Subsequently to updating Painkiller to version 1.30, please download and install the 1.31 update from HERE.

5 - My screen is flickering rapidly as I am progressing through a stage. How do I correct this?
Please update your video card drivers via the manufacturer’s website and visit Microsoft's DirectX Page to reinstall DirectX.

6 - How do I achieve optimal performance of Painkiller on my computer?
Painkiller requires both good CPU and Graphics processing power for an optimum playing experience. If you find your framerate to be too low, please adjust your video settings under the Options Menu. Dropping texture quality levels for the game architecture, sky, characters, and weapons to lower levels, as well as the overall graphics resolution will help achieve improved game performance.

7 - I have updated my drivers and my computer appears to meet the minimum requirements to run Painkiller, but I am still having some trouble. What else should I look at?
On certain configurations it has been noted that selecting the "Miles Fast 2D Positional Audio" driver as the Sound setting under the Options Menu will prove to be more stable than other hardware drivers.

8 - I have an older video card and while Painkiller runs fine, I have noticed that some of the graphics do not look as good as I have seen in the screens from the game. What gives?
While Painkiller supports older video cards (see System Requirements), some of Painkiller's special effects and advanced graphics features are not supported by these boards. While this will not affect game play in any way, some visual effects may be reduced or disabled entirely on lower end video cards.

9 - Which CD/DVD-ROM drives have known compatibility issues with Painkiller?
Below is a list of CD/DVD-ROM drives that have known compatibility issues with workarounds:

Pan International CyberDrive 240:
Once a bad sector is read, all following reads are returned as bad and the game disc will not play correctly.

ASUS CD-S400:
On Windows 9X, when the DMA option is selected for this CD Drive, the drive freezes during CD initialization.
To allow the game to play successfully from this drive, disable the DMA option for the drive and reboot the system. Consult your operating system help files for instructions on turning off the DMA setting.

Matshita CR-581-B:
On Windows NT 4, initialization may fail and the game may not play. Windows 9x, Windows 2000 and Windows XP work correctly.

Philips CDD2000:
The game is incompatible with this drive.

LG GDR-8161B:
The game is incompatible with this DVD drive.

Toshiba HL-DT-STDVD-ROM GDR-8081N (Sep 2002 Laptop drive):
The game is incompatible with this DVD drive.

LG HL-DT-STDVDRAM GMA-4020B Apr 2003 IDE (internal drive):
The game has known intermittent problems with this drive. Most of the time it does work but on occasion the game will fail to start.

10 - Which video cards will work with Painkiller?
Painkiller requires a DirectX 9 compliant video card with a minimum 64 MB of onboard RAM. The following 64 MB or greater video cards have been verified as compatible with Painkiller:


- NVIDIA GeForce 2 GTS
- NVIDIA GeForce 3 series
- NVIDIA GeForce 4 series
- NVIDIA GeForce FX series
- NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5650
- ATI Radeon 8500
- ATI Radeon 9000 series
- ATI Mobility Radeon 7500
- ATI Mobility Radeon 9100 IGP


In addition to these video cards, Painkiller should work with other 64 MB video cards but are untested.

11 - Where can I get the latest drivers and DirectX versions to run Painkiller properly?
The latest drivers for NVIDIA based cards can be found here:
NVIDIA Drivers

The latest drivers for ATI based cards can be found here:
ATI Drivers

If you have a VIA chipset in your PC (commonly used in PCs based on AMD Athlon CPUs), please make sure you are using the latest VIA drivers – found at:
VIA Drivers

Painkiller also requires the installation of DirectX 9.0b. If you don't have the latest version of DirectX, please download the installer from:
Microsoft DirectX Page

12 - Why are there no game servers visible in Painkiller when I try to play a multiplayer game over the internet? What port needs to be open if I am playing a multiplayer game on the Internet behind a firewall and/or proxy?
For multiplayer gaming please make sure to set your Connection Speed accurately under Player Settings in the Multiplayer Menu. Also for multiplayer play on the Internet behind a firewall and/or proxy server please make sure to have the required port open to connect. Painkiller by default uses port 3455. Painkiller will not connect without an open port. Note GameSpy Arcade utilizes additional ports. A list of those ports and other support for GameSpy Arcade can be found on the GameSpy Firewall/Proxy page.

13 - I try to join a multiplayer game and I am prompted to enter a password. Why is this?
Currently, there is no indication whether a multiplayer game is password-protected or not. Please cancel out of the screen and re-select another multiplayer game.

14 - How do I run a dedicated Server?
A short-cut to run a multiplayer dedicated server is provided in the Start Menu folder for Painkiller after installation. Dedicated servers generally have better performance and are preferred for Internet play. The same system requirements apply for dedicated servers.

15 - If I wish to have a LAN party, does my Painkiller CD need to be in my CD/DVD-ROM drive during the entire game?
You may start playing a LAN game with the CD in the drive, remove it, and then pass it to the next player. However, to do this you must have a valid key for each computer.

16 - I notice that the save checkpoints in Daydream and Insomnia mode give me full health. Is this correct?
Yes. Save checkpoints in both Daydream and Insomnia modes replenish your health fully.

17 - What are the default keys to quicksave my game?
The default keys are F5 to quicksave and F9 to load a quicksave game.

18 - There is an option in the game to adjust the HeadBob. What does this do?
The option to control the amount of walking and head motion you see while playing has been included in the HUD settings under the Options Menu. Lowering this setting will make less motion.

19 - There is an option in the game to adjust the viewing distance. What does this do?
An option to control the far viewing distance in the game world has been included under the Advanced Video tab in the Options Menu. By lowering this setting you may have improved performance but you will not be able to see as far into the game world.

20 - Why do I crash on the maps DM-Mine and DM-Iluminati?
This happens when another user on the same server has picked up the 'immunity multiplayer power up'. Collecting this 'power up' randomly kicks users off of the game while the user that has picked up the 'power up' remains on the server.

21 - Where can I find out more information on Painkiller?
Please read our General FAQ and visit the Painkiller Forums for more information.









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