Workaround: Using UOAssist with new patcher mechanism

[S.P.A]

Folks,

[update - the 1.18.2.0 UOAssist.exe / 1.22.2.0 UOAssist.dll combination now appear to be working without any registry hacks]

[this is obsolete - there is new information from me at the bottom of this thread]

Here's how to get UOAssist co-habiting with new patcher mechanism for the time being.

There are two scenarios:

1. If there is a patch you need to load
   • Start UOAssist
   • Both the Client and Patcher windows will appear
   • As soon as the Client loads, close it
   • Once the Patcher completes patching, click Cancel
   • Proceed to Scenario 2
2. Once you are fully patched
   • Start UOAssist
   • Both the Client and the Patcher windows will appear
   • Immediately click Cancel in the Patcher window

 

[S.P.A]

For those of you feeling more adventurous, here's an even nicer workaround that means you don't have to click to cancel the new UOPatcher at all.

There is a registry key only used by UOAssist these days that specifies what the UO patcher program is. The "new" UO ignores this key.

Open up your registry editor, and navigate to:

(on 32-bit Windows)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Origin Worlds Online\Ultima Online\1.0
(on 64-bit Windows)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Origin Worlds Online\Ultima Online\1.0

In there you'll find a key "PatchExePath" which contains the path to your Ultima Online installation and ends UOPatch.exe

If you change the UOPatch.exe to UOtd.exe then when UOAssist runs it runs UOtd.exe instead of UOPatch.exe and tells you the Third Dawn client is no longer available; once you click OK you get the normal UOAssist + UO Client screen.

Hyper-nerdy but it works.

 

[Mandrake of DF]

For those of you feeling more adventurous, here's an even nicer workaround that means you don't have to click to cancel the new UOPatcher at all.

There is a registry key only used by UOAssist these days that specifies what the UO patcher program is. The "new" UO ignores this key.

Open up your registry editor, and navigate to:

(on 32-bit Windows)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Origin Worlds Online\Ultima Online\1.0
(on 64-bit Windows)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Origin Worlds Online\Ultima Online\1.0

In there you'll find a key "PatchExePath" which contains the path to your Ultima Online installation and ends UOPatch.exe

If you change the UOPatch.exe to UOtd.exe then when UOAssist runs it runs UOtd.exe instead of UOPatch.exe and tells you the Third Dawn client is no longer available; once you click OK you get the normal UOAssist + UO Client screen.

Hyper-nerdy but it works.

Think you miss with wrong files now.

In UOA you got a setting when u start, go there - write path to client.exe and use the pather manually to update - and uoa to load game, it should only load uoa + client.

 

[S.P.A]

Think you miss with wrong files now.

In UOA you got a setting when u start, go there - write path to client.exe and use the pather manually to update - and uoa to load game, it should only load uoa + client.

That's not what UOAssist does; you could/should have tried that before you posted it. I have, and have already corrected people in the other threads who have suggested the same (wrong) thing.

 

[Mandrake of DF]

Ah, didnt know that. But - it is also options to how often it should search for updates. Havent gotten home to update yet - so ill have to look at it tomorrow.

 

[S.P.A]

Ah, didnt know that. But - it is also options to how often it should search for updates. Havent gotten home to update yet - so ill have to look at it tomorrow.

The option on how often you search for updates is for how often UOAssist checks for UOAssist updates not UO updates.

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

Many thanks.

-Galen's player

 

[Lord Crowen]

You just saved EA/Mythic 3 accounts. After the migration fiasco last year now that, I was really upset and about to cancel my accounts. Thank you, S.P.A.! To the software guy responsible for that: Be grateful you work at EA, I know other companies (like the one I work) who will fire people after such debacle.

 

[S.P.A]

As a follow up to my second post in this thread on registry hacking, a comment made by Ezekiel Zane in another thread on how he'd bypassed the patcher in the past gave me an even cleaner idea, that means you don't even have to click OK.

If you set the PatchExePath to point to C:\Windows\System32\XCopy.exe then UOAssist will run XCopy which will do nothing and close instantly then immediately move on to running the Client.exe.

Very clean and neat. Not sure if that was exactly what Ezekiel Zane was doing but I think the idea was similar.

 

[Leeda]

Folks,

Here's how to get UOAssist co-habiting with new patcher mechanism for the time being.

There are two scenarios:

1. If there is a patch you need to load
   • Start UOAssist
   • Both the Client and Patcher windows will appear
   • As soon as the Client loads, close it
   • Once the Patcher completes patching, click Cancel
   • Proceed to Scenario 2
2. Once you are fully patched
   • Start UOAssist
   • Both the Client and the Patcher windows will appear
   • Immediately click Cancel in the Patcher window

Thank You so much.

 

[Conrad]

As a follow up to my second post in this thread on registry hacking, a comment made by Ezekiel Zane in another thread on how he'd bypassed the patcher in the past gave me an even cleaner idea, that means you don't even have to click OK.

If you set the PatchExePath to point to C:\Windows\System32\XCopy.exe then UOAssist will run XCopy which will do nothing and close instantly then immediately move on to running the Client.exe.

Very clean and neat. Not sure if that was exactly what Ezekiel Zane was doing but I think the idea was similar.

Are you taking into consideration how people that have made these changes will be effected when Mythic/Tugsoft make their fixes? Will any of the changes you are making actually hinder the published fixes? It just occured to me that it is within the realm of possibility that the fixes Mythic/Tugsoft put out might be looking for those paths to be intact (or at least as intact as the patcher left them).

Perhaps registry/pathing changes should be noted (I don't know. Write them down?) so that they can be undone later if they interfere when Mythic and Tugsoft deliver their fixes, as they've both stated they are working on.

Just sayin'...

 

[Ezekiel Zane]

You only edit/delete a single string value and that value is nothing but a path. It's pretty simple to restore it to it's default value.

 

[O'Brien]

Open up your registry editor, and navigate to:

(on 32-bit Windows)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Origin Worlds Online\Ultima Online\1.0
(on 64-bit Windows)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Origin Worlds Online\Ultima Online\1.0

In there you'll find a key "PatchExePath" which contains the path to your Ultima Online installation and ends UOPatch.exe

Those paths don't exist in my registry. I'm running 32-bit XP SP3 and installed UO Classic and UOA within the last 2 months. I fired up regedit and also searched the entire registry for "UOPatch.exe" and found only one instance in HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-2025429265-1606980848-854245398-1003\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\MUICache

Just posting in case I'm not the only one not finding it.

Do you have any other guidance for us "more adventurous" UOA users to automagically bypass the patcher without having to hit cancel?

 

[Ezekiel Zane]

Some time ago, UO Assist for some reason stopped creating those registry keys when it's installed. You can manually create the proper keys pretty easily

run regedit

navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE

Right click on SOFTWARE key and select - New - Key -, name it Origin Worlds Online

Now right click on the new key you made and select - New - Key -, name it Ultima Online

Now right click on the key Ultima Online and select - New - Key - again, name this one 1.0

Now =select= the key 1.0

on the right, in the large area, right click and select - New - String Value - and name it PatchExePath
- right click on the new string value and =select= Modify
paste C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Ultima Online Stygian Abyss Classic\UOtd.exe
Or whatever YOUR path is to your installation of UO

repeat the last step but name the String Value StartExePath
- right click on the new string value and =select= Modify
paste C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Ultima Online Stygian Abyss Classic\client.exe
Or again, whatever YOUR path to UO is on your computer

You should have 5 string values in the key 1.0. With S.P.A.'s fix it should look like this;

(Default)-------(value not set)
ExePath ------- C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Ultima Online Stygian Abyss Classic\client.exe
InstCDPath --- C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Ultima Online Stygian Abyss Classic
PatchExePath--C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Ultima Online Stygian Abyss Classic\UOtd.exe
StartExePath - C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Ultima Online Stygian Abyss Classic\client.exe



If you have a 64-bit system you do the same as above EXCEPT you start with the key Wow6432Node

 

[O'Brien]

Added all of those, no luck
UOAssist just patched, so maybe this registry workaround just became defunct anyway. UOA still loads the patcher, but at least doesn't start the client twice.

Thanks for the attempt nonetheless!

 

[Barian]

And when I click CANCEL on my patcher it appears to be cancelling UOA as well

Can't get UO to run now

Unless I just let the patcher run I assume (Dear Lord that's gonna take ages)

 

[Sevin0oo0]

... name it Origin Worlds Online

I found that part pretty interesting, seems them Bioware dudes call all the shots except, getting their name on the product, and getting the money.

 

[Ezekiel Zane]

Ooo, UO Assist patched huh? I'll have to run mine too. BRB.

 

[Sevin0oo0]

And when I click CANCEL on my patcher it appears to be cancelling UOA as well
Can't get UO to run now

you're cancelling too soon, I wait for the reg client window to pop-up, before closing


EDIT: ut oh, since the assist update, that doesn't work anymore, sorry

 

[Ezekiel Zane]

Yup, Tug has fixed UOAssist to open the patcher and the client properly.

So, go back into regedit and undo S.P.A.'s workaround.

Change the string value PatchExePath back to UOPatch.exe

Exit, and run UO Assist again

 

[Ezekiel Zane]

Hmm, UO Assist is not opening.

Starting UO Assist does open the patcher and then the client does open, however, UOA itself never actually opens.

 

[Swordsman]

got the same problem, UOA didn't work anymore...

 

[Skelf]

Hmm, UO Assist is not opening.

Starting UO Assist does open the patcher and then the client does open, however, UOA itself never actually opens.

I have exactly the same thing .... and my wife has just gone on holiday for a week leaving me free to play....*sobs*...

Come one guys...anyone have a fix foir this??

 

[Ezekiel Zane]

Yep, I just completely uninstalled UO Assist and reinstalled. Nothing. Still don't work. It looks like Tug didn't test this at all for it to not even open the program. How could you miss that?

 

[O'Brien]

Come one guys...anyone have a fix foir this??

I suspect Tugsoft will come up with another patch. Until then... run client.exe, bypassing the Bioware patcher and play without UOA... ?

 

[Ezekiel Zane]

I suspect Tugsoft will come up with another patch. Until then... run client.exe, bypassing the Bioware patcher and play without UOA... ?

Yep, I've tried several different ways and a regedit or two and UO Assist simply will not run now.

It appears that Tugsoft removed the call to client.exe since apparently the patcher calls it now. Well this simply don't work.

With S.P.A. trick I click on the UOA shortcut, get the 3D client box to click ok on then nothing. Obviously not the patcher, but no UOA or Client either.

 

[Sevin0oo0]

Obviously the UO folks know that many use Assist, wonder if it'd help to have some sort of communication line open, in advance, for dependent product updates so everyone's game play runs smoothly and without all this ado? Ubber secrets are one thing, playing happily is another I guess.

 

[MedeaDF]

Bleh, I got the same problem a minute ago - installed the new versions (1.22 and 1.7.4.) and it won't load.

Luckily, I didn't delete the old UOA files, so I can go back and play normally with a functional UOA until this gets fixed...

 

[G.v.P]

I had to manually update UOA by downloading the .EXE and .DLL then replacing the files in my UOA folder. Everything seems good, now.

 

[O'Brien]

Obviously the UO folks know that many use Assist, wonder if it'd help to have some sort of communication line open, in advance, for dependent product updates so everyone's game play runs smoothly and without all this ado? Ubber secrets are one thing, playing happily is another I guess.

I think Mr. UO Software Engineer stated their position on the issue of coordinating with 3rd party software developers quite bluntly in another UHall thread on the subject:

UOAssist must resolve this issue.

 

[Sevin0oo0]

What's the default key for BandageSelf macro in -game? I tried F1/F2- click apply, with aids in main pack, Nada
tried BandageSelf TargetSelf too

 

[Sevin0oo0]

also just tried Add - "Last Object, Last Target" apply
damaged, then healed self using stack, took damage again, macro didn't work

 

[Petra Fyde]

Have you got targetting turned on?

 

[Sevin0oo0]

I guess not, is it in the CC?

 

[Petra Fyde]

yes. I don't remember the proper name for it, but it's in the 'options' list, you can toggle it on and off. I believe some people have a macro 'toggle targeting system on' 'bandage self' 'toggle targeting off'

 

[Sevin0oo0]

Disable new targeting system was checked, clearing that restored my F1 service. Thank You - i'll go play now

 

[Ezekiel Zane]

I had to manually update UOA by downloading the .EXE and .DLL then replacing the files in my UOA folder. Everything seems good, now.

I've tried this. Still doesn't get UOA to open. Only the client opens after the patcher.

 

[jrok512]

My UOA was working fine until this afternoon when a patch went through on Assist. Now my UOA doesn't open at all.

 

[Kojak]

Load UOAssist using Method 1 (old - improved) in UOAssist settings and

UO location
. Use registry location (C:\...\client.exe) <---- Use this one !!!!!!!
. User defined: ...blah blah blah\client.exe

 

[jrok512]

Load UOAssist using Method 1 (old - improved) in UOAssist settings and

UO location
. Use registry location (C:\...\client.exe) <---- Use this one !!!!!!!
. User defined: ...blah blah blah\client.exe

Still does not load up. Quite strange actually.

 

[Sally MacLennane]

Yup, got both of those checked (method 1 and registry location) and no dice.

 

[jrok512]

I am sure we aren't the only ones to be affected by the new patch this morning, i'm sure UOA will go through another update within the day or so. Sucks though because 75% of my most important macros are UOA macros

 

[Nukeworker]

Maybe origin EA or the uber uo gods want us to use illegal third party programms..because they are sure provoking it!

 

[Petra Fyde]

that's assuming they're not broken too? Actually it's more likely that the 'uber uo gods' would like us to learn to use the in game macros. There have been a considerable number of improvements to them since we all got UOA.
Perhaps I should ask someone who only uses client macros to write a comprehensive guide on what option does what.
I have no idea what the recently added 'modify update range' group of commands do.

 

[TullyMars]

Using a variation of S.P.A. registry fix can get UOA working again today.

Open up your registry editor, and navigate to:

(on 32-bit Windows)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Origin Worlds Online\Ultima Online\1.0
(on 64-bit Windows)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Origin Worlds Online\Ultima Online\1.0

In there you'll find a key "PatchExePath" which contains the path to your Ultima Online installation and ends UOPatch.exe

If you change the UOPatch.exe to UOtd.exe then when UOAssist runs it runs UOtd.exe instead of UOPatch.exe and tells you the Third Dawn client is no longer available; once you click OK you get the normal UOAssist + UO Client screen.

Hyper-nerdy but it works.

Follow all those steps but instead of changing UOPatch.exe to UOtd.exe.... change it to client.exe
Note this skips the patch thing but until all is fixed...I suppose that is not a bad thing.

 

[Cetric]

Obviously the UO folks know that many use Assist, wonder if it'd help to have some sort of communication line open, in advance, for dependent product updates so everyone's game play runs smoothly and without all this ado? Ubber secrets are one thing, playing happily is another I guess.

If Tugsoft has any issues getting uoa to work properly, You can kiss a boatload off subscriptions goodbye. Work with him EA..

 

[S.P.A]

Folks,

Here is the latest skinny on fixing problems.

64-Bit Windows

If you are on a 64-bit Windows operating system, you will still have problems, and I have solutions for you

The problem is process names. Tug's emergency fixes are watching for process names like "client.exe" and that's all fine and dandy in 32-bits, but of course on our newer 64-bit systems the process names are "client.exe *32".

So... the temporary soution is as follows:

Open your Registry Editor. Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Origin Worlds Online\Ultima Online\1.0

You'll find a key called "ExePath" that contains, by default, "C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Ultima Online Stygian Abyss Classic\client.exe"

You have to tweak this a little to add a space and an asterisk and 32 at the end, so it reads:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Ultima Online Stygian Abyss Classic\client.exe *32"

Whatever is in there on your machine, however you have configured your installation folder of UO, just put space asterisk 32 at the end and you'll be in business.

Once you've done that, make sure you set the UOAssist load method to "Load UOAssist Using: Method One (old - updated)" as Tug instructed here.

And then it works. I've tested it.

32-Bit Windows

If you are on a 32-bit Windows operating system, you should no longer be having problems if you:

1. On Windows 7 and Windows Vista
   • Ensure you are running UOAssist as an Administrator
2. Follow Tug's instructions here.

 

[Andy316]

You'll find a key called "ExePath" that contains, by default, "C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Ultima Online Stygian Abyss Classic\client.exe"

Can't locate this..

All i see is
dEFAULT, GAME EXEUCTION, install DIR

 

[virtualhabitat]

What's a registry editor and how do I open it?

 

[Andy316]

regedit on ur start menu if ure using win7