Project Reality Forums

ive spent atleast 10+ hours troubleshooting and dealing with evenbalance support ticket

My error restriction service communication failure pnkbstrb .exe

Ill give you all the info on what ive done so far

I was told on PR clan CIA forums to go here because you guys know what your doing

Running windows XP W/ SP3
Have added PnkBstrA.exe plus PnkBstrB.exe added in firewall exceptions
Downloaded latest updates and files from PBsetup/PBsrvc
No anti-virus of any kind

Long story info on my issue (dont have to read but give full details)

Even Balance Technical Support - Update a Trouble Ticket

Ive reinstalled BF2/PR/PB setup many times I still get the same error.

PnkBstrA.exe plus PnkBstrB.exe are in my process list after fresh install after reboot
**** as soon as I open BF2/PR mod before I join a server PnkBstrB.exe is no longer in my process list.

My error when running PBsrvc test is
PnkBstrA.log: ettings\Application Data\PunkBuster\BF2\pb\PnkBstrB.exe does not contain a valid certificate; Load denied.
[09.10.2012 17:28:57] ERROR: Too many failed certificate verifications (C:\WINDOWS\system32\PnkBstrB.xtr); Load denied.


The test shows green before I run a PB enabled game, after I get kicked and exit the game only does the red flags show in the test....

I am running a fresh install of windows XP With SP3 and have all hardware and software updated drivers.

One reply from my web support ticket told me to run Look2me destroyer scan and a root kit scan and found 0 threats or infection...

any Ideas? thank you for reading I really appreciate any suggestions. I have loved PR mod since the very first versions. I hope to get playing again soon

thank you thank you

A forum admin will probably move this to the tech support subforum soon,

READ POST 5 BELOW, it has the correct fix!!!!!!!!!

first off, are you running on a Windows administrator account or not?

This is from Win7 but it's similar in XP
Notice the different permissions between a admin acct and a user acct, you want the admin level of privileges, all 5 of the checked options...





NO.2

login as an Administrator user,
1. open Windows Explorer and browse to c:\windows\system32
64 bit, you need to browse to c:\windows\syswow64
2. scroll down and find PnkBstrA.exe - PnkBstrB.exe,
3. right-click PnkBstrA.exe - PnkBstrB.exe and choose Properties.
4. click the Compatiblity tab.
5. click the button "Change settings for all users".
6. click the checkbox for "Run this program as an administrator".
7. click the "Ok".
8.Restart your PC

Also, if you installed a slimmed down version of WinXPSP3, there is a windows service required for punkbusterB to run correctly.

I forgot what it is at the moment, but let me know if you slimmed down your XP instll using nLite or RyanVM Integrator or similar, before I go and hunt down which service is required for punkbuster that is regularly removed from nLite slipstreamed install images.

run-> msconfig - check services tab and look for punkbuster/s

Its pretty rare for it to get disabled but it has happened to me in the past somehow and if it is disabled, nothing else will get punkbuster going for you.

I found the solution,
EvenBalance got a new Windows Certificate in April or May of 2012.
2 ways to fix this,
1. Please run Windows Update and make sure to install ALL updates it finds (especially the root certificate update).

2.
Seem to be solved here, so solution is the certificate issue described on top of this page.
But for those who do not want to install to much strange things there is another solution.

Look into your punkbuster systemlogfile shown in.
/windows/system32/logfile/punkbuster

If PnkBstrA.log says : "Too many failed certificate verifications (C:\WINDOWS\system32\PnkBstrB.xtr); Load denied."

Find the File: system32\PnkBstrB.xtr . Rightclick and >properties> Digital Signatures(tab) > Details > View Certificates > Install Certificate. That should do it , it did here. Even if the window still says "windows does not have enough information to verify this certificate."

More info and the full solution can be found here"
[PunkBuster] Report your problems here - Forum - Battlefield Play4Free - Free FPS Online Action!

EDIT: Direct download and more info to verify you get correct update:

After ours of investigation I found a possible resolution for some players.

Microsoft OS has rolled out April 2012 new certifications in its update. GET THE FIX HERE:
Download: Update for Root Certificates For Windows XP [April 2012] (KB931125) - Microsoft Download Center - Download Details

maybe punkbuster try to certificate punkbuster K/B with them.

Look into your punkbuster systemlogfile shown in.

/windows/system32/logfile/punkbuster

Quick detailsVersion: 931125 Date published: 4/16/2012
Change language:
KB articles: KB931125
File name Size
rootsupd.exe 378 KB

'[R-COM wrote:LITOralis.nMd;1813309']A forum admin will probably move this to the tech support subforum soon,

READ POST 5 BELOW, it has the correct fix!!!!!!!!!

first off, are you running on a Windows administrator account or not?

This is from Win7 but it's similar in XP
Notice the different permissions between a admin acct and a user acct, you want the admin level of privileges, all 5 of the checked options...





NO.2

login as an Administrator user,
1. open Windows Explorer and browse to c:\windows\system32
64 bit, you need to browse to c:\windows\syswow64
2. scroll down and find PnkBstrA.exe - PnkBstrB.exe,
3. right-click PnkBstrA.exe - PnkBstrB.exe and choose Properties.
4. click the Compatiblity tab.
5. click the button "Change settings for all users".
6. click the checkbox for "Run this program as an administrator".
7. click the "Ok".
8.Restart your PC

Yes i am logged in as admin in XP, and no XP does not have those tabs under properties

[R-COM]LITOralis.nMd wrote:Also, if you installed a slimmed down version of WinXPSP3, there is a windows service required for punkbusterB to run correctly.

I forgot what it is at the moment, but let me know if you slimmed down your XP instll using nLite or RyanVM Integrator or similar, before I go and hunt down which service is required for punkbuster that is regularly removed from nLite slipstreamed install images.

I have original XP SP3 full version installed, thank you for your suggestion.

[R-COM]LITOralis.nMd wrote:run-> msconfig - check services tab and look for punkbuster/s

Its pretty rare for it to get disabled but it has happened to me in the past somehow and if it is disabled, nothing else will get punkbuster going for you.

everything is enabled, PnkA and Pnk B

'[R-COM wrote:LITOralis.nMd;1813319']I found the solution,
EvenBalance got a new Windows Certificate in April or May of 2012.
2 ways to fix this,
1. Please run Windows Update and make sure to install ALL updates it finds (especially the root certificate update).

2.
Seem to be solved here, so solution is the certificate issue described on top of this page.
But for those who do not want to install to much strange things there is another solution.

Look into your punkbuster systemlogfile shown in.
/windows/system32/logfile/punkbuster

If PnkBstrA.log says : "Too many failed certificate verifications (C:\WINDOWS\system32\PnkBstrB.xtr); Load denied."

Find the File: system32\PnkBstrB.xtr . Rightclick and >properties> Digital Signatures(tab) > Details > View Certificates > Install Certificate. That should do it , it did here. Even if the window still says "windows does not have enough information to verify this certificate."

More info and the full solution can be found here"
[PunkBuster] Report your problems here - Forum - Battlefield Play4Free - Free FPS Online Action!

EDIT: Direct download and more info to verify you get correct update:

YES this sounds like it should work, I will test after my online match on ESEA, I actually updated my certs before I got on this forum but i havent tested it out yet, I thought XP was done updating but theres 20 new updates Im Downloading ATM


i CANT BELIEVE evenbalance support told me to do all those things when the error says it all............. and i haven't checked it before


thank you so much I will let you know if it works tonight

Mustard20048 wrote:YES this sounds like it should work, I will test after my online match on ESEA, I actually updated my certs before I got on this forum but i havent tested it out yet, I thought XP was done updating but theres 20 new updates Im Downloading ATM


i CANT BELIEVE evenbalance support told me to do all those things when the error says it all............. and i haven't checked it before


thank you so much I will let you know if it works tonight

and sorry forum mod. had to move my thread, I looked thru the different forum subjects and the closet one was i saw was BF2 PR bugs not tech and support :X so i did general

Let us know how it works, and welcome to the PR forums,

We had this certification problem repeatedly show up for the last two weeks of April and I forgot about it until now, not that many people are installing new images of XP at this point.

Please post back here if it fixes the problem or not, so I can help the next guy who comes along with a similar issue,

regards

[R-COM]LITOralis.nMd wrote:Let us know how it works, and welcome to the PR forums,

We had this certification problem repeatedly show up for the last two weeks of April and I forgot about it until now, not that many people are installing new images of XP at this point.

Please post back here if it fixes the problem or not, so I can help the next guy who comes along with a similar issue,

regards

Sadly It did not fix the problem, I am going to try a full Uninstall of all BF2/PR files and registry files.......

I Installed Root certificates for PnkBstrA.exe / PnkBstrB.exe / PnkBstrB.xtc / PnkBstrB.xto

and no change

I am going to try to follow this
https://www.realitymod.com/forum/f27-pr ... post653667


please post if you have anymore suggestions I will try before I uninstall everything

Mustard20048 wrote:Sadly It did not fix the problem, I am going to try a full Uninstall of all BF2/PR files and registry files.......

I Installed Root certificates for PnkBstrA.exe / PnkBstrB.exe / PnkBstrB.xtc / PnkBstrB.xto

and no change

I am going to try to follow this
https://www.realitymod.com/forum/f27-pr ... post653667


please post if you have anymore suggestions I will try before I uninstall everything

I also installed every windows update, including the root fix , I reinstalled windows in augest so i should of had that april root fix right? i tried to DL that update anyways and it says my genuine is out of date and it doesnt give me any options but i should have it anyways

ALSO i view the certificates for pnkbstr and there dates say only vaild till 7/7/12 -7/14/12 ?????