company of heroes opposing fronts v636.rar

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Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts Readme

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Version 1.0 - September 5, 2007



TABLE OF CONTENTS



1) INSTALLATION & SET UP:



1.1 System Requirements

1.2 Supported Video Cards

1.3 DirectX(R) Detection & Installation



2) TROUBLESHOOTING:



2.1 Installer/Patch issues

2.2 Video issues

2.3 Sound issues

2.4 Motherboard drivers

2.5 Operating system specific issues

2.6 Multiplayer & Internet issues

2.7 AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual Core Processor issues

2.8 Rare known issues with certain video cards



3) HOTKEYS



4) IMPROVING PERFORMANCE



5) END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT



6) CUSTOMER SUPPORT CONTACT



7) COPYRIGHT INFORMATION





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1) INSTALLATION & SET UP

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Please note that Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts does not support Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 95/98/NT/2000.



1.1 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS



MINIMUM



• Windows® XP or Vista

• 2.0 Ghz Intel Pentium IV or equivalent or AMD Athlon XP or equivalent

• Windows XP – 512 MB RAM with dedicated memory video cards (1GB RAM required for shared memory video cards)

• Windows Vista – 1GB RAM

• 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible 64MB video card with Pixel Shader 1.1 support or equivalent and latest manufacturer drivers (see supported chipsets below)

• DirectX® 9.0c compatible 16-bit sound card

• DVD-ROM drive

• Keyboard, Mouse

• 10 GB of uncompressed free hard drive space (We recommend having 1 gigabyte of of free space after installation)





RECOMMENDED



Direct3D 9:

• 3.0 Ghz Intel Pentium IV or equivalent

• 1 GB RAM

• 512 MB NVIDIA GeForce 6800 series or better



Direct3D 10:

• 3.0 Ghz Intel Pentium IV or equivalent

• 2 GB RAM

• 640 MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800 series or better





REQUIRED FOR MULTIPLAYER:

• 1 set of discs per computer

• For 6-8 player multiplayer or skirmish matches, the Recommended System Requirements are strongly suggested

• Internet (TCP/IP) and LAN (TCP/IP) play supported. Internet play requires broadband connection and latest drivers. LAN play requires network interface card and latest drivers.





1.2 SUPPORTED VIDEO CARDS



ATI Radeon 9500 series

ATI Radeon 9600 series

ATI Radeon 9700 series

ATI Radeon 9800 series

ATI Radeon X300 series

ATI Radeon X550 series

ATI Radeon X600 series

ATI Radeon X700 series

ATI Radeon X800 series

ATI Radeon X1000 series

ATI Radeon X1100 series

ATI Radeon X1300 series

ATI Radeon X1600 series

ATI Radeon X1800 series

ATI Radeon X1900 series

ATI Radeon HD 2400 series

ATI Radeon HD 2600 series

ATI Radeon HD 2900 series, or better with latest manufacturer drivers.

NVIDIA GeForce3/Ti series

NVIDIA GeForce4/Ti (excluding the GeForce4MX series)

NVIDIA GeForce FX 5700 series

NVIDIA GeForce FX 5800 series

NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 series

NVIDIA GeForce 6200 series

NVIDIA GeForce 6600 series

NVIDIA GeForce 6800 series

NVIDIA GeForce 7300 series

NVIDIA GeForce 7600 series

NVIDIA GeForce 7800 series

NVIDIA GeForce 7900 series

NVIDIA GeForce 8400 series

NVIDIA GeForce 8500 series

NVIDIA GeForce 8600 series

NVIDIA GeForce 8700 series

NVIDIA GeForce 8800 series or better with latest manufacturer drivers.





1.3 DIRECTX(R) DETECTION AND INSTALLATION



The Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts installer will check your computer for the currently installed version of DirectX(R). If it detects an older version of DirectX(R), it will install DirectX(R) 9.0c and 10 automatically. The installation of DirectX(R) will not harm your DirectX(R) configuration. Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts requires DirectX(R) to install and play.









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2. TROUBLESHOOTING

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2.1 INSTALLER/PATCH ISSUES



A. Interference from Anti-Virus Programs



It is recommended that any anti-virus programs be disabled when attempting to install Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts. Anti-virus software can often interfere and corrupt the installation process of new software.



B. Modifications



Any modifications to Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts may result in the inability to patch successfully. Before applying any modifications we suggest backing up the affected files and replacing them before applying any patch. Not doing so may result in the need to re-install the game.





2.2 VIDEO ISSUES



A. Latest drivers required



For best performance and video quality, please make sure you have the latest drivers for your video card when running Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts. If you have an ATI or NVIDIA video card, you can find drivers on their websites.

http://www.ati.com/


Driver: Catalyst 7.8 or newer

http://www.nvidia.com/


Driver: ForceWare Graphics Driver Version 162.18 or newer (93.71 or newer for GeForce 3 and GeForce 4Ti)



Preliminary tests with out-of-date ATI drivers have shown some graphic corruption while playing Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts. Upgrading to the latest ATI drivers can solve the problem for most users.



Preliminary tests with out-of-date NVIDIA drivers have shown lower performance and missing objects. Upgrading to the latest NVIDIA drivers can solve the problem for most users.



B. Exeeding recommended Auto Settings for Graphics Options



Exceeding the recommended Auto Settings for Graphics Options can result in undesired performance degradation and graphical errors because the settings are exceeding the capabilities of yourhardware. If you are experiencing graphical issues after installing the latest graphics card drivers, ensure Auto Settings is selected in the Graphics Options page of the game's Main Menu.



C. Black squares rendering on screen in place of expected graphical effects



As per above, exceeding recommended Auto Settings for Graphics options can reslt in undesired graphical corruption. One known issue involves black squares spawning on screen in place of expected graphical effects. For most users, the problem can be rectified by lowering the detail settings or, alternatively, increasing your AGP aperture size if you're using an AGP-based Video Card.





2.3 SOUND ISSUES



A. Latest drivers required



Please make sure you have the latest drivers for your sound card when running Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts.



B. The sound stutters while playing



Make sure you have the latest drivers for your sound card. If stuttering persists try reducing Hardware Acceleration. From your Windows(R) desktop, click Start, then Run, type "dxdiag", then hit Enter. This brings up the "DirectX(R) Diagnostic Tool". Click the Sound tab and try reducing the "Hardware Sound Acceleration Level" slider.



C. Excessive sound static from speakers during movie playback



Some users may notice excessive sound static coming from their speakers during movie playback if their motherboard uses on-board audio. The ASUS A8N32-SLI has been identified as one motherboard with this problem. To prevent the interference:



i) From your Windows(R) desktop, click Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Sounds and Audio Devices



ii) Then, on the Volume Tab, click Advanced



iii) Under the Options menu, select Properties and click the box to the left of 'PC Speaker' to display it in your Volume Control panel. Click OK.



iv) Mute the PC Speaker by clicking the Mute box directly below the PC Speaker volume control



The interference should now be gone.



D. Audio during cinematic sequences out of sync after using Microsoft(R) shortcut keys.



Using Microsoft(R) shortcut keys like Alt-Tab, Alt-Esc, Ctrl-Esc, Ctrl-Shift-Esc, and Ctrl-Alt-Del during non-interactive cinematic sequences will cause the audio to go out of sync. The audio should return to normal once interactive gameplay resumes.





2.4 MOTHERBOARD DRIVERS



Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts requires the absolute latest video card AND motherboard drivers to be installed, as there have been significant issues in recent, but not the latest, drivers. Please make sure you are running the latest drivers available for BOTH your video card and motherboard.



Often motherboard drivers are overlooked when updating systems, and as a result most computers are running very old versions that simply do not work properly and may cause very noticeable slow downs and stability issues.





2.5 OPERATING SYSTEM-SPECIFIC ISSUES



A. Windows(R) Key Interrupts Game



If the Windows(R) key is pressed during game play, the Start Menu will interrupt the game. Should this happen, simply press the Escape (Esc) key to close the menu and return to the game. Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent this from happening again except by being careful not to hit those keys while playing.



B. Administrator Privileges Needed To Install On Windows(R) XP and Vista.



You must have Administrator privileges to properly install the game. You do not, however, require Administrator privileges to play the game after it has been installed.



For information on how to change your user settings to obtain Administrator privileges, please refer to your Windows(R) documentation, or click the Start button and select ‘Help and Support’.



C. Alt-Tab to Switch Applications



Some drivers do not support the Alt-Tab switching between Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts and other applications. It is highly recommended that you do not use Alt-Tab to switch to another program while Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts is running. If you wish to switch programs, first close Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts. Using Alt-Tab while Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts is loading can result in loss of all sound when returning to the game.



D. Windows(R) Vista 32bit Virtual Memory Limitations



The original version of Windows(R) Vista can consume too much virtual memory while running Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts with high graphics options. This can cause the game to crash. Please consult Microsoft Knowledge Base article KB940105.





2.6 MULTIPLAYER & INTERNET ISSUES



***NOTE***: THQ Customer Support does not support playing multiplayer through firewalls or shared connections.



A. You can see games listed but you cannot join them, OR you can host a game but nobody can join the game, OR The game freezes in the lobby screen, when trying to host a game or when joining a game.



- If you have a firewall it may be blocking Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts but the firewall popup window is not showing in front of the game. Quit the game or bring up the task manager and end the Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts task. Go to your firewall settings and correctly configure them for Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts.



- If you have a firewall such as ZoneAlarm or Norton Personal Firewall, then you need to make sure that you have given Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts permission to access the internet and to accept connections from the internet.



- If you have the Windows Firewall enabled, you need to make sure that Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts is listed and selected in the "Exceptions" section of the firewall options. To do this open the 'Control Panel', double-click the Network Connections icon, and right-click on your internet connection. Select 'Properties', then 'Advanced'. You should now see the 'Settings' button for the Windows Firewall. Click the button and make sure that the firewall is turned off, or that ' RelicCOH.exe' is selected in the 'Exceptions' tab of the Windows Firewall dialog box.



- If problems persist try disabling the firewall.



- Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts uses the following ports to connect to the lobby, host games and accept connections:



UDP 6112

UDP 30260



- Check your router documentation for instructions on how to open ports. The process is very different for different brands and even for different models from the same maker.



B. NOD32 Virus Checker users:



- NOD32 scans the network activity of the programs on your machine. You need to configure NOD32 to exclude Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts from scans as it will drastically degrade online performance. In the IMON setup, under the Miscellaneous tab, press the edit button within the Exclusion box/zone. Press the Add button in the Exclude Application dialog and find the RelicCoH.exe on your hard drive to add it to the exclusion list.



C. NetLimiter users:



- This program restricts bandwidth used by programs and may be limiting Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts if you have not correctly configured it. Make sure that Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts (RelicCoH.exe) is allocated enough bandwidth, if you experience issues in the Relic Online lobby or in game while online, try increasing the bandwidth allowed for Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts.



D. Belkin Router Model #F5D5231-4 unsupported:



- This router does not connect to online multiplayer games.



2.7 AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual Core Processor issues



Some Windows® XP users with AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual Core Processors may notice reduced video performance if they do not have the AMD Dual-core Optimizer installed.



The AMD Dual-Core Optimzer can be found here:

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/TechnicalResources/0,,30_182_871_13118,00.html




2.8 RARE KNOWN ISSUES WITH CERTAIN VIDEO CARDS



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*NOTE: Overclocked GPUs can overheat and are usually responsible for the graphical corruptions listed below.*

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A. Visual corruption on certain NVIDIA video cards



Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT

Manufacturer: NVIDIA

Chip type: GeForce 6800 GT

Display Memory: 256.0 MB



This rare corruption occurs in a few ways:



- Terrain composite texture becomes corrupted with rainbow colours

- The user interface textures become corrupted

- Destructible buildings develop extreme geometry shapes



This problem can be fixed by simply pressing Alt-Tab on your keyboard to reset back to Windows and then pressing Alt-Tab once more to return to Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts.



B. Shadows do not render properly



Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT

Manufacturer: NVIDIA

Chip type: GeForce 7800 GT

Display Memory: 256.0 MB



This rare issue manifests itself in the form of large corrupted shadows that display in ways that are not proportional to the objects contained in the scene. Restarting Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts completely resolves this problem for most users.



C. User interface minimap shows corrupt textures



Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX&