Issue Running/Downloading Maps

[Manowich]

Hi all!

Sorry to be a bother with this question (it seems like a commonality), but I just recently installed TDM for Windows 10, and it seems I can't download or install maps. More specifically, the automatic download feature within the game states that it "cannot connect to the servers," regardless of restarting/refreshing. Also, the maps that came with the mod automatically are having issues downloading for me (they "appear" as blank slots with their sizes listed; each time I go to download them, TDM restarts with nothing listed again, just the option to install the maps again).

I've double-checked to see if the mod has all of the permissions needed to run, and it seems to check out. I've also installed the mod properly, per the TDM website's instructions.

Any assistance with this matter would certainly be appreciated! 

Thanks in advance!

[STRUNK]

Here you can manually download missions:

https://www.thedarkmod.com/missions/

Maybe that works .. ?

Edited March 30, 2020 by STRUNK

[Manowich]

20 minutes ago, STRUNK said:

Here you can manually download missions:

https://www.thedarkmod.com/missions/

Maybe that works .. ?

I did try this (I forget to edit the post to reflect this), however I was having the same issue as the already downloaded maps (i.e. they weren’t appearing in the level menu).

Thanks for your help though!

[Springheel]

Quote

Also, the maps that came with the mod automatically are having issues downloading for me (they "appear" as blank slots with their sizes listed; each time I go to download them, TDM restarts with nothing listed again, just the option to install the maps again).

Can you post a screenshot of what you mean?  You don't have to download the missions that come with the mod--they are already downloaded; you just have to install them.  If that's not working, either your original download was corrupt, or there is some kind of folder permission issue.

[freyk]

Manowich, please set your full acces-folder permissions at the tdm folder by,
how it is told at step 2 on the wiki:
https://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=Installer_and_Manual_Installation#Install_TDM_on_Windows.2C_using_the_updater
(righ click on the darkmod folder > preferences > tab "security > edit > select "users" > full control)
Or
download and point the unofficial tdm installer to the folder where you put tdm folder and install the package.

after this,
try to install a new mission, using the internal mission downloader. 

if this solution doesnt not work, check your internet access or the mirror you download the missions. 
What is the location of the tdm folder? 

@Springheel
If this problem once again is the result of not setting folder-permissions on a specified folder location
(according the symptoms,  i think it is),
is it about time to add this step to the installation instructions on the downloadpage?
Because its repeated several times now. (see other support forum topics)
For some untechnical people is setting the permissions too difficult, is the tdm installer been written.
So, is promoting the unofficial TDM installer to be "official", an other solution?

 

Edited March 30, 2020 by freyk

[Manowich]

20 hours ago, freyk said:

Manowich, please set your full acces-folder permissions at the tdm folder by,
how it is told at step 2 on the wiki:
https://wiki.thedarkmod.com/index.php?title=Installer_and_Manual_Installation#Install_TDM_on_Windows.2C_using_the_updater
(righ click on the darkmod folder > preferences > tab "security > edit > select "users" > full control)
Or
download and point the unofficial tdm installer to the folder where you put tdm folder and install the package.

after this,
try to install a new mission, using the internal mission downloader. 

if this solution doesnt not work, check your internet access or the mirror you download the missions. 
What is the location of the tdm folder? 

@Springheel
If this problem once again is the result of not setting folder-permissions on a specified folder location
(according the symptoms,  i think it is),
is it about time to add this step to the installation instructions on the downloadpage?
Because its repeated several times now. (see other support forum topics)
For some untechnical people is setting the permissions too difficult, is the tdm installer been written.
So, is promoting the unofficial TDM installer to be "official", an other solution?

 

Thanks so much for getting back to me regarding this!

I was able to grant full permission for the application, however it's still not allowing the installation of maps (both the maps that came downloaded with the game, and the ones that are downloadable via the mission archive). Should I just re-download TDM entirely, following the steps listed on the wiki, or was there another possible solution to try (I checked both my internet access and mirror for the missions, both of which seem fine)?

Thanks again for your help with this, freyk! I greatly appreciate it!

 

*Also, here's a screenshot of the mission archive menu with the error message, as well as the "new game" screen with the error'd levels.

[Manowich]

Just now, Manowich said:

Thanks so much for getting back to me regarding this!

I was able to grant full permission for the application, however it's still not allowing the installation of maps (both the maps that came downloaded with the game, and the ones that are downloadable via the mission archive). Should I just re-download TDM entirely, following the steps listed on the wiki, or was there another possible solution to try (I checked both my internet access and mirror for the missions, both of which seem fine)?

Thanks again for your help with this, freyk! I greatly appreciate it!

 

*Also, here's a screenshot of the mission archive menu with the error message, as well as the "new game" screen with the error'd levels.

 

[freyk]

Thanks for the screenshots.
No there is no need to redownload tdm entirely the files using the updater.
I think that only the permissions need to be set correctly.
-----
Network problem:
About the message to unable contact mission archive,
I cannot help you with that, yet.
(but as a work around download and install the missions manually)
You already downloaded missions using the tdm updater. (from the same mission mirrors).
so i think its the permission problem.
----
Permissions problem:
I dont see the trainingsmission and some other missions in your mission list, but they should be.
(^ recurring wrong folderpermissions symptom. @springheel ^)

Check if you have some subfolders in the fms folder.
If not, run the tdm updater.
if so, do the following:
Give all users full control permission to the darkmod folder And also on all his subfolders.
(I forgot to mention the subfolders, also in the wiki)
After following step 2 from the wiki,

1. Right click on the darkmod folder > preferences > tab "security" > advanced
2. select "users"
3. check checkbox "included heritable permissions..". > ok if you get a popup hit the add button.

The full control permission need to be applied to all subfolders. (see column "apply to")
To be sure, check (and set manually) the full control permission to group "users" for "fms"- folder".

After all this,
start tdm, select missions and in the mission list the training mission and some other missions should appear.
Check if you can download new missions  using the internal mission downloader.

Another solution is to move the tdm folder to another location and set permissions.
Please tell us on which location you put the tdm folder.
---

If above doesnt work or have difficulties, just run our unofficial TDM installer
At the folder selection during the installation, point it to your existing TDM folder. (installer sets permissions, add shortcuts and an uninstaller. but downgrades the excisting tdm updater) 
After the installation, the TDM updater automatically starts.
close it, manual download the tdm updater from our site and copy this to your tdm folder. (overwrite it)
Run the updater, After updating/check, start tdm and verify the mission list.

Edited March 31, 2020 by freyk

[stgatilov]

Do you have the file {darkmod-root-dir}/newjob/newjob.pk4 ?
Of course, the {darkmod-root-dir} is the place where you installed TDM to.

 

Anyway, if you decide to reinstall TDM please do one of the following:

1. Install TDM not to Program Files. Basically, find some directory where you can add/edit files without UAC prompt, and install TDM there.
2. Use installer suggested by Freyk, it contains additional workaround for setting permissions.

 

On 3/30/2020 at 12:42 PM, freyk said:

If this problem once again is the result of not setting folder-permissions on a specified folder location

(according the symptoms,  i think it is),
is it about time to add this step to the installation instructions on the downloadpage?
Because its repeated several times now. (see other support forum topics)

A simpler solution would be to forbid running tdm_update with elevated rights, or forbid installing TDM to Program Files.
Having TDM in Program Files is a way to shoot yourself in the foot.

[freyk]

@stgatilov
@Springheel
This problem has repeated it self many times. (see also other topic in this subforum)
And it will be repeated again, if we do nothing about it.
As you know program files folder is one of the standard folders, where every application/game want to install itself.
Look also at the the standard installation selection location at DR's installer for an example. (or the D3 installer)
If people want to locate the TDM folder there, we have to provide the feature to do this.

Some solutions:
Put the FM folder (and some configs files) in another folder outside the tdm root filefolder.
integrate my installers in the tdm code workflow. Please Make them official.
(or ask the DR team how they work with this permission problem)

Edited April 2, 2020 by freyk

[freyk]

yes, its definitely the wrong write permissions.

I got the same errors, like what the topic-starter said, 
when i denied an user the write permission to tdm folder. 

But during my test,
the trainingmission and other missions (downloaded by the updater) appeared in my mission list.

Edited April 3, 2020 by freyk

[Manowich]

*EDIT: I believe it's fixed! I simply tried starting the game with the "Run as Administrator" option chosen, and it seems to be working (I'll keep an eye on it though, and I'll update accordingly)! Thanks again everyone!

 

Hi everyone!

Thanks for all of your assistance with trying to get this up and running for me; I greatly appreciate it! 

Pardon my ignorance, but while going through all of the file permissions, I noticed that the location of where TDM installed was in "Program Files (x86)." Now knowing this, should I move the files to another location (I noticed in both this thread and others that people seemed to have had issues when TDM installed in "Program Files," but I didn't know if the same sort of error would occur in the one labeled "(x86)")?

Again, I greatly appreciate all of your help with this!

Edited April 6, 2020 by Manowich

[nbohr1more]

Yes, move it to the root of your hard disk such as C:\ or D:\

Even "My Documents" or your Desktop are better than Program Files.

Windows treats all the "Program Files" folders as only for Admin users and has all sorts of protection routines there.

[Manowich]

25 minutes ago, nbohr1more said:

Yes, move it to the root of your hard disk such as C:\ or D:\

Even "My Documents" or your Desktop are better than Program Files.

Windows treats all the "Program Files" folders as only for Admin users and has all sorts of protection routines there.

Sounds good; that probably explains why my "Run as Administrator" method worked.

Thanks for your help!

[freyk]

You dont want to run a game as administrator.
Just set your write permissions (or set them, by  running my unofficial installer and during installation select your tdm folder.)
Or move the darkmod folder to another folder, locations which are mentioned above.
and then you're done with it.

@stgatilov

please read article:
Microsoft's article "Certification requirements for Windows Desktop Apps - Chapter 10."
and give us your comments about this.
I follow standards,  so how about placing the configs and fm to separated folders in appdata?
As a test, TDM follows symlinks nicely:

mklink /D "C:\Program Files\darkmod\fms" "%appdata%\darkmod\fms\"
mklink "C:\Program Files\darkmod\darkmod.cfg" "%appdata%\darkmod\darkmod.cfg"

But its more proper to set folder location in TDM.

Edited April 6, 2020 by freyk