MechWarrior 4: Vengeance

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MechWarrior 4: Vengeance

Developers
	FASA Interactive
Expansions	Cyberlore Studios
Publishers
	Microsoft
Release dates
Windows	November 23, 2000
Taxonomy
Monetization	Expansion pack
Modes	Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing	Real-time
Perspectives	First-person, Third-person
Controls	Direct control
Genres	Vehicle combat
Vehicles	Robot
Art styles	Stylized
Themes	Sci-fi
Series	MechWarrior

Warnings

SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see Availability for affected versions).

Availability

In-game general settings.

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail		SafeDisc DRM.

SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see above for affected versions).

This game is not available digitally.

DLC and expansion packs

Name	Notes
MechWarrior 4: Black Knight
MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere Mech Pack
MechWarrior 4: Clan Mech Pack

Essential improvements

Patches

Patches are available for the base game and Black Knight.

Enhanced Keyboard Controls

Instructions[citation needed]
Download the following archive and extract the files to <path-to-game>\resource\pilots Launch the game, then at the splash screen select the PCGamingWiki user profile. Click on the Edit button, and set the desired name.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	<path-to-game>\options.ini <path-to-game>\resource\pilots\<user-id>\options.mw4

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows	<path-to-game>\resource\pilots\<user-id>

Video

In-game general video settings.

External advanced settings.

Graphics feature	State	Notes
Widescreen resolution
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)
Windowed		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Borderless fullscreen windowed		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anti-aliasing (AA)
Vertical sync (Vsync)		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
60 FPS and 120+ FPS		60 possible but causes physics glitches, ~30 fps external cap recommended. 120 possible but causes severe physics and input glitches, external cap required.

Input

In-game controls settings.

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
Full controller support
Controller remapping
Controller sensitivity
Controller Y-axis inversion

Additional information
Controller hotplugging
Haptic feedback
Digital movement supported
Simultaneous controller+KB/M

Audio

In-game audio settings.

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls
Surround sound
Subtitles
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
Brazilian Portuguese
French
German
Italian
Spanish

Network

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	Players	Notes
LAN play
Online play		16

Issues fixed

When trying start the game for the first time, the computer stops responding

Launching the Configuration Utility[citation needed]
Go to the installation folder. Launch autoconfig.exe, then click on Continue.

Disabling the Configuration Utility from Startup[citation needed]
See Command line arguments. Use -noautoconfig for Vengeance and Mercenaries or -noautoconfigx for the Black Knight expansion.

Access Violation in MW4 0x72446 Mw4.exe

To resolve this issue, use the following methods, as necessary, in the order presented.

Method 1: Install Microsoft Libraries Update from here.

If this does not resolve the issue, reinstall DirectX.

Computer Stops Responding When You Start MechWarrior 4

To resolve this issue, restart your computer with a diagnostic startup (Safe Mode), or disable the default Windows XP service. To do this, follow these steps:

Part #1: Restart the computer into Safe Mode

Booting into Safe Mode[citation needed]
Click Start, and then click Run. In the Open box, type msconfig, and then click OK. Click Diagnostic startup, click Apply, and then click OK. When prompted, restart your computer.

Part #2: Disable the Default Wireless Zero Configuration

Disable the default Wireless Zero Configuration[citation needed]
Click Start, and then click Control Panel. Double-click Network Connections. Right-click Wireless Network Connection, and then click Properties. Click to clear the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings check box, and then click OK.

Game Difficulties After You Change Screen Resolution

Change the screen resolution[citation needed]
In MechWarrior 4:, click Options on the main menu, Click the Video tab, and then set screen resolution in the screen resolution list.

Note that you may be able to set options that your video card does not support. If you experience game difficulties after you change your resolution on the Options screen, use Autoconfig.exe to reset your screen resolution:

Use the Autoconfig utility to change resolutions[citation needed]
In the folder where the game is installed, double-click Autoconfig_.exe, By default this file is located in: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Mechwarrior Mercenaries or C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Mechwarrior Vengenance Click Advanced, and then select the appropriate screen resolution from the resolution list box. Try 640 x 480 x 16.

Do Not Change Screen Resolution During Setup

If you change the screen resolution while you are running MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries Setup, the installation screen is not fully visible. To avoid this problem, do not change the screen resolution while Setup installs the game.

Fonts Are Hard to Read When Graphic Detail Is Set to Low

If your computer is running Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition and the computer defaults to 640 x 480 screen resolution, change your resolution in the game to 800 x 600 to be able to read fonts properly.

Heads-Up Display (HUD) Font Seems Too Large

By default, the text fonts in the HUD are set to be large and legible, but this setting can cause them to bleed past the margins in some screen resolutions. To make your font size smaller, in the folder where the MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries is installed double-click Autoconfig_Mercs.exe, click Advanced, click HUD Font Size, and then select a smaller size from the list.

Video card specific issues

ATI Video Cards

ATI All-in-Wonder 128 Pro

When 32-bit color is enabled for this card, graphic instability might occur in the game. To fix this problem, download and install the latest drivers from the AMD Web site.

ATI Radeon 7000 or 7500

If your system uses either of these video adapters, runs Windows Millennium Edition, and has game screen resolution set to 640 x 480 or 1600 x 1200, the system may stop responding when you start to play the MechWarrier 4: Mercenaries. This problem occurs with both the retail and latest drivers. To fix this problem, use Autoconfig.exe to reset your screen resolution: 1. In the folder where the game is installed, double-click Autoconfig.exe.

By default, this is:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Mechwarrior Mercenaries

2. Click Advanced, and then select a screen resolution other than 640 x 480 or 1600 x 1200.

ATI Rage II+

If your system uses this video adapter, slight texture corruption might occur in the game. To fix this problem, download and install the latest drivers from the AMD Web site.

ATI Rage Pro Turbo

If your system uses this video adapter, some graphics irregularities might occur in the game. To fix this problem, download and install the “Special Released” drivers from AMD

ATI Xpert 128

If your system uses this video adapter, texture corruption might occur in the game. To fix this problem, download and install the latest drivers from AMD.

Nvidia Video Cards

GeForce 256

When you attempt to launch certain missions while in 1600 x 1200 x 32 resolution, your computer might restart. If you have this problem, turn off 1600 x 1200 x 32 resolution bit depth.

TNT and GeForce Cards

If you run MechWarrior 4: Black Knight on a system with a GeForce or TNT video adapter and an ASUS motherboard, the game may periodically stop responding or quit. If you have this problem, contact your manufacturer for driver updates.

AMD Athlon/Duron Processor instability

If your system experiences instability when you run MechWarrior 4, and you are using the AMD Athlon or Duron processors, download and install the latest AMD processor utilities from the AMD Web site.

NOTE: More information on specific video adapter issues is available in the Readme.rtf file in the installation folder. For MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries the default location is

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Mechwarrior Mercenaries

The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

Autoconfig Utility Resets to Default Settings

The changes that you make in the MechWarrior Autoconfig utility, affect the game when you start it.

EXCEPTION Stack Overflow, Cdac14na.dll or Dialog_500X450.tga File Not Found

To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

in case if you just get the issue with "Dialog_500X450.tga" the fastest solution would be simply to create this missing file. for that you can even use paint and any type of texture just ensure that the bitmap matches 500x450 pixel and save it as exactly "Dialog_500X450.tga" under the expected destination.

Step #1: Remove all MechWarrior 4 programs and Mech packs

Remove all MechWarrior 4 programs and Mech packs[citation needed]
Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. Double-click Add/Remove Programs. Click your MechWarrior product, and then click Add/Remove or Change/Remove. Click Uninstall. Click to check the Remove saved games files check box. Follow the instructions on the screen to remove the game. Repeat steps 1-4 to remove the remaining MechWarrior products.

Step #2: Delete the MechWarrior folders

Delete the MechWarrior folders[citation needed]

Click Start, and then click Find or Search. Note If you are using Microsoft Windows 98, click Files or Folders, and if you are using Microsoft Windows XP, click All files and folders. In the Named box or the All or part of the file name box, type MechWarrior. In the Look in box, click My Computer. Make sure that the Include subfolders check box is selected. Click Find Now or Search. Right-click the MechWarrior folder, click Delete, and then click Yes. Close all the windows.

Step #3: Clean Boot the Computer

To clean boot your computer, use the appropriate method for your version of Windows:

• How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista or in Windows 7
• How to configure Windows XP to start in a "clean boot" state

Step #4: Install MechWarrior 4

Install MechWarrior 4[citation needed]

Insert the MechWarrior CD into your computer's CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, and then follow the Setup Wizard instructions on your screen. If the Setup Wizard does not appear, complete steps 2 and 3. If the Setup Wizard appears, skip to step 4. Click Start, and then click Run. Type drive:setup, where drive is the drive letter of your computer's CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. Click Install, click Next, and then click Change. In the Path box, delete the existing path, and then type: drive:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\MechWarrior 4 where drive is the drive letter of the hard disk on which you want to install MechWarrior. Click OK, and then click Yes when you receive a prompt to create the folder. Click OK, and then follow the instructions on the screen to reinstall MechWarrior Vengeance. Repeat steps 1-7 to install other MechWarrior programs or Mech Packs.

STOP: Cannot Create Options.ini or STOP: This is isn't a database

To resolve this issue, run the Autoconfig configuration utility before you start the game:

Run the Autoconfig utility[citation needed]

Click Start, and then click Run. In the Open box, type the following line, and then click OK drive:\program files\microsoft games\mechwarrior vengeance\autoconfig.exe where drive is the letter of the hard disk on which MechWarrior 4 is installed. Click Continue. Restart MechWarrior 4. Notes If the problem continues to occur, remove and then reinstall the game. Follow the steps used for EXCEPTION Stack Overflow, Cdac14na.dll or Dialog_500X450.tga File Not Found.

Stop: Failed (Dderr_CannotAttachSurface)

Install the latest drivers for your graphics card.

After the intro video plays, the game locks up with a black screen

Sometimes the game requires 2–3 minutes to set up and load correctly but if this time is exceeded then you can try the following.

To manually add GOS switches to the command line in the game shortcut, follow these steps:

Manually add command line GOS switches in the game shortcut[citation needed]

Insert the game CD in the CD-ROM drive. Press and hold the SHIFT key as you insert the CD-ROM to prevent the program from starting automatically. Right-click Start, and then click Open or Open All Users. Double-click the Programs folder. Double-click the Microsoft Games folder. Double-click the installation folder. Right-click the game shortcut icon, and then click Properties. On the Shortcut tab, in the Target box, press END, press SPACEBAR, and then type the GOS switch that you want to use. If you want to use an additional GOS switch, press SPACEBAR, and then type the next parameter. For example, to add the GOS switch to, type: "drive:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\MechWarrior Mercenaries\MW4.exe" /gosnovideo Or "drive:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\MechWarrior Mercenaries\MW4.exe" /gosnosound GOS Switches are not case sensitive. 8. Click Apply then OK.

If the /gosNoSound switch resolved the issue, then the issue will lie with the Sound card Driver or the Sound Hardware Acceleration or a codec driver.

If the /gosNoVideo switch resolved the issue, then the issue will lie with the Video card Driver or a codec driver.

Other information

Command line arguments

See command line arguments on how to use the following options.

GOS Switches are not case sensitive.

Parameter	Description
/gosUseHW	Overrides all checks and forces the use of 3-D acceleration.
/gosNoDialogs	All PAUSE dialog boxes will run automatically but will never be displayed.
/gosNoJoystick	Disables joystick enumeration and use.
/gosNoForceFeedback	Disables force feedback joysticks from using forces. You can still use them as joysticks.
/gosNoMemory	Disables the GameOS memory manager.
/gosNoBlade	Disables the Blade software rasterizer and uses the D3D RGB rasterizer instead.
/gosCheckMemory	Checks for memory overwrites/reads on all allocated memory blocks.
/gosAllSymbols	All modules loaded with MechWarrior 4 will have their .PDBs loaded and will display symbols in any stack walks.
/gosInfo "fred.txt"	Writes machine information to the Fred.txt file and exits without doing anything else.
/gosInfo	On its own writes to the debuglog.txt file.
/gosnosound	Disable sound
/gosnovideo	disable the intro video

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D	7
Software renderer

Executable	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows

System requirements

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	98, 2000, ME, XP
Processor (CPU)	Intel Pentium II 300 MHz	700 MHz
System memory (RAM)	64 MB	128 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	700 MB	1 GB
Video card (GPU)	8 MB of VRAM DirectX 8 compatible	16 MB of VRAM DirectX 8 compatible

The game has stability issues with the Number Nine SR-9 Pro video card