Punkbuster errors - service communication failure Options

[Capt.Furillo]

Noticed quite a few people being kicked due to PB probs over last 2 days. Common error being PNKBstrB.exe not loading. I had same problem and traced it back to last update of my Nav/Firewall package (McAfee). Seems there's a history of Nav products like McAfee suddently blocking both pnkbstrb and pnkbstra .exe files. To fix you need to manually change the firewall settings and give both files full access. On my set up one file was in the COD main folder and the other in the Windows/shell32 folder. Then reboot and you should be fine. Sure there's some real techies out there who can give a fuller answer but this worked for me and it was driving me nuts for an hour or so till fixed.
Hope this helps.

This post has been edited by Capt.Furillo: 07/28/07 4:43am

[Shred and Burn]

Yep.
I fixed my errors by resetting the firewall to default and running the punkbuster service pack.

[M@ster of Dis@ster]

Yep.
I fixed my errors by resetting the firewall to default and running the punkbuster service pack.

When the Barb Base server crashed today (MAX CHARS) and I closed my COD, I actually had a Windows punkbuster error saying it had crashed. Uh oh. Never saw that before. Anyone else get that?

[shazbot]

This works unless you run Mac as do i . My machine at home took the update with no issues but my machine at work just won't update. Unfortunatley, work is where i do 90% of my playing. So needless to say until i can figure it out, you won't be seeing me on much Good to see you in the forums Capt!

Shazbot

[Keystone Two-Eight]

Yep.
I fixed my errors by resetting the firewall to default and running the punkbuster service pack.

Yeah, tried that, didnt work. Im seriously getting irrimitated.

[steel]

Guys, I may be in total left field on this, but seems like when that COD Gold edition came out (the one with COD and CODUO bundled together) that it put both punkbusterA and punkbusterB into your computer. But I seem to recall that punkbusterB was actually intended for the server-side not player-side and so could/should be removed.

I just now googled and can't find anything on that though, so it may just be a senior-moment, lol.

But I just checked in my Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Services and I don't see a punkbusterB in it, just a punkbusterA.

My cod and coduo are original game and separate add-on from when they first came out, and I don't have punkbusterB.

Might want to dig deeper googling around before you try moving punkbusterB out of your cod folder though.

[Big P]

I have both PunkB and A and K in my COD PB Folder, Everything Working I seen alot of people in Difference Server getting that Error and I think it's got to with your Firewall setting or Block Port somehow. Try and Run Straight Modem see if it help.

[maester]

Do not remove any of them they are required
http://www.evenbalance.com/index.php?page=pbsvcfaq.php

Starting with PB Client version 1.700, the new components are required. Uninstalling and/or disabling the new components will cause PunkBuster to stop working correctly and will cause frequent kicking from PunkBuster enabled servers.

What exactly does the PnkBstrA service do?

We have moved part of PunkBuster's auto-update functionality into the PnkBstrA service. This service is used by PunkBuster to update other PunkBuster components in the background while users are playing our supported games with PunkBuster enabled. By moving this functionality and others into services and drivers, the part of PunkBuster that runs inside the game no longer needs Administrator rights.

What other components does PnkBstrA update?

There are currently two other new components, another service called PnkBstrB and a kernel driver called PnkBstrK. These are not installed by the PBSVC Setup Program. They are installed and/or updated on the fly by PnkBstrA when a game is launched with PunkBuster enabled. PnkBstrB and PnkBstrK help PunkBuster look for cheats while users are playing on PunkBuster enabled servers.

This post has been edited by maester: 07/29/07 12:30pm

[Pancakes]

Yep.
I fixed my errors by resetting the firewall to default and running the punkbuster service pack.

When the Barb Base server crashed today (MAX CHARS) and I closed my COD, I actually had a Windows punkbuster error saying it had crashed. Uh oh. Never saw that before. Anyone else get that?

I did. Happened when i closed my CoD, it got laggy during the close, and when it came to, it said the punkbusterB or w/e has encountered an error and need to close. Something along the lines of that.

[M@ster of Dis@ster]

Yep.
I fixed my errors by resetting the firewall to default and running the punkbuster service pack.

When the Barb Base server crashed today (MAX CHARS) and I closed my COD, I actually had a Windows punkbuster error saying it had crashed. Uh oh. Never saw that before. Anyone else get that?

I did. Happened when i closed my CoD, it got laggy during the close, and when it came to, it said the punkbusterB or w/e has encountered an error and need to close. Something along the lines of that.

I also noticed that a day after playing COD, one of these punkbuster files was still running on my computer (noticed it in the processes). One would think punkbuster would stop running when you quite the game.

I think it was the "B" version.

[maester]

normally A runs all the time B & K will only run when you enter a server.