Interesting twist on the common 'fixing files' problem
By
GibberingLunatic,
Posted on: 2009-09-01 22:37 in ALL ACCESS Gameplay Technical Issues Bugs
You shouldn't have to redownload the whole thing unless you deleted the files. The files should still be in one of those directories. Check for them and remove the extra directories. Move your updater to your desktop and when it asks you where to install, point it to the directory the files are already in, and it should only "verify files" and let you in within a few minutes.
If you want to try getting around the updater, try using a variation of this shortcut (to point to where your directory is):
"C:\Program Files\City of Heroes\CityOfHeroes.exe" -project coh
Providing your files are still intact and updated in the default folder, it should still let you in. You'll still haev to do the "Verify files" thing the next time you run the updater though.
It didn't try to re-download (Thank Heavens!) but after messing with it awhile longer I just let it run and went to bed. I guess I can give up a night of CoH once in awhile. 
Worked fine last night, so I guess it was a one time thing, still don't know why all the sub-directories tho. :shrug:
Yipe.
I know exactly what your problem is. If you choose C:\ as your install directory, it will go to C:\City of Heroes. If you choose C:\Program Files as your install directory, it will go to C:\Program Files\City of Heroes. If you choose C:\City of Heroes as your install directory, it will install to... C:\City of Heroes\City of Heroes.
You can see where this is going.
Necrobond - 50 BS/Inv Scrapper made in I1
Rickar - 50 Bots/FF Mastermind
Anti-Muon - 42 Warshade
Ivory Sicarius - 45 Crab Spider
Aber ja, nat�rlich Hans nass ist, er steht unter einem Wasserfall.
On top of it all, I will NOT be held responsible if you bork your CoX install or even your windows install cause you toyed with something BESIDES WHAT I TELL YOU...
Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, to bypass the sometimes long verification process you open up regedit (using Winkey+R to pull up a run dialog)
browse to Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cryptic\COH
and change the
"VerifyOnNextUpdate"=dword:00000001
to
"VerifyOnNextUpdate"=dword:00000000
by double clicking on the VerifyOnNextUpdate key.
(do note that the text entry box for this specific key will only show a single "1" in the field, this is expected and should only be replaced with a single "0" [a Zero] and NOT eight of them.)
A easier way to do it is make a text file and put the following into it.
For Vista Users,
Code:
That will take care of both the Test client and your main client. Just rename the text file you made into CoXVerificationfix.regWindows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cryptic\COH] "VerifyOnNextUpdate"=dword:00000000 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cryptic\CohTest] "VerifyOnNextUpdate"=dword:00000000
if the game ever crashes and you know its not a file issue, just double click that file you made with that code in it and it will skip the verification each time. For Win XP users its virtually the same except the notation is diffrent.
Code:
REGEDIT4 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cryptic\Coh] "VerifyOnNextUpdate"=dword:00000000 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cryptic\CohTest] "VerifyOnNextUpdate"=dword:00000000
Quote:
that key does not exist =/
|
Originally Posted by GibberingLunatic
On top of it all, I will NOT be held responsible if you bork your CoX install or even your windows install cause you toyed with something BESIDES WHAT I TELL YOU...
Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, to bypass the sometimes long verification process you open up regedit (using Winkey+R to pull up a run dialog) browse to Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cryptic\COH and change the "VerifyOnNextUpdate"=dword:00000001 to "VerifyOnNextUpdate"=dword:00000000 by double clicking on the VerifyOnNextUpdate key. (do note that the text entry box for this specific key will only show a single "1" in the field, this is expected and should only be replaced with a single "0" [a Zero] and NOT eight of them.) A easier way to do it is make a text file and put the following into it. For Vista Users, Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cryptic\COH] "VerifyOnNextUpdate"=dword:00000000 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cryptic\CohTest] "VerifyOnNextUpdate"=dword:00000000 if the game ever crashes and you know its not a file issue, just double click that file you made with that code in it and it will skip the verification each time. For Win XP users its virtually the same except the notation is diffrent. Code:
REGEDIT4 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cryptic\Coh] "VerifyOnNextUpdate"=dword:00000000 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cryptic\CohTest] "VerifyOnNextUpdate"=dword:00000000 |
If the key does not exist, then CoX didn't realize it crashed and will start without verifying the files.
Adding it is a bit of a failsafe as either way without the key or with the key set on the binary switch of 0 or "off" just says the same as the key not being there, "I don't need file verification so just show the 'Next' button when we load up"
If you actually add the key "VerifyOnNextUpdate"=dword:00000001
and attempt to run the game it will attempt file verification
and if your gonna make the key notice it says DWORD (which is a 32-bit value) I.E. right click and select New, then DWORD
put in VerifyOnNextUpdate as the Named text, then double click it, replace the "0" (zero) value with a 1 instead, hit OK and then try to run your updater. it will start to verify the files as if the client "crashed". Close the updater and change the value back to 0(zero) and the updater will go straight to showing the "Next" button.
Quote:
I just use the program shortcut I described above to bypass the updater if I ever need to:|
Originally Posted by GibberingLunatic
If the key does not exist, then CoX didn't realize it crashed and will start without verifying the files.
Adding it is a bit of a failsafe as either way without the key or with the key set on the binary switch of 0 or "off" just says the same as the key not being there, "I don't need file verification so just show the 'Next' button when we load up" If you actually add the key "VerifyOnNextUpdate"=dword:00000001 and attempt to run the game it will attempt file verification and if your gonna make the key notice it says DWORD (which is a 32-bit value) I.E. right click and select New, then DWORD put in VerifyOnNextUpdate as the Named text, then double click it, replace the "0" (zero) value with a 1 instead, hit OK and then try to run your updater. it will start to verify the files as if the client "crashed". Close the updater and change the value back to 0(zero) and the updater will go straight to showing the "Next" button. |
"C:\Program Files\City of Heroes\CityOfHeroes.exe" -project coh
The only time you'll ever have to run the updater and verify is when an update to the client is required.
The problem is, if the registry doesn't even have the correct install directory to begin with, neither method is probably going to help much... and going into detail on how to edit the registry isn't always a good idea anyway. I know you added a slight "disclaimer", but some people are going to go to the wrong place, and add/delete the wrong thing, or think it's ok to do the same thing for other programs.. and that's just heading down a bad road.
If you want to provide a helpful registry key.. just provide the key and say: "Those who know what you are doing will know how to use this, everybody else please disregard. It can be 'dangerous' messing with your registry if you don't know what you are doing."
On a side note, I have XP and my registry files say "Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00", not REGEDIT4 as you describe.
Quote:
If they aren't smart enough to make the file themselves, they shouldn't do it in the first place.|
Originally Posted by Master-Blade
I just use the program shortcut I described above to bypass the updater if I ever need to:
"C:\Program Files\City of Heroes\CityOfHeroes.exe" -project coh The only time you'll ever have to run the updater and verify is when an update to the client is required. The problem is, if the registry doesn't even have the correct install directory to begin with, neither method is probably going to help much... and going into detail on how to edit the registry isn't always a good idea anyway. I know you added a slight "disclaimer", but some people are going to go to the wrong place, and add/delete the wrong thing, or think it's ok to do the same thing for other programs.. and that's just heading down a bad road. If you want to provide a helpful registry key.. just provide the key and say: "Those who know what you are doing will know how to use this, everybody else please disregard. It can be 'dangerous' messing with your registry if you don't know what you are doing." On a side note, I have XP and my registry files say "Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00", not REGEDIT4 as you describe. |
Older versions of XP (some but not all, mostly SP1 run 4.0 while newer ones or updated versions run 5.0)
and the registry doesn't rely on how the filesystem is, you could have CoX in "c:\My supercool folder\me\huh\who\where\which\city of heroes"
And CoX would still write those registry keys in the same location no matter where you install it.
and yes the switch "-project coh" does work, however I'm not a guy whos fond of using switches in programs (sometimes unreliable causing instability but not always like mebby 10% of the time something can bork up and by placing a switch its easy to forget about and always skips the verification, registry edit = 1x skip) so if you have a crash and who knows you might just blame your pc but in reality its some texture somewhere in the world thats causing it to go boom....
no verification, sometimes its good to have something that resets itself so you don't forget to check.
(btw, I do speak english as my native tounge, I do know how to spell, I just havent slept in about 63 hours now... so if these posts are hard to understand... I blame my insomina and the noisy neghibors.)
[edit]
As a side note, no registry key file is provided because of one word, "Liability" if they tweak the file check key themselves I am not liable for what their fingers do. However if I did provide a file and something screwed up immediately or down the line then I would be liable for it because I provided a file as a fix that could of been the issue (though it wouldn't be anyway because it would be those lines only) so hence a do-it-yourself solution is provided.
OK, so I go to fire up CoX tonite. It does the 'Where do you want to put the new CoH files' message. Wow, haven't seen that in a long time. Cancel. Restart and the updater starts 'fixing files' with the usual hours remaining.
Fvadt.
I log on the forum and start looking for threads about how to get around this. I recall seeing them before, but my instance of CoH has been practically trouble-free for years now, so it's been awhile. I note one thread that mentions something about the updater installing itself in a subdirectory of the CoH directory. So I open up the files to look...
C:\Program Files\City of Heroes\City of Heroes\City of Heroes\City of Heroes\CohUpdater.exe
Wow. Four? FOUR? Really?
Not sure why it's done this, or if it's even a problem. But it's obvious I ain't playing tonight. :P