Age of Empires Online Common Issues Troubleshooting Guide

Age of Empires Online Common Issues Troubleshooting Guide by BatsyBatsy

Why is my UI messed up?
Currently changing the language for the beta breaks the UI in-game. The beta should only be run in English – but it will auto-detect what language your computer is set to and default the game’s language to this. If you’re computer is currently set to a language OTHER than English please do the following:

• Run the launcher
• On the navigation bar click on Language: [a language is here]
• Select change language
• Select English
• Select save
• Press Play!

Once the beta’s language is set to English, you will be able to play and not have UI issues.
LF004 error when signing into Age of Empires Online

This error code means that you are attempting to connect to a shard that is currently unavailable.  If you experience this issue, you should check the server status forum for any updates about the issue.  We appreciate your ongoing patience as we resolve the server issue. Your participation in our beta program will help to ensure the longevity of our servers. Thank you!

‘Cannot find Spartan.exe file’ at the Age of Empires launcher
To fix the ‘Cannot find Spartan.exe’ error you should run the launcher, click on the ‘Options’ drop down, and then click on ‘Full Scan.’

‘There was an error’ while updating the Age of Empires Online launcher

This error when you failed to pull a specific file from the servers. User’s experience this issue should first attempt to clear their temporary internet files and restart their computer. Try the following solutions if this error occurs regularly:

o    Run a full scan to replace all files. To do this select ‘Options’ on the navigation bar on the top of the game launcher, then select ‘Full Scan.’
o    Navigate to the filepath where you installed the game – the default path is C:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesProject S. Delete all the files in that folder EXCEPT launcher.exe, launcherreplace.exe, and Spartan.exe. Run the launcher.exe file from that folder after deleting the other files.
o    Open the Window OS task manager and check for a process named conime.exe*32.  End this process if it is currently running.
o    Create a new Windows NT user account, download and install the Games for Windows LIVE client, and test to see whether you can run Age of Empires Online.

This issue may reflect a large problem with your network settings. You should read through this Games for Windows LIVE troubleshooting thread: Connection Issues FAQ

‘Invalid Product Key’ while signing into Age of Empires Online

Open up the Games for Windows LIVE client, go to the ‘Download’ section, click on AOEO-Beta, click on the ‘View Game Keys’ drop down menu,  then copy and paste the LIVE Access code listed there when you are prompted for it at the login screen.

“What ports need to be open to run Age of Empires Online?”

The following ports are required to be open to successfully play Age of Empires Online through the Games for Windows LIVE platform:

TCP 80
UDP 88
UDP 3074
TCP 3074
UDP 53
TCP 53
TCP 443

These ports need to be accessible through both your firewall and your router.  For more information about opening ports on your router you should consult the instruction manual.  To open ports in Windows 7 you should follow these instructions:

1.    Navigate to this path Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Firewall
2.    Go to the ‘Advanced Settings’ on the left side of the window
3.    Right click on ‘Inbound Rules’ and select ‘New Rule…’
4.    Choose to create a new Port rule
5.    Select either UDP or TCP and specify the port
6.    Repeat steps four and five until you have made rules for all the listed ports

For more information about your current networking settings you can run the Microsoft internet Connectivity Evaluation Tool found here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/using/tools/igd/default.mspx

‘Error: Your NAT type is set to strict (or moderate)’ notification when connecting to LIVE

If your network settings are too restrictive or complex you may experience this error message while attempting to connect to Games for Windows LIVE.  If you are experiencing this error at any point while attempting to connect to Games for Windows LIVE please consult this comprehensive guide to resolving the problem: Microsoft Support – “Error: Your NAT type is set to strict (or moderate)

‘There is a problem with the offer associated with this code’ at the Games for Windows LIVE code redemption screen

This error occurs when the user tries to redeem their game code with a gamertag that is associated with in an unsupported region. Unfortunately, there is currently no way for users outside the supported regions to participate until after launch, however, we will be adding support for additional countries at launch. Here is the list of LIVE supported countries: Countries/Regions with LIVE Service

“I changed my language settings now nothing works! What gives?”

Setting your language to any languages other than English will cause issues that will prevent you from playing the game. Age of Empires Online will support multiple languages at launch, but currently the only language available is English.

“I ran the launcher now I have an old build! Where is the new build?”

Running the launcher while the servers are down for maintenance can cause you to download a regressed version of the Age of Empires Online client.  If you experience this issue you should open the Games for Windows LIVE client, go to your ‘Download’ section, uninstall the game, and then reinstall the game.

“I redeemed my code, but GFWL didn’t download the game. Where is it?”
Occasionally the Games for Windows LIVE Download list will not refresh after you redeem a code. If you try to redeem the code again, you may get an error that says you already own the content. If you experience this issue you should restart the Games for Windows LIVE client then go into the ‘Download’ tab to check whether the game appears there.

“How do I make my offline profile a LIVE enabled profile?”

To make your offline profile a LIVE enabled profile you can click Messages, Friends, or Players, and then click Join LIVE. If you don’t have a profile yet, click Create New Profile, and choose Create LIVE Profile.

‘Damaged or missing data’ after loading into Age of Empires Online client

Upon loading up the Age of Empires Online client, if you see an error message stating that there is ‘damaged or missing data’ you will need to reinstall the Games for Windows LIVE client then reinstall the Age of Empires Online game.  This error occurs when there are network interruptions during the download process.

Games for Windows LIVE error code 8015403A

The Games for Windows LIVE error code 8015403A currently links to the wrong website.  You will need to manually sign in at xbox.com using your same Games for Windows LIVE email address and navigate to the account management screen where you will be prompted to accept the new LIVE Terms of Service.  Once you have accepted the new Terms of Service, you will be able to successfully log into the Games for Windows LIVE client.

Games for Windows LIVE Technical Support Forums

If you’re having issues with the Games for Windows LIVE client, then the GFWL Technical Support forums can be an invaluable resource.  Here are some threads that have been helpful to many community members experiencing issues with the GFWL client:

Games for Windows LIVE Technical Support forums
Connection Issues FAQ
LIVE Connect Issues – Cannot Connect to LIVE
LIVE Troubleshooting – Things to Try First

General PC Gaming Best Practices

PC gaming requires that users maintain up-to-date software and hardware drivers.  Occasionally, critical software and hardware drivers do not get updated properly and it prevents us from playing our favorite games. If you’re new to PC game troubleshooting, below are some best practices to maintaining the best PC gaming experience for ANY game played on the Windows operating system:

Install the latest video card drivers – Nvidia or AMD
Install the latest Windows Service Pack – Web Installer
Install Microsoft .NET Framework 4 – Download Installer
Install Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable – Download Installer
Install DirectX 9.0c or a newer version of the end-user runtime – DirectX 9.0c Web Installer
Enable Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) on your router

For additional support you can email community@ageofempiresonline.com