DISCLAIMER - the following information is provided AS-IS. If it helps you and allows you to play the game - GREAT!
If not, then at least I tried...
Here's how to get GoW for Windows to run stable (I tested this by playing the ENTIRE game through from start to finish)
Bear in mind that this guide is written to get the game to run on an SM2.0 GFX card (Radeon 9500, etc...) so your milage may vary with the video settings section.
If you cannot find what you're looking for in my guide, there is a second guide by "GearsHelper" over here:
http://forums.epicgames.com/showthread.php?t=607234
Step 1 - the prerequisites
===================
I have recently upgraded my PC, so I had the fortune of starting with a clean O.S. install.
I'm not sure if you REALLY need a clean O.S. install - but it 'might' help.
GRAPHICS SECTION
===============
1) Download the latest drivers from nVidia or ATI.
(ATI Users be SURE to download the drivers WITHOUT ATI Control Centre
i.e. DRIVERS ONLY)
http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx
http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us
(for nVidia users running the game in
DX9 mode - Forceware 177.79 is recommended)
1a) ATI users should then download ATI Tray tools
http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=733
or the BETA from HERE:
http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=275077
2) Download the latest SDK for Direct X 9. [FULL - MAR 2009 (514MB)]
(this can help with stability issues on DUAL CORE systems)
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Program...ment-Kit.shtml
3) Download the Latest Microsoft XML updates for XML v4 and v6.
XML v4
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en
XML v6
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en
Install ALL of this stuff
OPTIONAL 3rd Party Drivers
=====================
Optionally you can also go to:
http://www.omegadrivers.net
And try the latest ATI OMEGA drivers. However, its recommended to use the manufacturers drivers if running a dual core system. (helps with stability)
(nVidia users take note that there are now NEW OMEGA drivers for your cards too!)
== end of optional 3rd party drivers ==
Be sure that you have all of your other drivers installed too - including any drivers for a "dual core" CPU (if you own one).
AMD Dual Core miniguide
==================
Here's a MIRROR of where to get the "WinXPDUALCoreHotfix.exe"
...along with a .REG file that implements the correct registry keys...
http://gothicintw.pbwiki.com/%EF%BC%...B8%AD%E5%B8%96
Also, here's the GUIDE:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...ad.php?t=81429
On a side note (not REALLY related, but useful)
Here's a MIRROR for the ULi INTEGRATED 2.13 drivers that are required to get stable AGP operation on ULi chipset boards...
http://www.majorgeeks.com/ALi_Integr...ver_d4463.html
And for those with ULi boards - here's a link to a FAQ on the "ASRock 939 Dual V-SATA 2"...
I know it's just for that board, but some of the info is general to ULi chipset boards:
http://my.ocworkbench.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=40579
Note that this applies to the 'normal' X32 version of WinXP. The X64 version should not require these fixes...
!!!WARNING - WARNING - WARNING!!!
It has been noted (and I have also experienced this first hand) that on SOME systems the:
"AMD Dual Core Optimiser"
...can cause random freezing.
To test this out, you should use a stress test program such as Si-Soft Sandra.
1) Select the "burn-in" test.
2) De-select the following...
HDD Test
DVD/CD Test
Network Test
3) Set the test to run 20 times.
If it makes it through 20 times, you're in the clear. If it hangs - then uninstall the AMD Dual Core Optimiser.
== end of AMD dual core miniguide ==
Then be sure to download and install the following
nVidia PhysX System Software (latest version)
http://www.nvidia.com/object/physx_9.09.0428_whql.html
vcredist_x86.exe (SP1 2005 release)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en
vcredist_x64.exe (SP1 2005 release) - NOTE: 64-bit O.S. users need both! 32-bit users need just the first one...
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5
http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...dotnetfx35.exe
Games for Windows Live Redistributable (latest version)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...b-8f781ad50bd0
OpenAL
http://developer.creative.com/articl...&top=38&aid=46
After installing these, download and install these:
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package (x86)
http://www.microsoft.com/Downloads/d...displaylang=en
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package (x64) - NOTE: 64-bit O.S. users need both! 32-bit users need just the first one...
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en
Audidgy Sound
===========
Audidgy users may want to try THESE drivers:
http://nomoregoatsoup.wordpress.com/...niel-kawakami/
Non GoW related Dual Core system issues
===============================
Another hiccup that may happen...
If installing ANY of the "Blindwrite" software, this may cause a system lockup due to the "pcoufin.sys" driver.
If you MUST use this software (like me)...
1) Install it
2) Go to SAFE MODE
3) Copy all the files from the program folder to a temporary folder
4) Uninstall the software
5) Rename the temporary folder to "Blindwrite"
6) Reboot into normal mode
7) Install "Force ASPI 1.17"
http://www.radified.com/ASPI/forceaspi.htm
8.) Enjoy this burning software without lockups
Step 2 - Installing GoW "correctly"
=========================
Put your GoW disc in your DVD drive and start the installer.
Click on "More options"
Un-click the box that says "Launch GoW"
Click the box that says "Install Editor"
Change the installation folder location to either "C:\Gears of War" or if you have many drives...e.g. "F:\Gears of War"
(whichever you prefer - just NOT in program files)
Dowload the "titleupdate" v1.3 patch and install it.
http://www.filefront.com/GearsPC+TU3.../fileinfo.html
Note - V1.3 fixes the error "You cannot run this game with modified executable code, please reinstall"
(For those of you with flakey DVD drives, YES there is a "no-dvd" crack for V1.3 - and NO, I will not tell you where to get it!)
Step 3 - preparing the GoW directory
===========================
In windows Explorer go into your Gears of War "binaries" folder - e.g. c:\Gears of War\Binaries"
Create a folder called "original"
Create a folder called "no-live"
Now copy/paste the file "WarGame-G4WLive.exe.cfg" into each folder.
Go into the "no-live" folder and open the "WarGame-G4WLive.exe.cfg" with notepad.
Delete the following line and save the file:
<Liveconfig xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/XBOX/LIVE/LIVECONFIG/2007/01">
Step 4 - ramp it down
================
Now it's time to launch the game and change some settings.
Log in with an offline profile for Windows Live (if you haven't got one - make one)
In Audio Settings, set "Audio Effects" to OFF. (important! helps prevent crashing/stuttering)
In Video Settings, set the following:
Resolution = 400x300
Full Screen = OFF
Postprocessing Display Settings = Vivid
Postprocessing Quality = Medium
Texture Quality = Lowest
Carachter Detail = Low
Visual Effects = Low
Decal Quality = None
Shadow Quality = Low
Vsynch = ON (important! helps prevent crashing/stuttering)
DX 10 AA = OFF
When asked to confirm the changes, please do so.
Once you have done all this - quit the game to make sure the changes are saved.
Final step - disable Windows Live
========================
Now go back to your "C:\Gears of War\Binaries\no-live" folder and copy/paste the file from here into your "Binaries" folder.
This lets you run GoW without the horrible Windows Live crashes...the disadvantage?
You cannot save or change game settings without being logged into a Windows Live account.
(you can copy the file from your "C:\Gears of War\Binaries\original" folder to your "Binaries" folder to restore Live functionality - if you ever want to change the video settings in future).
Note:changing controls is pointless - as they are always default without a Live account.
Also, going into the controls menu and back to the main menu with Windows Live disabled will permanently MUTE the sound. The only way to get it back is to quit and restart the game.
Now that you have disabled Windows Live - run the game and test. If it plays for more than 30 minutes...congrats it works!
Be sure when running the game that it is the FIRST thing you run after a clean boot.
Recommended video settings for older cards
=================================
This is just an example, here are my system specs and the settings I use.
Specs
------
Athlon X2 4400+
2GB DDR 400
Radeon 9700 Pro
Recommended settings for this PC
---------------------------------
In Audio Settings, set "Audio Effects" to OFF. (important! helps prevent crashing/stuttering)
In Video Settings, set the following:
Resolution = 800x600
Full Screen = ON
Postprocessing Display Settings = Vivid
Postprocessing Quality = Medium
Texture Quality = Medium
Carachter Detail = Medium
Visual Effects = Medium
Decal Quality = None
Shadow Quality = Low
Vsynch = ON (important! helps prevent crashing/stuttering)
DX 10 AA = OFF
Addendum - Preferences, Custom Maps Bug Fix
===================================
If you start the game using the Play button on the Autorun screen, you may experience the following issues:
Personal preferences (for example, resolution settings) are lost
Custom maps do not appear on the map list
To fix this problem:
Go to Start, click Run, type “regedit,” and then press Enter to launch the Registry Editor
Go to the following registry entry: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\Gears of War\]
Change the “SetupPath” value so that the word “binaries” is capitalized. For example: “C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Gears of War\binaries\” becomes “C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Gears of War\Binaries\”
for VISTA this is:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\ Microsoft Games\Gears of War
(this section taken from official GoW PC homepage)
MISC Fixes
========
Here are some other fixes you can try to stop the game crashing
#1
===
If you have installed the Alky Project DX10 for WinXP.
http://www.technospot.net/blogs/down...-alky-project/
Delete the files nucleas.dll and dxgi.dll from the windows/system32 folder.
#2
===
Run regedit from the RUN command in the start menu and find the following Registry key.
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management
Change "Paged Pool Size" to a HEX value of "FFFFFFFF" (eight Fs)
#3
===
Disable indexing service (helps with stuttering issues)
Check out this guide:
http://lifehacker.com/software/optim...-xp-031440.php
Be sure to turn off indexing for each hard disc on your PC before you disable the indexing service.
#4
===
Be sure to update your sound card drivers to the most recent release.
For those of you having issues with Sound Blaster drivers - you might want to ditch the Creative drivers and try the (much better in my opinion) KX Project Drivers.
http://kxproject.lugosoft.com/index.php?skip=1
#5
===
If you are running Windows Vista SP1 then try disabling DEP (Data Execution Protection)
http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/1261/...lorer_crashing
#6
===
If you are experiencing map crashes in Vista, try the following
Go to : C:\Documents and Settings\[your username]\My Documents\My Games\Gears of War for Windows\WarGame\Config\WarEngineUserSettings.ini
Make backup of the original Texture LOD Settings and the paste the following:
Code:
[TextureLODSettings]
TEXTUREGROUP_World=(MinLODSize=128,MaxLODSize=1024,LODBias=1)
TEXTUREGROUP_WorldNormalMap=(MinLODSize=128,MaxLODSize=512,LODBias=1)
TEXTUREGROUP_WorldSpecular=(MinLODSize=128,MaxLODSize=512,LODBias=1)
TEXTUREGROUP_Character=(MinLODSize=128,MaxLODSize=1024,LODBias=1)
TEXTUREGROUP_CharacterNormalMap=(MinLODSize=128,MaxLODSize=512,LODBias=1)
TEXTUREGROUP_CharacterSpecular=(MinLODSize=128,MaxLODSize=512,LODBias=1)
TEXTUREGROUP_Weapon=(MinLODSize=128,MaxLODSize=1024,LODBias=1)
TEXTUREGROUP_WeaponNormalMap=(MinLODSize=128,MaxLODSize=512,LODBias=1)
TEXTUREGROUP_WeaponSpecular=(MinLODSize=128,MaxLODSize=512,LODBias=1)
TEXTUREGROUP_Vehicle=(MinLODSize=128,MaxLODSize=1024,LODBias=1)
TEXTUREGROUP_VehicleNormalMap=(MinLODSize=128,MaxLODSize=512,LODBias=1)
TEXTUREGROUP_VehicleSpecular=(MinLODSize=128,MaxLODSize=512,LODBias=1)
TEXTUREGROUP_Effects=(MinLODSize=128,MaxLODSize=1024,LODBias=1)
TEXTUREGROUP_Skybox=(MinLODSize=128,MaxLODSize=1024,LODBias=1)
TEXTUREGROUP_UI=(MinLODSize=128,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
TEXTUREGROUP_LightAndShadowMap=(MinLODSize=128,MaxLODSize=1024,LODBias=1)
TEXTUREGROUP_RenderTarget=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)
Once you save the new file, run the game - then exit. Reboot your PC and run the game again to play.
#7 fix for "This Display does not meet the minimum requirements"
================================================
If your DPI on your desktop is set to a number other than non-normal you will get this error and cannot play GEARS.
e.g. 125% = non normal
Change it back to 100%
#8 more on stuttering
================
Go to : C:\Documents and Settings\[your username]\My Documents\My Games\Gears of War for Windows\WarGame\Config\
WarEngineUserSettings.ini
DefautEngineUserSettings.ini
Make backup of the original files
Paste this into each file:
[Engine.ISVHacks]
bInitializeShadersOnDemand=True
DisableATITextureFilterOptimizationChecks=True
UseMinimalNVIDIADriverShaderOptimization=True
PumpWindowMessagesWhenRenderThreadStalled=True
You can also edit the following line in BOTH files:
!!!WARNING May cause crashing - even if it does make things smoother!!!
OneFrameGPULag=TRUE
so it reads...
OneFrameGPULag=FALSE
Then right click on the game shortcut and in "compatibility" check the box "disable visual themes". If running Vista, set compatibility to "Windows XP" and "Administrator".
#9 Monitor "Out of Range" (black screen on game start)
=========================================
If you can HEAR the game but not see it, do the following.
Go to the start menu and click on RUN.
Type "dxdiag" (no quotes) and click OK.
In DXDiag click the "More Help" tab and then click "Override".
Click "Override Value" and type in 60 for the value.
Click OK, Click EXIT.
Run the game and enjoy!
#10 EXTREMELY low FPS (1 or 2 FPS)
============================
This can be due to background tasks...to fix it...
From windows "Run" menu, type "msconfig" (no quotes) OK.
Click the startup tab, disable all and reboot.
On reboot test GEARS to check your FPS.
If they are fast, then one of your startup programs is causing the issue.
You will now have to re-enable your startup programs one-by-one until GEARS has FPS issues again...then you have found the culprit!!!
Leave the problematic startup item disabled and you should be able to play GEARS fine!
(some people have reported "Power DVD" startup item to cause this issue)
Also, for nVidia users - if you are using a DMX X-fire sound card. Quit the X-fire app as it can cause FPS lag. You can also try changing to Forceware 167.51 and Turning SLI OFF and lower every graphic setting in Nvdia Panel and the game.
If using Vista, try running the game in DX10 with Anti-Aliasing OFF (AA severely impacts framerate in this game).
HP Laptops also read this:
http://forums.epicgames.com/showthread.php?t=607315
#11 Missing checkpoints
==================
If the game crashes and you lose your checkpoints...
!!!DO NOT START A NEW GAME!!!
Instead, just load-up GEARS and EXIT to the desktop.
ZAP! Your checkpoints re-appear!
#12 Crazy mouse movements
======================
If your mouse is moving the carachter into walls...
1) If it's a USB mouse, try another USB port...
If that fails:
Go to "My Documents/My Games/Gears of War/WarGame/Config"
and delete everything in that folder. When the game restarts, it recreates the configuration files. Once the game starts up, create a new profile and now the mouse works!
(UN)Install problem and error numbers
============================
If you get any of the following Errors while (un)installing GEARS:
error number:0x80040702
Description:failure in file DLL:FirewallInstallHelper
Error Number: 0x80040707
Description: DLL function call crashed: SetupHelper.DecompressFileToFile
Error Number: 0x80040702
Description: Failed to Load DLL: EULA
Look for the following files on the GEARS DVD:
FirewallInstallHelper.dll
GameuxInstallHelper.dll
setuphelper.dll
EULA.dll
...and copy them to \Windows\system32\
This should resolve your (un)install problem.
If this does NOT fix the uninstall issue, go and download the "M$ Windows Installer Cleanup Utility" from HERE:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301
Remove all references to GEARS and try re-installing...
Error 0x80151913 (the winsock error)
Download THIS:
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/winsockxpfix.html
And do this...
1) Run winsockxpFix.
2) Run "sfc /scannow" (go to start -> run and type that in [no quotes] & have your XP disc ready) I had a few files that needed fixing. (That's why you need the XP disc)
3) Go to Internet options, connections, Lan & untick "Auto detect settings".
You might also get another error...
Error -1324: The Folder Path Contains an Invalid Character
The easiest solution is to copy all the installation files to your computer and run them from your hard drive rather than the install disc.
For those of you with more severe (UN)Installing issues, check out the guide by forum member Mysticaly HERE:
http://gearsforums.epicgames.com/sho...1#post25260351
There are two more errors during problematic (un)installing:
Error applying transforms. Verify that the specified transform paths are valid.
c:\Windows\Installer\{1170D24F-42B7-40CF-AA1B-6395CE562354}\1033.mst
AND
ERROR 1610: Corrupt configuration data
Read all of this thread for a proposed solution:
http://forums.epicgames.com/showthread.php?t=587435
AND
ERROR 1316:
http://www.zolved.com/synapse/view_c...empting_to_rea
Gamer Profile: (not signed in) problem
============================
@Kyros has a nice guide for this - KUDOS to you!
http://gearsforums.epicgames.com/sho...d.php?t=583325
Getting Gears PC to work...
Hmm...maybe?
Need glasses?
OMEGA differences...
Linear Mode
