Halo 2 for Windows Vista FAQ (Help and Support)

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supersniper

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#1
Please read the FAQ before asking questions. If your problem isn't there then post a topic and we will assist you.
If you want to find your problem fast hit CTRL + F then search up a key word and read where it is in the FAQ.
[url=http://halo.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=59880496:egw35i38]Dusk[/url] said:
**Based on Dusk's FAQ at bungie.net**
  1. Can I play the game on Windows XP?
    • Halo 2 for Windows Vista and the Halo 2 Editing Kit can be installed on Windows XP with a couple of modded files. Campaign works.
    • Halo for Windows Vista's multiplayer (LIVE features) and Dedicated Server will not work due to a difference in API packages needed for LIVE to function in the game on Windows XP.
  2. Does Halo 2 Vista work with Windows 7 32-bit/64-bit?
    • In theory yes, Halo 2 for Windows Vista should work on Windows 7 however sSome people have issues
    • If you experience the "Failed to initialize LIVE" error please visit here for a list of possible solutions.
  3. Can I run the game on a Mac?
    • Yes, by either dual-booting, using bootcamp, or an emulation. The former two are more likely to work than emulation.
    • Visit here for a guide on how to do it.
  4. Can I use my Xbox LIVE Gamertag? Can I get Achievements/Gamerscore that count toward my Xbox LIVE Gamertag's Achievements/Gamerscore?
    • Yes, Games for Windows LIVE and Xbox LIVE utilize the same service. Gamertags are interchangeable between console and PC and all achievements, will transfer from PC to console and vice versa.
    • Just sign in with the appropriate log in credentials and let the game download your profile.
  5. The game's installer won't work or is blank?
    • You could either have a corrupted installer or a compatibility issue, please visit here for a possible solution.
  6. Will the game work on my computer/laptop?
    • If you have to ask this question, the answer is most likely a no. The minimum system requirements can be found here and look for system requirements. Read that and compare it to your system's specs.
    • You can also check System Requirements Lab for a better understand of how your computer rates and a recommended computer specs for better performance.
  7. My laptop has a Nvidia GT 540M graphics and I can't run the game.
    • Known issue. Halo 2 for Windows Vista has an issue registering the OPTIMUS function as a graphics card that is capable of running the game. In order to fix this issue please install the latest drivers released by Nvidia. Make sure they are past the version: 290.53.
    • Click here to go to the graphic card's main page.
  8. When I open my game in windowed mode it is just a black screen.
    • *]This is a common issue with computers with dual graphics cards. Especially ones with integrated Intel cards.
    • A simple work around is to "refresh" the monitor and one way to do this is to utilize the shortcut commands that come with Intel Graphics cards that switch the display direction.
    • Hit CTRL + ALT + LEFT, DOWN, or RIGHT to switch the display, then hit CTRL + ALT + UP to make it back to normal. Notice the game works fine now.
  9. I tried to update LIVE, but it just keeps updating and then restarting, or it never updates at all.
    • Download the up-to-date Games for Windows LIVE client. It will install all necessary requirements to run Games for Windows LIVE. If you have Windows 8, LIVE will be pre installed.
  10. Can I use my wired Xbox 360 controller with Halo 2 Vista?
    • Yes, the full functionality of the Xbox controller is there if you use the wired Xbox 360 controller.
    • Just plug in the controller to the USB port and let the drivers install.
    • If already installed download the latest drivers here.
  11. Can I use a wireless Xbox 360 controller?
    • Yes, with all of its functionality, but you'll need to purchase a Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows. It comes in either black or white and will allow you to connect up to four wireless Xbox 360 controllers to your PC.
    • Just plug in the wireless receiver to your USB port and allow the drivers to install or use the disk that came with it.
    • If already installed you can download the latest drivers here.
  12. Can I use a wireless Xbox 360 controller with a charge pack if I plug the charge pack into my PC's USB drive?
    • No, the wireless controller still relies on wireless communication to relay input. The charge pack only juices up the battery. You still need a wireless receiver.
  13. What about another controller that's not an Xbox 360 controller?
    • Other types of controllers or gaming joysticks can be used.
    • Configuration must be done manually and the aim assist given to Xbox 360 Controllers is not enabled.
    • Xpadder.com can be very helpful.
  14. When I try to play multiplayer, no games show up on this list.
    • This usually happens around mid December, or whenever Microsoft is doing maintenance on the server hosting PC.
    • However if maintenance is not the case, leave the game running for about 10 minutes, screw around in a game by yourself, or play a level of campaign. Which can then allow time for you to connect to the host computer.
    • Another issue is that you could be experiencing a rare glitch with a Terms of Service Update. Visit here (First paragraph) for a work around that can let you view the Browser List again.
    • It is a known error that if you have the Gold Family Pack due to there being no rating for Halo 2 for Windows Vista in the database the restrictions will not let you connect to the LIVE aspect of Halo 2's multiplayer. Visit here (Second paragraph) for a complete detailed post about the issue.
  15. Where can I download Halo 2 Vista?
    • Halo 2 for Windows Vista has not been released as a digitial downloadable game, nor is it available for purchase on Games for Windows LIVE Marketplace. Search online stores for a copy of Halo 2 for Windows Vista. They are usually priced around $19.99 USD.
  16. My game is randomly crashing. What is going on?
    • This can be cause by many different issues. For one you could be a victim of a Japanese font character glitch where Halo 2 for Windows Vista cannot read a certain character within the text's font. Which then causes your game to crash because the game doesn't know what to do. Players tend to go in games and enter this character to crash players and empty servers. Visit here for a way to stop players from crashing you.
    • Another reason is you are using an external program that modifies the menu in any way and the game just overload and crashed.
    • Sometimes the game can crash when your computer's CPU is too high.
    • Sometimes when you access the LIVE menu within game can cause the game to crash randomly (this usually happens when either inviting players or viewing the recent players list).
  17. My mouse doesn't feel like it usually does with PC games.
    • When playing the game at a frame rate of about 200 or greater the mouse can experience major stuttering due to the fact that the mouse cannot keep up with the amount of frames being placed per second.
    • Try limiting the frame rate using an external program or your video card driver's control panel. That works for some people.
    • Enabling Enhanced Pointer Precision may also feel better.
    • Changing DPI settings can also increase mouse performance and comfort. For best results set a high DPI (X more than Y unless your resolution is not widescreen) and a low in game sensitivity.
  18. I am experiencing random lag spikes when I play. Or the game runs really slow. What am I doing wrong?
    • Halo 2 has an occurring issue with lag spikes whenever a player joins a game or leaves a game. More commonly called "Join Lag", the game freezes for a second or 2 (depending on your connection to the host) and then continues as normal.
    • Halo 2 is made to run at a consistent FPS of 60. If you experience random freezes while playing check your process running in the background your CPU may be over 60 or 70 percent. Visit here for more details on optimizing your computer to run Halo 2 for Windows Vista.
    • Your Graphics Card might be over heating which can cause the game to slow down and reduce frame rates. Either take a break and let your computer cool down or put a fan on it and continue to play.
    • Another reason is that your recording softer has messed up and locked your frame rates a lower rate. Just close and re-open your recording program to fix this. There is an issue with FRAPS that if you minimize the game while recording the game will be just a black screen. Don't worry just end task FRAPS and your game will be back to normal.
  19. Can I use my Halo 2 for Windows Vista LIVE Activation Key for the Halo 2 nameplate in Halo Reach?
    • No, playing Halo 2 for Windows Vista will not unlock that nameplate. You have to have played the Xbox version of Halo 2 before Xbox LIVE was shut down for old Xbox games in order to get that nameplate. That's the only way.
  20. How do I install downloaded maps?
    • Extract/unzip the maps from the zip file you downloaded
    • Place the files into C:\Users\<User Account>\Documents\My Games\Halo 2\Maps
    • There is a limit to 50 custom maps active at a time for Halo 2. If you have more than 50 create a folder within the maps folder to store unused maps.
    • Or you can download this to automatically do it for you.
  21. Can multiple people play online using the same LIVE Activation Key?
    • Yes, LIVE Activation Keys are not linked to a specific gamertag, computer, or disk, but rather an activation key that allows that computer to play on LIVE. All gamertags on that PC will be allowed to play on LIVE.
    • However keys have a limited amount of activations. After the amount is used up the key is considered invalid and a new key is required.
  22. I tried to install the game for the 11th time, but got a "CD key usage exceeded" error! What gives?
    • You can only install the game using a single LIVE Activation Key a certain amount of times. After that, the key becomes inactive.
    • Either purchase a new game, use a key from another Games for Windows LIVE Title (before the activation update), or ask a friend.
  23. Why can't anybody join my games?
    • The reason is that clients cannot connect to you as a host or vice versa. This is a cause because certain ports are blocked from being accessed.
    • PortForward.com has a guide to help you port forward the necessary ports for Games for Windows LIVE.
    • Please visit the Support Articles for more information about Network connectivity issues and the ports related.
    • Visit here for more information on how to override the default ports used by Games for Windows LIVE only if the default ports are not working or inaccessible.
  24. Are the button combos (BXR, BXB, ect) still in the game?
    • Technically yes, though some people have been claiming they're harder to do.
    • Halo 2 Vista's multiplayer is based on Halo 2 Xbox version 1.5
  25. Does the game have co-op?
    • The game was not shipped with co-op but there is a community mod that enables co-op on LIVE either on servers or peer hosted. It does require certain files and knowledge of cheat engine. And it is also not 100 percent and very buggy.
  26. Does the game have an anti-cheat system?
    • There is no official anti-cheat, but many community members have created hack detection programs for server hosters to detect cheaters.
  27. Can I manage my dedicated server from inside the game?
    • No, there is no RCON support within the game but community members have created tools to emulate rcon support through the text chat and server tools.
  28. How is the population for Halo 2 Vista?
    • The population of Halo 2 Vista is very big, however the amount of players on at a given time is very small. Visit here for a list of players since January 2013.
  29. Does voice chat work?
    • Voice chat in game and in the pre game lobby is broken, it was broken by Games for Windows LIVE.
    • However sending voice messages or using the private chat lobby system on Games for Windows LIVE works just fine. Visit this page for more details on the issue.
 

supersniper

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#3
Windows 7 "Failed to Initialize LIVE"

Link to many work arounds at Modacity: http://www.modacity.net/forums/showthread.php?22030-Windows-7-Walkarounds-(Halo-2-for-Windows-Vista)
[url=http://forums.xbox.com/gfw/games_discussion/f/295/p/13827/87303.aspx#87303:2ghaffy5]DEADBL0W[/url] said:
Keeping things in perspective, this was never a Games for Windows -- LIVE issue, it was a problem that was addressed like several other products by the Windows development team.
If you are seeing errors with Halo 2 for Windows Vista, such as 'Failed to Initialize LIVE', then this kb below should be your next step in resolving your issue. However, if the error still persist, for whatever reason, then you should contact Windows Support for assistance as this update is supported by them.
http://support.microsoft.com/KB/976264

As for the manual steps below, they were a spin off from the exact same issue occurring with folks running dedicated servers on Windows Server 2003, they have also been proven to work with Vista and Win 7; However, its a last resort approach and should be avoided unless the above patch fails to resolve your Halo 2 for Windows Vista problems.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/941208

If you continue to experience problems with this error and Halo 2, then you should contact the support number provided in the manual specific to your country.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is the following troubleshooting steps I have done and so far have worked for me and a few friends, try the following:

  1. Run Command Prompt (run as Administrator):
  2. Type: net stop cryptsvc and hit enter
    You will receive a message stating that the service was stopped. ---
  3. Navigate to your LocalDrive:/Windows/System32 and rename the "catroot2" folder to "cr2old"
  4. Once it is renamed, go back to command prompt and run this command: net start cryptsvc which will restart the Cryptographic Services:
The above steps may work, however I have noticed that if it does when you exit to the desktop then try to re-launch Halo 2 Vista or reboot the PC the error may come back. If this is true then the steps below have been so far successful.

  1. Delete all the tmp*.cat files in the following folders (use the search option on the top right corner of the screen to find and delete the files):
    • %systemroot%\system32\CatRoot\{127D0A1D-4EF2-11D1-8608-00C04FC295EE}
      (there may be no files in this folder if that’s the case then only worry about the next folder)
    • %systemroot%\system32\CatRoot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}
      (if no items are found then go to the next step)
  2. Delete all the kb*.cat files in the following folders (use the search option on the top right corner of the screen to find and delete the files):
    • %systemroot%\System32\CatRoot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}
      ( A pop up will ask that you need admin rights to delete, accept and delete, you may notice that they were deleted however still appear, if you refresh the screen they will be gone)
    • %systemroot%\System32\CatRoot\{127D0A1D-4EF2-11D1-8608-00C04FC295EE}
      (again skip if there is no files in the folders)
  3. Delete all the oem*.* files from the %systemroot%\inf folder.
    (again use the search option on the top right hand corner of the screen to find and delete the files)
  4. At the command prompt (Run as Administrator), type the following commands. Press ENTER after each command:
    • net stop cryptsvc
    • Next, Navigate to your LocalDrive:/Windows/System32 and delete the renamed Catroot2 folder we made previously and keep the “Catroot2” file
    • ren %systemroot%\System32\Catroot2 oldcatroot2
    • net start cryptsvc
  5. Exit Command Prompt
  6. Run halo 2
This should run successfully, even after exiting and re-launching Halo 2 Vista as well as after a complete system reboot.
[url=http://forums.xbox.com/gfw/games_discussion/f/295/p/13827/130045.aspx#130045:2ghaffy5]Guardian Hope[/url] said:
Halo 2 PC Windows 7 Fix
Many users have faced the "LIVE Gaming for Windows failed to initialize" error message in Halo 2 Vista .
The solution offered to fix it in this thread http://forums.gamesforwindows.com/t/8958.aspx (see above) helped for some users but buried within the thread are several key posts which are evidentially the solution to resolve the issue for Halo 2 on Windows 7 and why the far more complicated fix in the previously mentioned thread works in the first place.
It can also be noted that the solution offered by Microsoft in a compatibility update for Windows 7 doesn't fully address the issue either. Below is exactly how to resolve this issue, copied from the previously mentioned thread which is now cluttered with 17 pages and in its depths, the solution as well.

Applies To
  • Windows 7 x64 Systems
  • Windows 7 x86 Systems (Possibly, haven't heard of an x86 user with problems)
Symptoms
When starting Halo 2 Vista users receive the error "LIVE Gaming for Windows failed to initialize..." and are unable to start Halo 2.

Cause
The cause is one or more OEM files located in the C:\Windows\INF directory. The OEM file that causes the problem to arise is different on every computer and as a result, one user's OEM file that caused the problem may not be the same on another user's.

Solution
You will need to narrow down the file that is causing the problem on your PC as this is user specific. The recommended procedure is to move half of the OEM files to another directory to see if Halo 2 starts. If it does, you need to start moving some of the OEM files back until you get the error, then narrow it down to the one or multiple OEM files that are causing the problem. Delete the problematic OEM file(s) causing your problem once located.
Notes
  • The OEM file(s) causing the problem will not be the same on all systems (mine was OEM21.inf, another use had OEM94.inf and OEM95.inf as the problem files).
  • There is at least one but can be multiple files causing the problem.
  • The .PNF files do not seem to cause the problem. However, you may remove the .PNF file of the OEM file(s) cause your problem if you so wish to be on the safe side.
  • I recommend that you run Windows 7 in "test mode" if you haven't already done so just in case any driver signing issues arise from messing with the "INF" folder.
Users
Once you find the OEM file(s) causing your problem, open them to see what exactly they are for. It may be a good idea to see if we can narrow it down to a particular device/driver. For example, my problematic OEM file was for atiilhag.dll and had a special note that it was modified with Mobility Modder.NET.
[url=http://forums.xbox.com/gfw/games_discussion/f/295/p/13827/130045.aspx#130045:2ghaffy5]ICptJackSparrow[/url] said:
  • Or you could run the monstrmoose patch which is essentially Deadbl0w's fix in an executable file.
  • If, and I mean IF you use the executable, it is a non-reversible fix, though most likely not damaging, there have been reports of sound and other hardware no longer functioning without reinstalling that hardware happening to a few users.
  • If you do the manual fix, I personally suggest moving one file at a time to accomplish this, sure it's slow, tedious work, but you will be able to weed out the single file that is causing your issue, and as a result, leaving in place other files that may be of some importance to the functioning of your system
MICROSOFT APPLICATION COMPATIBILITY FIX
This fix helps many users with some of these problems discussed, while not a 100% fix for everyone, it is working for a lot of people. Download it here.

Unable to initialize Live for Windows Components
UPDATE: For some who are having the game crash with the error 'Unable to initialize Live for Windows components' and the logs report that the faulting module is xlive.dll try deleting that file (xlive.dll) from the Shadowrun directory
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Shadowrun​
only and then restart the game, this IS working for some people as a solution.
 

supersniper

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#4
Video Codec Details

[url=http://forums.xbox.com/gfw/forum_faq/f/250/p/13900/87834.aspx#87834:3e6tos27]supersniper[/url] said:
Reason why in game voice chat is broken in Halo 2 Vista. Because of the Games for Windows Update released on November 15th 2010 it changed the voice codec. And unfortunately destroyed the in game chat system in Halo 2 Vista because it was made before the xbox 360. No patch was ever made because Microsoft dropped support for Halo 2 Vista back in October of 2007.

We are pleased to inform the community that along with the launch of the new Games for Windows Marketplace, we will also publish an update to the Games for Windows – LIVE service on Nov 15th. The update contains various bug fixes, including improvements around auto sign-in and protections to help prevent users from activating game keys within non-LIVE supported accounts. Major improvements or new features to the product are outlined below. Users can obtain this update by logging-in to their LIVE account through a Games for Windows – LIVE enabled game and accepting the system update or by downloading the update through our website at launch.
  • Voice Codec Upgrade
    • New higher quality voice codec used for in-game chat, private chat, and voice messages to align with the Xbox 360
    • All GFWL enabled games will get this upgrade and use the new codec including PC->PC in-game chat, messages, and private chat
    • Known Issue: Because previously released Xbox 360 games do not use the new codec automatically, in-game chat with previously release cross-platform games will not work. Titles affected are Shadowrun, Universe at War, Lost Plant: Colonies Edition, and Blazeblue. GFWL players will hear nothing if Xbox player talks, Xbox players will hear static if PC player talks while in those games. Fixing this issue requires Title Updates for the Xbox 360 versions of the affected titles. Publishers can choose to issue these at their discretion.
 

supersniper

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#5
Blank Installer Menu

Kantanomo said:
Blank Installer Window(Win7 Issue?)
If your Halo 2 Vista installer window is blank when you open it like the example below.

The way we fix this is running the setup.exe in compatibility mode for Vista, if you do not know how to do this then look at
How to run in compatibility mode
If the problem still occurs then you want to try updating your Direct-X
Direct-X Web Installer
 

supersniper

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#6
My Game Runs Really Slow

Visit here and look for articles related to performance.
Kantanomo said:
There are many ways to improve your games performance and I will tell you how to do so.
So first off we are going to change some windows visual effects that can take a lot of CPU and GPU.

So the first step here is go to your start menu, Right click on computer and hit properties Then click on windows experience index.

After that you click it another window should popup, your going to want to click on the upper left hand side of that window on "Adjust Visual Effects".

For best improvement you are going to want to Select "Adjust for best performance", then hit okay.

Keep reading if you wish to improve your performance even more.

Okay so if you are still reading that means you wish to have even better performance, well that is possible with a cool piece of software that closes all unneeded services, applications, and cleans your RAM automatically
You can get Game Booster here: Home Page

If you still are wanting more performance keep reading as there is most help for this problem

Okay so this time we are going to be editing Halo 2 Vista's Video settings, so you are going to want to open your game and go to the main menu and go to Settings->Video.
Here is a picture of my optimal video settings, yours may vary a bit but this is pretty much the best you can set it to.
 

supersniper

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#7
Crashing

Kantanomo said:
Does your game keep randomly crashing in the middle of a match? Do you see random squares in your text before you get crashed? Well odds are you are a target of a malicious player who has the ability to crash your game. There are certain characters that Halo 2 Vista cannot handle and when they are presented in the text Halo 2 will stop responding.

Many community members have made programs to fix this issue and other issues that have the same outcome. Such members are Johnnyblaz20, KiwiDoggie, ZeroErrors, and Kantanomo (one of the website administrators). Below you can find the application created by Kantanomo.

You can download this program HERE, this is a unique application as you can leave it running forever and it will auto hook into Halo 2 Vista and patch the crashing.

When you run the Anti Crash it will appear in your bottom task bar like so.

The task bar icon is default red when H2V is not found, when the Anti Crash finds a instance of H2V it will turn green and give you a message "Detected" "Anti Crash Protection Enabled". When you have H2V open you will not be able to close the Anti Crash process unless you kill it with task manager. If you happen to want to close the Anti Crash when H2V is closed just right click on its Task Bar icon and hit exit.
 

supersniper

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#8
Connectivity Issues

Visit here. And look for articles related to connectivity and ports.
H2Bot said:
Earlier I was playing H2V and my connection was unusually bad (worse than the normal bad albeit), so I did some searching and harassed my ISP a little. To come and find out they were throttling my connection on the Xbox port, now that really just pissed me off. After some thought I remembered a thing I found on the vast internet along time ago that changes the port of GFWL, so after a ton of Google searching I found the page that I was searching for (Here) which tells you the steps to take for Overriding the Live port.
Port override

A network adapter error may also occur if your network is blocking the port Games for Windows � LIVE needs to connect. Contact your network administrator to make sure the port is open.

Open your registry in the Windows registry editor.
Navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Software\Microsoft\XLive
Add a new DWORD value. Enter LivePortOverride as the name and the new port number as the value. This value must be greater than 5000 and less than 65535.

So you can either follow the steps up above to edit your PortOverride manually or you can run the script I have provided to set it.


EDIT: Forgot to add that after overriding my port, I had a noticeable difference in my connection to servers.
Forwarding Ports for Games for Windows Live
Port forwarding must be enabled on the TCP port 80.
Port forwarding must be enabled on the UDP and TCP port 3074.
Port forwarding must be enabled on the UDP port 88
Port forwarding must be enabled on the UDP and TCP port 53
Port forwarding must be enabled on the TCP port 443
source:Link
 

supersniper

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#9
No Games in Browser List

Kantanomo said:
Okay because GFWL sucks, recently some Gamertags do not get a live list. Well I found a fix, its really easy to.
  • Step 1. Go to Here
    Step 2. Check or Uncheck Xbox Newsletter / Marketing or Partner Marketing
    Step 3. Hit save
    Step 4. Sign into Halo 2
    Step 5. Profit
[url=http://halo.bungie.net/forums/posts.aspx?postID=59397585:11wbv8pu]LeroyGreen[/url] said:
!!! Sorry, just realized wrong forum, this is Xbox forum !!!

I just spent about 10 hours on the phone with Xbox Support, GFWL Support and Microsoft Games Support and just about every avenue was explored to come up with this one conclusion.

If you transition your Gold Account to a Family Gold Account you will no longer be able to play Halo 2 for Windows Vista online. Browsing for servers yields no results, and attempting to manually connect/host to a game fails. However if you use any non Family account (just a regular gold account), then the servers come up straight away, and all online play works fine. We even tested on the same PC, without relauching the game, just switching accounts. Every single safety setting was enabled or allowed on the accounts, and this still didn't fix it. We tested for hours and used a half dozen accounts, they even had me setup new accounts, non-family, which got online right away... its just when you join a family plan that things go down hill.

Unfortunately for me, I am the Family Primary account, so undoing it would be much too troublesome to disband it just to play Halo 2 (but for those pesky last few achievements!).

Best the GFWL and Xbox folks could discern, is that while Halo 2 is rated M (on the box), the Live Servers think it is an unrated game, and the new Family settings for Xbox Live are unable to process an Unrated Game. Appears to be some sort of programming or database type issue. If perhaps, Halo 2 could be patched in order to send an M rating to the Live Servers, then all should work just fine... or so they believe.

If you are one of the growing number of people who can no longer play online, and you are a member of a family account, this is probably why you cannot get to the servers.

I don't think it will be resolved since all of the MS departments I spoke to are blaming each other. Since Bungie is on Skeleton Crew, I doubt anybody there wants to make this a priority, but the guys at Xbox Live thought that it could be patched at the game level. I am hoping someone at Bungie is willing to look into this, and I am happy to assist.

Single Player works fine, and you can sign into Live just fine, just cannot browse games, or connect to any game, even if you do a "join session in progress" with a friend who is able to play online.

One more thing, I don't think that this is related to the issues from early 2010 when the Browse didn't work for a couple months, but it might be. Perhaps during that period of time, MS was doing alpha testing of the not yet released Family Plan, and this issue was discovered at that time, thought to have been resolved, but crept back up.
 

supersniper

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#10
Halo 2 on Mac

[url=http://www.insidemacgames.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=44115:16y7ih7b]Frost[/url] said:
tl;dr: I got Halo 2 Vista working under Windows 7 on a Mac. If you have any desire to do the same, my experience might be helpful.

I'll spare you all the things that went wrong and just stick to the one way I finally set it up that did NOT blow up in my face. Do these in this exact order.
  1. Install the game from the DVD. Do not run it, not even once; install only.
  2. Let it install it in the default location. Don't question this, just do it. It'll save you a pile of headaches I had. Remember you're on a popsnizzlety OS that doesn't make any sense and is best left as impersonalized as possible in the name of stability.
  3. Download the Games for Windows Live update.
  4. Install the GFWL update and successfully sign into your Live account (make one if you don't have one) with it.
  5. Download and install the Halo 2 Vista update.
  6. Start up Halo 2. Sign into your Live profile and let it download it.
  7. If all goes well, you'll be able to play Halo 2. Now, you'll probably notice it stutter stepping and having slowdowns every two seconds.
  8. Exit Halo 2 Vista.
  9. Restart your computer.
  10. Go to nVidia's driver's site and download the latest drivers for your GPU, because the ones Apple installs with Boot Camp are from the freakin' stone age. Make sure if you're running on a laptop you select the correct Notebook version for your series. If you're using an ATI GPU, you're on your own. If you're on Intel integrated graphics, commit suicide because you just wasted your time up to this point.
  11. Install the drivers.
  12. Restart your computer.
  13. Start Halo 2
  14. Enjoy Halo 2 running smoothly under Windows 7! Not sure if it helps, but I also selected the Halo 2 app, went to properties, compatibility, and selected run in compatibility mode for Windows Vista Service Pack 2.
  15. Don't screw up too many times because you only get a limited amount of installs before your CD key becomes useless and you have to buy another copy of the game.
 
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