Troubleshooting
Windows Vista user? Nothing works?
Vista implements something called "User Account Control" which prevents Splasher from adding files to the City of Heroes folder. You can fix it by:
1. Turning off UAC. This makes you more vulnerable to security attacks, though.
2. Run Splasher as an Administrator. This is a bit tedious as you have to give your password each time you run. (Untested.)
3. Uninstall City of Heroes and install it again in a different directory. Probably the best solution, IMHO, but a big pain. It should save a lot of future pain, though.
4. Copy City of Heroes to C:\COH and modify your registry to point to the new directory. If you need instructions on how to do that, you better not do it that way. As good as step 3 and quite a bit faster but only for the knowledgable.
5. Upgrade to Windows XP. ;P
I can change the Character Selection screens, but the Login screens won't change!
Go to the "Settings" tab and make sure the right language is selected for the City of Heroes client. Splasher does its best to autodetect it, but it defaults to English (US) if it can't.
I tried to run the program, and it says MSVBVM60.DLL is missing!
My Windows Media or iTunes music files won't load!
Splasher can't load music files that have been copy protected. Most of the music you purchase from the Web is copy protected. Windows Media Player has a setting to copy protect songs you rip from CDs as well; make sure it's disabled.
I want to revert my screens or music to normal!
Download and execute
this program, it'll ask for the City of Heroes folder (autodetected) and then ask you what you want to restore to the original settings. Check the boxes you want to reset to default and click next; you need to restart the game to see the changes.
When I try to replace a music track, the checkbox stays filled and the song doesn't change!
Normally Splasher greys out a checkbox when it successfully replaces a music file. If it can't replace a music file on the harddisk due to some reason (the file is in use, is read-only, write permissions are disabled) the checkbox will stay full and Splasher will move on to the next file. Yes, I'm going to add an error message when this happens.
Splasher is checking for updates more than once a day!
If Splasher can't connect to the server, it won't consider it a successful update attempt, and it will try again next time you start it. It only stops trying when it retrieves its
version file. This behaviour is to allow Splasher to try again in case there's a server timeout, the network is unavailable, or a similar reason.
Splasher never reports a new version even when there's one!
If you're behind a proxy server, Splasher might be completely unable to connect to the server to download its version file. In that case, you're better off checking the web page for updates manually.
Labels: faq
Comments: 26
Hi! I was just testing this program out with a different background... but now I want to switch it back. I'm mainly using this for sound switching... so is there a way to restore the original CoX splashers?
Execute
this program, it'll ask for the City of Heroes folder (autodetected) and then ask you what you want to restore to the original settings. Just leave "Login Screens" checked, uncheck the rest, and your screens will return to normal.
Hey, trying to get it on Vista, and to let you know I believe the first two Vista fixes don't work. When I run as administrator it says like a .dll is missing or something, same if UAC is off, but I can get it to open fine otherwise, just with no affect on the game.
I haven't tried 3 or 4 yet because the install of the updates would take an eternity, and changing directory...well would I have to move it to somewhere outside of Window's protect areas like program files? Thats all I need to know for it.
And last but not least, I would upgrade to XP, but the powers that be(other users of this computer) don't use software that clashes with Vista, and love the Vista stuff to much. Anyways, if you can just answer the directory question, that would help a lot.
Try running the installation program for Splasher as an admin, then running the program itself as an admin. Or disabling UAC, and then installing Splasher. If you change those things once Splasher is already installed you'll see no effect.
As for moving COH to another directory, you accomplish that by moving the entire folder off Program Files to someplace else (let's say C:\City of Heroes). Then you have to apply a small fix to the registry:
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cryptic\coh]
"Installation Directory"="C:\\City of Heroes"
Save those three lines to a file named 'cohfix.reg' or whatever and double click it; if you saved it right it will ask about combining it to the registry. Answer "yes" and COH is set up to use the new folder.
Thanks, I'll give those a try, hope it works because I've been chomping at the bit with these updates, you've done a great job with this ;)
Give this a try:
http://www.futurama-madhouse.com.ar/misc/cohpath.exe
You have to manually move the COH directory anywhere (like c:\coh) and then run that program. Point it to the new directory and it'll change the registry key for you.
The changes apply only to the *current user* so you may need to do this for every account you play COH with.
Ok, in further research, I found that the fix that my Dad put in(when we upgraded he seemed to have more knowledge) to get CoH to properly open, he made a separate folder called CohTest...or someone did and thats where my shortcut links to but for some reason I still have the regular City of Heroes folder, and the client there is fully updated too. Anyways, I tried switching the Splasher to that, but it had no effect, so I then(also, as I already moved the regular City of Heroes and used that program) and used the program, but now its updating all again.
I have no idea whats up, and it won't really work for each but I'll toy around a bit and be sure to post if I find some fix, or middle ground.
NM, now both are in the update that will be perpetual :( I think its something about the double or something, I tried to copy them back, but the copy protection to that restricted area won't work, I think I'll try the account my Dad made when we updated thats Admin. later, but I also tried to copy the checksum, update, and pretty much anything else essential sounding to the CohTest but it still has perpetual update.
Also, when I try to run Splasher as Admin.(both before it had the update need and now after) I get the same error I told you about before, here's the link to a SS
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v421/iggy880/splash.jpg
Can you email me? You don't need to redownload all the updates and that error is easily fixed, but trying to keep a conversation in the comments thread of a blog is a pain in the [bleep!]. Email leandrotlz@gmail.com
Well to update, and I'm sorry if I've been bugging you, plus I feel like I'm almost spamming here, lol, but I am actually amazed to state some progress. Right after I posted that, the updater stopped, and I went in to the login screen, and what should be there but the last image I tried to set there(on both the one in the test folder and main one) so I'm gonna toy with this a bit more but all seems good actually
Is there any easy way to restore the original sound files? I changed the audio files to custom in Pocket D, but this causes such a terrible framerate hit that I want to go back to what it was. Not using Vista, it did accept the original file for Pocket D main floor but won't accept any others without locking up the program.
For some reason, no music files will work for the login screens. I've checked for copy protection/DRM: they have none.
I've used files that work fine as replacements for Pocket D & the Boombox: I get silence.
This only started happening recently, and I'm not sure how to get around it.
Micael, check your ingame options to make sure the music volume is up. The Pocket D music is tied to the "effects" volume control, so it's easy to think you have the volume control up when it's actually muted.
2. Run Splasher as an Administrator. This is a bit tedious as you have to give your password each time you run. (Untested.)
Says "Component'comdlg32.ocx' or one of its dependencies not correctly Registered: a fire is missing or invalid
any help.
Well Alta, you just confirmed that running as Admin won't work, if that makes you feel any better.
I'll update this page later, but it looks like for Vista, the options are:
1) Install COH in C:\COH or somewhere else as long as it's not inside C:\Program Files;
2) Disable UAC, restart computer, reinstall Splasher once UAC is disabled.
Leandro, thanks.
It was, in fact, the Music Volume.
I'll feel stupid when I can manage to stop laughing.
I've tried to install Splasher 1.25, but the installer notifies me of an error.
Error opening file for writing:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\msvcp70.dll
>Error opening file for writing:
>C:\WINDOWS\system32\msvcp70.dll
That means the updater couldn't update your Visual Studio runtime library (probably because another program you are running is using it). Ignore the error, continue the installation, and everything will work fine.
Hi, and congratulations for that awesome splasher. quite fun, and quite complete. :)
I'd like to inform about a little issue i've met using it. I use a french version of the game, so i set the splasher to french consequently. However, when it tries to make villain login splash, directly or through randomizier alike, it makes a german one instead. It's not a fix i can't handle (renaming + editing in text apeared to work perfectly) but still an issue... :)
I haven't tested more problems like these yet, when i do and if i met similar problems, i'll let you know.
Great job anyway. Continue like this. :)
Darth Killer
Can't pm you on the City of Heroes site... err I have a 72 hr ban right now :(
I was just wondering if you could add a page with all the textures you have used to your site or a separate gallery on photobucket. I really like the Splasher and really like some of the things you have done with the textures like the Futurama texture on the Widescreen Monitor.
Thanks,
~Wonka
Global: @Bad Wonka
Email: BadWonka@Hotmail.com
Ok, so two things, one being that I got this program to work on Vista by making it run as admin and running under windows XP service pack 2 compatibility mode. My only problem now is that it wont save all the edits that I make, is there a button I have to hit in order to make it save? Or should it just be automatic?
It should be just automatic. Take a look at the "data" folder under the COH folder and see if new files get added to it with every edit you do.
Yeah, I just checked again and it saved, everything works with Vista if you go the way I suggested before. For extra Vista safety you can just download it and run the installer under admin and compatibility mode along with running the program under admin and compatibility mode, running that on my computer makes Splasher work great, thanks for the awesome program guys.
I have the exact opposite of a problem listed above. I can change the Logon/Server Select, but no matter what I do, the character select screen doesn't change!
I keep hoping you'll come back and fix it up for windows 7 and maybe the newer patches... Whichever of the two is making it so I can change the login screen but totally removes the custom character select screens. :(
I know I should have done this BEFORE I switched computers, but...
When GR/I18 went live, it screwed up the proportions of all my splash and load screens. The load screens look OK, but everything I did with Splaser is all wacked. I simply want to re-install the original screens. Unfortunately, I have Windows 7 and the resetscreens program doesn't seem to work. Suggestions?
