SPORE FAQ - Having Problems?

Subject: SPORE FAQ - Having Problems? Thu Jul 23, 2009 11:00 am

Quote :: Spore FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Having problems with Spore? Don’t panic! Have a read through the following issues and see if they help. If you can’t find the answer your looking for then you’ll need to try the Support Centre and then contact the Support team if you can’t find your answer.
Please be aware that you follow any instructions below at your own risk. If you are unsure about anything then please contact the Support Team for further assistance.(You can find a contact phone number in the back of your Spore manual) If they are unable to assist you then you will need to contact your PC manufacturer or a qualified I.T. Technician for further assistance.
The Spore disc won’t read in my DVD Drive
- Are you using a DVD Drive?
The game Spore is provided on a DVD-Rom. You must ensure you are using a DVD-Rom/DVD-RW drive to read the disc.
- Try copying to a folder on your Hard Drive•
Check to see if there are any scratches, fingerprints, or marks of any kind on the disk surface. Something even as small as a piece of hair or a very light scratch can cause this error. If you find any fingerprints or debris try cleaning the CD or DVD with a soft cotton cloth.
• If you do not find any scratches, fingerprints, or marks of any kind on your CD, try renaming the InstallShield folder:
1. Double-click the My Computer icon.
2. Double-click the C: drive.
3. Double-click the Program Files folder.
4. Double-click the Common Filesfolder.
5. Right-click the InstallShield folder and select Rename.
6. Rename the folder as InstallShieldOld.
7. Start the installation again to reinstall the InstallShield components with the newest version.
• If the above does not work, try these CD/DVD troubleshooting steps to prevent read errors.
• Also, if you have any virus protection programs like Norton or McAfee, temporarily disable them by right clicking on the icon in your system tray in the lower right corner of the desktop and selecting "Disable" or "Exit". Also be sure to end all background programs before attempting installation.
• If you have Microsoft Windows XP or Windows 2000, try running the installation for the game using the Program Compatibility Wizard.
• If the previous steps did not work, and you have 6 GB of harddrive space available, you can try copying the disk files to your hard drive and installing without the CDs. Make sure to follow the steps below exactly as they read, or else the installation may not work.
For the DVD version:
1. Insert the DVD into the DVD-ROM drive. Exit the startup menu when it comes up.
2. Double-click the My Computer icon.
3. Right-click the DVD-ROM drive icon (with the game DVD) in it and select Explore.
4. Hold down the CTRL key and press A key. (This should select all the folders and files.)
5. Then hold CTRL key and press the C key. (This will not look like it does much, but it's preparing to copy the files.)
6. Close that folder and go to your Desktop.
7. Right-click anywhere on the Desktop (EXCEPT on an icon) and select New, then Folder.
8. Name the folder Spore DVD.
9. Double-click the Spore DVD folder.
10. Hold down the CTRL key and press the V key. (This will begin copying the files from the DVD.)
11. Once the files are copied, remove the DVD from the drive.
12. Double-click the Setup icon in the folder. (You may delete the Spore DVD folder once the installation is complete.)
For more assistance with DVD-Rom reading issues, try this site
I can’t connect to the Spore server
- Server issues
Sometimes the servers are down for maintenance or are experiencing problems. If you find that you suddenly cannot connect when you could before it may just be a matter of waiting for the servers to come back online. In these situations you can continue to play the game offline until they are back. If after some time you still cannot connect then try the following suggestions:
When troubleshooting online connections, you should keep in mind that you are not only dealing with your home network, but also your Internet Service Provider's series of networks. Also be aware that there can be a number of routers that your connection will pass through in order to reach the game server.
Information transferred on the Internet is handled by shuttling bits of information, known as packets. For example, when you visited this web page, all the parts of the page were passed from the webpage server, through your Internet Service Provider's network, into your home network, and finally to your computer, all in packets. Downloading information from the internet is simply a matter of passing packets back and forth between your computer and a server through a series of networks. If these packets fail to reach their destination, you receive errors concerning your connection. Many high-speed modems have no minimum specified packet size for outbound packets. When given a smaller packet, a correctly configured router will pad the packet to an acceptable size, and then will pass the information along. In the case of the older Internet router code, these packets may not be padded and can be discarded or corrupted before continuing along to the game server. The information passed through your modem to our servers may be corrupted or discarded - resulting in lost information, disconnects, lag, and other problems. Here is a short list of some of the things that can stop you from connecting.
• Firewalls
Software firewalls on systems and hardware firewalls on routers will prevent your computer from connecting to our server.
• Routers
Some routers have certain settings that can interfere with the transfer of packets.
• Server outages
Occasionally servers will experience an outage. Typically an outage can last from 24 to 48 hours.
• Internet security software
Internet security software will block or filter information that may be vital for the software to run.
Typically connection issues are caused by one or more ports being blocked by a firewall, router, or even your Internet Service Provider to help maintain security. These ports are the doorways used to send and receive information between your computer and the server. You must configure your router/firewall to have the game's ports open in order to connect to the servers properly. You may also need to contact your Internet Service Provider to ensure that these ports are opened as well. TCP ports:
80
443
18120
18060
I’ve installed Spore but it won’t play on my PC
- Does your machine meet the minimum requirements?
To find out if your computer can play Spore you will need to run the “Will it run?” tool which can be found here!
- Do you have the latest drivers installed for your PC?
Drivers is a term used to describe the software that controls each of the seperate parts of your PC. The most common drivers control your video card, your sound card, and your motherboard.
Today's games require that your drivers are compatible with the version of DirectX that the game uses. It is therefore necessary to update the drivers on your PC from time to time, in order to keep your PC upto date.
Updating drivers is a simple process, normally involving downloading the updates from your manufacturer's website.
If you know what video card and sound card you PC contains, a list of current drivers for the most popular components is available Click Here. Please note that this list is provided for your convenience only - if you cannot find any information relevant to your system, please contact your PC manufactuer for assistance.
If you do not know what video card and sound card your PC contains, please Click Here for further advice.
My serial number doesn’t work or is misprinted
- Contact support
If your serial number doesn’t work or is misprinted you will need to contact the support team for a replacement. You can do this online though the Support Centre or over the phone (contact details can be found in the back of the Spore manual).
How do I launch Spore?
If you are using Windows Vista then you can launch Spore by double clicking the Spore icon in the Games Explorer (Start > All Programs > Games > Games Explorer). Alternatively, you can start Spore by double clicking the SporeApp.exe that can be found in the following folder: C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\SPORE\Sporebin.

Subject: Re: SPORE FAQ - Having Problems? Thu Jul 23, 2009 11:01 am

Quote :: You do not have the proper spore.com privileges
This issue should now be resolved. If you were previously seeing the error message 'Login failed: You do not have the proper spore.com privileges' please try logging in once again.
If you still see the error 'Login failed: You do not have the proper spore.com privileges', you may have an issue with the login file that is in the Spore folder.*Try browsing to this folder and remove the*login.prop file. To do this:
1. Double-click on My Computer.
2. Double-click on the C: drive.
3. Double-click on Documents and Settings.
4. Double-click on your username.
5. Double-click on Application Data.
Note: The Application Data folder may be hidden, if so go to the Tools menu and select Folder Options. Click on the View tab and select Show hidden files and folders in the Advanced Settings box.
6. Next*double-click*Spore.
7. Then double-click Preferences.
8. In this folder there will be a file login.prop, right click and delete this file*and try Spore once again.
If you are unsure what account you used to register Spore please use the*Contact Us*link*and submit an incident to our support team, they will be able to check the account that was used.
When submitting your incident, please include the following information to verify the account (the more information you include the easier it will be to verify the account):
· The error message you are getting
· Your email address
· Your serial key you used to install the game with
· Your Spore persona
· Your Date of Birth you used to create the account
Why do I get an error message 'The registration key used to install the game is not valid?’ or ‘The product key cannot be validated?’
You may be getting this error message if you already registered your Spore serial code with another account. If you have already registered Spore to one email address you will not be able to add the same serial number to a second email address.
If you are unsure what account you used to register Spore please use the*Contact Us*link*and submit an incident to our support team, they will be able to check the account that was used.
When submitting your incident, please include the following information to verify the account (the more information you include the easier it will be to verify the account):
· The error message you are getting
· Your email address
· Your serial key you used to install the game with
· Your Spore persona
· Your Date of Birth you used to create the account
The game needs access to the internet in order to verify ownership of this game. Please ensure that your computer is online and try again
If you are using Windows Vista and*receive the error “The game needs access to the internet in order to verify ownership of this game. Please ensure that your computer is online and try again” or "There seems to be a problem contacting the license server. Ensure your internet connection is active and try again in a few minutes", please ensure that your system has an internet connection.**If you do have an internet connection, please try the following steps:
1. Please download all the appropriate updates and patches for the game.
2. Make sure that your computer's drivers are up to date, and any background tasks are closed.
3. Make sure that your Internet connection is not being blocked by a firewall.
4. Make sure that you eliminate any conflicts with Anti-Virus software that is on your computer.
If you continue to have the error, it may be possible that the Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) is enabled on your Vista system.**This Vista network option is disabled by default.**Here are the steps to disable this option:
1. Click on Start,*then*Run
2. Type in CMD and click on OK.
Enter in the following commands:
netsh
interface
tcp
set global ecncapability=disabled
exit
exit
3. Restart your system to have the change take effect and login to Windows Vista using an administrator account.**Now launch the game.
DRM Explained
The DRM solution implemented for the Spore and Spore Creature Creator changes copy protection from being key-disc based, which requires authentication every time you play the game by requiring a disc in the drive, to a one-time online authentication. This system has the added benefit of allowing you to seamlessly play your game without requiring the game disc in the drive.
KEY POINTS:
· This system allows you to authenticate your game on three computers with the purchase of one disc. EA Customer Service is on hand to supply any additional authorizations that are warranted. This will be done on a case-by-case basis by contacting Customer Support.
· Games are authorized to your machine when you first install and launch the game.
· We’ve all had those times when the discs get lost or scratched, and you can’t play a game you’ve bought because you need a working disc in the drive. With this new system, players will no longer need the disc to play the game, but can instead simply retain the disc as backup for reinstallation.
FAQ:
Q: What is the difference between the old PC disc authentication solution and the new online model?
A: Two things have changed:
· First, authentication of your game disc has changed from a physical format to an online format, eliminating the need to have a disc in the drive when playing.
· Second, with online authentication, consumers now connect to the Internet the first time the game is launched and are only required to reconnect if they are downloading new game content.
Q: How will the game authenticate now?
A: We authenticate your game online when you install and launch it for the first time.
Q: Do I have to reauthenticate after the first time my game is launched?
A: Reauthentication is required only if you make significant changes to your PC's hardware, reformat your hard drive, or in some cases, upgrade your Operating System.* Multiple installations of the game on the same computer do not count against the number of computers the game can be installed on.
Q: What are the benefits of online authentication versus*the disc-based model?
A: The new system means you don't need to have the game disc in your computer in order to play. Losing a disc will no longer keep you from enjoying a game you already have installed.
Q: Am I able to play my game on more than one computer? Do I need the disc for that?
A: You'll be able to install and play your game on up to three computers without the need of the game disc. Your computer is authorized after installation and the initial launch of the game.
Q: Will I still be able to play my game offline?
A: Yes, you can play offline, however, we do hope that you will play online. Sharing creatures, buildings, and vehicles with other players is something that is unique to Spore and Spore Creature Creator, and is one of the coolest features of the game.
Q: What happens when I’ve reached the maximum number of computers for my game and I need more? (Due to computer upgrades, theft, crashes, etc.)
A: EA Customer Support is on hand to supply any additional authorizations that are warranted. This will be done on a case-by-case basis by contacting Customer Support.
Q: Why are Maxis and EA implementing this new authentication process?
A: This solution serves to protect our software from piracy. It has the added benefit of allowing you to activate your game on multiple machines without needing the game disc in the drive when playing the game.

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