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CrossFire v2.0 DETAILED INSTALLATION GUIDE by DarkWraith007
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Read and follow all directions; skip nothing or you waste your time.

RUNNING PROGRAMS AS ADMIN (Do it every time for this installation)
-All programs should be 'Run as Admin'
--Right click on an .exe file and 'Run as Administrator'

DISABLING UAC?  SHOULD IT BE DONE?
-Disabling UAC is NOT necessary but it is useful temporarily while doing all this mod installation. Up to you.
--Please disconnect from the internet BEFORE you disable UAC just to be safe

DISABLE YOUR ANTIVIRUS/SECURITY SUITE SOFTWARE MONITORING TO PREVENT INTERFERENCE!
If you need help on this, check the SWAT Portal forums.


-REMOVING WRITE PROTECTION HOWTO:
-Here are steps that are proven (by me) to work every time to remove write protection on Win7+; not needed for XP
--Removing write protection is tricky and doesn't always work the first time
---Sometimes requires multiple repeats before it 'sticks'
---DO THINGS IN THIS EXACT ORDER or it glitches out and you have to repeat things

--Right click the main folder in Program Files (x86 on 64-bit systems) and select Properties
---In lower-right corner, click Advanced button
--Then click the 'Owner' tab at top
---Click EDIT button
--Select your User Account
---Put checkmark in 'Replace owner on subcontainers and objects' then click APPLY
--Close all the boxes with OK
---Go back in to the same setting and this time instead of apply you CLICK OK (make sure the checkmark is there)
--Close all the boxes with OK
---Go back in with the same setting and do the OK button again (again make sure that checkmark is there)
--Close all the boxes with OK (yes this is annoying, it takes forever)
--Now right click on the folder, go to Properties again
---Click Security tab
--Click 'Edit' button
---For all the Group/Users, put a checkmark in 'Full Control' in 'Allow' column
--If it is greyed out don't worry about it, go to the next one
---Once done, hit APPLY and then OK on all dialogs to close out everything
--Do it again, this time just hit OK to close out everything
---Check it one more time and just hit OK to close out everything
--Finally, remove the blue filled box from read-only and hit APPLY and then OK in the popup asking to apply to all objects
---Now do it again but hit OK and OK again in the popup to apply to all objects
--And you should be done now.  Don't skip any steps or you waste your time.

DO A FULL COMPUTER RESTART (forces settings you just did to 'stick' and be permanently saved)


CLEANUP
(Only do these if you have a previous install of FreeLancer or any other mods otherwise SKIP this part)

--Part 1-- Uninstalling Stuff
-Use Freelancer Mod Manager (FLMM) to deactivate any other mods you had installed.
-Uninstall FLMM; use the UninstallFLMM.exe to do it; it doesn't show up in the usual Uninstall List.
-Uninstall your Freelancer mods if they had a seperate installer.
-Uninstall your Freelancer game itself
-Look in Program Files (x86) and remove any remaining Freelancer-related folders from FLMM and other mods
-Open your 'Documents' folder and look for 'My Games' with 'Freelancer folder inside'.  Delete the entire folder.

--Part 2-- Automated Scrub of Registry Remnants
-Download and install FREE CCleaner Program from http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner
--ONLY GET IT FROM OFFICIAL SITE, avoid 3rd-party websites!
---If you use DuckDuckGo to search it will mark the official website for you (works for most software)
----Run CCleaner and make sure to purge Freelancer-related registry keys (and back them up when prompted)

NOW RESTART YOUR COMPUTER

--Repeat the CCleaner registry cleaning at least 2 more times, doing a restart after each time.
---Now when you've done that, do the manual cleaning below.

--Part 3-- Deep Scrub of Registry Remnants
-Hold down Windows Key and press R on your keyboard.  This will open the 'Run' dialog.
--Type in 'regedit' and press OK
---Search in the following areas to remove any possible remnants of old Freelancer/mod installs
----- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> Microsoft -> Microsoft Games
----- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> Wow6432Node ->Microsoft -> Microsoft Games

Delete folders & Keys containing the following words:
-Freelancer
-CrossFire
-Freelancer Mod Manager
-C07ft5Y

NOW RESTART YOUR PC


****Visual C++ Important Requirements****

Now get the Microsoft Windows Visual C++ 2005 redistributable files from official Microsoft website
Links may change but here are the current ones as of March 2016.
Install them in the order presented and ALWAYS right click to Run as Admin!

Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redist:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=3387

Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 SP1 Redist:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5638

Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 SP1 Redist ATL Security Update:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=14431

Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 SP1 Redist MFC Security Update:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26347

Now Install .NET v4.6.1:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=49982

NOW RESTART YOUR PC AGAIN


--INSTALL TIME, WHOO!--
-Be sure to always Run as Admin
--Also remove write protection as described previously.
---DO NOT SKIP ANY STEPS to make sure the setting 'stick' properly.
-Make sure to use DEFAULT INSTALL PATHS for everything you install.
--This prevents many errors & issues with getting things to work.


\\\\\NOW INSTALL YOUR FREELANCER GAME (from CD)/////
This guide doesn't cover piracy; you can grab it for under $20 from Amazon
You can also try ebay.com or half.ebay.com but make sure to ask for picture proof (avoid RU and pirate copies)

-Remove the write protection from the Microsoft Games and Freelancer folders in Program Files (x86)
--Repeat it for both folders and also double-check permissions of files/directories inside the folders.
---Do not skip these steps!

-Extract the files from the CrossFire v2.0 Mod Download (it is a zip file)
--One of these files is the FLMMInstaller.exe


\\\\\RUN FLMMINSTALLER.EXE AS ADMIN/////
-You did uninstall previous/existing versions, right?  If not you want to not skip steps and DO IT NOW.

-Remove the write protection from the FreeLancer Mod Manager folder in Program Files (x86)
--Double-check permissions of files/directories inside the folders.
---Do not skip these steps!


\\\\Run CrossFire20Setup.exe AS ADMIN////
-Setup will take time and may seem to freeze
--May take anywhere from 5-20+ minutes so be patient and LEAVE IT ALONE UNTIL IT IS DONE.
---Once Setup is complete, UNCHECK the 'Run FLMM' part and then click 'OK' to close the installer.

NOW RESTART YOUR PC


\\\\RUN FLModManager AS ADMIN////
--The file should be in this directory
---C:\Program Files (x86)\Freelancer Mod Manager\FLModManager.exe
--The FLMM Install makes a shortcut on your desktop
---Ignore this shortcut (delete it) and make your own using the file path above!
--Find that file in the FLMM directory and right click then Send to Desktop as shortcut.


\\\\Mod Activation Time////
-With FLMM open, select 'Crossfire Mod 2.0 Client Edition'
--Click Activate Mod
---Choose your mod install options; check the SWAT Portal forums for help if you aren't sure what they do

--Here are the options I choose personally if you can't make up your mind.

MOD INSTALL OPTIONS I USE:
-CrossFire Trent
-Juni Default Outfit
-CrossFire Intro Music - Choose anything; doesn't matter
-WideScreen Support ON
-Modern CrossFire HUD [gold] 16:9
-Intro Scenes - Rotating Ships Any
-New Cursor Set 4 (can be changed later anytime)
-High Quality System Backgrounds
-Particle Color - Purple (can be changed later anytime)
-High Quality Effects - Enabled
-Dynamic Lights - Enabled
-Movie Options - Skip movies
-SWAT-Portal Reticle Mod - Normal Reticles
-Comptability mode for old GPU - Disabled
-Low Res Nebula Clouds - Disabled
-Display Roleplay License - Enabled
-Advanced Atmospheres - Enabled

--So once you choose your options, click Activate and let FLMM do the things.
---This will take a while (again) so take a break and WAIT.


\\\\ACTIVATION COMPLETE////
-Now close FLMM once activation is complete.  Don't start the mod from FLMM.


RESTART YOUR PC AGAIN


\\\\POST INSTALL CHECKS////
-Check write protection on all folders and make sure settings are applied properly.
--Restart your PC if any settings had to be changed/applied again.
---Don't trust the CrossFire shortcut, make your own!
----Use the following directory:
-----C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Freelancer\EXE\Freelancer.exe
------Right click that file and Send to Desktop as shortcut.


\\\\RUNNING THE CROSSFIRE v2.0 MOD////
-Use your new self-made shortcut to right click and RUN AS ADMIN
--When the launcher opens -- LET IT UPDATE if needed then CLOSE it (upper right corner; click red X)
---Now CLOSE the launcher and RUN AS ADMIN again
----LET IT UPDATE again if needed then CLOSE it
-----RUN LAUNCHER AS ADMIN again
------Click 'Gear' icon in the lower right corner, choose 'Vanilla FL' shader and whatever Particle Color Options you want
-------AVOID activate/check 'OpenSP' if you haven't completed the CrossFire v2.0 Story Mode
--Now again CLOSE Launcher then RUN AS ADMIN again
---Double-check your options with the Gear icon and make sure they applied properly; check SWAT Crossfire forums for more help/info
--Click SinglePlayer; accept the updates (this will ask you every time you launch, just always accept updates)
---When done, it will launch and hopefully it will all work fine!

-Sometimes the movies are blank and don't work properly on many systems
--You can later look in the 'Movies' folder in Freelancer directory to watch them with VLC Media Player
---Once in-game at the Main Manu, click Options, then click Audio and check that 3D sound is DISABLED (no check mark)
--Once you make sure it is disabled, quit the game


\\\\NOW YOU ARE DONE!  YAY!////
You can now easily use your shortcut to run the game anytime.
To always run the mod as Admin you can do this:
--Right Click the Shortcut
---Select Properties
----Click 'Advanced' button in lower right area
-----Choose 'Run as Administrator'
--Now you can just double click your shortcut like normal and it will always do Run as Admin :)