Issues starting the game? Fix here (windowed only)

[sequence]

Don't waste your time with the GOG version, because if you can't get the game working on Steam, it won't work on that version either. It's something to do with resolution incompatability. My laptop has a res of 1600x900, and apparently this stops the game from displaying the introduction videos correctly and thereby not launching the game. PLEASE NOTE that the game will be WINDOWED using this fix. I have yet to figure out how to get it in fullscreen, but if someone figures out a way, I'll gladly credit them

Firstly, it has come to my attention (thank you to BombSite_A for this!) that you must have it installed on your primary Steam hard drive, which is whatever you have it set to under View > Settings > Downloads > Steam Library Folders. I don't have any other drives other than C:, so therefore I didn't know that this was part of the issue. If you don't have it on your default Steam location, start by moving it (probably uninstall and reinstall it there just to be sure).

The fix requires editing the options.xml file in the game directory. The file you need to edit will most likely not be there because it doesn't appear until you've launched the game once, and because that's the issue we have, you'll need to download my file here:
http://www26.zippyshare.com/v/25396673/file.html
Place that in your directory, and the game should launch in a window.

However, if you have the expanisons, this file is usually created automatically. The file is located in the game's directory. You can edit it yourself if you want:

Find the line that says:
<FullScreen>TRUE</FullScreen>
and change it to:
<FullScreen>FALSE</FullScreen>

You can change the resolution through the in-game options (or through options.xml if you want a custom one, but this messes up the HUD). The menu is hard-coded at 640x480 meaning you won't see resolution changes until you load a level.

Thanks to those at the Ghost Recon forums for this fix!
http://www.ghostrecon.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=55963#entry566037

If these fixes don't work, I suggest the tried-and-mostly-true method of running the game in compatibility mode. To do this, right-click on either the .exe or make a shortcut, click Properties... and under the Compatibility tab, change various options. Always run the game as admin, try running it in compatibility with different versions of windows, try all of the options. This has fixed the issue for some people.

NVidia Optimus users: If you have a laptop with an NVidia graphics card, then most likely you have Optimus. Anyway, BillyJoe has noted that they fixed his issue by changing their primary display driver to integrated graphics, rather than their graphics card. You can do this by opening the NVidia Control Panel, going to Manage 3D Settings, and changing the options under Program Settings. Make sure Ghost Recon is selected (you can find it manually) under section 1, and under section 2, change it from High-Performance NVIDIA Processor to integrated graphics. Then save your changes.

[hacked2123]

DaGolem a écrit :

Have tried to make a options.xml with you data. didn´t work. :(

Looks like the game is totaly broken.

Try making sure it is "Options.xml" not "options.xml" and also make sure you have extensions visible (elementary to you I bet) to make sure it's not staying .txt. (FYI, I got made mine from a post on the net just the same as you just tried, and it fixed mine.

Someone also added a link to a full blown file.

[Wizard]

hacked2123 a écrit :

FYI, if someone wanted to get down and dirty, to patch the game you would have to replace the command it is using to attempt to scale the tiny little box of options at the beginning. Easiest fix would be to tell it not scale it and put it a pixel 0,0...still gotta know how to disassemble though...

*w* Yes please!

[hacked2123]

O and another sugguestion was to verify file integrity (and i uninstalled island thunder and desert seige before hand)

[DaGolem]

hacked2123 a écrit :

Try making sure it is "Options.xml" not "options.xml" and also make sure you have extensions visible (elementary to you I bet) to make sure it's not staying .txt.

It is .xml file ;)
tryed both options,xml and Options.xml also tryed to change the resolution.

hacked2123 a écrit :

O and another sugguestion was to verify file integrity (and i uninstalled island thunder and desert seige before hand)

already tryed...Ghost recon, Desert & Island loads a file and didn´t work

[hacked2123]

Darn, sorry man. I was in there trying to modify the main_menu.rsb file to determine a stock resolution, but all the modifying software is just as dated as this game. Sorry.

[sequence]

Hermann a écrit :

^ Gj but is there any way to play fullscreen after launching as fulsscreen FALSE? :C
Want to play fullscreen thanks.

At the moment, I can't figure out a way to get it to launch fullscreen, even if I play at lower resolutions. However, if someone works out how to do this, I'll gladly credit them and add it to the main post! Sorry Hermann!

Also yeah, I encourage everyone to try the tried and mostly true compatibility options. Run in compatibility with 98, 2000, XP. Always run as admin! If you're not sure how to do this, make a shortcut to the game, right-click and go Properties... and select the appropriate options in the Compatibility tab. They don't always work but everyone's PCs are different!

[sequence]

Like you guys said, there was no options.xml file in my directory when I had only the base game installed. However, I still downloaded my file and put it in the directory and now it works! It seems that it's sort of a paradox thing. You need to edit the file to launch the game, but the file doesn't exist because you need to launch the game first... ad infinitum. If it STILL doesn't work, feel free to comment what your issue is.

[ziomedddy]

Lt.Cyrano a écrit :

my game starts only because it is installed on C:, it runs in the windows XP SP2 compatibility-mode, and i start it as admin.

on my win7 64bit also helped install disk C:

[DaGolem]

System windows 7 / 64
Reinstall on disk c:
startet as Admin with XP sp2, sp 3 / w2000 / 98
nothing works but on c: drive i get "application load error 2:0000065558"

[|LH| Spicy BBQ Wings]

I fixed my constantly black flickering screen by going to the options.xml and changing the full screen to FALSE, then I just went down to the resolution (also in the options.xml) and set a custom res of "1920"x"1050", somewhere around 1050 instead of 1080 so the bottom wont be cut off

[SteelOak]

For everyone that have problem with game that just wont open whatsoever.
You must have it on your system drive (C in most cases)
It can be in your Steam Library folder but it must be system partition.
C:Program Files 64>Steam>SteamApps>common

[B A K A]

Not sure if this is the problem for everyone, but my solution was to make sure it was installed on my primary steam HD. Which, in my case is my E drive and *not* my system drive. I had steam install it on my C drive, though. Once I uninstalled it and reinstalled it to my E drive, it worked the first time. Without any editing of options.xml, running it in windowed. with administrator options, or compatibility mode.

I'm using Win 8.1 Pro and I can run it at 1920 X 1080 X 32 bit

[o0WARLOCK0o]

Way to Go BombSite_A it worked for me. Using Win 7 pro 64bit. Nothing else required

[DCrop]

Hopes this helps for anybody who has nvidia optimus...i just switched my primary display driver from my gtx 770 to the intel intergrated graphics (or auto-select) and now it works fine

[sequence]

BillyJoe a écrit :

Hopes this helps for anybody who has nvidia optimus...i just switched my primary display driver from my gtx 770 to the intel intergrated graphics (or auto-select) and now it works fine

Really? That's interesting, I also have Nvidia Optimus, and I don't think I tried this, I'll add it to the main discussion. Thanks!