Red alert 2 black screen. C&C: Red Alert - problem solving

If you encounter that Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 slows down, crashes, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 does not start, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is not installed, control does not work in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, no sound, errors happen, saves not working in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 – we offer you the most common ways to solve these problems.

First, check if your PC meets the minimum system requirements:

Windows 95/98/2000/NT;
Processor Pentium II 266 MHz;
Memory: 64 MB;
Video card: 2 MB;
DirectSound-compatible sound card;
Disk space: 350 MB.

Be sure to update your video card drivers and other software

Before you remember the worst words and express them towards the developers, do not forget to go to the official website of the manufacturer of your video card and download the latest drivers. Often, specially optimized drivers are prepared for the release of games. You can also try installing a later version of the drivers if the problem is not solved by installing the current version.

It is important to remember that you should only download the final versions of video cards - try not to use beta versions, as they may have a large number of bugs not found and not fixed.

Do not forget that games often require the latest version of DirectX to be installed, which can always be downloaded from the official Microsoft website.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 won't launch

Many problems with launching games happen due to incorrect installation. Check if there were any errors during the installation, try to uninstall the game and run the installer again, after disabling the antivirus - often the files necessary for the game to work are deleted by mistake. It is also important to remember that the path to the folder with the installed game should not contain Cyrillic characters - use only Latin letters and numbers for directory names.

It still does not hurt to check if there is enough space on the HDD for installation. You can try to run the game as Administrator in compatibility mode with different versions of Windows.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 slows down. Low FPS. Logs. Friezes. hangs up

First - install the latest drivers for the video card, this FPS in the game can rise significantly. Also check the computer's load in the task manager (opened by pressing CTRL + SHIFT + ESCAPE). If, before starting the game, you see that some process is consuming too many resources, turn off its program or simply end this process from the task manager.

Next, go to the graphics settings in the game. First of all, turn off anti-aliasing and try lowering the settings responsible for post-processing. Many of them consume a lot of resources and disabling them will significantly increase performance without greatly affecting the quality of the picture.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 crashes to desktop

If Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 often crashes to your desktop, try lowering the graphics quality to start solving the problem. It is possible that your computer simply does not have enough performance and the game cannot work correctly. It is also worth checking for updates - most modern games have a system for automatically installing new patches. Check if this option is disabled in the settings.

Black screen in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2

More often than not, the problem with the black screen is an issue with the GPU. Check if your graphics card meets the minimum requirements and install the latest drivers. Sometimes a black screen is the result of insufficient CPU performance.

If everything is fine with the hardware, and it meets the minimum requirements, try switching to another window (ALT + TAB), and then return to the game window.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 won't install. Installation stuck

First of all, check if you have enough HDD space for installation. Remember that the setup program requires the advertised amount of space plus 1-2 gigabytes of free space on the system drive to run correctly. In general, remember the rule - the system drive should always have at least 2 gigabytes of free space for temporary files. Otherwise, both games and programs may not work correctly or refuse to start at all.

Installation problems can also occur due to lack of Internet connection or its unstable operation. Also, do not forget to suspend the antivirus while installing the game - sometimes it interferes with the correct copying of files or deletes them by mistake, considering them viruses.

Saves not working in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2

By analogy with the previous solution, check the availability of free space on the HDD - both on the one where the game is installed and on the system drive. Often save files are stored in a folder of documents, which is located separately from the game itself.

Controls not working in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2

Sometimes the controls in the game do not work due to the simultaneous connection of several input devices. Try disabling the gamepad, or if for some reason you have two keyboards or mice connected, leave only one pair of devices. If the gamepad does not work for you, then remember that only controllers that are defined as Xbox joysticks officially support games. If your controller is defined differently, try using programs that emulate Xbox joysticks (for example, x360ce).

Sound not working in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2

Check if the sound works in other programs. After that, check if the sound is turned off in the settings of the game itself and if the sound playback device is selected there, to which your speakers or headset are connected. Next, while the game is running, open the mixer and check if the sound is muted there.

If you are using an external sound card, check for new drivers on the manufacturer's website.

If someone has already tried to install this game on the seven, then they encountered an error when starting the game, which actually did not allow the game to start. And yesterday I googled and found a way to run it!

1. Well, first you need to install the game, if it is installed, you can scroll through the first item.
We download the game, for example, from the Omsk torrent tracker: Red Alert 2 + Yuri "s Revenge
We launch Red Alert 2.exe and then the usual installation
After the installation is over, go to the root directory of the game and find the file there: Ra2.exe or Ra2md.exe; to launch the regular version or "Yuri's Revenge", respectively, and right-click on it, where we select the "fix compatibility issues" item

select this item, a window appears in which some processes automatically occur and two diagnostic options appear. Select "program diagnostics"

Then, from the possible problems presented to us, we select "the program worked in previous versions of Windows, but does not install or does not start now"

A choice of other OS versions appears, and of course we select Windows XP sp2 or sp3 (runs on both)

Click "next" and then "launch the program".
This method has been tested on Windows 7 Home basic 32 and 64 bit versions.

However, it is also one of the older games in the franchise that predates recent Windows platforms. As such, not all RA 2 players can get the game up and running. These are a few resolutions that might kick-start Red Alert 2 for Command and Conquer fanatics who need to fix the game.

Fix Red Alert 2 bugs in Windows 10

1. Open the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter

First, check out the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter included in Windows. That troubleshooter can fix compatibility issues for more outdated software. Follow the guidelines below to open the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter.

Press the Type here to search button on the Windows 10 taskbar to open Cortana.
Enter ‘troubleshoot’ in the Cortana search box and select Troubleshoot to open the window in the image directly below.

Select the Program and Compatibility troubleshooter listed there.
Press the Run the trouble shooter button to open the window in the snapshot below.

Then select Red Alert 2 in the troubleshooter‘s software list, and press the Next button.

2. Run Red Alert 2 in Compatibility Mode

Red Alert 2 returns a FATAL String Manager failed to initialized properly” error for some players who can't get the game up and running. Running RA 2 in compatibility mode is a fix more specifically for that error message. You can run RA 2 in compatibility mode as follows.

First, open the Red Alert 2 folder in File Explorer.
Then right-click the gamemd.exe in File Explorer and select Properties to open the window.

Select the Compatibility tab in the snapshot directly below.

Select the Run this program in compatibility mode for option.
Then select WinXP (Service Pack 3) on the platform drop-down menu.
Select the Run this program as an administrator check box on the Compatibility tab.
In addition, adjust the graphical settings by selecting reduced color mode and 16-bit color from the drop-down menu.
Then click apply to confirm the new settings, and press the OK button.
Repeat the above guidelines for every exe in your Red Alert 2 folder, such as Ra2.exe, game.exe, YURI.exe and RA2MD.exe.

3. Configure the Game's Resolution

Red Alert 2 was designed for . Some players have fixed the game by adjusting its resolution to match their current VDU resolutions. You can configure Red Alert 2‘s resolution by editing its RA2.ini file as follows.

Open the Red Alert 2 directory within File Explorer.
The right-click the RA2.INI file in the Red Alert 2 directory and select open with.
Select to open RA2.INI with Notepad.
Then edit the ScreenWidth and ScreenHeight values in the RA2.INI file to match your current display resolution.
In addition, edit the VideoBackBuffer attribute to a no value. The attribute should be configured as: VideoBackBuffer=no.
Click file > Save to save the RA2.INI.

Unfortunately, there are flaws in games: brakes, low FPS, crashes, freezes, bugs and other minor and not very errors. Often problems begin before the game even starts, when it won't install, won't load, or won't even download. Yes, and the computer itself is sometimes weird, and then in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, instead of a picture, a black screen, control does not work, no sound is heard, or anything else.

What to do first

Download and run the world famous CCleaner(download from a direct link) is a program that will clean your computer of unnecessary garbage, as a result of which the system will work faster after the first reboot;
Update all drivers in the system using the program Driver Updater(download via direct link) - it will scan your computer and update all drivers to the latest version in 5 minutes;
Install the program WinOptimizer(download from a direct link) and turn on the game mode in it, which will end useless background processes during game launch and improve performance in the game.

The second thing to do if you encounter any problems with RA2 is to check the system requirements. In a good way, you need to do this even before the purchase, so as not to regret the money spent.

Every gamer should at least have a little understanding of the components, to know why a video card, processor and other things are needed in the system unit.

Files, drivers and libraries

Almost every device in a computer requires a set of special software. These are drivers, libraries and other files that ensure the correct operation of the computer.

It's worth starting with the drivers for the video card. Modern graphics cards are produced by only two large companies - Nvidia and AMD. Having found out which product spins the coolers in the system unit, we go to the official website and download the package of fresh drivers:

A prerequisite for the successful functioning of Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is the availability of the latest drivers for all devices in the system. Download the utility Driver Updater to easily and quickly download the latest drivers and install them with one click:

If RA2 does not start, we recommend that you try disabling your antivirus or put the game in the antivirus exceptions, and also check the system requirements again and if something from your build does not match, then if possible improve your PC by purchasing more powerful components.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 has black screen, white screen, color screen. Solution

Problems with screens of different colors can be roughly divided into 2 categories.

Firstly, they are often associated with the use of two video cards at once. For example, if your motherboard has a built-in video card, but you play on a discrete one, then RA2 can be launched for the first time on a built-in one, while you will not see the game itself, because the monitor is connected to a discrete video card.

Secondly, color screens happen when there are problems with displaying the image on the screen. This can happen for various reasons. For example, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 cannot work through an outdated driver or does not support a video card. Also, a black / white screen may be displayed when working at resolutions that are not supported by the game.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 crashes. At a certain or random moment. Solution

You play for yourself, play and here - bam! - everything goes out, and now you have a desktop without any hint of the game. Why is this happening? To solve the problem, it is worth trying to figure out what the nature of the problem is.

If the crash occurs at a random point in time without any pattern, then with a probability of 99% we can say that this is a mistake of the game itself. In this case, it is very difficult to fix something, and it is best to just put Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 aside and wait for the patch.

However, if you know exactly at what moments the crash occurs, then you can continue the game, avoiding situations that provoke a crash.

However, if you know exactly at what moments the crash occurs, then you can continue the game, avoiding situations that provoke a crash. In addition, you can download the RA2 save and bypass the departure point.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 freezes. The picture freezes. Solution

The situation is about the same as with crashes: many freezes are directly related to the game itself, or rather, to the developer's mistake when creating it. However, a frozen picture can often become a starting point for investigating the deplorable state of a video card or processor.

So if the picture in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 freezes, then use the programs to display statistics on the loading of components. Perhaps your video card has long exhausted its working life or the processor is heating up to dangerous temperatures?

The easiest way to check the loading and temperatures for the video card and processors is in the MSI Afterburner program. If desired, you can even display these and many other parameters on top of the Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 image.

What temperatures are dangerous? Processors and video cards have different operating temperatures. For video cards, they are usually 60-80 degrees Celsius. The processors are slightly lower - 40-70 degrees. If the processor temperature is higher, then you should check the condition of the thermal paste. It may have dried out and needs to be replaced.

If the video card is heating up, then you should use the driver or the official utility from the manufacturer. You need to increase the number of revolutions of the coolers and see if the operating temperature drops.

RA2 slows down. Low FPS. Frame rate drops. Solution

With stutters and low frame rates in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, the first step is to lower the graphics settings. Of course, there are a lot of them, so before reducing everything in a row, you should find out exactly how certain settings affect performance.

Screen resolution. In short, this is the number of points that make up the picture of the game. The higher the resolution, the higher the load on the video card. However, the increase in load is negligible, so reducing the screen resolution should only be the very last resort, when everything else does not help.

Texture quality. Typically, this setting determines the resolution of texture files. Decrease the quality of textures if the video card has a small amount of video memory (less than 4 GB) or if you are using a very old hard drive with a spindle speed of less than 7200.

Model quality(sometimes just details). This setting determines which set of 3D models will be used in the game. The higher the quality, the more polygons. Accordingly, high-poly models require more processing power of the video card (not to be confused with the amount of video memory!), which means that this parameter should be reduced on video cards with a low core or memory frequency.

Shadows. They are implemented in different ways. In some games, shadows are created dynamically, that is, they are calculated in real time every second of the game. Such dynamic shadows load both the processor and the video card. In order to optimize, developers often abandon the full rendering and add a pre-render of shadows to the game. They are static, because in fact they are just textures that are superimposed on top of the main textures, which means they load memory, and not the core of the video card.

Often, developers add additional settings related to shadows:

Shadow Resolution - determines how detailed the shadow cast by the object will be. If the game has dynamic shadows, then it loads the core of the video card, and if a pre-created render is used, then it “eats” the video memory.
Soft shadows - smoothing out bumps on the shadows themselves, usually this option is given along with dynamic shadows. Regardless of the type of shadows, it loads the video card in real time.

Smoothing. It allows you to get rid of ugly corners at the edges of objects by using a special algorithm, the essence of which is usually to generate several images at once and compare them, calculating the most “smooth” image. There are many different anti-aliasing algorithms that differ in the level of impact on RA2 performance.

For example, MSAA works head-on, creating 2, 4, or 8 renders at once, so the frame rate is reduced by 2, 4, or 8 times, respectively. Algorithms such as FXAA and TAA operate a little differently, achieving a smooth image by calculating only the edges and using some other tricks. Because of this, they do not reduce performance as much.

Lighting. As in the case of anti-aliasing, there are different algorithms for lighting effects: SSAO, HBAO, HDAO. All of them use the resources of the video card, but they do it differently depending on the video card itself. The fact is that the HBAO algorithm was promoted mainly on video cards from Nvidia (GeForce line), so it works best on the “green” ones. HDAO, on the other hand, is optimized for AMD graphics cards. SSAO is the simplest type of lighting, it consumes the least resources, so in case of brakes in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, it is worth switching to it.

What should be lowered first? Shadows, anti-aliasing, and lighting effects are usually the most stressful, so it's best to start with them.

Often gamers themselves have to optimize Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2. For almost all major releases, there are various relevant forums where users share their ways to improve performance.

One of them is a special program called WinOptimizer. It is made specifically for those who do not want to manually clean up the computer from various temporary files, delete unnecessary registry entries and edit the startup list. WinOptimizer will do this for you, as well as analyze your computer to find ways to improve application and game performance.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 lags. Big game delay. Solution

Many people confuse "lag" with "lag", but these problems have completely different causes. RA2 slows down when the frame rate at which the image is displayed on the monitor decreases, and lags when the delay when accessing the server or any other host is too high.

That is why "lags" can only be in network games. The reasons are different: bad network code, physical distance from servers, network congestion, incorrectly configured router, low Internet connection speed.

However, the latter is the least common. In online games, communication between the client and the server occurs by exchanging relatively short messages, so even 10 MB per second should be enough for the eyes.

There is no sound in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2. Can not hear anything. Solution

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 works, but for some reason does not sound - this is another problem that gamers face. Of course, you can play like that, but it's still better to figure out what's the matter.

First you need to determine the scope of the problem. Where exactly is there no sound - only in the game or in general on the computer? If only in the game, then perhaps this is due to the fact that the sound card is very old and does not support DirectX.

If there is no sound at all, then the matter is definitely in the computer settings. Perhaps the sound card drivers are not installed correctly, or maybe there is no sound due to some specific error of our favorite Windows OS.

Controls don't work in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2. RA2 does not see the mouse, keyboard or gamepad. Solution

How to play if it is impossible to control the process? The problems of supporting specific devices are out of place here, because we are talking about familiar devices - keyboard, mouse and controller.

Thus, errors in the game itself are practically excluded, almost always the problem is on the user's side. You can solve it in different ways, but, one way or another, you will have to turn to the driver. Usually, when you connect a new device, the operating system immediately tries to use one of the standard drivers, but some models of keyboards, mice, and gamepads are not compatible with them.

Thus, you need to find out the exact model of the device and try to find exactly its driver. Often, devices from well-known gaming brands come with their own software kits, since the standard Windows driver simply cannot ensure the correct operation of all the functions of a particular device.

If you don’t want to look for drivers for all devices separately, you can use the program Driver Updater. It is designed to automatically search for drivers, so you only need to wait for the scan results and download the necessary drivers in the program interface.

Often the brakes in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 can be caused by viruses. In this case, there is no difference how powerful the video card is in the system unit. You can check your computer and clean it of viruses and other unwanted software using special programs. For example NOD32 . The antivirus has proven itself from the best side and has received the approval of millions of users around the world.

Suitable for both personal use and small businesses, ZoneAlarm is able to protect a computer running Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP from any attack: phishing, viruses, malware, spyware and other cyber threats . New users are given a 30-day free trial.

Nod32 is an antivirus from ESET, which has received many awards for its contribution to the development of security. Versions of anti-virus programs for both PC and mobile devices are available on the developer's website, a 30-day trial version is provided. There are special conditions for business.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 downloaded from torrent does not work. Solution

If the distribution kit of the game was downloaded via torrent, then in principle there can be no guarantees of work. Torrents and repacks are almost never updated through official applications and do not work over the network, because in the course of hacking, hackers cut out all network functions from games, which are often used to check the license.

Using such versions of games is not only inconvenient, but even dangerous, because very often many files have been changed in them. For example, to bypass protection, pirates modify an EXE file. However, no one knows what else they do with it. Maybe they embed self-executing software. For example, which, when the game is first launched, will be integrated into the system and will use its resources to ensure the well-being of hackers. Or, giving access to the computer to third parties. There are no guarantees and there cannot be.

In addition, the use of pirated versions is, according to our publication, theft. The developers have spent a lot of time creating the game, investing their own money in the hope that their offspring will pay off. And every work must be paid.

Therefore, if you encounter any problems with games downloaded from torrents or hacked using certain means, you should immediately remove the “pirate”, clean your computer with an antivirus and a licensed copy of the game. This will not only save you from dubious software, but also allow you to download updates for the game and receive official support from its creators.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 throws an error about a missing DLL file. Solution

As a rule, problems associated with the absence of DLLs occur when you start Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, however, sometimes the game can access certain DLLs in the process and, without finding them, crash in the most impudent manner.

To fix this error, you need to find the required DLL and install it on the system. The easiest way to do this is with a program. DLL fixer, which scans the system and helps you quickly find missing libraries.

If your problem turned out to be more specific, or if the method described in this article did not help, then you can ask other users in our "" section. They will promptly help you!

Thank you for your attention!

First you need to go to the folder with the game files. The easiest way to do this is to right-click on the desktop shortcut and select "File Location".

Now you will open the folder with the game files. In it you need to find the files "ra2.ini" and "ra2md.ini". The first corresponds to the Red Alert 2 game, the second to the Yuri's Revenge add-on. Accordingly, you need to do the same actions in both files.

These files appear after the first launch of the respective games. If you don't have them yet, run the game at least once and they should appear.

Open the "ra2md.ini" file with any text editor such as Notepad and paste the following line into the section:

VideoBackBuffer=no

If you want to change the screen resolution in the game, change the ScreenWidth and ScreenHeight values in the same place (I have them set to 1920 and 1080 respectively).

Everything is as shown in the screenshot:

Save the file. Make similar changes to ra2.ini.

All! You can start the game, it should no longer slow down!

Red Alert 2 Yuri's Revenge crashes

If your game crashes, NPatch may be able to help you.

Download the first file from the list and install. After that, it shouldn't crash.

For some reason, Google Chrome and Firefox swear at this file as malicious. This is a false positive as Virustotal says everything is ok. And I also installed mine, everything is in order. Although it is, of course, your business, I am by no means trying to persuade anyone.

How to play online?

There is a separate instruction for this on how to play Red Alert 2 over the network.

You can leave a comment with "Facebook": Don't forget to leave comments with "Vkontakte":

maslov.co

How to run Red Alert 2 on Windows 7-8.1

Good day, I want to share how to still run the old, but not forgotten game Command Conquer Red Alert 2 on Windows 7,8.1 operating systems. To do this, we need a clean game client, install the game, after which we create a shortcut to the game.exe file from the root folder. In the shortcuts we created, go to the properties, and then in the file path tab add -win separated by a space, for example, this is how our path looked like" C:\Program Files (x86)\Red Alert 2\Game.exe" after our addition it should look like this "C:\Program Files (x86)\Red Alert 2\Game.exe" -win

Go ahead, in the compatibility tab, select the windows xp sp 2 compatibility mode, it is more suitable for the requirements of this game in the parameters, check the low color mode and select 16-bit color. Note on high resolution monitors, the game does not run in full screen.

hodovoi.org

Running Red Alert 2 on Windows 7

Running Red Alert 2 on Windows 7dimasomskMarch 8th, 2012If someone has already tried to install this game on Windows 7, they encountered an error when starting the game, which actually did not allow the game to be launched. And yesterday I googled and found a way to still run it! Well, first you need to install the game, if it is installed, you can scroll through the first item.

We download the game, for example, from the Omsk torrent tracker: Red Alert 2 + Yuri "s Revenge

We launch Red Alert 2.exe and then the usual installation After the installation is over, we go to the root directory of the game and find the file there: Ra2.exe or Ra2md.exe; to launch the regular version or "Yuri's Revenge", respectively, and right-click on it, where we select the "fix compatibility issues" item

select this item, a window appears in which some processes automatically occur and two diagnostic options appear. Select "program diagnostics"

Then, from the possible problems presented to us, we select "the program worked in previous versions of Windows, but does not install or does not start now"

A choice of other OS versions appears, and of course we select Windows XP sp2 or sp3 (runs on both)

This method has been tested on Windows 7 Home basic 32 and 64 bit versions.

dimasomsk.livejournal.com

C&C: Red Alert - problem solving

Recently, I was drawn to the good old rts of the C&C series ... But with Red Alert (1) there were several problems, which I will try to help avoid. So, you have two game disk images. However, when trying to install, there will certainly be an error; You can set the properties of the executable file to be compatible with Windows 95, but on 64-bit Windows this will not help either. Therefore, after mounting the disk image (this can be done, for example, with the DAEMON Tools Lite program), the easiest way is to use the Red Alert Setup Manager 0.98 software, you can download it here.

Unpack, run, select the functions you need and the path to install the game, click Apply. Everything, now it remains only to set the compatibility mode for Windows 95 for the RA95.exe file and you can play. To complete the campaign for the allies, you need to mount the first disk, and for the tips, respectively, the second.

However, in the game itself, for some reason, I got graphic bugs, menus, videos, shadows, effects are buggy with different colors ... You can play, but, of course, unpleasant and ugly. Perhaps this only happens on Windows 7 64-bit. With difficulty I found a solution to the problem, it turned out that for some reason the explorer.exe process interferes with the game. So if you have the same problem and you are an advanced user, try the following: start the game, minimize it (Alt+Tab); open the task manager (Ctrl+Shift+ESC or select it after pressing ctrl+alt+del), end the explorer.exe process (attention, it is responsible for Explorer and your taskbar will disappear!); switch back to the game (Alt+Tab). Sometimes glitches do not disappear immediately, try switching back and forth a few more times. After the game, open the task manager, click the file - a new task (run), type explorer.exe in the line, OK. Everything should be as before.

There were no problems with Red Alert 2, except for the error "***FATAL*** String Manager Failed to Initialize Properly", if you have it, then run the game as an administrator or change the security settings for the executable file. Also check if the folder with the game has the attribute "read-only" (Read-only), uncheck it. If you are trying to run the game from a "regular" profile in Win 7, ask your administrator to give you full access to the game folder. It looks like this

If all else fails, try playing Yuri's Revenge, according to reviews, there are no such problems with it.

P.S. Perhaps some solutions will be suitable for subsequent games in the series.