Difference between revisions of "Technical issues FAQ"

Revision as of 22:09, 27 March 2011

This FAQ covers technical issues related to getting Spiral Knights running on your computer. For information on optimizing performance of the game on your computer to reduce graphical lag, see the performance issues FAQ.

Does your computer meet the minimum requirements to run Spiral Knights?

If you don't know how to check these requirements, see the additional questions/answers below. Note: Laptops and Desktop onboard graphics controllers generally perform well below desktop video cards.

The minimum requirements are (may still change during preview):

Windows & Linux

• Windows XP, Vista or 7
• Java 1.5
• Display 1024x600
• 1.3 GHz processor
• Graphics: 64mb Video Memory. GeForce 5 series, ATI Radeon 8500. Latest video driver.
• Memory: 512mb for Windows XP or 1gb for Windows Vista/7
• 300MB Hard drive space

Mac

• OSX 10.4
• Java 1.5
• Display 1024x600
• 1.3 GHz processor
• Graphics: 64MB Video Memory. GeForce 5 series, ATI 8500. Latest video driver.
• 1GB memory (1000MB)
• 300MB hard drive space

How do I figure out the hardware information for my computer?

Windows

Windows users can do the following:

1. Click on the "Start" menu and then click on "Run."
2. Type in "dxdiag" and click on "OK."
3. In the first tab (System), you will find the "Processor" and the "Memory."
4. In the third tab (Display), you will find the "Approx. Total Memory" which is your video card memory.

If that screen does not show the processor speed, you can also try this:

1. From the Start menu, right-click Computer (My Computer in WinXP), then select "Properties."
2. Your system information should include the processor speed in GHz.

Mac

Mac OSX users can do the following:

1. Click the Apple icon in the top left, and select "About This Mac."
2. In the "About This Mac" window, you will find the "Processor" and the "Memory."
3. Then click the "More Info..." button in the "About This Mac" window.
4. Under the Hardware category, select Graphics/Displays and you will find "VRAM (Total)" which is your video card memory.

What if my computer system barely meets the minimum requirements?

Make sure you play on minimum resolution with low detail level to make game play as smooth as possible (see also question 9). Be aware that older, integrated or laptop video cards might also lack the 3D acceleration to run Spiral Knights, even if they meet the minimum 64MB memory requirement. Minimum laptop/integrated video cards that are likely to work are GeForce Go 6600, ATI Mobility 9700 and Intel GMA X3100. However, a smooth and trouble free game play experience cannot be guaranteed.

What if my computer system doesn't meet the minimum requirements?

Sorry, you won't be able to play Spiral Knights. If you want to play, you will need to consider upgrading your computer hardware. If your processor meets the minimum standard, but not the video and memory, these are both fairly cheap upgrades that can be done without upgrading the whole computer.

How do I know if my video card is running the latest video drivers?

Windows

Windows users can do the following:

1. Click on the 'Start' menu and then click on 'Run'.
2. Type in "dxdiag" and hit 'OK'.
3. Clicking on the third tab ('Display'), you will find the 'Name' and 'Approx. Total Memory' of your video card.
4. The 'Name' will tell you which manufacturer's site you need to go to for a driver update. Make sure you pick the driver matching your video card name and Operating System!

Some of the more common video drivers: NVIDIA Graphic Drivers , ATI Graphic Drivers, Intel Graphic Drivers.

Mac

For Mac users, updated graphics drivers are included in Mac OS X updates:

1. Click the Apple.
2. On the "Apple" menu, click "Software Update."
3. If there is a Mac OS X update available, you can install it. If there is a graphics driver update, it will be included in the Mac OS X update.

How do I know if I am running the latest Java release?

You can update your Java from the below sites according to your Operating System:

• Windows Java Download
• MAC OS X 10.4 Java Download
• Linux Java (JRE) Download

Note that on Linux based systems Java plug-ins provided by open source projects may not work properly.

What do I do if something seems to be wrong with my Java version?

The order of installation is often important: uninstall Spiral Knights, install/upgrade your Java and then reinstall Spiral Knights.

What other issues should I check?

Firewalls

• Default Windows XP Firewall. Add 'java.exe' and 'javaw.exe' to the list of allowed programs/exceptions.
• Hardware Firewall/Router. Make sure traffic is allowed on port 47624 on both TCP and UDP.
• Other Firewall Programs. Make sure the game server address (184.73.192.155) is not blocked.

For those not comfortable modifying their router's settings the program Simple Port Forwarding is a free program that can do this for you.

I'm getting a black screen/a malfunctioning full-screen/bad resolution, what should I do?

In Windows, you will need to try and set Spiral Knights to its minimum display settings:

1. Close Spiral Knights (if it's running).
2. Click on the "Start" menu and then click on "Run."
3. Type in "regedit" and hit "OK."
4. This will bring up the Registry Editor. Warning: Please do not change anything else in the registry since it could cause severe problems.
5. Browse through the registry tree and expand to "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JavaSoft\Prefs\projectx"
6. Double-click each of the below registry keys (if present) and type in the corresponding value:

1. display_mode = 1024, 600, 32, 60
2. fullscreen = false
3. render_quality = /L/O/W
4. vsync_enabled = false

7. Close the Registry Editor and start Spiral Knights.

What's the whole list of everything I should try for Windows to make the game work?

Assuming your PC meets the minimum requirements (see question 1), the below refresh/upgrade routine is likely to address most known problems in one shot. Please do the following steps in the exact order listed:

1. Uninstall Spiral Knights (if it was installed locally).
2. Install the latest video drivers for your video card (see question 5).
3. Download the latest Java (see question 6).
4. Validate your firewall settings (see question 8).
5. (Re)install Spiral Knights

Other Issues?

• This game does not support multi-video card setups. If have graphical errors using this setup this try disabling the additional video card(s).
• If your web browser is creating problems running the game you can always try the downloadable install client found here.
• Some people using Windows may need to run the game as Administrator. Simply right click on the link in the State Menu or Desktop and select "Run as Administrator."

What if I have a question or issue not covered by this FAQ?

You can create a new thread under the Technical Support forum listing your processor, memory (RAM), operating system, the name of the video card and its amount of video memory, and explain exactly what sort of problems you have.

While in Spiral Knights, you can send a bug report by pressing the F2 key or click the little bug icon in the upper left corner and describing the game conditions when the bug occurs. This will also be helpful even if you had to start the game again, we may still get data on the issue that caused you to crash or have to restart the game.