Crossfire, although not as popular as other games in the genre in the west, is still a fun first-person team-based shooter to play. The variety of weapons, and the character models set it apart from its competitors. The fact that the game is free to play gives potential players no reason not to try the game at least once.
Sometimes though, the installation process can encounter errors, preventing the game from completing the procedure properly. This error can be caused by a myriad of reasons, but there are ways to get around these problems. In this article, we’ll show you how to fix the Crossfire ‘failed to install’ error, along with several ways to prevent these from happening again in the future.
Dealing with the Crossfire Failed to Install Error
Game installation errors are usually caused either by the failure of the program to locate the installation directory, or a lack of permission to edit those directories. Sometimes it can also be due to corrupted installation files due to a bad download. Some of the known fixes for the ‘failed to install’ error are listed below:
Solution 1: Redownload Patcher and Installer
Sometimes, the reason for a faulty installation is due to a corrupted download. If the installation starts but freezes halfway, or doesn’t start at all, do the following:
- If the game started installation, uninstall all game files copied onto your computer. Use your operating system’s native uninstaller, or open the game’s unintall.exe file located inside the game’s directory.
- Delete the entire game folder. A faulty installation can introduce corrupted files into your system. Subsequent reinstallation may not be able to overwrite these files.
- Proceed to the Crossfire game download page to redownload the newest version of the game installer.
- Close all running background applications, then re-install the game.
Although only based on the experience of other users, many users on the forums claim that repeated attempts to install will work eventually. There isn’t any evidence of this, but it’s mentioned often enough that it’s worth giving a shot. If after three attempts your game still refuses to install properly, feel free to try another solution.
Solution 2: Install as Administrator
Another reason for the failure of the game to properly install is a lack of permission for the program to modify your system files. This may mean that your current user account doesn’t have the authority required to install files. To install the game as an administrator, do the following:
Log in as Administrator
- If your computer has more than one user account, log out then log into an account that has administrator privileges.
- If you’re not sure if your account has admin privileges, do the following:
- For Windows 10:
a. Click on the Windows icon on the bottom left corner of the screen.
b. Click on Settings.
c. Click on Accounts.
d. This window will indicate whether or not the account you’re currently logged into has admin privileges, and will also indicate which accounts have them. - How to check for admin privileges on a Mac:
a. Open your Apple Menu.
b. From the choices, click on System Preferences.
c. From the window, choose the Users & Groups icon.
d. The registered account will be displayed on a list. If an account name has Admin below it, then it has administrator privileges. If the account is only labeled as Standard, then it doesn’t have permission to install programs. Either log into an account with admin privileges, or ask your administrator to make you one.
- For Windows 10:
Run the Installer as Administrator:
Sometimes, just being in an administrator account isn’t enough to install the game as an admin. To ensure that this happens, do the following:
- After downloading the installer, proceed to the download destination folder.
- Find the installer program, and right click the icon.
- From the menu that appears, choose Run as Administrator.
- Proceed with installation as normal.
Solution 3: Add Crossfire to Antivirus Exceptions
There are times when your antivirus program will detect Crossfire as a false positive, preventing it from running as intended. You will have to add Crossfire to your antivirus exceptions, so that it will not stop the application from proceeding with the installation.
Some antivirus programs will also prevent software from downloading files from the internet, unless they have been given permission to do so. As Crossfire is an online game, the majority of its game files will need to be downloaded during installation, not to mention the online patching process. Give Crossfire permission to download files, or temporarily turn off your antivirus while the installation process is ongoing. You can turn it on again afterwards, but do note that unless you add Crossfire as an exception, your antivirus will still sometimes prevent you from logging onto an online server.
Solution 3: Disable VPN
Although using a VPN or Virtual Private Network has become rather common nowadays, it can wreak havoc on games that require online connectivity. Crossfire in the west is under the Smilegate West servers, while countries such as China, Russia, and the Philippines among others have their own separate regional servers.
The game updates differently depending on the server location. Game versions can be different when you’re playing on the west, in comparison to the different Asian servers. Using a VPN will force the program to download the localized version of Crossfire for the region that your VPN has set your location as. If you switch VPN server locations frequently, then this will confuse the program when your game version doesn’t match the server location version.
A Disheartening Problem
It can be frustrating when the only thing that’s preventing you from trying out Crossfire is a failure of the game to install. It may not be a common problem, but if the error happens to you, it can be a bit disheartening. Fortunately, there are ways around it.
Do you know of other ways to fix the Crossfire ‘failed to install’ error? Has this happened to you before? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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