playonline goes black when launching ffx

Details:
Haven't Played FFXI in over 2 years, So it took 6 hours to update yay, after update, went to launch FFXi and it brings up the rating, then goes to checking version, then goes black and nothing. it'll sit at nothing for hours if I don't force close it via taskman

Steps:

1. Checked drivers -> Latest
2. Checked game files via POL -> Came back No Issues
3. Reinstalled Win 7 version of POL -> Same result


Date & Time: Dec, 19, 2011 3:21
Frequency: Always
Platform: PC
PC Manufacturer & Model Number: Junk HP Pavillion(Junk as in I hate manu pc's but mine is down atm)
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT Factory overclocked
ISP: Comcast Internet Extreme50(50Megs down 5 megs up)
Type of Internet Connection: Cable


I am not to happy on this since you have to pay for the month before you even find out there are issues.


On a side note, I hope the character functionon this forums are bugged, or I'll be even more irritated since my monk is not a level 12 galkin or however you spell it, it is a level 39.. mithran MNK39/RDM19 or so with bad buttcandywhoopin gear

when this has happened to me in the past, it's because inbound traffic from SE's servers in the 124.xxx.xxx.xxx block were getting blocked. Check your local security logs and router config/logs to make sure SE is not getting blocked. Don't have the IP's on hand ATM...but I've posted them in other threads. I'll find one and edit this in a minute.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RAIST

Check your security settings--particularly firewalls. Think this was what was tripping it up in the past. Either a local one (Windows firewall, comodo, zonealarm, etc.--check your logs for IP's from SE getting blocked) or your router's security may be blocking communication. Here's some IP ranges I've found for SE servers in the past:

202.67.48.0 - 202.67.63.255
(this has various SE servers like DNS, E-mail, etc)

124.150.152.0 - 124.150.159.255
(various game specific servers--found IP's blocked when FFXI would have connection errors)

If you see these getting blocked in any of your security software's logs, then you'll need to set up exceptions to let them through. If the blocks are happening at your router, then you'll need to at least setup the port forwarding for FFXI or disable some of the router's security to let them through. Note that if the options are there to assign the rule for UDP and/or TCP traffic--you want to enable it for both protocols.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by RAIST

when this has happened to me in the past, it's because inbound traffic from SE's servers in the 124.xxx.xxx.xxx block were getting blocked. Check your local security logs and router config/logs to make sure SE is not getting blocked. Don't have the IP's on hand ATM...but I've posted them in other threads. I'll find one and edit this in a minute.

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Don't they also require like a million open ports?

That -shouldn't- be an issue, since I run this PC in DMZ mode with no firewall. at least, theoretically,

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FrankReynolds

Don't they also require like a million open ports?

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It all depends on how you are set up really. And that is only at the routing side of your modem/router. Local security software on the system can get in the way (firewalls, internet security suites, etc.). I've never set up port forwarding or a DMZ on my routers to get FFXI to work (and no, I don't us PnP port mapping either), and I've gone through a Blitzz, Dlink, Ativa (rebranded Belkin), and am currently using a Linksys. Guess I've been lucky and NAT hasn't had any problems for me so far. Anytime I've had anything get blocked--it has been software on the PC getting in the way.

Sometimes you have to set up the forwarding though under certain circumstances, and is one of the first things on the list to try if you can't find anything getting blocked locally on your system.

Apparently it's windows 7, intalled and updated it on my windows xp laptop , with half the resources the desktop has and its running fine. Any ideas?

be careful, it may not go back

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RAIST

It all depends on how you are set up really. And that is only at the routing side of your modem/router. Local security software on the system can get in the way (firewalls, internet security suites, etc.). I've never set up port forwarding or a DMZ on my routers to get FFXI to work (and no, I don't us PnP port mapping either), and I've gone through a Blitzz, Dlink, Ativa (rebranded Belkin), and am currently using a Linksys. Guess I've been lucky and NAT hasn't had any problems for me so far. Anytime I've had anything get blocked--it has been software on the PC getting in the way.

Sometimes you have to set up the forwarding though under certain circumstances, and is one of the first things on the list to try if you can't find anything getting blocked locally on your system.

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Yeah, I have a Cisco router at work that is locked down. I never bothered trying to get around it, because I read a post by an SE rep saying that you needed to open some huge array of ports that no sane person would ever open on an enterprise network. It's been like 5 years since I read that though, maybe they changed it?

Like i said, I have no issues on my laptop running xp so it has to do with win7, can I uninstall it from the desktop and copy everything except the viewer over from the laptop think that would work?

More InformationI guess Iwasn't paying attention.

It doesn't just do it when it goes to load the game, any time you exit the viewer it "exists" to a blank screen. Once FFXI reupdates I'll get a SS of it, as I uninstalled everything AGAIN and am doing it all over AGAIN, I'll get that in about 10 hours, yay for installing from the original discs I got from 04 when i started playing.

If you are running on Win7, you are going to need the POL from the website if you are installing from media before the big 2010 collection (I think that's when they first included the Vista compliant POL). The one installed from the older discs has issues with the newer OS.

Also...if you are on Win7, are you running as Admin?

As for copying from your XP install, you can move all the ROM and DAT assets over from the xp system --will drastically reduce what needs to be updated through POL. Not sure exactly which ones are only the new files, so you may need to just grab all of them. Drill down to the folder that has the ROM, ROM2-ROM8 and Sound, Sound2-Sound6, etc. You can copy those folders over to where they are on the other system (you will get prompted to overwrite some of them, let it do it as they will be either the same or newer).

It is a LOT of smaller files (about 50k files adding up to 10GB on my system). Depending on how you originally installed and how long you've been playing, yours may not look as bad as mine. Either way, you may save some time by zipping them up first so you are moving them over as a single file, then unpack them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RAIST

If you are running on Win7, you are going to need the POL from the website if you are installing from media before the big 2010 collection (I think that's when they first included the Vista compliant POL). The one installed from the older discs has issues with the newer OS.

Also...if you are on Win7, are you running as Admin?

As for copying from your XP install, you can move all the ROM and DAT assets over from the xp system --will drastically reduce what needs to be updated through POL. Not sure exactly which ones are only the new files, so you may need to just grab all of them. Drill down to the folder that has the ROM, ROM2-ROM8 and Sound, Sound2-Sound6, etc. You can copy those folders over to where they are on the other system (you will get prompted to overwrite some of them, let it do it as they will be either the same or newer).

It is a LOT of smaller files (about 50k files adding up to 10GB on my system). Depending on how you originally installed and how long you've been playing, yours may not look as bad as mine. Either way, you may save some time by zipping them up first so you are moving them over as a single file, then unpack them.

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admin -> yes

Win7/vista compatible pol -> Yes the old one doesn't install on win7 at all and I use toplay on vista before upgrading to 7 anyway, and yes I downloadeda new copy from the site.

The xp install all the files add up to 8 gig not including the viewer and is currently updated. Still have an hour of updating on this new install beforeI can get pics of the issue.

I got a crappy reply back from support on my ticket, it just said " use chat on the support website for us to assist you" but wow, don't see it anywhere

Hmm... looks like live chat support may be down. Think this is how I got to it in the past:

from the POL page, down along the left side, hit service and support, then hit the contact button up on the right (at least, that's where it is for NA site)--looks like an envelope. From there, in the Customer Support section, hit the button for "Get Support". It makes you do a search for the knowledge base first....do that, and if it doesn't spit out an answer that addresses your issue, hit the "Next" button at the bottom. This sends you to a page with contact options. All I'm getting now is the email option. Could have sworn it also gave a live chat link there also.

This is puzzling....will have to poke around the site some.....


Edit:
well.. that is troubling....could find no evidence of it. Started a ticket about it...just in case there is something wrong with the site that they need to look at.

Yea I got tired of it, sad support system for a p2p game. I just pulled out a spare 160GB and installed XP home on it installed FFXI and off I went, all in all the process took me 15 hours to complete :D


NOW I just need to know why after the update yesterday they did(when they did maintenance) why I suddenly have a Trojan called PSW.OnlineGames3.BXIW infection, and not only that why AVG sees the config as a virus aswell O_o, Never had that issue before.


But Now I am off to another forum to look for a LS for my 36MNK, I am using myKB toplay ATM untill XBDC can get my Gamepad added to the program (btw that is the program to use xbox pads in FFXI with no issues, and it doesn't violate the TOS of FFXI.

omg.,. this is just too funny. Had to share it. Here is the reply to my support request about chat support not being available at the support portal:

Quote:

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Dear Customer,

Regarding your request for account support. Please find your answer below.

Unfortunately the SQUARE ENIX Support Center cannot assist with this issue via email. In order to further assist you, we will need you to contact us via phone or chat, and the SQUARE ENIX Support Center will be happy to assist you.

Chat Support <Toll Free>
To contact our Chat Support Team, please return to the SQUARE ENIX Support Center website and create a new ticket for your issue. Select the "Chat Support" option, and this will connect you directly to an agent that will be able to assist you.

Phone Support
To contact our Phone Support Team, please use the phone number listed below.
For faster service when calling, please make sure you have the following information:
- Ticket Number (located in the subject of this email)

SQUARE ENIX Support Center: (310) 846 - 0345*
* Please note that this is not a toll-free number. If you would like to contact us foll-free, please use our chat service.

NOTE: Live service is available Monday through Friday, 9:00 - 18:00 (Pacific Time) (Excluding holidays)

Thank you for contacting the SQUARE ENIX Support Center.
___________
For additional assistance with this issue, you can reply to this email directly. For assistance with a new issue, please visit the SQUARE ENIX Support Center at http://support.na.square-enix.com.

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PRICELESS!

yea, Good thing I mainly play because I have been a final fantasy fan since it started way back when, and it is fun to play the game, but quite frankly why are we paying to play, because one of the main reasons you pay a fee is so they can pay their support team their wages to support us, and they are not supporting us. If they cannot provide this, then it needs to go the way games like Ragnarok online went... free to play.

Now I expect this will be closed because I've seen any post regarding a comment ike this they close it because they don't like it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RAIST

omg.,. this is just too funny. Had to share it. Here is the reply to my support request about chat support not being available at the support portal:


PRICELESS!

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THey did the same shit to me. My JP account got locked. I call NA support, they say they know how to fix it, but I have to have JP support do it. I contact JP support, and they say I have to call NA support.

"Hi I are Jimmy from SE support. I have no original thoughts of my own. I read every single ting I say from a script regardless of how poorly the answer matches the question. derp derp."