:: BEFORE YOU POST - Common Solutions Inside ::
By
Aggelakis,
Posted on: 2005-09-26 11:34 in ALL ACCESS Gameplay Technical Issues Bugs
If you find that your system sits at the connecting to updater screen for an inordinate amount of time or if you can't get past the screen at all, try these suggestions:
If you could previously connect to CoH but as a result of a recent patch you now cannot get the updater to connect and/or you are seeing a page cannot be displayed message in the updater window, please check your firewall settings, as indicated below. __________________________________________________ ________________________
Firewalls
This is fast becoming the most prominent cause of updater connection problems and issues after each subsequent patch or update and is currently the number one call to tech support after an update.
If you are running a firewall then reset or add the required permissions for City of Heroes. It is recommended that you obtain support and instructions for setting up these permissions from your Hardware or Software Firewall Manufacturer. The CoH application should be set to always allow program to access the internet and CoH should also be set to changes often. -- or something along those lines.
Norton Firewall and Zone Alarm are well-known for blocking game updates. Sometimes, you can alt-tab and see their pop-up alerts which can be clicked upon to permit access.
It may also be helpful to run the game in 'Windowed Mode' as you will be able to see other processes/applications more easily than in full-screen mode.
If your firewall service supports the creation of logs, check these firewall logs for any unusual activity or to determine if your service is blocking your access to the CoH servers.
Windows Firewall Notes:
<ul type="square">[*] Remember that you can check your Windows Event logs from the Administrative Tools option of the system Control Panel. [*] Heroes with Windows 2000 or higher may check their Firewall settings using the Control Panel (Visit the Security Centre). [*] The Windows Firewall logs are usually stored as a file C:\WINDOWS\pfirewall.log. You may change this location using the security logging option in the Advanced Tab.[/list]If the aforementioned suggestions do not resolve the connection issues, you may need to disable your Firewall/Antivirus and try to connect again. This includes the Windows firewall that is a part of Service Pack 2.
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Ports Being Blocked
What do you mean my ports are blocked? I feel fine...
TCP and UDP port blocking has been instituted on several university and college campuses, and in some business organizations -- as a means of controlling malware, viruses, trojans, worms, hack attacks et cetera.
For City Of Heroes to run smoothly, we have been advised that the following ports need to be open: [*] TCP: 6994, 2104, 2106[*] UDP: 7000-7100
If you are not able to change the settings on your machine, please see check your firewall documentation for more information. Personal Routers may also have firewalls enabled so you may also have to check the documentation for this hardware as well.
If you are connected at a business or campus, please check with your network administrator to determine if these ports can be opened on your system or on a firewall (or both).
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Routers and Cable Modems
Turn off your devices and wait one minute. If you have both a modem and a router, turn the cable modem on and wait until all the lights stabilize. Turn the router on after about two minutes.
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Flush your DNS Cache
<ul type="square">[*] Click Start and then Run...[*] Type CMD or Command and click on the OK button[*] At the prompt type the following and hit the enter key (without the quotes) "ipconfig /flushdns"[/list]__________________________________________________ ________________________
Trace Your Path to City Of Heroes
You can run a tracert by opening a command prompt and using this Route Tracing tool.
<ul type="square">[*] Click Start and then Run...[*] Type CMD or Command and click on the OK button[*] At the prompt type the following and hit the enter key (without the quotes) "tracert cohupdate.coh.com >c:\tr.txt".[/list]This will make a file on your C:\ drive. If you need our opinion on the results, copy the file into your request for assistance thread along with the 'Direct X' and 'HiJack This' reports.
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Check Your Equipment
Check with your Router's manufacturer and update the firmware if possible. If your equipment is owned by your Internet Provider, please check with them first before updating or repairing your device.
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Unable to Login - Account Related Issues
It may take up to 24 hours (weekdays) for changes made to your account to replicate across all the servers. If you have recently changed your password or re-activated your account, you may not be able to log into the CoH servers immediately.
If your password worked previously, and you are having trouble accessing the test or live servers, try logging into the Manage utility for your NCSoft account and changing your password.
You may see messages like 'insufficient disk space', 'improper permissions', ' downloading file manifest' or 'cannot rename file' at the updater or launcher screens.
The first thing we would suggest is to ensure that you have run a virus and spyware scan of your system as indicated above in the previous section. Then, please try the following:
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Rename or Delete Some Files
<ul type="square">[*] Go Ahead. It's Alright! Using your favourite file manager, navigate to the City of Heroes folder (My Computer -> Program Files -> City of Heroes)[*] Right-Click on the folder and select properties (bottom option). In the attributes section, ensure that the box for Read Only is not selected (or shaded grey). If you are prompted to apply the changes, please do so, for all folders, subfolders and files[*] Rename the files with the endings '.lock', '.patch', '.checksum' to something of your own choosing[*] Launch the program (City of Heroes)[*] Verify all files[*] If this fixes, the issue, you should be able to safely delete the old, renamed files[/list]Note: You may also try deleting or renaming the PIGGS folder. Allow the launcher to verify all files.
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Rename (Delete) and Reload the COh Client
If you are still unable to get past the updater, we have a more drastic solution for you:
<ul type="square">[*] Delete or Rename the City of Heroes folder[*] Visit ftp://client.coh.com/US/ and download the file named 'cohupdater.zip'[*] Extract the file and Run it to begin the download (If you are not on a broadband connection this will take an extremely long time)[/list]__________________________________________________ ________________________
COHUpdater.OLD Errors
<ul type="square">[*] Make a copy of this file as a safety precaution[*] Rename this file as COHUpdater.exe[*] Launch the program again (City of Heroes)[/list]
ME SMASH PUNY VIRUS! I am sure most of us feel this way, especially when our systems are 'infected'. Constant vigilance is our best protection. If you get a lot of pop-up ads or your machine seems to be busy all the time, it's worth looking into...
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Turn off Windows System Restore
Before you try these resolutions on a Windows ME or higher machine, make sure that you have turned off System Restore. This feature in Windows will sometimes prevent you from repairing infected system files.
For more information on this feature, check out the following links:[*] Windows XP - http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pro.../faqsrwxp.mspx[*] Windows ME - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsME/u...temrestore.asp[*] Windows 2000 - http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000...store_faq.mspx
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Spyware:
<ul type="square">[*] Download, extract and run HiJackThis. Check the original post for instructions on getting/using HiJack This[*] Download a Spyware detection program (use the trial versions where necessary), such as Ad Aware, Spybot Search and Destroy, Microsoft Anti-Spyware, Adware Away and HitmanPro (The most recent version is in English. The site is in Dutch but just hit "Download" in the upper-right corner)[*] Update all your Spyware definitions[*] Reboot to safe mode (usually done by pressing F8 when the computer starts up but before the OS screen display)[*] Scan your system twice with at least three (3) of these tools[*] Start your machine normally[*] Scan your system with at least three (3) of these tools[/list]__________________________________________________ ________________________
Viruses, Trojans and Worms:
<ul type="square">[*] Make sure your virus definitions are up-to-date and run scans regularly[*] Run the Stinger program and see if your Anti-Virus program missed anything[/list]If you don't have a virus scanner:
<ul type="square">[*] Go to http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ (Internet Explorer) -or- Here (Firefox) and run an online virus scan[*] Go to http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php and download a FREE Virus program (AVG). You might also check Download.com or C/Net for more software offerings[/list]
Just as your graphics card, your other devices need updating as well. This is not usually an intuitive process for your system (or for you 
).
It may help to ensure that you have updated your video card, audio and system drivers. Note that sometimes rolling back a driver to a previous version helps with performance issues (as a result of installing the 'latest' or 'beta' drivers).
If you are concerned about what these updates may do to your system, you may wish to perform a system backup of some sort before you apply them.
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Video Cards
Before installing the new drivers be sure and run Driver Cleaner to remove the remnants of any old drivers.
Check these sites for the latest video drivers from these major vendors:
<ul type="square">[*] ATI - http://www.ati.com/[*] NVidia - http://www.nvidia.com[*] Intel - http://www.intel.com[/list]If the updated drivers don't work, try these sites:
<ul type="square">[*] Omega Drivers - http://www.omegadrivers.net[*] 3D Guru - http://www.guru3d.com[/list]__________________________________________________ ________________________
Audio Cards
Check these sites for the latest audio drivers from the major vendors:
<ul type="square">[*] INTEL - http://www.intel.com[*] VIA Chipsets (AC97 Sound Cards)- http://www.viaarena.com[*] Creative Labs/SoundBlaster - http://www.soundblaster.com/drivers/[*] ForteMedia, Inc - http://www.fortemedia.com/ [*] ESS Technology - http://www.esstech.com/ [*] Cirrus Logic/Crystal Semiconductors - http://www.cirrus.com/en/ [*] C-Media Electronics - http://www.cmedia.com.tw/index.htm[/list]
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Motherboard And System Drivers
Check with your computer manufacturer and ensure that you have all the latest patches and drivers for your computer system - both hardware and software.
Many of the recent lag and display issues can be resolved by updating to the most recent drivers for your machine.
There are many different types of motherboard chipsets. Check these sites for the latest system drivers:
<ul type="square">[*] INTEL - Intel Chipset Software - http://downloadfinder.intel.com
For IDE Hard Drives, can also download and install the Intel Application Accelerator. There is also an Intel Application Accelerator RAID Edition if you have a RAID drive setup.
[*] VIA - VIA Hyperion Drivers - http://www.viaarena.com
For VIA motherboards, download and install the latest VIA Hyperion, Unified or '4 in 1' Drivers for your system.
[*] NVIDIA -Forceware Unified Drivers] - http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp
For these motherboards, download and install the latest Forceware Unified Drivers.
[*] SiS - http://download.sis.com/
You may obtain the latest SiS Chipset Software here. Note that there is no 'all-in-one solution' for this brand; you will have to search for the BIOS, AGP, IDE or the SATA/RAID drivers for your specific system.
[*] Not Sure Where To Look?
If you don't know what chipset your motherboard uses, check your system manual and look in the 'Specifications' section for a brand name (such as Intel, VIA, SiS or Nvidia). Many systems now come with diagnostic tools based upon the model or service tag number of the computer. If you still can't determine the chipset, try the multi-purpose system analysis tool from SiSoft - its called SiSoft Sandra Lite - http://www.sisoftware.net/.[/list]
Below please find a few things you can try when you experience network lag and other performance issues while playing the game.
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Memory Failures
In some cases, problems with your game (and system) performance are related to bad memory chips. To check if your memory cards may be at fault, please run the memtest86 program or any other memory testing application you wish.
<ul type="square">[*] Visit http://www.memtest86.com [*] Save the program to a CD or disk and boot from whichever bootable device you have saved the files to (floppy, CD, et cet)[/list]Let the program run long enough to check your Memory sticks for errors...
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NetGraph
You can check for the performance of your connection using the NetGraph feature. This is an option in your menu that you can assign to a key or you can type that displays a performance graph of your network traffic (ping and lost packets):
/netgraph #
where # is 0, 1 or 2
0=Off
1=On
2=On - All Servers
When communications between your client and the game server get over the 500 millisecond range, you will notice the game environment slowing down, lagginess - that sort of thing. Short spikes are accepted as part of the planned unreliablity and forgiving nature of Internet traffic. Sustained Yellow, Red, or even High Green spikes on your NetGraph hail the onset of the dreaded disconnect messages or other connection loss messages.
Note: Playing the game while running the NetGraph may reduce performance.
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NetErrorCorrection
SuperMartin suggested that some problems can be alleviated by using a Net Error Correction command, with the
syntax:
<ul type="square">[*] /neterrorcorrection 1 OR[*] /neterrorcorrection 2[/list]The /neterrorcorrection utility can be used to reduce the occurrence of packet loss between our systems and the CoH Servers.
If setting the command option 2 doesn't resolve your packet loss issues, you should look to other items that may be causing your connection instability.
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Memory and Network Profiler
With issue Four came a new tool for helping to troubleshoot networking issues. This profiler creates a report that can prove very useful to technical support teams when troubleshooting connection issues.
The profiler uses the following commands:
<ul type="square">[*] Start the record: /profiler_record <name>[*] Stop the record: /profiler_stop[/list]
This process creates a <name>.cohprofiler file (where <name> is the file name you choose) that will be created in the coh/profiler folder. The file will grow quickly so it is advisable to not keep the recording active for too long.
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Network Traffic Tools
In some instances, the issues you may be experiencing with the game are a result of failed connections along the way to the servers and not simply a problem on your machine.
The following tools can be downloaded and run to test the stability of your routing/connection to the various CoH servers.
<ul type="square">[*] Windows 2000 and XP - ftp://ftp.coh.com/support_tool/netinfotool_XP2k.exe [*] Windows 98 and Millenium - ftp://ftp.coh.com/support_tool/netinfotool_98me.exe[/list]
You may be asked by technical support to submit the results when lodging a request for assistance to support@coh.com.
An often-overlooked aspect of graphics performance and stability is the power supply. If you find that your system is behaving erratically or crashing, it may be that the power supply unit (PSU) is no longer up to the task.
Old or underpowered power supplies are also a VERY common cause of computer reboots.
Many new video cards have higher power requirements than their predecessors. Many even require a direct connection to the power supply itself now.
Some video cards with software that detects their temperature also have variable-speed fans. When a game starts to require more power to run (such as with big patches and updates) the card heats up more and the fan has to work harder to keep it cool. Both of these issues combine to draw more power from your power supply.
Note: The increase in the use of self-powered USB devices also creates a constant power drain on your system.
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How Much Is Okay
A power supply less than 350W is okay for:[*] AMD Duron 1.0 or P3 or lower[*] NVidia GeForce 2 MX series ATI Radeon 7500 or lower[*] SB 16 or AWE 64[*] Up to two HDD of 20GB or less[*] Up to two DVD-ROM/CDROM 32x max(one of which may be a writer)
A power supply of 350W to 450W is okay for: [*] P4 or AMD Athlon class up to 3GHz[*] NVidia GeForce 4 series or ATI Radeon 9000-9600 (NVidia FX5200-5300 if you have 400W+)[*] SB Live or Audigy 1 or 2[*] two 40GB+ HDD[*] two CDROM/DVDROM/DVD writers or combo drives[*] 10/100/1000 LAN
450W+ for the following:[*] More than two HDDs AND[*] Two CD/DVD drive to include one newer writer[*] A 64bit class processor[*] 1 GB RAM or more[*] Processor with a bus of 400MHz or faster
Remember, it is better to step up that to be caught short where your PSU is concerned.
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Check Your BIOS for Voltage
Use a motherboard monitor software supplied by your motherboard manufacturer. For best performance, your PSU should be providing within 10% of the 12V, 5V and 3.3V standards (indicated below):
[*] 12V can be +/- 1.2 (10.8V or less is a BAD sign and under[*] 10.4 will cause misreads and restarts on peak usage points) [*] 5V can be +/- .5 (below 4.5V) [*] 3.3V can be +/- .33 (below 2.9 is a BAD sign and can cause memory read errors)
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More Information on PSUs
For more information on PSUs, check out these sites:<ul type="square">[*] Dan's Data on Inside a PSU - http://www.dansdata.com/psus.htm[*] Dan's Data on PSUs and Power Conditioning - http://www.dansdata.com/sbs9.htm[/LIST]
For no apparent reason, your machine shuts itself completely down and/or restarts...
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Check It - Clean, Cool and Clear
<ul type="square">[*] Open up your computer case[*] Check to see if you have any built up dust *anywhere* in the system[*] Clear any dust and make sure the inside of your computer has proper ventilation[/list]If the system seems overly warm, you may need more fans or better cooling of your system. Sometimes leaving the side of the case off helps to keep the system cool but it is not a permanent 'fix'.
There are utilities available that can help you to determine the temperature of your system. Check with your computer or video card manufacturer to see if you have one of these tools or if you can get one without too much difficulty.
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Blue Screen Of Death (Windows BSOD)
By default, Windows XP will just reboot your system rather than provide you with any warning or error message. This option can be changed in the following manner:
<ul type="square">[*] Visit Your System Control Panel - Click Start, Control Panel, System, Advanced and choose the Settings button under the 'System Startup and Recovery' option (Settings).[*] Make sure the Automatically Restart box is clear (not checked)[/list]It won't prevent the rebooting, but it will help you to start figuring out the problem, and how to fix it.
Here are some solutions for the more common Graphics and Audio 'issues' that have been expressed on the boards.
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Missing Icons, Small Text Display, Weird Textures, Excessive Lag and Crashing
Graphics Cards seem to be at the root of these types of issues. More detailed instructions are given for updating your drivers if you would like to check that topic above. There are many more options with update 5 that can be set or 'tweaked' to improve your gaming experience. Check Options, Graphics and Audio for more details and setting choices.
If you are unable to get into the game consistently to check these settings, check your Windows Registry (look for the options in the 'My Computer\H_KEY_Current_User\Software\Cryptic\COH' registry key).
Besides updating your system drivers, you may wish to experiment with the following:<ul type="square">[*] NVIDIA - GeForce owners should try disabling shadows[*] ATI - Disable Fast Write in the ATI Catalyst Control Panel and verify that shadows are disabled & VBO is set to 0 (zero)[*] Intel Integrated Video - Disabling in-game shadows more often than not, resolves many issues[/list]__________________________________________________ ________________________
Mapping and Special Effects
If you experience trouble with Maps being incorrect or glitchy sound effects, try Verifying all the game-related files. When you first start City of Heroes client, you have the choice to verify files. This will take a while but may restore any corrupted files in the process.
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Laptop Video Card or Frame Rate Issues
Some laptop video cards (ATI Mobility, Intel 91x Chipsets) are having known issues with frame rates and other visual degradations to gameplay.
This TEMPORARY addition to your COH shortcut will force the game to render in a simpler rendering path, and should clear up some of the more serious performance issues until a more permanent solution is found.
Modify your City of Heroes shortcut (by right-clicking and choosing Properties) to include "-useTexEnvCombine"] (without the quotes) at the end of the 'Target:' line, so it should look something like this:
"C:\Program Files\City of Heroes\CohUpdater.exe" -useTexEnvCombine
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Video Frames Per Second
You may also activate this feature, to get an idea of the frame rate being displayed in the game. This feature can be accessed using the option in the menu, under controls, to set a bind key. you may also type:
/showfps 1
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Gamma Settings - Dark or Almost Black Screen
If your game loads up in a very dark state, then you may be having an issue with the gamma rendering (luminosity) settings in the game client. This may be a result of your graphics driver, monitor (display) driver, or a Windows OS issue. In any event, If updating your drivers does not resolve this issue, try the following:
<ul type="square">[*] Before you launch the game, open up the Windows Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del simultaneously and then click Task Manager)[*] Keep the window somewhere on your screen and launch CoH client[*] CoH should now run with normal luminosity. Once you reach the login screen, minimize or close the task manager utility[/list]__________________________________________________ ________________________
First Person Camera View
Sometimes, the camera views get messed up and you end up in First Person view.
When you zone the game resets you to a default camera angle and position, this 'bug' happens because at some point you hit 'b' to enter first person mode, and then hit 'b' again to leave it, for some reason the reset on zoning picks up on the 'b' and sends the camera back to first person as the default position.
Here are a few solutions:<ul type="square">[*] Use the scroll wheel on your mouse or the 'home' and 'end' keys to reset your camera[/list]<ul type="square">[*] Press 'b' (to get out of first person) and then zone, (you should be back into first person). Scroll out (return to third person) and zone, (you should stay in third person even after zoning). Press 'b' (back to first person) and zone again. After zoning you should end up back into normal 3rd person.[/list]<ul type="square">[*] Type /third to switch to third person view (or /first to switch to first-person)[/list]<ul type="square">[*] Change the default views keys in the controls section on the options menu.[/list]__________________________________________________ ________________________
Exiting Arena or Mission
If you are stuck and can't use your exit button for any reason, try this command:
/requestexitmission 1
Below please find information from CuppaJo's thread regarding the use of the training room server. For a more complete set of instructions and the custom install method, please check out the thread here.
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What is a test server?
Its your chance to preview upcoming changes and updates and provide feedback to the developers.
The test server is set up specifically for the testing of updates *before* they are incorporated into the game itself. Players can login and preview/test the planned new features, fixes, changes, tweaks and offer up bug reports or suggestions. It is also a great place to try out new power combinations or respecifications (respecs) without affecting your 'Live' characters.
How does a test server differ from a live server?
<ul type="square">[*] Because of the nature and purpose of a test server, the operative word to keep in mind is temporary[*] Content and characters could be wiped at anytime as game specific updates and changes are published, tested and removed[*] Players can expect lower levels of support, since the bulk of this service is centered around our live servers[*] Normal bug reporting and petitions will be handled a bit differently, as all issues need to be given more time for in-depth study, review and reproduction[/list]__________________________________________________ ________________________
Installing the Test Server (Quick install)
- Using Windows Explorer, locate the default City Of Heroes folder (In most cases, it will be found in C:\Program Files\City of Heroes)
- Right-Click on the folder and choose Copy
- Click on the Program Files Directory folder
- Right-Click on the Program Files folder and choose Paste
- After the files have finished being copied, you will see a new folder called 'Copy of City of Heroes' Rename that folder to COHTest (or whatever you would like)
- Visit the new directory and locate the CohUpdater.exe file
- Right-click on the file name and choose the option 'Create Shortcut'
- Open the Properties for the newly created shortcut. In the Target window, add the following flag to the end of the line: [space]-test
- open the new shortcut to activate the training room launcher. You may wish to Right-Click and Send Shortcut To Desktop to have an easily accessible shortcut for playing the game
Target: C:\Program Files\COHTest\COHUpdater -test
Start In: C:\Program Files\COHTest\
Notes
[*]The test client does not include an uninstall program. To remove it, you will have to delete it manually just as you would any file or folder on your computer. [*]There are also some registry entries that may need to be removed (beyond the scope of this tutorial).
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Transfer your favourite characters to the test server
https://secure.cityofheroes.com/cgi-bin/coh_transfer.pl
<ul type="square">[*] Use your City of Heroes login name and password to login[*] After you login, you will be able to select the server and character you wish to copy to the test server. It will take several moments, but the character will copy. At this point you will be able to play the test server. NOTE: Those who have just restarted their accounts may experience a delay or wait of up to 24 hours to be able to copy a character to the test server[*] After you copy your character to the test server, you should be able to play the test client[/list]
Special thanks to Visceral for this post - many of the common solutions to tech problems with CoH can be found in this thread.
Wow...great job on compiling and organizing all that info Visceral!!
But still I fear and still I dare not laugh at the madman!
One man's "meh" is another man's "zomg". - Leatherneck
Procrastination meter coming soon.
About the Spyware-bit...just the MS-tool and HitmanPro should be enough. HitmanPro includes AdAware, Spyware S&D, Spywareblaster and some other scanners.
Now that's a damn fine, long, helpful set of posts!
Visceral - you ROCK!
(And I was going to say that solely based on the first post, then I scrolled down and saw the rest.
Awesome job man, you should get a permanent in-game zombie pet for this! 
That was simply incredible! 5 stars here!
Lanori-Pher (50 Claw/regen)
Crimson Sin (50 Fire/FF)
Jurius (50 Fire/Energy)
Green Sun (50 Rad/Dark)
Pher-Lanori (50 Warshade)
December Ice (32 Ice/Device)
all Infinity
None of that worked!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO now I'll never get to play ='(
I spent an hour trying every single one of those solutions you suggest and none of them work! I give this a 1 >=(
Excellent job! Great string!
Here are a few other ideas that I thought I should share from my personal experiences over the past day. These can be found in the many problem strings that have enveloped this forum over the past 24 hours. Neither of the solutions below are ones that I personally developed, but rather are solutions offered by other posters (you know who you are, Thank You!) that worked for me.
Problem:
Screen is split and bottom portion is not moving.
Solution:
In Game Menu, go to Options, Graphics menu and change the FSAA configuration from Off to X2 or X4. This should resolve your issue.
Problem:
Game will not load at all. Stuck in loading banner or crashes before it gets to loading page.
Solution:
Open the City of Heroes file folder (C:/Program Files/City of Heroes) and rename the data folder to "Old_Data" with no quotes. Then rerun the updater.
These sloutions worked for me. They may work for you. GL
[ QUOTE ]
Problem:
Game will not load at all. Stuck in loading banner or crashes before it gets to loading page.
Solution:
Open the City of Heroes file folder (C:/Program Files/City of Heroes) and rename the data folder to "Old_Data" with no quotes. Then rerun the updater.
[/ QUOTE ]
This bears repeating because it's easy to forget and easy to fix. The new name of the folder shouldn't matter, but I6 may be very upset with whatever you might have in your \data folder.
I don't even have a data folder... Is this a very bad thing?
Mini journal of my day's fun events with CoV/CoH Updaters:
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showf...part=1#3969489
I'm in the same boat. CoH gets to the Loading screen and stalls, task manager gives me "Not Responding." And I have no data folder either. Even tried to reinstall the game with no luck. Help oh technical gurus!
During the beta testing the developers made recommendations on which version of the ATI Catalyst driver to run. Is there a recommendation now that we're out of beta, or is it just to use the latest version?
[ QUOTE ]
Excellent job! Great string!
Here are a few other ideas that I thought I should share from my personal experiences over the past day. These can be found in the many problem strings that have enveloped this forum over the past 24 hours. Neither of the solutions below are ones that I personally developed, but rather are solutions offered by other posters (you know who you are, Thank You!) that worked for me.
Problem:
Screen is split and bottom portion is not moving.
Solution:
In Game Menu, go to Options, Graphics menu and change the FSAA configuration from Off to X2 or X4. This should resolve your issue.
Problem:
Game will not load at all. Stuck in loading banner or crashes before it gets to loading page.
Solution:
Open the City of Heroes file folder (C:/Program Files/City of Heroes) and rename the data folder to "Old_Data" with no quotes. Then rerun the updater.
These sloutions worked for me. They may work for you. GL
[/ QUOTE ]
FSAA doesn't exist anymore as of the last patch (8 Nov) now theres "anistropic rate or something like that" and it doesnt fix the split screen problem anymore. ATI graffics bites the dust again. 
[ QUOTE ]
FSAA doesn't exist anymore as of the last patch (8 Nov) now theres "anistropic rate or something like that" and it doesnt fix the split screen problem anymore. ATI graffics bites the dust again.
[/ QUOTE ]
FSAA appears gone for ATI cards in the option window, on a system with an NVIDIA card its still there (have two systems each with one type of card in it in house).
Anisotropic Filtering is a completely different beastie, and not related to FSAA. It affects textures and should not affect Frame Rate technically speaking.
FSAA is Full-Scene Antialiasing, and its purpose is to clean up edges on polygons (basically speaking).
Introduction
Of course we all want to enjoy the City of Heroes experience. When you have a technical problem with that experience, what do you do? Well, the TIBF community has some suggestions that we hope you will try:
<ul type="square">[*] The Purpose Of The Technical Issues and Bugs Forum[*] Contact City Of Heroes Technical Support[*] Scan This Thread For Hints And Suggestions From Other Heroes[*] Server Status, Maintenance Schedules and Other Information[*] Provide Us With Some Basic Information In A Separate Thread[/list]__________________________________________________ ________________________
The Purpose Of The Technical Issues and Bugs Forum
Read This First - About This Forum
As mentioned in the link above, this forum is not the place for OFFICIAL support; rather, it is a place where dedicated players and staff share their knowledge in an effort to get you back into your tights as quickly as possible.
This document has been the compilation of the work of several wonderful people and we would like to dedicate this document to them. Among the contributors to this thread are: Colder, Quantum_Trntino, Zloth, Bonehead, Ironik, Leech, Quickette, Beldaran, Scorus, Shado-Shryke, MeKrong, FloridaFringe, Ami_Chan, CuppaJo, SuperMartin, CthulhuFan and many others...
Thank you for your continuing efforts, folks!
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Contact City Of Heroes Technical Support
For official support, visit the CoH Support Web or e-mail support@coh.com. When you experience problems in the game, you have the option to /BUG or /PETITION your issue - Click here for information on these two in-game tools.
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Scan This Thread For Hints And Suggestions From Other Heroes
Remember that you can use the FIND tool of your web browser to search for items within a page. On most browsers, the FIND feature is found in the Edit menu.
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Provide Us With Some Basic Information In A Separate Thread - DXDiag and HiJack This
In most cases we first ask you to provide two pieces of information; a 'DirectX' report and a 'HiJack This' report. Since we can't look at your machine, these reports help us see where you might be having a problem.
You may want to spend some time and edit out personal information that you may not wish to have posted for 'all to see'. if you do not feel comfortable submitting your logs on a public forum, feel free to PM (send a private message) one of the many helpful souls on this forum to see if they can provide you with assistance in a more private manner.
Please submit your reports in a separate thread, along with a brief description of the problem. This will help everyone to focus on each issue and not become confused with multiple logs and reports.
HiJack This Report:
<ul type="square">[*] Download HiJack This from the downloads section, extract and run 'Hijack This' on your system[*] Save the report to a file for later use[/list]Direct X Report:
<ul type="square">[*] Go to the Start Menu and select Run...[*] Type out the word 'dxdiag' (no quotes) and click the OK button[*] Run ALL the tests (yes, it may take a while)[*] Save the report to a file for later use[/list]__________________________________________________ ______________________
Server Status, Maintenance Schedules and Other Information<ul type="square">[*] Server Status[*] Daily Maintenance Schedule[*] Update Notes[*] Launcher Update Notes - Live Server[*] Known Issues Status[/list]__________________________________________________ ________________________
Server Locations
East Coast Servers - Virginia<ul type="square">[*] Freedom[*] Infinity[*] Liberty[*] Pinnacle[*] Victory[*] Triumph[/list]West Coast - California
<ul type="square">[*] Champion[*] Guardian[*] Justice[*] Protector[*] Virtue [*] Test (Training Room)[/list]__________________________________________________ _______________________
General Tips and Suggestions
Check the items/replies below for each troubleshooting tip or suggestion item.
See You In-Game Soon!