Troubleshooting

## Installation

Lots of errors can be fixed by rebooting your computer, logging in again, retracing your steps in the Getting Started page, or running programs as an Administrator. If none of the solutions here help, please use Discord to get on and chat with us. We're experts on this stuff!

As always, if this guide, FFXIclopedia, Google, the Vrtra wiki, the folks on Discord or the linkshell members in-game are unable to fix your problem, please review the process at Vrtra Support Site to report your issue.

### **When I open Windower, the xiloader.exe black screen just says "Closing" and closes without opening the game.**

* Update your game with the Check Files function.
* Also make sure no antivirus programs or firewalls are blocking pol.exe or xiloader.exe from running.
* Enable "Direct Play" in "Turn Windows Features On or Off". This will be under "Legacy Features" on some PCs.
* Please update the Visual C++ Redistributable, install only the x86You might need to enable "Direct Play" in "Turn Windows Features On or Off". version regardless of Operation System version. Other things to check are antivirus and/or firewall. Somethings these block Xiloader and prevent it from functioning properly. Verify that you are using the NA version of the game, as the EU version is not compatible with the DSP based private servers.
* Try Ashita.

### **When I open Windower, the application crashes.**

This can be for various reasons, but one of these usually helps:

* Run Windower, xiloader, and anything else as an administrator.
* Restart your computer.
* Turn off Compatibility mode for those things as well.
* Try Ashita if you have no luck.

### **PlayOnline won’t show «Final Fantasy XI» in the drop down menu for file check**

Possible fix:

Download this file: http://www.dspt.info/FFXI-UpdatePatch.zip

* Open the file using an archiving program (WinRar, 7zip etc, whichever you prefer)

* Extract to a new directory, e.g. C:\patchfix

* Close your archiving program

* Navigate to C:\patchfix

* Left-click anywhere in the folder and select all (CTRL+A)

* Once you seee everything highlighted Copy (CTRL+C) all the files

* Navigate to the directory where you have Final Fantasy XI installed.

For Windows64-bit systems PlayOnline and Final Fantasy XI should be located at C:\Program Files (x86)\PlayOnline\SquareEnix\FINAL FANTASY XI\)
(For Windows 32-bit systems, PlayOnline and Final Fantasy XI should be located at C:\Program Files\PlayOnline\SquareEnix\FINAL FANTASY XI\)

* Paste (CTRL+V) those files you copied from C:\patchfix to /FINALFANTASYXI/directory

* When prompted to overwrite the files select Yes to All

* Close Windows Explorer

* Run PlayOnline. On the left side of the screen select «Check Files»

* On the next screen where it says «PlayOnlineViewer» and you previously didn’t get an option to select «Final Fantasy XI» it should now be available to be selected from the Drop-down menu. PlayOnline now starts a file check and will then say it found errors.

* Chose to Fix the errors, PlayOnline will then automatically start checking and updating/repairing files

### **Windower won't open for Vrtra, but works for retail.**

Occasionally Windower will release a hook.dll and/or Windower.exe that doesn't work for private servers, or on certain Windows operating systems (such as the Great Windower Outage of May 2017). In these cases, Windower can usually be rolled back to a previous version, then updates can be temporarily disabled. You can also use Ashita in the meantime.

### **My first character logs in fine, but a second one crashes xiloader.**

* Set xiloader.exe by right clicking it, going to Properties, Compatibility tab, then check "Run as Administrator"

### **I'm getting an error like this: "The program can't start because MSVCR120.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem."**

* Install the  C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2015 C++ runtimes, available here.

### **I'm getting error POL-3331 when trying to launch the game.**

* Update your client with the Check Files option in PlayOnline. **Recommended: verify with a staff member that this is the best choice of action.**
* Also verify that you have all expansions up to Treasures of Aht Urhgan installed (more is fine).
* If your file repair says it found zero files to repair, be sure you deleted VTABLE.DAT from the Final Fantasy XI folder, and try the update process again.
* If that doesn't work, please contact us in Discord for technical support.

### **I crashed recently and now I'm getting error POL-3305 when trying to log in.**

* Your character is still "logged in" after the crash. Wait 3-5 minutes and try again.
* Feel free to ask in Discord when your "online" character disappears. We can let you know.
* If your character refuses to leave the game, ask a GM to posfix you.

### **I can't see some parts of my menus, or opening certain menus crashes my game.**

* An outdated version of XIView causes this issue. Make sure you have the latest version, or remove it completely.
* You may also have two different resolutions trying to work at once. Be sure the game window resolution you set in Windower/Ashita matches the one in FFXIConfig.

### **Every time Windower updates, my Gearswap (or other add-on/plugin) stops working.**

Disable automatic Windower updates. Ask another Gearswap user for help with this, if needed. It is done through Windows Firewall.

### **Getting an error that says "xiloader.exe has stopped responding" and my game closes.**

Lots of things can cause this. Please try to keep track of what you're doing when it happens, and chat with us so we can try to resolve it.

### **Character is unable to send or receive /tell messages.**

Your name is too long, too short, or contains invalid characters. If it is too late to recreate your character, please open a ticket and ask a GM for your name to be changed.

### **FFXIclopedia tells me to wait 1 minute but I've been here an hour and I can't progress this quest! (or other FFXIclopedia problems.)**

FFXIclopedia is a great source of information for the game. However, since our server is based around the 2008 era of FFXI, some things on wiki can be outdated and incorrect, causing confusion in the game with certain missions, quests, or abilities. Here's a way to get wiki to show you the correct information.

Note: this is not for absolutely 100% of everything, only most things. Example: Home Points teleports came out in 2013, but we have those available on Vrtra, because they're awesome and someone took the time to code them for DSP.

I'm going to use the second AF quest for samurai as an example, since it has several "JST midnight" (CST midnight on Vrtra) waits on it, that the current wiki page doesn't show, because they have been changed on retail.

* Open your desired wiki page. Example: Yomi Okuri
* Click the small arrow next to "Edit this Page" at the top, and click History.
* If a "2008" page does not appear in the list, search for the year 2008 in the "From year (and earlier)" search box.
* Click any page from 2008 (click the date from the list) to view the page as it existed on that date.
* The information shown will be more accurate for Vrtra.

### **I'm trying to unlock BLU, and I can't get the answers to Waoud's question right, no matter how carefully I follow the guide!**

Another set of answers is required on DSP servers. Please use the following answers, in this order:

1. One Forges for Oneself
2. Absolutely
3. Read the Scroll
4. Without Hesitation
5. A Chaotic Life
6. Embrace Life as a Beast
7. Cut Him Down
8. Grant the Request
9. End His Pain
10. Follow Your Sense of Justice