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April 2004
Microsoft Corporation, 20012004. All rights reserved.
For details specific to this Halo Custom Edition release, please see Section K below.
Welcome to Halo for the PC!
This file contains information to help you troubleshoot issues with Halo for the PC. You can find
information on Microsoft Product Support Services in the printed or online manual.
Note: If Halo came installed on your computer as an OEM version, contact the manufacturer of
the computer or other hardware it was bundled with for product support. Refer to the
documentation that came with your computer or hardware for the product support telephone
number.
For the latest support and troubleshooting information, please visit
http://www.microsoft.com/games/halo/support.asp.
CONTENTS
A.
B.
System Requirements
Installation
Installing Halo
Installing DirectX 9.0b
SafeDisc Issues
Getting Help
Viewing the Online Print Pieces
Command Prompt
Configuration Issues
3D Card Issues
3D Card Drivers and Manufacturers
Audio Troubleshooting
Additional Multiplayer Information
Default Ports
Network Settings
Direct IP Connection
Checking for Updates
Multiplayer Troubleshooting
Post-Release Update History
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
A. System Requirements
Halo requires a personal computer with the following minimum requirements.
B. Installation
If your computer does not automatically install Halo after the CD is inserted into the CD-ROM
drive, perform the following procedure.
To install Halo manually
1. On the Windows taskbar, click Start, and then click Run.
2. Type x:\setup, where x is the letter of your CD-ROM drive, and then click OK.
For example, if your CD-ROM drive letter is D, type d:\setup.
3. Click Install, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
SafeDisc Issues
The Halo copy-protection software, SafeDisc, requires that the game be installed from the CD;
you cannot copy files from the CD to the computer and then install from the computer's hard
drive.
SafeDisc with Software
SafeDisc is incompatible with some software, which includes the following.
McAfee (Network Associates) Nuts & Bolts: Nuts & Bolts causes the game to fail if the Bomb
Shelter utility is in a certain configuration. The following steps allow SafeDisc-protected products
to be used:
C. Getting Help
You can get help for Halo in the following ways:
For an overview of the game as well as for information about getting started and playing
the game, see the Halo printed manual. The manual is also available in PDF format on
the Halo CD.
Visit the Support Center Games Web site (http://support.microsoft.com/?pr=gms) to view
top support issues, product-specific content, and other related resources for playing
games. Additionally, to help you troubleshoot issues associated with game setup,
performance, multiplayer networking, sound, video, or your game controller, visit one of
the Troubleshooting Resource Centers available on the site. Please note that Microsoft
support is only provided for issues with the retail game. For any questions specific
to Halo Custom Edition, please visit the forums at www.gearboxsoftware.com
D. Command Prompt
You can run Halo from a Windows command prompt (e.g., C:\Program Files\Microsoft
Games\Halo\Halo.exe). The following is a list of arguments you may use running Halo from a
command prompt entering halo.exe argument.
-?
Displays a list of all arguments.
-nosound
Disables all sound.
-novideo
Disables video playback.
-nojoystick
Disables joystick/gamepads.
-nogamma
E. Configuration Issues
Known hardware and operating system configuration issues are listed in this section. For issues
with specific 3D cards, see section F, "3D Card Issues."
2.
Click on Sounds and Multimedia (Windows 98/Me) or Sounds and Audio Devices
(Windows 2000/XP).
3.
4.
Select the speaker setup that matches your current speaker setup.
5.
If your sound card also came with its own software for setting speaker settings, ensure that
these settings are also correct.
F. 3D Card Issues
Halo only supports DirectX 9.0b-compliant video cards. It is good practice to always install the
latest certified drivers for all of your hardware.
For assistance with top video issues, visit http://support.microsoft.com/?pr=gmsvideo.
ATI Radeon 9800 PRO 128: You may experience inconsistent graphic performance with textures
if you set the Mipmap Detail Level in the ATI Direct3D Control Panel to any setting except High
Quality.
NVIDIA Video Cards and FSAA Modes: You may experience difficulties running Halo using
NVIDIA video cards in any of the FSAA modes. If you are having a problem, you should disable
the FSAA mode for the NVIDIA video card.
Via Motherboard Chipsets: If you have a Via brand motherboard, you may need to update to
the latest 4-in-1 motherboard chipset drivers to avoid crashes.
H. Audio Troubleshooting
Check with your sound card manufacturer for the latest DirectX-compatible drivers.
Following are the known audio issues and workarounds:
Users running Windows 98Second Edition and Windows Me: You should run Windows
Update to ensure that you have downloaded all critical updates as well as all the recommended
updates. Otherwise, you may have sound problems such as the weapon volume shifting in and
out.
Aureal Vortex: The audio may not function with Aureal sound cards. To resolve this issue, turn off
the hardware acceleration. From the Start menu, point to Settings, and then choose Control
Panel. Double-click Sounds and Audio Devices and select the Audio tab. Click the Advanced
button in the Sound Playback section and then click the Performance tab. Move the Hardware
Acceleration slider to None and click Apply.
Hercules Game Theater XP sound card in Windows 98Second Edition: Stuttering and sound
distortion may occur using the Hercules Game Theater XP sound card and Windows 98 Second
Edition. See Enable direct memory access (DMA) in your IDE controller on Windows 98 Second
Edition in section E, Configuration Issues.
Hercules Game Theater XP sound card in Windows XP Professional: The audio may not
function correctly at all times with the Hercules Game Theater XP sounds card. For example,
grenade sound effects may play too low. You should make sure you have installed the latest
DirectX-compatible drivers for your sound card.
Realtek ALC650 sound card in Windows XP Home: Halo may not function correctly using the
Realtek ALC650 sound card in Windows XP if you enable EAX sound in the game.
Montego II Quadzilla sound card in Windows 2000: The audio may not function correctly at all
times with the Montego II Quadzilla sound card. You should make sure you have installed the
Montego II Quadzilla Windows NT 4.0 drivers. Information on installing the drivers is available
from http://turtlebeach.com.
Direct IP Connection
You can join an Internet multiplayer game using a specific IP address for the host server. The
host address can be a computer name or numerical IP address.
To join a game using Direct IP:
1. On the Halo main screen, click Multiplayer.
2. Click Direct IP under Join.
3. Enter the IP address for the host server.
4. Enter a password (if required).
5. Click Join to join the game.
Notes:
If there is no game at the specified IP address, then a Connection Failed dialog box
is displayed. When you click OK, you are returned to the Multiplayer screen. Try
entering the IP address again, using the steps above. If that doesnt work, you should
contact the person hosting the game to verify the IP address for the host server.
J. Multiplayer Troubleshooting
This section describes the known multiplayer issues and workarounds.
Ports Used by the Game
Halo connects to the Internet on the following ports by default:
Halo will run from behind most routers and Network Address Translation (NAT) devices. If you
have difficulty connecting from behind a router, you should consult your router documentation to
ensure that the ports listed above are not blocked for your PC.
Halo checks for updates via HTTP in the same way a Web browser would. If you use Windows
XP SP-1, Halo can use an auto-detectable proxy server on your network, but does not currently
support manually-set proxies. If your network requires you to manually set your proxy server,
please visit www.microsoft.com/games/halo to check for updates, which you can download
manually.
To check your proxy settings:
1.
2.
3.
Click Connections.
4.
5.
Under Proxy server, verify that the settings are correct for proxy server that you or
your network administrator has set up.
If you are connected to the Internet and can reach http://www.microsoft.com, for example, your
proxy settings are correct.
In non-team games (such as Slayer), all vehicles are spawning in front of the Red Base:
You must select two of each type of vehicle to ensure that one vehicle gets placed in both the
Red Base and Blue Base. In non-team games, the default base is Red when vehicles are
assigned. If there is only one type of vehicle spawned, then only the Red Base will be populated
with vehicles.
Damage-confirmation beep: You may want turn off the damage-confirmation beep in multiplayer
games. To do this, you must use the Debug Console. To activate the Debug Console, run Halo
with the -console command prompt (see the Command Prompts section above), press ~ in the
game to enable the Debug Console, and then type should_play_multiplayer_hit_sound 0.
Unable to join a Direct IP multiplayer game hosted behind a NAT device or router, or on an
Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) Server in Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Me, and
Windows 2000: You need to join multiplayer games that are hosted behind a router or on an ICS
server via the Gamespy Lobby.
Unable to join a multiplayer game with an Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) Client on
Windows 2000 or Windows XP: You may have difficulty joining a multiplayer game if a person
using a Windows 2000 or Windows XP ICS client has joined and exited that game before you
attempt to join it.
Unable to browse for games on a local area network (LAN) on a machine with two network
adaptors in Windows XP: You may not be able to browse for multiplayer games on a LAN if the
two network connections are not configured correctly. The Internet must be configured on the first
network connection, and the LAN needs to be configured on the second internet connection. For
more information on configuring a network connection, click Start, and then click Help and
Support.
Microsoft Base Station MN500: Halo does not offer automatic NAT negotiation of UPnP devices
such as the MN500. If you have difficulties connecting to games or hosting a server behind this
device, you should manually set it to forward the required ports2302 and 2303 (UDP) by default
to the IP address of the game computer behind the router.
Servers name now supports 65 characters for dedicated servers and 32 characters for
client-hosted servers and now accepts an extended character set.
Teams are now persisted for the next game when map cycling occurs
Map Reset: It's now possible to restart the current game without requiring the server to
map cycle.
Assault: We now have a timer to keep track of how much time is left to your offense /
defense round
Assault: Alongside this timer, we also have an "Offense" and "Deffense" indicator to
quickly inform you of your role
Halo can now be bound to a specific IP address using the -ip command line agrument.
(facilitating multiple NIC support for Halo Dedicated Servers)
Halo can now read/write data files to a user specified folder using the -path command line
argument. This is particularly useful for Halo Dedicated Servers but also be be used for
users whose "My Documents" folder is remapped to a UNC path. It is an advanced option
and using it will force you to manually move saved games and multiplayer gametypes.
Online Multiplayer: Minor fixes to switching teams in kill-in-order games (scorew will now
remain accurate)
Online Multiplayer: Minor fixes to the end of the game state (new players now have to
wait for the game to be restarted before being admitted to the server)
Online Multiplayer: Fix for clients flashlight states when joining games
Online Multiplayer: Vechicles won't respawn if they have a projectile (such as a plasma
grenade) attached to them. They will wait for the projectile to be removed.
Sound: Fix for cinematic dialog being cut out on certain cards when enabling Audio
Hardware Acceleration in the Audio Settings.
Halo PC 1.02
With Halo PC 1.02, we are adding support for multiple instances to our dedicated server, enabling
us and the community to roll out many more servers for gamers. We are also introducing client
support for RCon (Remote Console), allowing dedicated server operators to have control over
their servers running in data centers. For more information on the Halo PC Dedicated Server and
the Remote Console, please consult the Halo PC Dedicated Server Readme file located here:
Halo PC Dedciated Server Readme
We have also released the Halo PC Technical and Performance FAQ, which answers most
frequenty asked technical questions about Halo PC. This FAQ is located here:
Halo PC Technical & Performance FAQ
Here is a summary of the changes with Halo PC 1.02:
Bug Fixes:
Timedemo doesn't check memory usage consumption with every frame rendered (see
Halo PC Techincal and Performance FAQ for more info)
After running timedemo, the last saved checkpoint is not altered anymore
Fixed an issue in keystone.dll that was causing certain configurations to potentially crash
when chatting in multiplayer games
Halo PC 1.01
After Halo was released to manufacturing but before it arrived on store shelves, the Halo team
discovered a potential crashing issue when playing Halo multiplayer online. In order to guarantee
the best possible experience for our customers we have issued an update that addresses this
issue. Before you can play Halo multiplayer online you will need to allow this update to install
through the auto-install feature of Halo or by running haloupdate.exe from your Halo installation
folder.
This is the only issue that was addressed with Halo PC 1.01
Halo PC 1.00