firewalls must allow pnkbustera.exe, pnkbusterb.exe and pnkbusterk.sys to have full internet access.
If it is Vista or any other OS where only admin account has full write access to system files, you must run any punkbuster stuff with admin privileges.
Pnkbustera.exe MUST have full write access to your systems directories.
Often theres some components not starting or denying comms, when pnkbustera.exe cannot overwrite pnkbusterb.exe and pnkbusterk.sys.
Also try manually updating (downloading and saving manually) all those *.htm files in pb directory and installing with newest versions of pbsetup and pbsvc from game directory.
During install, which must happen on admin account, pbsvc makes legacy driver entries in registry. Without those entries not manually deleteable, pb will not work.

After install with pbsvc, there will be an option to "test services". should pb not work through the tests, post the log here and additionally open a "troubleticket" at evenbalance.com. It may take up to two weeks befor the first response and those first responses seem to be copied standard textblocks but for heavens sake keep calm and polite as with the first unfriendly word by your side, all your little chances of help there are reduced to zero as you will not get any response anymore there. Also you will not be given any information what pb really needs to run, as you could be a cheater or hacker.
Stick with them, they programmed that stuff. But do not expect to get real help there.

All that may fail though. Let us know what got you running.

[[JiF]LtWaterboy]

Pvt H,

have you also tried running pbsetup.exe manually? I think that this manual update process is still available.

try doing this if you havent & after you have checked your firewall setup.

sometimes the auto updater doesnt always work correctly for various reasons (like the firewall example).

hope you get it figured out soon...

LT

[[JiF]Pvt. Harrick]

Thanks for the replies guys. Computer is now fully functional thanks to you.

[Ron]

Starting PunkBuster Service Tests (v0.986) (01/15/09 14:18:15)
Checking OS
Windows XP (build 2600, Service Pack 3) 32-bit
Checking PnkBstrA service status RUNNING
Checking PnkBstrA Version OK (1029)
Extracting "PnkBstrB.exe" to:
"C:\Documents and Settings\Ron\Application Data\PnkBstrB.exe"
OK
Checking firewall settings OFF
Is PnkBstrA explicitly allowed?
C:\WINDOWS\system32\PnkBstrA.exe YES
Is PnkBstrB explicitly allowed?
C:\WINDOWS\system32\PnkBstrB.exe YES
Checking if PnkBstrB is running STOPPED
Getting port for PnkBstrA OK (44301)
Opening socket for packet send OK
Sending version packet to PnkBstrA SENT
Receiving version from PnkBstrA OK
Received 6 bytes from 127.0.0.1:44301
Response = 8016 (ms) Version = v1029
Getting PnkBstrB install instance OK
Sending start packet to PnkBstrA SENT
Waiting for packet from PnkBstrA OK
Received 3 bytes from 127.0.0.1:44301
Response = 16734 (ms) PnkBstrB started.
Load SUCCESSFUL.
Watching for PnkBstrB instance change (8) CHANGED (9)
Getting port for PnkBstrB OK (45301)
Sending version packet to PnkBstrB SENT
Receiving version from PnkBstrB OK
Received 5 bytes from 127.0.0.1:45301
Response = 0 (ms) Version = 2057
Checking PnkBstrK driver status NOT FOUND
Extracting new PnkBstrK to:
"C:\Documents and Settings\Ron\Application Data\PnkBstrK.sys"
OK
Sending load packet to PnkBstrB SENT
Checking PnkBstrK driver status RUNNING
Stopping PnkBstrK STOPPED
Deleting PnkBstrK OK
Checking PnkBstrK driver status DELETED
Manually stopping PnkBstrB STOPPED
Removing test PnkBstrB file OK

----------------------------------
Tests finished.
yea so thats my punkbuster log i am going to try letting punkbusterk thru the firewall, only time will tell if this works, i have spent over 3 weeks trying to fix this damned thing. regular bf42 works fine, but the mods like fh it keeps habitualy kicking me for no reason so far the only way to stop it is to uninstall then reinstall every few rounds..... any ideas

[[JiF]zougathefist]

..... any ideas

XP or Vista?

[[JiF]Djsmg]

Windows XP (build 2600, Service Pack 3) 32-bit

Atleast thats what the PB Service Test gave him.

BTW Welcome to the JiF forums Ron!

[Ron]

yea i love computers, at least when they work! please post soloutions here if you find any

[Shalghar]

Ok as with all strange PB behaviour first try to locate all files related to that software and try to remeber what pb said why you were kicked/disconnected.

There should be PnkBusterA.exe, PnkbusterB.exe and PnkBusterk.sys as the main components and all must have full read/write access (admin privileges that is) and must not be write protected.

Second source of failures is the *.htm files normally to be found in a subdirectory "pb".
In this pb directory, there are also some *.dll and some other files which also tend not to update properly or to be faulty from time to time.
(pbag.dll, pbags.dll, pbcl.db, pbcls.dll, pbsv.dll....)
Do not write protect this pb directory nor any of its files or subdirectories.

In my case the directory is to be found at:
D:\Programme\EA GAMES\Battlefield 1942\pb
there are three subdirectories titled "scrnshots","htm" and "dll".

pbgame.htm and pbuser.htm also cause issues with name tag stuff.
Should you have problems with using a nametag which is registered via punkbuster then the described problems with certain mods may also appear. Solution may be to delete everything in the mentioned pb directory (except scrnshots subdir) and re-registering your nametag via game console after you de- and reinstalled punkbuster with pbscv and then registered pb to the desired game via pbsetup.

Always make sure that pb entries in registry have been deleted by uninstall process of pbsvc. DO NOT use standard deinstall procedure provided by system as then the registry keys might not be deleted properly and since they are legacy entries you cannot delete them by hand.

If all fails or if you have to update parts of all that stuff manually every time, try creating a user "everyone" (not sure, in german windows it is called "jeder") and give this user full read/write access to everything pb.

Kicked for no reason surely is correct for most pb issues but you should be having a kick message appearing that i need to pinpoint the "cause" of your pb problem. (or to be more precise: to get some information about what pb believes to be wrong.)

"9006 ignoring queries", "service communication failure: pnkbustera did not start" or "O/S privilege" would be an example.

[Ron]

Yea thx for the info will try, i might have deleted punkbuster.exe from earlier version of game before d/l pbsvc and pb setup, but i aint trying to re-install bf and all the mods again i have done this many times lol .... i'll find something iam sure but when it rains it pours.....on bf42

[[JiF][AARP]Grimp]

Well it turns out my BF stopped working too. I decided to reinstall all of it as it was about time anyway.
It did not fix my issue. It's definately a PB issue. My game just crashes when I try and join a PB enabled server.

Faulting application bf1942.exe, version 0.0.0.0, faulting module pbcl.dll, version 0.0.0.0, fault address 0x0004c5a3.

I removed and reinstalled all the PB A, B stuff. Still no go.

I think it maybe another program or Windows update is not happy with the pbcl.dll running. Maybe stepping on something.

[[JiF][AARP]Grimp]

Well I know why mine does not work. It has a problem with F-Secure Security Suite.
I am not sure why yet. All the PB stuff is allowed but the game still crashes.
If I remove F-Secure it works. Reinstall and allow everything and it crashes on a PB server.
Noticed a forum where others are having the same problem with F-Secure and sometime in early December they acknowledged a problem with PB and America's Army game.
Funny it does not log any event, so maybe it's just the process of checking or scanning the PB dll that crashes the game.

[Shalghar]

Yeah sadly pb and its creators never tell you any real reason why it fails so it is always up to oneself to check which other software it deigns to dislike next.
That´s another reason for my HDD-Swap. Primitive solution for primitive malfunctions. And i will not crash or weaken my system just for one game.

All you can do after the mandatory new install of everything is to fire up your desired config bit by bit thus checking when pb begins to fail, which software or software component produces another mysterious data hiccup and then bow down to that "cheat protection" and tweak or disable the dirty firewall, WFP, non-admin-privilege and antivirus cheats.

Glad you made it on yourself though. My oldest eb troubleticket will have its first unresolved birthday in a month. 12 months of intensive customer care.