Punkbuster Error: MD5Tool Mismatch Troubleshooting

[umop-3p!sdn]

As far as the versions of BF2.exe and the 1.41 patch, I have installed these from the BF2 Complete Collection, it comes with the latest patch on the DVD. IIRC most of the creation dates, save for a few, were indeed still pretty old and are likely the exact same files as you have. Just to clarify that it likely isn't because of your older product version ...

Does anyone know where the path information for the mapfiles comes into play? I've only briefly noodled with changing locations and found that it seems to akways look it the originally installed folder. Reason I ask is, besides writing a script that will copy fresh map versions at execution, I was playing with the idea of putting them on optical storage, but again, I have only begun to play with ways around downloading a new map every time it finds one that got smacked.

It'd be lovely if someone could answer some of Kilroys basic questions ...
I have a gut feeling that this is read/write error only, perhaps even something stupid between virtual memory and and a TEMP folder ... it would be so nice to peg the exact cause, instead of only having a storage-heavy workaround.

[Sturnn]

something tells me...PR is kicking people out of servers due to this but also probably because most mods come with errors don't they?. i mean im not saying PR is complete 100% but...i bet its still in the stages of getting better etc..but if this error is cos of this...its annoying me cos...i really like playing PR and for some reason all the servers have this, kinda protection thing...theres nothing wrong with my shaders and it works perfectly in BF2...unless its telling me i need a new pc =/.

[Perpetrator]

I've also been having this problem, but for client_shaders.zip I tried replacing this with the backup one which is in the PR folder, because that is probably what its for, but to no avail. It's really starting to tick me off, because i used to play PR a lot, but now i can only go 10 minutes which is enough time to get going in a good squad, then i'm kicked.

[kilroy0097]

I have sent an email with a whole lot of information as well as MD5 files and DxDiag file to people at PunkBuster in attempt to find a solution to all of this. Cross your fingers something comes out of it.

[DHoff]

Originally Posted by kilroy0097

I have sent an email with a whole lot of information as well as MD5 files and DxDiag file to people at PunkBuster in attempt to find a solution to all of this. Cross your fingers something comes out of it.

That's good to hear. Because I'm tired of being kicked all the time from this MD5 file.

I just want to play.

[kilroy0097]

I said I emailed Punk Buster Support on this issue and they have responded. This is the copy of my email and then their response.

My first email:

To whom is concerns,

I am an avid player of the BF2 mod Project Reality and since the update
of Punkbuster on April 1st I have been receiving constant kicks from PB
on MD5Tool Mismatch. Files have included :
*MD5Tool Mismatch: mods\bf2\shaders_client.zip (len=2048)
**mods\bf2\Levels\Dalian_plant\client.zip (len=2048)
**mods\bf2\Levels\Mashtuur_City\client.zip (len=2048)
**mods\bf2\Levels\Operation_Clean_Sweep\client.zip (len=2048)*

I have attempted a large number of fixes have a very long thread on the
PR Mod forums discussing my trials and tribulations.
http://www.realitymod.com/forum/f27-...lient-zip.html

I have no other recourse at this time to solve this issue and I turn to
your team to see if there is any possible solution. I have attached a
MF2-MD5-Files.zip file which includes a folder with 10 different
instances of the MD5 creation file using your md5gen1.5.zip and
md5tool.exe. Each file is preceded by a number showing the order in
which I created all 10 groups.

I have also included my DxDiag.txt file which should tell you just about
everything you need to know about the hardware of my computer and
drivers used in case that would help.

=======

For your further information on attempted fixes for this I have included
a number of summary below:

shaders_client.zip - I ended up fixing this by copying the
shaders_client.zip file from the \mods\pr\ folder and replacing the
shaders_client.zip file in the \mods\bf2\ with it. This error never
came back after this fix.

Note: I noticed that in the BF2_Universal_1.41l file used to update Punk
Buster on servers that on the first line of the pr.md5 file you have the
following, "// !!! Disable md5-check for shaders_client.zip in
psb/bf2.md5 if you use psb/pr.md5 !!!" would failure to do this result
in the shaders_client.zip Mismatch error and then be unknowingly solved
by replacing the file with the one from the pr mod?

Map_Name\client.zip - All files related to map names were fixed
temporarily by replacing the client.zip file with the identical file
from another player's installation. The PB error comes back every time
after about 4 to 8 hours of game play. You are able to fixed it again by
copying over it again with the same file I received from another player.
However it will always come back.

Desperate for a solution I attempted a massive fix operation for the
game and PB. Which in the end worked for about 8 hours of game play and
then resulted in another PB kick due to MD5 Mismatch. It is a very long
summary. It is a copy and paste from my post on the PR Mod forums here:
http://www.realitymod.com/forum/f27-...tml#post653667

Edit: SNIP removing the summary which is already earlier in this thread

I hope there is a solution found.

Thank you

Their response:

Are you sure you downloaded version 0.756? You are missing certain files
that should be installed with it. These are the ones you are missing:

mods\pr\pr.exe
mods\pr\common_client_patch.zip
mods\pr\menu\menu_client_patch.zip
mods\pr\objects\objects_client_patch.zip
mods\pr\levels\operation_archer\client.zip
mods\pr\levels\operation_archer\Objects_client.zip
mods\pr\common_server_patch.zip
mods\pr\menu\menu_server_patch.zip
mods\pr\objects\objects_server_patch.zip
mods\pr\levels\operation_archer\server.zip


For these files:
mods\bf2\shaders_client.zip
mods\bf2\Levels\Dalian_plant\client.zip
mods\bf2\Levels\Mashtuur_City\client.zip
mods\bf2\Levels\Operation_Clean_Sweep\client.zip

I compared your MD5 hashes of these files to my files and they are the exact same. Most likely, the server you are playing on has some different MD5 checks. Especially for the shaders_client.zip files, they most likely didn't disable the check in bf2.md5 for the regular BF2 file. You will most likely need to talk to the servers you are playing on and asking them some questions like what MD5 checks are they using. And if they are using our newest configs, are they following the instructions correctly for using the PR checks.

My response to them:

Hello and thank you for your quick reply.

I double checked the files you say are missing and I have confirmed that they exist in my directories and the files do have data in them. So I'm not sure why they appeared to be missing for you. Perhaps for some reason the MD5 hash was not created for them even though I ran it 10 times to be certain.

I will pass along the information on the second set of files and how they match MD5 wise with yours. Since so many people do in fact have issues on the Tactical Gamers (TG) server it may very well be that their server Punk Buster MD5 compare files are incorrect in some way. Why that would be I don't know.

Thank you once again for giving feedback on this. This issue is driving be nuts as an IT Professional. As much checking and research as I have done this issue should not be continuing as it has been.

Let me get back with you if I have more information on this.

And that is where we stand so far. I will post more information as it comes to me. I am currently waiting for TG Admins to respond to my request for information on this issue.

[arn354]

Are you sure you downloaded version 0.756? You are missing certain files
that should be installed with it. These are the ones you are missing:

mods\pr\pr.exe
mods\pr\common_client_patch.zip
mods\pr\menu\menu_client_patch.zip
mods\pr\objects\objects_client_patch.zip
mods\pr\levels\operation_archer\client.zip
mods\pr\levels\operation_archer\Objects_client.zip
mods\pr\common_server_patch.zip
mods\pr\menu\menu_server_patch.zip
mods\pr\objects\objects_server_patch.zip
mods\pr\levels\operation_archer\server.zip

You didn't use the updated code for the core.bat - so maps new in 0.756 or files new in 0.756 are missing in all of your created hashes. Apart from that all your hashes are correct so far.

changes to core.bat

IF EXIST mods\pr (GOTO pr) else (GOTO prend)

:pr
ECHO Create pr.md5...

FOR %%f IN (
mods\pr\pr.exe 
mods\pr\*.con
mods\pr\ingame.mep
mods\pr\*_client.zip
mods\pr\*_client_patch.zip 
mods\pr\menu\*_client.zip
mods\pr\menu\*_client_patch.zip 
mods\pr\objects\*_client.zip
mods\pr\objects\*_client_patch.zip 
mods\pr\levels\7gates\client.zip
mods\pr\levels\al_kufrah_oilfield\client.zip
mods\pr\levels\albasrah\client.zip 
mods\pr\levels\albasrah\objects_client.zip
mods\pr\levels\assault_on_mestia\client.zip
mods\pr\levels\battle_for_qinling\client.zip
mods\pr\levels\bi_ming\client.zip
mods\pr\levels\ejod_desert_6\client.zip 
mods\pr\levels\ejod_desert_6\objects_client.zip
mods\pr\levels\fools_road\client.zip
mods\pr\levels\hills_of_hamgyong\client.zip
mods\pr\levels\jabal\client.zip
mods\pr\levels\kashan_desert\client.zip
mods\pr\levels\operation_archer\client.zip 
mods\pr\levels\operation_archer\Objects_client.zip 
mods\pr\levels\operation_ghost_train\client.zip
mods\pr\levels\qwai1\client.zip
mods\pr\levels\road_to_kyongan_ni\client.zip
mods\pr\levels\sunset_city\client.zip
mods\pr\levels\sunset_city\objects_client.zip
mods\pr\*_server.zip
mods\pr\*_server_patch.zip 
mods\pr\menu\*_server.zip
mods\pr\menu\*_server_patch.zip
mods\pr\objects\*_server.zip
mods\pr\objects\*_server_patch.zip 
mods\pr\levels\7gates\server.zip
mods\pr\levels\al_kufrah_oilfield\server.zip
mods\pr\levels\albasrah\server.zip
mods\pr\levels\assault_on_mestia\server.zip
mods\pr\levels\battle_for_qinling\server.zip
mods\pr\levels\bi_ming\server.zip 
mods\pr\levels\daqing_oilfields\server.zip
mods\pr\levels\ejod_desert_6\server.zip
mods\pr\levels\fools_road\server.zip 
mods\pr\levels\gulf_of_oman\server.zip
mods\pr\levels\hills_of_hamgyong\server.zip
mods\pr\levels\jabal\server.zip
mods\pr\levels\kashan_desert\server.zip
mods\pr\levels\operation_archer\server.zip 
mods\pr\levels\operation_ghost_train\server.zip
mods\pr\levels\qwai1\server.zip
mods\pr\levels\road_to_kyongan_ni\server.zip
mods\pr\levels\sunset_city\server.zip 
mods\pr\levels\zatar_wetlands\server.zip
) DO MD5TOOL %%f 0 %%~zf >NUL:
FOR /F "tokens=1,2,4*" %%i IN (pbsvuser.cfg) DO ECHO %%i %%j "%1" %%k %%l >>pr.md5
DEL pbsvuser.cfg
:prend

[gamerwiz09]

Wow. Hey, first off, thanks for being so involved and persistent in trying to find a solution for this problem, Killroy. Hopefully we will find one soon. Until then, I am still having fun playing on TTP server. (Of course, I have to see if the fixes supplied in my other thread work before I start REALLY having fun with VOIP. )

Arm, I don't understand what you mean by your response. Care to explain?

[kilroy0097]

gamerwiz09 - What he's talking about is the core.bat file that is part of the md5 hash creation .bat that punk buster has on their site to test your md5 hash for your files. It's advanced stuff so you can email your hash to PB people and they can compare files. However the version I have, even though I just downloaded it, for some reason isn't checking certain files that are new in .756 and hence I was seen as missing files. As shown in my post with their email in it. So Arm was correcting the core.bat file by showing what I'm missing so I can edit it.

This is not your usual arm chair technical support

[gamerwiz09]

Originally Posted by kilroy0097

This is not your usual arm chair technical support

Ha, ya, no joke.