Fix The Witcher 2 Random Crashes, Mouse, SecuROM, Edit Config Settings & More

The Witcher 2 : Assassin of the Kings is finally released. This is an interesting PC video game title for several reasons. First, The Witcher 2 is one of the most anticipated games of the season and it’s been generating a lot of hype ever since it was first announced. Second, this is one of those rare PC exclusive titles which are almost non existent today. It’s after quite some time that PC gamers get to enjoy a popular game designed to take advantage of PC hardware, rather than a dumbed down console port (support the developers and buy this to show your appreciation – don’t just pirate it as usual). Either way here’s our routine troubleshooting articles for The Witcher 2. This post aims to help you with some of the common issues with the game, including random crashes to desktop (CTD), SecuROM doubts, mouse improvements, how to manually edit settings, etc.

Fix random crashes to desktop (CTD) in The Witcher 2

The Witcher 2 is known to crash on some Windows 7/Vista systems which are running the 32-bit version of the OS but have 3GB or more RAM installed. The crashes seem to be related to the way this game utilizes physical memory and enabling 3GB switch in Windows seem to fix the random CTD for most people. To enable 3GB switch, please follow the guide mentioned in this page. In case you want to undo the change, a step by step guide for this too can be found on the page. More on information on 3GB switch feature on Windows can be found here.

What’s the deal with SecuROM and is it affecting The Witcher 2 performance?

As most of you would already know, this game is protected by SecuROM, a Digital Rights Management (DRM) system that aims to repel pirates. There have been many controversies related to SecuROM in the past and these appear to have resurfaced with the release of Witcher 2. One of the main complains against the games’ DRM this time around is that it results in a noticeable performance hit. According to reports by several readers and from my own experience, the leaked version by GOG (which has DRM protection removed from both the game exe and paul.dll file, an integral part of SecuROM) seems to run smoother, with an increase of around 10 frames per second over the Retail version which has SecuROM embedded. This clearly is not a reason to pirate the game but hopefully devs would remove SecuROM at a later stage, possibly in a future patch. Until then the only resolution for legit buyers would be to use a so called crack, but note that this is still illegal in most countries even if you bought the game legally.

How to manually edit game settings in The Witcher 2

If you are one of the power users who will fine tune this game by tweaking advanced options, you’d most likely do so by editing the game configuration file.

1. Install The Witcher 2.
2. Navigate to folder C:\USERNAME\DOCUMENTS\Witcher 2\Config\
3. Open the file User.ini  with a text editor such as Notepad.

How to enable/disable mouse smoothing and invert mouse on The Witcher 2

Open User.ini file with a text editor, as highlighted in the previous section. Locate the string ‘smoothness’. Setting smoothness=1 enables mouse smoothing. Setting smoothness=0 disables this. Save and close the file once you are done.

Inverting mouse movement is also possible by editing configuration file. Open User.ini with a text editor and locate the MouseSensitivityY string. Add a minus sign before the numeric value to invert mouse Y Axis. Ex- Change MouseSensitivityY=0.2 to MouseSensitivityY=-0.2 . Doing the same to MouseSensitivityX will invert X axis.

What are the the best graphics drivers for The Witcher 2?

While the Witcher 2 will most likely play fine if you have video card drivers released within the last 6 months or so, the best performance might not be guaranteed. It’s highly recommended that you upgrade to the latest available drivers and if you are running new generation NVIDIA hardware it’s recommended that you upgrade to v257.27 beta drivers.
Latest official NVIDIA drivers : [Click Here]
Latest Beta NVIDIA drivers : [Click Here]
Latest official AMD drivers: [Click Here]

This article is a work in progress. Check back here for more updates.

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Crysis 2 – Enable/Disable AA, Blur, Mouse Acceleration, No Intro, Sound & Crash Fix

Crysis 2, one of the most anticipated games of the year, is finally released. Just like its predecessor, the game has superb graphics but heavily taxes hardware and you’ll need a high end gaming rig to play it with everything maxed out. Needless to say this is one game you’ll want to tweak to get optimal performance on your system with minimal loss of visual quality. Thankfully, you can now tweak the hell out of Crysis 2 thanks to an awesome tool created by an avid fan of the franchise - Crysis 2 Advanced Graphics Options Tool allows you to change a number of advanced game settings though an easy to use graphics user interface. Either way this is our routine troubleshooting article for Crysis 2 – it discusses in detail how to use this tool to change game settings and provides generic tips to avoid random crashes you might experience while playing.

What is the Crysis 2 Advanced Graphics Options Tool and how does it work?

The Crysis 2 Advanced Graphics Options Tool allows you to enable/disable, turn on/off or change the following settings: shaders, post processing, motion blur, effects, shadows, radial blur, objects, sound, MSAA, particles, physics, edge AA, water, anisotropy. Additionally, it comes with options to disable intro movies, mouse acceleration , mouse smoothing, toggle zoom, toggle couch as well as to adjust field of vision (FoV) and movement FoV.

And how does this tool make it all possible? It uses the autoexec.cfg file to pass the settings on to the game during startup. Autoexec.cfg is a file that comes with Crysis 2 by default – all of the settings stored in the file automatically get applied during game startup. Crysis 2 Advanced Graphics Options Tool automatically updates this file as the user changes settings through the graphical user interface. Screenshot of the GUI can be seen below:

How to use Crysis 2 Advanced Graphics Options Tool to tweak and change advanced game settings

Using this tool is pretty easy and straightforward - you don’t need to be a power user to do it.

• Make sure you have .NET Framework 2.0 or higher installed on your system.
• Download the tool from here or here.
• Unzip the download. Once you have unzipped place anywhere you want.
• Delete any autoexec.cfg files found in the Crysis 2 root folder (default is C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\Crytek\Crysis 2).
• Run the Crysis2AdvancedGraphicsOptions.exe
• Hit apply once all settings are set. Start the game.

Full credit for making this tool and making it available online should go to wasdie, who originally posted it on this thread.

The configuration tool did not work for me. How do I edit game settings manually?

If for some reason the automated configuration utility above did not work for you, there is still no need to panic. You can always do it manually, the old school way.

1. Open notepad. Paste the following inside a new document.

g_skipIntro=1
cl_fov=72
pl_movement.power_sprint_targetFov=72
i_mouse_accel=0
i_mouse_accel_max=100
i_mouse_smooth=0
r_motionblur=2
g_radialBlur=1
cl_zoomToggle=0
r_UseEdgeAA=0
r_TexMaxAnisotropy=16
sys_spec_shading=3
sys_spec_gameeffects=3
sys_spec_objectdetail=3
sys_spec_particles=3
sys_spec_physics=3
sys_spec_postprocessing=3
sys_spec_shadows=3
sys_spec_sound=3
sys_spec_texture=3
sys_spec_water=3
r_PostMSAA=2
cl_crouchtoggle=1

2. Go to File-> Save As. Change ‘Save As Type’ to all files. Enter autoexec.cfg as the save name. Save the file.

3. Locate the saved .cfg file and move it inside your Crysis 2 home directory. Backup and replace any existing files if prompted to overwrite. Default is C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\Crytek\Crysis 2.

4. Any settings you edit and save in the above file will automatically get applied every time the game is run. For example, if you set g_skipIntro=1, intro movies will be disabled. If you set sys_spec_shadows=1, shadows will be set to low.

P.S. – If you are worried by the excessive amount of blur, try changing the Edge AA setting.

General tips to avoid Crysis 2 crashes and random CTD

• If the game crashes during launch, try changing your audio settings to Stereo (Go to Control Panel –> Sound, Select ‘Speakers’ and click the ‘Configure’ button, Choose ‘Stereo’ in the next dialog.) Crysis 2 is known to crash on some systems with surround sound.
• Update your DirectX – Crysis 2 relies heavily on the Direct3D API. It’s highly recommended that you upgrade to the latest monthly runtime of DirectX which can be located here.
• Apply the v1.1 day one patch. You can download it from here.

This article is a work in progress. Check back here for more updates.

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Total War Shogun 2 – Fix Black Sky, No Water, No Sound, Save Games & More

Shogun 2, the latest installment to the Total War franchise from Creative Assembly has been released. From the several hours of game play experience I had with the title, it seemed to be an improvement in almost all aspects over its predecessor. Hell, I would even go as far to say that this is the best game in the Total War series. In terms of technical aspects, this franchise is not particularly renowned for stability but is well known for random crashes and showstopper bugs. Thankfully this time around the developers seem to have taken their time to release a well polished title with minimal glitches. Either way here’s our mini troubleshooting article for Total War Shogun 2 – it covers some of the issues for which solutions are not commonly discussed.

Shogun 2 black sky and no water bug

Some ATI graphics card owner might encounter this annoying glitch where the in game sky will look black and water rending will look messed up. This issue seems to be related to a new graphics driver release by ATI and can usually be fixed by rolling back to a previous drive. Simply uninstall the current version, download an older version from here (choose your GPU, search drivers and check ‘previous drivers’ link at bottom of drivers page) and install.

No sound, stuttering, noise or other audio issues in Total war Shogun 2

These can happen due to a number of reasons but here are two of the most common solutions you can try:

Fix 1:

1. Open Control Panel –> Sound.
2. In the ‘Playback’ tab, select ‘Speakers’. Choose ‘Properties’.
3. In the Speaker Properties window, switch to the ‘Advanced’ tab.
4. Under the ‘Default Format’ drop down, choose 24 bit, 48000 Hz (Studio Quality) option.
5. Close all Windows by pressing Ok. Run the game

Fix 2:

1. Go to Control Panel –> Sound
2. Select ‘Speakers’ and click the ‘Configure’ button.
3. Choose ‘Stereo’ in the next dialog.
4. Click Next on every window in the wizard. Hit finish at the last step to save changes.

Where are the saved game located?

If you want to access your saved game files (either to play the game on a a different computer, give them to a friend or upload online), savegames are located in the following directory:

C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\The Creative Assembly\Shogun2

DirectX related issues and fixes

By default, Shogun 2 does not feature support for DirectX11- this will be provided in a future patch. Therefore, it’s recommended that you upgrade to the latest monthly runtime of DirectX9 which can be located here.

Where to find solutions for other Shogun 2 related problems?

We will update this article as we get more fixes/solutions coming our way. In the meantime, you can check the official forums for tons of other useful tips and user submitted questions and answers.

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Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood – Change Settings With Config File & Find Save Games

If you are one of those folks who like to tweak the hell out of every game you play, this post is for you. The newly released Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood seems to be quite a hit amongst gamers and this article explains where you can locate the game’s main configuration file – this file can be used change a lot of settings which are by default not changeable from the in game options menu or configuration utilities. In AC : B, the location where this file is stored has changed from previous games in the series. This has resulted in an increased number of our readers sending us mails asking where it is- see below on how to open the configuration file and manually edit settings.

1. Install the game.
2. Navigate to the folder  C:\Users\USERNAME\Saved Games\Assassin's Creed
3. Locate the file ACBrotherhood.ini and open it with a text editor such as notepad.

You can now edit various game settings by changing values assigned for strings. Please note that entering incorrect values can cause your game to malfunction or not start at all – back up the .ini file before making any changes so that you can revert in case of failure. Once done editing, save and close the file and start the game to see the effects.

Note that saved games for AC : B are also stored in the same directory (C:\Users\USERNAME\Saved Games\Assassin's Creed)

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Fix Dragon Age 2 Crashes, Errors, Improve Performance, Best Drivers & More

Dragon Age 2, the true sequel to 2009’s hit video game Dragon Age : Origins is finally here. This is no doubt a highly anticipated title, especially given the fact that its predecessor was one of the most addictive role playing games to be released on this decade. However, a certain segment of PC gamers (me included) were worried by BioWare’s comments during the game’s development stage –according to them, DA2 was to be made more streamlined and accessible compared to its predecessor. The worrying factor was that these were words devs usually used in place of of ‘dumbing it down for the consoles’. Anyways I’ve had the chance to play the game for a couple of hours and I’ve got to say, the changes are not so bad. The game feels more responsive, less frustrating and retains the same Dragon Age feel. Before this article turns into a DA2 review, let me tell you that this is our routine troubleshooting post for Dragon Age 2. Solutions to some of the most commonly reported problems with the game as well as tips to improve performance can be found below.

Fix crashes at launch, random crash to desktop (CTD) and Dragon Age II has stopped working errors.

Given below are some tips to minimize crashes and other errors you might encounter with Dragon Age 2.

• Start the game in DirectX9 mode. Most people have reported getting rid of random CTD after switching to DX9 from DX11. This also helps prevent startup and black screen errors if you have DX11 renderer selected on a non DX11 compliant video card.
• Turn of high resolution textures (if enabled)
• If you are a NVIDIA GPU user, please install the new 267.24 beta drivers. These drivers have compatibility improvements specifically targeted at DA2. Latest beta drivers can be found here.
• Update to the latest DirectX monthly runtime – highlighy recommended. You can download the latest DX monthly runtime from here.

How to improve Dragon Age 2 performance

Given below are several steps you can take to improve performance in Dragon Age 2.

• If you are a NVIDIA GPU user, please install the new 267.24 beta drivers. These drivers have compatibility improvements specifically targeted at DA2. Latest beta drivers can be found here.
• Launch the game and open the in game menu. Go to ‘Account’ under options and disable both upload options.
• Use a screen resolution which is fully supported by both your monitor and video card.
• If you are a NVIDIA GPU user, try the following after installing latest beta drivers. Open NVIDIA control panel and change Antialiasing trans. to multisample  and Max prerendered frames to 8. Additionally, change PhysX processing to CPU instead of GPU. Save, close and launch the game.
• Run the game using DirectX9 renderer.
• Disable the high resolution texture pack (if enabled) from in game menu.

I can’t play the game in high or very high settings. Why?

These two graphics details options are only available for DirectX 11 mode. You have to select DX11 renderer in order to enable these options.

What is the high resolution texture pack, how to enable it and where do I download it?

Please refer to this post for a step by step guide on downloading and installing the high resolution textures pack.

Why can’t I beat the game on nightmare difficulty?

I don’t know if it’s just me (judging by what people have posted on gaming forums, it isn’t just me) but Nightmare difficulty sometimes seems unbeatable. You never seem to be able to win some fights and I haven’t figured a way to counter the constant enemy re-spawning. BioWare will probably release a patch for this.

Please note that this article is a work in progress – more issues, fixes will be added as they are discovered. Keep checking back.

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How To Download & Enable Dragon Age 2 High Resolution Texture Pack

You probably already know how to do this but judging by the number of E-mail we get asking this very same question, there are quite a few people out there who haven’t figured how to enable the high resolution texture pack in Dragon Age 2. First and foremost, DA2s high res texture pack enables you play the game on high and very high settings with enhanced graphics. Downside is that this could have a negative performance impact on your system (and your system should well exceed the minimum system requirements for the game to be playable after enabling hi res textures). Note that the texture pack does not come with Dragon Age 2 installation by default you need to download and install the patch separately. The option to enable or disable high resolution graphics will only be visible from in game menu once you download and install the patch.

Official instructions on BioWare forums suggest that you have to have a video card with at least 1024mb to enable hi res textures. However, I tried enabling it on my old Geforce 9600GT with 512MB VRAM and the game ran fine, albeit a little slow but very playable. It is also recommended that you have a fully DirectX11 compliant video card as some visual improvements will only be seen in DX11 mode.

Download

[Click Here] to download Dragon Age 2 high resolution texture pack from official server (1.08GB)

How to install

1. Install the downloaded patch with high res textures (see link above)
2. Run Dragon Age II.
3. Open the Options menu.
4. Select Video options.
5. Check the "Hi-resolution textures" checkbox.

For more information, visit the DA2 patches page located here.

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