Punkbuster Error: MD5Tool Mismatch Troubleshooting

[jOHNNYdOUBE]

Oh, man, gOOD lUCK Kilroy...
and if you never come back
at least
............KILROY was HERE.......

[arn354]

I had 4 DDR sticks 512mb each for a total of 2GB of RAM. There was an error on one of the four sticks. So I started doing a memtest86 at least 2 complete passes on each of the memory sticks. I found that NONE of the memory sticks had any errors after 2 to 3 passes each. So I believe that one of my DIMM slots on the motherboard itself is busted. I ordered two 1GB sticks of DDR400 memory and got them in yesterday. I have fully tested with memtest86 and my two primary slots are good to go and so are the sticks. Full dual memory 2GB without error.

you will be back in business - believe me.

There was an error on one of the four sticks. I found that NONE of the memory sticks had any errors after 2 to 3 passes each. So I believe that one of my DIMM slots on the motherboard itself is busted.

As i said to you - if no bf2 runs md5gen probably uses the memory which is not corrupt - enough ram available.
If bf2 runs - bf2 uses your 100% correct memory and there is no more space left for punkbuster if he tries to take the md5hashes. If punkbuster has to work with corrupt memory he will fail to take a correct hash.

Corrupt memory or the slot on your motherboard doesn't mean that your computer is not running normally if using windows programs - the corrupt data are reread untill the correct ones are in ram. But punkbuster needs a one shot - one hit.
Punkbuster is as sensible like a virusscanner - partly even more.
You will not believe how many people are outthere who only know due to punkbuster that there system is not 100% working correct or is infected even if a virusscanner is used. They all now love punkbuster - because having that issue prevented them from loosing data completely on systemfailure or a worser virusinfection.
You don't have to love punkbuster, ok - but it is him who showed you that one memorystick or ramslot is not working correctly. You now had the trouble playin a game - but think about having a ramproblem in another situation you don't expect it. Perhaps you should check if there is a bios-update and on the manufacturer homepage of the mainboard if there is a ram compatibility list. But your buying of 2x1GB and just using 2 working raamslots will solve it.

Killroy you will be back on the Battlefield - you nailed down the problem for your computer - congrats!

And correct me or fed me with infos if you still have a problem - you are welcome mate

[squall6677]

Good luck Killroy, i see your at the same position i was in yesterday. there might be light at the end of the tunnel yet though, Spearhead seems to know what he's talking about, i acutally got onto the game yesterday and today without a kick, but im not going to speak too soon, yet the future looks good.

here is what i have done since the Re-format.

Installed BF2 (took 3 days to re-download from EA)
Patched up to 1.41.
Restart
Installed PR core
restart
Installed PR levels
restart
tested, Warning.bik activated.
installed PR patch
Restart
tested, Warning.bik activated.
installed BAT script (thanks deadfast)
tested, woot i could now play for an hour between kicks. i soon got fed up though
Un-installed THE LOT
Restarted
then after i almost gave up hope, i spoke with Spearhead and here is what happend:
Installed BF2 (didn't re-download, i still had the game in the EADM cache)
Restarted
Installed PR core (notice i didn't patch BF2)
Installed PR levels
restart (notice also i didn't restart between installing the core and levels)
tested, warning screen again.
Installed PR patch
restart
tested and once again, same issue.
backed up old shaders client (C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\bf2 shaders_client.zip (i copied this to another easy-to-find location)
copied the PR shaders client (C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\pr shaders_client.zip
Pasted into C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\bf2 (this overwrites the file).

tested...... works, so far.

i have not yet been kicked (played for well over 3 hours testing) but my connection is messing me about (thanks virgin media) so i cannot play to true potential and fully test all servers just yet.

hope this helps.

[kilroy0097]

jOHNNYdOUBE I won't be leaving anytime soon. I have certain obligations to the PR Dev team. I just won't be playing .756 if I can't get it to work. Which I miss terribly since I feel it's the best FPS Mod/Game out right now. If it was a professional release and it worked with less issues I would gladly shell out $50 for it just like any retail game. Which is why I had no issue becoming a Supporting Member. That's just IMO.

squall6677 it seems like the ole shaders_client.zip replacement fix worked for you. That was one of the first things I discovered and tried when I first started getting the MD5 shaders kick error. It fixed it back then for a few hours and then I started to get the MD5 levels client.zip Mismatch kick error. Which is the current issue I have right now. Anyone who gets the shaders_client.zip kick should immediately attempt the replacement fix if a simple reinstall of the game, mod and PB doesn't work.

Honestly for most people a reinstall of BF2, PB and the Mod will fix their issue. For the rest you have file replacement work arounds. And for the 0.1% of us who are unlucky enough to have bigger issues we have to start looking at HDD failure, Motherboard issues or Memory errors. I don't know what comes after that since I'm on the last possible step right now. I'll update on how that goes.

[Spearhead]

Yea if the game is working but only a few hours here and there and then sometimes a kick comes it looks to me like a little more complicated case. If something is wrong about the memory or HD I would expect the problems to occur for relatively random files. If it's consistently reporting a problem with the shaders_client.zip I would rule out any hardware faults since it's a very small file and not likely to be the first one reported as corrupted by punkbuster. My conclusion thus is:

If Punkbuster kicks frequently/consistently for the shaders_client.zip file it should not be due to faulty hardware.


If PB kicks for a wrong shaders_client.zip please make sure of two things first check the MD5 of the file (It's in BF2/MODS/PR/ for all new to this thread). I recommend using the MD5Summer the MD5 should be:

Code: Select all

ac2d7ffbbf9de308cc4515d50212232e

If the MD5 is correct but PB still kicks for this filethe next step is to see if PR.exe really replaces the file as it is supposed to do. The best way to do this is to start up PR with the PR.exe and then Alt-Tab out of the game (keep it running) and have MD5Summer check the MD5 of the shaders_client.zip in the BF2/mods/BF2/ folder. If PR.exe failed to replace the BF2 vanilla shader file it should be having the MD5 checksum:

Code: Select all

17e23343d4f4baed4706cb8b62631cbb

If this is the checksum you get while running PR then you have the problem that PR.exe is blocked from doing it's work. You can circumvent this by doing the replacement yourself (copy the shaders_client.zip from the MODS/PR to the MODS/BF2 folder. This will however prevent you from playing vBF2 or other mods online unless the original file is restored)

If the checksum matches with the first one listed here then you may have to delete your shader cache to apply the new shaders. Simply delete the contents of the \MY DOCUMENTS\Battlefield 2\mods\bf2 and pr folders to clear your shader cache. If done correctly the next time you load a map the game will display the message "Optimizing shaders".

If the checksum does not match any of the 2 numbers then your shaders_client.zip is likely to be corrupted and needs to be replaced by the correct file.

If someone has still any trouble with Punkbuster please report exactly which message you get and when. Also please do the two MD5 checks as instructed above and state your results.

Good luck on getting things running.

P.S: If anyone knows exactly which programs prevent our PR.exe from doing it's job and how to stop them doing so please post that here too.

[arn354]

Spearhead is absolutly correct in describing possible steps to get further.
His assumptions are fine with my knowledge and experiences.

People experiencing problems with pr.exe should login is administrator, disable UAC and try again.

If pr.exe does not his job, it's a problem of file-virtualization and UAC enabled. XP-SP2 compatibility mode and running pr.exe as administrator works for sure - pb will not kick. Granting full-access to bf2-folder for the used limited vista-useraccount easies things up aswell.

I really can't confirm that using EA-Store or EA-Downloader makes pr.exe not working. It is working fine here on multiple machines- all available vista-versions.
If someone shows me in a remotesession that he can't use pr.exe due to EA-Store or EA-Downloader - i start believing it. But unless that i persist on my own experiences (and of others) that pr.exe is working with EA-Store and EA-Downloader.

[Deadfast]

I really can't confirm that using EA-Store or EA-Downloader makes pr.exe not working. It is working fine here on multiple machines- all available vista-versions.
If someone shows me in a remotesession that he can't use pr.exe due to EA-Store or EA-Downloader - i start believing it. But unless that i persist on my own experiences (and of others) that pr.exe is working with EA-Store and EA-Downloader.

Rawkk couldn't use pr.exe with EA Downloader version on Windows XP.

[umop-3p!sdn]

I recently re-installed BF2 and am about to install PR again ...

I will say thou, before now, I was NEVER able to start PR with PR.exe.
It stated that BF2 was not present. I had them both in different volumes.
PR worked fine from the .lnk ... but not from PR.exe. I have no EA downloader or the like
I also am running XP.

I'll reply to this later after I re-install.
This time, they will be in the same volume.


THNKS FOR THE MD5 POST SPEARHEAD!!!!!
I'm going to noodle with the new install and see if there's much of a difference for me ...

[burghUK]

Ive tried all fixes i could UNDERSTAND but still i get black screen when i run pr.exe and then it crashes to desktop. Theres an easy fix to this.take the bloody pb checks off for the supression effect , its just silly so many people who love the game can't play because of a very small minority of cheaters.

Is there any fixes here for people with minor pc knowledge or are we doomed to play FH2 forever? cos that would be hell.

[Dutch(CAN)]

I agree with crackshot. I still get suppressed....usually I get my *** handed to me, however, all I can play is battlearena and I so desperately want to play TG.

C'mon GUYS!!!

[kilroy0097]

Um Black screen on startup and then crashing to Desktop is not a MD5 Mismatch Error issue. Hence try posting your own thread or searching for a similar thread and post your request for help in there. Please keep all posts in here related to MD5 issues.

Thank you.

[kilroy0097]

At the risk of jinxing myself I have fixed my issue. I have tested and played the game now for about 10 hours over three days. I have not received a single MD5 Mismatch error on any file.zip.

So after about a month of screwing with everything I could possibly think of here is the following steps I highly suggest when you receive a MD5 Mismatch error. These steps may only work for XP.

Having issues? First check this location to make certain you have installed and running correctly.

https://www.realitymod.com/forum/f27-pr ... ation.html


Are you gettings a shaders_client.zip mismatch error?

There is an easy duct tape fix for this. It may or may not work for you. To do this fix do the following:

1. Delete the cache data folder for PR. You can find this folder usually by going to
C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\Battlefield 2\mods\bf2\cache\
and deleting whatever folder is there. This will force re-optimization for the game when you load into a map again.

2. Make a backup of the following file by renaming the file adding .bak to the end of it.
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\bf2\shaders_client.zip

3. Then COPY C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\pr\shaders_client.zip to the previous folder in Step 2.

4. Restart Game and the problem may be solved.


Are you getting a warning screen after launching with pr.exe?

The Fix bat file can be found HERE

Another way to fix this might be to copy the pr.exe file located here:
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\pr\
into the following folder that also houses the BF2.exe file here:
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\
and then make sure you modify your shortcut to point to the new location of the pr.exe file.
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\pr.exe" +modPath mods/pr +menu 1 +fullscreen 1

You may start getting the warning screen if you have BF2 installed in a different location other than the default C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\ location. If you do then you will need to change your shortcut to demonstrate that change such as:
F:\New Path to BF2 Installation Here\pr.exe +modPath mods/pr +menu 1 +fullscreen 1 +restart

Still having unexplained issues? Then you may need to do a truly clean install of BF2 and the Mod PR.

The long fool proof way to fix most BF2 and PR mod Errors

If you are still having issues with the MD5 Mismatch issue then the next few steps are a bit more advanced but very necessary. You are leaving the basic first level fixes and entering the next level. If you do not feel comfortable doing the following then find a friend who can help you with this or take a little time and learn how to do it yourself. It will only help you in the future as this is only moderate second level diagnostics.

First you need to check to see if your file is being changed in some way and is not exactly what it should be after a clean install. Perhaps this is because of a corrupt file or perhaps a bad sector on your HDD or maybe your memory is giving out or it could just have been a bad install for whatever reason. So to double check the integrity of the file you should do the following.

[R-DEV]Spearhead has an excellent yet simply way to check. Find out how HERE

Remember that he asked for the checksum for both when you are playing PR and when you are not playing PR. Make sure you do both steps.

If the file has been changed in some way and the MD5 checksums do not match then you can either do "The long fool proof way to fix most BF2 and PR mod Errors" method above and see if it fixes it. Or you can try and do the following.

Suspect Virus or other Malware programs effecting files

The solution for this is obvious. Get your favorite Anti-Virus or Malware software, update the definitions and do a full scan from Safe Mode. You can get to Safe Mode by pressing F8 leisurely during the initial boot up of Windows.

If you suspect a bad HDD (Hard Drive) then you can do the following

My Computer -> (Right Click) C:\ Drive -> Properties -> Tools Tab
Click on Check Now in the Error Checking section.
Check on the option to, "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors"
Then click Start and let it run through it's entire scan.

For other alternatives not using the built in Windows application tool then you can go to this website HERE. I do not know about any of the software on that site so do a second check on your hard drive on your own.

Did your MD5 checksum values match and yet you are still getting seemingly random MD5 kicks for not only shader_client.zip but also map levels client.zip files?

If you have gotten to this level then you are at the point where I finally was at after doing everything above. Don't despair as this step actually fixed my problem.

First you will have to download the memtest86 .iso for your particular OS. You can get that application from the following website: Memtest86.com - Memory Diagnostic
You will have to burn this file to a CD as an ISO or copy it to a Flash Drive. You will then boot from this media and it will auto start the memtest86 application. Make sure you let it run so it has gone through at least 2 passes on your memory.

If it finds an error or hangs for a long time (minimum 10 minutes on the exact same thing) testing one part of it then you may have an issue with your memory.

To find out which memory stick is bad or if a DIMM slot on your motherboard is bad you will have to do a few things. Make sure you have a can compressed air to blow out any dust particles. Do not do this in a dirty environment and make certain you have discharged any static electricity you have by touching something grounded.

FIRST POWER OFF YOUR PC AND UNPLUG IT. THEN PRESS THE POWER BUTTON AND DISCHARGE ALL ELECTRICITY FROM THE PC THAT MAY BE LEFT.

Take out all your memory and then use the compressed air to blow out the DIMM slots. Then test each stick individually by placing one stick in the first DIMM slot. Then replug in your PC and run the memtest86 again. Do at least two passes on each memory stick making certain you do the power discharge I put in caps above each time. Once you have tested all your memory in this way and if each one passes the test then you have eliminated memory as an issue and must then test out the DIMM slots on your motherboard.

First plug in the first two memory slots. Most motherboards have dual channel memory and so you will have to test slot 1 and 3 or slot 1 and 2 depending on your motherboard. You must read the documentation on your motherboard to know which ones are dual channel. If the first two slots pass the memtest86 then you plug in the 3rd slot. Run the test again. Finally the 4th slot and run the test again. You should know by then which slot is broken and plan accordingly. If they all pass for some reason after all memory sticks are plugged in then it may be that you simply had dust in the slot that was effecting memory access. Try to run the game again and see if you get any errors.

If you do find a bad slot, like I did, then you may need to buy new memory in order to get the same amount of memory that you had before. Or you can simply run on less memory if you don't mind doing that leaving the bad DIMM memory slot open and not used. For my issue I had all 4 DIMM slots taken up by DDR400 512mb sticks. DIMM slot 4 on my motherboard was broken. So I ended up buying 2 DDR400 1GB sticks and putting them in Slots 1 and 3. Slots 2 and 4 (the broken one) are not used.

If you are still having issues and you have done EVERYTHING above then post in the thread and state you have done everything listed in this fix post. Don't lie to us. It will not help you and there are no other fixes. Do everything and then only post if still have issues.

Make certain you list in your post your Operating System, Computer Specs and your directory Path for BF2. Make you you mention if you over clocked anything as well.

I hope this fix summary helps some of you fix your issues.

Special thanks to arn354 for helping me out through PMs. Looks like he was right on the money and absolutely correct with the ultimate steps I needed to take with my particular issue.

Cheers.

[arn354]

Cheers and Congratulations kilroy!

Special thanks to arn354 for helping me out through PMs. Looks like he was right on the money and absolutely correct with the ultimate steps I needed to take with my particular issue.

Thank you - others in that thread were not so nice to me, but i don't care. A s long they don't accept that they have a local problem - they will never solve it.

Welcome back in PR Business

[kilroy0097]

Bump for the non-searchers.

[bosco_]

I'll ask to get it stickied...

[spitfiRe-]

Hi



Any Clue?


edit : happens all the time i connect on 10th moutain server and several other servers ( except for the HeroS server )

[Brummy]

Stickipwned.

[Jagular]

hint: type in console pb_logmd5tool 1 and you`ll see what server check from you

[kilroy0097]

Hi



Any Clue?


edit : happens all the time i connect on 10th moutain server and several other servers ( except for the HeroS server )

First I would give a simple file replacement a try. Ask someone who is not experiencing this error to host that exact file some place for you to download and replace your file with the downloaded one. If the error goes away then you are golden. If it comes back on the same file or a different one then you are showing the symptoms of deeper issues.

See this post for possible other solutions if replacing the file does not work. If you have already done everything in that post then we will attempt to troubleshoot something else.

[aperson444]

I have an issue where I get kicked because of a mismatch with: mods\pr\pr.exe