ARMA2 & OA's Steam Thread: All Steam Q's/discussions go here [covered by Dwarden]

[LondonLad 13]

The game starts up, but doesn't loads any of my mods when using the -mod switch within the STEAM 'set launch options'.

Anyone else getting this problem?

[KillerP90 10]

The game starts up, but doesn't loads any of my mods when using the -mod switch within the STEAM 'set launch options'.

Anyone else getting this problem?

I have a similar problem regarding A2.

I start up OA and click on the CO option.

It loads Arma 2 but the game content isn't there.

[bushlurker 45]

I struggled briefly with my hybrid disc A2/Steam OA + DLC's after the patch - Spirited Machine's launcher - and various other shortcuts seemed to only launch A2, while Steam would only launch OA...

I think Dwardens promised "it'll all get fixed in the .exe" and an end to all the faffing about with .cmd files might finally have come to pass...

I managed to get everything working as normal again (better than normal now actually - steam doesn't autorun and I can now use more modfolders! yay!) - by completely uninstalling SM's Launcher - manually deleting the sneaky extra folders in c:\users\<username>\AppData Local & Roaming as well - forcing a completely fresh install in other words...

Then I reinstalled - told it "here is my Arma2.exe", "here is my OA .exe" - it found all my modfolders in the original Arma 2 directory - set it to "launch CO" and it worked just fine...

It's still a bit confusing with the game distributed across two locations (I'm a relatively new steam user) - but it's all working just nicely again... with the added bonus that longer command lines now seem to be possible...

Not sure what you did behind the scenes regarding all of this launching business Dwarden, but whatever it was - it's working!

Thanks!!!!

B

[fer 21]

I am unable to install or use ArmA2:PMC content. Here is my set-up:

• Windows 7 PC
  
• Steam copies of:
  
  • ArmA2
    
  • ArmA2: Operation Arrowhead
    
  • ArmA2: British Armed Forces
    
  • ArmA2: Private Military Company

  [*]No non-steam copies of any ArmA2 titles or DLC have ever been installed on this system.

  [*]I am located in the United Kingdom (as is my Steam account).

After downloading ArmA2:PMC via Steam, I have tried (and failed) to get the content in game using two different methods:

Method #1: Launching from ArmA2: PMC link in Steam Library

1. Click on "Play" button.

2. A dialog appears asking me to insert an Access Code (CD-Key). Obviously, I do not have a CD-Key (this is a Steam purchase).

3. Attempting to click "Next >" triggers this error message: "Wrong CD-Key".

4. The only way to exit is to click on "Cancel" and abort the installation.

Method #2: Launching vanilla OA and enabling expansion

1. Vanilla OA launches as normal.

2. Expansions displays:

[X] ArmA2: Operation Arrowhead

[X] ArmA2: British Armed Forces

[X] ArmA2: Private Military Company (Lite)

[ ] ArmA2: Private Military Company

3. Enabling "ArmA2: Private Military Company" triggers a game restart.

4. As the game restarts, this error message is displayed: "Failed to load file "DLCsetup\PMC\PMC_Data\addons\air_pmc.pbo" - decryption of headers failed"

5. As a side-note, this file is on my hard drive, in the expected location.

6. It is possible to click "OK", ignoring the error message, after which OA launches.

7. On the OA main screen, "ArmA2: Private Military Company" is displayed in the top-right (underneath the ArmA2:OA logo); a smaller version of the ArmA2:PMC logo appears next to the ArmA2:BAF logo in the bottom-left of the screen.

8. Expansions displays:

[X] ArmA2: Operation Arrowhead

[X] ArmA2: British Armed Forces

[X] pmc

[X] ArmA2: Private Military Company

9. Singleplayer > Campaign displays:

[X] Operation Arrowhead

[X] Operation Crimson Lance

10. Singleplayer > Editor does not contain *any* ArmA2:PMC units.

Note about verfying game cache and/or re-downloading

After experiencing this issue, I wondered if there might be an issue with my downloaded files. Verifying my files produced no error message. So I deleted my ArmA2:PMC local content (via the Steam Library), and re-dowloaded the AmrA2:PMC content again. Regrettably, I experienced the same problems.

Please can you help, BI?

---------- Post added at 04:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:01 PM ----------

Update (on post #930):

Someone helpfully pointed me to the CD key which is available by right-clicking ArmA2:PMC in the Steam Library. So this is what I did:

Method #1 (revised): Launching from ArmA2: PMC link in Steam Library

1. Click on "Play" button.

2. A dialog appears asking me to insert an Access Code (CD-Key).

3. Entered the CD-key obtained by right-clicking ArmA2:PMC in the Steam Library and clicked "Next >"

4. An installation process started, but curiously it seemed to be installing BAF files as well. Several error messages about decrypted PMC and BAF files popped up, but the installation completed.

5. The game started and Expansions listed:

[X] ArmA2: Operation Arrowhead

[X] ArmA2: British Armed Forces

[X] ArmA2: Private Military Company

[X] ArmA2: Private Military Company

Note the duplicate entries.

6. I could only disable 1 of the duplicates (the second); I did this and triggered a game restart.

7. During the restart I got several error messages (which appeared to be about missing BAF content); in fact it looked as if it was trying to re-install files again.

... to cut a long story short, after disabling one of the entries for "ArmA2: Private Military Company" I could play PMC content (the campaign etc.), but only if I booted up in Combined Operations mode. Booting up in vanilla OA, or using the ArmA2:PMC link from the Steam Library would show me the campaign, but fail to load any missions, complaining of missing addons. This would be despite claiming to have PMC content installed via entries in the Expansions screen and logos (+ text) on the main menu screen.

Using the Steam Library I have now uninstalled PMC, and when I boot up vanilla OA I see only ArmA2: Operation Arrowhead, BAF and PMC (Lite) listed. What I hope is that there will be no lasting damage to my orginal installations of ArmA2, OA and BAF.

This is really disappointing, BI.

[Big Dawg KS 6]

Wow that sounds like a mess. If I were in your situation I'd delete everything (OA + BAF & PMC) and reinstall everything one at a time.

Although if you don't want to do that, maybe try deleting the PMC stuff from the DLC setup directory and redownload it as it seems like it might be corrupt or something.

And it's strange that it's asking for your CD-key. You do have a CD key for PMC on Steam which you can view (as you seemd to have figured out), but I was never asked for it during installation of either DLCs... Maybe there's also a registry problem.

[Gevel 10]

Help me please, I can't launch Arma 2 Operation Arrowhead. Before Steam update game (30 november), it work good, but now I have problem with it.

P.S. Excuse me for my bad english.

[fer 21]

@Big Dawg KS - after taking some helpful advice from Dwarden, I've decided to do the following:

1. Remove PMC via the Steam Library uninstall (done, seems to have worked)

2. Wait 48 hours to see what fixes are pushed to Steam

3. Try downloading again, but run Steam as Administrator

4. Pray!

The uninstall of PMC doesn't seem to have damaged my OA and BAF, and I can see PMC Lite content in the editor. So perhaps this situation will resolve over the next few days.

[stegman 3]

Working for me now!

I uninstalled all ARMA2 games and re-downloaded them all together.

Then started them up, ARMA2 first.

Then Arrow Head (standalone) It then installed BAF and asked for the CD key.

When this was complete it gave me the error about "Failed to load DLC", but started the game fine.

When i went to Expansions there were sure enough two PMC (oine called "pmc" the other called Private Mility Companey"). I disabled the one and restarted.

On restart Steam started to install PMC. No CD key promt and no error message.

When the game started this time i had THREE PMCs in the Expansions!!!

I exited and launched ArrowHead as Combined ops, and everything is working properly.!

Not sure if the DLC files were altered, but its certanly working now.

Thanks BIS, i look forward to playing with these new bits and bobs!

Already looking forward to your next game / DLC ;)

[MavericK96 0]

I can't get -skipintro or -world=empty to work with any of the Steam/CO shortcuts anymore. They worked before I updated/installed PMC.

[LondonLad 13]

I can't get -skipintro or -world=empty to work with any of the Steam/CO shortcuts anymore. They worked before I updated/installed PMC.

As posted in an earlier thread I encounter the same issue. This includes loading any mods via the STEAM 'set launch options'.

It seems any 'mods' are able to load/unload via the ingame 'Expansion' menu.

This doesn't help me wanting to use the -nosplash -skipintro -world=empty switches mind you.

[Zaytsev 10]

When I go to host my coop or mp mode this message pops up after the game crashes,

ARMA 2 OA

Include file spect\spectating.hpp not found.

It was working fine last night and my friend is having the same issue on steam. Anybody know what the deal is with this error?

[denehan 10]

I recently purchased the ArmA II PMC DLC addon for steam, and after downloading and trying to run it, I'm told that either the game is not available or I get an error message saying "Failed to load file "DLCsetup\PMC_Data\addons\air_pmc.pbo" - decryption of headers failed." I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling PMC and Operation Arrowhead, as well as the BAF addon with no avail. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

[ArmAriffic 10]

do you have latest patches and all?

[denehan 10]

Yup, everything is current.

[Pvt.mcdonald 10]

Does anyone else have the issue of a SUPER EXTREMELY slow game when using PMC expansion? because even in the menus and the editor it is extremely laggy.

[andromedagalaxe 10]

Message I receive when launching game and it tries to update BAF.

Cannot create file.

c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\common\arma2

operation arrowhead\BAF\Addons\air_d_baf.pbo

anyone know what this means?

It then says setup did not run properly and that the application may not work.

[Dwarden 1124]

---------- Post added at 06:10 ---------- Previous post was at 04:43 ----------

I recently purchased the ArmA II PMC DLC addon for steam, and after downloading and trying to run it, I'm told that either the game is not available or I get an error message saying "Failed to load file "DLCsetup\PMC_Data\addons\air_pmc.pbo" - decryption of headers failed." I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling PMC and Operation Arrowhead, as well as the BAF addon with no avail. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

disable the 2nd PMC in your expansion menu

[denehan 10]

Woah, it worked. Thank you kind sir.

[virtualvikingx 19]

Does anyone else have the issue of a SUPER EXTREMELY slow game when using PMC expansion? because even in the menus and the editor it is extremely laggy.

Yep I had that. Turned out Steam were hanging - and using 25 % cpu time.

QUESTION:

How can I check that I have PMC proper installed - and not PMC lite?

I had to use a workaround the get it to work, you see - and I would like to know/check that everything is OK.

Edited December 3, 2010 by VirtualVikingX

[JSj 12]

I suggest you verify the files on Steam first to see that they are ok, then start the game and check the "expansions" menu. It should say PMC, not PMC Lite.

If you want to be absolutely sure, get into the new Ka-60 chopper. In the lite version, the cockpit instrument panel is just blurry pixels. The full DLC has all the flight instruments clearly visible.

[virtualvikingx 19]

That is exactly what I were looking for Johan. Thank you.

[diegof18 10]

hi, i recently buy both arma2 and arma2 ao from steam. arma 2 works fine, but arma 2 ao throw some error when it starts that some BAF mod is missing, i havent bought the dlc yet. i dont wont to. and when i start to replay any mission it says that a mod is missing and i have to start it over. how can i get those missing files? thanks in advance to anyone.

Edited December 3, 2010 by diegof18
spell correction

[Shad0wCatcher 10]

Unable to join any multiplayer server.

Arma 2 retail; OA / BAF / PMC via steam. Running combined ops via .cmd from these forums. Upon joining any server receiving this error:

Script ca\modules_pmc\functions\Campaign\fn_initIdentity.sqf not found

at which point I'm booted back to the multiplayer mission selection menu.

Any assistance in resolving this matter would be greatly appreciated.

[kamikaziii 10]

try to check the "INTEGRITY OF GAME CACHE"

[Flubadoo 10]

When I launch the game, it says cannot find addons/expansions/structure_e.pbo

How do I fix this?

I have Combined Ops. I only have OA installed and ArmA 2 is still downloading.