The Ultimate Guide To Fix Launcher & Installation Issues

Hallo!

Without further ado, let's dig in... We're gonna start with the ground-zero basics.

1. Install Freelancer without patches (v1.0.0).

2. When installation is complete, go to your newly created folder (Freelancer) and right-click it, make sure to un-tick the box that says "Read Only" and apply to all files and folders within.

3. Repeat for the folder in Documents/MyGames, there's also a folder called "Freelancer" that needs this to be applied.

4. Install ModManager v1.31.

5. After ModManager installation, right-click the newly created desktop shortcut and force it to "Run as Admin".

6. Install the Crossfire Mod inside the mods folder of ModManager.

7. Repeat step 2 & 3 for your ModManager folder as well.

So far, you have not yet launched anything yet and you expect everything to work, it's a clean install... What we also have done is to allow all 3 folders to be written in, extremely important!

Below is where the problems may occur and how to solve them.

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First of all, notice there are some options during the activation step that is also presented in the Launcher, I suggest you use the same options in the Launcher as you do during activation.

Also check to see if the log in ModManager says > 'Crossfire Mod 2.0 Client Edition' succesfully loaded

Let's assume it does and continue... Otherwise you have installed the mod where ModManager can not find the mod or the files were corrupted during download.

8. Error while activating mod in the ModManager list.

The solution is to read the log on the bottom and see what caused the error. Sometimes if you deactivate the mod and re-activate it files goes missing from the game directory, like resources.dll.

9. Restart ModManager and see if the next activation tells you the same error in the log below, or if you get a new problem.

- If you notice it's the same file that's causing errors, manually go to the troubling folder and search for the file. If you can't find it, a simple "Reinstall" using the disc or ISO does the trick, there's no need to remove the entire game unless you get different errors every time you restart ModManager.

10. If the mod activates properly, you're good to go to "Launch Freelancer". Otherwise it's recommended to restart PC and repeat steps 8 & 9.

The mod should now be fine structure wise and no more problems should occur, but for arguments sake let's say you have been playing for a while or Crossfire is not the only mod you play on, you repeat steps 2, 3 and 7, and if new problems occur 8 and 9 as well.

(A side note from Lancelot; In case of a new Windows installation... He discovered that the Crossfire Installer did not install all of the C++ libraries properly in Windows 10, I'd recommend everyone to double check the required libraries during installation were installed properly and if required download them manually)

(If SweetFX does not work as intended you'd be recommended to just download an All-In-One package containing all the libraries and DirectX updates, just google it)

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Let's move on to the Launcher and it's problems.

The first time you open the Launcher it will install 1 file (idk what), and when you launch the game it should install somewhere around 400-500 files, these files will be located in /EXE. If you keep getting copy errors delete, move or rename this entire folder and reinstall game without removing it.

But before you launch the game make sure you pick the same options as you did during Activation of the mod to avoid possible conflicts.

THE ERROR CODE(S)

There are probably a lot of you who gets an error code every now and then and it's very strange... Let's make a list of when this can happen:
- After fresh install.

- After playing for a couple of days.

- After being AFK for an hour.

- After having another mod activated.

- After being kicked for base idling.

- After being kicked for possible cheating.

- After crash to desktop.

- After computer freeze.

Just a small list maybe, the reasons may vary but the solution is always the same...

1. Open ModManager and re-activate the mod just to make sure there are no new missing files, if so you repeat step 9.

2. If no files are missing during re-activation, close ModManager and go to the Freelancer game folder and delete/move the EXE folder if it persists and reinstall game.

3. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 7 as done in the section above.

Done.

This may seem like a long and boring guide but essentially it's all about missing game files, folders not allowed to be written in, and ModManager lacking administrator rights.

Always make sure the 3 related folders have "Read Only" unchecked.

Always make sure everything has administrative rights.

Always make sure libraries and files are not missing.

If you get this right, no more problems should occur the next time you launch the game as 99% of all the errors caused before the game runs is caused by a failing file structure integrity.

There's just 1 more thing you need to do and that is to copy your freelancer ID with either Freelancer Account Manager from ModDb, or saving the entire Freelancer registry by opening RegEdit and CTRL+F for "MPAccountNameSig", right click the Freelancer folder and Export to desktop.

PS: Always restart the launcher on a daily basis and server restart to avoid server conflicts.

I may not be active on the replies and will certainly not reply to anyone but those who have actual problems with the launcher or those who can't decode my poor English...

Quote from Martind Forlon

Beside making backup of your game accounts IDs (and here on portal is few tools which can do it for you (here and here ... this 2nd works directly with FL ID number) there should be not needed any manual manipulation with game files/folders. We have quite detailed guide for this mod installation in FAQ: here. It also have guide how to do reinstall faster or how to play more freelancer mods (included CF) on one PC. There is missing just one information and it is issue with last windows version release ... I will add there info about it too.

... the bigest problem happens when players are trying to do installation/activation things manually, things which should be done by this mod installer. If installer doesn't work correctly, then is practically assured that some part of this mod will be not installed and/or activated correctly and it will lead to character bans etc.

... restart game after server morning restart is advised right into game. There are multiple warning that this will happen if I remember it well. With server restart are applied changes to dynamic economy and universe which need to be applied to clients (players PCs). If they do not restart mod, then mod launcher cannot do updates and it lead to kicks and bans done by server anticheat mechanism (it happens automatically).

Edit by

Frequently Asked Questions - SWAT Portal - SWAT Portal

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In my experience among friends and other Crossfire players the game can suddenly stop working just by taking a break, or doing a relog.

It doesn't always have to be the users fault doing something to the files, sometimes it just stops working and the guide above is to prevent it from happening again if it already happened.

In my case after hours and days spent trying to fix the broken game I found a pattern that worked... All I had to do to mess up my game was to leave for an hour to go shopping, when I came back nothing worked, not even restarting PC.

So, the old guide is good but does not always apply. Consider this to be a complementary.

Quote from (IOC)Wanderer

The read-only box always remains ticked (filled, to be exact - like in the attached picture) because this attribute can only be changed for files, not folders.

Once you've removed the tick and pressed apply, some folders still remain read-only, but it doesn't matter as the files inside them are not write-protected anymore.

Yes, folder does seem to be "Read Only" even after applying but the files are not, check yourself and you'll notice that no file is "read only", just folders.

That's just Windows being stupid.

Quote from daDraga

"Microsoft Knowledge Base

If you click Apply changes to this folder only , the Read-only attribute is changed for all the files in the folder. However, the Read-only attribute is not changed for the folder, its subfolders, or any files in its subfolders. If you click Apply changes to this folder, subfolders, and files , the Read-only attribute is changed for all files in the folder and all files in the subfolders. However, the Read-only attribute is not changed for the folder or its subfolders."

Yes,i have read about,and i have tried everything,even disabled UAC,(and god knows what,maybe i f*** up something in that proces)but i am not pro in this kind of problem fixing.I have play Freelancer on WinXP in past,installed idk how many mods without any trouble,played 2-3 mods in same time. and for all of them recommendation was to install them on root drive (C),so that's why i wanted to install it there,and failed.After i changed install location all works. I am sure that problem was at my side of river and not in mod,but i dont know what was it.

That's how stupid Windows is for you, but the files should have this attribute removed when applying, and this is important for the Launcher to replace change files.
Otherwise you could end up with "copy error" while trying to launch the game.
Edit: You could also end up with errors during activation in FLMM.

Quote from SWAT_OP-R8R

The FLMM activation does not stuck... the process is still running eventhough it looks like not responding.

Agreed, it's a very large mod and while this process seem to get stuck, it's actually unpacking 6.5 gigabytes.

If anything goes wrong in this process tho, it is recommended to check the log at the bottom and repeat the process to see if ppl get the same error...
Same error means there's something wrong, but if you get an error just once or two different errors it could be due to a random hickup with the activation process, repeating the activation in LFMM usually works just fine if the game installation is clean and FLMM has the right version.