Dawn of War Self-Service Tech Support

[SubZero]

Dawn of War Self-Service Tech Support
produced in part, by the contributions of the Relicnews community for the community

Instructions
In order to benefit from this service, you must read these following instructions carefully:

• Have a clear understanding of what your problem or issue with Dawn of War (and its expansions) is.
• Read the advice, guides and tips thoroughly and concisely; do not assume that because it happens to you that the problem hasn't existed before.
• If you feel that any advice is incorrect, or needs updating, contact GroundZero, TBS or a Forum Administrator.
• Finally, take your time and do the steps in the fixes logically and precisely to avoid mistakes.

Self-Service Tech Support

Please click the relevant Technical Area that you need assistance with

Multiplayer
Installation Issues
Graphical Issues
Crashes
Audio Issues
General/Miscellaneous

[SubZero]

Multiplayer Issues

Please click on the spoiler pertaining to your issue for instant assistance

CDKey Errors

CD Key Errors
If your CD Key is reported as being invalid or incorrect when connecting to the lobby...

• Please verify that you inserted the CD Key correctly by following the guide below:
  

  CDKey Registry Location

  To locate and verify your CD Key, please follow the steps below:
  

  • Click on the Start Menu
    
  • Navigate to "Run"
    
  • Type in "regedit" in the box, and click [enter]
    
  • Navigate the folders in this order: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/THQ/

  
  

  • If you want to check your Dawn of War CDKey, look for the file CDKEY in the folder HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/THQ/Dawn of War

  • If you want to check your Winter Assault CDKey, look for the file CDKEY_WXP in the folder HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/THQ/Dawn of War

  • If you want to check your Dark Crusade CDKey/s, look for the file CDKEY for Dark Crusade, W40KCDKEY for Dawn of War, WXPCDKEY for Winter Assault within the folder HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/THQ/Dawn of War - Dark Crusade

  • To edit any file, if you discover the CDKey is incorrectly typed, merely double-click the file and type in the correct CDKey.
  
  
• Make sure that nobody else is using your CDKey, either a friend or family.
• Verify your Firewall, Port Forwarding and Routing options
• Note : If you are using a downloaded version of the game, this is illegal. We cannot help you with this so please do not waste our time trying, thanks.

Cannot Connect to Games

Cannot Connect to Games
If you cannot connect to Multiplayer games, but can join the lobby - LAN or Online

• If you cannot join ANY Multiplayer games, please review your router settings. Check the game's readme and ensure the right ports are forwarded. http://portforward.com/ may be able to help as well.
• If you can connect to some, but not others, this could be down to your router settings. Check the game's readme and ensure the right ports are forwarded. http://portforward.com/ may be able to help as well.
• If you cannot connect to a LAN game, please verify that all players are running the same game expansion and the same patch version.
• Incompatibilities have presented themselves between computers trying to play DoW/WA/DC over Hamachi and LAN with Windows Vista and Windows XP - this issue is known, so bear with us for a possible fix.
• Other programs known to cause connecting issues, which are best being disabled : Norton Anti-Virus, Bit Defender, Peer to Peer software, bandwidth intensive programs, Windows Update.
• If after reaching this stage, you have not come across a solution, the case may be that you are running a NAT Router.
  These Routers repel each other, and as such, 2 NAT Router users cannot exist in the same game together.
• There are only 2 known solutions to this :
  • Enable UPnP Mode on your Router (this acts like a carrier signal, allowing your data to pass as if you didn't have NAT)
  • Buy a new Router.

Cannot Host Online Games

Cannot Host Online Games
If you cannot consistantly Host Multiplayer games, but can access the Lobby normally

• Please verify that your computer is receiving Port Forwarding and DMZ by checking your router settings. Check the game's readme and ensure the right ports are forwarded. http://portforward.com/ may be able to help as well..

Cannot Register Nickname/Login

Cannot Register Nickname or Login
If you cannot consistantly Register your Nickname for Multiplayer or Login with correct details...

• Please verify that your computer is receiving Port Forwarding and DMZ by confirming your router settings. Check the game's readme and ensure the right ports are forwarded. http://portforward.com/ may be able to help as well.
• Ensure you are using correct details (watch out for Caps Lock and Spacebar).
• The major symptom of a blocked Firewall port is that a totally random name cannot be created, and says 'Nickname is in use, or unable to be created'.

Multiplayer Crashes

The Game crashes during a Multiplayer game or pre-game, in the Lobby
If you Crash in any area associated with Multiplayer games...

• Please verify that your computer is receiving Port Forwarding and DMZ by confirming your router settings. Check the game's readme and ensure the right ports are forwarded. http://portforward.com/ may be able to help as well.. Incorrect Port details could cause your system to hang as it attempts to communicate over a connection that will never be active.
• When the game loads and the 'Player Lag' window pops up - Do not press 'Hide'; there is an increasing frequency of crashes occurring when this is pressed.
• For all other Crash related issues, please see the Crash Self-Help Topic.

If the help topics available do not address your issue in its entirety, or you are unsure of the instructions, please create a thread within this forum, with careful attention paid to being specific and accurate in the description of the problem.

[SubZero]

Installation Issues

Please click on the spoiler pertaining to your issue for instant assistance

Installation Errors

Installation Errors
If you cannot install the game due to consistent errors arising or consistent crashes

• Initially make sure that no other tasks are running in the background - WinDefender, BitDefender, Anti-Virus, Games, Music Players etc.
• Verify that the CD/DVD is not damaged or marked on the underside.
• Check other CD/DVD's in the device - do they install/run correctly?
• For Windows XP SP2, you can download a WinInstaller update, which fixes many install related issues.
• Check your DVD/CD-ROM Drive's Firmware version for updates. Click here for free software that will tell you the firmware version. Merely copy your ROM Drive's name into the Manufacturer's website search facility, and check for updated Firmware.
• If still no success, attempt to copy the contents of the CD/DVD to your Harddrive.

  How to Copy the Media to your Hard Disk

  • Open 'My Computer'
  • Click 'Explore'
  • Select all files, and click 'Copy'
  • Return to your desktop, and create a folder called 'Temp DoW'
  • Within this folder, paste the contents of the CD/DVD.
  • Attempt to run the installation from here.
• Attempt to run the game/CD/DVD from another computer.
• Still no luck? The chances are your disk is faulty. Please double check all the points listed above, if still no luck - contact THQ using the contact details located in the back of the Game Manual.

Cyclic Redundancy Check Error

Cyclic Redundancy Check Error
If a CRC Error consistently appears during installations

• Attempt to copy the contents of the CD/DVD to your Harddrive.

  How to Copy the Media to your Hard Disk

  • Open 'My Computer'
  • Click 'Explore'
  • Select all files, and click 'Copy'
  • Return to your desktop, and create a folder called 'Temp DoW'
  • Within this folder, paste the contents of the CD/DVD.
  • Attempt to run the installation from here.

  
  
• If still no luck, the only other cause for a CRC Error is a bugged, damaged or faulty Disk. It is recommended that you contact THQ using the details found in the back of the manual. Alternatively, you can return the game to the shop, and try for an exchange.

Disk Not Found

Disk not found or being recognised by the computer
If your system cannot recognise the CD/DVD when inserted in the drive

• Please ensure that you have inserted the disk into the correct type of Drive. (Dawn of War, Winter Assault and similar versions are all on CD-ROMs, Dark Crusade is strictly a DVD-ROM game).
• Check your DVD/CD-ROM Drive's Firmware version for updates. Click here for free software that will tell you the firmware version. Merely copy your ROM Drive's name into the Manufacturer's website search facility, and check for updated Firmware.
• Attempt to run the DVD/CD from another computer system.
• If it works, you can be assured that the disk is not faulty and that your DVD/CD-ROM Drive is.
• Consider investing in another Optical Drive, and reinstalling Windows if possible, to refresh the hardware drivers.

If the help topics available do not address your issue in its entirety, or you are unsure of the instructions, please create a thread within this forum, with careful attention paid to being specific and accurate in the description of the problem.

[SubZero]

Graphical Issues

Please click on the spoiler pertaining to your issue for instant assistance

Game Runs in Windowed Mode

The Game runs in Windowed Mode
If your game runs in Windowed mode, with the desktop visible.

• Please check this thread.

Changing ingame Tooltips

The Ingame Tooltips are too small/large
If you need to alter your ingame Tooltips.

• Please check this thread.
• Or, more simply, ingame press 'ESC' then alter the settings under Options.

Text and/or Graphics are jagged

The Ingame graphics and text are jagged
If your Graphics are jagged and need correcting...

• Please see this thread.

Widescreen looks different

The Game in Widescreen looks different
If your game looks different in Widescreen format...

• Please see this thread.

Possible Poor Quality Graphics

The Ingame graphics don't resemble the Graphic Setup Program (at first load-up).
If your Graphics are inexplicably different than that which you expect...

• Please see this thread.

SPOOGE Errors

The Game produces SPOOGE related errors.
If your game reports SPOOGE Errors...

• Windows XP and Vista, please see this thread.

Missing Textures

The game has missing textures
If your game has corrupt or missing textures (sometimes seen as a pink cube)...

• Your installation of the game and/or patches has not been successfully executed - please uninstall the game/s fully and reinstall. Not forgetting to...
• ...be sure to close all unnecessary programs and tasks, and they can produce hard-drive write errors which can corrupt data transfer.

Update Graphics Drivers?

How to update your Graphics?
If your system has old Graphics Drivers, which are incompatible or producing errors with Dawn of War...

• How-to Guide for updating Graphics
• For ATi Cards try this location for the most recent drivers.
• For NVidia Cards try this location for the most recent drivers.
• If you have a laptop, or the drivers above are producing no positive results, try the Omega Drivers.

If the help topics available do not address your issue in its entirety, or you are unsure of the instructions, please create a thread within this forum, with careful attention paid to being specific and accurate in the description of the problem.

[SubZero]

Crashes

Please click on the spoiler pertaining to your issue for instant assistance

General Crashes

The game randomly crashes
If your game crashes with no clear pattern...

• Please firstly verify that your game is fully patched.
• Make sure you are using a legal game version.
• Remove all Mod's you have added to the game.
• Check your Graphics Drivers, Audio Drivers, Motherboard Drivers for updates.
• Make sure Windows Update is fully updated.
• Be sure no other 'notorious' programs are running which could conflict with the game (namely, BitDefender, Windows Defender, Anti-Virus Utilities, Peer To Peer Transfer Programs etc).
• Make sure that your system meets the minimum requirements for the game version you are running.
• For ATI users check these threads [1] [2] [3] [4]
• Further causes could be : Too much dust in your heatsinks/system; poor cooling (system getting too hot); not enough power to provide your system with the necessary amount for the game processes.
  Please create a thread with a dxdiag report and a warnings.log file.

Fatal Scar Errors in Campaign

The game produces a Fatal Scar Error during the Single Player Game
If your game produces a Fatal Scar Error during the Single Player game...

• Unfortunately there isn't a solution yet, but we would appreciate it if you could supply us and Relic with the details of the Error; please see this thread for further details.

If the help topics available do not address your issue in its entirety, or you are unsure of the instructions, please create a thread within this forum, with careful attention paid to being specific and accurate in the description of the problem.

[SubZero]

Audio Issues

Please click on the spoiler pertaining to your issue for instant assistance

Distorted/Stuttering Sound

The game plays distorted sound files
If your game has distorted or stuttering sound...

• Please see this thread
• Be sure to make sure you have the latest Audio Drivers.
• Verify that all of your audio cables are connected securely.

If the help topics available do not address your issue in its entirety, or you are unsure of the instructions, please create a thread within this forum, with careful attention paid to being specific and accurate in the description of the problem.

[SubZero]

General/Miscellaneous Issues

Please click on the spoiler pertaining to your issue for instant assistance

Game reports less RAM

The game reports that your system has less RAM than it should
If your game reports it has less RAM than it actually has...

• Onboard processes and devices, such as Onboard Graphics, Audio and lesser functions like Wireless LAN and Ethernet use system RAM, and effectively deny other applications and processes it as soon as the system starts up in Windows. Unfortunately you will need to upgrade your system so that it doesn't need the device that is stealing the RAM OR to have more RAM to compensate for the demand.

Game reports Sync Errors

The game always reports Sync Errors in Multiplayer/LAN games
If your game consistently reports Sync Errors when in Multiplayer...

• Consider removing all Mod's
• Close all unnecessary programs, especially those which conflict with Dawn of War (Anti-Virus, Firewalls, Peer to Peer File Sharing etc).
• It could be a file corruption - if so, you will need to reinstall/repair the game files. Before a reinstall, be sure to fully uninstall the game.

Noticed a Bug?

I've noticed a bug in the game...
If you have found a possible Bug...

• Please create a thread in this forum area being very descriptive of the problem issue/s.

DC without DoW/WA Files

To have access to all races in DC, and save on Hard Disk Space
To install DC without DoW/WA but with full Multiplayer Access to all races...

• Please see this thread for a guide.

All about Replays

To learn everything about Replays for Dawn of War and its Expansions
For all replay information...

• Please see this thread.

If the help topics available do not address your issue in its entirety, or you are unsure of the instructions, please create a thread within this forum, with careful attention paid to being specific and accurate in the description of the problem.