How to make Freelancer run under Vista (no connecting-to-server issue - it's not working at all)

bump

DirectX 11 is on this laptop. Might that be a / the problem? If so, what should I do? I dunno if downgrading is a good idea.

It sure does suck! I was able to play FL on this laptop, and now I’m not anymore :x

I found somewhting weird… I have tried to run the prog (freelancer.exe) as admin, by right-clicking it and then choose ‘run as administrator’. This didn’t make a difference.

But

It should also be possible to go into the properties and check an option under the compatibility tab ‘run this program as Administrator’. Yet, I cannot do this!! The option is there, unchecked, but I cannot check it! (This makes me wonder whether chosing ‘run as admin’ for the right-click menu like I described, actually did run the prog as an admin, as this option seems unavalaible.)

How is this possible? Overcoming this, might also be the cure to the overall problem, so I’d be happy with any input!

EDIT

I found out I had to torun on UAC to be able to check the 'run as admin’optieon. I did, and it did not solve the problem. I tried again in the XP compatibilty mode, with the same result.

NeXoSE wrote:
Startup FLServer.exe, When you see the Main window, click View->Console.

Normally it will start to “Server running, ready for log in.”(all green) and may trying to connect GLS. If any read line in console, that’s means you need reinstall the game.

If not, try this http://support.microsoft.com/kb/814551

Server seems to work (apart from not getting the list, but I don’t wanna delve into that at this point - first preventing the game from hanging my system when I try to launch it.)

Also driver seems okay.

This brings me to flconfigdatabase.txt The most recent (and in fact only) updated version of this, does not contain me video adapter. adding it manually also didn’t make a difference.

Can anyone maybe point me to a recently updated flconfigdatabase.txt?

I’m not even sure it’s in the video adapter… There seems to some fundamental thing missing from my laptop that was present before the crash and new install of Vista… I’ll go check for updates again (but I don’t think there are any that matter)
EDIT There is a .NET update per April 28, 2010. Don’t think it’ll matter, but I’ll try it anyway.

currican wrote:
Are you using Avast? If you are, that could be your problem as I had this issue before.

In February, of this or last year, Avast changed something that made Freelancer.exe hang; black screen. Off hand, I don’t remember what it was but, I do remember it was a change with the new installer + added features. I’ll have to search for the article sometime.

Those folks that have an installer previous to the update, will not have this issue.

Try uninstalling Avast, if that’s what your running, and install AVG.

Thanks, but I’m already using AVG

HeIIoween wrote:
Under Vista sp2?
I do not see problem…

What tells dxdiag?

I did run dxdiag, in the course of going thru some trouble-shooting list I found. Can’t remember specifics, only that DirectX 11 is on my laptop (I must admit I didn’t even know there’s already an 11. The years after FL I only played GTA and WoW).

Is there something important Dxdiag can tell me?

Wicked_Witch wrote:
I’m not sure if you already install/activate a mod?
If yes….Did you try first to startup Freelancer without a mod activated? Does it start proper than?
Deactivate the mod and make a new install of FL again and startup without any mod first. See if there is any problem already.

If it’s already not start proper there, maybe check audio drivers or still for the newest drivers for the grapic card. Vista reconize a lot, but that are not the original drivers from the manufactor from hardware itself.

If no mod… than forget my post

I have indeed activated a little OpenSP variation (to not run into the begin movies - it’s a mod that does work on other computer) but I also tried without. Yet, you are right it’s better to trouble shoot without any mod activated at all,

adoxa wrote:
Does windowed mode work (freelancer.exe -w)?

Is the -w part something I should put into the shortcut to freelancer.exe?

adoxa wrote:
Perhaps you need to edit PerfOptions.ini directly, to set a specific resolution?

I will look into it.

EDIT damned, there isn’t a search function in the right-click menu in Vista?!?!? Why the hell couldn’t MS just improve XP slightly and market that as the new windows? If someone is reading this now and knows the location of PerfOptions.ini, feel free to let me know. Meanwhile I’ll go browsing thru every subfolder :crazy:

EDIT Found it, in C:\Users\gebruiker\Documents\My Games\Freelancer

Problem SOLVED

Adjusting the scree resolution in PerOptions fixed it. It was on 1024x768, now it’s on 1280x800. Weird that the game does not fix this automatically.

So thanks (again) Adoxa!! And thanks other people thinking along and coming with advice.

@ Adoxa: I’d prefer that windowed mode. Should I indeed add the -w to the shortcut?

Btw My girlfriend is now nagging me, so I gotta go for now :oops:

:lol:

Gisteron wrote:
yea, that -w belongs into the shortcut either or you can add it to a command line for activating the application.

I can’t add anything (tried both the ‘target’ and the ‘start at’ line).

Btw there is an option to choose the window size under ‘run’, which is on ‘normal’ by default (or something similar - my OS is a dutch language version) I’d figure that ‘maximize’ would render a windowed FL, but it doesn’t.

:?

Gisteron wrote:
make your shortcut not read-only. target is the line you’d have to type the -w on the end…

Thanks Took me a few attempts* but I got it working now.

*(within the quotes, outside the quotes, with a space, without one. For other sods like me, reading this thread: it has to be outside the quotes, and with a space :roll:)

I had to turn my laptop’s resolution down to 1024x768, because the uppermost functions (the rooms at bases, cruise etc.) fell offscreen at my previous resolution :crazy: