Beta 8...A problem??

[TosaInu]

Hello Jochi,

ZoneAlarm can be odd indeed. It suffices right now (for me) to just disable it. But in the past I was often forced to deinstall it completely.

Here's a zip version.
http://www.mizus.com/files/files/MTW...Wars-beta8.zip

[Jochi Khan]

Well I don't see how the problem can be the beta 8 because it only installed to one of your three MTW/VI installs. When was the last time you hosted an MTW/VI game? Maybe something else has changed in the interim.

Nothing at all has changed or been installed except the beta 8 since last hosting VI

I've been told that the Zone Alarm firewall stops the hosting of MTW/VI games even if you turn the firewall off.

That is untrue. Did you not read my explanation of how I have always hosted games with no problems with Zone Alarm on my PC just set to Medium in the Firewall section.

It is only since installing beta 8 that this problem has arisen.

[barocca]

i have to agree with Puzz,

installing beta 8 to One copy of VI will not and can not have an impact on the other copies.
files do Not get installed outside the VI directory tree.

something else is causing the problems, a firewall or anti-spy-ware program blocking the port,
or even malware hijacking the port

You may not even know it is there, drive-by malware is becomming more and more common, i had a run in with some myself.
The nastiest stuff like to make use of XP's "superhidden" feature to tuck itself away in plain site...

[barocca]

FOR EXAMPLE
if you have seen a popup like this

then it is quite possible you have malware on your sytem



B.

[barocca]

if you see ads like that one open TASKMANAGER
and kill ALL instances of explorer immediately from taskmanager

anything you do, click the red-x, hit cancel, close from the taskbar,
anything, will start the install process.
kill ALL instances of explorer immediately from taskmanager

B.

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

if you see ads like that one open TASKMANAGER
and kill ALL instances of explorer immediately from taskmanager

anything you do, click the red-x, hit cancel, close from the taskbar,
anything, will start the install process.
kill ALL instances of explorer immediately from taskmanager

B.

What you mean? Like the stuff under SYSTEM and that?


Well if so, to late for me since I didn't know what to end task out of extacly

[barocca]

if you see a popup like this one displayed below

hit the keys marked "ctrl" - "alt" and "delete" at the same time

that opens a program called taskmanager in a new window

there are five tabs,
applications, processes, performance, networking, users

hit/click the Applications tab

click on the Internet Explorer icons and for each one hit the end task button at the bottom off the window

if you do not understand any of this then go to majorgeeks.com and find their malware forum and follow their instructions.,
READ THE THREAD MARKED README before you post a thing in their forums.

B.

FOR EXAMPLE
if you have seen a popup like this

then it is quite possible you have malware on your sytem



B.

[barocca]

things that have caused me grief when trying to host MP online

(just listing everything that has ever blocked me from hosting)
(kinda like thinking out loud)

an anti-spyware package could be blocking the game from using ports

an anti-virus package could be blocking the game

i had a spare PC acting as firewall/router, i could find no way to port forward through it
(that was a software issue with the program i was using to emulate a router)

some routers need to be specifically configured to allow port forwarding
(some modern cable/adsl modems are also routers, usually they dont need
configuring when used as modems, but maybe they think they are a router)

one ISP i was with, their Proxy, i had to speficially name / address in internet explorer

another ISP Proxy i had to cut out of the "chain" as it simply would not allow the game to connect



there has to be a reason for your problem, if we can find it I will be very happy,
the more info we have on glitches like this, the better we can support people who want to play

cheers
B.

[Jochi Khan]

Thank you for 'thinking out loud' barocca.

I agree, the more things that people post that they have encountered or experienced, the more options people will have to help solve their problem/s.

It is frustrating but I will keep on trying until it is solved. The annoying thing is I have never had a problem with hosting any games in the past. All the Totalwar series.

Zone Alarm, AVG, Adaware and Spybot have always been running on my machines.

[Jochi Khan]

Today, a complete new fresh instal of MTW/VI/Patch2.01/Beta8.


Set ZoneAlarm-Medium Security (which allows hosting)

Windows Firewall Exceptions-Allow MTW/VI/Beta8

Router (BT Hub)-Game or Application Sharing-Port Forwarding 18322
-Firewall-Disabled

AVG-Disabled
I am now very close to minimum internet security..........

Logged on to Beta8..Hosted a game (correct era, japan, japanese. etc. etc.:o))..two players in the foyer assisting me could not see the game.
The three of us relogged a few times to rule out any problem there but still they couldn't see the game.

Just what else do I have to do to resolve this problem?????????????????
(this is an exclamation not a question :-))

SP custom battle plays great.

[Jochi Khan]

1. Please answer Orda's question if there is no problem.

2. Who discovered the LAN work around and why if there is no problem.

We enjoyed playing Samurai Wars (the 20Nov version) so,

if this cannot be resolved you have lost four potential players for this game.

[Tomisama]

1. Please answer Orda's question if there is no problem.

2. Who discovered the LAN work around and why if there is no problem.

We enjoyed playing Samurai Wars (the 20Nov version) so,

if this cannot be resolved you have lost four potential players for this game.

I first heard of the LAN work around years ago, and having nothing to do with Samurai Wars. I was only reminded of it recently when having a problem hosting a SW game, but it is not new.

I believe it is like the problem caused by playing a single player game and then trying to play multiplayer without rebooting, or loosing sync with the host's game when you do not have strictserver imployed. That is, it is a short comming of the game, and not having to do with anyones mod.

[Jochi Khan]

Hello Tosa,

Hello Jochi,

ZoneAlarm can be odd indeed. It suffices right now (for me) to just disable it. But in the past I was often forced to deinstall it completely.

I have never had any problems with Zone Alarm.

Here's a zip version.
http://www.mizus.com/files/files/MTW...Wars-beta8.zip

Is there anything different about this version compared with the one I downloaded from Yuuki's Signature?

[TosaInu]

Hello Jochi Khan,

Had it a few times with STW, maybe some versions. Red Orchestra had a problem with ZoneAlarm too (only a year ago). A complete uninstall was the only solution.

The one in Puzz3D's signature is the exe installer. I unpacked that and just zipped the mod files, ran another virusscan and uploaded that. When you unzip you'll get a folder called modfiles. Just copy the content of that to a VI install. So, same version.

[Jochi Khan]

hello Tosa,

Thank you for your help.

I will uninstall the Beta 8 game, make a new clean VI install and then copy the content of the modfiles to it.

[Puzz3D]

I will uninstall the Beta 8 game, make a new clean VI install and then copy the content of the modfiles to it.

Delete all the maps in \Battle\Maps before unzipping beta 8. Also, if you use the unzip built into Windows, unzip beta 8 to a temp folder because it will create an extra subfolder above the files being unzipped. Then copy and paste the files under that subfolder to your MTW/VI install.

The zip version of beta 8 is not going to fix the hosting problem. Something else is causing your hosted games to be invisible because even your unmodified MTW/VI doesn't work.

[Orda Khan]

Well I've read all the posts. I don't even have Z/A and I can't host either. My PC is brand new so either I'm the unluckiest guy in the world to pick up the same malware as a bunch of other guys or there is definitely something up with this mod

........Orda

[TosaInu]

Hello Orda Khan,

The game MTW has some features. You recall mismatch in projectile stats when you played campaign first and then MP? Tomisama says that this lan thing was an issue years ago, this mod didn't even exist back then.

It's software, the weirdest things happen. Maybe there is a part in MTW that locks another part (MP hosting module) as a side-effect?

I wouldn't iron out the firewall. ZoneAlarm is not the only program that can block ports and when a port is blocked, hosting is not possible. Just configuring a firewall (if that is the problem) doesn't need to solve the problem. Even disabling from startup doesn't do the trick at times. In those cases the firewall has to be removed and all traces of it.

Then there also is the delay in popping up. When I host (either MTW or a mod), it can take up to a minute before the game shows up.

Have you tried the lan reset?

Apart from the firewall, is there a router?

If you have a clean install of MTW VI, try hosting there and install the mod after success?

My current install is made using the same installer, I'm not aware of having done anything special, I can join and host.