punkbuster error 9003 - loosing key packets

fedetarab-=ITA=- · January 6

Hi
After i have format my pc and upgraded to windows 10 I always get punkbuster error 9003 (loosing key packet) during gameplay and get kicked.
Before with windows 7 i have never get this error, pc hardware its the same.

I have tried to:
reinstall America's Army and Steam
reinstall punk buster from even balance
disabled anti virus and firewall
nothing fix this problem, what can I do please?

My lasy solutions its to get back windows 7, but if we found a solution to remain with windows 10 could be better...

thanks

Keebler750 · January 6

You did all that and it might be nothing more than a bad NIC or a bad network switch at your ISP?!

Check your route to the server with tracert or Ping Plotter, or something.

Why do people always reinstall AAPG as a way to fix stuff? Steam sends you the same files you just had!

L0rdDamian · January 6

Keebler750 wrote: »

Why do people always reinstall AAPG as a way to fix stuff? Steam sends you the same files you just had!

Because some people always scream from their lungs to reinstall the game or verify game files if there is an issue with PunkBuster, and their for give them selfs even more issues. In fact, when doing a clean installation of AAPG you get an outdated version of PunkBuster with it, most likely the problem here.

fedetarab-=ITA=- wrote: »

Hi
After i have format my pc and upgraded to windows 10 I always get punkbuster error 9003 (loosing key packet) during gameplay and get kicked.
Before with windows 7 i have never get this error, pc hardware its the same.

I have tried to:
reinstall America's Army and Steam
reinstall punk buster from even balance
disabled anti virus and firewall
nothing fix this problem, what can I do please?

My lasy solutions its to get back windows 7, but if we found a solution to remain with windows 10 could be better...

thanks

It's not windows related, after you installed W10 and the game you most likely did not update PunkBuster, you need to update PunkBuster with this client from their website.

https://evenbalance.com/pbsetup.php

Keebler750 · January 6

PB should update on verifying files in Steam. You'll get two files back, and on game restart, PB will do its thing. I've never needed the actual PB tool and have no PB Version issues.

L0rdDamian · January 6

Keebler750 wrote: »

PB should update on verifying files in Steam. You'll get two files back, and on game restart, PB will do its thing. I've never needed the actual PB tool and have no PB Version issues.

Should yes, if they added the latest version of PB. So far each time I did a clean install I had to manually update it first because it's a good couple version back to what is currently active on PB's side.

fedetarab-=ITA=- · January 6

first of all thanks for the answers.

Keebler750 wrote: »

You did all that and it might be nothing more than a bad NIC or a bad network switch at your ISP?!

Check your route to the server with tracert or Ping Plotter, or something.

i never had problem for years till i have format my pc and upgrade S.O., my nic and network its the same.

L0rdDamian wrote: »

It's not windows related, after you installed W10 and the game you most likely did not update PunkBuster, you need to update PunkBuster with this client from their website.

https://evenbalance.com/pbsetup.php

i have downloaded last pb version 3.8, it's not and installer it's a simple exe... i have to keep it on during gameplay?

Anyway when PBSetup started I have added A.A. P.G.... but I'm not sure where is the correct directory

whit this two directory i try to play but i get kicked with same error after few minutes...

Thanks

Keebler750 · January 6

What does 'my NIC and network is the same' have to do with whether they are losing packets? How do you know the NIC isn't failing, or your route isn't congested?

There's only a couple of possibilities here, and it won't be the PB build.

Flatlander · January 6

Just saying, but I never had to do a manual pb setup after an install.

L0rdDamian · January 7

fedetarab-=ITA=- wrote: »

first of all thanks for the answers.

Keebler750 wrote: »

You did all that and it might be nothing more than a bad NIC or a bad network switch at your ISP?!

Check your route to the server with tracert or Ping Plotter, or something.

i never had problem for years till i have format my pc and upgrade S.O., my nic and network its the same.

L0rdDamian wrote: »

It's not windows related, after you installed W10 and the game you most likely did not update PunkBuster, you need to update PunkBuster with this client from their website.

https://evenbalance.com/pbsetup.php

i have downloaded last pb version 3.8, it's not and installer it's a simple exe... i have to keep it on during gameplay?

Anyway when PBSetup started I have added A.A. P.G.... but I'm not sure where is the correct directory

whit this two directory i try to play but i get kicked with same error after few minutes...

Thanks

Yes it's just an updater, it's not an full on installation program or anything. You only need to update \Binaries\Win32\. After its done you are running latest version, you do not have to keep it running.

If the issue is still going on, you should use this;
http://punkbuster.com/downloads/pbsvc/pbsvc.exe

And click on test services to see if you have any errors running it.

What programs are you running during games, some windows optimization solutions will see PnkBstrA and PnkBstrB as useless and block them from doing their jobs. Do you also have them setup correctly in your anti-virus / firewall software?.

EDIT:

Also something you should try and see if it keeps kicking, when the kick happens close the game and open Task Manager > Processes and find PnkBstrB. Right click it and End Task. Then launch the game again and join a server and see if it kicks again.

Keebler750 · January 7

^^ That's a good point about any possible blocking programs.

fedetarab-=ITA=- · January 9

L0rdDamian wrote: »

Yes it's just an updater, it's not an full on installation program or anything. You only need to update \Binaries\Win32\. After its done you are running latest version, you do not have to keep it running.

I have keep only this directory
Steam\steamapps\common\America's Army\AAPG\Binaries\Win32
but PB still kick me

If the issue is still going on, you should use this;
http://punkbuster.com/downloads/pbsvc/pbsvc.exe

And click on test services to see if you have any errors running it.

I have attached the result of test, completed succefully without errors.

What programs are you running during games, some windows optimization solutions will see PnkBstrA and PnkBstrB as useless and block them from doing their jobs. Do you also have them setup correctly in your anti-virus / firewall software?.

nothing of particular, if you want I can attach the list of running process.
I have also disabled windows firewall and shutdown kaspersky internet security.

Also something you should try and see if it keeps kicking, when the kick happens close the game and open Task Manager > Processes and find PnkBstrB. Right click it and End Task. Then launch the game again and join a server and see if it kicks again.

I try to end the process but it remain in the list processes.
however if i try to lauch againg the game, i get kicked after few minutes

the strange thing is this:
if i reboot my pc, launch the game, never get kicked even after hours of gameplay...
leave the game without shutdown pc... next day if I try to play and get kicked...
if i reboot i can play again without pb error

Keebler750 · January 10

It doesn't seem to be the PB services. Have you checked to see if AAGame.exe is actually shutting down and removing itself from the Taskmanager after you quit playing?

L0rdDamian · January 10

fedetarab-=ITA=- wrote: »

the strange thing is this:
if i reboot my pc, launch the game, never get kicked even after hours of gameplay...
leave the game without shutdown pc... next day if I try to play and get kicked...
if i reboot i can play again without pb error

That's not strange at all, the problem here is that PnkBstrB.exe is still running the process after you quit the game, where normally it would shut off with the game. So when you launch the game again with it active in the background it will cause a conflict because the software will not use the already running process but tries to start it again.

Now since it's already active, it will not launch the new process and therefore when you join a server the software will see it as not running. That's when it will kick you for losing keypackets, I know its a weird way of telling people "Oepsie, my plebness didn't shutdown the software correctly", but I have seen it multiple times with players. That's why you can play after a system reboot because the PnkBstrB.exe that launches with the game isn't active so it booted normally without conflict and you can play.

Now you said that it didn't end task with right mouse, end task. That's because somewhere there is an issue causing it not shutting down correctly, which we already know now. So instead of right mouse, end task try a force shutdown by clicking left mouse on the process one time and then hold Ctrl+Delete. Don't worry, you only force shutdown, you will not delete PB from your PC

EDIT:

An easy way to see if it's running correctly when launching the game is when you are in the main menu of the game, open console with ~ key (left of 1 on the top row of numbers) and see if PunkBuster showed you the following message:

Attempting to resolve master4.evenbalance.com
Resolved to [50.62.81.163] (14)
PunkBuster Client (v2.341 | A0 w) Enabled
Game Version [261695]
Not Connected to a Server
PB Services socket initialized
PnkBstrA successfully loaded PnkBstrB
PnkBstrB service installed and started successfully

Now I don't know if you can see that message even with out PB Messages disabled, if not you can enable those messages in Settings > Misc > PunkBuster Messages (Enable/Disable). It does require the game to relaunch to see those PunkBuster messages that you need to know if it launched correctly.

fedetarab-=ITA=- · January 11

Keebler750 wrote: »

It doesn't seem to be the PB services. Have you checked to see if AAGame.exe is actually shutting down and removing itself from the Taskmanager after you quit playing?

Yes AAGame.exe shuting down and removing itself when quit manually and also when get kicked

fedetarab-=ITA=- · January 12

L0rdDamian wrote: »

So instead of right mouse, end task try a force shutdown by clicking left mouse on the process one time and then hold Ctrl+Delete. Don't worry, you only force shutdown, you will not delete PB from your PC

yesterday i quit manually from game, i haven't shut down pc, i have forced shut down of PnkBstrB from task manager.... i launch game, i get kicked again

now neither ctrl+delete work, it dont shut down PnkBstrB from task manager

An easy way to see if it's running correctly when launching the game is when you are in the main menu of the game, open console with ~ key (left of 1 on the top row of numbers) and see if PunkBuster showed you the following message:
Attempting to resolve master4.evenbalance.com
Resolved to [50.62.81.163] (14)
PunkBuster Client (v2.341 | A0 w) Enabled
Game Version [261695]
Not Connected to a Server
PB Services socket initialized
PnkBstrA successfully loaded PnkBstrB
PnkBstrB service installed and started successfully

i attach two screenshots of this:
one after pc rebooting and launching game;
one after get kicked and launch again the game.

finally i have found a pbcl.log in this directory
Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\PunkBuster\PG\pb
i dont know if its helpful.
i attach two files:
one after reboot pc and play normally for 1 hour;
one after i get kicked.

The error we see in the logs it not seems to be the reason of kick, i think it appear every time i join a new map during game.
WARNING: PB Kicks for Name Spamming and Name Stealing and Non-standard Characters and Level 2 PB Restrictions on this Server

L0rdDamian · January 12

fedetarab-=ITA=- wrote: »
L0rdDamian wrote: »

So instead of right mouse, end task try a force shutdown by clicking left mouse on the process one time and then hold Ctrl+Delete. Don't worry, you only force shutdown, you will not delete PB from your PC

yesterday i quit manually from game, i haven't shut down pc, i have forced shut down of PnkBstrB from task manager.... i launch game, i get kicked again
now neither ctrl+delete work, it dont shut down PnkBstrB from task manager
An easy way to see if it's running correctly when launching the game is when you are in the main menu of the game, open console with ~ key (left of 1 on the top row of numbers) and see if PunkBuster showed you the following message:
Attempting to resolve master4.evenbalance.com
Resolved to [50.62.81.163] (14)
PunkBuster Client (v2.341 | A0 w) Enabled
Game Version [261695]
Not Connected to a Server
PB Services socket initialized
PnkBstrA successfully loaded PnkBstrB
PnkBstrB service installed and started successfully
i attach two screenshots of this:
one after pc rebooting and launching game;
one after get kicked and launch again the game.

finally i have found a pbcl.log in this directory
Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\PunkBuster\PG\pb
i dont know if its helpful.
i attach two files:
one after reboot pc and play normally for 1 hour;
one after i get kicked.

The error we see in the logs it not seems to be the reason of kick, i think it appear every time i join a new map during game.
WARNING: PB Kicks for Name Spamming and Name Stealing and Non-standard Characters and Level 2 PB Restrictions on this Server

The warning is normal, its how they setup the rules on the server you connected to so don't worry about that because every one connected to that server will get it. Most servers give that message in this case if they have their configs standard.

Annoying part is that it doesn't close PnkBstrB, which is where the issue is as far as I can tell, so I hope you can do one more test to see if this works. If not, its reboot time each time you want to play

Open CMD as Administrator, and type the following line;

taskkill /im PnkBstrB.exe /t

First we use this command to make sure there are no child processes active with it, if it gives you an error its not a big deal then we switch over to killing it forcefully with this command;

taskkill /im PnkBstrB.exe /f

This should kill it completely, if not than something else is going on. You should try to disable a task like your web browser and see if it allows you to do that, if it denies you that too than there is most likely a conflict in the admin rights of the account you use on the PC blocking you from doing certain commands.

I hope this works for you, so you don't have to reboot every time.

fedetarab-=ITA=- · January 18

with this command taskkill /im PnkBstrB.exe /t i get this result (badly translate from italian):

the process with PID 4668 (PnkBstrB) son of PID 900 (services and controller app) its not ended.
reason: this process can only be ended forcedly (with option /f).

with command taskkill /im PnkBstrB.exe /f the process get ended... but still get kicked...

i think the only solution is to reboot every time i want to play

L0rdDamian · January 19

fedetarab-=ITA=- wrote: »

i think the only solution is to reboot every time i want to play

I would do a extra check and make sure everything on the pc is update.

- Windows
- Bios
- GPU Drivers
- .NET Framework
- Entire library of DX9

Then again, it's also good to weekly check if there are any updates for one of these drivers accept for DX9 once you have it you are good to go.. Else indeed reboot best option, or switching back to W7.

punkbuster error 9003 - loosing key packets

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