How to fix shaders/lighting.fx problem

[Shepherd007]

Apparently, a lot of people have had problems with installing Special Forces after the 1.3 update. Here's what I did to fix it.

If you get the "syncronize shaders/lighting.fx not found" issue, then you'll need to copy the following files:

Copy all of the files from:
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\bf2\shaders_client
to:
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\bf2\shaders

and

Copy all of the files from:
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\xpack\shaders_client
to:
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\xpack\shaders

After you have copied the files, install the FULL 1.41 patch, as the SF install will remain at version 1.1, even though your vanilla BF2 will be up to date. This will prevent you from receiving a modded map error when you try to load one of the SF maps.

[BadToad]

Re: How to fix shaders/lighting.fx problem

Me thinks you are going to be a hero to many a people today!:)

[Jade Falcon]

Re: How to fix shaders/lighting.fx problem

Well I don't have Special Forces installed yet, I just installed BF2 and applied the 1.3 patch. I tried testing it, and was getting that message. I followed your first step relating to BF2, and still get that message. As far as I can see there is NO lightning.fx file anywhere in the directory.

Any suggestions?

[Shepherd007]

Re: How to fix shaders/lighting.fx problem

Well I don't have Special Forces installed yet, I just installed BF2 and applied the 1.3 patch. I tried testing it, and was getting that message. I followed your first step relating to BF2, and still get that message. As far as I can see there is NO lightning.fx file anywhere in the directory.

Any suggestions?

The file is lighting.fx and not lightning.fx, and it is only in one of the directories and not the other. Were the shaders folders empty or did they have data in them?

Is this a fresh install of BF2 (without installing SF) and the full 1.3 patch? Did you get this error after you ran the incremental or installed EF?

You can also try clearing out your cache file in My Documents\Battlefield 2 and see if that helps.

[Jade Falcon]

Re: How to fix shaders/lighting.fx problem

The file is lighting.fx and not lightning.fx, and it is only in one of the directories and not the other. Were the shaders folders empty or did they have data in them?

Is this a fresh install of BF2 (without installing SF) and the full 1.3 patch? Did you get this error after you ran the incremental or installed EF?

You can also try clearing out your cache file in My Documents\Battlefield 2 and see if that helps.

Sorry, just a typo.

I did a complete fresh reinstall, following EA's instructions of using the 1.2 version of their Eraser program. I cleared out the program entries and the My Documents/Battlefield 2 folder.

I then proceeded to install BF2, then ran the 1.3 patch, the full patch.

The shaders folder mentioned was empty, and I copied the contents of Shaders_client.zip into it, but there is no file called lighting.fx. The closest I have to files of that name are...

LightGeom.fx
and
LightManager_r3x0.fx

However, there is no file named Lighting.fx. I even ran a search through the directories, but no joy.

The instructions I got from EA said to do a scrub of my old install which I did.

Then I was to install BF2, patch it to 1.3, install Special Forces, patch it to 1.3, and install Euro Forces, and patch to 1.3.

I decided to test vanilla BF2 before proceeding. Oh, and I also did restart my system after installing BF2 before patching it.

[BadToad]

Re: How to fix shaders/lighting.fx problem

The mystery and absurdity of patch 1.3 continues on....

[bhindi_bhajji]

Re: How to fix shaders/lighting.fx problem

Lighting.fx is in zip file called Shaders_client.zip, you need to extract it from there.

At least that's what I did.

[Shepherd007]

Re: How to fix shaders/lighting.fx problem

If you're still having a problem, follow these steps and let me know where you get the error:

1) Uninstall all BF2 programs (use the uninstall tool from the Add and Remove Programs in your Control Panel)
2) Remove any BF2 folders that are orphaned (in Program Files, in My Documents, etc.). Remove the EA GAMES folder if you don't have any other EA GAMES
3) Make sure you have the latest driver for your video card
4) Download CCleaner and run it
5) Restart your computer
6) Close all background processes (anti-virus, etc.) that have your user name as the User Name
7) Install BF2 vanilla (Do not patch) and restart your computer
8) Run BF2 and try to play a single-player match
9) Repeat steps 6, 7, and 8 for SF
10) Repeat steups 6, 7, and 8 for EF
11) Install Full 1.3 patch
12) Run BF2/SF/EF and try to play online

Hopefully this should fix your problem.

[Jade Falcon]

Re: How to fix shaders/lighting.fx problem

The file is lighting.fx and not lightning.fx, and it is only in one of the directories and not the other. Were the shaders folders empty or did they have data in them?

BTW, it's spelled lightning.fx in the error message I got, but regardless its not there, and it's not in the zipped shaders_client folder either.

Well a slight update, I reinstalled the 1.3 full patch, just to see if it would work.

It took THREE HOURS to install!!!!!

However, I reset after installation and tried it. I haven't loaded properly into a server, but I manage to get to a server loading screen, no shader error messages this time, so tomorrow, I try Special Forces and Euro Forces. :)

[BadToad]

Re: How to fix shaders/lighting.fx problem

Three hours....I hate reinstalling!!!!! I'm so glad this last patch worked for me and i didn't have to this time!

[PsychO_Qc]

Re: How to fix shaders/lighting.fx problem

Apparently, a lot of people have had problems with installing Special Forces after the 1.3 update. Here's what I did to fix it.

If you get the "syncronize shaders/lighting.fx not found" issue, then you'll need to copy the following files:

Copy all of the files from:
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\bf2\shaders_client
to:
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\bf2\shaders

and

Copy all of the files from:
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\xpack\shaders_client
to:
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\xpack\shaders

After you have copied the files, install the FULL 1.3 patch, as the SF install will remain at version 1.1, even though your vanilla BF2 will be up to date. This will prevent you from receiving a modded map error when you try to load one of the SF maps.

Worked like a charm

Thanks a lot budy :)

[mopar_dak]

Re: How to fix shaders/lighting.fx problem

I just got SF and had this problem. My BF2 was patched to 1.3 incrementally, before the install. All I did was download the 1.3 Full patch, installed it and it's fine now. No copying files or anything. Hope this works for everyone else.

[Razzle]

Re: How to fix shaders/lighting.fx problem

Yep i got this error after installing SF on BF2 v1.3. I installed the full v1.3 patch again and this seemed to fix the problem.

[Mr.Lee]

Re: How to fix shaders/lighting.fx problem

Apparently, a lot of people have had problems with installing Special Forces after the 1.3 update. Here's what I did to fix it.

If you get the "syncronize shaders/lighting.fx not found" issue, then you'll need to copy the following files:

Copy all of the files from:
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\bf2\shaders_client
to:
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\bf2\shaders

and

Copy all of the files from:
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\xpack\shaders_client
to:
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\xpack\shaders

After you have copied the files, install the FULL 1.3 patch, as the SF install will remain at version 1.1, even though your vanilla BF2 will be up to date. This will prevent you from receiving a modded map error when you try to load one of the SF maps.

When I follow these steps, I still get the error "unmodified bla bla"
are there files somewhere in the dir's that i can lookup. And explain me wich files are the ones the verification trips on?

When I follow these steps, I still get the error "unmodified bla bla"
are there files somewhere in the dir's that i can lookup. And explain me wich files are the ones the verification trips on?

For the record; I only have this problem with SF.
BF2 works properly.

And it happends when i load a map, then when verifing my files the game just pops back to the multiplayer server selection screen. With the message in the middle :S.

[Shooter1590]

Re: How to fix shaders/lighting.fx problem

All i did to fix my problem was download the full 1.3 patch again and it patched regular bf2 and SF and it worked after that.