COD4 punk buster NOT SOLVED

[21stcn]

I need some help please.
I cannot play COD4 online because of punkbuster. The error messages range from 'handshaking failed' to 'packet loss' but I get kicked after 15secs without fail.
I have read all the relevant forums on the web and submitted a ticket to Evenbalance but their advice was useless.
This is what I have tried:

Reinstalled COD 4
Installed, Uninstalled punkbuster manually using pbsvc.exe and pbsetup.exe, automatically, what have you.
Downloaded player pbsec.htm file into game folder/pb
Disabled all firewalls and on access applications.
Forwarded the COD4 and PB ports on the router.
Closed steam.
Run as administator (am using Vista)
Tried compatibility modes.
Tried executing PnkbustrA and B manually.

There should be nothing interfering with communications. PB is installed correctly, updated and apparently working.

The most infuriating thing is that punkbuster setup installed and says everything is OK, no error, etc. They should have a diagnostics program or some manner in which to identify network problems, instead of just rattling the same krap back to me about firewalls etc.

Any advice would be appreciated. I am begginning to suspect it has something to do with my router. It is a PLANET WNRT-635. The router's firewall has been disabled and ports forwarded. Is there a setting or something I could be missing?
Really starting to piss me off. Evenbalance has been no help. They really are an amateur setup.

 

[10hellfire01]

When I was new to this a long time ago, it was a pain. On top of that, I've come to find out that if you're being kicked for PB issues such as yours and use the auto-updater, the autoupdater doesn't work either, unless the files seem to be to date.

Go to http://evenbalance.com/index.php?page=dl-cod4.php and do the following:

Open your Call of duty 4 folder in your C:\ drive or whereever it is, navigate into it, find the folder "pb" and get the following files: (NOTE: right click and save as on the links next to each file and place them in the approiate folder inside "pb"

For Players Filename: pbsec.htm
For Admins Filename: pbsecsv.htm
Place these inside the folder htm
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

PB Client v2.219 for Win32 Filename: wc002219.htm
PB ClientA v1407 for Win32 Filename: wa001407.htm
These are the two you didn't mention, which you do need as well
Place these inside the folder htm

I'm pretty confident this will fix it. If it doesn't have you FULLY allowed all PB programs such as PnkBstrA, etc. via your anti-virus?

And if this was an issue with your router you wouldn't be able to connect to the gane server at all, so I'd suggest closing those ports you made since they're usually openings for hackers, etc.

And yeah, evenbalance.com has a very poor support team and they do not investigate things such as bans proven wrong, etc. Had a friend with that issue.

 

[jojonetwork]

What's your CPU? Cause I had the same problem as you when i was using a single core processor (celeron D)...

 

[21stcn]

@ hellfire. Thanks for your response. My pb folder already had the wc002219.htm
and wa001407.htm but I have downloaded them again and replaced. I haven't been able to try yet, but will do so later and let you know. The only reason I suspect the router is because I didn't have any problems with COD4 when I was playing a year ago on another router.
Is there any way to make sure that a make sure a file is fully allowed by processes and services? When I attempted to play, I stopped all possible apps (firewall, avira, defender, spyware doctor) and so can't think of anything that would cause conflicts.
@jojo. don't think it is cpu related. worked fine on this computer a year ago with different router. But then, a lot has changed with my system re: software etc.

 

[10hellfire01]

Well out of curiousity what's the chance of you trying to play on that old router of your's again? I mean it shouldn't make a difference, but if you can try it again I'd say for the hell of it give it a go and see.

And yeah, single core, octa-core, etc. CPUs don't make a difference. Chances are with your CPU it was being overloaded and it would kill the non-critical processes such as PB related things.

By the way 21st, in serivces (If you're running Vista or Win7 via Task Manger tab), see if PnkBstrA and B are running. And search your system for PnkBstrK as well. I know if you're missing one of those files are A and B aren't running in services, than that's your issue. I can't remember where to view currently running services in XP.

About last year I had a friend who hadn't changed anything he used on his PC at all and one day PnkBstrK was blocked, constantly deleted and the support couldn't figure it out to save their life. I couldn't even fix it via remote connection. Then for some reason later on it just started working again, so it might be one of those issues too unfortuantely...

 

[21stcn]

No dice. But found punkbust logfiles in System folder and the PnkBstrB.log has the following:

[07.24.2010 01:38:42] PnkBstrB v2.219 (COD4) Service Started Successfully. This service is a component of the PunkBuster Anti-Cheat system. Visit http://www.evenbalance.com for more information.
[07.24.2010 01:42:21] PnkBstrB v2.219 (COD4) Service Started Successfully. This service is a component of the PunkBuster Anti-Cheat system. Visit http://www.evenbalance.com for more information.
[07.24.2010 01:42:37] PnkBstrB v2.065 (COD4) Service Started Successfully. This service is a component of the PunkBuster Anti-Cheat system. Visit http://www.evenbalance.com for more information.
[07.24.2010 01:42:42] WARNING: Ignoring Packet from unauthenticated source
[07.24.2010 01:42:46] WARNING: Ignoring Packet from unauthenticated source
[07.24.2010 01:42:50] WARNING: Ignoring Packet from unauthenticated source
[07.24.2010 01:42:54] WARNING: Ignoring Packet from unauthenticated source
[07.24.2010 01:42:58] WARNING: Ignoring Packet from unauthenticated source
[07.24.2010 01:43:02] WARNING: Ignoring Packet from unauthenticated source
[07.24.2010 01:43:06] WARNING: Ignoring Packet from unauthenticated source
[07.24.2010 01:43:10] WARNING: Ignoring Packet from unauthenticated source
[07.24.2010 01:43:14] WARNING: Ignoring Packet from unauthenticated source
[07.24.2010 01:43:18] WARNING: Ignoring Packet from unauthenticated source
[07.24.2010 01:43:27] PnkBstrB v2.219 (COD4) Service Started Successfully. This service is a component of the PunkBuster Anti-Cheat system. Visit http://www.evenbalance.com for more information.
[07.24.2010 02:38:52] WARNING: CRITICAL ERROR: Failed to Register Service (ffa9)

A curious thing is that, just before the WARNING/failure, it goes from PnkBstrB v2.219 and then to v2.065. Perhaps there is a duplicate service interfering with the latest version? I'll look into it.
Solution could be close.

 

[21stcn]

I bloody fixed it. This is a major breakthrough. No thanks to evenbalance.

This is what was happening. When you install punkbuster, it installs to your COD directory /pb/
It also is installed (or runs through, I'm not sure) C:\Users\NAME\AppData\Local\PunkBuster\COD4\pb
So, files from an older version were being accessed through the latter folder. And punkbuster manual setup did not alter/replace these files. So there was a conflict, and services were trying to be run from 2 different sources/versions.
I'm not guru, so I don't really know how it all works. But basically evenbalance have overlooked this/failed to care, causing gamers headaches for years.
Herein lies the issue, not firewalls, not other bollox, just bad programming.
BOOM!

 

[10hellfire01]

Congratz man :lol:

I used to look thorough all those folders to delete random junk from game installs and had never seen anything punkbuster related there but PnkbstrK.(dll or w/e).

To be honest I'm not sure if that should be there or not like that becuase that would mean your issue is really common. And yeah Evenbalance usually fails, so I'd only go to them for the "very basic issues" :lol:

 

[arcadiac]

I bloody fixed it. This is a major breakthrough. No thanks to evenbalance.

This is what was happening. When you install punkbuster, it installs to your COD directory /pb/
It also is installed (or runs through, I'm not sure) C:\Users\NAME\AppData\Local\PunkBuster\COD4\pb
So, files from an older version were being accessed through the latter folder. And punkbuster manual setup did not alter/replace these files. So there was a conflict, and services were trying to be run from 2 different sources/versions.
I'm not guru, so I don't really know how it all works. But basically evenbalance have overlooked this/failed to care, causing gamers headaches for years.
Herein lies the issue, not firewalls, not other bollox, just bad programming.
BOOM!

so what did you do what did you delete or move. im not that computer smart but im having the same probelm