Installation | Starting Q3F | Running Servers | Basic Configuration | Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

If you are experiencing problems when trying to run Q3F, you should read this section in its entirety.

Common problems

Some of the common problems when running Q3F are:

- Protocol Error
- Missing 'MODS' button on the Main Menu
- Q3F missing from the MODS list
- Missing Q3F option from the 'GAMETYPE' field on the Server List screen
- Being thrown back to the Menu when trying to connect to a Server
- Failure to connect with the error "Uknown Executable" or "User interface is version 4, expected 3"
- On the Mac: Errors when you select 'Q3F' and try to load the MOD such as "VM failed to compile"
- On the Mac: Type 2 Memory Error

Common fixes

All of these issues and errors relating to starting Q3F, should be easily fixed by performing the following:

- Make sure Quake 3 works on it's own!
- Ensure you installed the latest Quake 3 Arena Point Release (currently version 1.17)
- Ensure you have the all the latest Q3F updates installed correctly
- Ensure you have no 3rd party DLLs present in your Quake 3 Arena Directory
- Ensure that no 3rd party patches (such as the CD-Hack) have modified your Quake 3 executable.
- Make sure the Q3F PK3 files are in the q3f directory under the Quake 3 Arena directory
- If you intend to use Gamespy, ensure it is version 2.19 or later
- If you are using an Apple Macintosh, modify your CFG to ensure correct VM support for modifications
- If you are using an Apple Macintosh, make sure you've installed the .SIT patch (available from our new site) after you've installed the Q3 Arena 1.17n point release.
- If you are using an Apple Macintosh, note that certain expanders will decompress the PK3 files incorrectly and leave them corrupt - Stuffit Expander is known to fix this.
- Ensure the server you are trying to connect to, is running the same versions of Quake 3 and Q3F that you are

Please note: Installing Q3F won't cause Quake 3 Arena to stop working or behave any differently than it did before. If Quake 3 Arena doesn't work at all you should read the official Quake 3 Arena FAQ.

Instructions

The first thing you need to check is that you have the latest Quake 3 Arena Point Release from id Software (the current version is 1.17). Before attempting to run Q3F, you should start Quake 3 without any special options and when presented with the main menu, press the tilde key (top left of keyboard, normally on the left of the 1) to bring down the console - you'll see something like this:

The two things to check are that the yellow text in the centre on the right says 'Q3 1.17' (or later) and that the 'MODS' option is visible on the menu. If the version number is lower, or you don't see a 'MODS' option then you need to update Quake 3 to the latest Point Release. The files you need to do this (regardless of whether you're using Windows 98, NT, Linux or Mac O/S) are available from id Software's official website (check the News section for the download links). Q3F will not work correctly unless you have the latest Quake 3 Arena Point Release installed.

You may also run in to problems if you've ever installed any updates or patches that aren't from id Software - for example a CD-Hack that changes the Quake 3 Arena executable or and 3rd Party DLL's. In all cases you should delete or rename any files with a DLL extension that are present in your Quake 3 directory.

If you haven't already done so you should also check that Q3F was extracted correctly and that the PK3 files are in the correct place. Check the 'Installation' sub-section above for instructions on how to do this.

If you're using Windows 98, or NT and plan on using Gamespy, it's very important that you upgrade to the latest version (currently 2.19 for unregistered users and 2.20 for registered users). Previous versions of Gamespy did not correctly set the MOD type when starting Q3F.

Currently Quake 3 Arena contains a bug that effects Apple Mac users. Though Quake 3 Arena may work perfectly for normal play, you may notice that when running Q3F (or other MODs) you see the message:

A possible fix for this Apple Mac bug (hopefully id Software will address it soon) should be entering the following commands on the Quake 3 Console, and then restarting Quake 3:

seta vm_qagame "1"
seta vm_cgame "1"
seta vm_ui "1"

If you encounter any problems not listed by this troubleshooting guide, then stop by our Support Forum on the Q3F website and we'll do our best to help.