Tribes2 Launcher MFC Application

I just installed Tribes 2 on my computer. Everytime i go to start the game the screen goes black like it should but then it goes back to my desktop and it has this unhandled exception. It says something about the Tribes2 Launcher MFC Application launcher is not working or something like that. I’ve tried for hours to figure out what is going on but nothing is working. I also tried the T2 First aid.exe and it doesn’t work right. I can’t get the game started and I’m really getting angry. Please help me. I’d really like to play the game.

(By the way, we need a LOT more information to help you so…)
http://techsupport.vuinteractive.com/techsupport/sierra/support.asp

Problem:
“Unhandled Exception” error at start or during gamaplay

Solution:
The “unhandled exception” error message is the result of one or a combination of

the following: minimum system requirements not met, lack of support or inadequate

support for OpenGL, general system issues resulting from older or corrupted

drivers, DirectX, and improper system settings.

NOTE: If the “unhandled exception” error is followed by another error (Illegal operation, etc.), please be certain to enter this information in the reply. If the error is with opengl2d3d.dll, please reply immediately as there is a simpler “fix” available. Otherwise, please follow all instructions below and reply if necessary.

A. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS SECTION

Minimum System Requirements and Settings for Tribes 2:
(NOTE: System speed is listed as Pentium; AMD chipsets are considered equal
in speed measure.)

If your system meets the system requirements, pleaseskip to the DirectX section B of this document.

Pentium 2 300 thru 400 mhz: a GeForce, GeForce 2, Viper ll, or ATI Rage 128

video card is necessary to run Tribes 2 on a system falling within this

processor speed range. Other video cards that do not fall within the minimum

requirements will not run Tribes 2 successfully.

Pentium 2 400 thru 500 MHz: a GeForce, GeForce 2, Viper ll, or ATI Rage 128,

TNT (STB Velocity 4400, Viper 550, and other TNT (16 meg) based video

cards), TNT2 (Viper 770 and other TNT2 (16-32 meg) based video cards), ATI

Radeon, Voodoo 3, and Matrox G400/G450. NOTE: the TNT (STB Velocity 4400,

Viper 550, and other TNT (16 meg) based video cards), TNT2 (Viper 770 and

other TNT2 (16-32 meg) based video cards), ATI Radeon, Voodoo 3, and Matrox

G400/G450 require Pentium 2 400 mhz system speed or better to meet the

minimum system requirements.

Pentium 3 500+ MHz: a GeForce, GeForce 2, Viper ll, or ATI Rage 128, TNT

(STB Velocity 4400, Viper 550, and other TNT (16 meg) based video cards),

TNT2 (Viper 770 and other TNT2 (16-32 meg) based video cards), ATI Radeon,

Voodoo 3, and Matrox G400/G450, Voodoo 2, 4, and 5, and Kyro Permedia3.

NOTE: the Voodoo 2, 4, and 5, and Kyro Permedia3 require Pentium 3 500+ MHz

system speed or better to meet the minimum system requirements.

Additional Minimum System Requirements:

-64 megabytes (meg) RAM (128 meg is suggested)

-531 meg available hard disk space

-CD Rom of 4x speed+

-DirectSound compatible/capable sound card

-no video card with less than 12 meg of independent memory

B. DIRECT X SECTION

Microsoft’s DirectX Diagnostics Tool will allow verification of the video card currently installed in the system, video memory, and Windows acceleration settings.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you chose not to install DirectX Version 8a during the

Tribes 2 installation process and you are not 100% certain DirectX 8a is installed,
it will be necessary to install DirectX 8a from the Tribes 2 CD or to download the latest version from Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com/directx.

To open the DirectX Diagnostics Tool:

  • Click START and select RUN.

  • Type DXDIAG (remove any other text) and click “OK.”

  • Select the DISPLAY tab. Note the “Approximate Total Memory” listing (upper

left corner area of the display screen). If DirectX is reporting under 12 megabytes of memory, this video card does not meet the minimum requirements. This card should be replaced with a video card that does meet the minimum (12 meg) or you should refer to the refund/exchange information contained on page 45 of the Tribes 2 manual.

If you meet the minimum video requirements, proceed to the “DirectX Features” section (located in the lower portion of the DISPLAY window). Verify that DirectDraw Acceleration, Direct3D Acceleration, and AGP Texture Acceleration are ENABLED. If any of these Acceleration modes are DISABLED, it will be necessary to re-enable. If you are unable to re-enable, we suggest locating and installing the latest drivers for the video card available from the video card, system or chipset manufacturer. If the problem persists, it will be necessary to contact the video card, system or chipset manufacturer for further troubleshooting procedures.

NOTE: Video cards installed to PCI slot will not have AGP Texture Acceleration available, and it is not a requirement. However, if the card is installed to the AGP slot and AGP Texture Acceleration is disabled and/or cannot be enabled, there is a distinct possibility of program failure. In addition, re-installing DirectX from the Tribes 2 CD or downloading the latest version from Microsoft is advised for problems involving AGP Texture Acceleration.

NOTE: Hardware Acceleration will affect DirectX Acceleration. A setting of Basic to Full Acceleration is generally acceptable.

To verify Hardware Acceleration is not set to NONE:

-Double-click the MY COMPUTER icon.

-Double-click the CONTROL PANEL icon.

-Double-click the SYSTEM icon.

-Select the PERFORMANCE tab.

-Click the GRAPHICS button.

-Verify “Hardware Acceleration” is set to Basic, Most or Full.

Retest DirectX Acceleration modes.

Next, verify DirectX Sound Compatibility. Reopening DirectX Diagnostics Tool, select the SOUND tab. Refer to the "DirectX features section. Verify that

“Hardware Sound Acceleration Level” is not set to NONE. Click the "Test

DirectSound" button and follow the on-screen prompts to test Software and

Hardware buffering. If either no acceleration is available or the sound system fails any part of the DirectSound test, we suggest locating and installing the latest drivers for the sound card available from the sound card, system or chipset manufacturer. If the problem persists, it will be necessary to contact the sound card, system or chipset manufacturer for further troubleshooting procedures
and/or to verify compatibility.

C. OPENGL COMPATIBILITY SECTION

OpenGL compatibility, VOODOO and Windows 2000/NT (Service pack 4+)

We have noted that the “unhandled exception” error can occur due to OpenGL

issues. These errors typically occur after the introductory video. OpenGL is
the default video setting for Tribes 2, and video cards with inadequate, out-of-date, or corrupted OpenGL driver support will have difficulty starting the program without error. First, we suggest that you locate and install the latest
drivers for the video card available from the video card, system or chipset manufacturer. If the problem persists, the latest OpenGL support and drivers are located at http://www.opengl.com. This is the OpenGL home site, where there
is a wealth of troubleshooting information and valuable suggestions, in addition to current drivers available.

If you continue to have difficulty running Tribes in OpenGL and it is possible to access the Tribes 2 SETTINGS menu, we suggest that you reset the “Video Driver” setting to D3D. If it is not possible to access the options menu and a ClientsPref.cs file has been created in the Tribes 2 folder, modify the file to set
the game to start in D3D mode and disable OpenGL.

To do this:

-Double-click the MY COMPUTER icon.

-Double-click the hard drive (usually labeled “C” or “Local Disk C” or whichever hard disk drive the game was installed to. The default installation location is “C”)

-Double-click the DYNAMIX folder.

-Double-click the TRIBES2 folder.

-Double-click the GAMEDATA folder.

-Double-click the BASE folder.

-Double-click the PREFS folder.

-Double-click the ClientPrefs(.cs) file.

-If necessary, select NOTEPAD to open with.

-Locate and modify the following lines EXACTLY. Improper modification of the

ClientPrefs.cs file will require reinstallation of the tribes 2 program. The following lines will be located near the bottom of the file. All letters are case sensitive. If the ClientPrefs.cs file is not available, skip the following ClientPref.cs file modifications and proceed to the GENERAL SYSTEM TROUBLESHOOTING and SETTINGS section below.

This will prevent OpenGL from even being an option and will enable the D3D

drivers for use.

$pref::Video::allowD3D = “1”;

$pref::Video::allowOpenGL = “0”;

Next, change the following lines to read as follows:

$pref::Video::displayDevice = “D3D”;

$pref::Video: referOpenGL = “0”;

-Once modified, select FILE (located in upper right corner) and choose SAVE.

Close NOTEPAD and try the game. If problems persist, proceed with trouble- shooting procedures as indicated below.

“Unhandled exception” errors that occur before the game is able to start may

result from an inability to open the introduction. If the ClientPrefs.cs file exists in
the Tribes 2 folder, modify to disable the Tribes 2 introduction.

To do this:

-Double-click the MY COMPUTER icon.

-Double-click the hard drive (usually labeled “C” or “Local Disk C” or whichever hard disk drive the game was installed to. The default installation location is “C.”)

-Double-click the DYNAMIX folder.

-Double-click the TRIBES2 folder.

-Double-click the GAMEDATA folder.

-Double-click the BASE folder.

-Double-click the PREFS folder.

-Double-click the ClientPrefs(.cs) file.

-If necessary, select NOTEPAD to open with.

-Locate and modify the following lines EXACTLY. Improper modification of the

ClientPrefs.cs file will require reinstallation of the Tribes 2 program. The following lines will be located near the bottom of the file. All letters are case sensitive. If the ClientPrefs.cs file is not available, skip the following ClientPref.cs file modifications and proceed to the GENERAL SYSTEM TROUBLESHOOTING and SETTINGS section below.

To disable the Tribes 2 introduction, modify the following line (located 8 inches more or less from the bottom) in the ClientPrefs.cs file to appear EXACTLY as follows:

$pref::SkipIntro = “1”;

-Once modified, select FILE (located in upper right corner) and choose SAVE.

Close NOTEPAD and try the game. If problems persist, proceed with trouble-

shooting procedures as indicated below.

D. GENERAL TROUBLESHOOTING:

The problem you describe is most likely the result of one or more contributing factors. Below are some basic steps you can take to remedy the problem.

  1. Close background programs to free up resources.

  2. Make nsure that there is enough free hard drive space; optimize the free space.

  3. Update the hardware drivers on the system.

  4. Reboot the system with a System Disk.
    NOTE: the System Disk instructions are intended for Windows 95 only.

  5. Using the MSCONFIG program to achieve a clean startup (Windows 98/ME).

  6. Close programs running in the background.

To do this: Press CTRL+ALT+DEL on the keyboard.

  • Click once on one of the listed items to highlight it.
    NOTE: Do not highlight either Explorer or Systray. It is crucial to keep these items.

  • Click End Task.

  • When the Close Programs window disappears, press CTRL+ALT+DEL again.

  • Select another file other than Explorer or Systray and click End Task.

  • If a message window appears saying the program in question is busy or not responding, click the End Task button in the window.

  • Repeat steps 1 through 6 until Explorer and Systray are the only items remaining.

Start the game again. The background programs will be loaded again when the computer is restarted.

  1. Check the amount of free space on the C: hard drive of your system.

To do this:

  • Double-click the My Computer icon.

  • Right-click the C: drive icon and select Properties from the context menu.

  • Note the amount of Free Space listed next to the pink box. If the space listed on the C: drive is less than 100 MB, it will be necessary to free up more hard drive space. This hard drive space must also be optimized.

  • Run Scandisk. Click the Start button and select Run. In the Open field, type SCANDISK and click OK. Click the Thorough radio button and click Start. The utility may take up to an hour to perform its functions.

  • Run Defrag. Click Start, choose Run. Type DEFRAG in the Open field and click OK. Select the C: drive and click OK. Defrag may take several hours to properly arrange the memory on the hard drive.

  • If there is any virus checking software on the system, run it.

  1. A cause of many problems is outdated or incompatible driver software for the sound or video card. Always be sure that you have the latest drivers for your video card and sound card. Drivers are frequently updated to keep the hardware current and to fine tune performance.

To check the sound and video cards are if you don’t know the makes and models:

  • Click the Start button, choose Settings, then Control Panel.

  • Double-click the System icon.

  • Click the Device Manager tab.

  • Double-click the Display Adapters icon, then the icon of the listed device.

  • Make a note of the name and manufacturer of the device.

  • Double-click the Sound, video and game controllers icon then the icon of the listed device.

  • Make a note of the name and manufacturer of the device.

Driver software is generally available for free for download on the Web site of the card manufacturer. The particular Web site can be located by a Web search, although domain names are often the name of the manufacturer itself (just as Sierra On-Line is found at www.sierra.com)..) There are also general driver sites such as http://www.windrivers.com and http://www.driverzone.com.When you find a driver file that is the latest for your particular model of card, select it for download. A window will come up asking what you wish to do with the file; select Save it to disk. Find a place on your hard drive to download the driver software; be sure to create a new folder to contain the driver software. After the download, go into the driver software folder in the hard drive and double-click on the executable to extract the other files. There will be at least one README file with instructions on how to install the drivers. These directions are brief, and relatively simple to follow, but are extremely precise, so you must read and follow the instructions carefully.

  1. Starting the computer with a system disk will also streamline system resources. It can be used in conjunction with closing background programs.
    NOTE: Windows 98/Millennium users skip to step 5.

To create a system disk:

  • Put a blank 3 1/2" floppy disk in the A: drive.

  • Double-click the My Computer icon.

  • Right-click the A: drive icon and select Format from the context menu.

  • In the Format menu, select the Full. For Other Options, choose Copy System Files.

  • When the disk has finished copying, click the Start button, go to Programs and select Windows Explorer. At this point it will be necessary to change your file viewing options.

To do this:

  • Go to the View menu and select Options.

  • Click the Show All Files radio button.

  • Remove the check mark from the box next to the words “Hide MS-DOS file extensions for file types that are registered.”

  • Click Apply, then close Windows Explorer. The system disk requires one additional file.

To add this:

  • Click the Start button, then choose Find and select Files or Folders.

  • In the Named field, type MSDOS.SYS.

  • Make sure the Look In field is set to C: and click Find Now.

  • Right-click the MSDOS.SYS icon.

  • In the context menu, select Send To, then select 3 1/2" Floppy A:.

  • Click Yes on the message about overwriting the existing file. The computer
    must be restarted using the system disk in order for the system resources to be streamlined.

To do this:

  • Leave the system disk in the A: drive.

  • Click Start and select Shut Down.

  • In the Shut Down menu, select Restart the Computer.

  1. Starting the computer using the selective start-up option from the System Configuration Utility will streamline system resources.

To do this under Windows 98 or Millennium:

  • Click on Start and choose on Run.

  • In the open window, type MSCONFIG and click the OK button. This will open the System Configuration Utility window.

  • Click on the General Tab.

  • Under Selective Startup, uncheck Process Config.Sys file, Process Autoexec.bat file, and Load Startup Group Items.

  • Click on Apply, and then click on OK. When prompted to restart Windows, click on the OK button.

To return to the standard system configuration, repeat the above steps to bring up the System Configuration Utility and choose Normal Startup.

Helpful links to manufacturers, forums, and technical information sites:

SYSTEM MANUFACTURERS:

COMPAQ: http://www.compaq.com

**NOTE: Compaq system owners should consult Compaq to verify the

applicability of any device drivers unless they are provided by Compaq. Many Compaq video devices require proprietary drivers only available through Compaq.

GATEWAY: http://www.gateway.com

DELL: http://www.dell.com

HARDWARE and CHIPSET MANUFACTURERS:

NVIDIA: http://www.nvidia.com

ATI: http://www.ati.com

MATROX: http://www.matrox.com

DIAMOND/S3: http://www.s3.com or http://www.diamondmm.com

CREATIVE: http://www.creative.com

ESS: http://www.esstech.com

ASUS: http://www.asus.com

INTEL: http://www.intel.com

AMD: http://www.amd.com

MICROSOFT: Controllers= http://www.microsoft.com/sidewinder/ or Mouse=
http://www.microsoft.com/products/hardware/mouse/mouse.htm or

OPERATING SYSTEM MANUFACTURER:

MICROSOFT: http://www.microsoft.com or

Microsoft Knowledge Base=
http://search.support.microsoft.com/kb/c.asp?fr=0&SD=GN&LN=EN-US

or

Microsoft Product Updates: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

TECHNICAL INFORMATION SITES:

Note: The listing of the following sites in no way implies that these sites are

supported or guaranteed in any fashion by Sierra On-Line or Dynamix. The

information and or support gathered and or used from any of these sites is at the user’s own risk. We have found these sites to be helpful in obtaining technical assistance in instances where the manufacturer’s warranty is no longer available
or current technical assistance has failed to resolve the problem, and for locating hard-to-find drivers and utilities.

http://sierrastudios.com/games/tribes2/

http://www.tribalwar.com

http://community.sierra.com/WebX?14@17.dyOGaC4AaYy^0@.ee77e10

http://www.windrivers.com

http://www.google.com

http://www.tomshardware.com

http://www.drivershq.com

http://www.reactorcritical.com

http://www.opengl.com

http://www.3dfiles.com

http://www.zdnet.com/zdhelp/

http://www.tweakfiles.com/.com

http://www.wicked3d.com

There are many, many other technical assistance/information sites available

for free or fee on the Internet. Please feel free to explore the possibilities for the most effective solution.