Technical Issues: Bugs, Patches, and More (Update from 05.22.2011)

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This topic is entirely dedicated to technical issues in the game. It will be updated as new information comes in. The date of the last update will be in the title. Some of the most important news from the technical front will also appear in the form of separate posts. However, for easier access to solutions, all information will still be added here in some way.

Patch 1.0.0.1 for the Russian version of the game

Fixes a ton of bugs in the game, a must-have for everyone. It is recommended to install it not via the launcher, but to download it separately and install it in safe mode.

\- Several balance fixes (economics and cheating)

- Frame errors (item descriptions, journal, etc.)

- Audio mixing errors

- Several audio scenes, music, cutscenes, and better sounds have been added

- Many interface errors (functionality, item selection in inventory, a more user-friendly interface now)

- Many quest errors

- Visual effects when fading to black, cutscenes with a black background, various visual transitions

- Community errors - NPC work and life

- Many balance issues with enemies

- Many errors in cutscenes (animation, items, lip synchronization)

- Gamepad errors - now playing is much better

- Camera errors, improved camera during battles

- Hair physics

- Some QTE glitches

- Several location glitches (objects, environment, lighting and effects)

- Crafting, shopping, etc.

- New autosaves added in important places

- Several crashes

- Logic errors when playing poker

**Download patch 1.0.0.1** (375MB)

Patch 1.0.0.2 for the Russian version of the game

Fixes just two errors, but nonetheless quite useful:

- Fixed system settings saving;

- Fixed system protection (product deactivation) behavior when deleting the game.

**Download patch 1.0.0.2** (3.2 MB)

Patch for the Russian version 1.0.0.3

A special patch that was supposed to solve the most pressing issues with the Russian version. In practice, it turned out to be quite raw.

- Fixes errors in the configurator program;

- Adds the option to register the game and download additional materials;

- Fixes an error that led to a long wait for the opponent's turn in the dice mini-game.

Known issues with the patch:

- The game starts even slower;

- FPS drops significantly.

**Download patch 1.0.0.3** (29.3 MB)

It makes sense to install it only along with the next "treatment".

Temporary remedy for issues

Disclaimer: this method is not official, you use it at your own risk. No one is responsible for the consequences. Intended for those who bought the Russian version of the game and are already fed up with patches and rituals.

Your game version must be at least 1.0.0.1. It also works fine with versions 1.0.0.2 and 1.0.0.3 (including solving issues caused by patch 1.0.0.3)

  1. MANDATORY! Make a backup of the BIN folders, Launcher, and files located in the root folder of the game.

  2. Download the archive with files from the European version of the game, and extract them with replacement in the game folder.

  3. Run the configurator (located in the BIN folder), set your desired graphics quality and control keys.

  4. Play and enjoy :o)

Troubleshooting DLC

Trouble with the troll

Since the DLC "Trouble with the Troll" is completely free, you can simply download the decrypted file and place it in the CookedPC folder. The corresponding quest will appear on the notice board near the tavern in the first act of the game.

Download DLC "Trouble with the Troll"

All other DLC

The remaining DLC, which were part of various premium editions, cannot be made freely available. However, they sometimes experience trouble as well. Many due to unstable server download performance have downloaded and installed zero-sized additional files, and as a consequence, they cannot repeat the download, as the launcher considers them already installed.

Close the launcher and open Registry Editor (Command regedit in the run line) go to the section

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-492291420-1571599118-3744393520-1000\Software\CD Projekt RED\The Witcher 2\Downloads

There is all the information on the state of the add-ons.

"14" Special alchemical set

"15" Exceptional magical set

"16" Mysterious merchant

"17" Doublet of Roche's special squad

"18" Special swordsman's set

"19" Trouble with the troll

"20" Last hit set

Delete entries for incorrect add-ons. All, now the add-ons can be downloaded again. More precisely, this will be possible when the servers start working again.

Technical FAQ:

**Where should The Witcher 1 saves for import be located?**

Win Vista, Win 7 (eng.) - C:\\Users\Username\Documents\The Witcher\saves

Win Vista, Win 7 (rus.) - C:\\Users\Username\My Documents\The Witcher\saves

Win XP (rus.) - C:\\Documents and settings\Username\My Documents\The Witcher\saves

Win XP (eng.) - C:\\Documents and settings\Username\My Documents\The Witcher\saves

I can't install patch 1.0.0.1. What should I do?

Sometimes installation issues can arise with the patch via the launcher. Download the patch and install it separately. The patch is 375MB.

If this does not help, there is another way. If the largest file pack0.dzip has been patched, and the installer threw an error on one of the following files (e.g., ru0.w2strings), then the other patched files can be downloaded from here and placed in place of the originals, having previously changed the extensions of the original files to *.old.

How to change graphics settings in the game?

Using the configurator.exe application. The link to it is in the start menu or in the bin folder of the game.

Why are my settings not saved (uninstallation requires deactivation of the game)?

Install patch 1.0.02. It fixes these errors.

Installing DLC (For ENG version)

- To download and install additional language packs and additional bonuses, it is essential to register the game. The easiest way to do this is by clicking the "The Witcher 2" shortcut on the desktop and selecting the "Register game" option in the launcher. Then, following the instructions in the registration window:

- Log in or create a new account.

- Enter the activation code.

After registering the game, you need to choose the menu item "Downloadable Content" and enter your DLC activation code, which is on separate DLC coupons. This will activate it.

Registration and installation of DLC for the Russian version is temporarily impossible. It will be fixed with the next patch.

How to revoke activation?

If you need to install the game on another computer or your activations are exhausted, you can simply cancel one activation on one of the systems with the game previously activated.

Russian version:

Using the corresponding menu option in the start menu.

International version:

To do this, open the command line (cmd), drag the game's .exe file into the open window (or type the file name manually), hit space once, type /revoke, and confirm by pressing the Enter key. Another window will open, and following the instructions that appear, you can revoke the license from this copy of the game.

Error "Launcher.exe – Application Error The application failed to initialize properly (0xc000007b). Click OK to terminate."

This error is related to corrupted or missing Microsoft Visual C components. In this case, you should uninstall and reinstall all versions of the packages (Visual C 2005, Visual C 2008, Visual C 2010).

The game doesn't start, showing an error about d3d9_**.dll / d3d8_**.dll

The error occurs due to corrupted or missing DirectX drivers. To solve the problem, download and install them.

Attempting to install the game results in an error (component transfer error, CRC data error)

These and other issues during the installation of The Witcher 2 can have multiple causes - they are usually caused by problems with optical drives (issues reading DVD9 format disks) or other applications interacting with the game's installer. Below are actions that may help to install the game correctly:

  1. Ensure that the disks are clean and unblemished - any damage may hinder proper disk reading.

  2. Try installing the game from the hard drive. To do this, create two folders in your chosen location and copy all the contents of the two Witcher 2 disks into them. If the copying goes through without errors, open the Setup.exe file located in the folder where the files of the first disk were copied. When prompted to insert the second disk, select the folder containing the files of the second disk.

  3. Start the installation with a clean boot - this means either a newly created account with a clean registry or reinstalling the operating system, or cleaning and optimizing the current one, whichever is easier.

  4. Check the website of your optical drive manufacturer for BIOS updates. If updates are available, download and install them.

  5. Change the data transfer method of the optical drive. If all the tips provided do not help, check for a similar error on other computers. This will help determine if the cause of the error lies with the computer itself.

mfc100u.dll not found

When the error appears:

Launcher.exe - system error This application failed to start because mfc100u.dll was not found. Reinstalling might help fix this problem.

Installing the 32-bit package of Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 may help. The installer package (vcredist_x86.exe) is located on the second installation disk of the game.

No rights to activate the game

When attempting to start the game, the message appears:

launcher

You are not allowed to continue because you do not have the proper privileges. Please log in using an account with administrator privileges and try again.

This message appears if the user does not have the rights to run the application. To run the program should:

  1. Log in as an administrator in Windows XP

  2. In Windows Vista and Windows 7, right-click on the game shortcut and select vcredist_x86.exe from the menu.

Attempting to install/start the game results in an error message: Description: Incompatible Version of the RPC Stub

This issue can be resolved by installing a patch for the operating system via link.

The antivirus detects a virus in the file witcher2.exe

Some antivirus programs (for example, McAfee, Ikarus, Norton) may detect a virus in the file witcher2.exe. This is a false alarm, as the file poses no harm to the system or the user's computer; in any case, CD Projekt RED has contacted antivirus manufacturers to fix the issue.

Some programs may raise false alarms due to outdated threat definitions. To resolve this issue, update the antivirus to the latest version.

If the problem persists despite the latest updates, it is advisable to temporarily disable the antivirus during the game and update installation process.

Installation is cancelled because the antivirus finds a virus

Some antivirus software (the problem has arisen with the BellGuard antivirus) may detect a virus in the file witc857.rra. This is a false alarm, this is a temporary file with a random name created by InstallShield. This file does not harm the system or the user's computer in any way.

Some programs may trigger a false alarm due to outdated threat definitions. To resolve this issue, update the antivirus to the latest version.

Game runs at varying speeds, suddenly speeding up and slowing down (with AMD Athlon 64 x2 processors)

Problem:

Problems arise with many games when using the AMD Athlon 64 Dual Core processor line. Among the problems are graphics stuttering, sudden acceleration or deceleration of the game. These issues are generally related to the lack of drivers for AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core processors.

Solution:

Install the latest versions of these programs:

1. AMD Dual-Core Optimizer

2. AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Driver

Drivers for AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core can be found on the official AMD company website.

Warning! These drivers are EXCLUSIVELY for AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core processors; installing them on a computer with other processors may lead to system failure.

Configurator buttons are shimmering and overlapping

If the font size (DPI) has been increased in the system settings, this can cause problems with the Configurator - buttons may shimmer, overlap each other, etc.

If this problem arises, revert to the standard text size.

Windows XP:

Right-click on the desktop -> Properties -> Screen -> Settings. In the font size selection window, choose standard (96 DPI)

Windows Vista/7:

Start -> Control Panel -> Personalization -> Display. In the text size selection window, choose 100% (default)

Save changes

Cannot enter activation code / buttons have crawled off the edge of the launcher

This situation may occur if a non-default text size (DPI) is being used. In this case, you need to revert to the default text size (100%) (similarly to the previous point).

If the problem persists despite the latest updates, it is advisable to temporarily disable the antivirus during the game and update installation process.

Sound in the game is interrupted and broken

You should check for sound card driver updates, and if available on the manufacturer's website - update them. It's also worth changing the Sound Acceleration settings using the DirectX tool.

Start->Run->enter dxdiag, then confirm the input. In the sound tab, move the slider to the left (reduce acceleration) or to the right (to enable full Hardware Sound Acceleration). Finally, close the dialog.

Game slows down or crashes on nVidia graphics cards

There are different ways to solve this:

  1. Update your graphics card driver to 275.27 Beta.

  2. If that doesn’t help, roll back to an earlier version. The Witcher 2 works better on some drivers on different graphics cards, worse on others.

  3. Remove the 3D Vision drivers.

  4. Disable Extreme quality in the configurator.

When trying to play poker with dice the game freezes

This is a critical bug in versions lower than 1.0.0.3. Install patch 1.0.0.3 and/or "temporary remedy" (see above)

I launched the game, but nothing happens

Check if the corresponding process witcher2.exe is in the task list using Task Manager. If yes - wait. The game may start from 30 seconds to several minutes. This depends on the cleanliness of your registry and the fragmentation of your hard drive. To speed up the start, try:

  1. Cleaning the registry with specialized programs

  2. Defragmenting hard drives

If it didn’t help and the loading time exceeds several minutes, try:

  1. Installing the game on a "fresh" OS

  2. Installing the game on a new account

How to invert the mouse?

To invert the mouse, open My DocumentsWitcher 2configuser.ini, find the "MouseSensitivityY" parameter and set it to a negative value.

For example:

MouseSensitivityY=0.120192 change to

MouseSensitivityY=-0.120192

How to get rid of the "fog" in the game?

If you have an ATI (AMD) graphics card, turn off forced anti-aliasing in the drivers.

I have a 16:10 or 4:3 screen and I have black bars at the top and bottom of the screen just like when watching a widescreen movie.

Unfortunately, at present, the game only supports stretching the picture for 16:9 monitors. Support for monitors with other aspect ratios will be added in upcoming patches.

Source: kaermorhen.ru

Description of advanced settings parameters

· **Texture quality reduction:** the higher this value, the lower the texture quality.

·Texture memory size (MB): determines the amount of video card memory allocated to textures. The larger this value, the fewer loads the game will need, and the more smoothly it will run. However, this may lead to a memory shortage error and even game crashes. Therefore, set this parameter as accurately as possible depending on your video card’s memory.

· Shadow quality: this figure affects graphics performance and consumes video card GPU resources. It does not affect the performance of the computer’s processor.

· Light with shadow quality: determines the maximum number of light sources that cast a shadow. Affects graphics performance and consumes video card GPU resources. Does not affect the performance of the computer’s processor.

· Level of detail distance: affects the detail level of objects at a distance. The lower this value, the fewer details will be on models, but the better performance.

· Glow: this effect does not heavily load the graphics processor; however, it significantly enhances graphic quality.

· Light rays: a visual effect that is recommended to be enabled on mid-range or powerful computers, but disabled on older ones.

· Anti-aliasing: this effect can seriously reduce performance, so on mid-range or weaker computers, it is better to turn it off.

· Blur: special visual effects of blur require significant resource allocation; however, they are rarely used in the game.

· Depth of field in the game: barely perceptible visual effect. This option only affects gameplay and does not affect in-game cinematics.

· Vignetting: a small aesthetic enhancement that creates a photographic vignette around the screen. Does not impact game performance.

· Rain: creates the effect of a rain-soaked surface; moderately affects performance.

· SSAO (global illumination): a light effect very important for the game (but, unfortunately, significantly loading the graphics processor).

· Motion blur: an effect of blurring images during camera movement, consuming graphics processor resources.

· Depth of field in cutscenes: a cinematic depth of field effect, like in movies, during dialogues and in-game scenes. It creates an extremely detailed image but also heavily impacts performance. Enable it only on the best video cards.

· Depth of field in scenes: depth of field effect during dialogues and during in-game scenes; does not affect performance during gameplay.

· Hanging object boundaries: sets limits for physical animation of character parts, like Geralt's hair. Disabling this option will lead to serious loading on the computer processor.

· Extreme quality: this is a high-quality rendering mode where the entire scene is rendered multiple times to ensure the best textures, object details, and anti-aliasing; it is better than anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering at high settings. Use this option wisely, and only on the very best computers with excellent processors and video cards.

· Vertical synchronization: helps to avoid "image tearing" when moving the camera and flickering during rapidly changing animations (for example, bright explosions). However, this may slow down rendering and lead to input lag.

· Decorating: includes in-game effects like blood or sand on characters. Affects the performance of the processor.

Source: forums.ag.ru

Latest news:

• Work is underway on patch 1.0.0.3, and they promise to release it soon. No exact dates are given.

• The launcher for the Russian version, the ability to register your copy and activate DLC is promised to be provided this week.

• DLC "Troll trouble" relates to the first act of the game. If you want to play it, do not switch to the second act yet.

• Playing poker with dice is impossible until the new patch is released.

As new updates are released, this post will be updated.