BF4 PC Could not launch game error. [ Edited ]

[shedme]

Hi all,

I purchased BF4 years ago but haven't played in a long time. I just bought a brand new PC and decided to play some BF4 due to BF1 hype.

I have installed BF4 using Origin and mostly seems okay. The problem i am receiving is that when i go to join a server i get the error message "Could not launch game. Please make sure it is installed correctly." with two options being "reconnect" or "EA HELP".

I have tried to use the right click repair game fix but hasn't helped. I also read that if i removed the battlelog plugin through control panel that this could also help to no avail. The odd thing is that if i keep clicking the "reconnect" button enough times i will eventually get into the server (could be anywhere between 1 to 50 times). Then once I'm in the game works perfectly.

I haven't reinstalled the game as the 40gb download hurts. Where do i go from here? I want to get this sorted before BF1 launches in case i get the same issue with it.

EDIT: Just thought i would add that yes I am running as administrator.

Thanks

Dave

[MADrag0n · Accepted solution]

Ok, good luck!

[MADrag0n]

Hello @shedme

Make clean boot https://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135
Run PunkBuster service: press Win+R, and enter a command

sc start PnkBstrA

press Ctrl+Shift+Esc and check that service PnkBstrA is running

try to play

[shedme]

Hi @MADrag0n

Thank you for taking the time to try help me.

I have done the clean boot and then was at the stage of "press Win+R and then enter sc start PnkBstrA". When i do this a small window pops up but then disappears extremely quickly. I then go to do the next step and "press Ctrl+Shift+Esc and check that service PnkBstrA is running" but i cannot find PnkBstrA in there. It is not in my apps or background processes. (FYI i am on windows 10)

Does this mean that punkbuster is not installed? I quickly looked up how to reinstall PB so i have been into the installer - redist folder and have tried to fix/reinstall but the test came back as pb installed successfully. I then tried the run command again and nothing has happened.

I looked up some more info and i found that if i installed pbsetup from evenbalance.com that it could fix a pb issue. I then looked in my background processes and PnkBstrA is now running! After this i logged onto the battlelog and tried to enter five different games. The first three connected first time and got me excited. The fourth and fifth would not let me enter and i received my original error message of "ERROR: Could not launch game. Please make sure it's installed correctly".

Back to square one.

What do i do now?

Edit: I've attached a screenshot if it helps at all... 

Thanks

Dave

[MADrag0n]

Run regedit and go to [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\EA Games\Battlefield 4] and [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\EA Games\Battlefield 4]
check that values has correct path to ur game: "GDFBinary", "GDFBinary64", "Install Dir"

Close browser, close Origin, go to folder C:\ProgramData\Origin\Logs\, delete all content, run Origin as Admin, make some trys to lunch game, close browser, close Origin, go that folder and attach this files from it:

Client_Log.txt, *WebHelper_*.txt, *_Log.Origin*.txt, Bootstrapper_Log.txt, UpdateTool_Log.txt, OriginClientService_*.txt

[shedme]

Hi @MADrag0n

I ran regedit and did as you say. Below are paths:

GDFBinary - C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\ Battlefield 4\_Installer\GDFBinary_en_US.dll

GDFBinary64 - C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\ Battlefield 4\_Installer\GDFBinary_en_US_64.dll

Install Dir - C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\ Battlefield 4\

I then did as you say with deleting logs. Then i tried to launch 5 x games and received errors for all 5 and could not join. I then went back into that folder and not all those files that you requested are there.

Client_Log - Attached

WebHelper - Does not exist

IGO_Log.Origin - Attached

Bootstrapper_Log - Attached

There was a file in there called dserrors which im not sure is of use to you. I will attach in another post.

I will also try to connect to a game again and see if these other files appear after i try 50 times.

Thanks

Dave

[shedme]

Okay so after trying to reconnect four times i was able to enter a game. I was in for around 10 seconds and then was kicked from the game with the following message:

Game disconnected: you were kicked by PunkBuster. Stated reason: PunkBuster kicked player 'shedme' (for 0 minutes) ... RESTRICTION: Service Communication Failure: PnkBstrA.exe

This is the first time i have received this error. I then went into task manager and the PnkBstrA is not running in my background processes.

I then went and checked the Program Data and i now have:

BF4WebHelper in HTML which i am trying to attach but it won't work. Copy paste below.

1	[06:07:13 GMT]	Info	Core::CoreLogger	Open	V4.10.0.680 - Log C:\ProgramData\Origin\Logs\BF4WebHelper_1007968_1011575_1011576_1011577_1010268_OnlineActivation_Log Opened 8/24/2016 - [06:07:13 GMT]
2	[06:07:13 GMT]	Info	AccessDRMLicense_AccessDigitalV4	GetLicParams	License signature is good.

UpdateTool_Log - does not exist

OriginClientService - does not exist

I have tried to attach the dserrors but it wont work.

Now I'm lost.

Thanks

Dave

[shedme]

And now I can't play at all, i keep getting kicked again and again after i eventually get into a server.

Being kicked for "Game disconnected: you were kicked by PunkBuster. Stated reason: PunkBuster kicked player 'shedme' (for 0 minutes) ... RESTRICTION: Service Communication Failure: PnkBstrA.exe"

I can't believe they make it so difficult to play a game with a brand new computer. Origin and BF4 were literally the first things i downloaded.

EDIT: Fixed PnkBstrA issue by reinstalling Punkbuster. Hopefully it lasts. Still having original issue though of not connecting.

[MADrag0n]

Hello, i don't see any useful information in logs (. Are u use beta version of Origin? (if yes, delete it, clear Origin cache and install as Admin not beta version).

U use Chrome, for this browser u need to enable plug-in-free game lunch feature (if u want use another browser and u want reinstall battlelog plugin u can use this link).

For info, there is my instruction to reinstall PunkBuster:

Spoiler

- close process PnkBstrA.exe

- download this, unpack it, run\install it as Admin, add games in a list;

- download this, run\install it as Admin;

- restart PC, close\disable programs like this before run Origin and playing.

Close browser and Origin, go to folders c:\Program Files (x86)\Battlelog Web Plugins\, c:\Program Files (x86)\Origin\, ...\Battlefield 4\, also for PnkBstrA.exe and PnkBstrB.exe

and for every *.exe in that folders do this: right click on your game's shortcut or *.exe file, select Properties, click on the Compatibility tab, press button Change settings for all users and check the box Run this Program as an administrator, click Apply and OK twice.

Also u can try reset network settings:

Spoiler

Check hosts file https://support.microsoft.com/kb/972034

Run command line as Admin and enter a commands:
netsh http flush
netsh branchcache reset
netsh winsock reset
netsh interface ipv4 reset
netsh interface ipv6 reset
netsh interface tcp reset || netsh interface reset all
netsh advfirewall reset || netsh firewall reset
route -f

Restart PC.

Disable/close some programs like firewall/antivirus, "Razer Surround/Synapse", RivaTuner, "EVGA Precision", Fraps, MSI Afterburner, ASRock eXtreme Tuner, Skype, XFire, XSplit and other...

Try to play.

Also run commandline as Admin, enter a commands:

set > C:\list.txt

tasklist /v >> C:\list.txt

And attach list.txt file from root of C: volume

[shedme]

Hi @MADrag0n

No i am not using a beta of Origin.

Plug-in free launching is enabled.

I set every application to run as admin.

I reset network settings.

There wasn't anything to disable because i did a clean boot.

I dont know what commandline is? Is this a program i need to download?

I have tried to play and am still getting the same error. Also FYI last night i decided to download Battlefield 3 to see if i would have the same problem and i DO NOT get the error when launching BF3. What does this mean? 

Do you think i should just bite the bullet and uninstall/redownload the 40-50gb of BF4 to see if it works correctly the second time around?

Thanks

Shedme

[MADrag0n]

Command line = command prompt = cmd, so to run it u can do this: press Win+X, Click Command Prompt (Admin).

About reinstall. U can do a trick:

- go to folder where bf4 is installed and rename it to i.e. "Battlefield 4 Old"

- go to Origin and do uninstall BF4

- then run download, wait a few minutes, pause it, exit from Origin

- go to bf4 place and u should see two folders, a new one ("Battlefield 4") and with "... Old", then rename "Battlefield 4 Old" to "Battlefield 4" with replace all files...

- run Origin, wait until it checked bf4 files, make install, and check games files from game's titles context menu

- details is here